Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher Were Astonished Star Wars Came Back
. 'Part of me thought, 'oh my God, no, it's just a terrible idea. I had a beginning, middle and [...]
On the special features of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, several looks behind the scenes of the film are revealed. In the "Secrets of" documentary, it all begins with something very simple: the original actors' utter shock at coming back to Star Wars.
"I was astonished. It was the last thing in the world I expected," reveals Mark Hamill, who returned to the franchise as Luke Skywalker (albeit only for one, final scene in The Force Awakens). "Part of me thought, 'oh my God, no, it's just a terrible idea. I had a beginning, middle and end, and I can't really see anything that I could add to it.'"
"I was surprised," added co-star Carrie Fisher, who came back to play the now-General Leia. "Really? We waited this long? I looked better like ten years ago!" she joked, "we could've done it then!"
Ford, who returned for what's probably the final time as Han Solo, agreed.
"At the end of the first three films we made, I had no thought whatsoever about revisiting the character, or whether there was any ambition to bring the three characters back," Ford admitted. "If I had been asked at the time, I probably wouldn't have imagined the potential for it."
Perhaps most surprising, though, is director and co-writer J.J. Abrams, who said the very "idea of Star Wars continuing on seemed like a very unlikely prospect." Abrams famously rejected Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy's offer to direct the first time she approached him, only agreeing later, after more story ideas were revealed. It was when he found out a young woman would be looking for Luke Skywalker that his interest was peaked.
Luckily, all four of those people moved past their disbelief and hesitation, and now we have a whole new generation of Star Wars.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits Digital HD April 1, and Blu-Ray/DVD April 4. Star Wars Episode VIII is shooting now for a December 15, 2017 release.
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