comic convention

    [SDCC’15] Star Wars Panel

    Stephen SchleicherBy Updated:2 Comments7 Mins Read

    Here is your rundown of the news and information released during the Star Wars Panel on Friday evening.

    NOTE: We are updating this post live during the event, so keep refreshing!

    While we wait for the big stuff to arrive, did you see the new TIE Fighter with Elite TIE Fighter pilot from the Hasbro Star Wars Black Series line? Sweet. And that TIE Fighter will indeed fit a six-inch figure inside.

    starwarstfa-hasbro-TIE-fighter

    No word on price or availability, but I’m going to bet it cost a pretty penny. Not as much as the 1/6th scale TIE Fighter or the 1/6th scale Millennium Falcon Cockpit, but it’s going to set you back a few bucks.

    As usual, everything is starting late as the execs and big wigs arrive. Also, people are trying to settle down in their seats.

    7:40 PM CDT And it begins….

    7:42 PM Chris Hardwick of Nerdist (and host of every panel at Comic-Con) is also hosting this panel. He must be so stoked. Good for him, he deserves this in a very big way.

    That may be the last photo from the event as they are saying NO PHOTOS WHATSOEVA (even when video isn’t rolling). I think we all know Twitter is blowing up right now with #StarWars.

    7:45 PM CDT Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan take the stage. These are the expected guest for the panel, though we all know Disney/Lucasfilm/Comic-Con are planning “surprise guests.”

    “Star Wars is 100 percent dependent on the fans in this room since 1976. … We wanted to say thank you to all of you.” – Kathleen Kennedy

    Originally Bob Iger wanted the movie to come out in May (Star Wars released at the end of May in 1977), but J.J. Abrams pushed for more time and the December release.

    7:47 PM CDT Abrams says there is a cut of the movie, but they are still fine tuning it.

    Obviously there are a lot more practical effects this time around.

    7:54 PM CDT – Neil Scanlan’s studio is responsible for the majority of the puppets and creatures in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

    7:58 PM CDT – Peter Mayhew is in the audience. Abrams “You can’t be blinded by the callbacks and nostalgia.”

    8:00 PM CDT – Rogue One starts shooting in three weeks with Gareth Edwards directing The next trailer won’t be out until the fall, but fans in Hall H got to see clips and footage from the set. There is a new TIE Fighter that Bryan Bishop says looks like the Hasbro toy seen above. This footage is exclusive to Comic-Con. Chris Hardwick says he saw the clip earlier and it made him cry. Interestingly, Kevin Smith also got misty-eyed the other day when talking about this new Star Wars installment. I hope we get to see this online in a few hours!


    8:06 PM CDT – Simon Pegg is in the movie (in a mask and costume). At this point Hardwick welcomed the “special guests” to the stage: Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley…

    Ridley commented on the amount of work involved in training for the film, running through the dessert in 110 degree heat…

    8:15 PM CDT – When asked about Asian actors joining the cast, Abrams remarked, “We didn’t write the character of Finn to be any color. We didn’t write the character of Rey to be any color. I think you’ll be happy to see there are Asians in this film.”

    Abrams says diversity is incredibly important, and that improving that is always a consideration. Kennedy says they will be continuing that philosophy in all of the Star Wars movies they make.

    8:16 PM – A question was asked about using “transmedia experiences” and Abrams replied that story is the most important thing, so they didn’t think outside of the film itself when making The Force Awakens. Special guests – Adam Driver and Gwendoline Christie, Domnhall Gleeson

    Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) said there were no discussion of good or evil when playing their characters, just being bad or right – a character may do bad things, but if they believe they are morally right that may be even more than evil.

    Christie says she loved playing Captain Phasma as she wasn’t judged by how she looked.

    8:25 PM CDT – General Hux is in charge of the First Order Base – The Starkiller Base. For those of you old enough to remember, or for those of you that read Dark Horse Comics OTHER The Star Wars book, Starkiller was Luke’s name in the early drafts of the film.

    Special guest… Carrie Fisher “it was like a flashback. They were right about the acid flashbacks.”

    Special Guest… Mark Hamill.

    Mark Hamill on meeting fans “When I meet you on the street everyone has a story, it’s such a personal story… it’s very moving to me.”

    Correction… HARRISON FORD IS AT THE PANEL.

    “It’s great to be back,” said Harrison Ford on returning to the role he had at the start of his working life.

    Hamill admitted to failing a Star Wars trivia contest recently, stating he “didn’t know what Han was smuggling.”

    Asked what it felt like walking back onto the Star Wars set after 30 years, Ford says, “It should have felt ridiculous… I will tell you that it felt great. I wasn’t so sure it would, but the company was the right company, the director was the right director, Larry wrote us a wonderful story. And I was proud and grateful to once again be involved. The original Star Wars I was a part of really was the beginning of my working life. I was very grateful for the opportunity I had and the success of that film. It’s great to be back,” – via Deadline

    Abrams has invited everyone in Hall H to a live Star Wars concert.

    Everyone gets a lanyard to guarantee entry… it’s going to be a big venue, as Hall H seats around 6,500 people.

    And that wraps up the Star Wars panel…I hope you enjoyed our coverage. I’ll be back on Saturday to do this again with the big Warner Bros. event.

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    Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment. You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...

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    2 Comments

    2. Malone_hasco on

      Im catching all the SDCC stuff super late because friend wedding this weekend and of course, everything happening in the middle of night my time, so thanks for detailed coverage.

      Reply

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