‘Breaking Bad’ Actor Jesse Plemons Eyed For ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’

Breaking Bad‘s Jesse Plemons is reportedly being eyed for the lead role in Star Wars: Episode VII.

According to The Wrap, Plemons, who also starred in Friday Night Lights, is scheduled to meet with director JJ Abrams next week to discuss the sequel. The 25-year-old has already taped an audition that was well-received, and is set to fly from Austin to Los Angeles for a second face-to-face audition with Abrams.

Two sources have said that Plemons is favorite for one of the lead roles in the sequel, which is expected to bring back original stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford. A third source confirmed that the Dallas native is a serious contender for one of the lead roles.

It isn’t known exactly which role Jesse Plemons is being considered for, but The Wrap posits that he could play the son of Luke Skywalker (Hamill).

Star Wars: Episode VII has been given a December 18, 2015 release date, allowing JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote The Empire Strikes Back, to work on the script after original screenwriter Michael Arndt’s departure.

“Working with Michael was a wonderful experience and I couldn’t be a bigger fan of his or adore him more. He’s a wonderful guy and was incredibly helpful in the process,” Abrams said.

“It became clear that given the time frame and given the process and the way the thing was going that working with Larry in this way was going to get us where we need to be need and when we needed to be.”

Similarly, LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy said Arndt had done a “terrific job” of bringing the film to where it was at the time of his departure.

Star Wars: Episode VII will open against the Ron Howard-directed thriller Inferno, starring Tom Hanks and Morena Baccarin and Warcraft, a film adaptation of the popular MMORPG.

photo credit: Terribly-Happy via photopin cc