Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2,063,298,148)

WyldeMan wrote:As weird as it sounds, Star Wars Rebels has made me much more interested in Episode 7 than I was before I watched it.

I do like they took a bunch of relative unknowns just like with the originals.

Domhnall Gleeson is set to have a bigger film career than his father and the dude has been acting for a long time. But I've never really seen him in too many big action films and I don't believe I've ever seen him do sci-fi either but Domnhall's career has been gaining a lot of traction lately and this could be his breakout.

Adam Driver aka Bud the Chud. Well as much as I don't want to see him everywhere it looks as though Hollywood has chosen this highly unconventional dude to be a leading man across a number of high profile films for the next several years so I'd better just get used to seeing him all the time. Plus they appear to be hiding his mug under a black hood and a half of masked face.

Character Names Revealed in Throwback Fashion

Well this was certainly unexpected.  Filmmaker J.J. Abrams is known for his “mystery box” approach to movies; he lets as little information out as possible before the film’s release.  The teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the perfect way to both appease fans and tell them almost nothing—which is good!  I don’t want to know everything about a movie before it’s released, and I think most people feel the same way.  However, a year before the film hits theaters, Abrams and Co. have now cracked open the Star Wars mystery box a tad by unveiling the Star Wars: The Force Awakens character names in quite possibly the coolest way imaginable.  A collection of “vintage” Topps trading cards for The Force Awakens were released today that feature images of the characters we saw in the trailer complete with their specific character names.  Oscar Isaac is Poe Dameron!  The Masked Menace is Kylo Ren!  Daisy Ridley is not Kira!

It may be telling that the cards only reveal the first names of the characters played by John Boyega and Daisy Ridley, our leads.  Early speculation claimed that one or both of these characters would be descendents of some original trilogy characters like Luke or Han and Leia, and that still may be true.  Additionally, the cards don’t reveal the actor/actress playing the villainous character, but my money is still on Adam Driver.  That tall, lanky frame seems unmistakable.

After J.J. Abrams completes Star Wars: The Force Awakens he'll pass the Star Wars directing baton to Looper director Rian Johnson,  who will be writing and directing Episodes VIII and IX. Another stolen Sony email from September 20, 2014 has surfaced online and this one has President of Production for Columbia Pictures Michael De Luca discussing Disney's Star Wars with Sony Pictures Entertainment co-Chairman Amy Pascal. In it, he says Johnson's VIII and IX will be "Luke and Leia" storylines." He also knocks screenwriter Gary Whitta ("Godzilla" & "After Earth"), who is writing the Gareth Edwards' Star Wars standalone film.

"Star Wars: Any studio would have lost josh trank and rian Johnson to this, it's freaking Star Wars. Your After Earth writer Gary Whitta is writing Gareth Edwards stand alone Star Wars film. Simon Kinberg is writing Josh Tranks. No one knows what they're about but Boba Fett is rumored to be the subject of one. Rian Johnson as you know is doing the main ones, episodes 8 and 9 of the Luke and Leia story lines, after JJ. Not sure anything is gained by looking at what Lucasfilm is doing except we are stalking all these people too, except Whitta whom I think blows.”

This news should make many longtime fans happy. Some were concerned after the first Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer that returning characters like Luke, Leia and Han were being pushed aside to make the focus of the sequels on the newcomers like Oscar Isaac's 'Poe Dameron,' Daisy Ridley's 'Rey,' and John Boyega's 'Finn.'

WyldeMan wrote:That huge spoiler filled leak released a week or two ago had every single name incorrect, from what I can recall, Poe Dameron was called Darklighter and Rey was referred to as Daisy.

As we await the new trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens that's supposedly set to debut at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim next month, the following might just provide us with an idea of what we can expect. Several sources (including Latino Review's El Mayimbe and Star Wars 7 News) have received emails containing the same description, and it sounds quite similar to (but not exactly the same as) a breakdown I was sent a short while ago but dismissed because of how poorly written it was. This is much more coherent, and although some of the VO dialogue seems a little odd, it could well make more sense when heard over the actual trailer. Everything else sounds pretty cool, but Of course, there is a chance it's a complete fabrication. Have a read over it and let us know what you think in the usual place.

Like the first teaser it opens with a shot of the desert planet. Although it's not dunes. It's a destroyed AT-AT on its side. Voice over (sounds like Lupita Nyong'o): "I shall show you the story..." Forest location with a very large structure (like a castle or something) with an opening in the base of a large tree. I believe this is the Puzzlewood location. VO continues "of who you seek..." A large city in a tropical location. Looks like it's on the water. VO continues "the one who taught me..." Cloaked figure (maybe Luke?) standing at the top of stone steps on a high green hill with mountain stones behind him. This is definitely Skellig Michael.

VO continues "I know why the weapon came to you." John Boyega (Finn), Daisy Ridley (Rey), and a small blue alien with a CG face in a dark (underground?) cave. Finn takes a lightsaber, and turns it on revealing a green blade. Rey is in the background and looks disturbed. Things pick up from here. Lots of quick shots. Han Solo wearing a brown duster and looking past the camera. A black TIE Fighter attacking the forest location we saw earlier. Kylo Ren in a POV shot approaching someone on the ground. His mask is dark with silver accents. The cross-guard saber is ignited. People running in the city seen earlier in the trailer. R2-D2 making a forlorn beep. C-3PO and Princess Leia in what looks like a base command center. New Voice Over (sounds like Andy Serkis from the first trailer) "Don't get too sentimental". As that VO is playing we see Han looking at Leia and then walking away from her towards the Falcon with Chewie.

The snowy forest from the first trailer. Slow shot of Finn holding the saber, looks like he's protecting Rey from someone as we hear Han say "You can do this kid, I believe in you." Final shot of the trailer is a close-up of a hooded head looking up to reveal Luke.

Rusty Cunt wrote:That 3 pronged light-sabre is still retarded, regardless how bad the dude looks.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Interesting! I didn't know she was in this. I don't know why she wanted to play this character though. I see some similarities between both characters already.

Tyger wrote:That's surprising since Disney owns Marvel and Joss has been saying a lot of stupid shit lately

Tyger wrote:But clearly they don't need him anymore as the Russo's are taking over. I think there's a lot we don't know about...yet.

When the full trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” finally hit our screens on Oct. 19, it was as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in euphoria across the internet (and then were silenced by the furious clicking of keyboards as everyone shared their reactions). But the new promo – just over two minutes long – also served as a reminder that despite “Episode VII’s” lengthy promotional rollout, we’ve still seen very little footage from the hotly-anticipated sci-fi sequel.

This sad fact is illustrated by a handy supercut assembled by YouTube channel Science Vs. Cinema, which combines every piece of footage from “The Force Awakens” that has been released thus far, using the three trailers and the behind-the-scenes video that director J.J. Abrams unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con. The mash-up is a grand total of three minutes and forty seconds in length, but thanks to some neat editing, it plays much like a new trailer, and attempts to splice the various characters’ plot threads into a more coherent and linear whole.

Ain’t It Cool News’ Andy “Copernicus” Howell (who collaborates with the video’s editor, James Darling, on Science Vs. Cinema) has offered some background on the supercut, but the result speaks for itself.

The new “Star Wars” trailer narrowly missed breaking the YouTube record for most views in a single day — which was set by the film’s second teaser that was released back in April — but the fan fervor still allowed “The Force Awakens” to break plenty of other records in terms of advanced ticket sales.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Nice editing! You know, I still have no clue who these characters are. lol!

Tyger wrote:I'm getting excited, but there's no way in hell I'm seeing it within the first two weeks or more.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is breaking records and it’s still a month to go before the hotly anticipated space opera opens in theaters.

Insiders confirm that the seventh film in the hugely popular franchise has generated more than $50 million in advance ticket sales.

Fandango tells Variety that the picture is the biggest pre-seller in the history of the ticketing company, trumping the first “Hunger Games.” Most Imax screenings have sold out, but outside of those premium formats, there are tickets remaining to many shows on opening weekend. Theater chains are continually adding extra showtimes to keep up with demand, a Fandango spokesman said.

MovieTickets.com,  the country’s other major online ticketer reports that advance sales for Star Wars represent the most tickets ever sold for one film by the company when compared to all other films at the same point in roll out.

The excitement surrounding the new “Star Wars” is a mixed blessing for Disney, which is trying to reboot the series and kick-off a new trilogy and spin-off adventures. While it doubtless is galvanized by the reception, it must also massage expectations.

Pundits are already predicting that “The Force Awakens” will sprint past the $208.8 million earned by “Jurassic World’s” debut to score the biggest opening in history. But no film has ever opened to more than $100 million in December and the Christmas movie-going season is competitive one. At the very least, “The Force Awakens” seems destined to eclipse the $85 million bow of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” to set a new benchmark for December openings.

Another major question is what kind of multiple will it have on its opening weekend. “Avatar,” the highest-grossing film of all time, opened to a respectable $77 million, but what made it a phenomenon was its endurance. Its debut was just 10% of the film’s $750 million global gross, whereas “Jurassic World’s” kick-off was 32% of its $652 million stateside haul.

It’s too early to give a sense of how many theaters “The Force Awakens” will screen on, but sources predict it will be on at least 4,000 theaters.