Star Wars: Episode VII Casting Rumors Center On Jack O’Connell
As we get closer to 2014, casting news and production updates on Star Wars: Episode VII should be more abundant. While no actors have been officially cast in the new film, there have been many rumors surrounding who might appear in the latest Star Wars movie. The newest casting rumor centers on an up-and-coming British actor who isn’t a big name in America yet, but if he lands an Episode VII acting gig, you can bet that will change.
According to Bleeding Cool, actor Jack O’Connell took a meeting with J.J. Abrams in London. It’s believed that O’Connell is in the running for one of the leading roles in Episode VII, although the role was not disclosed by the source. There is a possibility that O’Connell might be up for the role of “Thomas,” who is described as “a smart, handsome, athletic 19-23 year old, who also needs to be capable and courageous.” Bleeding Cool writes:
Jack O’Connell, who was excellent in Tower Block, Harry Brown, Skins and many more, is a real contender for a key role in Star Wars: Episode VII. I believe that he’s met with Abrams and the signs I’m getting are that this meeting went very well.
Jack O’Connell is a 23-year-old actor from England who will appear in the upcoming prequel/sequel film 300: Rise of an Empire. He made his big-screen debut in the film This Is England in 2006, but he also had a good career on television, appearing in the teen drama Skins for its second generation in series three, four, and seven. Jack O’Connell will also be featured in the new British prison drama Starred Up.
O’Connell’s name can be added to the many male actors rumored for Star Wars: Episode VII, which include Michael B. Jordan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Day-Lewis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, David Oyelowo, and Alex Pettyfer, among others. At the moment, there is only one female name that has been thrown around for Episode VII, and that’s Rachel Hurd-Wood. Irish actress Saoirse Ronan was up for a starring role in the new film, but she recently confirmed that she is no longer being considered for Episode VII. Bummer.
The leading female role in the new Star Wars is a character that is described as “Rachel, a beautiful, smart, and athletic female around 17 or 18 years old.” Another character description is a 40-something military-type male, who is described as “a Matt Damon-type from Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium.”
Currently, J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan are re-writing the film’s new script. The pair will be working off Michael Arndt’s screenplay, which was based on George Lucas’ treatment of Star Wars: Episode VII. A few months ago, the film’s producer and president of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy announced the movie’s new crew, which features cinematographer Dan Mindel, sound designer Ben Burtt, and production designers Rick Carter and Darren Gilford.
Although there are no plot details available for Episode VII at the moment, it’s believed that the film will take place some 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi. The film will also feature a new trio of protagonists in a new Golden Age in “a galaxy far, far away.”
Star Wars: Episode VII hits theaters everywhere on December 18, 2015.
