WookieeLeaks: New ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Toys Reveal New Characters

ScreenCrush’s WookieeLeaks is a weekly roundup of everything ‘Star Wars’! From The Force Awakens, to the upcoming spinoffs and the TV shows, if it pertains to that long ago, far away galaxy, we’re covering it here, bringing you our expert analysis. This week, new toys reveal new characters, Mark Hamill has some fun in Ireland, and BB-8 visits Disneyland.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Characters Revealed Through (You Guessed It!) Toys

As if often the way with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a bunch of new characters have been revealed because someone took photos of unreleased toys and decided to plaster them all over the internet. We’re not complaining, but you just know that J.J. Abrams is tearing his hair out over this. We weren’t supposed to see a character as important as Goss Toowers until his grand reveal in the movie!

The images below give us fresh looks at Domhnall Gleason’s General Hux, but it also gives us a great look at a bunch of new aliens and droids. We especially like a full-blown non-humanoid alien in X-Wing pilot gear. How cool is that? Finally, the good guys will be representing the entire galaxy and not look like a bunch of guys.

Also, take special note of that last one – the Resistance Trooper. Could this be the franchise’s attempt to give the good guys the equivalent of a Stormtrooper? A simple, easy-to-cosplay costume design that has the potential to be instantly recognizable? Hmm…

Elsewhere, someone released a page from an upcoming adult coloring book from Japan that shows off a whole bunch of familiar faces. But note the guy in the lower right hand corner. If you think that looks like The Raid star Yayan Ruhian you’d be correct! The badass martial artist heavy is playing a minor villain named Tasu Leech in The Force Awakens. As the leader of a criminal group called the Kanjiklub gang, we imagine his skills are going to be put to use. At least one of our main characters is going to get the stuffing beat out of them.

Anyway, this isn’t a huge deal, but it’s our first look at this character in non-LEGO minifig form, so it’s something.

A Jedi Walks Into a Bar…

Although Star Wars: Episode 8 technically doesn’t begin full production until next year, director Rian Johnson and a crew of 100 spent the past week on the island of Skellig Michael off the coast of Ireland. Since the island is meticulously protected and preserved by the local authorities (it’s absolutely gorgeous and untouched), shooting anything there requires all kinds restrictions. This window of time is presumably the only timeframe that work for both the production and the locals.

If all of this sounds familiar, that’s because certain scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens were shot on Skellig Michael, too. So here’s something we know for sure about Star Wars: Episode 8 – whatever alien planet this island represents will be featured in two movies. And since Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, and little person actor Jimmy Vee were spotted heading to set, we can assume these scenes will focus on Luke Skywalker, Rey, and R2-D2. Let’s have a quick SPOILER paragraph. Feel free to skim past the next collection of sentences.

Once again: spoilers. Okay. You still here? It has been long-assumed that Skellig Michael is the planet where Luke lives in total isolation with R2-D2, hiding his potentially destructive abilities away from the galaxy. Star Wars: The Force Awakens supposedly ends with Rey arriving on the planet, seeking guidance and training from the legendary Jedi master. More filming on Skellig Michael means that Episode 8 will probably focus on this new teacher/student dynamic and delve into Rey’s Jedi training.

End spoilers!

In other news, Mark Hamill, being the famously agreeable fellow that he is, spent his time in Ireland hanging out with the locals and being a good sport. From the Irish Examiner:

Have you ever heard the old joke about the ’Jedi who walked into a bar’? Well that was certainly no joke last night as Luke Sykwalker stopped off in a pub in Co Kerry to lend a hand behind the bar.

“There was a great atmosphere in the bar last night as Luke Skywalker got behind the bar to give the lads a hand pouring Guiness,” Steve Lynott said.

“He was very generous with his time. Despite getting off the shoot late in the day, he stood for pictures and signed autographs for children and still had to get up early this morning for more filming.”

And here’s a picture!

Note the lack of beard, which he grew out for The Force Awakens. Huh. Are you ready for some educated and spoiler speculation? Once again, please feel free to skip the next paragraph.

Spoilers. Spoilers! Okay. You wanted this. Here’s our theory. We will catch glimpses of a bearded Luke throughout The Force Awakens, namely when Maz Kanata uses psychic abilities to give Rey visions of the past. When we actually meet Luke in the film, he will be clean-shaven. This will explain his fluctuating beard throughout the production of The Force Awakens and his lack of beard now.

End spoilers!

Filming on Skellig Michael may have only lasted for three days, but Rian Johnson expressed his appreciation to the locals on Twitter:

And there you have it. Star Wars’ Irish saga is over. For now.

Everything Else

AMC announced announced, via Twitter, that they are planning repertory screenings of the original Star Wars movies. The tweet was deleted, but this is the internet.

The upcoming Star Wars land is already causing some major shake-ups at Disney theme parks…

Speaking of theme parks, someone took their Sphero BB-8 to Disneyland…