Saturday, December 8, 2012

Casting The New Star Wars Trilogy: Four Actors To Consider

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While talking to some friends recently about the new Disney-produced Star Wars trilogy, we got into speculating about which characters would be featured in Episodes VII-IX. The conversation soon turned from characters to actors, and that’s when things got really interesting. Strong opinions formed over this question: Which actors would be a fit for the new Star Wars universe? 

Regardless of which characters will be featured in the new movies, these are four actors I would cast in the next Star Wars trilogy. 

I’ve got a good feeling about this (so much so that I sketched out some concept art.)

Yvonne Strahovski 
(CHUCK, Dexter)


Why She Should Be Considered:
Fans of the cult NBC show CHUCK already know this (and Dexter fans are just discovering this), but Yvonne Strahovski is the total package. She can act, she can fight, and looks amazing doing both on camera. Plus, she even looks like she could be a member of the Skywalker clan. (Sarah ‘Sky’Walker?) 

One of the best things about Strahovski’s acting is her ability to convey loads of emotion with subtlety. She enhances the material she's given and elevates it to a level where her characters grip the audience's attention on an emotional level. Recently Strahovski's been capturing the attention of Broadway theatre goers in The Golden Boy, to stellar reviews.

Casting Strahovski as a lead Jedi in the new trilogy would give any director a versatile actress to use in those climactic scenes that need to be about more than just the physical action on the screen. Just imagine Strahovski fighting a Darth Vader-type Jedi in an emotionally-intense lightsaber duel for the fate of her soul and the galaxy. 

If you know what Strahovski's capable of, you would definitely want to see THAT!





Jeffrey Donovan 
(Burn Notice)




Why He Should Be Considered:

One thing the Star Wars prequels didn’t have was a cynical Han Solo-type character to add a little roguish comic relief while fighting the bad guys. Han Solo is fun and adventurous...and so is Michael Westen. 

That’s why Jeffrey Donovan could totally pull off the role of a wise-cracking, thrill-seeking scoundrel. Like Strahovski, Donovan can mix drama, comedy and action in the same role quite well. (One doesn’t headline a TV show that lasts 6 seasons and counting if one couldn’t do that.) 

Give Donovan a clever sidekick, some good material to work with, and some wicked action sequences that take advantage of his real-life fighting skills and Star Wars would have a new hero character that could legitimately rival Han Solo himself. 









Bailee Madison 
(Just Go With It, Parental Guidance, Once Upon A Time, Wizards of Waverly Place)




Why She Should Be Considered:

Imagine if Anakin Skywalker were a girl and cast with a very strong actress choosing which side of The Force to be on for three films. That’s what Star Wars would get with Bailee Madison. 

This girl is an undeniable young rising talent in Hollywood. Seriously, have you seen her? She pretty much steals the show in everything she’s in because of her captivating screen presence. Madison’s impressive film and TV credits prove she has a wide acting range that shows she can emotionally deliver anything a role asks of her. 

If Madison were cast in the role of a young prodigy of The Force, that would make for a very compelling character. It would also be interesting to see a character actress like Madison transform a character like this over the span of a trilogy as she ages from young teenager to adulthood. 

Arguably I may be a bit biased on this one having worked with Madison on my animated short Monica. However, the thought of Madison being some powerful Jedi prodigy fighting the lure of the Dark Side could be fun to watch. After all, we’ve never seen what happens in the Star Wars universe when good girls go bad and redeem themselves. 




Giancarlo Esposito 
(Breaking Bad, Revolution, Once Upon A Time)




Why He Should Be Considered:

If you’ve ever watched Giancarlo Esposito’s excellent work on Breaking Bad then the thought of Gus Fring wreaking havoc in a galaxy far, far away should be very, very intriguing. Esposito is an amazing veteran actor who played one of the most iconic villains in TV history. Some would say that this type of role would typecast Esposito for the rest of his career as a villain. But the reality is that he’s a talented enough actor to escape typecasting. Pair Esposito with great material as an antagonist in the new Star Wars trilogy and he could create an interesting villain for the good guys to fight. 

What made Esposito’s role as Gus Fring memorable was how he played him; Gus was extremely kind and likable despite his sinister actions. That type of nuance could make any villain Esposito plays in Star Wars (whether it be a military commander or a Sith Lord) fascinating to watch, as all great villains should be.

Imagine Esposito using his commanding presence to give out chilling ultimatums to enemies.  Imagine him carry out absolute ruthlessness with intergalactic super weapons...and a kind smile. And imagine him doing that all for a good cause more identifiable to the audience than, say, intergalactic trade routes? 





It’s always fun to speculate. I’m sure there are a bunch of other actors who could fit in just as well as these four into the Star Wars universe. Whether or not they get roles in the next trilogy, one thing is certain-- The success of these four performers proves The Force is strong with them already. 

May The Force Be With You,

--Rob

Saturday, November 3, 2012

The Force Is Strong With Disney

Like everyone else in the galaxy, I was somewhat surprised when I heard news of The Mouse buying out Lucasfilm. But if you think about it, that has been Disney's strategy this past decade; buy popular franchises and integrate them throughout their vast media empire. ESPN, ABC TV, Muppets, Marvel, PIXAR and now "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones". Resistance of The Mouse is futile (but that's another franchise they'll have to buy another day.)

I actually like the deal very much. Disney has handled the Muppets and Marvel franchises well, and have pretty much let PIXAR be PIXAR. Back in March, I was invited to visit Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, CA. 

The enthusiasm there was very encouraging and infectious. They were proud of what they were producing ("Wreck-It-Ralph" & "Paperman" at the time) and saw a bright future ahead for the company under the current leadership mantra of, in their words, "create the best art possible."

So if that attitude carries over to "Star Wars", the best films of that series may be yet to come. How exciting is that? Very.

The entire situation is almost as exciting as the prospect of Disney buying out Warner Bros. and combining the DC and Marvel Universes under one roof, thus completely reorganizing the ENTIRE major superhero comic universe. 

That would be impressive. Most impressive. 

-Rob

Saturday, May 26, 2012

My Visit to Apple Land (a.k.a. Apple World Headquarters)


Some of my peeps call me an “Apple freak” because I have Apple products all over my house and studio. Actually, I run a dual-platform studio that also runs Windows programs- like all the 3D animation software and other legacy apps I don’t want to stop using. Hey, Bill Gates' peeps did some good...but Steve Jobs peeps just did more good better (if that makes sense.)

So I love Apple stuff. Got a problem with that?


That’s why during our recent trip to San Francisco (which is an Apple city if there ever was one), I realized that we weren’t too far away from Apple World Headquarters in Cupertino, CA. It was only about an hour and change away, so my wife and I figured ‘Let’s go see the house that Steve Jobs built.’

Throughout the drive, I’m getting all worked up and treating this outing as if we’re going to DisneyLand...‘Apple Land’. I’m thinking we’ll get tour guides dressed in Apple shirts, talking like Jonny Ive (who sounds like a British rocker) and taking us around the campus showing us where the Macs are designed. Maybe ride an iPad cart on a track made of money showcasing all of the different departments in Apple working hard to make even more money. And having the tour end with a hologram of Steve Jobs saying something emotionally inspiring...to spend more money at Apple Land.





The reality is much less stellar than that. No iPad carts. No Steve Jobs inspirational hologram. No J.Ive-talking Apple tour guides. In fact, unless you work there or are some sort of celebrity they’re in love with, you won’t even make it past the front lobby. 

Instead, all there really is to see for us civilians is the unique Apple Store that resides right next to the Headquarters campus. For years I heard about how the Apple Store in 1 Infinite Loop was the most special Apple Store in all the world because they sold merchandise there not sold anywhere else. In a way, that’s correct. 

If the Apple Store sold coffee and pastries, it'd be the best store ever. 
There is no genius bar (despite the army of actual geniuses located hundreds of yards away in a secure building.) But there are tons of Apple-related stuff designed to separate you from your money. Apple-branded coffee mugs, pencils, art supplies, hats, lunch boxes, and apparel make up about half the store’s merchandise. I ended up blowing a few bucks on shirts, hats and hoodies, and probably would’ve spent more if there had been a Steve Jobs action figure available. 




iWant these!


Overall, I’m glad we went, and the stuff we got was enough to keep the trip from being a disappointment. Interestingly enough, if I wear my Apple Headquarters apparel in an Apple Store, the workers will sometimes ask in astonishment “Whoa, where’d you get THAT?!” (So apparently that claim of unique Apple Store products in the Mother Apple Land really is legit to a degree.) 











Toilet paper dispensing? There's no app for that.

The only real HUGE letdown in Apple Headquarters: THE BATHROOMS. I thought they’d have something like iToilet and iSink for us to use.
At least the sink has some technological integration. 















Oh, well. Maybe next time. 

Sunday, March 25, 2012

"Silo Roberts", United Media. 2003-2006

In another life, I was a nationally syndicated cartoonist. The strip was called "Silo Roberts", and it was an amazing experience. It's a shame newspapers no longer support comics like they used to.

An announcement of a "Silo Roberts" book collection will come sometime in early 2013.