Happy Star Wars Day: May The Fourth Be With You!

This week we celebrate one of the least known, but arguably most important, holidays in all of history. Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Diwali – they all pale in comparison to this momentous day. What day is that, you ask? Why, of course, it’s Star Wars Day. The day when Jedi and Sith alike set aside their differences and commiserate about how badly George Lucas messed up the prequel trilogy.

But why choose May the 4th? Is that George Lucas’ birthday? Is it the release date of one of the original films? Does it have any special significance at all in Star Wars lore…?

Nope. It’s a pun: “May the 4th be with you.” (For the uninitiated, that’s a play on the iconic line, “May the force be with you.”) So aside from talking in Yoda voice all day (much annoyance I sense in this one, hmm?), what exactly does one do on Star Wars Day?

Well, of course you could binge-watch all six episodes (which is an average Saturday night for me), or you could do what every Star Wars fan has been doing for the past two years: speculate on the upcoming sequel trilogy.

Without further adieu, I present to you the most salient facts and rumours about the Star Wars sequels, for your speculation pleasure…

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher + Mark Hamill Will Return; Many Fresh Faces (And One Really Old Guy) Will Join
Yes. Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker will be back for another go-round, passing the torch to a youthful cast of Jedi, Sith, smugglers, and bounty hunters alike. Who is that youthful cast, you ask? None other than John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver (of Girls fame), Oscar Issac (recent star of Inside Llewyn Davis), Andy Serkis (known for his motion capture work, playing Gollum in the Lord of the Rings as well as various cinematic apes), Domnhall Gleason, and 85-year-old acting veteran Max Von Sydow.

J.J. Abrams Will Direct, George Lucas Will Not
After Disney bought the Star Wars franchise from George Lucas in 2012 for $4.05 billion, Lucas took something of a back seat on the creative team (presumably so that he could swim in piles of money). Staying on as a creative consultant, Lucas yielded the directing helm to J.J. Abrams, the brain behind Lost as well as the director of the Star Trek reboot films. Considering how widely the Lucas-directed prequel trilogy was panned, this can be nothing but a good thing for the franchise.

Lawrence Kasdan Will Co-Write, George Lucas Will Not
Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi (widely considered the best Star Wars films), as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark, will be returning to co-write the sequels – with George Lucas taking on an advisory role. I reiterate: Considering how widely the Lucas-written prequel trilogy was panned, this can be nothing but a good thing for the franchise.

There Will Be Spinoffs
We’ve traditionally had to wait enormous amounts of time between Star Wars films. But after December 2015, when the first installment of the sequel trilogy is released, that wait will be over. Disney plans to release a ‘trilogy’ film every two years, with ‘spinoff’ films about various characters being released in between. You’ll be able to get that sweet, sweet Star Wars fix on an annual basis… and all will be well with the galaxy.

Are you just as excited about the new Star Wars movie as we are? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.