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George Lucas created one of the most successful film franchises of all time with his 1977 sci-fi filmStar Wars. The film introduced viewers to the trio of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, with the core cast of the original trilogy proving to be one of the best examples of perfect casting choices in Hollywood franchises.
During an interview, Lucas delved deeper into the casting process for the first film. The filmmaker revealed the crucial aspects to consider while casting for a movie. Moreover, Lucas’ comments further prove that Hollywood still hasn’t learned how to rightly cast actors, especially for blockbuster franchises. Here is what Lucas had to say about casting the actors inStar Wars.
George Lucas Discussed Casting For the OriginalStar WarsTrilogy
George Lucasdirected 1977’sStar Wars, which emerged as a major commercial successdespite the odds stacked against it. The film turned Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford into overnight stars. The trio remains popular for their roles in the franchise even today, with supporting actors such as Alec Guinness and Peter Mayhew also remembered for their roles.
Given the fanfare around the original trilogy’s cast, it is safe to say that Lucas hit the homerun with the casting of Luke, Han, Leia, and others. In aninterviewwith Leonard Maltin, Lucas was asked about the casting process for his now iconic space opera saga.
What I was trying to do is see how they all look together and work together as a group not as individuals and I think that was a very important part about the casting is as I cast a group I didn’t cast one person.
Lucas made the above statement, explaining that while casting for the movie, he took the various contenders for the roles and had them test against each other. As a result, the filmmaker saw how certain actors worked in an ensemble before making his final decisions.
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Ultimately, Lucas’ casting choices for the original trilogy proved to be a masterstroke. Moreover, the filmmaker was right in taking an ensemble approach to casting the roles, which not only helped production run smoothly, but also allowed actors to bounce off each other and shine in certain moments.
Hollywood Still Hasn’t Cracked George Lucas’ Casting Formula
The popularity of the actors from the originalStar Warstrilogy is further proven by the fact that most of these roles haven’t been recast. Moreover, Alden Ehrenreich’s casting as a young Han Solo was met with mixed reception from the fans, proving how integral the actors are to these characters.
In contrast, Hollywood’s casting practices are questionable, especially when it comes to casting major franchises as ensembles often lack chemistry. Moreover, the MCU’s recentdecision to bring back Robert Downey Jras Doctor Doom, further proves that studios often look to cast big names to generate hype for their upcoming projects.
In other instances, actors simply do not get along with each other, jeopardizing the fate of a project or an entire franchise, as evidenced by thefeudbetweenFast & Furiousstars Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson. However, as Lucas pointed out, testing actors to see how well they work with each other is the key to good casting.
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While that might easier said than done with big-name actors, Lucas has proved that Hollywood still needs to learn a thing or two about casting. For example, Lucas cast relative unknowns such as Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen for theStar Warsprequels. Despite their performances receiving criticism at the time, fans have come to love the two actors in their respective roles, proving Hollywood hasn’t cracked the Lucas formula for casting.
TheStar Warsmovies are streaming on Disney+.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1772
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
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George Lucas
