In the US, open auditions also begin this week according to an online notice. Casting directors will be visiting cities including Nashville and Chicago as well as accepting online applications.

The actor who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films says hopefuls from Bristol auditioning for the new film should "disguise their accents".

Dave Prowse starred in episodes four to six but his Bristolian accent was later dubbed over by James Earl Jones.

He told people going to Bristol for the open casting sessions for Star Wars: Episode VII to be "very, very serious about the whole thing".

"You can't go 'oo-aar my dear here's my lightsaber," he said.

According to a casting notice, film-maker Disney wants to fill two roles for the new film.

The company is looking for a "street smart and strong" orphaned girl in her late teens and a "smart capable" man in his late teens or early 20s.

'Chewbacca or Darth Vader'

Bristol will host the first auditions for the film on 9 November at the Arnolfini.

Prowse, who is 6ft 6ins (1.96m) tall, said it was an "honour" for the city.

He said those attending "will need to be very, very serious about the whole thing as it will change their lives, as it did for me."

Prowse was born in Bristol in 1935 and attended Bristol Grammar School.

Before entering the acting profession he was a successful bodybuilder and weightlifter.

The actor's early screen roles included parts in a number of Hammer horror films and Doctor Who.

He also played the Green Cross Code man in television road safety commercials for 13 years.

When Prowse attended his own audition for Star Wars in 1976, nobody knew what a massive success it would turn out to be.

Director George Lucas offered Prowse either the part of Chewbacca or Darth Vader.

Prowse chose the role of the latter and told Lucas "everyone remembers the villain, George".

'So much interest'

Prowse went on to play the bodily form of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Of the open casting session method being used by Disney, he said: "It's an interesting way to go about it.

"There is a fantastic amount of talent out there just waiting to be discovered, and there is so much interest in Star Wars."

Although he now lives in Croydon in Surrey, Prowse said he regularly returns to Bristol to see family in Filton, and is "very proud" of his roots.

He said if the forthcoming film receives a premiere in Bristol he would "be there like a shot".

Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to begin shooting at Pinewood Studios in spring 2014, for an expected 2015 release.

 MrMoustaffa wrote:
No, I do not want all the Star Wars characters with British accidents in any way unless it's a Monty Python production

 master of ordinance wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Soo......david tennant as a Jedi anyone?

NO

David Tennant is the one, true Doctor.

 Grey Templar wrote:

SBG wrote:
The best Jedi Master would be Gordon Ramsay. That's my vote.

Padawan-"Why can't can't I lift this X-wing master?"

Master Ramsay- "Because you aren't ****ING USING THE *** **** ****ING FORCE!!!"

Rumored Star Wars: Episode VII Casting Call Features New Character Names And Backstories



When Star Wars: Episode VII does finally arrive in theaters it will likely still be protected by a thin veil of secrecy and intrigue - as is director J.J. Abrams' want - but for now fans are clamoring for absolutely any details they can get their hands on. And that's exactly how the above casting call sheet was discovered and revealed as being part of the pre-production process for the upcoming sci-fi epic. Posted on Twitter by UKOpenCall, discovered by JediNews, and reportedly confirmed by Bleeding Cool, this release not only gives us an idea of what the production is looking for in their actors, but also gives two of the characters actual names and backstories.

In case you can't read the casting call clearly, here is what they say:

Seeking young woman to play 17-18 year old. Must be beautiful, smart and athletic. Open to all ethnicities (including bi and multi-racial) Must be over 16.

Rachel - Was quite young when she lost her parents. With no other family, she was forced to make her way in a tough, dangerous town. Now 17, she has become street smart and strong. She is able to take care of herself using humor and guts to get by.

Always a survivor, never a victim, she remains hopeful that she can move away from this harsh existence to a better life. She is always thinking of what she can do to move ahead

Seeking young man to play 19-23 years old. Must be handsome, smart and athletic. Must be over 18.

Thomas - Has grown up without a father's influence. Without the model of being a man, he doesn't have the strongest sense of himself. Despite this he is smart, capable and shows courage when it is needed. He can appreciate the absurdities in life and understands you can't take life to seriously.

If this is in fact for Star Wars: Episode VII (notice that the top that the project is only referred to as "A Walt Disney Pictures Film"), then the first thing fans will probably pick up on is that neither Rachel nor Thomas seem to be of Skywalker blood. It's perhaps possible that Thomas is the son of Princess Leia and that Han Solo turned out to be a deadbeat dad - but even that they may be a stretch. Of course, it's possible that these character names and descriptions aren't 100% accurate and are instead a red herring masking what Abrams and fellow screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan really have planed. But at the very, very least we can probably assume that Star Wars: Episode VII is going to have both young male and young female leads.

With reported behind the scenes struggles, at this point in time it's unknown if the massively anticipated sequel is actually going to be ready for the announced-yet-not-precise 2015 release date. Production is scheduled to start up at the beginning of next year, and if that's the case then we should finally be hearing some real casting announcements in the next few weeks.

Disney has announced it will release the next Star Wars film on 18 December 2015

 Sturmtruppen wrote:

 master of ordinance wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Soo......david tennant as a Jedi anyone?

NO

David Tennant is the one, true Doctor.

NO

David Tennant is one of the twelve, true Doctors.

Plus, he was in things before Doctor Who, and he's been in things since. I don't see the problem.

 chromedog wrote:

 Sturmtruppen wrote:

 master of ordinance wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Soo......david tennant as a Jedi anyone?

NO

David Tennant is the one, true Doctor.

NO

David Tennant is one of the twelve, true Doctors.

Plus, he was in things before Doctor Who, and he's been in things since. I don't see the problem.

Jon Pertwee is the ONE true Doctor.
The others are the rest of the cricket team, down to the 12th man, orange boy and half-blind, deaf and otherwise addle-pated gents known as umpires.