While Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher formed the core that would go on to create one of the biggest sci-fi franchise in history with “Star Wars,” things could have played out much, much differently. Sissy Spacek or Cindy Williams could have been Princess Leia, while a gallery of tough dudes like Kurt Russell, Nick Nolte, Sylvester Stallone and Christopher Walken were all in the running for Han Solo. Another actor in the mix? Al Pacino. Yes really.
Had the actor taken the role, he would’ve been coming off an incredible run of movies including the two “The Godfather” films by George Lucas‘ good friend Francis Ford Coppola, “Serpico” and “Dog Day Afternoon.” While Pacino did take a look at the part, he recently explained why he ultimately didn’t sign on. “It was mine for the taking but I didn’t understand the script,” he told an audience over the weekend in London at the An Evening With Pacino event, reports The Telegraph.
What Pacino didn’t quite understand isn’t clear, and while we can always imagine the shoutier version of Han Solo, it’s hard to argue that Ford wasn’t ultimately the right man for that part. One could also argue that Pacino in the sidekick role (of sorts) still would’ve overshadowed the rest of the cast by an immeasurable degree, so, all’s well that end’s well.
Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams‘ “Star Wars: Episode 7” continues to develop in semi-secrecy, but a recent collaborator wouldn’t mind beaming up with the director again. “Wouldn’t that be fun. I would love to,” Leonard Nimoy told fansite StarTrek.com when asked what he would do if offered a part in a whole new galaxy, far, far away. Even more, he thinks Spock could crossover. “I think it would work wonderfully. I think it would work just great. I think it would be a great idea, and somebody ought to tell [Abrams] that.”
Let the nerd fight begin….