This is the conundrum facing Star Wars Episode VII director J.J. Abrams. The notoriously secretive director currently finds himself in the middle of a firestorm, as anticipation and speculation run rampant in regards to this latest venture. Star Wars fans are clamouring for any sort of Star Wars related news, no matter how big or small, in a effort to piece together anything in regards to this new film. Contrarily, Disney and Lucasfilm have been very tight-lipped in regards to the new movie, releasing only what they feel they need to, in order to keep fans happy. It's a vicious cycle, frustrating for everyone involved.
Last week, as is wont to happen in this day and age, TMZ somehow got it's hands on photos taken at Pinewood Studios in London, where it appears that the crew is busy recreating full scale models of spaceships, including the Millennium Falcon. (You can see all the photos here). These pictures came directly on the heels of another set of leaked photos, again from TMZ, this time from the actual set in Abu Dhabi, where principle photography began shooting last month. These photos, found here, are thought to be of a Tatooine Marketplace that will appear in the new film.
These leaks have got to be driving director J.J. Abrams absolutely crazy! As I mentioned, he is a notoriously secretive director, who hates for his projects to be spoiled before the audience has had a chance to see them in their entirety, in all their finished glory. He prefers that his work be experienced as a whole, and honestly, who can blame him? There's nothing worse than going in to a movie having already had the ending spoiled for you. How un-surprising and disappointing would The Sixth Sense have been if you already knew what the twist was heading in to see it for the very first time? How many times have you gone to see a comedy, only to find out that all of the best jokes were already shown in the trailer? It's frustrating and annoying.
But what can you do to stop it? In this digital age, where everyone carries a mini-computer, with audio and video recording capabilities, in their pocket, how do you stop the leaks from happening? Ultimately, you can't. We live in a world where just about any information that we require is at our fingertips, ours to know or find out at the push of a button. We also seem to feel that it's our right to have whatever information that we want at our disposal, and feel we're being cheated if we don't get exactly what we want. We then turn around and complain if our movie going experiences are less than we hoped, blaming marketing and over-exposure for our disappointing time. While sometimes, it is true (I'm looking at you TASM 2!), most of the time, the blame rests solely on the shoulders of the movie fan. We get over-excited and devour every scrap of information that we can find, giving sites like TMZ reason to continue to "find" these photos and story leaks. And I fully admit, I am one of those rabid fans that clicks and watches and looks at everything that's released, no matter how hard I try to remain spoiler free. For me, it's just the nature of the beast.
But, what do you do if you're J.J. Abrams? Why, you go with it, of course!
Earlier this week, in an amusing, tongue-in-cheek way, Bad Robot (Abrams' production company) tweeted the following picture:
Now, any Star Wars fan is going to recognize that little nugget of spoilery goodness. (Although, seriously, who in their right mind didn't think that the Millennium Falcon was going to make an appearance in the film. That's just a no-brainer!) And I like the fact that Abrams is being a little more open to sharing, because, aside from confiscating the phones of everyone on set and tackling anyone with a recording device to the ground, what else is he going to do? I think he's finally realized that, if you tease a little bit, it will be enough to satisfy even the most die-hard fans. I have heard so many people say that since they're getting bits and pieces from Disney, Lucasfilm and Abrams, they don't really have a desire to go in search of other information. And, I agree that this seems to be the best course of action. One of the main issues that a lot of people had with Star Trek Into Darkness was the whole controversy in regards to Benedict Cumberbatch's character, and whether of not he was actually Khan. The Bad Robot camp denied it right up until the movie opened, which I personally think was a detriment to the film. Knowing that Cumberbatch was Khan wouldn't have ruined the movie, and might have actually helped build the anticipation. Khan is a very recognizable character in the Star Trek universe, and I think that they could have used that information to their advantage. Instead, they chose a different route, and I think it kind of backfired on them a little. Lesson learned, maybe?
It's inevitable that, as the movie continues filming, and the release date gets ever closer, more and more information on the project will be released, either officially or unofficially. This project is a huge deal to many, many people around the world, as Star Wars shaped an entire generation of film-goers, myself included. I honestly can't think of a more anticipated project, aside from The Phantom Menace, back before it was released back in 1999. With the mediocre reception of George Lucas' prequel trilogy, it's imperative that Disney and Lucasfilm take the utmost care in regards to the direction of their Star Wars franchise. The stakes have never been higher. And in the age of digital technology and social media, it will never be easier for us, as film fans, to scrutinize every little thing that comes our way. Let's just hope that J.J. has truly learned his lesson and has chosen to embrace the idea that a little something is better than nothing at all. It keeps the wolves at bay, and makes a much smoother experience for everyone involved.
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