'Star Wars' clues: Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill in London

Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill — three people who are synonymous with classic Star Wars — have all turned up in London this weekend, just as J.J. Abrams’ first installment in the new trilogy is about to begin shooting at nearby Pinewood Studios.

This caused a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly tweeted out in unison — but this time it’s Lucasfilm that has gone silent. No casting news has been confirmed, even though principal photography is imminent. Fisher, Ford, and Hamill have all dropped hints, both publicly and privately, that they are planning to return, however.

Even a nerf herder could put these clues together. So here they are …

Exhibit A: Han Solo himself was photographed at London’s Hakkasan restaurant on April 24, sans Chewy of course. (No Wookiees in the dining room.) And on Saturday, the aircraft enthusiast was seen in Grosvernor’s Square, chatting with crew members from London’s air ambulance. One has to imagine the intense temptation for somebody to say, “It’s fast enough for you, old man.”

But all right, an actor in London. No biggie.

But then …

Exhibit B: Carrie Fisher has been fairly vocal in numerous interviews about reprising her role as Princess Leia, openly admitting she planned to visit London to begin filming. So it’s not surprising that she jumped right into the fray voluntarily, tweeting a little tease: “So my do dog Gary has been spotted in London, but apparently without me. Who has he been seeing? Let me know if you have any clues.”

And finally …

Exhibit C: Mark Hamill wasn’t caught out and about, and didn’t share his presence in London directly. But Peter Serafinowicz, the actor who provided the voice of Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, blew Luke Skywalker’s cover: “Met up with @HamillHimself in London today. I wonder why he’s here.” Then he shared this image, of Hamill sporting a very Jedi-esque look:

Serafinowicz was certainly being coy, but Disney studio boss Alan Horn was fairly straightforward last week when he said the cast for the new trilogy of films was “almost complete,” and would be announced soon.

Maybe the three of them being in London at this time is just coincidence. Or maybe Nick Winters, Bill Murray’s iconic lounge singer from SNL, can offer another explanation …

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