We finally know who Lupita Nyong’o is playing in ‘The Force Awakens’
There has been extreme secrecy surrounding Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s so secret, that with only 34 days to go until the movie opens we still haven’t caught any sort of glimpse of some major characters. The big one being Luke (because, where the heck is he?!) but there’s a handful of brand new still-unseen characters, too. One of them happens to be Lupita Nyong’o’s Maz Kanata. Who is she, what is she doing in the movie, and when can we check her out?
Surprisingly — or, not surprisingly, in case this is something you’ve already guessed — she’s been right in front of our face this whole time. Maz Kanata is on the Force Awakens poster, front center just to the left of R2D2.
Maz appears to be a tiny alien, still of an unknown species, with big, huge eyes. According to director J.J. Abrams, those eyes are important.
“I had some specific ideas about how she would work and what she would do,” Abrams explained to Entertainment Weekly. “I had this pitch about these goggles that she wore. Her eyes are an important aspect of her character, and you’ll see how it plays out.”
Yeah, but who is this character? Well, that’ going to continue to remain a secret for the next 34 days. But, Abrams did offer up some information, including the fact that she’s lived over a thousand years, which we can’t help but note is slightly reminiscent of another small creature we know and love with big eyes and ears, Yoda. However, Yoda never owned a bar. Maz owns a bar.
“She’s had this watering hole for about a century, and it’s like another bar that you’d find in a corner of the Star Wars universe.”
Even though there are now a handful of Star Wars trailers and TV spots, there hasn’t been any good look at Maz just yet. We’ve heard her voice briefly in the newly-released theatrical trailer, where she states, “I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people. I see your eyes. I know your eyes.” All that talk about eyes now makes a little bit more sense for her character, but as for everything else, that’s going to have to wait until December 18th.
Related reading:
Princess Leia has a badass new title in ‘The Force Awakens’
The new ‘Star Wars’ poster is a genuine work of art
Image via Lucasfilm
