Star Wars: Episode VII Rumor Of The Day: Could Daniel Day-Lewis Be Up For A Role?

He'll Force-drink your milkshake.

By Rudie Obias | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

Day-LewisWith production on Star Wars: Episode VII rumored to begin this January in London, J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm are busy getting the cast together for the new installment in the Star Wars saga. While no one has officially been cast in the new Star Wars movie, there have been plenty of rumors and speculation surrounding various actors who are up for roles in Episode VII. Now you can add Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis to that list.

According to Latino Review’s El Mayimbe, Daniel Day-Lewis was recently seen taking lunch meetings with George Lucas and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Now taking a lunch meeting could mean a number of things, including merely eating food together. But it could also mean that Lucas and Kennedy are interested in bringing Day-Lewis into the Star Wars universe.

After all, this wouldn’t be the first time the franchise brought in a prestigious actor. Sir Alec Guinness, was an Academy Award winner for his performance in David Lean’s The Bridge on the River Kwai long before he put on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s robes. So it doesn’t seem so far fetched that an actor of Daniel Day-Lewis’ caliber might pick up a lightsaber for Episode VII.

Daniel Day-Lewis is a three-time Academy Award-winning actor. He won the distinguished award for his performances in Jim Sheridan’s My Left Foot in 1989, Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood in 2007, and as Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln in 2012. Needless to say, Day-Lewis is the best of the best when it comes to acting on the big screen, so he could bring a lot to “a galaxy far, far away.”

Meanwhile, it looks like Lucasfilm might also be adding some muscle to the new Star Wars movie. Latino Review is reporting that Australian actor Sullivan Stapleton is up for a role in Episode VII as well. While they don’t give an specifics on what role Stapleton would play in the new film, they report that the 36-year-old actor has already gotten in trouble with Lucasfilm for stating that he’s reading for the new Star Wars movie.

Sullivan Stapleton stars as the Greek Themistocles in next year’s 300: Rise of an Empire. He also appeared in the film Gangster Squad earlier this year, and i the Australian crime film Animal Kingdom in 2010.

In still more Star Wars casting rumors, Irish Actress Saoirse Ronan recently confirmed to Sky News that she read for a role in Episode VII. While it’s unclear which role she read for, it would be a good thing if J.J. Abrams cast a very talented young woman like Ronan in the film. She has the physicality and acting chops to make Episode VII a success.

It looks like the new Star Wars sequel might have found its Chewbacca, too. A few weeks ago, Disney, Lucasfilm, and Bad Robot put out a casting call looking for a 7’3″ actors to play a role that fits the Wookiee’s body build in an unspecified movie. A British Star Wars fan named Jonny Mathers, who is exactly 7’3″, recently told the BBC about his experience:

‘There can’t be that many roles for blokes my height and I’d love to be in it, no matter what capacity,’ Mathers told the BBC. ‘It’d be my dream come true to be part of the latest installment. I’ve been in contact with Spotlight [a website for professional acting jobs and auditions] and I’m taking things from there. I can’t say any more right now but this would be a great opportunity for me.’

Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca in the original trilogy and Revenge of the Sith, is unable to reprise his role for the new films. Mayhew underwent knee surgery a few years ago and is now mostly confined to a wheelchair, so it seems likely that Disney, Lucasfilm, and Bad Robot are looking for a new Chewie. If Episode VII might be bringing back Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon, they have to bring back Han’s sidekick and best friend too.

Star Wars: Episode VII will hit theaters everywhere sometime in 2015.