According to Gary Oldman, they’ve called him about being in “Star Wars: Episode VII.”
Does that man he will be? No.
Every time a piece of news like this breaks, it’s important to remember that pretty much everyone you can think of has been called, is trying to call, or wants to be called in for these parts. And with the open auditions it’s very clear that Lucasfilm and Disney are casting about as wide a net as you can get to fill all the parts. JJ Abrams is excellent at casting the right people, and my guess is that part of it is that he casts such a wide net until he finds the right person.
Until something is confirmed, keep a Gary Oldman level of skepticism about it. Like he says in the piece, he doesn’t believe it until he’s on the plane home.
Would I like to see Oldman in the “Star Wars” sandbox?
Yes.
That man can do anything. He’s a fine craftsman of an actor, of Alec Guinness caliber, easy. But he might also be one of those obvious choices, too.
We’ll find out more as soon as Lucasfilm and Disney announce something.
“Star Wars: Episode VII” comes out December 18, 2015.
(the accompanying photo is a publicity photo from Warner Brothers)
[Hat tip to Club Jade for bringing this to our attention.]