Star Wars: The Force Awakens (OFFICIAL THREAD)

[Box Cutta]

The "Jackie Robinson of Jedis": 'Black-ish' Creator Anoints 'Star Wars' Star John Boyega (Guest Column)

by Kenya Barris, as told to Marc Bernardin

"The casting of Boyega as Finn was a huge leap forward," Kenya Barris says in discussing what a main character of color means to the next generation (and why Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian was a miss).

As a kid, I wanted to be a Jedi — that was the ultimate goal. To find out you could move stuff, to find out that you were more than you thought, that it was something inside of you. It just spoke so clearly to what we're all looking for: You wanna be special.

I feel like the series was about becoming the best you can be as a person, being something special — even more so when you feel like you see something reflective of yourself. So what having John Boyega at the center of The Force Awakens does for future generations, in terms of how it affects them, is amazing because it actually puts them in the story in a much more layered and intrinsic way.

Seeing that black people made it to space was big. But Lando Calrissian was … I mean, I love Billy Dee Williams, but he was basically a space hustler. "That's the character that we get? We get the space pimp?" But I thought the casting of Boyega as Finn was a huge leap forward, not just in terms of diversity, not just for black and white, but looking at our world that we live in today, that we're all a part of it, and we're all sort of part of a joint ecosystem. I look at the casting, and it's exciting to me.

The way our world is set up, if kids of any color see somebody black doing something, they feel like everyone can do it. Conversely, if black kids see a white guy being the only participant in something, they don't always feel like that's something everyone can do. I could be totally off, but I don't think if a white kid sees LeBron James play basketball, they feel like they can't play.

For a kid for whom The Force Awakens is their first Star Wars movie, seeing a black man holding a lightsaber as the first image — a little Muslim kid, a little Asian kid, a Latino kid — I feel like all of them can say, "Oh, I can do that, too."

I made this show, Black-ish. It's my first big shot; I just wanted to do a show to pay for my kids' school and pay my bills and have a career. Slowly but surely, I found out, "Oh, it's bigger than just you." Any time you're one of few, you have certain obligations, whether you like it or not. I want The Force Awakens to be really successful. And there's a huge amount of pressure on Boyega. And he can't avoid it. He's the Jackie Robinson of Jedis.

Boy oh boy....

For what it's worth, I disagree a bit on Lando. Yeah he was another "scoundrel", and his cadence may have played closer to "hip black 70's dude" than necessary...But he was *fukking cool*. Hit on Leia right in front of Han, was a powerful businessman, and also *somewhat* stood up to Vader (Vader sat him right back down...but Lando *did* make his complaints known, and eventually cleared the city once he knew the Empire was taking over).

Also :


^ Greatest space battle ever filmed.

Lando > Finn

Also FWIW, I have no issues with Boyega as a person. He's handled the 'cism extremely well, dissing haters, and coming off as somewhat CONFIDENT in doing so. Just saw this interview earlier : http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/m...-and-john-boyega-brace-for-galactic-fame.html

When some people criticized the “Star Wars” trailer — even threatened to boycott the movie — because it showed a black actor in a stormtrooper uniform, how did that make you feel?

It made me feel fine. I’m grounded in who I am, and I am a confident black man. A confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate man. I’m proud of my heritage, and no man can take that away from me. I wasn’t raised to fear people with a difference of opinion. They are merely victims of a disease in their mind. To get into a serious dialogue with people who judge a person based on the melanin in their skin? They’re stupid, and I’m not going to lose sleep over people. The presale tickets have gone through the roof — their agenda has failed. Miserably.

You didn’t feel the urge to respond to these critics?

I just don’t get it. You guys got every single alien in this movie imaginable to man. With tentacles, five eyes. Aliens that, if they existed, we’d definitely have an issue. We’d have to get them to the government and be, like, “What are you?” Yet what you want to do is fixate on another human being’s color. You need to go back to school and unlearn what you have learned. I think Yoda said that, or Obi-Wan.

To this point, the “Star Wars” movies have featured few black characters. Are you proud that you’re helping to add diversity to the franchise?

I don’t know whether I’m proud or anything. I’m happy that we’re able to mesh together in this ensemble cast and create a wonderful story. It’s Hollywood’s fault, for letting this get so far, that when a black person or a female, or someone from a different cultural group is cast in a movie, we have to have debates as to whether they’re placed there just to meet a [quota]. I also understand, on the flip side, where these other mentalities will arise. “He’s just placed there for political correctness.” I don’t hear you guys saying that when Brad Pitt is there. When Tom Cruise is there. Hell, when Shia LaBeouf is there, you guys ain’t saying that. That is just blatant racism.

I hope these industry people, especially the black people with a level of influence like Barris, aren't just waxing poetic. Give this brother some roles! He might be a jobber in SW, but he has it in him to be "the guy" in other movies!

 

[Box Cutta]

Film Score Icons Williams, Morricone and Horner Loom Large in Oscar Race

For the new edition, Williams has written a handful of themes for characters including Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Poe (Oscar Isaac), along with “a major march piece” for the Resistance and a choral fanfare for Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) that inspired by a Kipling poem translated into Sanskrit.

Anyone important missing or naw?

There is a track on the leaked tracklist titled....

Spoiler

Finn's Confession

....so we'll see I guess.

Rey going to the dark side by the end of the next film quote me

After she kills Finn, Poe will bring her back to the light!

 

[CHL]

 

[Numero Deux]

Gotta love hindsight.

 

[CHL]

Spoiler

 

[Box Cutta]

Some other small tidbits for the day :

^ New image of Rey next to a downed AT-AT...worn and battered rebel-pilot helmet located next to her.

^ Images of Billie Lourde (Carrie Fisher's daughter) from the movie. She's almost certainly NOT playing anyone related to Leia, and we can expect it to be more of a cameo than anything, but Carrie reportedly demanded it before she agreed to sign on herself....


^ Premier to be live-streamed.

 

[wire28]

I have been thinking about where they are going to take Finn throughout the trilogy and how he and Rey are going to evolve and who they will be by the series end.

I do like the idea that was put forth earlier in this thread that one of the two could fall to the darkside and ends up at odds with the other. That certainly would make for an interesting dynamic.

yeah my random thinking is that finn will stay good and rey will end up bad. but we just have to wait and find out

 

[Numero Deux]

Chinese exclusive trailer, some new footage:


Given how the Asian marketing has been handled so far, I'm surprised that Finn/Boyega is even featured in it, and in quite a few scenes, no less.

 

[Box Cutta]

Chinese exclusive trailer, some new footage:


Given how the Asian marketing has been handled so far, I'm surprised that Finn/Boyega is even featured in it, and in quite a few scenes, no less.

This is actually a decent trailer, one of the better ones imo.

 

[Mortal1]

Chinese exclusive trailer, some new footage:


Given how the Asian marketing has been handled so far, I'm surprised that Finn/Boyega is even featured in it, and in quite a few scenes, no less.

Lmao at that smiley

 

[23Barrettcity]

Film Score Icons Williams, Morricone and Horner Loom Large in Oscar Race



Anyone important missing or naw?

There is a track on the leaked tracklist titled....

Spoiler

Finn's Confession

....so we'll see I guess.



After she kills Finn, Poe will bring her back to the light!

Jobber.

This nikka really is a fukkin jobber

how do you guys read these spoilers and say he's a jobber ??

Spoiler: Finn

its not like Rey kills Kylo and it's not a given Finn isn't a Jedi he also gives the info needed to blow up the star killer .

he seems to equate himself quite well

 

[Mortal1]

Good interview

 

[Ziggiy]

The "Jackie Robinson of Jedis": 'Black-ish' Creator Anoints 'Star Wars' Star John Boyega (Guest Column)



Boy oh boy....

For what it's worth, I disagree a bit on Lando. Yeah he was another "scoundrel", and his cadence may have played closer to "hip black 70's dude" than necessary...But he was *fukking cool*. Hit on Leia right in front of Han, was a powerful businessman, and also *somewhat* stood up to Vader (Vader sat him right back down...but Lando *did* make his complaints known, and eventually cleared the city once he knew the Empire was taking over).

Also :


^ Greatest space battle ever filmed.

Lando > Finn

Also FWIW, I have no issues with Boyega as a person. He's handled the 'cism extremely well, dissing haters, and coming off as somewhat CONFIDENT in doing so. Just saw this interview earlier : http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/m...-and-john-boyega-brace-for-galactic-fame.html



I hope these industry people, especially the black people with a level of influence like Barris, aren't just waxing poetic. Give this brother some roles! He might be a jobber in SW, but he has it in him to be "the guy" in other movies!

Couldn't agree more with Kenya Barris. She spoke nothing but absolute truth

 

[Box Cutta]

Daisy Ridley may be more brave in 'Star Wars' than real life

Spoiler

Though co-star Harrison Ford has said Rey wields a lightsaber in the film, Ridley deflected the question when asked directly.

"Finn and Kylo have a fight with a lightsaber," is all she would say, referring to co-stars John Boyega and Adam Driver, whose tussle has already been shown in the film's trailers.

how do you guys read these spoilers and say he's a jobber ??

Spoiler: Finn

its not like Rey kills Kylo and it's not a given Finn isn't a Jedi he also gives the info needed to blow up the star killer .

he seems to equate himself quite well

Spoiler

Dude, his last scene in the movie is saying goodbye to Rey in the medical Bay. This is after Ren beats his ass.

Also shyt like...the scene where he gets trapped by the "cargo" monsters. You just KNOW he's gonna be screaming and crying for help. They love playing up "scared black men" for comedy in these movies.

You ready for this? HELL NO!

Can't beat that trooper alone.

Can barely figure the gun-turrets.

Needs other people to fly him everywhere.

Can't even beat the alien in the bar. He goes out drinking with the chick, an alien starts trouble with her...CHEWIE jumps to the rescue!

He's a jobber.

Yeah, one scene where he tells them where a base that he used to work at and have complete access to is located. Brilliant....

Couldn't agree more with Kenya Barris. She spoke nothing but absolute truth

Kenya is actually a "He"....

He's going to be mighty disappointed.

 

[Ziggiy]

Daisy Ridley may be more brave in 'Star Wars' than real life

Spoiler

Spoiler

Dude, his last scene in the movie is saying goodbye to Rey in the medical Bay. This is after Ren beats his ass.

Also shyt like...the scene where he gets trapped by the "cargo" monsters. You just KNOW he's gonna be screaming and crying for help. They love playing up "scared black men" for comedy in these movies.

You ready for this? HELL NO!

Can't beat that trooper alone.

Can barely figure the gun-turrets.

Needs other people to fly him everywhere.

Can't even beat the alien in the bar. He goes out drinking with the chick, an alien starts trouble with her...CHEWIE jumps to the rescue!

He's a jobber.

Yeah, one scene where he tells them where a base that he used to work at and have complete access to is located. Brilliant....

Kenya is actually a "He"....

He's going to be mighty disappointed.

Oh wow didn't know it was a brother.

I'm REALLY trying to give JJ the benefit of the doubt. I've already posted my concerns more than once, but man Kenya hit the NAIL on the head. This could either be an excellent depiction of black excellence in a major science fiction tent pole (might be the most successful movie of all time) or just another White Man/Woman's Heroes Journey. We'll see.


I'm not supporting anymore Bumbling, cowardly, second rate black characters in these movies. Like I said, to male Finn the ONLY character in Star Wars movie HISTORY to wield a lightsaber and NOT be force sensitive would be insulting as fukk. Simply unforgivable