Star Wars: Episode VIII Gets a Production Designer. New Actress for The Force Awakens Revealed.
With this being a Holiday week with a buzz in the air for the festivities, we began the week with extremely exciting news that The Force Awakens teaser trailer rumors have been confirmed! So as we await the first finished footage from the new Star Wars spectacle to drop we want to be sure to inform you of some other — yes, there is other — interesting Star Wars-related news that we’ve gathered . . . after the jump.
First up, we have just learned of another actor who is in Episode VII. Her name is Jessica Henwick. She is set to play “Nymeria Sand” in Season Five of Game of Thrones. This news was broken by a self-described “Film/music/tv journalisty type person” named Lizo Mzimba via Twitter, where else?
(via JediNews)
Pleased @JHenwick‘s in @StarWars VII. Big fan, from Spirit Warriors to Silk. And she’s Nymeria Sand in @GameOfThrones next year!
— lizo mzimba (@lizo_mzimba) November 26, 2014
Largely unknown, Henwick, an actor/writer/producer, has a pretty extensive resume when compared to some of the other newbie faces that have joined TFA cast. IF you’re keeping score at home, and we’re pretty sure you are, Jessica, IF this turns out to be official, makes the third Game of Thrones cast alum to make it into Star Wars, of course joining Gwendoline Christie and Miltos Yerolemo.
In other other news, we have also learned that Variety is reporting that Rick Heinrichs has been chosen as Production Designer for Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII. Heinrichs has a few critically acclaimed film credits to his resume to include: Fargo and The Big Lebowski. His genre film credits include: Planet of the Apes, Hulk, Lemony Snicket’s, Captain America: The First Avenger (directed by Star Wars alum Joe Johnston) and Dark Shadows. Heinrichs won the Academy Award in 2000 for Best Art Direction-Set Direction for the Tim Burton film Sleepy Hollow. It is worth noting that Heinrichs has worked with Tim Burton on four different movies. This is interesting because Burton has a particularly odd and dark style which would suggest that Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII will have a dark tone as well.
We will, of course, keep you posted on all the developments in the Star Wars universe as we discover them. In the meantime be sure to discuss this latest news in The Cantina. Lastly, for those of our friends and family celebrating Thanksgiving, traveling and just plain being away from our community, we’d like to wish one and all safe travels and a very happy The Force Awakens teaser trailer eve! (We hope 🙂
Thanks Echo….you also!!
Lizo Mzimba is a british TV childrens new journo..
@ Anon 17:04, Thumbs up for the clarification.
It appears that some homework was too unimportant for someone to do…or to state…smh
I hope with the news that Rick Heinrichs is the production design on Ep. VIII that Ep. VIII will be the dark chapter of the Sequel Trilogy. Which is okay by me. The first film in the ST should setup everything like Ep. I & IV did while the other films expended the world created in the previous film.
One fear i kinda have is that the whole Sequel Trilogy would just be three “Empire Strike Back” films with no lighter films to balance it out. Not that there were no dark moments or scene in “Hope” or “Jedi” but they were lighter then “Empire”. I just hope JJ knows that there need to be “A New Hope” to setup “The Empire Strikes Back”
so, a naughty giant worm smoking weed and killing a hooker, a son almost killing his father and a lot of teddy bears being fried on screen is not dark?
dude you need to watch rotj again
Okay you really summed up “Jedi” nicely and you have a good point. I just know that if i say that “Jedi” did not have any dark moments someone would tell me to go watch the film again and mention scenes in which they thought were kinda dark so…
Still with that in mind it does not take away how much i love the “Return OF The Jedi” though. Not quite as good as “Empire” but still really good IMHO.
Always good news whenever an outstanding actor from one of the greatest television series ever is given a role in one of the greatest movie series ever. You cannot go wrong hiring a GoT Thespian (unless it’s a miscast).
I believe we will be seeing more GoT actors selected in the future, especially for the spin offs. My vote is a reunion of Maisie and McCann, apprentice and master. They had amazing chemistry and interaction last season and they stole the show on multiple occasions.
Congrats to Ms. Henwick.
The more young talented and action capable actresses I see cast, the more I lean toward Sith Witches having a role in the new series.
The actresses being chosen, besides being exceptionally talented are extremely athletic, and have a more exotic appearance, for example, Ms. Henwick, Maisie-Sellers and Lupita. Just these three point toward some sort of sisterhood relationship.
Remember that group controls and accesses a more ancient, mystical and spiritual side of the Force and they have a score to settle with both the Sith remnants of the Empire and the Republic.
Screen cuts to black, we hear a night sister say “wake up” then we hear Darth Vader breathing..
Search your feelings you know it to be true
Well he did turn good before he died so ……….
Haha I know, just goofing around
I do believe the main villain will be Plagius. To many signs point to him imo.
LOLZ… I guess.
Is zero indication & rumors really enough to go on?
Nah just basing it off the movies. Plagius knew how to cheat death, and in rotj when Yoda is about to die, Luke says you can’t die and Yoda says “powerful am I in the force, but not that powerful”
If watch the movies 1-6 I believe Lucas is setting up the ultimate battle in the galaxy for the Sequel Trilogy.
Plagius has been in the shadows all along waiting, knowing his apprentice’s over confidence would blind him and cause his death.
“You must begin by gaining power over yourself; then another; then a group, an order, a world, a species, a group of species… finally, the galaxy itself.” – Plagius
i really like what you say here therisanother, but isnt it suggested by palpatine in ROTS that he killed plagius in his sleep? or perhaps im forgetting and he was referring to another sith.
Palpatine did tell Anakin he was murdered in his sleep. But Palpatine has been known to twist the truth and who’s to say Plagius actually died? Especially if he knew how to “cheat death”
This is all just my crazed opinion. But I think Plagius is the only one who they could cast as a villain who could rival Luke in a fight.
Kinda like Disturbed’s “The Animal” music video.. I can see that..
Wow, Daisy Ridley, Christina Chong, Jessica Henwick… no shortage of hotties in this movie!
You’re forgetting Gwendoline Christie!
Bruh she’s ugly AF I don’t care what any of y’all say
Gwen isn’t ugly at all if you’ve seen her outside of Game of Thrones. She’s very beautiful. Even in Game of Thrones, she’s not hideous even though her character is suppose to be.
GOT rocks…
Wait, this guy built Sleepy Hollow AND The Dude’s house? no way! man, Ep VIII is gonna look awesome! awesome in a depressing, normal sort of way. This guy can make a witch’s shack look real, believable and freaky as #@$%^% at the same time, he’s got this.
OK…so what about news on the first spinoff film? Aren’t we getting this thing in, like, two years? And we still haven’t a clue as to who the DP is, or the production designer, or a story description…
The DP is Greig Fraser.
When the HELL are they going to announce that Maisie Richardson-Sellers is in the movie? It’s been months, we should have an official statement by now.
Heinrich’s earlier work is really good… I hate all the films He’s worked on recently though. Hopefully it was just a series of flukes.
I had someone send me this link to an alleged leak of the trailer. I didn’t wanna open it as I am going to wait until I see it in HD online, but in case anyone can’t wait, this may be the trailer. I did NOT open it but I did realize that it is 88 seconds long. I have no idea whether it is legit or not, so don’t shoot the messenger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSUyLpcNFPE
Good joke… NOT
OH MY GOD THAT WAS AMAZING. OH MY GOD OH MY GOD
Darth plagueis as the villain would be a great link between all the movies and the reason why Vader as the Chosen One. Would be the greatest plot twist and the best Star Wars story so far, if the new villain will be just another new sith it will suck because that dont make sense a new sith apear after so long time! Thats why i dislike the post Rotj EU because theres no major link with the prequels and the reason for new sith apear.
sorry my poor english again
Announcing actors after the film’s has wrapped. What logic.
And to all the not-enough-women-in-this-movie complaiiners, there are officially more females in this film
than men (look it up.) Or in any prior Star Wars film, for that matter.
“This is my handmaiden….”
hmm.. has it been said that “wake up” is whispered? why can’t it be bellowed? as in, to make someone wake from some kind of trance? or someone who has fallen..
Good to see another woman cast in this, these movies are going to be very female driven by the look of things (unless half these women only have one line then are never seen again).