ST Carrie Fisher (Leia) in Episode VII (Sad News posted on Page 269)

Han: Hey, Leia! Where do you want to go on vacation?
Leia: Well, if there's a bright center to the Universe, lets go to the planet that's furthest from it.
Han: Oh, you mean Tatooine! Ok!
Rey: Oh Mummy, can you show me where you killed Jabba the Hutt?

 

This exact scenario -- Han and Leia are estranged but reunite by the end -- is what I have been predicting for the last couple of months. Never in a million years would I imagine a story where Han and Leia don't reunite before the end, especially since it's looking very likely that at least one of them dies in this film.

In my opinion, this new publicity shot implies that Han and Leia will be on good terms with each other for most of the new movie. That's my gut feeling.

So, either they had an amicable break-up, or they are still together. I don't believe for a moment that a Han-Leia break-up would be portrayed as completely amicable (even assuming at least one child together). Narratively speaking, amicable break-ups in a story generally happen when the couple is NOT supposed to be each other's one true love. Ergo, I think this implies Han and Leia will at a minimum, still be married in the new film.

Fans get upset when bad things happen to their fave characters. So what? The OT3 have been around for 30+ years, and a lot of folks have gotten extremely attached to them. As Adi_Gallia_9 said, fans are entitled to their feelings. Look how upset you are at the idea of Leia having grey hair! Clearly you find the idea of grey-haired Leia "unacceptable." So what if Han/Leia fans hate the idea of them breaking up?

Different film, different character, different director. None of us can say for sure what is going on in the minds of these filmmakers. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

I've said it before, but Im going to bring it up again. The first instinct when I thought they dyed Carrie's hair at the start of filming is that Leia wasn't supposed to look like herself. She is in disguise, and doesn't want to be recognized as a high ranking official. Maybe her, Han, and Rey are all a part of the secret mission, and her looking like, well, the princess of Alderaan and former imperial senator would blow their cover. Alternately, Leia is in hiding for some reason, something to do with her force sensitivity, perhaps. This is my current theory. She's undercover.

Hence why Rey is rumoured to be an alias. And "all is not as it seems" with Leia, as mentioned earlier by Jason.

 

I'm confused. I never suggesting folks weren't entitled to their opinion. I'm simply noting that Han and Leia in publicity photos could signify that they share story, and even romance, and that not denote that they are together at the top of the film.

Like Indy and Marion.
Or hell like Leia and Han...in TESB.

It just seems odd to me that people are assuming that a single publicity photo automatically means "together and happy". Just conjecture, not suggesting you, or anyone else, has to feel any which way.

Of course costume design isn't just haphazard. I just think it's an enormous stretch to suggest Leia is going to be all grayed out and older looking just because Han, who has always been older than Leia, is now gray. Afterall if JJ and company were really THAT nervous about Han looking too old they could have easily dyed his hair a more salt and pepper look. I think the chances of seeing a 100% white haired/gray Leia is nil. It makes zero sense to me at her age.

But we'll see.

 

Yes, however isn't the point of the forum to speculate?

None of us can say for sure what's going on in the minds of these filmmakers. Does that mean that the board should be shut down and reopened after TFA is released?

Let's not get it twisted now. I am not "upset" over anything dealing with TFA.

Gray haired Leia simply makes no sense. Aesthetically I also don't find it pleasing at her current age. However "upset" is hyperbole on speed LOL!

 

yogacat Undercover? That's something I hadn't thought of. I forgot about MSW's claim "not everything is as it seems."

 

With the film's color correction, it may very well look darker on screen. I am curious to see the finished product, on FILM, of all things. It's so freaking exciting!

My favoritest boy Keanu Reeves put together an excellent documentary called SIDE BY SIDE on the changing face of digital filmmaking and the unique challenges of using actual film stock vs digital chips.

It's on Netflix, if anyone is interested. He does a whole section on the art and science of color correction.

 

Of course not. But we all should be able to admit our limitations -- for example, the inability to read minds and know with any certainty what JJ, Kasdan, Lucas, et al were thinking when they worked on this film..

Well then, you're doing a very good impersonation of somebody who is upset at the prospect of Leia having grey hair. Just since the news of this picture broke, you've already mentioned in several different posts how you hope this is wrong. You even posted a recent picture of Carrie, saying you hope that is the real color. Not that it matters -- we are all entitled to our feelings, which is the whole point.

To you.

That's a matter of interpretation. Anyway, I've already spent way too much time on this particular debate with you. Leia's hair color doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, one way or the other. The status of Leia and Han's relationship, OTOH, is important.

ETA: I don't see anybody "automatically" assuming the new picture means Han and Leia are definitely together in TFA. But a lot of us here think it's a very positive sign, a good omen if you will. That's all.

 

That's funny ksb36, I just started watching Side by Side yesterday.

 

To be fair, I'm sure there might be quite a few non-Han/Leia fans who would take issue with that setup as well. One of the biggest reasons being because they're not interesting in watching the same kind of "love story" play out twice (And let's face it--the SW franchise and Indy franchise are like cousins. They both spawned from the same creative brain. There's a TON of fan overlap there).

And yes, while I agree that the two couples share some similarities, how they are presented to us is entirely different. Marion was essentially a "Bond girl", in the sense that she's basically one of several women who Indy presumably hooks up with in the course of his adventures (Don't read this as diminishing her character though, as she was very awesome). By the time we meet up with Indy again in "Last Crusade" ("Temple" doesn't count due to the chronology), it's clear that they are no longer together. So, when TPTB got together for KOTC and decided they wanted to bring everyone's favorite Indy girl back, the "estrangement storyline" is really one of the only ways to go. If they're gonna get back together, you kinda need to show the audience how this happens.

Meanwhile, Leia on the other hand, is presented as *the* girl Han hooks up with. And their relationship is portrayed as much more serious than an Indiana Jones fling. Very much in love, etc. And when we leave them in ROTJ? They're happily together. So, if you tell people that in TFA Han and Leia are gonna be estranged you're much more likely to get a "WTF?" reaction. With Marion, fans were just happy she was gonna come back at all. Everything else was gravy. With Leia, we already *know* she's back, so we're kinda assuming/hoping that her being with Han is part of the package. To upset that expectation, is, well, *upsetting* to many fans. Myself included. *shrug*

Besides, unlike Indy and Marion, the "estrangement" angle is not necessary for Han and Leia. So why do it again? Seems silly. Not saying they won't go there though, just explaining why I rather they didn't.

 

It's a great documentary, fun and informative. Keanu interviews just about anyone who matters, about digital vs film: Cameron, Lucas, Nolan, Wachowskis, Scorcese, etc. I mean, for that alone, he deserves major props, and he's just so delighted to be talking to all these people. I highly, highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the art and science of movie making.

 

It's called, again, speculation.

And in some cases educated guesses. Nobody is claiming to be a mind reader.

Stating my preferences for the look of a fictional character, in a thread dedicated to said fictional character, seems appropriate to me.

If you seriously believe that I am emotionally upset about the hair color of a fictional character you've spent way too much time around mentally unstable fans. Because the very suggestion of that is too absurd for me to fathom.

Thanks you for stating the obvious...once again.

Sure thing. This whole tangent with you has been downright bizarre. It's conclusion is overdue.

 

Where did you come across this? I wonder if Leia will almost act as if she is matriarch to many in the rebels alliance...

 

Yes! To me, that color of hair fits the description. I'm curious to see what she looks like in braids now.
I'm so excited for this movie!

 

Can't wait! That get up sounds like it was made to see action which gives me high hopes Leia will get in on the battling.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I think Carrie looks really good as a blonde. And if she wanted to pursue that look, I wouldn't think it was a bad idea or anything. I just don't know if I can get used to *Leia* as a blonde, you know? But again, I'm trying to keep an open mind about it.

 

I wonder if Mindy Kaling would be open to Carrie making a guest appearance on her show "The Mindy Project." She knows all the lyrics to Paul Simon's album "Graceland" by heart, and Carrie inspired many of those lyrics, including the title song.

 

He did say dark blonde. So maybe, as mentioned before, when everything is color corrected (or Carrie is wigging it) it'll look more like a combo of white and Luke's dark blonde from Jedi, which is close to brunette.

 

As a blonde with the "occasional" grey hair, I can tell you that it would have to be a darker blonde or brunette to even be able to differentiate. Blonde and grey can often look the same close up much less on camera from a distance.

 

Even dark blonde can hide grey to a degree. I noticed my first grey hairs YEARS before anyone else could pick any out... of course by then they happened to be quite a few in a group which sticks out a bit more...

 

Did Carrie have any full wigs in the OT? Or where they all attachments to her real hair?

 

I'm pretty sure all of it was colour-matched extensions attached beneath her real hair, with the exception of the Endor hair at the end of Jedi where it's down (and seemingly reddish).

Speaking of the whole 'hints of grey' debate, I think if they were trying to make her 'match' someone, it's going to be Luke, not Han. They're supposed to be the same age, so with Luke rocking the full grey hair and beard, maybe they had to give Leia hints to match up.

 

Exactly. The perceived color of light hair can vary tremendously depending on the color temperature of the light that's shining on it. So it's possible this debate won't be settled even after the picture becomes public.

Also, I sort of agree that matching Luke is another reason for theoretically making Leia grey. If Han and Luke are both mostly grey and Leia still has young-looking hair, she would stick out like a sore thumb. I say "sort of" because of all the rumors that we won't see Luke until the end of the film and/or he might be a cyborg.

I have one more theory that I'm sure everybody will hate. IF it is true that Leia will die in Episode VII, making her grey might be TPTB's way of trying to make her death seem a little less tragic and jarring. Grey hair is a visual shortcut that says this character is older and has lived a full life. Since Leia is such an iconic, beloved character (and younger than Han, who is largely expected to die in TFA anyway), I imagine that TPTB would be concerned about the audience reaction to Leia's death and would do whatever they could to mitigate it. Theoretically.

 

Oh, man. If we lose both Han *and* Leia in TFA?? *ouch* No matter how good this movie turns out, having to watch my two fave characters die is going to make it very difficult for it to enter the "excessive repeated viewing" club. Might be too depressing for that. I mean, I know ESB is depressing, too. But just knowing everything eventually works out okay for my boos takes the edge off.