If you are a LEGO Star Wars fan you probably know already that the Star Wars saga is going to continue with Episode VII scheduled to be released in mid-December in 2015. Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. Of course ever since the original announcement LEGO Star Wars fans are eagerly talking and speculating about the characters, the plot, and all aspects of the upcoming film. What else to do besides anxiously and excitedly waiting? 🙂
The cast of Episode VII was officially announced back in April; John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film. Along with the announcement this now famous image (see above) was released with Writer/Director/Producer J.J Abrams (top center right) at the cast read-through of Star Wars Episode VII at Pinewood Studios with (clockwise from right) Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Producer Bryan Burk, Lucasfilm President and Producer Kathleen Kennedy, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Writer Lawrence Kasdan. (Copyright and photo-credit: David James.)
I’m sure announcements and teasers like this will continue until the film’s release. Building up the excitement of LEGO Star Wars fans, the LEGO itself recently released the same image using LEGO minifigure versions of the actors. The image went viral just like the original, and of course all LEGO forums, blogs and fan-sites have been talking about it. For LEGO Star Wars fans the continuation of the Star Wars saga is big news; it means that LEGO Star Wars sets are going to continue for quite some time, and also that instead of tiresome rehashes of the same sets and characters we are going to get lots of new stuff!
I also stumbled upon this interesting video (see below) at the YouTube channel of Groove Bricks, that brings to our attention some unusual differences between the original photo and the LEGO image. Specifically, the presence of two symbols of the Empire on the crates stacked in the background. As you may remember, in Episode VI the Empire came to an end with the death of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. However the symbols on the crates seem to indicate otherwise; that the Empire may have lived on, possibly with a new badguy who takes control of the imperial troops that were not stationed on the Death Star when it blew up.
Maybe this new leader will build a new Death Star, or something even bigger and more sinister to spread terror around the Galaxy? In either case it doesn’t look like the peace and balance Vader supposed to bring to the Force lasted for long, and a new generation of heroes will have to continue fighting the Dark Side. I say, bring it on! Do you agree? And while were are waiting, and before they get retired, you can check out the current selection of LEGO Star Wars sets at the Online LEGO Shop.
So what do you think? How do you like the new characters? Who is going to play which role in your opinion? And what do you think of the LEGO version of the photo? Do you think the differences have significant meaning in regards to the new plot, or it was just a LEGO designer making a mistake? Any other clues and interesting details that you notice on LEGO’s image? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
And you might also like to check out the LEGO Star Wars section for more news, reviews and discussions, or select from the following recent posts:
Yay first comment
That definitely is interesting
I’ve only seen a new hope though
I think Disney should not have done this. I know that’s harsh, but not entirely baseless. I mean, what more can happen; the Empire is in shards, and the Rebels are slowly destroying it and establishing the New Republic. Many people also have made their own stories about what happens after Ep. 6. There’s even an official book series about it! Still, I’ll be watching it, so I can see if it’s good, and b/c Harrison Ford is in it. 🙂
Say, doesn’t Anthony Daniels voice C-3P0 in the Lego films, too? 😕
The Star Wars continuity is so screwed up, it’s pretty much as bad as DC and Marvel these days. All sorts of novels, comics, and video games have filled out material in between the six films and both before and after them spanning hundreds of years. They have always been of questionable authority but as the “official” material expands they will be contradicted more and more. Some people will no doubt disallow the Disney sequels from their personal canon and stick to the original Lucas six. The two different “Clone Wars” Cartoon Network series probably fit in there okay. Not sure if the new “Rebels” Disney XD series counts. The old “Droids” cartoon from the 80s is right out, contradicted by the end of Revenge of the Sith (though some people try to fanwank it into still working somehow).
And of course there is something cosmically wrong with the same guy being in charge of both the post-Lucas Star Wars Sequels and the Star Trek reboot movie series.
@BLProductions: Anthony Daniels is ALWAYS the voice of C-3PO. I’m pretty sure that’s the only character that has never been portrayed by someone other than the original actor.
Ray, yes, I know that a lot of people share your view, and it is certainly going to be interesting to see if Disney could handle the legacy of the SW saga. I know that they scraped the entire Extended Universe, so as far as what the story is going to be, it could go pretty much any direction – I think that was a good idea. I grew up with Star Wars, so I’m quite curious. The thing is, if they ruin it, we still have the originals so we don’t loose, and if they do an excellent job then we have something to look forward to for many more years. 🙂
I really don’t care about the Extended Universe, but I consider everything except the six movies & the LEGO animated movies non-canon (including the Clone Wars show).
I also heard somewhere that Disney declared everything except the OT, the new Rebels show, and Ep.7 non-canon. If that’s true, it sounds like the Waltless Disney corporation is pushing their stuff to make more money. Bunch of greedy gregs. 😡
Oh, and admin, did you get your Exo-suit copy yet?
Yeah, built the Exo Suit last night. I stayed up until 3 AM playing with it, and also played more this morning. That’s why I haven’t been around. 😉
I have redesigned the arms, and I’m also working on redesigning the roll-cage a bit. It is an amazingly fun set. I will write a review probably this weekend.
…Wait, It’s out already?
A part of me just withered away.
No, it comes out August 1st. Admin just got a copy for review, like Huw from Brickset did. Right, admin?
Yes. One of the perks of running a busy blog. 😉
Oh, yeah, I thought so too.
Naw, it’s just thre review copy I got. Official release date is August 1st. 😉
I’ve been keeping up with Huw’s review, so currently I’m at 315/321 pieces on LDD. I can’t find those hub caps on the back. 😕
I also built my own Exo-suit kinda mech, but it’s for some custom Gondor Rangers. 🙂 Used Kai’s mech, Zaptor, and a Droideka to make it. It has a bow and binoculars on one arm, and an Exo-suit claw on the other. The feet are smallish, but otherwise I like it. 😀
That hubcap thingy is this piece: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=62359. Perhaps the item number will help you find it in LDD? You made an Exo Suit for Lord of the Rings???!!! What an awesome idea! I so wanna see that! 😀
Hm… I’ll have to check tomorrow. Thanks, though! 🙂
Yeah, I may need to get a Flickr account to show my pics of my MOCs. But I have built it on LDD next to the real Exo-suit (which is now put together), for comparison. 🙂
DC cleaned it up quite well with the New 52 reboot, where they literally resetted the history back in 2011, using the plot device of the Flash merging the DC Universe and its imprints inadvertently into a new universe called the “New 52”, at the conclusion of the Flashpoint storyline. In the process, they destroyed more than 60 years of stories. Actually, in retrospect, it just tangles it further, now causing most pre-52 storylines to be questionable in whether it is canon or not, as well as creating gaping plot holes (In addition to new ones created after the New 52) such as who was Kyle Rayner’s second girlfriend whom he lost since Jade never existed, how did Arsenal and Starfire apparently knew Beast Boy, Cyborg etc. as mentioned in Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 if this is the first incarnation of the Teen Titans, and so on so forth. Yes, I am a DC fan. And the New 52 is personally one of the things I wished never happened. They deleted some characters I actually liked, like Blue Beetle II, and they changed Captain Marvel’s name into Shazam. It’s nice though, for getting into comics, and Aquaman in the New 52 is really cool…Sorry I trailed off like this.
Anyways, back on topic, I’m pretty optimistic about the sequel trilogy. Compared to the EU, it can’t be worse; no plotlines about Darth Vader’s glove, Emperor Palpatine’s ghosts and clones and similar nonsense. Sorry if I offended anyone.
That is exactly how I feel. It can’t be worse than EU, so might as well give them a chance. And what I’m especially excited about is the possibility of some amazing LEGO sets coming out with the new films. In fact I’m more optimistic about this than the film itself.
Nothing Disney can do will be worse than Jar Jar Binks. I look forward to this new film. I thought all the EU stuff was garbage anyway, and none of it was “official”. The only official stuff are the movies and the animated stuff. The rest was licensed. That only allowed them to use the Star Wars name, and reference things in the Star Wars universe.
OK, I’m gonna just ask a dumb question: “What is everyone’s problem with Jar-Jar Binks?” I can see that “the ability to speak does not make one intelligent”, but he really doesn’t do anything. 😕 He’s even useful in the LEGO SW game, as he can jump high. 🙂
Some people found him as a racist stereotype of blacks, most found him extremely annoying, and some people just thought his inclusion made Phantom menace a kids movie.
I actually didn’t mind Jar-Jar at all. I thougt he was just fine. But a lot of people felt that he was like a crazy hippy or something and too stereotyped.
Of course it was the parts of the new American Generation that made up that idea. Though, as shown in the movie, he wasn’t exactly the brightest Gungan. 🙂
Well, in the EU Palpatine had clones of himself……
What I’ve heard is that the emperor when he died his spirit moved into a clone that he made of himself so that he could never be defeated
I can’t wait for the new star wars but I am not sure how good it will be
I find it funny that Carrie Fisher is in her Jabba’s Palace clothing 😆