A few days ago, a special screening of 'Return of the Jedi' was held at Entertainment Weekly's CapeTown Film Festival and audiences found themselves treated to a special appearance by Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. Over the course of two Q&As, the beloved actor spoke about his involvement in 'Star Wars: Episode 7' and the 'Star Wars' franchise as a whole confirming some information we already unofficially knew and revealing a bit more about the new trilogy.

During the Q&A (via Ain't It Cool's Eric Vespe), Hamill confirmed his involvement and that of Carrie Fisher (which we already knew about based on past comments), as well as the fact that they knew a 'Star Wars: Episode 7'-led trilogy was coming, though he didn't know specifically Disney would be taking over.

The only main surprise for him came when Kathleen Kennedy said the core three -- Luke, Leia, Han -- would be coming back:

"He said he had a poker face on, but that Carrie Fisher immediately said 'I'm in! Is there a part for Billie (her daughter)?'”

Although Hamill has yet to meet with director J.J. Abrams (that surely has to happen soon), he's had one creative meeting with Kennedy where they discussed the importance of balancing CGI with practical effects. Citing the timelessness of 'King Kong' and the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, Hamill expressed his dissatisfaction with the "guy surrounded by greenscreen look," saying, "There's nothing wrong with CGI, but I think you have to have a balance because the camera perceives the width and the depth and the weight of a miniature or a model." 

To her credit, Hamill says she agreed 100% (although she cited 'Jurassic Park' as a chief example of this done right). Since one of the main problems with the prequel trilogy was that the mostly digital world felt lifeless, it warms our hearts to hear this. After all, 'Star Wars' was built on a foundation of groundbreaking models and practical effects. If any franchise can show the others how it's done, it should be this one.

However, Hamill was upfront about what his role will be in the new trilogy, saying that it's time to hand the reins over to the next generation and "that's as it should be.” Although he appears to be as in the dark about specific plot details as the rest of us, Hamill suggested that the "old folks" (himself, Fisher and Harrison Ford) would probably function more like Alec Guinness in the original films, helping to set the stage for all of the new heroes. Perhaps the children of Han Solo and Leia, as long rumored? Maybe a young Jedi-in-training hoping to catch the eye of Master Skywalker?

“I want it to be age appropriate, so heavy on the Jedi mind tricks and lighten up on the lightsaber duels. Let the kids do the heavily lifting!”

What's especially amazing about was how clearly Hamill's enthusiasm came through. If he wasn't going to be in the movie, he'd be first in line to see it on opening day. Because it would be a shame to splice it up, here's one of the most galvanizing quotes from the entire event:

“I'm one of you, I feel like you're one of us. I'll be in there fighting and trying to be as honest as I can be about what I think it is made these movies so special in the first place. It always starts with the script and that's why I'm so encouraged by Michael Arndt's involvement because I respect his writing so much. He's a big fan of these movies, so hopefully we can make something that doesn't make everyone want to find us, cut off our heads and throw it right in our faces.”

Yes, 'Star Wars' fans. You are allowed to enthusiastically punch the air. Just make sure no one is watching. 'Star Wars: Episode 7' will arrive in the summer of 2015, and for more info on the new trilogy, head on over to AICN for the full Q&A.

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