Reboot fever will undoubtedly grip Hollywood any … second … now thanks to “Star Trek’s” out of this world ticket sales.
But one franchise seems invulnerable to the reboot process - “Star Wars.”
It’s hard to imagine “SW” creator George Lucas would let anyone go near his beloved franchise. But what if he decided a reboot was the best way to keep the Yoda dolls and Ewok lunch boxes flying off the shelves?
So who would you cast if they were remaking “Star Wars: A New Hope?” - (that’s the 1977 original for non geeks)
Let’s start with Luke Skywalker, the towheaded Tatooine resident who gets drawn into the galactic battle between good and evil. Owen Wilson has the look down cold, but he’s a little long in the tooth to play a naive soul like Luke. Shia LaBeouf wouldn’t fit, either.
Perhaps a relative unknown like Jamie Bell (”Billy Elliott,” “Defiance”) could make Luke his own.
Jessica Biel would make for a stunning Princess Leia, and just wait until she slips into the “Jedi” metal-kini.
How about Obi-Wan Kenobi? That’s easy. Sir Ian McKellen. No question.
Han Solo would be the hardest casting decision. A friend suggested George Clooney, a good choice but someone who can be a bit too stiff when working with the wrong director.
What say you? Who could bring Han back to life?
Related posts:
I'm an award-winning journalist and film critic with more than a decade of experience in newspapers, magazines and the Web. I'm a member of both the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association and the Denver Film Critics Society.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Episode IV was a perfect product. There is no reason to remake or reboot it, except to remove the horrible enhanced changes. (Han shoots first. You can’t be a lovable rogue if you aren’t a rogue first.) I am not as enamored with Episode V as most people are, but I’ll keep it and VI if it means the possibility of any of today’s well known actors screwing up IV.
If they want to reboot I through III, then please go ahead and may I suggest a few changes, like throwing out Lucas’ scripts.
You said owen wilson and it made me think that for Han, Vince Vaughn.
Clooney I think would be too old to play Han. Remember Han, while jaded, has enough optimism to play cowboy in the face of near certain doom. Clooney while cynical enough, doesn’t seem the type to be moved by the rebellion’s ragtag lot. In other words, he’s too old.
Channing Tatum would be my first choice. I could also see Giovanni Ribisi playing a more calculating version of Han.
Am thinking Tatum and Ribisi are too young … Han needs to have a little season … but both intriguing options
i agre with kbiel - would love it if they remade 1,2 & 3. 4, 5, 6 are almost perfect. but just for fun, i would consider maybe Josh Lucas or Liev Schreiber for Han. love the idea of jamie bell as luke.
You are probably right, that Tatum is too young. However, Ribisi is 34 which is how old Harrison Ford was during production of Star Wars. We think of Han as older, because Ford was older than Hamil or Fisher, but he was still fairly young himself. That was part of the charm of Star Wars, the principals were young and vibrant and the antagonists were either faceless or old an imposing. With the exception of Sir Alec Guinness, of course. With McKellan, as spry as he is at seventy, and as fun as his take on the role would be, he might be a touch older than an expected Ben Kenobi. The two actors I would most like see in the role are too young (Jason Isaacs and Hugo Weaving), but since Lucas is never going to do it, it’s fun to play the what if game.
Haven’t you seen Firefly and Serenity? Nathan Fillion would make a terrific Han Solo.
Love Fillion … he was pitch perfect in “Slither,” too.
Is it really that far-fetched that they might reboot A New Hope? Last I heard, it’s the only film in the series that Lucas doesn’t own out-right. I can almost imagine 20th Century Fox rebooting Star Wars and launching its own interpretation of the entire saga, and never mind that annoying little boy. After all, isn’t that was a reboot is all about?
As to casting, I like Nathan Fillion as Han, and let’s cast Adam Baldwin as Chewie. In the reboot, he’s not a big hairy thing that growls, he just growls. And sorry, but Shia gets the Luke role, with his patented snappy dialogue delivery and all. Yes, tongue firmly in cheek, but I’m afraid that anyone wanting to reboot A New Hope wouldn’t be able to resist.
And the thought of Jessica Biel in the metal-kini…well, let’s just say, well done, sir, perfect casting.
Obi Wan would have to be someone wiser, and older, so that means Chris Pine. “Older” becomes a relative term when you’re doing a reboot, and we want that young demographic.
Meanwhile, Kevin Spacey is Grand Moff Tarkin, now able to let Keyser Soze out from behind the mask. Vader becomes a massive CGI robot. Lucas tried it with General Devious in Episode III; here we would see that concept fully realized. George Clooney provides the voice, because in the end, he’s really the hero.
They’re going to have to reboot ep 4, and soon. The racial demographic is right out of the 50s, time to make Star Wars look like America.
You can’t remake Star Wars because you can’t remake Han Solo, which was the missing ingredient from the prequels. Don’t make the same mistake twice.
robert downey jr. for hans?
They re-ran an SNL special the other night with their short films, one of them being a film of the different screen tests for Star Wars. Kevin Spacey was playing the different actors auditioning.
Christopher Walken for Han Solo
Walter Mathaw (sp?) for Obi Wan
Richard Dryfus for 3PO
LOL…..perfect casting
Nathan Fillion, Liev Schreiber or Downey for Solo….SMACK!…sorry, what the hell was I saying? Someone thought of a Star Wars reboot?
Episodes IV through VI, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Episodes I through III, sure, why not?
There is only one man that can pull off Han Solo…because he has been playing the same type of charter through all the Xmen movies and thats Mr. Hugh Jackman!
I think they should remake everything, they should show sidious teaching anakin how to save people, so at the end of the new 6 movie all the masters and padme will come back to life…. I agree Hugh Jackman should play Han Solo.
I’m a little late for this topic, but I would love to see a remake of A New Hope. This is coming from a huge fan of the original trilogy. It could even add elements from the Expanded Universe. How’s that for a nerd alert.
A little late to post this but they don’t have to remake it, just stick with the prequel concept. Make an Episode 3.5 and give Lucas a chance to blend the feel of 1-3 to 4-5 better than he did.
Take out the twins and focus on a young Han, the rising empire, and the rebel uprising. I say Shia LaBeouf as Han (watch Eagle Eye, it’s possible), maybe Columbus Short as Lando, bring Peter Mayhew back for Chewie again and add someone fiery to Hans crew like Jessica Biel who would ultimately betray Han and turn him more solo.
i like robert downy jr as han. i also think terrence howard would be great as lando. Luke would be a tough one to cast though. also am not sure who would play grand moff tarkin.
all in all i think it would be great if they remade the original trilogy IF they change very little. It would be cool to see lucas make the films without the technical limitations he had back in the late 70’s and early 80’s.