J.J. Abrams Downplays Millennium Falcon Rumors (While Inside Millennium Falcon)
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— Bad Robot (@bad_robot) June 4, 2014
Director J.J. Abrams’ penchant for secrecy is well established at this point. And honestly, I admire him for trying to keep some of his secrets secret until they hit the screen. Sometimes it gets a little silly, however, as seen during the months-long, ridiculous campaign of denial about the whole Benedict Cumberbatch/Khan thing — it was a secret that didn’t really add anything for new Trek fans who weren’t as familiar with the character’s history, and for those who were, it was obvious what was coming long before Star Trek Into Darkness hit theaters. Well, perhaps Abrams learned a few things from that experience, because he just gave the perfect response to the glut of set pictures leaking from Star Wars: Episode VII. Check out the tweet from Abrams’ Bad Robot up top.
If you’ve been keeping up with Episode VII news recently, you know there have been multiple photo leaks from the set in Abu Dhabi, showing off sets, props, and crew lounging around in the stand-in Tatooine. Yesterday photos leaked to TMZ that appeared to show a Millennium Falcon set under construction, along with what looks like an X-wing and a big funky pig creature. Well, everyone just needs to calm down, because J.J. Abrams has dismissed those Falcon rumors as “ridiculous,” and by the way, is anyone up for a round of holochess?
Attentive Star Wars fans will of course recognize the distinctive table in the picture as the holochess board from the Falcon, the one where Han Solo informs R2-D2 and C-3PO about the arm-pulling tendencies of defeated wookiees. Which I always thought was a little uncool. Chewie’s bigger than that. (Literally.)
Personally, I’m hoping this becomes Abrams’ new standard policy for denying rumors. Somebody claims Jaina Solo dons the gold bikini at some point? Abrams calls bullshit with his hair in buns. Poo-pooing the idea that Benedict Cumberbatch might appear in the films at some point? Have him deny it himself while dressed in Ricardo Montalban’s outfit from The Wrath of Khan. Insisting that Billy Dee Williams won’t be appearing as Lando? Have the rumor shot down by Lobot from inside a Colt 45 factory.
If nothing else, I’m glad to see Abrams embracing the rumors in a cheeky way rather than pulling another pointless and unconvincing denial, especially with something as self-evident as this. Of course the Falcon is going to be in the new movies. Is there anybody on the planet that wasn’t convinced of that from the moment Disney announced they were making new movies? It’s pretty much a given.
Hopefully the Episode VII rumors/denial two-step will stick with this tone throughout the long wait until it hits theaters on December 18, 2015. It’s a lot more entertaining than that whole “John Harrison” thing.
