The actor who plays Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill, has been absent from trailers of the movie and has not been in promotional efforts for the new Star Wars installment. This secrecy has fueled many speculations about the plot that range from "has Luke Skywalker gone evil in the movie?" to "Maybe Luke will die early on in the film and will only have a bit of a role, that's why he was not included." Although diehard Star Wars fans doubted that last part.
Here's one sighting you might enjoy, though. Hamill will host tonight's ESPN documentary that will look at the real-life fighting style and the iconic weaponry of the Star Wars saga.
ESPN's "Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel" is a part of the channel's SC Featured strand.
Hamill said, in an article on HollywoodReporter.com, that people don't really know "how much goes into what appears to be just minutes on the screen."He said lightsaber duels actually have elaborate choreography which is done on several different sets over a period of weeks, which are then edited down to what viewers see on the screens."
He said that he is happy that this documentary will show that and that people will see the "amount of work that goes into it."
Other than Hamill, John Boyega and the film's director J.J. Abrams will also be seen and they will talk about the history of the lightsaber, the fictitious weapon wielded by Jedi Knights. Ian McDiarmid, who played the Emperor in Return of the Jedi and the prequel trilogy, will also give some additional commentary, alongside experts in kendo, the martial art which inspired much of the lightsaber choreography.
According to Craig Lazarus, ESPN VP SportsCenter and news, storytelling units, this documentary will take viewers "on a unique journey that examines the connection of these duels to sports and their evolution, from the original trilogy through the prequels, and now to Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the article stated.
The "Star Wars: Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel" will be aired tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.