Star Wars: A New Dawn (also known as Star Wars: Episode VII – A New Dawn) is a 2000 American epic space opera film directed, co-produced, and co-written by William Walton Granger. The seventh installment in the main Star Wars film series, it stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Linda Blair, Billy Dee Williams, Evan Rachel Wood, Christian Campbell, Neve Campbell, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Ian McDiarmid, Shannon Baksa , Magnus Scheving, Evangeline Lilly, Russell Wong, Amy Allen and Anna Paquin
Produced by Twentieth Century Fox and Lucasfilm Ltd. and distributed worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox, A New Dawn is set 35 years after Return of the Jedi; it follows the daughter of Luke, Sava Skywalker and her cousins Jacen Solo and Jaina Solo as they do battle against a resurgent Empire Reborn movement, a successor group to the Galactic Empire.
A New Dawn is the first film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy announced in 1997 with the release of the ‘’Special Editions’’ of the original trilogy. It was produced by Granger and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Granger and Lawrence Kasdan, co-writer of the original trilogy films The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) wrote the script. John Williams, composer for the previous six films, returned to compose its score. To the shock of the general public, it was announced that Star Wars creator George Lucas served as creative consultant during the film's early production.
Filming began in April 2001 in Abu Dhabi and Iceland, with principal photography also taking place in Ireland and Pinewood Studios in England, and concluded in August 2001. The film was made simultaneously with the other two films of the sequel trilogy, with blocks of time in-between to rest both the crew and prepare the next film in the series for release.
Star Wars: A New Dawn was widely anticipated, with Twentieth Century Fox backing the film through extensive marketing campaigns.
It premiered in Los Angeles on May 20, 2002, four days before its release in North America. The film received mostly positive reviews and broke many box office records, becoming the highest-grossing installment of the franchise, the highest-grossing film in North America, and the third highest grossing film of all time with a worldwide gross of more than $2 billion.
It received five Academy Award nominations and four British Academy Film Award nominations, where it won Best Special Visual Effects. Two sequels, Star Wars Episode VIII: Order of the Jedi and Star Wars Episode IX: Light of the Jedi, followed in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
Plot[]
Cast[]
- One of the last remaining Jedi, he was pivotal in ending Palpatine's rule and bringing his father Anakin Skywalker back to the light side. In the last 35 years he has restored the Jedi Order, married and helped sire a daughter.
- A unhappy Senator for Corellia, formerly a key player in the Rebel Alliance. Ford said Han "does not aspire to the position of Obi-Wan, nor do I aspire to be some New Age Alec Guinness. His development is consistent with the character, and there are emotional elements which have occasioned his growth... There's a lot of the rogue still left in Solo. Some things don't change..."
- Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa
- The former princess of the destroyed planet Alderaan, turned General of the New Republic. After the events of Return of the Jedi, she is described as "a little more battle weary, a little more broken hearted." Fisher described Leia as "Solitary. Under a lot of pressure. Committed as ever to her cause, but I would imagine feeling somewhat defeated, tired, and pissed." Granger said: "The stakes are pretty high in the story for her, so there's not much goofing around where Leia's concerned."
- Highest ranking Jedi of the New Order and Luke's twin sister. Ashla is the Grand-Master due to her experience and consistently preaches calm and peace as galactic events swirl out of control.
- Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian
- Former rogue, scoundrel and old friend of Han Solo. Since the fall of the Empire, Lando has worn many hats; business leader, Republic General and now a Senator. He has grown weary of galactic politics of late and is considering retiring his position.
- Evan Rachel Wood as Sava Skywalker
- Christian Campbell as Jacen Solo
- Neve Campbell as Jaina Solo
- Anthony Daniels as C-3P0
- Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca
- Ian McDiarmid as Darth Imperious
- Shannon Baksa as Mara Jade-Skywalker
- Magnus Scheving as Son Hhat/Darth Xanthus
- Evangeline Lilly as Admiral Natasi Daala
- Russell Wong as Grand Moff Sunx Ksun
- Nathalie Cox as Juno Eclipse
- Amy Allen as Aay Zavor
- Anna Paquin as Maelen Islorisla
Other returning cast members include Caroline Blakiston as Mon Mothma, Tim Rose and Mike Quinn reprise their respective roles as Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb, both from Return of the Jedi and Erik Bauersfeld returns to voice Ackbar. Kenny Baker, originally announced as part of the cast, was credited as "consultant" for R2-D2.
Jonathan L. Dee and Peter Guinness have uncredited vocal cameos as Tobi Dala and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Sava's vision sequence, while archival audio of Frank Oz and Alec Guinness as Yoda and Kenobi, respectively, are also used in the same scene; Oz recorded new dialogue for the film, but it was replaced with pre-existing audio from The Empire Strikes Back.
Denis Lawson, who played Wedge Antilles in the original trilogy, declined to reprise his role, stating that it would have "bored" him. Granger cut the role out of the script and assigned his dialogue to different characters.