With the presence of original trilogy characters including the big three – Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) – in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there has naturally been speculation about one or two not listed who might make it into the film. One big rumour was about Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian, but Force Awakens** co-writer Lawrence Kasdan has shot that down.
Talking with Vanity Fair as part of the magazine’s big new Star Wars** issue, Kasdan addressed the speculation about Lando. “Right now, there’s no Lando Calrissian in this movie.” Yet he still offered hope to Lando fans everywhere. “But Lando I don’t think is finished in any way, shape, or form."
Part of the reason that some fan favourites won’t be gracing the screen for the new movie is Kasdan and co-writer/director J.J. Abrams’ drive to keep things as lean as possible, while still making it feel hefty. “It’s a big movie. It’s full of wonderful stuff, incident and character stuff and jokes and effects,” he says. “One of the things that we always refocus on from the get-go was that it not be one of these very long, bloated blockbusters. A lot of very entertaining movies lately are too long. In the last 20 minutes, you think, why isn’t this over?
"We didn’t want to make a movie like that. I mean, we were really aiming to have it be—when it’s over you’ll say, ‘I wish there’s more.’ Or, ‘Wait, is it over?’ But it means that there will be constant critical looking at it from now to the end, saying, ‘Do we need this? Do we need that? Is it better if this comes out, even though we love it?’ Killing your darlings.” For more from Kasdan, including his insights into working with George Lucas and writing** The Empire Strikes** Back, set your web browser’s targeting computer to Vanity Fair’s site.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens lands in our cinemas on December 18.