Yeah, its been nearly 40 years since the originals, is it really such a bad thing to go back to that well?
Right. In fact I can see him becoming about as endearing to Rey as R2 was to Luke.
Odd and/or funny droids have always been a part of Star Wars. Personally, I already like BB-8. Seems very Star Wars-y. Unless they use it to some egregious effect in the film, I don’t see that changing.
Also agreed that watching him move and being controlled live, on-stage was an amazing sight and effort in engineering. The controls, robotics and magnets used to accomplish it must be impressive. A very clever design.
Though I see some people saying it’s entirely practical, I’m positive there’ll be a mix of the practical droid and CG in the film.
No, since it’s a direct sequel/continuation of their story.
Yup! Can’t wait 'til BB gets to meet R2.
Personally, I think it would be cool if Luke was talking to R2 when he said, “now you have it.” A Jedi droid!
I’m assuming they did as much practical with that robot as they could and just used computer effects when required.
Any news on how BB-8 actually works? How is his head floating/gliding around his body?
Yes, which is a common philosophy in filmmaking. Though, from watching it move live, it’s not very lithe or fast, so it’s probably only used in scenes that require little to no action or complex movement.
WAG: The main beach-ball body has some weight/mechanism inside, at the bottom, that can be moved toward the direction of movement, and either inertia does the rest or it might have motorized bearings to allow it to move from a stopped start faster (and roll faster).
Then, the head must be attached using some very strong magnets, and glides along the outer surface of the body with bearings as well.
The trick would be syncing the head with the body, so not only can it stay on top as it rolls about, but can also have a small range of movement atop, as well as turn and stuff. I’m thinking there’s a few microprocessors on-board so computers are correcting its position, constantly and on the fly, as it moves about.
We already know he can stow a concealed lightsaber!
Though he’d always be forgetting he now has the Force, and C3PO would be constantly reminding him.
Speaking of C3PO… we know he’s in the film, but he hasn’t been shown yet. I wonder what condition he’s in, and what’s he and R2 been up to all this time?
Also, to me, it seemed as if Luke was reaching out to R2 in a loving/sentimental way, as if he hadn’t seen him since forever. And for me, that’s what so cool about just a teaser trailer like this; since we know the story, world and characters so well, we’re able to read and interpret so much out of the tiniest details.
God, even the pass-off of Anakin’s lightsaber… Who found it and why is it back in play?
Yeah, I wonder if C3PO is only in it for a brief moment. I don’t care if that ends up being the case.
Skippy? Skippy?!
Or maybe R2 had the force and fried Skippy’s motivator as an act of diverting fate.
Or he just coincidentally had a bad motivator. I now dislike the idea of Droids having the Force. And given names like, “Skippy.”
That’s a good reason for tossing out EU canon.
QFT
How would midichlorians work with a droid, anyway?
Easy: Because midichlorians are a propaganda-inspired lie, told by the Old Republic to cherry pick who they really wanted to train as a Jedi.
Or, at least that’s what I tell myself ever since the Prequels.
I hope to Eru that the word “midichlorian” is **never **used in the new movies.
After the now decade+ backlash of the prequels, I can’t imagine JJ would have the hutzpah to evoke that atrocity. Nor that he’d even want to.
Guess who is writing the novelization?
Not even the stupidest member of the EU
I cheered when I read that. Ghostwrote the novelisation of Star Wars, developed with Lucas a story for a sequel to Star Wars (which was ditched in favour of The Empire Strikes Back but still novelised as Splinter of the Mind’s Eye)… The guy has huge cred in Star Wars beyond his rather prolific career overall.
Mark Hamill recorded the voice in the trailer just for the trailer…however they ended up combining it with the original Jedi recording.
It may not be in the movie, since he came in to record it for the trailer.