Well, things haven't started out so well on principal photography on the set of Episode VII. The photo above is obviously from ROTJ, when they actually made it through without injuring anyone terribly. If you haven't heard, Harrison Ford has apparently been fairly badly injured on set. The exact details are unclear, but based on what's been going around so far he has a broken ankle from a hydraulic door that fell on him (some reports say it was the door of the Falcon, others say it was just some door on set) and it will require surgery and 6-8 weeks of recovery and therefore not shooting.
While this news is bad, we can only hope that it is not terrible and more of a pain and a delay than anything tragic. First of all, let's be glad it didn't land on the man's head. I suppose we can also sort of be glad that if the cause of the injury is true, then it means that we can't really blame it on him being old and not able to do the same things he used to do, because if something falls on you, I don't care how old you are, you're probably going to break a bone. The news is still fairly vague but they are telling us that it will require schedule juggling and moving a lot of things around, but filming should still be completed on schedule. I only hope this doesn't shrink his role or severely limit him even when he does come back. As you can imagine, with an unsafe set the rest of the cast is not happy, and I'd imagine he won't be thrilled when he comes back either. It will be interesting once we get the real story.
It's slightly more concerning that he has been in the hospital since it happened on Friday. There were other reports floating around about a pelvis injury but that has been denied. Time will tell. I feel bad for the guy but this is far from the first time he has had something bad happen on set. He wrecked one knee on Raiders, he destroyed his back on Temple of Doom, he wrecked his other knee on The Fugitive. I know on ToD he was off set for many weeks and had surgery and came back, so we know that they can make things work even when he's the star of the film and in every scene, let alone when they can adjust the schedule and probably shoot plenty of scenes without him. Then again, he was 30 years younger working on that movie, but let's not think about that.
So, unfortunate news for sure, but hopefully not devastating. If we find out that the schedule was merely rearranged and we won't notice a difference when the movie comes out, I'll be happy. I just hope it doesn't change anything. And again, I do feel bad for him since nothing like that should be happening on a set!
This sucks doesn't it? We finally get Harrison back on set as Han Solo again, something I NEVER thought we would see, and this happens! I do think this has been greatly exaggerated by the tabloids though, trying to make it sound a lot worse than it is, although you're right that it is slightly worrying that he is apparently still in the hospital and no official announcements on his condition since Friday. I'm sure they can work round it though. He was out for six weeks during shooting for Temple of Doom and they carried on filming even then, by using a stand in for certain shots, so this shouldn't be an issue in that regard. And they can always shoot from the waist up for a time. But yeah, it's a total bummer. I'm sure all of us wish him a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Harrison!
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, all the other movies he's been injured on have all turned out to be some of his very best, so this could be a good omen ;)
Lol! Nice about them being some of his best. Was he hurt on Empire? Just wondering cause awesome movie.
DeleteAnyhow, this does make me nervous and hope he is ok. No doubt crap like this shouldn't be happening!
In the meantime, if he needs help recovering or maybe boosting his spirits, I'm always glad to help out. Just saying... ;)
Nah, don't think he was injured on the set of ESB, but Mark was.
DeleteLol, nice one ;) I think we should all get in line to help "aid" his recovery :)
And I just thought about those nurses looking after him. Lucky girls. I wonder if they gave him a sponge bath? No, I'm not at all jealous ;)
So maybe it'll be really good then? It better after this.
DeleteYou aren't kidding on the nurses.
Absolutely, let's hope the movie is awesome after all the pain he's having to endure for it. Really hope it's worth it.
DeleteI have had the same injury and surgery. The main reason they keep you in hospital is concern about the formation of blood clots in the legs. I rehab'd like crazy and was back to being on my feet all day at 4 weeks postop. Mr. Ford is older than me, it's true, but I don't think it's time to flip out.
ReplyDeleteBesides, Han could say that he got it in a bar fight :)
See, when I heard surgery and plates and screws I was like, you know what? That actually might be better than if they were just waiting for the bone to heal, because that would take longer. But it definitely scares me to think how long he's been in and how little we've been hearing that is concrete. This makes me feel like the rest should be ALL CGI so no actual things are available to fall on anyone!
Delete"This makes me feel like the rest should be ALL CGI so no actual things are available to fall on anyone!"--ah, bite your tongue!! While, the accident is unfortunate, I'm sure he'll be okay in not too much time. And even if your precious Millennium Falcon is indeed at fault, I still can't help but be excited that there's an *actual* Millennium Falcon set built out there, and that she's not just some big mess of pixels on a computer screen.
DeleteAlso, I wanted to run in here all heroic and reassuring with an "Oooh, my brother broke his ankle and had the same procedure!!!" But then I realized I had no recollection of how long his recovery took, and that I would also have to include the fact that he was like 40 years younger than Harrison when it happened. So, yeah….um, your welcome for all my insight. ;) Carry on….
I meant "our" falcon, not your. Oops. Should proof before posting…..
DeleteI'm just saying, don't push the panic button. At least not yet. I have pins and a plate and screws, and the worst thing about it is that I set off the metal detector at the airport. Unless I buy Even More Speed when flying Jetblue, which is kind of a bribe so that you can keep your shoes on, keep your electronics in your backpack, and your lipstick and hand cream in your purse.
ReplyDeleteI had the surgery at age 51, and I had -- and still have -- severe osteoarthritis.
ReplyDeleteAnnoyingly, there have been zero "official" updates on this. We haven't even been told for sure whether he's left the hospital, but seriously, if he's still in there after almost a week then there is definitely something going on. I don't know why I was expecting any sort of update based on the fact that nothing gets updated ever about this movie!
ReplyDeleteHowever, now there are some reports that Harrison will "defy doctor's orders" and go back on set and they'll just work around the injury as best they can. There is no indication that that information is coming from anywhere though, so who knows?
I've decided that the simplest solution is to write in a few extra scenes, or perhaps simply change the venue of certain conversations, so that all he has to do is lie in bed and talk to Leia ;)
Finally a bit of an update: Apparently he has broken his LEG, not his ankle. Although honestly, with broken bones and plates and screws, I'm not sure it matters very much whether it was his leg or ankle when it comes to healing and what not. But the reports also say that his surgery was successful and he is looking forward to returning to work. Hopefully that part is true. Poor guy, although we already know that scars give him character, so now he will have a new one on his leg.
ReplyDeleteI heard (prob just a rumor) that most if his scenes will have to be shot from the waist up. So, um, not much Han bum to drool over? Shame. Thank god for the original trilogy. Does Han still have a hot ass, you think? I wonder if he will wear the same costume? Hopefully it's more Star Wars era than Jedi. Me liked the blue pants with red stripe much better. OK, my mind is in the gutter. Take this contribution as you will.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand about this "waist up" business is that to me this seems like an either/or situation. Either you shoot him from the waist up, OR you wait for him to get better so you can shoot him normally. I mean, in another week or two if all he had to do was stand there and talk to people (or, you know, lie in bed with Leia) then they can do their waist-up shooting and hand him his crutches after each take. But I don't know.
DeleteAs for his pants, actually, I've wondered myself if he will be wearing the same clothes still. Part of me wants him to because it's just so iconic, but then I'd kind of also like to see the poor guy get at least one other set of clothing! Plus, I seriously can barely picture Han in anything else, which is a problem when writing stories. I mean, do we assume that he seriously just ALWAYS wears that same outfit? Just with slight variations on pants and maybe a jacket sometimes instead of a vest? I've left so many stories totally ambiguous on his wardrobe choices because it seems silly to assume he always wears the same stuff, and yet I can't picture him in anything else so I have a hard time describing it. Oh, such problems.
He sounds like a seriously stubborn guy who will push recovery hard.
ReplyDeleteSince he became a general.... I'd like to see him in a uniform of some kind... *drool*
ReplyDeleteSo many conflicting reports. I feel as though they spent 18 months teasing me and getting my hopes up, and now everything is going to change.
ReplyDeletehttp://io9.com/harrison-fords-injury-may-have-completely-screwed-up-ep-1594838394
Take with large grain of salt.
DeleteThe fact is that until opening day (and beyond), we are going to get all kinds of reports. some legit, some not, but accuracy is not the point. Generating interest is.
ReplyDeleteIt'll come down to money. Whatever option is the least expensive is probably where things will go -- but according to a close friend who is a producer and teaches production, what is the least expensive is factored into an entire calculus. And, he is quick to point out, the answer is different in every production.
Normally I might agree, but there is a LOT at stake here, and when it comes to one of the most beloved franchises in movie history (I'd say THE most, but people love some Harry Potter) you can't just be like, "What's least expensive?" Also when you're talking billions of dollars, most likely. This could be the most anticipated movie ever. If the cheapest option was to pull Han Solo out of the movie, I don't think they'd do it just for the money.
DeleteTime will tell. I'll try not to worry myself but it's hard! I really didn't want to keep reading all of this news, but then this happened...
I think the post makes a good point about if pulling Harrison would be such a good idea compared to delaying things for him. I'm sure they will have to take a lot of things besides money into consideration. You wonder how much it would hurt the franchise if they pull one of the biggest characters from the movie. And while they may save money, how much would profits suffer.
DeleteBtw, how big of a role do you think Han has in the movie? I've seen rumors that he has the main role, but not so sure about that.
I suspect that in this case, it would be far cheaper to delay release. Footage has been shot, millions of dollars spent, and the technologies used have probably eaten up a not insignificant chunk of change. Han Solo is one of the most beloved characters they have in their lineup. As Mr. Stats says, the OT might have been Luke's story, but every guy wanted to be Han Solo (and every woman wanted to kiss him). We know Luke's story. (And most of us don't give a flying fuck about Anakin's.) Certainly, Mr. Ford has had misfires in his career, but he remains a huge draw, and you really can't do SW without Han Solo. Rewriting a script from scratch and altering the story is exorbitantly expensive and THAT will delay release, and would probably end up not doing the business that it would if Mr. Ford was in it. I think, from an economics point of view, it'd be most cost effective to let Mr. Ford recover (and I'm sure he can recover in a lot less than six months) and resume. Working in the math department, the geek factor is all over the place, and every one of us except for the one number theorist who doesn't like the series (and we don't like him, he's a jerk) would be less likely to see the sequels without Han Solo.
ReplyDeleteYour mileage may vary.
There are so many conflicting reports still. It's driving me crazy. Just to forewarn you, should they decide that it is easier if Han Solo simply isn't in this movie, or if they do something like, hey, let's kill him in the first 20 minutes and solve the problem that way! Well, then Zyra is going to have a bit of a breakdown and maybe have to disappear from the fandom thanks to painful, bitter, unrelenting disappointment.
ReplyDeleteYou and me both. Latest I heard was they were pushing back to May 2016, haven't been able to find anything on web to confirm that.
DeleteThat news would honestly relieve me beyond belief. I'd rather wait 5-6 more months than have everything change. I think it'd be weird for a Star Wars movie to come out in December anyway.
DeleteI agree, I would rather wait a few extra months and have Harrison fully healed than they rush it and do something stupid like write him out. For what it's worth, Abrams and Kennedy wanted May 2016, but it was Disney that wanted 2015. So I don't think there will be any objection from JJ and co, but Disney will not be happy! But if that what it takes to get the best movie, I think they should delay it.
DeleteAs for rewriting the script, I really don't think this will happen. They are still shooting. If they were majorly changing stuff they wouldn't have kept filming for the past 2 weeks, so I am pretty confident it won't come to that.
Totally agree with you guys. Push back the release date and give us a movie we will want to see again and again. One of the things that made money for the OT was repeat business. I have seen the OT in excess of 100 times, and at home as well. Exactly how many times, even a counter like me has lost track of.
DeleteWhen it comes to the number of times I've watched the OT (ESB in particular), I've always wondered: if I ever found out "my number," would I be shocked at how high it was? Or at how low it was? Hmm….
ReplyDeleteI think all this handwringing will end up being for nothing. Worst case scenario? We wait til May 2016. Which, you know, considering we've already been waiting 30+ years, is not a big deal. I do not--repeat do NOT--think they'll alter the script in any way, or "kill Han off" prematurely. Or whatever.
I mean, it wouldn't make sense. They obviously went through a lot of trouble to get the Big 3 back (probably took particular effort for Harrison), in fact, Lucas had them lined up to sweeten the sale to Disney, so it seems ridiculous that they'd just chuck that away because of a set injury. This stuff happens. More often than you realize. They can work around it. Everything will be fine…here….now…how are you?
If they're still shooting, the worst that's going to happen is a delay in the release date. A May release would be kind of a celebration, since the OT was always released near Memorial Day weekend. Ah, good times.
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