Downton Abbey stars audition for parts in new Star Wars film

MIRROR
Mar 12, 2014 22:00 By Halina Watts

Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery: The Force is strong in them

What would Lord Grantham’s mother say? The stars of Downton Abbey have been auditioning for the latest Star Wars blockbuster.

JJ Abrams, who is directing the seventh instalment of the sci-fi saga, has visited the Highclere Castle set looking for actors.

Lesley Nicol, 60, who plays cook Beryl Patmore, said: “JJ Abrams came to the set last year and he is just about to do the next Star Wars movie. He loves the show, and he checked a few of us to star in the film.”

As well as Lesley, other actors who may find themselves sitting in the Millennium Falcon include Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham and Michelle Dockery, who stars as his eldest daughter Lady Mary .

Even the old dowager herself, Dame Maggie Smith, could soon be giving short shrift to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Abrams, who starts filming Star Wars Episode VII in London in May, gushed about the ITV period drama. The 44-year-old Star Trek director said: “It’s absolute soap opera – done triple-A plus.



http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/downton-abbey-stars-audition-parts-3235698#ixzz2vqj82UG6 
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SPOILERS - JJ Abrams Reveals Star Trek Into Darkness Plot & Theme Details + Talks Lens Flares In 3D December 22, 2012 by Anthony Pascale (TREK MOVIE)

Abrams: John Harrison is average guy in Starfleet with ‘secret agenda’

A couple weeks ago JJ Abrams, Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Pine traveled to Tokyo to promote Star Trek Into Darkness to the Asian press. Traditionally Star Trek has not performed well in non-English speaking countries and Paramount is hoping to make improvements with Into Darkness. For example, in Japan Abrams’ Star Trek only hit 4th place in its opening weekend and ended up ranked 85th for the year with just $5.8M (compare that to Terminator: Salvation which made $34M and ranked 17th).

So in a newly released video interview with GyaO! (unfortunately not available for streaming outside of Japan) you can see how JJ Abrams takes a different approach than his usual hard-to-get super-secret style. Abrams explained the film in simple terms and emphasized how Japanese film-goers didn’t need to have seen his 2009 Star Trek to enjoy Into Darkness. And in so doing he ended up providing some new details…

JJ Abrams: So this movie doesn’t require you have seen the first movie. The characters are a group of people who have recently come together and find themselves up against this incredibly terrifying force. His name is John Harrison and he is sort of an average – that is what makes him so scary – he is just an average guy who works in an organization called Starfleet, and he turns against the group because he has got this back-story and this kind of amazing secret agenda. After two very violent attacks, one in London and one in the US, our characters have to go after this guy and apprehend him. And it is a far more complicated and difficult thing then they ever anticipated. "Into Darkness" is very much about how intense it gets and really what they are up against.

READ MORE: http://trekmovie.com/2012/12/22/jj-abrams-talks-star-trek-into-darkness-plot-themes-lens-flares-in-3d/?_tmc=IJVPv4p1H4Lr8ClOTk15Aaxa46JFwyw27XmFipS7qB0

Abrams, Cumberbatch & Pine Talk Star Trek Into Darkness At Tokyo Press Event [PHOTOS] (TREK MOVIE)

As we reported yesterday, JJ Abrams brought footage of Star Trek Into Darkness (along with stars Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch) to Tokyo to promote the film to Asian press. Today we have photos from the event along with some of the comments from the Trek team reported in the Japanese media. [NO SPOILERS]

 Abrams, Pine and Cumberbatch Promote Trek To Press in Tokyo

Star Trek Into Darkness producer/director JJ Abrams was in Tokyo on Tuesday to show the Asian press the first nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness. He was joined by fellow producer Bryan Burk along with stars Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch. Reports from the Japanese media appear to be adhering to an embargo with regards to a description of the footage shown, so fans may have to wait until that footage is shown to the public with IMAX screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, starting on December 14th.

However, there are a number of reports on the event from the Japanese press which share some of the comments from Abrams, Pine and Cumberbatch.

NOTE:  The below quotes from the Japanese media have been translated (by our Japanese correspondent Ateban). Going from English to Japanese and back to English is bound to lose something.

Cumberbatch On Good and Evil Of His Character And Fear Of Taking On Trek

Cumberbatch: "I was a fan of the [2009 Star Trek], so I was pleased when I get the offer. But I know the second one will become far-bigger scale, so I felt terror instantly." (cinematoday.jp)

Cumberbatch: (on his character) "He is very ruthless…He is not a clearly good or evil character. He is a villain but the actions he takes has intent and reason." (cinematoday.jp)

Cumberbatch: "He is a complicated character not to be judged by white-or-black, or good-or-evil. But this is the appeal of J.J.’s works and I felt challenge as an actor." (cinemacafe.net)



READ MORE: http://trekmovie.com/2012/12/04/abrams-cumberbatch-pine-talk-star-trek-into-darkness-at-tokyo-press-event-photos/