We’re two months away from the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first feature-length Star Wars spin-off since Ewoks: The Battle for Endor back in 1985. That means that the marketing campaign is about to ramp up, which is pretty amazing when you think about just how ubiquitous this movie was in the public consciousness anyway.
In advance of the newest Rogue One trailer, which premieres tomorrow, Disney has released an all-new poster for the space opera, which stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen and Riz Ahmed. Don’t believe us? The poster has all of their faces on it, with a little bit of Darth Vader across the face of the Death Star, which is a little ridiculous if you think about it. Did Darth Vader sneak his own face into the designs for the space station? And how are those designs getting projected onto Felicity Jones’s face? Is her ragtag band of rebels stealing those plans from an imperial slideshow projector or what?
Regardless, Star Wars fans are no doubt excited about the release of this new Rogue One poster, even though it’s remarkably standard stuff from a design perspective. The faces of all the actors floating above the title, with a bunch of stormtroopers at the bottom. Many of those stormtroopers are obvious cut-and-paste jobs too. Check out the second stormtrooper from the right, and fifth one from the left: those are the exact same guy. And the second stormtrooper from the left and the third stormtrooper from the right: also the same guy. Weird that a multibillion dollar corporation like Disney would cheap out on something like that, huh?
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuts on December 16, 2016.
Also: All Eleven Star Wars Movies Ranked (Yes, There Are Eleven of Them)
Walt Disney / LucasFilm
The Almost-Stars of Star Wars:
Top Photo: Walt Disney / LucasFilm
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved, Rapid Reviews and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
Almost Stars of Star Wars
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Sylvester Stallone as Han Solo
Sly did indeed audition for the role of Han Solo, and picturing the wise-cracking jet pilot as something more of a Rocky-like lummox is amusing to ponder. Stallone was, however, quickly looked over by George Lucas, and he never got a callback.
Photo – United Artists
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Ryan Phillippe as Anakin Skywalker
When Attack of the Clones was in production, there was a bitter fight in Hollywood as to who would play the young Darth Vader, in the pre-mask days. The pouty-lipped Ryan Phillippe was already a known quantity in the biz, and got so far as readings with other actors, before he lost the role to Hayden Christiansen. Phillippe may have been too young, or perhaps not “dark” enough.
Photo – Columbia Pictures
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James Woods as Han Solo
Harrison Ford may be irreplaceable in people's minds as Han Solo, but James Woods would have, I think, been an improvement. Han Solo is a flip, wisecracker, right? Who better to give off a cynical attitude than the excellent James Woods? He auditioned for the role, but was turned down.
Photo – Universal Pictures
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Karen Allen as Princess Leia
Why she was not hired is anyone's guess, but Karen Allen – pre-Animal House – did indeed audition to play Princess Leia, long before she entered the action/adventure canon as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark. I feel she would have made a more human, earthier version of the character, as Carrie Fisher is, comparatively, daintier and prettier.
Picture - Paramount
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Kurt Russell as Han Solo
One can find video evidence of Kurt Russell's audition online, meaning he came close to landing the role of Han Solo. I adore Kurt Russell, as does every right-thinking person, but his audition was a bit awkward, and he is perhaps too genial and heroic to be the cynical sidekick of the series.
Photo – Columbia Pictures
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P.J. Soles as Princess Leia
There was once a rumor that Carrie Fisher was up for the P.J. Soles role in Brian De Palma's Carrie, and Soles was up for Princess Leia, but Fisher was rejected on account of nudity. Fisher would have done the nudity, however, and the rumors are not true. The spunky Soles, however, did audition for Princess Leia. Had she landed the part, it would have made for a very different movie.
Photo – New World Pictures
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Robert Englund as Han Solound
Yes, there was a time when Robert Englund was not known for horror, and was merely a struggling actor just like all his contemporaries. Englund auditioned for Solo, but was considered too young for the part, and perhaps not '70s dashing enough. Legend has it, though, that it was Englund who encouraged Mark Hamill for the role of Luke Skywalker.
Photo – Mars Productions Corporation
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Mel Blanc as C-3PO
The famed voice of Bugs Bunny, Barney Rubble, and a thousand others was once considered to dub over C-3PO's lines the same way James Earl Jones dubbed over David Prowse for Darth Vader. Blanc was, and is, a legend in the voice acting world, and there's no doubt he could have come up with an iconic and great vice for the fey robot. Lucas eventually let actor Anthony Daniels read his own lines.
Photo – public domain
