Another Christopher Walken rumor

[Jedi Master Carr]

AICN has just reported that it will be made official in the next couple of days that Christopher Walken is in EP 2. They say that he will play Darth Bane. Now I would love to see Walken in the movie, but how could he play Bane, the guy is long dead? Unless they do a flashback sequence like they did in Sleepy Hollow, I guess, but I know many of you on this board do not want to see flashbacks, I know it is just a rumor, but AICN was right about Christopher Lee, so they could be right here too.

[Bromine]

Well, they COULD be right, but seems they get most stuff wrong.
However, I think a lot of people who don't read EU would like a more detailed explanation of the Sith. Several people I saw TPM with were curious who the Sith were. A flashback would be a better way to explain the history instead of someone just talking about it.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

NO!!! not flashbacks! I'd love to see Walken though....

[Darth McBain]

They don't have to make it a flashback. So far we've seen many instances in which dead Jedi have come back in spirit form to communicate with the living (Obi-Wan, Yoda, Anakin). I see no reason why Darth Bane couldn't appear to Darth Sidious.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

NOW there's something I don't think anyone has thought of. Provided that the Sith know that trick...

[Doc Milo]

Here's the possibilities as I see them:

1. AICN is totally wrong -- Walken won't be in ep2.
2. AICN is partially right -- Walken will be in ep2, but not as Darth Bane (I read a few months ago that he was being considered for the part of Tarkin.)
3. AICN is totally right -- Walken is playing a character named Darth Bane.

Now, if #3, I see these possibilities:

1. Flashbacks explaining the origin of the Sith. (But no SW movie has used the flashback as a tool, and to me it would seem out of place.)
2. Darth Bane appears in spirit form (as was stated above)
3. (As brought forth on another board I visit) -- Darth Sidious has a DNA sample of Darth Bane and clones him.
4. Sith names are recycled from a short list, and once someone becomes a Sith, they are given a name by their Master that best describes their personalities -- so Maul wasn't the first Sith named Maul; Sidious wasn't the first Sith named Sidious; Vader wasn't the first Sith named Vader; that would bring us to another Darth Bane -- separate from the first, but with a similar personality.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

This is the best part of waiting 3 years between SW movies! The speculation!
What about a fifth possibility that the Jedi are just plain wrong and there are more than 2 Sith at any given point in time. the way I see it, something has to bring the Jedi down, and the fact that they "think" they're so sure about everything could be their downfall. They could be unprepared for what they're about to face. This probably won't happen, but it is a possibility.

[Bromine]

I think that if there ARE more than two Sith at one time, it would just be silly that the Jedi mentioned that there were only two. It would be such a big red herring in the story it would be annoying.

As for the Sith recycling names, I'd considered that too, but I think that would just be confusing to the average viewer. (Remember all the confusion over Bail Antilles and Bail Organa just because they have the same first name?)

I think someone at AICN ran across the name "Darth Bane" in the EU or on the official web page (when they gave a history of the Sith) and decided to throw it out there.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

That's probably right knowing the jokers over there...

[Doc Milo]

Now, I know some don't consider the novelizations canon, but I give them a lot of weight until they are proven false: In the TPM novelization, we don't learn about the 2 Sith Rule from the Jedi. We learn it from Sidious, when he is thinking about the history of the Sith (it is at this time we learn about Darth Bane creating the two Sith rule) So, if we are going to accept aht Bane is someone they'd have to use a flashback for, then we are accepting the novelization's take on the matter, and thus we have to accept all portions of the novelization, and that would mean we learn about the two Sith rule from the Sith, and that would lend it more credence . . . since it can't just be that the Jedi are wrong.

If we discount the novelization, then Darth Bane can merely be the next Sith Apprentice of Sidious, and there would be no need of anything explanations....

[Bromine]

Intriguing...

Let's not forget that the history of the Sith (including Darth Bane) was referred to in full on www.starwars.com under "Ask The Jedi Council". If Darth Bane wasn't going to be a historical Sith figure, they wouldn't have mentioned him there.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

What does "Bane" mean anyway?

[Doc Milo]

Bane: ¹ A person or thing that harms or spoils. ² A deadly poison.


Just got this off aldera.net:

<font color=yellow>Darth Bane Rumor 100% False! - [14 July, 8:20 pm PST]
An Indiana farmboy-broker will be playing Anakin Skywalker! Episode II will be called "The Seventh Tower!" Christopher Walken will be playing Darth Bane! Sound familiar? Of course they do. These are all headlines from a site that will post anything they hear: Aint-it-Cool-News. Sure they were right about Christopher Lee, but can you name one actor they haven't guessed will be in Episode II? Maybe one out of every thirty or so guesses about the Star Wars prequels come true, but come on AICN - stop posting this BS. The only reason I posted it here and made visitors have to highlight it is because it was interesting and I respect that students of Aldera.net may not want to see everything.

Dear Students of Aldera.net, hear this now: Darth Bane will not be a name in Episode II. You know it, I know it, and my sources know it. Thanks AICN, but if we wanted Star Wars humor we'd go to SWfans.net.</font>


Later on down the page, where they orignally posted the rumor off of AICN, they said:

<font color=yellow>Yes, I can confirm part of it - Christopher Walken is definitely in Episode II. I don't try to conceal that by having to make you highlight it, because the official site is going to announce it soon...(AICN rumor here)...Anyway we'll know soon enough. Keep punching in this address (http://www.starwars.com/img/walken_silo.jpg) and you'll be the first to see it.
</font>

I checked the address they give, but get a "page doesn't exist" message.

I don't visit the main page of SWfans.net too often. Is it supposed to be humorous, or was that a little jab?

[Bromine]

They've got a great humour section called SW-NBC. Basically they make up funny rumours that are clearly untrue (i.e.: Episode 2 title announced as "Star Wars: Disco Forever"). Pretty sure they meant it as a compliment.
And if not, SCREW THEM!:)

[chicagovader]

Hello all
first time posting here I'm usualy over on the prop board
I would like to chime in and say that all of the extra back story for the phantom menace novel was given to terry brooks by George Lucas himself according to an interview with Mr.Brooks so I belive that the rumor about Walken playing Darth Bane is B.S. I do hope he's in the film though
he would be great as a younger Tarkin in my opinion.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

yeah, i think he'd be a good tarkin, except for the height thing. Walken is tall, Cushing was small.

[Doc Milo]

I don't think his height will be that much of a problem. Worst thing, they alter his height digitally (I hear this can be done, and in fact will be done in the LOTR trilogy for the shorter races.) But Tarkin was mostly seen next to Vader, so one could explain the height difference -- if it's even noticed -- as a result of the comparison of Tarkin next to Vader (because Vader is that tall!)

[Jedi Master Kyle]

If they can shorten him digitally, then I'd be ok with it, if not I'd still be a little skeptical.

[Doc Milo]

Well Tarkin is old. He may have shrunk. :)

What is the height difference between Walken and Cushing. Would it really be noticable?

[Jedi Master Kyle]

He may have shrunk a little. I'll look for their heights!

[Jedi Master Kyle]

I thought he was tall, but holy cow, Walken is 6'4". And considering Cushing is only a few inches taller than carrie fisher, who is 5'1", I would have a big problem if he played Tarkin, unless he was digitally shortened. I would say Cushing was no more than 5'6" which would leave a 10 inch discrepancy between the 2! That's a little much IMO.

[Bromine]

I could be wrong, but from what I know digitally shortening a character sounds like quite a bit of work. They'd probably have to film the scene without the person, then film the person on a blue screen, shrink him, then put him in the scene. Of course, ILM could do it easily, but I think it would be much simpler to find someone the right height to begin with.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

I think Walken for Tarkin is all wrong, only because of height!

[Jedi Master Kyle]

Did you see what those slicksters over at starwars.com did to their Darth Bane images? some of the bane pics are named "m_schreck.gif", after his character in Batman Returns, Max Schreck and "vinnycoccotti.gif" after the name of his character in True Romance. What is going on? Trickery? Hints? I vote for trickery.

[Bromine]

Can everbody say, "red herring"?:)

The folks at LFL and especially the website are more savvy about fans than many of us think. They're probably banking on everyone following this rumour for a while and not paying attention to other rumours.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

from tf.n guys!
The Cranky Critic has interviewed Christopher Walken and the actor denied the rumors he will appear in Episode 2:

The words from his mouth: "People have been telling me for six months and really it's very interesting. I even asked. I said maybe I am in it and they're just saving it for a surprise. But I'm not in that movie. Never was. I don't know how that happened. Maybe somebody put it on the internet. I tell you frankly that the only place I've ever heard that is by way of rumor."

ah well. sucks to be him! :)

[Bromine]

I can just imagine the phone call:

GL: Hello?
Walken: Hello, Mr. Lucas? This is Christopher Walken.
GL: What can I do for you, Christopher?
Walken: Can I, uh...ask you a stupid question?
GL: Sure, I'm a nice man. What is it?
Walken: Am I in Star Wars Episode 2?
GL: WTF?! What do YOU think?
Walken: I'm really not sure, to be honest with you.
GL: (sigh) Hang on, I'll check the cast list.
Walken: Thanks.
GL: Hmm...nope, doesn't look like it.
Walken: Are you sure? Everyone keeps telling me I am.
GL: Let me check with my people.
Walken: Thanks again, man.
GL: Mike says no, but Larry says he read on the Internet that you were playing a Mandalorian Warrior.
Walken: You've got Mandalorian Warriors in the movie?
GL: Uhh...I didn't THINK I did. I'm really not sure anymore. Half the cast thinks they're in the script somewhere.
Walken: Oh. Well, uh, what do you want to do, then?
GL: I don't know. Better hop a plane and get down here. I'm going to go through the script again. I don't remember anything about Mando-whats-it Warrriors.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

:lol:
golden!

[Jedi Master Kyle]

you know, AFTER Walken himself says he's not in episode 2, it doesn't give you any more credibility and post something like this:

4filmmakers.com is an industry site that lists film projects in production. You can view the detail page of Episode 2 by clicking here (you might need to register/login at site first, I'm not sure). It lists Walken along with confirmed cast so far. Not sure how reliable this is, but this site had Hayden C on the confirmed list a few days before LFL confirmed his casting. Just thought I'd pass it along.

some dude found this, sent it along to sevaan.com, who then posted it on his site. he normally runs a pretty tight ship over there, but the bottom has dropped out of this story now!

[Bromine]

(sigh) guess that's what happens when you get news sites getting their information from other news sites who get their information from AICN.:) Amazing how if a rumour is repeated often enough, it becomes true. Remember all the credibility the Leo Dicaprio rumour got?

[Jedi Master Kyle]

yeah, and because it was leo, it wound up on ET and AH all the time!