The Bearded Trio

It's official.  Star Wars VII will be called THE FORCE AWAKENS.  Star Wars on twitter just tweeted this: Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. #StarWarsVII #TheForceAwakens pic.twitter.com/mFTP9YbKNN — Star Wars (@starwars) November 6, 2014 What do you think of the new name?  I like it. Rob @thebeardedtrio THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON GEORGE LUCAS CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON JOHN WILLIAMS

It's just down the road from me and I kind of feel gutted I didn't at least go down and see what was going on.  Star Wars VII was being shot at the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.   The BBC write: A thank you note apparently written by the new Star Wars film's producers and sent to the cast and crew confirms that part of the movie was shot in Gloucestershire. The letter was written to mark the final day of shooting on Episode VII. It thanks the "extraordinary" cast and crew for working "from the deserts of Abu Dhabi, to the Forest of Dean, to the stages of Pinewood". Star Wars Episode VII is scheduled for release on 18 December 2015. The BBC went to Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean in July where film crews were assembling, although nobody would confirm that it was for Star Wars. Film and TV productions shot on location in Puzzlewood include Doctor Who, Merlin, Jack the Giant Slayer and Atlantis. Harry Potter was also shot in the For...

A fan has put together the Walt Disney, Bad Robot and Lucasfilm opening.  It may just look like this in December 2015. I've seen other fan edits but I wanted to make one that works better musically. I slowed down the Disney music and combined it with Evan Goldman's orchestration ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0zZg... ) so that it'd be in the same key as John Williams' opening music. This gives it a similar effect to the 20th Century Fox fanfare that we're all used to. I also timed the Disney castle intro, an abridged Bad Robot title, and the modern Lucasfilm title to align better with the music. THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON GEORGE LUCAS CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON JOHN WILLIAMS

Warwick Davis confirms he has a role in Star Wars VII.  Releases this funny video to celebrate. In the video Davis appears to have been by the phone since Celebration Europe II last year.  He finally gets the call he's been waiting for. THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON GEORGE LUCAS CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON JOHN WILLIAMS

Sony has pushed back Ron Howard's Inferno which will star Tom Hanks.  The film is based on Dan Brown's book and sees the further adventures of Robert Langdon from The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons.  The movie was set to go head to head with Star Wars VII.  The move is obviously to avoid the biggest movie release of the year, Star Wars VII directed by J.J. Abrams.  The movie has now been pushed back to October 14th 2016. The only movie going head to head with Star Wars VII is The Nest which is a Tina Fey-Amy Poehler comedy.  It could see it riding on the wave of Episode VII being an alternative to the sci-fi movie. Rob Source - The Wrap THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON GEORGE LUCAS CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON JOHN WILLIAMS

TMZ the celebrity site have published a short video showing Harrison Ford walking without the need for crutches and aid.  Good news not just for the actor but for all us Star Wars fans as we hope he's back in the UK shortly continuing the filming of Star Wars VII. Watch the video here. Rob THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON STEVEN SPIELBERG CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON GEORGE LUCAS CLICK HERE FOR FACTS ON JOHN WILLIAMS

Mark Hamill was spotted at the premiere of the new Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy sporting a rather bushy beard.  Hamill explained he has had to grow the beard for Star Wars VII. The BBC asked Hamill  if it was “great being reunited with Han and Leia” for Episode VII. “Fantastic,” he replied. “Again, I thought even if they did a third trilogy, we wouldn’t be involved. Because it’s really about the new generation of characters. We’re just there to lend our support, and grow contractually-obligated beards.” Hamill was also asked about the progress of Episode VII and the overall feel of the movie: “It really has the spirit of that whole universe...In other words, the characters are so relatable. I think that’s the most important thing. Because no matter what kind of special effects you have the audience has to identify with each of the characters. They’ve done a great job – JJ [Abrams] and Lawrence Kasdan – in writing a script where you immediately understa...

Last week we speculated the creature we saw in the J.J. Abrams video message might actually be a Hdrachi .  Now thanks to reader,  Bren Carvalho who sent us this tip, the creature might just be Jacen Solo's pet.  Does this mean we are going to see Darth Caedus in the movie?  Are the writers turning to the EU? The son of Han and Leia Organa Solo, Jacen Solo was a leading Jedi Knight who proved crucial in defeating the Yuuzhan Vong and protecting the galaxy during the Yuuzhan Vong War. The grandson of Darth Vader, Darth Caedus was a Sith Lord who turned against his family and friends, betraying his former principles and leading the Galactic Alliance he once championed into a reign of terror as he attempted to bring order and stability to a fractured galaxy. It was Solo's desire to protect the galaxy and his increasing willingness to accept any cost in that cause that facilitated his fall to the Sith. J.J. Abrams has a reputation of placing clues leading up to ...

You got to hand it to J.J. Abrams, this photo he tweeted via the Bad Robot time line is extremely clever.  I get the impression he's loving being in the Star Wars universe. pic.twitter.com/wQYfaVtwFU — Bad Robot (@bad_robot) June 4, 2014 Rob @welshslider THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST

Just a note on the recent leaked Star Wars VII set photos. I'm disappointed to see leaked photos of the Star Wars VII set from TMZ website. J.J. Abrams and co are trying their hardest to try and make Star Wars VII spoiler free right up until the release date. An impossible task maybe but it is possible if everyone on set and the crew cooperate. I don't mind the odd prop photo or location shots like we're getting with Jurassic World but seeing how people on set are actually sneaking photos out, especially of huge alien creatures that were not meant to be seen until the movie hits the screen is disappointing.  We won't be posting them here. I know it feels like we're on our high horse here but I think we will all enjoy it more if we have a movie full of surprises and no spoilers. Rob @welshslider THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+ THE BEARDED TRIO ON PINTEREST

Well here's a thought on that creature from the latest Star Wars message featuring J.J. Abrams.  Could it be an Hdrachi?  Take a look at the picture above and you will see a similarity. Wookieepedia says about the Hdrachi: Diminutive, fur-covered cameloids, the H'drachi were mammals with short brown hair covering their bodies and had thin arms and legs. Shorter then the average Human, the H'drachi had a higher propensity for Force-sensitivity then most species The native species to the world of M'haeli, the H'drachi were subservient to Human colonist who usurped power and ruled the planet. Despite this, the H'drachi took comfort in their ability to read the future through an energy field they called the time-stream. This Force-perception of time was viewed as a form of precognition by other Force-based organizations, but as most H'drachi were Force-sensitive, the society developed its own traditions instead of adopting tho...

Today in a special video message from the set of  Star Wars :   Episode VII, director J.J. Abrams announced the creation of  Star Wars : Force for Change , a brand new  Star Wars  initiative from Disney and Lucasfilm in collaboration with Bad Robot dedicated to finding creative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. The first  Star Wars : Force for Change campaign will raise funds and awareness for the United Nations Children’s Fund’s ( UNICEF ) Innovation Labs and its innovative programs that are benefitting the world’s most vulnerable children. Disney has committed US $1 million to support the launch of  Star Wars : Force for Change. Fans can now contribute directly at  Omaze.com/StarWars  for a chance to appear in  Star Wars : Episode VII. For each $10 contribution made through the Omaze fundraising platform, eligible participants will be automatically entered for a chance to win this once-in-a-life...

W ith rumours that Disney/Lucasfilm is planning on making Star Wars movies based on characters such as Han Solo, Boba Fett and Yoda, the internet is positively busting at the thought of these new movies. While my first reaction upon hearing about more Star Wars movies was “More Star Wars? Yes, please” I’ve now had time to think about what these new movies could mean to the Saga. The original Star Wars relied heavily on archetypal characters in order to convey to the audience the heroes’ journey that Luke Skywalker takes. He’s an innocent farmboy. Ben Kenobi, the Merlin-like teacher. Darth Vader, the black garbed villain. Han Solo’s character is there to be a cynical foil to Luke’s naivety. In the sequels we meet Yoda, the wise old sage and Boba Fett, gunslinger for hire. Each character serves a purpose based on the archetype they represent. We are to assume based on our introduction to Han in Star Wars that since he’s just shot Greedo (first!) he’s a no-nonsense, possibly danger...

If you're a fan of Breaking Bad (and who isn't) then this rumour, and I stress it's just a rumour at this point will please you.  Jesse Plemons, the 25 year old is said to have auditioned for Star Wars VII and a leading role at that. According to  The Wrap , the 25-year-old 'Breaking Bad' actor has already auditioned for a leading role in 'Star Wars: Episode VII'. And apparently, he's due back for another round in front of J.J. Abrams himself. "Plemons has already taped an audition that was well-received by those involved in the casting process," they explain. "And he'll by flying in to Los Angeles from Austin, Texas for a second audition that will bring him face-to-face with Abrams." Source Yahoo Movies THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

Our first confirmed cast member for Star Wars VII has just been posted over on the official Star Wars blog and its R2-D2.  What makes it even special is the R2 we will see on the screen is actually going to be fan made.  Good stuff!  It also means that R2 will NOT be CGI. The blog tells us: The first behind-the-scenes photo from Star Wars: Episode VII hit Twitter last Thursday, featuring director J.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and a certain blue and white astromech droid — who StarWars.com can now confirm will indeed be in the film. But who are the two men standing behind Artoo, looking very protective of the “overweight glob of grease”? Meet Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples, Star Wars fans and members of the worldwide R2-D2 Builders Club . They create fully functioning, film-accurate astromech droids like the R2-D2 seen in the photo, and they’re officially part of the Creature Effects team for Star Wars: Episode VII. They didn’t apply for the...

Finally the ball is rolling.  Finally we get the first behind the scenes shot from Star Wars VII.  Check out this shot from the official Bad Robot Twitter feed. Hi from the workshop! #StarWarsVII pic.twitter.com/9R7JGSfxlC — Bad Robot (@bad_robot) November 14, 2013 THE BEARDED TRIO ON FACEBOOK THE BEARDED TRIO ON TWITTER THE BEARDED TRIO ON GOOGLE+

December 18th 2015 is going to be a busy time for us movie goers. Why?  Well, at the time of writing this Warcraft, the movie by Duncan Jones and based on the popular MMO game is set to be released.  Oh yes!  Star Wars VII is out that day too. Well spare a thought for Industrial Light & Magic who have been confirmed they will be doing the special effects for Warcraft and it goes without saying Star Wars VII.  How busy are they going to be over the next 18 months? Gamespot write: Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the prolific Academy Award winning visual effects studio behind franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, is working on the upcoming Warcraft film, Blizzard Entertainment confirmed today at BlizzCon during a special panel for the movie. More specifically, ILM is creating the Orcs for the Warcraft film, which will be performed by real actors. Colin Farrell has reportedly been offered the lead role for the movie , though casting was not discu...

Lucasfilm has just announced what we've been suspecting for some time.  Star Wars VII has been pushed back from a May 2015 release to December 18th 2015.  This news comes after it was revealed a few weeks back that Michael Arndt was no longer associated with the script for Star Wars VII.  The new writing team being J.J. Abrams himself and Lawrence Kasdan.  Maybe this change was the catalyst for moving the release date back and slightly releasing some pressure for the writing staff and crew. Here's the official press release: Star Wars: Episode VII to Open December 18, 2015 November 07, 2013 With pre-production in full-swing, a confirmed release date of December 18, 2015, has been set for Lucasfilm's highly anticipatedStar Wars: Episode VII. "We're very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has t...

As sure as the sun rises each day we can also be sure of yet another Star Wars rumour and today is no exception.  Another "various sources tell us" story.  This time Baddassdigest.com is reporting that Star Wars VII may be pushed back to December 2015 from the original May release.  This would take it out of the epic fight we are likely to see in the summer of 2015.  Avengers Age of Ultron, Assassin Creed, Terminator, Jurassic Park IV, Independence Day 2, Pirates  5 and more (Avatar 2, Batman vs Superman) all fighting for the top spot through out the summer. Now I have no doubt that Star Wars VII could easily hold it's own against these titles but moving the sequel to December would seem like a good idea.  More time for Abrams and co to work on the movie plus at this moment the movie would only have to contend with Alvin and the Chipmunks 4, Inferno and Kung Fu Panda 3.  What a difference a few months makes. Anyway the story is just a rumour at...

Playboy mag have published an interview with J.J. Abrams and it is a must read.  In the interview the Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Wars VII director opens up and mentions his feelings on being in the main chair for two of the biggest franchises in movie history. "I couldn’t even entertain another thought. It was like being on the most beautiful beach in the world and someone saying, “There’s this amazing mountain over here. Come take a look.” I couldn’t balance the two, so I passed on Star Wars. "I was near the light at the end of the tunnel with my work on Star Trek," continues Abrams. "I felt I needed a bit of a breather, actually. But then Kathleen Kennedy called again. I’ve known her for years. We had a great conversation, and the idea of working with her on this suddenly went from being theoretical and easy to deny to being a real, tangible, thrilling possibility. In the end it was my wife, Katie, who said if it was something that really interested ...