The cast of JJ Abrams’ highly anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII has finally been announced, with newcomers John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac joining original Star Wars cast members Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, among others.
Disney and Lucasfilm announced the full lineup on Tuesday, putting months of casting speculation to rest. On the list of brand new Star Wars cast members are: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow. The actors new to the Star Wars universe will be joining actors from the original trilogy, Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Kenny Baker (R2-D2).
“We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud,” Abrams said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
It has long been rumored that Hamill, Fisher and Ford would be reprising their classic roles in Star Wars: Episode VII, and those rumors kicked into high gear just a few days ago when the trio was spotted in London, where the film is set to begin shooting in the coming weeks.
News of the casting of Adam Driver, star of HBO’s Girls, had already been reported, but had not been confirmed until the official announcement was made. Driver and Oscar Isaac are a few of the better known new actors joining the franchise. Isaac starred in last year’s Coen brothers film Inside Llewyn Davis. Another recognizable face in the new cast is Gleeson, who appeared as Bill Weasley in the final two Harry Potter films and recently stared in the romantic comedy About Time.
Boyega and Ridley are both relative newcomers, with a half a dozen credits on IMDB each. Fans will be given a chance to get to know Boyega before his Star Wars debut with Fox’s 24: Live Another Day. Max von Sydow, on the other hand, is a veteran actor whose first acting credit was in 1949, and who has acted in multiple languages. The Swedish actor has been acting steadily ever since, and his impressive resume includes 13 films from director Ingmar Bergman, Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters, and the starring role of Father Merrin in The Exorcist (1973).
Finally, Andy Serkis is the most recognizable motion capture actor, with scene stealing turns as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series. His newest film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will be released this summer. It is unknown whether or not Serkis will appear in the film in his human form, or whether he will be performing in motion capture. In fact, none of the roles of the new cast members have been announced or confirmed, though it is widely believed that Driver will play a villain in the film. All the returning actors, however, are expected to reprise their original roles.
The return of Daniels as C-3PO and Baker as R2-D2 make them the only actors to appear in every single Star Wars film. Also returning to the Star Wars franchise is composer John Williams.
– Olivia Truffaut-Wong
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