Star Wars: Episode VII: Rumors Debunked & Daniels On C-3PO

 Another day, mew character rumors about J J. Abrams' "Star Wars: Episode VII" have surfaced...

Original Trilogy stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker Harrison Ford as Han Solo  and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Peter Mayhew playing the legendary Wookiee Chewbacca, and Kenny Baker as Astro droid R2 D2 will be back.
 
Franchise creator George Lucas told Bloomberg Businessweek that he begun talks with original stars to have them return to for its new films -- before he had even begun the process of the ultimately $2 billion deal and sale. It's been said that Lucas' actually spent about a year planning the franchise's future before handing the reigns of Lucasfilm over to Disney.

The new cast members also include John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson,Christina Chong and  Max von Sydow as a villain character. 12 Years a Slave Best Supporting Actress Lupita Nyong'o and Game of Thrones co-star Gwendoline Christie have officially been cast in the film as well. Parkour master Pip Andersen and actress Crystal Clarke have joined the sequel--the pair were two of the 37,000 or so hopefuls who attended casting calls across eleven cities. Miltos Yerolemou, who had a small but memorable role as Arya Stark's sword trainer in the first season of "Game of Thrones," has joined the cast of in an undisclosed role reports The BBC. The role is said to be a minor one. Greg Grunberg has a role in the pic

Disney/Lucasfilm haven't revealed any character details at all however, so which of the newcomers is playing which roles is all speculation at this point.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD

This week, two very blurry set photos may actually disprove two of the longer running rumors. Actors Driver and Gwendoline have been rumored to play villains. They have been suggested as Sith lords, with Christie also been suggested as a possible Imperial officer.

The photos on the other hand paint a different story. Posted originally on a Facebook page and then Star Wars 7 News, the shots were taken from the Greenham Common set in the U.K. and appear to have Driver wearing an X-wing pilot uniform while Christie and others are in dressed down civilian costumes--which doesn't necessarily dismiss some of the original rumors at all--just kinda makes you go hmmm.

SPOILERS END

Meanwhile in a lengthy chat with Entertainment Weekly, Daniels says that he never wants his famed Goldenrod  alter ego to be represented in CG again following those rather dubious shots of him as represented in the prequels:

"I will tell you that when J.J. Abrams rang me to ask about filming Star Wars: Episode VII, one of the first things he said after he told me how wonderful I was - and that didn't take long - but he then said, 'Would you be interested in being in the film just doing the voice?' I said, 'No,' and he said, 'Right!'

He knew I'd say that. There's no way I would just do the voice. I also said that it can't be the same suit. I will tell you that the team then got together and built a new suit. They made an entirely new look-a-like with changes that you will never notice [on screen] that made my life a lot easier. I can get it on and off very quickly.

[During the prequels], the only time [Threepio has] been CG was when it was very dangerous [to act in the scene in a suit] - and it wasn't very good. In fact, I'm going to say it was awful. One of the difficulties is with a character that you know and love so well is that, as a member of the audience, you go, "Oh no, that's not right. No, he doesn't move like that."

With me [in the suit], he's always going to move the same way and have the same reactions, timing, and so on. With CG, you're working with some brilliant person on the keyboard who is trying to pretend to be me.

The only time that has worked without doubt is Disney's Star Tours: The Adventures Continue [theme park ride]. There's an element in the pre-show which is digital and I cannot tell it's not me. It's brilliantly done by Disney.

In a cartoon series like Rebels, you accept it because it's not trying to pretend to be reality. It's an extension, it's an exaggeration. On that basis, it's utterly acceptable - providing the characterization is correct."

Daniels also spoke about the aforementioned upcoming animated series "Star Wars Rebels," its old-fashioned approach to the franchise, and how he can't say anything about Abrams' upcoming film:

"It's very elusive and I'll tell you: It's where we're going now with Star Wars: Episode VII. We're all back. And it's great, actually, that Star Wars Rebels is set before Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope because that film is quintessential basic, 'This is Star Wars.' And you know George always used to say every time I arrived on set, I would always arrive for the first time back on set in costume, and during the prequels George Lucas would say when I arrived on set that 'Star Wars has arrived' - because I was the old fashioned link. Star Wars Rebels is an old fashion link to the old fashion film, which we all loved. And you will love Star Wars: Episode VII - I have electrodes strapped to my head to zap me if I say anything more about it."

Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid who played Emperor Palpatine attended the recent London Film and Comic Con and confirmed that he would not return to the "Star Wars" universe in the  upcoming trilogy--but he didn't rule out a return in a potential spin-off pre-Return of the Jedi:

"I'm definitely not in [Episode VII]. As you know, he's dead by then. I know, we believe in reincarnation, and holograms… But you know, they are going to take many twists on the story as the years go on, and I guess they may go back to a time - I've got no clue, I'm speaking off the top of my head - when the Emperor ran the universe. And I don't want anyone else to play him, do I?"

In a recent post Latino Review claims that Palpatine is part of the new trilogy after all--though played by another actor...

James Earl Jones, the man behind the voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader was asked by Variety recently about the possibility of playing the character in more films, perhaps one of the Spin-Off Films for example set before "Return of the Jedi". He said: "Oh no. I've got no illusions that I will or even hankerings to be in them, but I'm very proud to have been part of the original."

Actor Liam Neeson was asked by HeyUGuys whether he'd been invited back to play his character from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace--Qui-Gon Jinn in the franchise...While the answer was "No" He said that he would be up for a comeback.

Abrams wrote the script with Lawrence Kasdan for the film. Oscar winner Michael Arndt ("Toy Story 3," "Little Miss Sunshine") vacated his job scripting the next film--after disagreements over which characters the film will focus on.

Kasdan ("The Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders of the Lost Ark") and Simon Kinberg ("Sherlock Holmes," "X-Men: Days of Future Past") have reportedly closed deals to pen the final two installments of the new "Star Wars" trilogy. Kasdan and Kinberg are also indeed writing the stand alone/origin Star Wars features. Company CEO Robert A. Iger recently revealed that the studio has three features in the works - not two as previously indicated.  "Godzilla" reboot director Gareth Edwards is going to direct the first of the upcoming Star Wars Spin-Off Films. "Fantastic Four" reboot and "Chronicle" director Josh Trank is officially set to direct the as yet Untitled Number 2 stand alone spin-off film.

The plan is to have each of these films come out in the years when we don't see a new episode of the saga - They would come out in 2016, 2018 and 2020. We still don't know which characters these spin-offs will focus on. Current franchise chief, Kathleen Kennedy spoke to Yahoo about the stand-alone films saying that they will NOT affect the main narrative of the Episodes.

Looking ahead "Looper" and "Brick" writer-director Rian Johnson has inked a deal to both pen and call action on "Star Wars: Episode VIII" as well as write a treatment for "Star Wars: Episode IX".

The Avengers: Age of Ultron star Mark Ruffalo previously worked with Johnson on The Brothers Bloom, with Ruffalo playing one half of a brotherly con act. In a recent interview with Collider Ruffalo tells the site that he contacted Johnson to tell him  that he wants to be in the sequel:

"I just reached out to Rian recently, by the way. My email to Rian after all these years was, 'Rian, congratulations on everything you've been doing. And by the way, if there's a part in Star Wars, please, anything, please consider considering me to join you.'  I love hanging out with Rian so [just hanging out on set] is interesting to me, but I would like a role."

The series MVP composer John Williams is set to score Episode VII, Episode VIII and Episode IX.
  
Kasdan and Kinberg would also join the projects as producers with Kennedy.

There was a scheduled two-week production hiatus in August to allow for adjustments in the shooting schedule following Ford's recovery from that injury where he  broke his left leg. The injury is also said to have happened during filming on a top secret set rather than on the Millennium Falcon set as was widely reported.

Production is scheduled to take place through September at Pinewood Studio in England. The film has a confirmed release date of December 18, 2015