Is the universe ready for Darth Sackler? And what will Hannah Horvath think? Okay, so Adam Driver will not be playing an evil version of his weird, intense character from Girls. But if Variety’s latest **Star Wars: Episode VII **report pans out, he will be rocketing his career to the next level by playing a villain in J.J. Abrams’ film.
Disney and Lucasfilm have naturally declined to comment on the report, so it’ll have to remain in the asteroid field of unconfirmed info – keep the Rumour Alert Klaxon handy for now – but while the trade mag specifies that no deal has been signed, the rising young actor is reportedly close to spilling ink to play someone evil.
But with Abrams scheduled to start shooting at Pinewood and elsewhere from April/May, working from the script he’s re-written with Lawrence Kasdan, we can expect official casting announcements to make the leap out of hyperspace soon.
Driver, who has been winning attention between Girls and several high profile films (including a scene-stealing moment in** Inside Llewyn Davis** where he sings about outer space - an omen?) and Lincoln, was thought to be a favourite of Team Abrams for Star Wars as the casting process began to speed up. He’s apparently had to figure out whether he can squeeze the job into a busy schedule that includes Jeff Nichols’** Midnight Special **and a rumored role in Martin Scorsese’s Silence. We just hope he stays away from any giant ventilator shafts in the meantime.