It was two years ago that real production began on the movie that would become Star Wars: The Force Awakens. We followed every step of the film’s production as one of the greatest film franchises in history began its next chapter. Then the movie was released, and it became one of the most successful films of all time. Now, things will come full circle, when The Force Awakens is released on Blu-Ray next month. One of the things that we’ll be treated to as part of the extras attached to the disc will be a chance to hear that very first table read where it all began.
While this is only a teaser of that event, it still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Although, to be fair, John Williams’ score does that to me most of the time. If you followed the production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens from beginning to end, then you likely remember when Lucasfilm dropped an image from this table read. It was an epic event. It was the first time that the original Star Wars cast and been together in years. It was the image that made the entire thing real for many fans. Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill were all actually there. Wait a minute! Why was Mark Hamill there? He didn’t have any actual lines to read. Turns out J.J. Abrams was setting us up the entire time.
Looking back at this moment, now having seen the film, the feeling is very different. If anything, it’s even more powerful. At the time, we had no idea what people like Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, or Oscar Isaac would be bringing to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. They were just names, and not ones we necessarily knew that well. Now, seeing them at this first table read, alongside the classic cast, this moment of beginning is even greater.
It’s also possible we’ll get some insight into what an earlier draft of the script was like. We know there were numerous scenes that were deleted, several of which will be on the DVD. No script is ever identical by the end to what it looked like at the beginning. Maybe we’ll hear some lines read that never made it to the screen.
Are you looking forward to picking up Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it’s released in April? Will you be watching the movie first, or checking out the extras like this before going back to the galaxy far, far away?
