Today came the announcement of the cast for next year's reboot of the franchise Star Wars. It has been something of strong speculation for close to a year and a half now. After a long, long wait and not a lot of facts, the details have been unleashed. While there are the familiar characters coming in to do their work, there is a new class of performers who are taking up the challenging of expanding and continuing this universe. To an average audience, most of the names will leave you scratching your heads. Don't fret, as you have more than enough time to catch up with the newbies before next year's release date. The following is a rundown of titles you may recognize them from.
John Boyega
Past Credits: Attack the Block, Imperial Dreams, 24: Live Another Day
Who?: For those unaware of the brilliant alien film Attack the Block, go out and seek it. Starring as Moses, Boyega made an impressive name for himself with a tough, slang-slinging kid who lead his gang of pals through a violent landscape. It is one of the best sci-fi films (so far) of this decade. While he has done little of note since, this is a very welcome change of pace that will hopefully help him to get more notice in the future.
Adam Driver
Past Credits: Girls, Frances Ha, Lincoln, Inside Llewyn Davis
Who?: If you have been reading Optigrab regularly, you likely know my admiration for the HBO series Girls. As one of the lead male characters on the series, he has brought some weird charm to the series as Hannah's creepy boyfriend. His film career has also been rather specific but impressive, considering that he has already worked with Steven Spielberg, The Coen Brothers, Noah Baumbach and now J.J. Abrams. For an actor that seems like an awkward type, this is an interesting move for his career that may interfere with his shooting for Girls, but the series already written around it.
Oscar Isaac
Past Credits: Drive, Inside Llewyn Davis, Sucker Punch
Who?: It was only a matter of time before Isaac would have a breakout role. While art house fans will likely remember him and his charismatic charm in Inside Llewyn Davis and Drive, few are likely to recognize his name. He has a nuanced charm about him that has occasional moments of aggression and energy that make him at times too understated. Along with John Boyega, this is one of the more pleasant surprises of the new cast because it feels like it could not only given them a chance to expand their fan base, but give the Star Wars universe a little bit of indie cred that could actually benefit its overall quality.
Domhnall Gleeson
Past Credits: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, About Time, True Grit
Who?: Unless you are a hardcore fan of the Harry Potter franchise, it is likely that Gleeson's name doesn't ring any bells. For the most part, he has been a character actor who has done pretty well with his career. Having played the lead in About Time, this is another one of those curious names that will likely leave many scratching heads, even for those that have seen Harry Potter.
Daisy Ridley
Past Credits: Mr. Selfridge
Who?: The sole female addition to the cast is also the least recognizable. As it stands, I know very little about her and this will likely become her defining role, or at least help her get a wider career. It may be a little disheartening to know that the sexes aren't evenly balanced, but this will definitely help her standout even more.
Max von Sydow
Past Credits: The Seventh Seal, The Exorcist, Shutter Island, Robin Hood
Who?: A legendary actor who has had a long and stories career from doing iconic foreign films to big blockbusters that have earned him two Oscar nominations. His name may not be familiar to the mainstream audiences, but to cinephiles he is a rather impressive actor. Much like the Alec Guiness and Christopher Lee before him, he is the old man role, and what a great choice for such a role. With his somber voice and prestigious acting style, it is likely to add a level of class to the film that the fresher actors aren't likely to bring.
Andy Serkis
Past Credits: The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Adventures of Tintin
Who?: I hope by now everyone knows who Andy Serkis is. More than any other C.G.I. actor, he has managed to make the art form respectable. While it seems obvious that they would hire a man who a few years ago had Oscar consideration when he brought the head ape in Rise of the Planet of the Apes to life, this does set the bar of where things could go. With the absence of Frank Oz, are they officially dumping puppetry, or is Oz just not digging the script? It is looking that with Serks' involvement that the film is likely to be a C.G.I. dumping ground. He may make it great, but it is a strange shame to notice that absence.
What do you think of these newbies? Can they bring life to the familiar subject matter?
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