After taking in more than $2 billion at thebox officeduring its record-breaking run, fans can experience the epic blockbusterStar Wars: The Force Awakensfrom the comfort of their own home, with the movie available today on Digital HD, before its Blu-ray and DVD release on April 5. To celebrate the home video release, theStar Wars YouTubepage has debuted two new behind-the-scenes previews, which reveal new details about Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and the villainous Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). We learn that Ben Solo’s parents were pretty bad. Perhaps the worst in the galaxy. And as it turns out, fans almost saw much less of Poe Dameron, with the character being killed off in directorJ.J. Abrams' earlier draft of the script.
The first video focuses onKylo Ren, withAdam Driverrevealing that his character is “lost in the world,” since he is dealing with these incredible powers while his parents are “absent on their own agenda.” The actor reveals that Kylo feels abandoned by his mom and dad, whileJ.J. Abramsadds that young Kylo was targeted bySupreme Leader Snoke(Andy Serkis) early on. This villain knew that Kylo was powerful with the force, and recruited him, which, coupled with his parents Han Solo and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) not being around enough to guide him, lead to his turn to the Dark Side of the Force.
J.J. Abramsreveals in the secondbehind-the-scenesvideo that Poe Dameron was actually supposed to die fairly early in the movie.Oscar Isaacfirst saw that version of the script, and told the director that he has made four movies in a row where he dies early, and that was one of the major issues he had with the project before signing on.Oscar Isaacrevealed that, a week after raising these issues, the director told him that he had everything figured out, and Poe would be in the whole movie, and beyond, since he is confirmed to star inStar Wars: Episode VIII, which is currently in production. We also hear from screenwriterLawrence Kasdan, who compares Poe Dameron to the iconic Han Solo (Harrison Ford).
Star Wars: The Force Awakenssaw the eagerly anticipated reteaming of originalStar WarsstarsHarrison Ford,Carrie FisherandMark Hamill, along withAnthony Daniels, the only actor to have been in all sevenStar Warsfilms, andPeter Mayhew. The returning cast was joined by newcomerDaisy Ridley, who beat out fierce competition to take the principal role of Rey; BAFTA Rising Star Award winnerJohn Boyega(Attack the Block, Imperial Dreams) as reluctant stormtrooper Finn; Emmy nomineeAdam Driver(Lincoln,Girls) as the villainous Kylo Ren, and Golden Globe winnerOscar Isaac(Inside Llewyn Davis,The Bourne Legacy) as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. Both of these videos are excerpts from the full-length documentarySecrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey, which is included as part of the special features on the Blu-ray release.
Star Wars: The Force Awakenswas directed byJ.J. Abramsand written byLawrence Kasdan&J.J. AbramsandMichael Arndt. Lucasfilm president and eight-time Academy Award nomineeKathleen KennedyandJ.J. Abrams, along with his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, are the film’s producers. Having established a musical legacy with his iconic scores for the previous six films in theStar WarsSaga, acclaimed composerJohn Williamsreturned to scoreStar Wars: The Force Awakens, ultimately garnering his 50thOscarnomination for it. Take a look at the latest preview for theStar Wars: The Force AwakensDigital HD, Blu-ray and DVD release, and stay tuned for even more footage.
