Star Wars VII casting news is far from over… and although filming has officially finished, three actors from The Raid have been revealed to be on board.
That’s right folks – Star Wars: The Force Awakens may have wrapped before the New Year, but we’re still getting reports of all-new cast members. And this time, it’s a pretty impressive addition.
It looks as though Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman from the martial arts blockbuster The Raid will appear in the galaxy far, far away.
According to TwitchFilm, the martial arts trio have already signed on (and presumably finished filming) for scenes in the upcoming Star Wars VII.
“A key trio of performers from Gareth Evans’ The Raid and The Raid 2 – leading man Iko Uwais, Mad Dog / Prakoso actor Yayan Ruhian and The Raid 2 finale fighter Cecep Arif Rahman, credited simply as The Assassin – will all appear in JJ Abrams’ upcoming Star Wars: Episode 7 – The Force Awakens.”
Of course, there’s no information as to which characters they might be playing… but I can’t help thinking that their martial arts background would put them in good stead for a lightsaber battle or two.
And perhaps this means that Star Wars VII will try to incorporate some of the faster-paced fighting styles of the prequel trilogy.
Either way, it’s another example of J.J. Abrams pushing the practical filmmaking elements for the upcoming Star Wars sequel. Let’s face it – you don’t hire three martial arts/weapon experts just to stand around monologuing. And with both Uwais and Ruhian choreographing The Raid and The Raid 2, perhaps they were brought on board for more practical reasons.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait and see… but this certainly sounds plausible. And with the prequel trilogy bringing the likes of Ray Park into the fold, it’s entirely possible that we’ll be getting some equally acrobatic fight scenes.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens heads to cinemas on 18 December 2015.
What do you think about this cool casting news? Will we get to see some prequel-era lightsaber fights? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
