Ever since Disney served up our first look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Internet at large took to dissecting each and every frame of the 88-second long teaser in order to cherry pick every snippet of information possible. Not only did it give moviegoers the world over a real, tangible sense of excitement, it took all of the attention away from those long-gestating casting rumours that have hung over the sequel for what feels like aeons.
Now, though, the pendulum has swung back in favor of casting after it was announced that The Raid 2 stars Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruyhian, and Cecep Arif Rahman — better known to you, I and the Indonesian mob as three of the best martial arts in the land — have joined the cast of J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens.
First picked up by Twitch, the tidbit comes as quite a surprise. Given that there’s no word yet on who exactly these actors will play, we assume that their roles will be somewhat minor. Even still, it’s further proof that Abrams is pushing the envelope in terms of practical effects after the prequels were lambasted for their over-reliance on CGI; mind you, we imagine that Uwais, Ruyhian, and Arif Rahman will be fighting their way through galactic forces and maybe even lightsabers as opposed to the gritty milieu of Gareth Evans’ hyper-violent thriller.
Those of you who have seen The Raid 2 — or even its predecessor — will know all too well that the actors are capable of intense, blood-curdling fight sequences. And though the trio will no doubt have to tone things down for The Force Awakens, their casting is still an intriguing and exciting prospect.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens will arrive in theaters on December 18, 2015.
