Moviefone Editorial

Tag: mark hamill

  • Mark Hamill’s Tale of Returning to the Millennium Falcon Will Make You Emotional

    ONWARD17 - Day 2The Millennium Falcon will carry a familiar passenger in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and his return is going to make you feel, starting now.

    Luke Skywalker is set to play a bigger role in the latest Star Wars film, meaning Mark Hamill had more work to do. As part of that, he ended up back on board the Millennium Falcon, which we saw in the latest trailer. The actor’s return, it turns out, was surprisingly emotional for him.

    “I’m telling you, I didn’t expect to have the reaction I had,” Hamill told EW of his first return to the ship.

    The actor initially boarded the Millennium Falcon ahead of shooting his “Last Jedi” scenes; he was filming a documentary and went to the set with his wife and children. The visit ended up being both moving and nostalgic for him.

    “It was sort of like visiting an old house that you lived in when you were a kid,” he said. “I mean, I just welled up with emotion and I said, ‘I need to be by myself.’”

    Apparently, his reaction was similar to what we’ll see in the movie and what was shown in the most recent trailer. In the scene, Luke carefully takes in his surroundings, much as Hamill did upon entering. As he soaked it all in, the actor saw that “they had recreated it down to every last detail.”

    It makes sense that it would be an emotional experience for Hamill. The Millennium Falcon is a symbol of the film series, which has been a long, wild ride for the franchise’s original stars. In the 40 years they have been involved, they have seen highs, lows, and even tragic loss. We’re moved just thinking about it.

    “Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi” hits theaters Dec. 15.

    [via: EW]

  • Mark Hamill Is Going to Miss Trolling Fans When ‘The Last Jedi’ Premieres

    ONWARD17 - Day 2“Star Wars” fans have been counting down the days until “The Last Jedi” hits theaters, and so is star Mark Hamill — though for the actor, the flick’s looming premiere means his days of trolling his followers about spoilers is coming to an end. Or is it?

    Over the weekend, the actor tweeted that there were only 33 days left until the “Episode VIII” premiere date, alongside an image of a Porg (the delightful and divisive new furry creatures making their debut in “Last Jedi”) edited into the Edvard Munch painting “The Scream.” But what that really means is that soon, Hamill can’t share hilarious “Star Wars” memes and insinuate that he’s really Rey’s father or the second coming of Darth Vader or some other mind-blowing character development.

    Hamill has clearly been having a ball in the lead-up to the “Last Jedi” premiere, toying with spoilerphobes by tweeting lots of cryptic things about Luke Skywalker, especially the character’s foreshadowed connection to the Dark Side of the Force. The actor has previously shared similar “Last Jedi” countdowns, and even tweeted plenty of meta references to his penchant for trolling. (We especially enjoy his continued references to The Beatles tune “Glass Onion” — perhaps one of the earliest instances of an artist blatantly trolling its fans — which calls out the famous conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney had died.)

    Like Hamill, we’re also a little bummed that the “Last Jedi” release date means the conspiracy theories (and Hamill trickery) are going to end, though as one fan noted, the actor doesn’t necessarily have to cease his mischievous antics entirely.

    “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is due in theaters on December 15.

    [via: Mark Hamill/Twitter]

  • Mark Hamill Almost Turned Down ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’

    While the opening crawl of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” declared up front that Mark Hamill‘s character, Luke Skywalker, was missing, fans of the original trilogy were still disappointed when Luke didn’t appear until the very end of the movie — in a short, wordless scene, no less. Hamill was disappointed, too, when he discovered how small the role was in that flick, though as the actor admitted in a recent interview, he almost turned down the chance to return to the role entirely.

    Luke and Hamill will be front and center as the titular character in the upcoming eighth installment of the “Star Wars” series, “The Last Jedi,” which opens in December. But speaking with the New York Times, Hamill said that when George Lucas approached him and his fellow original costars, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, about appearing in “The Force Awakens,” he was initially inclined to say no.

    As Hamill explained to the Times, Lucas said that the new film would be written with Luke, Princess Leia, and Han Solo in mind should the actors agree to reprise their parts. The actor said he was “completely stunned” and also “really scared” about the opportunity to play Luke again.

    “I thought, why mess with it? The idea of catching lightning in a bottle twice was ridiculously remote,” he told the Times. ” … No one wants to see the 50-, 60-, 70-year-old versions of us, running around, bumping heads on the Death Star. It’s sad.”

    Hamill said that while Fisher immediately agreed, he expected that Ford would not, reasoning that the actor was “too old and too rich and too cranky.” But then Ford said yes, and Hamill realized he couldn’t be the only holdout among the original trio.

    “Can you imagine if I was the only one to say no?” he told the Times “I’d be the most hated man in nerd-dom.”

    We’re certainly glad that Hamill decided to return, and can’t wait to see him take center stage in “The Last Jedi.” The flick hits theaters on December 15.

    [via: The New York Times]

  • These Star Wars Fans Had the Best Reactions to Mark Hamill Pranking Them

    Mark Hamill kicked off the May the Fourth fun early.

    The actor shot a Star Wars: Force for Change campaign video for Omaze, and he made it entertaining for everyone. In the video, which was posted Wednesday, Hamill gave fans the shock of a lifetime. They all thought they were being brought in to read lines for a video celebrating the film franchise’s 40th anniversary, but instead they were pranked by Hamill as a way to encourage fans to support The Starlight Foundation and UNICEF.

    Hamill interrupted each of the fans as they tried to passionately deliver lines, and their reactions were fantastic. Once they got over the shock, they were absolutely thrilled by his appearance.

    To contribute to the campaign, visit omaze.com/starwars between now and May 12 to donate funds and enter to win a variety of awesome Star Wars prizes, including a trip to Los Angeles to attend a pre-screening of the next Star Wars movie and have lunch with Hamill, visits to Skywalker Ranch and the new Han Solo movie set, and a ticket to the “Episode VIII” premiere.

    “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” hits theaters Dec. 15.

  • Mark Hamill Thinks ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Should’ve Ended This Way

    Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford shared a surprise reunion at Star Wars Celebration last week — something that their characters, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, will never get to do since the latter died in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

    But Hamill told Fandango that he thought the movie should’ve reunited the two characters, even for just a brief moment before Han’s death.

    “In fact, I was reading and thought if Leia is trying to mentally contact me and she’s not successful, she’ll rush to his aid. She’ll get close to him and then get into some dire situation and that’s when I show up for a big ‘yay,’” Hamill explained.

    “Save her life, then we rush to Han and are in the same position that Rey and Finn and Chewie are in. Too late to save him, but witnesses. Because it would carry so much emotional resonance into the next film. For us: his wife, his best friend to witness. Instead of two characters that have known him, what, 20 minutes? [Besides] Chewie. I thought that was a great missed opportunity.”

    Hamill does have a point that Han’s death at the hands of his son, Kylo Ren, would’ve been more of a gut-punch with Leia and Luke watching, helplessly. But then again, if Luke had been there, he would’ve been better able to stop Kylo, while Rey was an untrained novice.

    Also, Hamill’s proposed ending would’ve completely changed the set-up for “The Last Jedi,” since Rey wouldn’t have to undertake that journey to find the reclusive Luke.

  • These Might Be Luke Skywalker’s First Words in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

    Force AwakensLuke Skywalker was seen, but not heard, at the very end of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” But don’t worry — he definitely speaks in “The Last Jedi.”

    Disney shareholders were treated to a snippet of footage from “Episode VIII.” The video started with Rey (Daisy Ridley) handing Luke (Mark Hamill) a lightsaber, and then cut away. It seemed the tease was a joke, but then the preview continued, as L.A. Times reporter Daniel Miller tweeted, revealing what may be Luke’s first words in the film.

    “Who are you?”

    The teaser also included quick looks at other characters:

    And “epic, exotic” locations:

    Also, a brief action shot:

    Luke’s question to Rey is interesting, though, as it seemingly disproves fan theories about a previous connection between them (she’s his daughter, or she attended his Jedi academy). Or maybe he just has a bad memory.

    “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” opens in theaters Dec. 15.

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  • Mark Hamill Approves of the New ‘Star Wars’ Title, ‘The Last Jedi’

    “Star Wars” fans spent the better part of Monday freaking out over the just-revealed title of “Episode VIII,” now known as “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” While there are plenty of different meanings one can draw from that phrase, the person to whom many think it refers has given the moniker his official seal of approval.

    Mark Hamill weighed in with his thoughts on the title during an interview with the Associated Press on Monday, noting that he’s a fan of the choice.

    “It’s got a real samurai [feel],” Hamill told the AP of the new name. “It’s straightforward and minimalist, and I like that.”

    The samurai comparison is an especially apt one, since “Star Wars” creator George Lucas has frequently cited samurai flicks as part of his inspiration for creating the original series in the first place. And we agree with the actor that the title’s simplicity is a strength, since it’s easy to remember, but also thought-provoking (hence all the speculation about its true meaning).

    In the same interview, Hamill also revealed that he learned the title long ago, while shooting the flick, and was pretty nervous about being trusted with such high-level intel, especially when it comes to the notoriously secretive Disney.

    “They have us so jacked up with paranoia over leaks, but that’s the way of the world,” the actor told the AP. “It’s funny, ’cause back when we were making the original, nobody cared.”

    We can definitively say that that’s no longer the case. And we’ll be anxiously awaiting the next bit of information the Mouse House shares.

    “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is due in theaters on December 15.

  • Read Mark Hamill’s Touching Tribute to ‘Beloved Space Twin’ Carrie Fisher

    The Midnight Mission Golden Heart Awards Gala - ArrivalsWhen news first broke earlier this week about the death of Carrie Fisher — “Star Wars” star, successful writer and author, mental health advocate, and all-around badass — her “Star Wars” castmate Mark Hamill was at a loss for words, writing on Twitter only that he was “devastated.” But Hamill was eventually able to collect his thoughts, and has since shared a beautiful tribute to his onscreen sister, one of many heartfelt statements the extended Lucasfilm family has offered in the days since her passing.

    What makes Hamill’s words stand out in particular, though, is the unique position that he — and fellow original trilogy costar Harrison Ford — was in as one of the leads of one of the biggest film franchises of all time, right alongside Fisher. Hamill and Fisher more or less grew up together, under an intense international spotlight, and their onscreen bond extended far offscreen, too.

    “She played such a crucial role in my professional and personal life, & both would have been far emptier without her,” Hamill wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. “I am grateful for the laughter, the wisdom, the kindness & even the bratty, self-indulgent crap my beloved space-twin gave me through the years.”

    The actor also called Fisher “irreplaceable,” and it’s hard to argue with that assessment, both of her as an actress (her future as Leia in upcoming “Star Wars” installments has yet to be determined), as well as a beloved public figure and personal friend to many. We’ll miss you, Princess.

    [via: Mark Hamill/Twitter]

  • Carrie Fisher’s ‘Star Wars’ Costars React to Her Death: ‘The Force Is Dark Today’

    On the set of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New HopeThe galaxy is mourning “Star Wars” actress and successful author Carrie Fisher, who died on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack. Among the countless heartfelt tributes from fans and Hollywood luminaries alike that have been pouring in since the news broke are several touching remembrances from Fisher’s “Star Wars” costars and extended Lucasfilm family.

    Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the series — and brother of Fisher’s Princess Leia — tweeted out a short, stunned response to Fisher’s passing, sharing a photo of the stars together and writing that he was “devastated” and had “no words.”

    Harrison Ford, who played Fisher’s onscreen love interest Han Solo (and with whom Fisher recently revealed she had an affair while filming the original trilogy) released a statement praising the actress, and offering his support to her family and friends. His statement said:

    “Carrie was one-of-a-kind…brilliant, original. Funny and emotionally fearless. She lived her life, bravely…My thoughts are with her daughter Billie, her Mother Debbie, her brother Todd, and her many friends. We will all miss her.”

    Many more costars paid tribute to Fisher on social media, including Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), David Prowse (the original Darth Vader), and Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok from “Return of the Jedi”).

    More recent costars from “The Force Awakens” and the upcoming “Episode VIII” — Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), and Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke) — also offered their condolences, as did “Force Awakens” director J.J. Abrams and upcoming “Episode IX” director Colin Trevorrow.

    Sweet Carrie.

    A photo posted by Lupita Nyong’o (@lupitanyongo) on

    “Star Wars” creator George Lucas released a statement praising Fisher’s acting and writing talents, and “very colorful personality.” Her Leia was “a great and powerful princess — feisty, wise, and full of hope,” he said.

    Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy also released a statement:

    “Carrie holds such a special place in the hearts of everyone at Lucasfilm it is difficult to think of a world without her. She was Princess Leia to the world but a very special friend to all of us. She had an indomitable spirit, incredible wit, and a loving heart. Carrie also defined the female hero of our age over a generation ago. Her groundbreaking role as Princess Leia served as an inspiration of power and confidence for young girls everywhere. We will miss her dearly.”

    Disney CEO Bob Iger remembered Fisher in his own statement:

    Fisher suffered a heart attack while on a flight from London to Los Angeles on December 23. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she remained until her death on Tuesday morning. She was 60.

    [via: Entertainment Weekly, TheWrap, StarWars.com]