Mark Hamill said he was 'suspicious' of J.J. Abrams

I have to say, I am really looking forward to seeing this new trilogy. I'm only in my later 20's, but I remember coming home from elementary school and watching episodes 4, 5, and 6 while eating coffee ice cream. Don't ask me why coffee ice cream, I just liked it. Anyway, sometimes I would watch all three movies in a row... And sometimes, I would even watch them backwards (episode 6 > 5 > 4).

Anyway, the newer movies were "meh," but I'm really looking forward to J.J. Abrams direction in this one. I hope he can phase out the older characters well and get us interested in these new ones.

This is gonna be EPIC! I was a kid when the original was released in 1977. Watched it 14 times at my own and my mates birthday parties and at the movies. 

I've seen every one since. Actually watched the original on TV a few years ago and was still blown away by the SPX. Pretty amazing considering the movie was days(?) away from running out of money.

Star Wars defined a generation: I consider myself more of the 'Star Wars generation' than 'from the 70s.'

Cannot wait!!! :-)

Sushi and lucrabrasi, too bad we'll probably never meet up. I'm guessing we're about the same age and would view this new movie through similar experiences. Today's my 50th birthday, and I'm happy that I can still feel passion about certain things.

".......until he $aw the $$$!" You should hit up IMDB and check out Hamill. He has been working more steadily than just about any other actor working for 40 years. He isnt hard up for up cash.

Have you not seen the new Star Trek movies? Star Wars 7 will be nothing like the prequels. Have you not seen 2 trailers? Even the most hardcore starwars fans are jumping for joy. The only, and I mean only complaint, I have heard about is the new lightsaber design.

i still remeber walking home from school past the cinema everyday, seeing the "Return of the Jedi" coming soon poster in the window, still remember the date November 7 or 11th 1983, my friend camped out early to get tickets for all of us, we were the first into the cinema while the ret were waiting outside in the line that went around the block. have been a SW fan ever since then. hoping the next movie lives up to the hype.

@Sushi

Nice post : )

I really wish I could be as excited and delighted at the prospect of anything at all.

I guess I've got tired and cynical with age....

I like Mark Hamill, I'm looking forward to this movie. But you know what? Even if it doesn't match the pre-release hype (which is probably going to be impossible anyway), it's not the end of the world. We survived the prequels, after all.

Memories from 1977:

Me: 17 years old. My brother: 12 years old. We're going to see "Star Wars" (it didn't have episode numbers back then) at the theater in town. After the movie: My brother sinking down in his seat and tightening his seat belt as I "fly" my "X-wing" (actually an orange 1974 Honda Civic) back to the rebel base (actually, home). I'm surprised I didn't get a ticket for speeding down the "Deathstar Trench".

Yes. I'm embarrassed about that memory. But to-date it has been the only movie that has had that kind of effect on me. The new trailer looks promising and I hope I can experience something similar again.

Yeah, Happy Birthday Laguna. You're a couple of years ahead of me, but what's a few months once you get past forty? ;)

This will be epic! Awesome Hamill is awesome.

I expect the same with the movies, in the brief glimpses we have seen, already we see a token negro inserted into the story, as soon as I saw that, i knew the liberal cabal that has taken over media in the US was going to use Star Wars to push their liberal agenda even into what was a haven of decent sci fi, into a universe far far away.

"Token negro"? There are actually people who still talk like this?! The 1960's called and they want their noun back. For something to be a "token", it has to be the only one. I have two words for you of the short memory... Mace Windu a.k.a. Samuel L. Jackson.

He assumed Lucas was going to announce a 3D release or roll out another box set of the films, laughing about the number of versions that have been made available.

Says enough about the industry. Keep milking it.

Ontopic, I'm not a huge star wars fan and wasnt a trekkie either but JJ Abrams delivered a great remake so I am looking forward to see what he will do with SW.

I remember seeing the first one in the cinema... when that star destroyer looms overhead... still gives a thrill even now. Looking forward to Christmas now :)

Nice, Lucas used the Force to force him into it.

Big Happy Birthday Laguna. Next week will be my the Golden Birthday also. I still remember the original movie in the theaters, and I even watched it several times on the big giant drive-in theater screen. Over the weekend, I saw the second teaser trailer and got man tears when Han Solo said "Chewie we are home". Can't wait for Christmas.

We survived the prequels, after all.

If you all haven't seen the greatest take down of the prequels, check out Red Letter Media, Star Wars Reviews.

^^^ Him too. I was actually disappointed to hear that Billy Dee Williams would not be in the new movie. Besides the characters in the new movie, Lando was the only other "major" character to survive Episode VI.

will be like the new Star Trek Franchise - JJ has a style all of his own

As long as there is no abomination that is even remotely like (It that must not be named!), I'll watch it and buy it on day one when available!

The movies still mesmer me: some weeks ago, TNT run the 6 episodes in a row, from midday to midnight. We bought popcorn, tons of colas and had a wonderful Sunday. Epiisodes 4, 5 and 6 are magnific. On the other hand, 1, 2 and are interesting, but that Jar Jar character, gosh!, George Lucas must be ashamed to this day for having creating such an atrocity.

@wtfjapan

In which country? They were always released in May in the US.. June in the UK. I queued around the block.. maybe for three hours or so. Remember the poster too... and my Return of the Jedi sticker album. Those were the days.

I'm not really bothered. I can't say that I'm looking forward to it and I'm certainly not going to make an effort to be first in the queue, assuming that I even queue up for it at all. It all really comes down to whether there is a tale worth telling - often there isn't.

The original run had a start, a middle and an end. The start had a good premise for a prequel but I was never impressed with the execution of episodes 1 to 3. I could have lived without ever seeing them. Now we have this new stuff.

I won't condemn them out of hand but I feel a degree of scepticism towards them given, firstly, that I'm not a great lover of JJA's work in the main; secondly, the continuity will be difficult to produce; thirdly, there is a tendency by wHollyWeird in current times to concentrate on effects over story and finally, the Mouse is in charge.

I could be wrong. I'd certainly like to be wrong but goodness knows that a few good movies have made it out under worse conditions and that other movies with everything going for them have been total rubbish, but those seem to be exceptions. Above all else, this is a franchise film. And it's one that is coming in on the back of unpopular predecessors.

This movie needs to be absolutely amazing (and I don't mean tons of lens flares to try to make it look flashy or artistic) or it could see a similar fate to franchises like the Matrix.

Lucas has to go a long way to make up for Jar Jar Binks...

Lucas has to go a long way to make up for Jar Jar Binks...

Lucas isn't doing this one. Disney is. Jar Jar was a mistake, but considering all the things Lucas did RIGHT in the franchise, I'll give him a pass on Jar Jar.

For a bit of humor on all the sequels, here's Berkeley Breathed's "Bloom County" take on them (from 7/15/1983):

http://www.thecomicstrips.com/properties/bloom/art_images/cg4fa2aea6a43bd.jpg

Lando Calrissian would like a word or two with you.

He's not? Right after posting that I started wondering whether he would be. He should be. Disappointing. Probably should have mentioned James Earl Jones, Ahmad Best, Femi Taylor and Tony Cox, too, even though none of them played a black character onscreen. And next we could turn to that "cheeky Jewish kid" thing and...

Billy Dee Williams is returning in episode 8

Read the plot to the new movie.

But all I see the previous stuff bring rehashed with some characters being switchef nothing really new. Will wait till it comes to the telly.

Hamill:“ Could you imagine if for some reason I said ‘I don’t think I want to do it?"

But you did it, Mark, and I love it because I just saw him reprising another old role: The trickster in the new Flash Series ( Spoiler - he even did a scene where he says: "I´m your father" hahaha) Other actors would have been petty and Diva-like and Mark recognizes that he owes to the fans to appear in the sequels.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/new-flash-teaser-prepares-for-mark-hamills-trickster-debut

It doesn't seem strange that he was suspicious of JJ. He loves being misterious though. Personally, I love his works and I think that he's able to bring to life many great characters, think of Walter Bishop in Fringe, or Khan in the Start trek movie or the way that he brings a beloved character again with so much taste (think of Spock too)

Mark Hamill said he was 'suspicious' of J.J. Abrams

.......until he $aw the $$$!

As someone who saw ep 4 when it first came out, I'm intrigued. But I hope they don't have any more sesame street puppets - it put me right off, and I never even watched 1-3.

Hamill:“ Could you imagine if for some reason I said ‘I don’t think I want to do it?"

I can so imagine that! Abrams could get someone else to play an old Luke Skywalker, or better yet, get rid of that irritating character! Skywalker is almost as irritating as C3PO.

Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are of course welcome back as Han Solo and Princess Leia, as is that walking carpet Chewie, ha ha!

Sadly Lucas sold off control to Disney...and Disney is showing that all of our fears, those of us who have loved and built the Star Wars universe of appreciation for many years...our fears have been that Disney would make a shallow mockery out of the Star Wars Canon. They already have, they murdered the Clone Wars animated series which in five seasons did fantastic work. In the very first sequel season Disney turned out one of the worst most shallow and horrible remakes, twisting the series into a bizxarre parody of Aladdin meets Star Wars, with a cheeky Jewish kid as the main hero, and politically correct proto negroes, female figures who are filled with modern feminist angst..and the worst most stupid slangy comedic bastardication of a really well done set or characters and story I have ever seen. I expect the same with the movies, in the brief glimpses we have seen, already we see a token negro inserted into the story, as soon as I saw that, i knew the liberal cabal that has taken over media in the US was going to use Star Wars to push their liberal agenda even into what was a haven of decent sci fi, into a universe far far away. Very sad, too bad.