Thanks to a casting call that leaked out earlier this month, it's been widely reported that J.J. Abrams and the production team behind Star Wars: Episode VII have been on the hunt for two young actors to play leads in the film: one a tough late-teenage girl and the other a fun, charismatic early 2os boy. Now, however, The Hollywood Reporter has a beat on yet another part the movie is looking to cast. Within an article about a number of major blockbusters currently in the casting stage, the trade has noted that Star Wars is now looking for "a 40-something military man a la Matt Damon in Elysium."
We first got a hint about this particular character's casting last week. Jason Flemyng - who is 47 years old - revealed a page of the Star Wars script on his Instagram feed on Wednesday, suggesting that he was going out for a part in the movie. "40-something military man" seems like a good fit for him, no? Around that same time we also heard a rumor that the production was looking at Doctor Who's Matt Smith for a potential role, but considering he is only 31 he may be going out for something else.
Providing more insight to what's going on behind the scenes of Star Wars: Episode VII is an interview that Total Film recently did with the movie's director. While more details from the conversation will be available in the magazine's next issue, they have teased some quotes from the filmmaker - first talking about getting the chance to work with Empire Strikes Back screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan on Episode VII's script. While Academy Award winner Michael Arndt was initially hired to write the script, it was announced last month that the director and Kasdan have started drafting their own version of the movie. Said Abrams about his new co-writer, "Working with Larry has been one of the most surreal joys of my life. We've had a lot of fun working together. He's an incredible guy and an inspiring and spectacular writer."
The director also had a few things to say about flying out to England for the production - something he admits he wasn't 100% excited to do due to the fact that he would be so far away from his family. Said Abrams,
"It's something that I've always intended to do," he says. "But I'm torn because I have done everything I can to keep the production of my projects in Los Angeles. Yet the opportunity to work with UK crews is something that has always been a dream of mine. Of course, that dream existed prior to me being married and having a family, so the reality of making a movie like that for any period of time becomes much more difficult when there are other people that you desperately love and care for involved."
Star Wars: Episode VII will be going into production next spring and will be released by Walt Disney Studios on December 18, 2015.
