“There were certain aliens that we made then, even during the shooting process, [that] clearly transcended from being just a background alien to having an authority or likability,” Neal Scanlan told USA Today about his Oscar nominated VFX work on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." “Should the human race of ‘Star Wars‘ die tomorrow, any one of these characters could take the mantle and become the next species that dominated the universe.”
READ MORE: What To Expect From The ‘Star Wars’ Spin-offs, And Why They Might Be A Mistake
Well, we all know that Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren aren’t going anywhere, but Scanlan’s words speak to the degree to which the filmmakers are committing to creating a living, breathing universe for these characters to inhabit. But even for all the planning, no one ever knows which new characters audiences will take a liking to. And indeed, that seems to be the reason for the delay behind Rian Johnson‘s "Star Wars: Episode VIII."
In a series of tweets (see below), the Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit revealed that according to his sources, Disney pushed the movie back to December 15, 2017 to allow for rewrites to the script. The changes are taking place due to fan response to particular characters in ‘The Force Awakens,’ so it’ll be interesting to see who gets more screentime the next time out.
Until then, check out this extensive FX Guide look at the VFX of ‘The Force Awakens,’ followed by a quick look at Lupita Nyong’o’s transformation into Maz Kanata, and some newly released official stills.
Obviously the December date worked out very (very) well for them but I’ve also heard they are rewriting the script.
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) January 20, 2016
I’ve heard from several sources the rewrites are positive, based on audience reaction to the new characters. People loved them.
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) January 20, 2016
So strongly. And Lucasfilm was surprised at how well they were received, according to several sources.
— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) January 20, 2016