Star Wars Episode 7 could turn out to be a truly classy affair. Director JJ Abrams recently visited the set of period drama Downton Abbey to scout for talent, reports the Mirror. It quotes actor Lesley Nichol, who plays cook Beryl Patmore, as saying: "JJ Abrams came to the set last year and he is just about to do the next Star Wars movie. He loves the show, and he checked a few of us to star in the film." And Abrams was effusive in his praise for Downton: "It's absolute soap opera – done triple-A plus. It's cleverly written and brilliantly cast. It lets you enjoy what is – at the core, a pulpy family drama, but done with such respect and regard for the characters, you feel they're all alive." Meanwhile, US trade magazine Variety reports that Downton's Ed Speleers (who plays Jimmy Kent) and Breaking Bad's Jesse Plemons (Todd Alquist) are in the running to play a Jedi, alongside Attack the Block star John Boyega and theatre actors Matthew James Thomas and Ray Fisher. It also reports that Girls star Adam Driver is lined up to play the film's villain.
