Star Wars auditions to be held in the UK... UPDATE: and now in the US as well...

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**Ruglud**

Star Wars sequel: Open auditions to be held in UK

Open auditions are being planned for two lead roles in the next Star Wars film, the BBC has learned.

The casting sessions for Star Wars: Episode VII will start later this week at locations around the UK and Ireland, including London, Dublin and Glasgow.

According to a casting notice the film-makers are looking to fill two roles.

They are a "street smart and strong" orphaned girl in her late teens and a "smart capable" man in his late teens or early 20s.

The open auditions for a "major Hollywood Movie" were first published on the twitter account @UKopencall, which announced a "nationwide search for lead roles for a Disney movie". Disney bought Lucasfilm, the production company behind the Star Wars series, in October 2012.

Leaked descriptions

Lucasfilm declined to comment to the BBC but it seems likely that the characters have been given non sci-fi names and descriptions in the announcement in an effort to disguise that the auditions are for Star Wars: Episode VII.

The broad nature of the characters is almost the same as in descriptions leaked online earlier in the year when the overall casting process began.

While it is unprecedented for lead parts in a franchise of this size to hold open auditions in this way, Star Wars has in the past given major roles to little known actors and actresses through the traditional casting process, dating back to the original trilogy when the then unknown Mark Hamill won the role of Luke Skywalker.

Other movies have successfully cast secondary actors and actresses through open auditions in the past most notably some of the later Harry Potter films.

And actress Dakota Blue Richards won the lead role of Lyra in The Golden Compass, the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's Northern Lights, through open casting.

Director JJ Abrams, who is also co-scripting the movie, will not be attending the open auditions which begin in Bristol on 9 November. Instead those at the auditions, who must be over the age of 16 for the female role, and over 18 for the male role, will briefly meet members of the casting team of the film.

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

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24828750

**Grey Templar**

I'm guessing the girl is the main character.

Orphan with Force Powers. Hard life prior to being found by the Jedi. Rebellious type. Difficulty adhering to Jedi code.

Romantic interest is the male character. A mini-Han Solo. Possibly childhood friend of female lead. Not force sensitive. Acts as a voice of reason for the main character, but also a little self-centered.

**timetowaste85**

So...am I to assume there is currently no plan for Jaina and Jacen Solo?

**MrMoustaffa**

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

**motyak**

Mirax and Corran maybe? They sort of fit that description...ish. Apart from the age and the orphan bit.

If they are meant to be established characters that is.

**scarletsquig**

Hopefully they cast the orphan girl with a thick regional accent.

"Ey up boi issata laahtsaybah in ya trowsus eerah yow jus pleysed ter sey meh?"

There are some accents that even Game of Thrones won't touch when it does casting.

**Grey Templar**

Maybe she'll be a Gungan

Meeeesa so hapeee to be seein yooooosa

**sarpedons-right-hand**

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

Which is odd, since some of the finest actors the world has seen are British....

It makes sense, if they are filming in the UK why not cast some of the actors from here? Harrison Ford got the part of Han Solo simply because he impressed George Lucas whilst reading lines for other actors at the audition. Why not have an open audition? Some of the best talent is still out there, and I'm sure a few of them will be from 'Murica, so don't worry too much!

**Grey Templar**

It would be silly for a film set in a diverse galaxy to have only a single set of accents.

**hotsauceman1**

Soo......david tennant as a Jedi anyone?

**fishy bob**

The whole trilogy will take place in an asteroid labyrinth where the main character will fight zombie mecha versions of all the main villains from the previous films. Fact.

**MrMoustaffa**

sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
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

Which is odd, since some of the finest actors the world has seen are British....

It makes sense, if they are filming in the UK why not cast some of the actors from here? Harrison Ford got the part of Han Solo simply because he impressed George Lucas whilst reading lines for other actors at the audition. Why not have an open audition? Some of the best talent is still out there, and I'm sure a few of them will be from 'Murica, so don't worry too much!

It was mainly a joke, but I will admit that I'm not a fan of heavy British accents.

It's funny because according to most people I meet I have a fairly pronounced Southern accent, so I can't really talk

**notprop**

So the baddies then.

In space (or anywhere if you're fr Hollywood) British = Evil.

The soother we reconquer the US and have them under our heel again the better. No one insinuates we're evil!

**Kilkrazy**

British actors are usually good at doing different accents.

**Harkonnen13**

Maybe they'll find the next Hayden Christensen there. That would be awesome

**master of ordinance**

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

NO

David Tennant is the one, true Doctor.

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

Grey Templar wrote:
I'm guessing the girl is the main character.

Orphan with Force Powers. Hard life prior to being found by the Jedi. Rebellious type. Difficulty adhering to Jedi code.

Romantic interest is the male character. A mini-Han Solo. Possibly childhood friend of female lead. Not force sensitive. Acts as a voice of reason for the main character, but also a little self-centered.

I think you've just saved me

a trip to the cinema and £7 Thank you!

I'm guessing this 'orphan' probably grew up on a small farm on say, a desert world, discovers one day she has powers, travels the land, bumps into a wise old master, and saves the galaxy from an evil overlord!

Whatever happened to originality?

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Kilkrazy wrote:
British actors are usually good at doing different accents.

One name that kills that idea stone dead - Sean Connery!

Remember The hunt for red October? Comridsh!!

Or highlander, or any other film he's been in!

**KalashnikovMarine**

BRB flying to England.

**KingCracker**

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

Didnt you realize that the British accent is a well accepted alien tongue? Dr Who taught me that

**marv335**

Hugh Laurie.

That is all.

**Gitzbitah**

Sean Connery's a Scot, not a Brit! And that's no accent- that's a brogue.

**Inquisitor Lord Bane**

marv335 wrote:
Hugh Laurie.

That is all.

Andrew Lincoln would like a word with you...

**daedalus**

I felt a great disturbance about the descriptions of what they're looking for in the roles. It's as if a million Star Wars fans cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something Teen Movie-ish has happened...

**Daston**

daedalus wrote:
I felt a great disturbance about the descriptions of what they're looking for in the roles. It's as if a million Star Wars fans cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something Teen Movie-ish has happened...

One word.......Disney

**daedalus**

Disney were the chosen ones! It was said that they would destroy the Lucas, not join it. They were to bring balance to the sequels, not leave them in darkness.

**Hlaine Larkin mk2**

I want to see Anthony Hopkins as a Sith Lord now godammit

**mega_bassist**

Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote:
I want to see Anthony Hopkins as a Sith Lord now godammit

/thread

**Gitzbitah**

I don't know- these roles may be reversed. The Orphan sounds like a Han Solo style scoundrel, something Disney loves in their princesses. And a twenty year old jedi trying to keep a much younger Han Solo in check would make for a pretty darn good twist on the old formula. Jedi are there, but they are totally secondary to the scruffy looking nerf herders.

mega, I second the motion. Darth Cannabilus would be horrifying. Excellent thought, Hlaine!

**SBG**

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

**Grey Templar**

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!!!"