Surely there are thousands if not millions of young actors out there who dream of being in the next Star Wars film, but wind up being limited by the fact that they don't live in any of the locations where the production is doing its casting. Now that obstacle has been completely eliminated. According to Variety, J.J. Abrams and the folks behind Star Wars: Episode VII are now giving people the chance to send in video auditions to try out for the mysterious parts of "Rachel" and "Thomas" in the sci-fi epic.
We first heard about these two roles last week when a casting call sheet found its way online and was determined to be for the next chapter in the Star Wars saga. For those that missed the descriptions the first time around, you can read them below:
Seeking young woman to play 17-18 year old. Must be beautiful, smart and athletic. Open to all ethnicities (including bi and multi-racial) Must be over 16.Rachel - Was quite young when she lost her parents. With no other family, she was forced to make her way in a tough, dangerous town. Now 17, she has become street smart and strong. She is able to take care of herself using humor and guts to get by.Always a survivor, never a victim, she remains hopeful that she can move away from this harsh existence to a better life. She is always thinking of what she can do to move aheadSeeking young man to play 19-23 years old. Must be handsome, smart and athletic. Must be over 18.Thomas - Has grown up without a father's influence. Without the model of being a man, he doesn't have the strongest sense of himself. Despite this he is smart, capable and shows courage when it is needed. He can appreciate the absurdities in life and understands you can't take life to seriously.
Those wanting to submit their video can go to the casting website at www.OpenCastingCall2013.com, and Variety notes that in addition to auditions in the UK there will be events held in Chicago, Illinois; Nashville, Tennessee; Austin, Texas; and Troy, Michigan.
Hearing stories like this it's hard not to wonder if Abrams and Disney would possibly consider casting newcomers to play the leads in the next Star Wars. Both Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were nobodies when George Lucas cast them as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, and Harrison Ford really only had his part in American Graffiti before he became Han Solo. Since the casting rumors began all we've heard are stories about big names, including Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Zac Efron, Ryan Gosling, Saoirse Ronan, David Oyelowo and Michael B. Jordan, but perhaps the studio and the director will wind up throwing us a curve ball and get someone brand new to the industry. Star Wars is one of the few franchises that has the potential to succeed based on its brand alone, so it's not an impossibility.
Just last week we heard some important news for Episode VII, as after months and months of waiting the film finally got a release date. Unlike all of the previous films in the series, the next Star Wars movie won't be a summer blockbuster and instead will be heading into theaters just in time for Christmas on December 18, 2015. Presumably positioning the film for the end of the year was done to give Abrams and his team more time to get all of the proper pieces in place and make sure that they head into production with the strongest script possible. Working with a script originally drafted by Oscar winner Michael Arndt before Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan took over screenwriting duties, the film will have start cameras rolling next spring at England's legendary Pinewood Studios.
