'Star Wars VII' Has 2 New Creatures on Set

Although we still don't have an official title for the seventh Star Wars movie, two brand new creatures have been revealed in the last days of spring. On May 21, J.J. Abrams revealed the first Muppet-esque character in a video announcing the Star Wars: Force for Change, a charitable organization funded by the Star Wars films. This was also when the fan-fueled Star Wars YouTube casting campaign began, which has just over a month left to choose the highest-donating fan to be in the film. As exciting as that moment was, we now have two things to top it. One, Lupita N'yongo was cast in the movie, and TMZ has taken some of the first set photos, which reveal another lo-fi Star Wars creature. The pic gives me hope that this time around, we won't repeat the Jar Jar Binks mistakes of Star Wars' past.

Seeing both of these physical monsters backstage proves that this Star Wars movie will not be overusing CGI, as Episodes I, II and III did so egregiously. Instead, they give a nod to the genius of the original trilogy's effects: a seamless combination of high tech movie magic and carefully-constructed costumes and sets. Hopefully, Abrams will be using new monsters like this to bring the feel of old Star Wars to a digital era, lightsabers and all. Although the combination of CGI and puppetry might be difficult, it seems Abrams is up to the task: even if you don't like the plot of the latest Star Trek reboot, we can all agree that the effects are stunning.

Even if he makes another Binksian mistake, at least Lupita Nyong'o will grace the stage of Abrams space opera, hopefully bringing her acting chops and fashion sense with her. With a handful of space monster puppets surrounding her, this film might actually have a chance.

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