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- J.J. Abrams has revealed names of some "Star Wars" characters
- He used old-school trading cards to do so
- The cards don't reveal much other than the character names
(CNN) -- "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams has come up with a nostalgic way to reveal the names of the movie's characters.
We've known for months that "The Force Awakens" features fresh faces like John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac. We even got to see them in action in the movie's first trailer, which was released the day after Thanksgiving.
The cast of "Star Wars: Episode VII" -- or should we say "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," now that the official title has been released -- unites well-known names with some up-and-coming actors. At least one cast member, Daisy Ridley, is so new she has just a few acting credits to her name. You can see her in the back right of this cast photo, wearing a necklace and talking to "Star Wars" veteran Carrie Fisher. Here's who she'll star with.
John Boyega is best known for the 2011 sci-fi action comedy "Attack the Block," but now he's known as the guy who steals the spotlight in the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" trailer. Boyega was long rumored to be a top choice for the lead role.
Actors Pip Andersen, left, and Crystal Clarke were picked from an open casting call to join the movie. Andersen is skilled in the training discipline parkour, and "The Force Awakens" will be one of Clarke's first feature films.
The rumors about Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o joining the cast turned out to be true. In May, she was announced as the newest actress to join the saga. Nyong'o won the best supporting actress Oscar for her breakthrough role in "12 Years a Slave."
Gwendoline Christie, currently known as Brienne of Tarth on HBO's "Game Of Thrones," has also joined "Star Wars." Next year, she will star in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" as Commander Lyme.
Adam Driver is a multifaceted actor who'll presumably get to show more of his range in "The Force Awakens." While he's best known for playing a quirky love interest on "Girls," Driver has also appeared in feature films "J. Edgar," "Lincoln," "Frances Ha" and "Inside Llewyn Davis."
Oscar Isaac had a breakthrough role in 2013 as the cranky singer-songwriter Llewyn Davis in the drama "Inside Llewyn Davis." We can't imagine his work in "The Force Awakens" will require him to sing, but it would be awesome if it did; Isaac has proved he's got a great set of pipes.
Andy Serkis is setting himself up to have a busy few years. The celebrated actor recently appeared in "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," which will be followed by "The Force Awakens." After that, he's expected to appear in another "Tintin" movie, "The Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sun."
Does the name Domhnall Gleeson sound familiar? That might be because you remember him as Bill Weasley in the last two movies of the "Harry Potter" franchise. But Gleeson has established himself with a host of other projects, including 2010's "Never Let Me Go" and 2013's "About Time." Suffice to say that if you don't know Gleeson by now, you will after "Star Wars: Episode VII."
When we learned that the latest "Star Wars" installment is supposed to take place 30 years after "Return of the Jedi" and feature a trio of newbies alongside some familiar faces, we were ready to bet the house that Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker would be one of the recognizable stars. It was an easy guess to make, though; Hamill has long been considered an unspoken done deal.
Carrie Fisher was one of the original "Star Wars" cast members who initially said she was on board the new movie, only for her rep to backtrack and say the actress was kidding. But Abrams' announcement is no joke: The former Princess Leia has returned.
After playing coy with the press for months, Harrison Ford was finally officially announced as part of the "The Force Awakens" cast. The actor is expected to reprise his role of Han Solo.
We can't be the only ones who are supremely relieved to see that Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO, will be back in action.
Obviously, you can't have Daniels' C-3PO without Kenny Baker's R2-D2. Just the thought of splitting up the droids is heartbreaking!
Peter Mayhew is probably somewhere warming up his voice for that famous Chewbacca roar. The actor was rumored to be reprising the character in "The Force Awakens," but it wasn't official until Abrams' announcement.
Max von Sydow is one of the veteran actors joining the upcoming "Star Wars" movie. It isn't clear what the wide-ranging thespian will do in Abrams' picture, but we can rest assured that he'll bring his respected acting chops to the part.
"Star Wars" veteran Warwick Davis is set to return too. He's played multiple roles, but he's best known as Wicket the lead Ewok from "Return of the Jedi," so we suspect he may reprise that role.
Meet the cast of 'Star Wars: Episode VII'
Pip Andersen and Crystal Clarke
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Meet the cast of 'Star Wars: Episode VII'
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But the lingering mystery was who exactly those actors are playing. Now, thanks to some clever retro-style trading cards, we know the names of their characters.
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Abrams teamed up with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy to create a set of trading cards that are a callback to the ones issued with "Star Wars" debut in 1977.
The cards, which were unveiled by Entertainment Weekly, don't tell us a lot; we pretty much just get a name and a small description.
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In other words, let the speculation begin.
According to the cards, Isaac, the X-wing pilot seen in the first trailer, is playing someone named Poe Dameron. We don't know whether he's a good guy or a villain, but that name isn't exactly friendly.
Oscar Isaac looks like he means business but does he have a darkside? We don't trust him. #StarWars #TheForceAwakens pic.twitter.com/TKU6tn9qTY
— New Star Wars Movie (@TNStarWarsMovie) December 12, 2014
John Boyega, the actor seen at the start of the trailer stressed out in his Stormtrooper suit, is playing someone named Finn. His card acknowledges that he's "On the run," which might fuel speculation that Boyega's wearing Stormtrooper gear as a disguise.
John Boyega's overdressed in this retro Topps-style #StarWars #TheForceAwakens trading card! pic.twitter.com/NRJT9CCpRL
— Marshall Julius (@MarshallJulius) December 12, 2014
And Daisy Ridley, the actress we see speeding through a desert landscape in the trailer, is playing a character named Rey. Earlier this year, rumors circulated that Ridley's character was called Kira on set.
Daisy Ridley gets her own retro Topps-style #StarWars #TheForceAwakens trading card! pic.twitter.com/tgj1HxcCup
— Marshall Julius (@MarshallJulius) December 12, 2014
In addition to those three, Abrams also revealed the name of the cloaked figure wielding that heavily debated new lightsaber: That character is Kylo Ren.
The new Sith Lord from #TheForceAwakens is named Kylo Ren. #StarWarsEpisodeVII pic.twitter.com/d155y9sFUb
— Marc Dorris (@marcdorris) December 12, 2014
Plus, we also learned that the little rolling droid at the beginning of the trailer is called BB-8, which Entertainment Weekly suspects will be as sweet as it looks.
That's all Abrams has shared for now, but we're still a long way off from "The Force Awakens' " release date. The movie is set to bow on December 18, 2015.
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