Oscar Isaac Talks Star Wars: The Force Awakens Reshoots and a Darker Episode VIII

oscar-isaacOscar Isaac discusses how he improvised his opening lines in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and offered a little tidbit on Star Wars: Episode VIII. Read on for more.

 

 

One of the more exciting characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac. The 37-year-old ­Guatemalan-born star will reprise his role as the hot shot Resistance pilot once again in the next chapter in the Star Wars saga written and directed by Rian Johnson.

 

In a new Rolling Stone magazine interview, the actor spoke about how he improvised the opening scene in ‘The Force Awakens’ and offered up a little tease on what to expect in Episode VIII.

All of the funny lines – including one about Poe being unable to hear Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren through his helmet, and the “who talks first” exchange – were added in reshoots, and Isaac improvised some of them. He’s always pushing to complicate and deepen Poe, who started as little more than a charming archetype. “We’re making s*** up as we go,” he says.

Poe and Black X-Wing

 

On what to expect in Episode VIII:

“In the new film, there’s a lot more to do. What happens now is the heroes get tested,” he explained. “All three of them [Dameron, Daisy Ridley’s Rey and John Boyega’s Finn] get tested immensely…BB-8 gets tested too! Everybody gets tested! It’s the dark second chapter, but not really dark.”

daisy-ridley

 

The actor seems to have it all figured out when it comes to playing Poe Dameron in future Star Wars films. According to Isaac, fans of the series don’t have to worry about saying good-bye to Poe anytime soon.

“It’s the first time in my life when things have been mapped out for quite some time. I’m basically Star War-ring until 2020.”

 

Star Wars: Episode VIII hits theaters on December 16, 2017.

 

Check Back for more Star Wars news here at SWNN.

 

May the Force be with you…

 

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71 thoughts on “Oscar Isaac Talks Star Wars: The Force Awakens Reshoots and a Darker Episode VIII

  • May 19, 2016 at 5:51 pm
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    I still think Poe is force sensitive that explains his quick reflexes and flying styles.

    • May 19, 2016 at 6:38 pm
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      not sure how they would even incorporate that into episode 8- how would his force sensitivity push the story forward? he just randomly shows up on ahch-to with rey and luke to become trained? just food for thought!

      • May 19, 2016 at 7:32 pm
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        Maybe he knows he’s force sensitive but has no interest in being trained for that and likes who he is.

        • May 19, 2016 at 9:53 pm
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          but even then, how would they address that in the film or any other canon material? especially if he doesn’t address it, it would add nothing to the story and would be somewhat useless

      • May 19, 2016 at 10:40 pm
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        It seems like Lucasfilm wants to keep with the idea that the force can be used by anyone since it flows through everything but that it takes a lot of effort for those who aren’t as gifted with the force to be able to do the things jedi and sith can do. E.g. Jim Bob Bill who is barely force sensitive, if he practiced for years and years might be able to learn how to move small objects with the force a short distance given training. Where you get somebody like Luke or Anakin who is super force sensitive can learn how to move objects within a matter of a few days given training.

        I think the idea of an autodidact force practitioner is pretty cool. On Poe’s homeplanet, he was raised with a super force sensitive tree given to Poe’s mom by Luke in the Shattered Empire comics. I fully believe that Poe if he isn’t aware that he is force sensitive, he might in the future.

        • May 20, 2016 at 1:33 am
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          Dave Filoni gave a pretty definitive answer on a podcast recently – I can’t remember which SW podcast it was because I pretty much listen to ALL of them.

          He equated it to a ‘talent’ that has to be cultivated and trained, but its likely open to anybody to learn how to get into the midichlorian party. So, its splitting the difference between the ‘predetermined’ and the ‘trained’ schools of fanboy thought.

          • May 20, 2016 at 4:09 pm
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            Which basically is the same as what I was saying. it’s something that anybody can learn, but it would take some people far longer to get good at it than those who are already good at it.

            THerefore, many people wouldn’t even bother learning it because they could care less.

        • May 31, 2016 at 2:27 pm
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          Kylo busting into Poe’s head debunks that whole theory

    • May 19, 2016 at 7:01 pm
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      Can’t someone have quick reflexes and flying styles without it being credited to the Force? Can’t someone just be really good at something?

      • May 19, 2016 at 7:20 pm
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        In SW the best are always force sensitives, he is not just good.

        • May 19, 2016 at 7:34 pm
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          Han wasn’t force sensitive.

          Neither was Jar Jar.

          Okay, well maybe Jar Jar doesn’t count….

          • May 19, 2016 at 7:49 pm
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            You got my point!

      • May 19, 2016 at 10:40 pm
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        No in this universe those things are a results of the force!

        • May 20, 2016 at 12:08 am
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          Never ego and raw talent?

          • May 20, 2016 at 12:30 am
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            Not really remember the force is the motivator in all things in this universe so if you do extraordinary things that is you tapping into the force.

    • May 19, 2016 at 7:18 pm
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      I am agree with that.
      Until now what Poe did in TFA only force sensitives were able in SW.
      But I guess this trilogy has not more gap for force sensitive characters.

    • May 19, 2016 at 7:33 pm
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      Can of worms well and truly opened…..

    • May 19, 2016 at 9:56 pm
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      If the force flows through everything then maybe it manifests in Poe with those abilities, just like Han was a great pilot. Maybe if discovered at a young age such individuals had such force sensitive abilities awaked through training as younglings and then padawans.

      • May 19, 2016 at 10:26 pm
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        Considering that a super force sensitive tree was planted right next to his home, I wouldn’t be surprised if the tree had some sort of effect on him as he was growing up.

        • May 23, 2016 at 11:52 pm
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          @SonOfConstantDiligence:disqus

          Yes but why wouldn’t Snoke or Kylo sense this? You would think they would want to be on top of anyone in the galaxy that could pose a threat.

          Not saying he isn’t just saying making people force sensitive in SW should have story repercussions and not just have people being force sensitive because it is cool.

          • May 24, 2016 at 9:06 pm
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            Because he is nowhere near as strong in the force as Rey is.

            I’m sure there are levels of force sensitivity. Rey is uber strong, Anakin and Luke are both uber strong, Kylo is uber strong, Snoke is probably very strong, The emperor was uber strong, Yoda was uber strong, Obi-Wan was above average, and Poe is just like slightly above average strong. Basically, just strong enough to be able to use the force to help him win dogfights, and stuf but not strong enough to lift objects, or do jedi mind tricks without a lot more training in the jedi arts.

          • May 31, 2016 at 2:31 pm
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            Poe doesn’t have the force, he believes in the force. I actually find it really funny that because Poe is close enough to white people like you will take one of his accomplishments and use it to speculate that he’s something greater but won’t look towards the black guy who is so clearly force sensitive and gonna become a Jedi as is evident by the actors training to use a light saber for episode 8.

          • June 1, 2016 at 9:08 am
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            I didn’t bring up the race thing….. you did. I know he’s Guatemalan, but the force could care less what race characters are.

            The only reason I believe Poe to be more force sensitive than say Finn is because Poe has managed to do more incredible feats than Finn has, as seen in the movie. The only incredible thing Finn has managed to do was keep from dying.

            We already know Finn has had training in melee and ranged combat as part of his stormtrooper training. So, it’s not too crazy to see him be able to wield a melee weapon like a lightsaber, but Finn was still beat by FN-2199, TR-8R, heck Finn would probably last longer in a saber fight than Poe would though.

      • May 20, 2016 at 7:50 pm
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        It’s as if the will of the force itself makes things happen. Even in ANH when the jawas are selling droids to Luke and his uncle, the only reason R2-D2 came along which was so important due to having the plans to the Death Star. The one unit that has the bad motivator is almost to coincidental. Kind of like Anakin/Lukes lightsaber calling to Rey. I believe Finn’s character developed in the same way. Even if he is not force sensitive, it doesn’t mean that what happened wasn’t because of the Force itself.

      • May 31, 2016 at 2:26 pm
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        No.

    • May 22, 2016 at 3:31 am
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      No he isn’t. if he was, they would incorporate him into the Force part of the story. As it is, he is in the Resistance part of the story, with Finn.

      Rey and Luke are in the Force business. Not everyone is going to be Force sensitive and TFA already has 6 characters who are – Rey, Kylo, Luke, Snoke, Leia, Maz. More than enough.

      • May 23, 2016 at 11:50 pm
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        @disqus_ThwzGkHfEH:disqus

        I wasn’t aware there was a quota for force sensitive peeps in Star Wars. 🙂

        • May 24, 2016 at 12:42 am
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          There isn’t but he simply doesn’t belong in that plot. His plot is the Resistance.

      • May 31, 2016 at 2:25 pm
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        Finn is force sensitive and you’re exaggerating the amount of force sensitive people, only 3 of them are Jedi and if you paid attention to Finn you’d know that he is the awakening Snoke sensed and he awakened when his friend Slip died (you could hear the force sound as he smeared his bloody hand on his helmet , YouTube it). Snoke felt this awakening waaay before Rey even got close to Luke’s light saber and you don’t foreshadow within the same film, you foreshadow future occurrences. In the script when Kylo looks at Finn he feels something. Think about it, where could Finn go next realistically and who’s gonna face off against Snoke, Kylo, and the new villain in episode 8? Explain how Finn sensed a disturbance in the force and heard the screams of thousands of people dying on other planets? Its described further in TFA novelization. Only Obi-Wan could do such a thing.

        • May 31, 2016 at 3:06 pm
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          Nope.

      • May 31, 2016 at 3:01 pm
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        For the love of god stop diminishing Finn. He and Rey are equals he isn’t even a part of the resistance and ugh read the novel Before the Awakening it explains how Finn is on the shortlist to become an officer in the First Order but the only thing holding him back is his empathy which is what a Jedi requires. Its so obvious. When he picks up Luke’s saber (and is the first one to use it btw) he acknowledges that it feels right in his hand. Only someone force sensitive could have survived using a light saber like that for as long as they did (not going into the shows) he could have injured himself. He got a blow on Kylo which is an accomplishment all on its on but all anyone seems to want to focus on is how Rey downloaded the force and took out Kylo who suffered a blaster shot from Chewie (a blaster that can take out 5 stormtroopers) and was bleeding out with a fresh shoulder wound from Finn. It wasn’t a fair fight, she essentially took his abilities from him and left him useless.

  • May 19, 2016 at 6:33 pm
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    As soon as I hear stuff about, “This one is much darker,” or “It’s even better than the last,” I get nervous. Past Star Wars movies have shown us that these types of comments are just to allure fans to a movie that might be abysmal..

    • May 19, 2016 at 7:33 pm
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      I must confess that I very tired of the whole “it’s dark and gritty” trope that we hear so much of these days. But I also think that in this case it was to be expected given Lucas’s “symmetry” idea for each trilogy. Episodes II & V are the movies where everything starts going to shit, so it makes sense that Episode VIII follows that pattern.

      • May 31, 2016 at 3:13 pm
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        Excuse me but has anyone said this film is grity? Its only natural for the sequel of an trilogy to be “darker” before things are better in the last film. Besides he said it wasn’t dark dark.

  • May 19, 2016 at 7:25 pm
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    Heh, good thing he said that the film will not be THAT dark.

  • May 19, 2016 at 7:48 pm
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    I can hardly believe that “dark” is darker than episode III

    • May 20, 2016 at 4:45 pm
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      Kylo Ren kicks a puppy.

  • May 19, 2016 at 8:14 pm
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    I like the idea of the three lead characters (Rey, Finn, and Poe) being all “tested” in Episode VIII. I still think though that Episode VIII will be far more controversial than TFA as Rian Johnson seems to be departing from the traditional OT formula to come up with something quite “new” and “original”.

    • May 19, 2016 at 9:56 pm
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      i don’t think the directors can ever win.. fans whine if the film is too similar and fans whine when the movie is too different..

      • May 19, 2016 at 9:57 pm
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        But at least they’re the minority’s voice, which are very much ignored.

        • May 19, 2016 at 10:14 pm
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          SO true

      • May 25, 2016 at 6:47 pm
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        We want something that is new but feels like Star Wars. The new characters were a good start but the story was a carbon copy. New characters, new story with droids and stuff, is that too much to ask?

        • May 25, 2016 at 7:56 pm
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          couldn’t agree more- episode VII could have been SO much more, but i will say they knocked it out of the park with the small amount of new concepts they introduced- kylo ren, finn, rey, poe, etc.- everything else was… basically a new and updated version of 4,5 and 6

          • May 26, 2016 at 7:38 pm
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            Totally! Great characters. I’ll give them that.

          • May 31, 2016 at 2:15 pm
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            It was a great start to what will be am even netter second movie. ANH wasn’t that great if you watch it today, people are still blinded by their nostalgic.

  • May 19, 2016 at 9:58 pm
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    Happy to hear he will be there to 2020. He was great in Ex Machina, and contributed a huge amount to The Force Awakens. It was his contribution in the early scenes that made me feel Star Wars is really back.

    • May 21, 2016 at 9:11 am
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      I loved his contribution to #StormPilot.

      • May 22, 2016 at 3:32 am
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        That’s his only real contribution. Dog fight was a snooze.

      • May 31, 2016 at 3:22 pm
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        I prefer the name Rebelpilot

    • May 31, 2016 at 3:21 pm
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      He was in the film for like…15 minutes at best

  • May 20, 2016 at 2:47 am
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    Star War-ing. Hm, intriguing terminology. I wonder if we should start calling the actors and crew “Star Warriors”?

  • May 20, 2016 at 6:09 am
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    “We’re making up shit as we go!”

    And it shows.

    • May 21, 2016 at 9:11 am
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      It worked for the OT. I wouldn’t worry.

      • May 25, 2016 at 6:45 pm
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        But that was George & Marcia Lucas, Kirshner, and Kasdan back in the day. Now it’s a bunch of concept artist nerds and producers calling the shots.

        • May 26, 2016 at 7:59 am
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          Well they got TFA right. I trust them.

          • May 26, 2016 at 7:41 pm
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            Glad you liked the film, I wanted to like it. 🙁

    • May 27, 2016 at 6:35 pm
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      Yeah right. If you can’t get on board with Force Awakens, it’s time to admit you don’t really like Star Wars. Seriously. People who think this was a subpar SW movie clearly only have the nostalgic association and therefore a work on par with the originals won’t impress them. There is not one flaw in this movie that overshadows any flaws in the original series.

      • May 28, 2016 at 6:20 pm
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        Um, You are aware that Mark Hamill got top billing and was only in the film for one scene, That Finn and Phasma were marketed as leads but only served as cheap comedic relief and marketing tools to get wimmenz in the theater, or that title is never actually made clear once at any point in the film. And that’s just skimming the surface. It was Star Wars made by suits and politically correct focus groups.

        This film would have bombed bigger than John Carter had it not been connected to the OT or had the same cast not to mention the biggest ad campagin in history next to Episode I. The End.

        • May 29, 2016 at 8:43 pm
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          Damn straight. No way would Force Awakens been a hit if it wasn’t connected to the OT, NO WAY. It woulda been just another movie. If they made the movie we saw in the trailers, everybody would be happy. Trailers were better than the movie.

          • May 29, 2016 at 10:27 pm
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            Was it really too much to ask for a single original idea we haven’t already seen in the EU before too? Now I get why they de-canonized it as to make them seem more creative by default.

          • May 31, 2016 at 3:24 pm
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            The characters are all new its the fans that won’t allow themselves to separate this new trios characteristics from that of the originals. The dynamics are new and really you can’t say what was not new when you don’t know much about these characters. The only similar thing was the aesthetics. Destroying a death star is classic star wars and doesn’t make it the same movie. Get over it.

          • June 1, 2016 at 5:02 pm
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            A former stormtrooper is not an original idea nor is the son of a Jedi turning to the dark side, It’s hackneyed even by lowly EU standards and has been for the past decade or two.

            Aside from 2-3 vehicles, Every single one in the film was an upgrade from one in the OT with the colors changed and something added.

            Not to mention that except for Anch-To, We seen all the planetary terrains in I-VI already and countless times more in the comics. At the very at least, TCW was original in nearly every episode with it’s designs.

        • May 31, 2016 at 2:13 pm
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          Finn is not comic relief he is a CO-LEAD with equal screentime to Rey. Finn is force sensitive it is obvious and please tell me how him reacting naturally to bring out of his environment was comedic? Folks aren’t used to male heroes like Finn. Finn is vulnerable, acknowledges his feelings and fears, and is compassionate and empathetic. A lot of men (of all races) I’ve talked to who didn’t like Finn and claimed he was useless kept bringing up “he never won a fight” and “he was unconscious at the end” as “reasons” why he was “useless and weak.” They also always make mention of how Rey, “the girl,” defeated Kylo when Finn “couldn’t” (not taking into account Kylo’s injury, Rey tapping into the Force, and the fact that Finn wielding the saber and injuring Kylo at all w/o consciously using the force is huge). All of that is rooted in the idea that male heroes need to be invulnerable and kill and win all the time and “be better than the girl” by whatever metric they set (note: Finn & Rey are obviously equals and anybody insinuating otherwise has a problem). They marketed Phasma allot because there were allot of complaints about there not being any women.

          • May 31, 2016 at 3:21 pm
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            Which is actually racially regressive considering that Lando and Mace were more positive role models and actually advanced the plot.

      • May 29, 2016 at 8:49 pm
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        Dude, my 5yr-6yr nieces and nephews saw Force Awakens first and then they saw the originals after for the first time. They thought Force Awakens was meh but loved the originals. LOVED THEM. They were glued to the screen. Too young to have nostalgia. They were just better movies. So there you go, Darbs.

        • May 31, 2016 at 3:26 pm
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          Its called preference. My neices preferred TFA because it looks netter, flows better and is extremely fun and energetic.

          • June 5, 2016 at 8:35 am
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            TFA flows better than the originals? Are your nieces sniffing glue?

    • May 31, 2016 at 3:29 pm
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      They worked on this film for years. He was clearly talking about the forming of the character. JJ didn’t give him much to go by so he had to add his own quirks. Stop with the hate. If you don’t like TFA there’s no reason for you to see episode 8 and no reason for you to be on this site.

      • June 1, 2016 at 4:57 pm
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        They worked on it for years……then threw that shit out to rehash ANH last minute after execs got cold feet, Imagine how embarrasing it would be for Disney had they spent all that money with nothing to show in 2015. They fucked themselves into a corner like they did with The Lone Ranger and John Carter using their PR team afterward to make it seem like a smooth transistion and look at that, Rogue One is having problems too. Whoduh thunk?

  • May 20, 2016 at 3:18 pm
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    Some of the best moments in the OT were made up on set, and that kind of raw authenticity is Star Wars. I loved Oscar in TFA and I’m thrilled by these comments.

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