Daisy Ridley, 23, went from being relatively unknown to the name everybody was talking about when casting for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was announced in 2014.
Though much is still unknown about her character Rey, according to Ridley, she'll play "a scavenger in a ship graveyard” who is “completely self-sufficient." There's also been speculation that she's Han Solo and Princess Leia's daughter.
Prior to joining the film's cast, Ridley's credits consisted of a couple guest appearances on television shows and shorts.
With "The Force Awakens" set for two more sequels, Ridley won't be leaving the "Star Wars" world anytime soon and her list of projects is sure to grow.
Here's your introduction to this future franchise star.
Born and raised in Westminster, London, Daisy Ridley is the youngest of five sisters. Her father is a photographer and her mother works in internal communications at a bank.
She's not the only one in her family with performing in her blood. Her great-uncle is Arnold Riley, an actor well-known for his role in "Dad's Army," a popular British sitcom that ran from 1968-1977.
Other than this mysterious shot of a robotic hand reaching out to R2-D2 — which fans have assumed belongs to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) — and a leaked photo of Hamill in costume that Disney had removed from numerous sites, we have yet to see the fan favorite in marketing for the new film.
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Why haven't we seen him? Why is Lucasfilm being so secretive with the big Luke reveal?
Those questions have led some to believe there may be more to Skywalker's character and that he mayhaveturned to the dark side.
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Let’s think about this.
Could Luke be evil?
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We know Skywalker is capable of turning to the dark side of the Force
The son of Darth Vader, he's the heir to the dark throne. Yoda was hesitant to train him to be a Jedi since he was already beyond the age in which one would typically receive Jedi training, making him possibly more susceptible to dark influences.
He also saw signs of anger and impatience in Luke, just like in his father Anakin, which could lead him to fall prey to the dark side.
Hamill is no stranger to playing the bad guy
After his "Star Wars" run, Mark Hamill has gone on to play one of the most iconic villains in the DC Universe. He's primarily known as the voice of the Joker on the Emmy-nominated "Batman: The Animated Series" and various "Batman" video games and TV movies.
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He's also voiced Darth Bane in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and has played a few Marvel villains from Red Skull and the Hobgoblin to Ulysses Klaw in animated series.
Recently, Hamill has appeared on "The Flash" reprising an old role as The Trickster.
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An old clip from 2005
While Hamill is known for playing some roles that established his chops as someone who could play, say, an up-and-coming Sith Lord, the biggest piece of evidence which has fans thinking about Luke's role in "The Force Awakens" is an old clip from a 2005 episode of IFC's "Dinner for Five," a show featuring actor/director Jon Favreau where a group of celebrities spoke casually with each other about projects they've worked on.
Hamill appeared on one of the episodes along with "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams, Stan Lee, Jason Lee, and Kevin Smith.
Eleven minutes into season four, episode nine, Smith asks Hamill about a "Star Wars" show the two were rumored to be working on at the time. The conversation quickly turns to the prequel trilogy and whether Hamill could have seen Luke turning to the dark side in 1983's "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi."
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Surprisingly, Hamill says he pitched that idea to creator George Lucas.
"I pitched that to George," said Hamill. "As an actor that would be more fun to play. I just thought that's the way it was going. When we finished two, I figured that's what will be the pivotal moment. I'll have to come back, but I'll have Han Solo in my crosshairs and I'll be about to kill him or about to kill the princess or about to kill someone we care about."
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Hamill said an evil Luke might have turned "Return of the Jedi" into "an old cornball movie."
Even though it wasn't going to happen, Hamill envisioned how he should look if his character became a Sith Lord.
"I should come back having trained somewhere with shaved widow's peak, and a top knot, and like a braid," Hamill added, but he said Lucas refused.
Instead, Hamill and Smith pointed out Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) ended up having a similar look later on.
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You can watch the full episode below:
Not buying that theory?
Another reasonable theory is that Luke has pulled a Yoda.
Just as Yoda fled to Dagobah to hide away, maybe Luke has done the same and he'll be called upon to train another Jedi in the ways of the Force.
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Honestly, this theory seems to make more sense. If you've seen the one leaked image of a bearded Luke, he's seen visibly wearing Jedi robes.
What do you think? Could Luke be heading to the dark side or are fans just reaching?
As some have pointed out, maybe Lucasfilm just wants to keep some mysteries under lock and key until the movie debuts in December.
With the number of spoilers we see in trailers and marketing today, going in with a few surprises would be nice.
Just in time for the release of the latest "Star Wars" blockbuster, Ukrainians have transformed a statue of Lenin into one of Darth Vader, an oddly prominent figure in local politics.
Soviet founder Lenin -- long despised by most in non-separatist parts of Ukraine -- fell victim to a law adopted in April that ordered the removal of all symbols and insignia reminding the country of its communist past.
Darth Vader is also cast as the embodiment of evil in the George Lucas movies -- a black-masked light sabre-wielding villain who is in permanent battle with the good Force.
But the Dark Lord of the Sith is a rather more popular figure in Ukraine, where Western culture is being embraced and the Soviet past erased from history -- a transition that outrages Russia.
One masked villain tried joining last year's presidential race, being denied registration only after he refused to disclose his real name and identity papers.
Later that year, Darth Vaders ran as candidates for mayors of Kiev and Odessa, the historic Black Sea port where the new statue was formally unveiled Friday.
"Star Wars" characters such as the grunting hairy giant Chewbacca, the Jedi Master Yoda and the courageous Princess Amidala also tried their luck in November's parliamentary poll in full costume, all without success.
Most of these offbeat candidates represent the tiny Pirate Party of Ukraine -- one of more than 40 groups that have sprung up worldwide in defence of Internet freedoms and limits on copyright laws.
This Sunday, another Darth Vader will run for Odessa mayor again as the crisis-torn east European country holds local elections across Kiev-controlled lands.
"After the de-communisation law was adopted earlier this year, we had to decide what to do with the monument (of Lenin)," Oleksandr Milov, the new statue's sculptor, told AFP.
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"Honestly, I did not like the idea of destroying it, so we decided on a more flexible solution."
New elements were added to the original plaster statue without causing it any harm.
"The idea was obvious since the Darth Vader movement has been at the centre of Ukrainians' attention in recent years," Milov said.
There are plans to build a Wi-Fi router into the statue's head so he can "communicate with the other Siths", he added.
A granite statue of Lenin in the heart of Kiev was famously toppled by enthusiastic protesters during the three-month revolution that ultimately ousted a Moscow-backed leadership in February 2014.
Symbols of Ukraine's Soviet past are also slowly disappearing across other parts of the country, although they are becoming more prominent in the pro-Russian separatist southeast.
The rebels' de facto capital Donetsk is now peppered with posters of Stalin, the bloodthirsty dictator who successfully sidelined his rivals in a vicious 1920s battled to take over Lenin's reins.
"Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens" will hit US movie screens in December, with advance ticket sales smashing records and three trailers spawning hysteria on the Internet.
If you're a fan of the series, you've probably watched the trailer at least a good half dozen times, but there's probably one scene you're definitely pressing the pause button on and are scrutinizing the best you can.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Star Wars fans will get to watch the new movie on Netflix when it’s released early next year — but only in Canada, according to Variety.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said that the streaming service has been in ongoing discussions to get "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" onto its service, but as it stands, Starz has the rights in most locations.
That could be set to change, as these discussions seem to have already borne fruit in one location.
This is good news not just for Netflix subscribers in Canada (or people masking their IP addresses with a VPN), but also for the rest of us, as it means that Starz is at least willing to negotiate in some markets.
Chewbacca was just taking part of the electoral process, campaigning for Darth Vader as a write-in candidate for mayor of Odessa. But he was arrested, and fined the equivalent of $7.50.
Last week, the city of Odessa honored Vader by allowing a Lenin statue to be transformed into him. The statue’s helmet also works as a Wi-Fi hotspot. But the chances look slim for Sith Lord's campaign.
Disney laid out its theatrical schedule through 2017 this summer at its D23 fan convention. Earlier this month, the Mouse House announced release dates for a few more films stretching through 2019.
With Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, Disney is the movie studio to beat right now.
Its lineup of movies includes a mix of animated films, superheroes, reboots, sequels, and multiple trips to a galaxy far, far away.
Here is everything you can expect to see from Disney from now through 2019.
"The Good Dinosaur" will imagine a world where dinosaurs didn't become extinct and co-exist with humans.
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The movie will be in theaters November 25, 2015.
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"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will take place after the events of "Return of the Jedi." This time, the forces of good must deal with a new villainous character, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
The new full-length trailer for "Star Wars Battlefront," the new game coming November 17, is full of incredible action.
It also has a cheeky, inside joke that only true "Star Wars" fans will understand.
At one point in the trailer we see Boba Fett, the bounty hunter who has been a fan favorite for decades, despite his limited role in the movies. Boba Fett is shown almost falling into the Sarlacc Pit, home to an alien that eats people and slowly digests them over thousands of years, before activating his jet pack and flying over it.
"That won't happen again!" he says.
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What's he talking about?
It's a reference to "Return of the Jedi," the third movie in the original trilogy. In one action sequence, Boba Fett falls into the Sarlacc Pit. Don't remember it? It's this scene:
He's presumed dead, but some "Star Wars" books and comments that follow the events after "Return of the Jedi" have kept Boba alive, saying he was able to escape the Sarlacc Pit after falling in. However, those books and comics are no longer considered part of the official "Star Wars" canon.
You can watch the full "Star Wars Battlefront" trailer below — skip to the 0:55 mark to see Boba Fett!
Disney laid out its theatrical schedule through 2017 this summer at its D23 fan convention. Earlier this month, the Mouse House announced release dates for a few more films stretching through 2019.
With Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, Disney is the movie studio to beat right now.
Its lineup of movies includes a mix of animated films, superheroes, reboots, sequels, and multiple trips to a galaxy far, far away.
Here is everything you can expect to see from Disney from now through 2019.
"The Good Dinosaur" will imagine a world where dinosaurs didn't become extinct and co-exist with humans.
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The movie will be in theaters November 25, 2015.
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"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will take place after the events of "Return of the Jedi." This time, the forces of good must deal with a new villainous character, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
Fans have been speculating about the plot of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ever since we first learned there'd be a new trilogy.
Now, “Star Wars” superfan Stephen Colbert is weighing in on what the new movie may be about as well.
The latest trailer for the film debuted last Monday night, but since the late-night show wasn’t filming last week, Colbert hasn’t been able to share his thoughts on the new trailer until now, and he says he has a good guess at the plot of the entire movie.
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"It has been three decades since the events of the original trilogy," said Colbert. "The dark and mysterious First Order has stepped into the power vacuum once held by the Empire."
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"And the newly-named Resistance fights in place of the Rebel Alliance which has begun a tragic shift to the dark side," he continued.
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"But John Boyega’s character is in a stormtrooper suit, so it follows that now the new, new hope comes from the very enemy we’ve been trained to hate," Colbert explains. "Remember, the Dark Side was never exclusively tied to the Empire. The Force itself exists outside of mere temporal authority structures."
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"So I predict that dark becomes light, light becomes dark," he concludes. "The very fabric of the force is stretched to its limit as a new generation emerges to tear down the false distinctions of the past and unite all of us — old and new, moisture farmers and nerfherders, Star and Wars, once and for all bringing peace to the galaxy."
So basically, Colbert thinks Boyega’s former stormtrooper Finn will be brought to the light side and will be the new hope needed to dismantle the First Order. That sounds about right since we see him end up with a lightsaber and go up against Kylo Ren. However, it looks like things may not work out too well for him.
However, that’s probably not true given leaked images that have come out showing Luke in Jedi garments.
Colbert does make a good point about the Force existing outside of authority structures. Maybe the new trilogy will eventually do away with the dark side and the light in order to bring balance to the Force once and for all.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is in theaters December 18.
Harrison Ford is heading back to a galaxy far, far away in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," but he didn't always plan to return to the franchise.
On "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Thursday evening, Ford, in a hot dog costume for Halloween, explained how he asked for his iconic Han Solo character to be killed off.
"I didn't ask him [Lucas] to personally kill me off. I asked him to ask the writers to kill me off," explained Ford.
George Lucas previously told Empire magazine Ford continuously asked to be killed off after his character was frozen in carbonite in the fifth movie, 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back."
"I said, “Harrison, I can’t kill you. I need you at the end of the next movie. There’s this love thing going on. But I’ll do the next best thing. I’ll put you in a slab of concrete and ship you off to Mars," Lucas told the magazine.
Ford also admitted he wanted Solo to be killed off in the final film in 2010 to ABC News. Back then, he said he just didn't find the character interesting. "I thought he should have died in the last one just to give it some bottom," said Ford. "George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”
This time around, Ford gave a different reasoning for wanting his character axed.
"I thought it would be good that the character ... if he sacrificed himself in some noble way," Ford told Kimmel.
Ford's mention of a sacrifice brings to mind a scene in trailers fans are currently debating where it looks like a character may have been seriously injured in the film.
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Some fans believe the person Rey's crying over could be Han, who may have sacrificed himself for the greater good.
Ford's interview was part of a larger segment in which the actor briefly discussed "The Force Awakens," but told Kimmel he wouldn't drop any new details because he wants the audience to experience the film when it debuts.
"What is there to say and why would you want to say anything?" Ford asked Kimmel.
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Instead, Ford promised, the movie is really, really good.
"J.J. [Abrams] has made an incredible movie," said Ford. "You will not be disappointed at all. I promise you."
You can watch Ford talk about "Star Wars" in his hot dog costume below:
Tickets for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" are already selling for thousands on eBay, but there's a slightly less pricey way for you to see it, and a few days earlier than everyone else at that: By taking a trip on Air France.
The airline is offering customers who book by December 10 a chance to watch the movie on the 16th if they fly on one of four December 15 flights. The movie won't be screened on-flight, but at a EuropaCorp theater. Tickets and transportation from Charles de Gaulle airport to the screening will be provided by Air France, according to the company's website.
You can fly from San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York to Paris to take advantage of the deal. Here are the details from Air France's website:
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As of this writing, the cheapest possible option works out to about $1,400, but like with all airline prices, rates will likely fluctuate.
The EuropaCorp Cinema where "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be screened (in English!) was designed by Luc Besson, the French director behind popular movies like "Lucy" and "Taken." The theatre offers a 16-flavor popcorn bar, champagne, and a VIP lounge, according to a report from Variety.
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EuropaCorp isn't the only international venue that will be playing "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ahead of time. In fact, if you want to one-up those taking advantage of the Air France deal, simply head to the United Arab Emirates, where "The Force Awakens" will screen on December 15. "Italy, Denmark, parts of Switzerland, and more European destinations" will show the movie on December 16 along with France, according to CinemaBlend, and other countries will follow suit on the 17th. It'll finally be released in the U.S. on December 18.
In "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens," Gwendoline Christie plays the masked, mysterious, and evil Captain Phasma. This makes her the first female villain in "Star Wars" history.
Christie thinks it's a huge step forward for the series.
"What I think people are drawn to is that this is a very progressive female character,"she told EW. “We see Captain Phasma, and we see the costume from head to toe, and we know that it is a woman. But we are used to, in our media, connecting to female characters via the way that they look, from the way they are made flesh."
We don't know if the character will ever take off her mask. Christie called the role a "fangirl's dream."
Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Jeremy Dreyfuss
Note that under "All Genders," there are only two options: men and boys.
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While the men's line includes shirts decorated with Storm Troopers and the Death Star, the company does not appear to have equivalent options for women.
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The boy's line also includes shirts that read "Born To Lead" and feature a rendering of Darth Vader's head.
Of course, there is nothing stopping a woman or girl from wearing clothing from the male Under Armour lines. In fact, when you click on the "Born to Lead" shirt in the boys section, its labeled "Kids' Star Wars" and not "Boys Star Wars."
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Still, it's worth noting that the company did not label the clothing as unisex on it's main page, giving the impression they didn't believe women or girls would be interested in buying their "Star Wars"-inspired clothing.
On Twitter, people have started expressing their dissatisfaction with the new line.
WTF, @UnderArmour— no women’s section for the new Star Wars collection??!! Only “men’s” and “boy’s” options! 😡😠 not even linking to it. BS
Disney really wants to make sure fans don't have "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" spoiled before the film is in theaters this December.
The company asked that the book tie-in for the new movie be delayed until after the film comes out, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The book, from Penguin Random House's publisher Del Rey, won't be out on store shelves until January 5, 2016, more than two weeks after the film's release in the US.
The book was expected to be released during the holiday season. The WSJ notes that publishers typically release movie tie-ins two months before a film's release.
The e-book version of the novelization will be available December 18.
The delay of a book isn't the only precaution Disney is taking to prevent "Star Wars" spoilers.
Here are a few other ways the Mouse House is ensuring fans head into "The Force Awakens" with some surprises intact:
1. 'The Force Awakens' soundtrack will be released the same day as the movie
Track titles can sometimes give hints about the direction or plot of a film. You won't be able to hear legendary composer John Williams' new score until the movie is released in theaters.
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2. No one is saying anything about this movie
Everyone from director J.J. Abrams to Harrison Ford and newcomer actors John Boyega and Daisy Ridley have been extremely tight-lipped.
Abrams, Ridley, Boyega, and Adam Driver will be on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" November 23, but don't expect to learn much. Kimmel's late-night show is on ABC, which is owned by Disney.
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3. Scripts were printed on red paper
In order to prevent the script from leaking, "The Force Awakens" was printed on dark-red paper. If anyone tries to photocopy anything, the printed copies will be illegible.
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4. Some of the toys still haven't been released
While many "Star Wars" toys have already been released for the movie, a Hasbro representative recently told Tech Insider that there are, unsurprisingly, other toys set for release after the film.
The latest clip from the upcoming "Star Wars" game, "Star Wars Battlefront," has a big teaser for the upcoming movie, "The Force Awakens."
In the clip, we see a battle between the Empire and Rebels on Jakku, a desert planet featured prominently in all three "Force Awakens" trailers.
First, watch the clip:
Doesn't that battle look crazy?
Since "Star Wars Battlefront" takes place about 30 years before the events in "The Force Awakens," it looks like the game's designers had the unique opportunity to explain why Jakku is littered with destroyed ships and other junk in the new movie.
Here's what Jakku looks like in the movie trailers:
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Until we saw the clip from the video game, we had no idea why this planet was littered with so much space junk. It appears that "Battlefront" will serve as a prequel of sorts to the new movie. Awesome.
But don't expect to get the answer right away. Even though "Star Wars Battlefront" launches on November 17, you won't be able to unlock the battle of Jakku level until December 8, 10 days before the premiere of "Force Awakens."
"Star Wars" lightsabers are a novel idea. They're lightweight, portable, and their laser-like beams can cut through just about anything. Unfortunately, the reality isn't so simple. Astrophysicist and "StarTalk Radio" host Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how the fictional blade would work in real life.
StarTalk Radio is a podcast and radio program hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, where comic co-hosts, guest celebrities, and scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Follow StarTalk Radio on Twitter, and watch StarTalk Radio "Behind the Scenes" on YouTube.
There are less than two months until the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and still little is known about the characters' origins or any major plot points (thanks no doubt to Disney's anti-spoiler strategy).
With every new set photo or teaser, rumors begin to circulate around the internet, some with a basis of truth and others merely speculation. But nothing will stop fans of the series from spreading their ideas and trying to guess the film's secrets.
The seventh installment in the "Star Wars" franchise takes place 30 years after the events of "Return of the Jedi" and features original cast members reprising their roles, including Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, as well as new characters portrayed by Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Adam Driver.
None of these theories will be confirmed until the film's December 18 release, but here are 10 fan predictions making their way around the web:
(Warning: potential spoilers in case any of these turn out to be true.)
Proponents of this theory reference the Extended Universe book series in which Han and Leia get married and have twins, a boy and a girl. Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, it was decided that the film sequels would be original stories, but this still hasn't deterred fans from speculating on this rumor.
Director J.J. Abrams also told Entertainment Weekly that the exclusion of last names for both Finn (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) was intentional, which further fuels the fan fire.
During the Star Wars Celebration in April, Ridley revealed that her character is a scavenger currently living on a desert planet named Jakku, but that was about all she could say.
Kylo Ren and Rey are siblings
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Following stories established in the Extended Universe, some fans believe that if Rey is Han and Leia's daughter, then Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is her brother, possibly her twin. In the same series, the son does turn to the dark side, while the daughter stays on the light side of the Force.
Abrams also revealed that Kylo Ren isn't the villain's real name. Since we don't know anything about his lineage, there are a number of possibilities.
Darth Vader returns
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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Abrams revealed that Kylo Ren is obsessed with Darth Vader, even basing his mask design on that of Vader. "[Ren] is well aware of what’s come before," the director said, "and that’s very much a part of the story of the film.”
This obsession has led some fans to speculate that Kylo Ren is working on a way to bring Darth Vader back, possibly through cloning. Clones are a familiar part of the "Star Wars" universe, so it's a plausible idea, but chances are he's more just inspired by the villain since he does say, "I will finish what you started," in the full trailer.
