Mark Hamill hopes the new ‘Star Wars’ will ‘lighten up and go retro’
.By Bryan Enk | Movie Talk
First thing's first: Yes, Mark Hamill has been approached to reprise his role as Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars: Episode VII." But as with anything else involving what's arguably the most highly anticipated sequel since, well, "Star Wars: Episode I" (and that was a prequel, mind you), nothing's official just yet.
"They're talking to us," said the 61-year-old Hamill in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. "George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts -- they would write us out."
Hamill is most definitely interested, but there's been no paperwork to fill out yet -- or even an official meeting with the "Star Wars" producing team.
"I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts," he continued. "We're in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm. Both have had meetings set that were postponed -- on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am."
Whether it all works out or not (and it probably will), Hamill is excited to return to the sci-fi adventure series that made him an international superstar and a role model to aspiring Jedi Knights both young and old.
"It's all very, very exciting and so unexpected," said Hamill. "I think that's the quality I like about it most -- it's like getting a pair of pants out of the closet you haven't worn in three years and finding a $20 bill in the pocket. It's just so unexpected."
Hamill also provides more fuel to the rumors that the new "Star Wars" trilogy will revolve around the offspring of Han Solo and Princess Leia (twins Jacen and Jaina and youngest son Anakin), with Luke perhaps taking on the mentor position previously held by Obi-Wan Kenobi ... mostly due to the revelation that the prettiest gal in the galaxy is also his sister.
"I'm assuming, because I haven't talked to the writers, that these movies would be about our offspring -- like my character would be sort of in the Obi-Wan range [as] an influential character. When I found out [while making the original trilogy] that ultimate good news/bad news joke -- the good news is there's a real attractive, hot girl in the universe; the bad news is she's your sister -- I thought, 'Well, I'm going to wind up like Sir Alec [Guinness]. I'm going to be a lonely old hermit living out in some kind of desert igloo with a couple of robots.'"
Whatever the new "Star Wars" trilogy ends up being about, Hamill ultimately hopes it's ... well, a lot more fun than the epic tragedy depicted in the prequel trilogy.
"I said to George that I wanted to go back to the way it was, in the sense that ours was much more carefree and lighthearted and humorous -- in my opinion, anyway," he said.
In fact, Hamill hopes the new "Star Wars" goes old school across the board, from the film's tone to the special effects.
"I hope they find the right balance of CGI with practical effects. I love props, I love models, miniatures, matte paintings -- I'm sort of old school. I think if you go too far in the direction of CGI it winds up looking like just a giant a video game, and that's unfortunate. If they listen to me at all, it'll be, 'Lighten up and go retro with the way it looks.'"
