The new Force Awakens poster is nostalgic goodness
The D23 Expo took place over the weekend in Anaheim, California, where Disney and Lucasfilm released a plethora of new Star Wars information. Amongst that info was what I would consider to be the most important reveal: the newest poster for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
Glorious.
If the work looks familiar, it’s because the piece is brought to us by Drew Stuzan. Stuzan is responsible for some of the most iconic film-related artwork from the 70s and 80s, having designed the wide release movie posters for Blade Runner, the Back to the Future Trilogy, the Indiana Jones Trilogy, and of course Star Wars. Stuzan retired in 2008, his last work having been to design the poster for Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, but was lured out of retirement for the design of this piece, making it all the more monumental.
From the design itself, we can make some safe assumptions as to the events taking place in Episode VII. For starters, we see Finn (John Boyega) holding a lightsaber, confirming that he will either become a Jedi or start receiving Jedi training at some point in the film. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)’s appearance on the poster is less of a surprise, as he has been heavily teased as the film’s antagonist since our first glimpses. The presence of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is equally understandable, as she’s been featured alongside Boyega’s Finn in numerous scenes. But the other interesting note is Han (Harrison Ford)’s prevalence on the poster, suggesting that he plays a significant part of the story, potentially moreso than the rest of the original cast.
There’s a beautiful homage here in Stuzan’s work to what many of us in the nerd community would consider to be the golden era of movies. And this is a deliberate choice – since the announcement of Episode VII, Disney has tread lightly on the hearts of alienated Star Wars fans by securing the kind of talent that inspires rather than horrifies. While J.J. Abrams may not be the most cult-favourite director, he has the respect for the films that fans want to see. Add to that writer Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back), the casting of Hamill / Ford / Fisher, practical effects favoured over CGI, and celluloid favoured over digital, and you’ve got a recipe for a perfect nostalgia bomb. But it’s clear from these choices that Disney is going for something more than a quick nostalgia tease to grab a few extra bucks. They know this movie will make bank no matter what they do; the choices here allude to a care for the franchise and its longevity, recognizing that the film has to stand on its own and “wow” audiences again the same way it did in 1977 to truly be considered a success. Call me a sucker, but I’m thinking more and more that they might just pull it off.
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens opens everywhere December 18th, 2015.
