Las Vegas Sphere becomes LEGO Death Star

A first-of-its-kind LEGO Star Wars–themed live interactive game experience debuted on the Exosphere of Sphere in Las Vegas. Created by Sphere Studios for the LEGO Group, and in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm, the experience celebrated the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) announcement of LEGO SMART Play, a new play innovation that brings LEGO creations to life like never before. The first building sets featuring LEGO SMART Play will be Star Wars themed.

Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer of the LEGO Group, said: “LEGO SMART Play marks an exciting new chapter in the LEGO Group’s story; one where creativity, technology, and imagination come together like never before. Showcasing our latest innovation via an incredible experience on Sphere in Las Vegas allowed us to celebrate play on an extraordinary scale by bringing the Star Wars galaxy to life, in alignment with our friends at Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm. This experience captures the essence of what the LEGO brand has always stood for: inspiring builders of all ages to create, explore, and push the boundaries of what’s possible!”

The experience brought the interactive nature of LEGO SMART Play to life on an incredible scale during CES 2026, transforming the 580,000 square foot Exosphere into a stunning interpretation of the iconic trench run scene from the film Star Wars: A New Hope.

Ron Faris, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Marketing, Disney Consumer Products, said: "The LEGO SMART Play system will breathe new life into the Star Wars galaxy, giving fans endless opportunities to create and experience Star Wars at home like never before. The size and scale of Sphere in Las Vegas lent itself perfectly for this first-of-its-kind Star Wars experience recreating the iconic trench run, allowing us to highlight the immersive capabilities of the new LEGO SMART Play system on a new canvas.”

Invited guests were able to step into the adventure themselves outside Sphere, taking a seat in a LEGO-themed X-wing cockpit to feel the thrill of “blowing up” the LEGO Star Wars Death Star, displayed on Exosphere, the world’s largest LED screen.

Marcus Ellington, Executive Vice President, Ad Sales and Sponsorships, Sphere, said: “This interactive Exosphere experience – which brings LEGO SMART Play and Star Wars to life on an unprecedented scale – marks the first collaboration to leverage Sphere’s new immersive Exosphere technologies, and exemplifies how brands can utilize Sphere to connect with their fans in new ways.”

Adding to the excitement, quarterback for the New York Giants, Jaxson Dart, was among the special guests taking part in the experience. Dart took a seat in the LEGO Star Wars-inspired X-wing cockpit as he mastered the trench run and embraced the SMART Play-enabled LEGO Star Wars experience.

“I’ve been a massive Star Wars fan my entire life - from dressing up as Anakin Skywalker at my childhood birthday party to my on-field look inspired by his character," said Jaxson Dart, quarterback for the New York Giants. "Tonight, I felt like a kid again, stepping into the giant LEGO X-Wing and lighting up the Las Vegas skyline in honor of my favorite movies. I’m thrilled to be here celebrating the future of LEGO Star Wars and to share my passion for that galaxy with the next generation of Star Wars fans."

This interactive experience was created to mark the launch of LEGO SMART Play. Unveiled at CES 2026, LEGO SMART Play represents the most significant evolution of the LEGO System-in-Play since the debut of the LEGO Minifigure in 1978 — redefining what creative play can be.

Powered by the innovative LEGO SMART Brick, which is packed with pioneering, world-first technologies, LEGO SMART Play is a groundbreaking new platform that brings LEGO creations to life like never before.

Discover LEGO Star Wars on LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

Are you excited about LEGO SMART Play LEGO Star Wars sets? Let me know in the comments below.

Dave Filoni to run Star Wars

According to Puck News, Lucasfilm is about to undergo a major management shakeup with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan jointly replacing Kathleen Kennedy. After stepping down as Lucasfilm president, Kennedy will remain as a producer, a role for which George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have lauded her.

"When it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy was making a “succession plan” as she prepared to leave Lucasfilm and Star Wars, it seemed like there was probably only one person who would fill her shoes. Now, technically, there are two, but yes, he’s one of them.

That would be Dave Filoni. A new report from the reliable Puck News says that Filoni is about to be tapped as co-president to run the creative side of Lucasfilm, ie. all of Star Wars. His fellow co-president would be Lynwen Brennan, who would be on the executive side. Filoni is currently the chief creative officer of Lucasfilm, while Brennan is general manager. But for the big moves, it seems it will fall to Filoni.

Kathleen Kennedy is often painted as a villain for greenlighting the Star Wars projects that fans have not liked in the Disney era. Though few may realize that she was also the one pushing for a show like Andor, back when that seemed like a long shot.

The current state of Disney Star Wars is so scattered that it’s hard to even know what would happen under Filoni. Ahsoka is the only Disney+ show confirmed to even be coming back, with everything else either cancelled, finished or a one-off. The big return to Star Wars movies is a spin-off of a TV show. After that, there are more potentially interesting projects like Ryan Gosling’s Starfighter and the James Mangold-directed Dawn of the Jedi, which still exists at this point, with a graveyard of other cancelled Star Wars films behind it."

The Mandalorian and Grogu hit the big screen on 22nd May, and Ahsoka season two is coming later this year on Disney+. For over half a decade, Star Wars has been on the small screen with animated and live-action spin-off series on Disney+. Will The Mandalorian and Grogu be more than a feature-length episode that should have been released on Disney+, making way for Star Wars: Starfighter to blast onto the big screen for the 50th anniversary of the franchise in 2027?

What are your thoughts on the succession at Lucasfilm, which has yet to be officially confirmed? Let me know in the comments below.

First Star Wars Fanstream for 2026

January's my birthday month, and Hasbro Pulse has announced its first Star Wars Fanstream for 2026.

From the official Hasbro Pulse Instagram account:

"A new year. A new Fanstream from a galaxy far, far away...

Join the Hasbro STAR WARS team for their first Fanstream of the year, packed with fresh reveals across your favorite collections. From long-awaited additions to shelf-defining pieces, your display is about to get an upgrade!

Set your coordinates and tune in January 12th at 11:00am ET, exclusively on the Hasbro Pulse YouTube Channel."

Unless it's being held back for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars in 2027, I'd like Star Wars: The Vintage Collection Patrol Dewback and Sandtrooper as an early birthday present.

What are you hoping will be revealed during the Hasbro Pulse Star Wars Fanstream? Let me know in the comments below.

The X-Men return in Avengers: Doomsday

This is the Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer X-Men fans (myself included) are looking for.



Read the official synopsis:

"Doctor Doom has officially arrived in the MCU. This villain, a master of cutting-edge science and powerful magic, will unleash a cascading crisis across the entire multiverse."

From the X-Men universe, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, James Marsden, Channing Tatum and Rebecca Romijn will cross over into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

In my teens, I sought solace in the mutant tragedy of the X-Men. They became a metaphor for disability, something I was struggling with in the wake of a life-changing childhood trauma in primary school, and I wanted to be Cyclops.

Avengers: Doomsday, directed by the Russo brothers (Avengers: Endgame), will be released in cinemas on 18th December 2026.

Are you looking forward to Avengers: Doomsday? Let me know in the comments below.

LEGO Star Wars gets SMART Play

Now, brick builders and Star Wars fans (myself included) alike can interact with iconic scenes, characters and moments inspired by a galaxy far, far away... like never before as the LEGO SMART Play system makes its debut with three ‘All-In-One' LEGO Star Wars building sets launching on 1st March.

“Our teams work hand-in-hand with best-in-class licensees to bring technology and innovation to products that continue our storytelling in new and unexpected ways," said Paul Gitter, Executive Vice President of Global Brand Commercialisation at Disney Consumer Products. “This milestone in our long-time collaboration with the LEGO Group adds a new dimension to this legacy, continuing to help fans express their creativity and imagination by extending the Star Wars story through play."

Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in a presentation from the LEGO Group, Asad Ayaz, chief brand officer of The Walt Disney Company and president of Disney Entertainment Marketing, and Dave Filoni, chief creative officer of Lucasfilm, LEGO SMART Play building sets will debut with Star Wars vehicles and locales, the perfect playground for epic storytelling, unforgettable characters and endless brick-built adventures.

“We’ve worked with our incredible friends at Lucasfilm for over 25 years, and our focus has always remained on creating original, unique experiences for the fan community through our sets. With LEGO SMART Play, legendary stories and characters of the Star Wars galaxy will come to life like never before.” said Julia Goldin, Chief Product & Marketing Officer of the LEGO Group.

The new platform features more than twenty patented world-firsts within its technology, and the LEGO SMART Brick – at the heart of the platform – is powered by a custom-made chip, measuring smaller than a standard LEGO stud.

The technology has been developed by the LEGO Group’s Creative Play Lab team to enable responsive physical play, breathing new life into builder’s LEGO creations through advanced, invisible technology.

The LEGO SMART Brick is packed with technologies that bring play to life including sensors, accelerometers, light sensing and a sound sensor as well as a miniature speaker driven by an onboard synthesiser, and much more, in addition to easy wireless charging.

LEGO SMART Play will continue to expand through new updates, launches and technology – with the LEGO Group set to reveal more additions in the future.

Discover LEGO Star Wars on LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

Are you excited about LEGO SMART Play LEGO Star Wars sets? Let me know in the comments below.

Sabrina Carpenter stars in The Muppet Show

To celebrate the New Year, Disney has released a teaser trailer for the upcoming special of The Muppet Show, starring Sabrina Carpenter, which will be available on ABC and Disney+ later this year.



From 20th Television, Disney Branded Television, The Muppets Studio and Point Grey Pictures, the special event is directed by Alex Timbers, who also serves as executive producer. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Alex McAtee are executive producers for Point Grey Pictures; David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter and Michael Steinbach are executive producers for The Muppets Studio; Sabrina Carpenter, Albertina Rizzo, Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson are executive producers.

Veteran Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman and Matt Vogel will perform the majority of the iconic Muppet characters in this production, supported by a talented team of additional performers. Dave Goelz, who has performed with The Muppets for over 50 years, was one of the performers on the original The Muppet Show and originated the characters Gonzo and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, among many others.

This year, The Muppet Show celebrates its 50th anniversary. All five seasons of The Muppet Show are currently available to stream on Disney+.

The Muppet Show special will premiere on 4th February on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to The Muppet Show on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

The Music of John Williams ARTE Concert

The festive Force is strong with this concert featuring the music of John Williams, recorded before Christmas.



Read the official synopsis:

"The menacing fanfares of Star Wars, the heroic call of Indiana Jones, the tender melodies of E.T., and the enchanting leitmotifs of Harry Potter: John Williams created unforgettable musical themes, inseparable from the images that have marked the history of cinema. By transforming music into pure emotion, the American composer contributed to the creation of a true contemporary mythology.

In a lively and festive atmosphere, the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra and violinist Nathan Mierdl, conducted by Bastien Stil, invite us to immerse ourselves in this work, both grand and intimate. A magical moment to relive some of the most beautiful soundtracks in the history of film. Because Christmas is also (and above all) about sharing the magic of memories.

Program:
Jurassic Park
Indiana Jones
Harry Potter
E.T the Extra-Terrestrial
Schindler’s List
Star Wars

Filmed on December 18, 2025 in the Radio France Auditorium, Paris."

Have you watched the concert? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Tron: Ares coming to Disney+

The new year ushers in a return to the Grid when the epic sci-fi action-adventure Tron: Ares begins streaming January 7 on Disney+. Directed by Joachim Rønning, the newest chapter in the TRON saga invites fans to experience a striking new world and high-velocity spectacle right from home. The edge-of-your-seat action thrusts audiences into a high-stakes clash between artificial intelligence and humanity, powered by cutting-edge visual effects and an electrifying original score by Nine Inch Nails.

Expanding upon the original Tron and Tron: Legacy film series, Tron: Ares is “a fast-paced, thrilling movie that launches at full throttle and never slows down,” (Jonathan Sim, Coming Soon). Critics also recognize that “Rønning and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth’s canvas pops with colour, contrast and motion, while Nine Inch Nails’ techno-forward score literally rattles your seat” (Joseph Morona, Cleveland.com).

Tron: Ares will be the latest film available in IMAX Enhanced on Disney+, featuring IMAX’s exclusive expanded aspect ratio for all Disney+ subscribers, ensuring that the filmmakers’ creative intent is fully preserved for a more immersive viewing experience at home. Subscribers with certified TVs and AV receivers can also experience IMAX Enhanced sound powered by DTS, featuring the full dynamic range of the original cinematic mix.

Before stepping into the future, return to where the journey began. Tron and Tron: Legacy are now streaming on Disney+, inviting viewers to experience the evolution of the Grid and the legacy that drives directly in Tron: Ares.

Are you looking forward to Tron: Ares on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Millie Bobby Brown loves Star Wars

Talking to Letterboxd, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown revealed Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is one of her all-time favourite films.

Brown also explained that Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith made the list in part because her husband, Jake Bongiovi, loves Star Wars, and Brown enjoys seeing Bongiovi excitedly watching her as she watches the movie.

Are you a fan of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Starfighter wraps filming

It's the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. Director Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) announced principal photography has wrapped on Star Wars: Starfighter. Now, postproduction begins in earnest.

The upcoming film stars Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.

For half a decade, Star Wars has been on the small screen with animated and live-action spin-off series on Disney+. The Mandalorian and Grogu, based on the fan-favourite characters from The Mandalorian, will be in cinemas next year.

Star Wars: Starfighter, a standalone story set 5 years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is due for release on 28th May 2027 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of George Lucas' space opera.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy and safe holiday season.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: Starfighter? Let me know in the comments below.