Star Wars fans are widely present throughout North America, having even formed a kind of cultural heritage. Even young people born in the 1990s or the new century can clearly describe the complex relationships among its characters. In a sense, just as Journey to the West is to those across the Pacific, the influence Star Wars holds in North America is beyond dispute.
Duke was well aware of this fact. He also understood that nostalgia alone was not enough to support a movie.
There was one phenomenon that could not be ignored: over ninety-five percent of older Star Wars fans would enter theaters during the film's opening week. They would eagerly buy tickets to watch it—but only once. Moreover, people who had experienced the hardships of life would not go crazy buying Star Wars merchandise.
Everyone knows that the real profit from Hollywood blockbusters lies in their merchandise!
Who are the ones watching the movie repeatedly, contributing dollar after dollar to the box office? Teenagers!
Who are the ones frantically purchasing toys, figures, and posters, wanting to take home the entire Star Wars series of products? Teenagers!
Who are the ones keeping the Star Wars culture alive, allowing Duke's Lucasfilm to rake in profits every few years? The answer is only one—teenagers!
"Although Star Wars: A New Hope was released back in the 1970s, and the first generation of Star Wars fans now have gray hair…"
Standing at the front of the conference table, Duke said firmly, "The primary consumer group for this project remains the teenage audience!"
Kathleen Kennedy and Charles Roven both nodded lightly, and the others agreed with Duke's point of view. George Lucas was no exception.
In Hollywood, whoever captures the family market captures the world. And the core of that market is the teenage demographic.
"Sorry, George…"
Duke smiled slightly at George Lucas. "I'm afraid I can't use your proposal."
George Lucas replied good-naturedly, "That's all right."
Their relationship was special after all, and he didn't mind that the young man he admired was almost completely overturning his original direction for Star Wars.
Duke then turned to the other end of the table and addressed Robin Grande, who had returned after wrapping up the Harry Potter series. "Robin, you'll be in charge of casting. The crew will hold a large-scale audition. The chosen lead actors must be young—preferably faces relatively unfamiliar to the audience."
The script had already been distributed to the core members of the team. Duke had previously revealed his intention to create a "youth version" of Star Wars, shaping a young female Jedi warrior as the protagonist.
This was meant to appeal to the film's main target audience—teenagers.
"The female lead should be a girl between sixteen and nineteen," Duke reminded Robin Grande. "The main male character should be around the same age. The actors' appearances must fit the requirements."
These were the most basic conditions for the film's male and female leads. If they didn't fit visually, no matter how good their acting was, Duke wouldn't use them.
Duke gestured toward Tina Fey. She immediately handed out a list of basic requirements for young actors to Robin Grande and the others.
Robin glanced through it. For him, the task wasn't difficult—Duke's requirements were not complicated.
"1. A 16–19-year-old girl—independent, humorous, and slim."
"2. A 16–19-year-old girl—strong, intelligent, and slim."
"3. A male around 20—witty, clever, slim but not traditionally handsome."
"4. A male around 26–29—handsome, confident, and slim."
"5. A male around 70—with strong opinions and resilient character, doesn't need to be slim."
"6. A male around 40—a military type, slim."
"7. A male around 30—intelligent and witty, doesn't need to be slim."
These were the seven main roles for the new Star Wars film.
"Duke…" Robin Grande lifted his gaze from the document. "I have a suggestion you might want to consider."
Duke gestured for him to continue.
"The first female lead will definitely be a white girl."
That much was certain. Robin Grande continued, "If possible, it would be best to cast a black actor as the male lead opposite her."
"I think that suggestion makes sense," Charles Roven added.
Sitting back in his chair, Duke began to consider the proposal. Casting a black male lead was indeed a clever move from a business standpoint. Though North America shouted slogans of anti-discrimination, racial disparities still ran deep. And one undeniable fact was that the number of people of color in the U.S. was steadily increasing—perhaps even approaching that of whites. Casting a black actor would align with the so-called political correctness and appeal to minority audiences.
"I don't think we need to deliberately choose one…"
In truth, Duke knew very well that such casting could also bring negative effects. Moreover, he personally had little interest in black actors. "Whether it's an Asian or a Latino, they could also be good options."
These were also minority groups. Having a black actor play some other, less important role would already be enough—to soothe those fragile hearts that shatter as easily as glass.
Just like with the Oscars—if a blockbuster doesn't feature a black actor, it often draws protests from Hollywood and various black organizations across the country. But if one deliberately replaces a role with a black actor, doesn't that also mean discrimination against other ethnic groups?
Duke wasn't the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In all these years, he had never allowed a black actor to play the true lead in any of his films, nor would he, like the Oscars, spoil them with excessive indulgence.
He was certain that if this film had a black lead, but the next one didn't, numerous black organizations would start complaining. His time was precious—he had no patience for endless verbal disputes, especially when anything he said would only make things worse.
When the preparatory meeting ended and Duke was leaving, he once again accepted an interview arranged by Warner Bros. reporters.
Facing the studio's media, Duke revealed a bit more information, discussing his doubts during the creation of the Star Wars Episode VII script in detail.
"When audiences first watched the 1977 Star Wars, they were completely unfamiliar with the universe and story. They didn't know who Princess Leia was, they didn't recognize Han Solo, and they had no idea who the Dark Lord's son was. It was a beautiful yet unfamiliar world. But now, as we create the seventh installment, it's much harder to break those established perceptions."
When asked by reporters about the direction of the plot in Star Wars 7, Duke continued, "I will respect the previous stories, but I won't stick to conventions."
Duke also revealed that he would be cautious in using CG effects, abandoning the "prequel trilogy's" overreliance on computer-generated imagery, and would instead return to the practical effects that fans fondly remembered and talked about—the use of real robots and miniature models—combining them organically with modern CG technology so that they truly serve the story itself.
"Since the production of Star Wars 7 was confirmed, hardcore Star Wars fans have constantly been reaching out to the company, to me, and even to George Lucas himself, saying, 'Don't rely too much on CG effects—we miss the old Star Wars films.'"
Facing the microphones, Duke said directly, "My team, Lucasfilm, and I have long discussed the possible negative effects of excessive CG usage. To better make the effects serve the story itself, and to satisfy the demands of die-hard fans, Star Wars 7 will once again use traditional effects such as miniature models and real robots, supplemented by necessary computer effects."
What Duke said was basically true. The number of computer-generated shots in Star Wars 7 would indeed be fewer, but compared to his past films—often with more than 2,000 VFX shots—it was still a significant amount. Duke had never been a conservative filmmaker; he knew exactly what kind of effects Star Wars fans wanted and how to achieve that result in the most time- and cost-efficient way possible.
For instance, in cinematography, George Lucas's use of HD digital filming in the Star Wars prequel trilogy had been widely criticized by fans. From the day Star Wars 7 was announced, many media outlets and veteran fans had been calling for Duke to return to using 35mm film.
Indeed, Duke chose to use film—but not the relatively outdated 35mm format. Instead, he opted for IMAX 70mm film, and he planned to shoot the film entirely with IMAX cameras as much as possible. If he could achieve this goal, Star Wars 7 would become the first commercial film in history to be shot entirely with IMAX footage.
Taking into account Harrison Ford's salary, which could reach as high as $20 million, Duke's original plan was that Star Wars 7 would need a production budget of around $200 million, which would be sufficient. The additional $50 million investment later added was entirely for the IMAX filming plan.
If necessary, Duke could also make additional investments with his personal funds.
All preparations were proceeding in an orderly manner, especially the work of inviting the original trilogy's veteran actors to return. Apart from some difficulties in negotiating with Harrison Ford, the rest of the progress was going quite smoothly.
Kiran Shah, who had played both an Ewok and a tortured droid in Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi, quickly signed an actor contract; Warwick Davis, who played the Ewok that first discovered Leia in Return of the Jedi, was also confirmed to join the crew…
In addition, after Star Wars 7 was announced, many celebrity fans contacted Duke through various channels, hoping to make a cameo appearance in the film—even if they had no lines or payment.
The most famous among them were British comedian Simon Pegg and the new James Bond actor, Daniel Craig.
This would also become a promotional highlight later for the film, and Duke verbally promised that he would give them suitable roles.
..
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