Star Wars fan film: Han Solo: A Smuggler's Trade

Whilst Star Wars fans wait for the as-yet-untitled Han Solo spin-off movie from Lucasfilm. Why not watch Star Wars fan film Han Solo: A Smuggler's Trade.

"The Universe's favorite intergalactic smuggler sets out on an epic quest to rescue an old friend. He uses his mechanical skills, cunning wit, and his creative interpretation of the rules to fight, flirt, bribe, and barter his way to victory. But will it be enough? Before there was A New Hope, there was Han Solo -- just an outlaw trying to survive in a galaxy more corrupt than he is... and far less forgiving."



This is a labour of love from director Keith Allen. Jamie Costa's Han Solo is not too shabby at all. There's an Indiana Jones vibe to proceedings, and that's no bad thing given both Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises are owned by Disney.

I've featured fan films in the past and am going to increase coverage going forward.

If you have a Star Wars fan film you'd like to share, please contact me.

Jeff Goldblum cast in sequel to Jurassic World

THR exclusively reports actor Jeff Goldblum is returning to the land that time forgot.

Goldblum will be reprising his iconic role as Dr. Ian Malcolm, the self-proclaimed chaotician, for the first time since The Lost World: Jurassic Park. He's joining co-stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in the first Jurassic World sequel.

Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow has handed directing chores to J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls). Trevorrow is busy over at Lucasfilm preparing for Star Wars: Episode IX.

The next installment in the Jurassic World franchise is slated for release 22nd June, 2018.

Disney reshuffles Star Wars and Indiana Jones

Disney's announced updated release dates for its Lucasfilm franchises.

Star Wars: Episode IX, directed by Colin Trevorrow, will be in theatres 24th May, 2019. A year after the Han Solo spin-off movie and not December as expected by most fans. Marking a return to the summer blockbuster ethos of the original and prequel trilogies.

Meanwhile, Indiana Jones has been moved back to 10th July, 2020. Director Steven Spielberg is at the helm with Harrison Ford reprising the titular role.

So, what do you think about the move from December to May for the final installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy? Personally, I like opening my Star Wars presents during the holiday season. Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars Day CuffLinks.com giveaway

The fine folks at CuffLinks.com are celebrating Star Wars Day with a galactic giveaway to mark the 40th anniversary of Star Wars' release in the US this May.

CuffLinks.com sent over a selection of their licensed Star Wars products and, as you can see, these are high quality cufflinks that fans will want to collect and wear. The classic Star Wars branded boxes can be displayed with pride too.

A post shared by John Hood (@johnhood) on Apr 24, 2017 at 3:30am PDT

Here's the important details on the Star Wars Day giveaway:

• Provide first/last name and email address
• Grand Prize (1): $700 value gift of Star Wars accessories
• Second Prize (10): 1 pair of Darth Vader socks

The competition runs 25th April thru 3rd May. The winner will be announced on Star Wars Day, May the Fourth, with 40% off Star Wars items across the store.

To enter simply visit CuffLinks.com. No purchase necessary.

Good luck and may the Force be with you. Always.

The Force Is Here!
Shop the premier place for the complete officially licensed Star Wars Cufflinks Collection, brought to you by Cufflinks, Inc. Accept no imitators, our collection is officially licensed by Lucasfilm Ltd.

This blog post is sponsored by CuffLinks.com and therefore I may receive compensation for any referrals.

Star Wars fan film: The Force and the Fury

Star Wars fan films have thrived since the original trilogy. Now, Star Wars: The Force and the Fury continues the tradition and is dedicated to the memory of the late Carrie Fisher.

Fellow fans are going to love this.

"A Jedi crash lands on a barren planet and is pursued by a mysterious Sith who seems to know him."



Fan films can be an excellent opportunity for aspiring filmmakers to showcase their talents. Kudos to Star Wars: The Force and the Fury writer and director Jason Satterlund.

If you have a Star Wars fan film you'd like to share, please contact me.

Source: LFF

Xbox Games with Gold celebrates Star Wars this May

Star Wars celebrates its 40th anniversary this May. So, Games with Gold has something for Star Wars fans.

This May subscribers can download Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga for free. Both titles are backwards compatible on Xbox One.

I've purchased them previously and would recommend any fan to try them. LEGO Star Wars games are always a treat and The Complete Saga is no exception.

What's your favourite Star Wars video game? Let me know in the comments below.

The Battlefront game Star Wars fans are looking for

EA dropped a trailer for Star Wars Battlefront II during Star Wars Celebration. Unlike its predecessor, the new game will traverse all three Star Wars trilogies and that's a mouthwatering proposition for fans.



The upcoming sequel will include a single player (SP) campaign written by former IGN staffers Mitch Dyer and Walt Williams. The latter is best known for Spec Ops: The Line.

Star Wars Battlefront II follows Iden Versio (Janina Gavankar), commander of Inferno Squad an Imperial special forces unit, in the wake of the second Death Star's destruction in Return of the Jedi. It's an interesting premise focussing on the Empire's perspective with a female protagonist a la FemShep fighting for Cerberus in Mass Effect 2.

Will Versio side with the Rebellion by the end or remain faithful to her beloved late Emperor? Gamers will learn the answer this November.

As with Mass Effect: Andromeda. EA Access members will have early access to Star Wars Battlefront II on Xbox One.

Looking forward to Star Wars Battlefront's single player? Let me know in the comments below.

Carrie Fisher helped write Star Wars: The Last Jedi

During The Last Jedi panel at Star Wars Celebration, director Rian Johnson revealed the late Carrie Fisher assisted with the screenplay for the first sequel to The Force Awakens.

"It was such a moving tribute... I don't know if I can add to that. I love her so much, I just adore her. I connected with her first and foremost as a writer. She's a brilliant writer, with an incredible mind. I'd go to her house and we'd sit on her bed for hours, going through the script. (We) would just have these kind of stream-of-consciousness, Jazz poetry, ad-lib sessions, and I would just scribble down everything she said on my script. And then at the end of six hours, there would be this four word line of dialogue that would be the distillation of all that, that was brilliant."

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, speaking exclusively to ABC News, clarified Carrie Fisher would not be appearing in Star Wars: Episode IX following her brother Todd's remarks to the New York Daily News.

“He was probably confused because we finished everything in VIII… we were able to complete shooting in the summer… Unfortunately, Carrie passed away, so by the time we were well underway with Episode IX in our thoughts, we had not written the script yet. But we’ve regrouped, we started over again in January. So, sadly, Carrie will not be in IX.”

This is sad news for fans. However, director Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi appears to be a fitting swan song for the beloved actress and writer. The first teaser trailer dropped during Star Wars Celebration and suggests a more mythological tale with tragedy at its core.

A tribute to Carrie Fisher at Star Wars Celebration

Cast and crew pay tribute to the late Carrie Fisher at Star Wars Celebration during an emotional 40 Years of Star Wars panel featuring franchise creator George Lucas.

Force for Change on Good Morning America

Star Wars: The Last Jedi co-stars Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley appeared on Good Morning America to promote Force for Change in celebration of Star Wars' 40th anniversary.



Fans have a chance to win an appearance in the upcoming Han Solo spin-off movie, a night at Skywalker Ranch and attend the premiere of The Last Jedi. What's not to like and, best of all, you're helping a charitable cause.

Hamill and Ridley will be joining past and present cast members at Star Wars Celebration this Thursday.

Fans can donate to Force for Change here.

Carrie Fisher to appear in Star Wars: Episode IX?

The late Carrie Fisher may appear in Star Wars: Episode IX after her family gave their permission to use existing footage from The Force Awakens and first sequel The Last Jedi. Carrie's brother, Todd, recently spoke to The New York Daily Times:

“She’s as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi-Wan — when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that's what's happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue.”

General Leia's role in Episode IX, directed by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), is unclear and Disney has said the script is not being rewritten. The final installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy is expected to begin lensing this July for release in December 2019.

Fisher will be remembered during an emotional 40th anniversary panel at Star Wars Celebration this Thursday. It is expected a teaser trailer for The Last Jedi will be shown and a standalone Obi-Wan Kenobi movie, with Ewan McGregor reprising the titular role, will be announced during the 4-day event in Orlando.

Forest Whitaker at Star Wars Celebration

Forest Whitaker, who plays Saw Gerrera in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars Rebels, returns to Star Wars Celebration.

Whitaker will be making his second Star Wars Celebration appearance, and will also stop by the Star Wars Show LIVE stage with Rogue One co-star Felicity Jones, on Saturday, for a one-on-one chat.

Star Wars Celebration Orlando begins 13th April, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Star Wars' US release and rumoured to premiere the first teaser trailer for The Last Jedi.

Xbox Scorpio specs officially revealed this Thursday

This Thursday Digital Foundry will exclusively reveal the specs for Microsoft's upcoming successor to the Xbox One. Project Scorpio.

It is claimed the new Xbox is much more powerful than PS4 Pro. So, the announcement will be of great interest to gamers ahead of a full unveiling at E3. It has been confirmed the console will include a 4K Blu-ray disc player and internal power supply like the Xbox One S.

Quite a coup for Digital Foundry, which is known for its in-depth critical analysis of hardware and software. The Xbox brand has been subject to fair criticism since the bungled launch of the Xbox One in 2013 and PS4's subsequent domination of the current console generation.

Phil Spencer, and his team at Microsoft, must have something special if the company is prepared to take this kind of risk. Spencer alluded to an early Scorpio reveal during IGN's Unlocked Podcast in which he said the emphasis would be on games at E3.

Digital Foundry will reveal the specs, via Eurogamer, on Thursday at 2PM (BST).

Are you excited about Xbox Scorpio and native 4K gaming? Let me know in the comments below.

Hayden Christensen at Star Wars Celebration

May marks the 40th anniversary of Star Wars' release in the US. So, this year's Star Wars Celebration is extra special for fans.

Hayden Christensen is appearing at Star Wars Celebration for the first time since 2002, which has fuelled ongoing speculation he's reprised his role as Anakin Skywalker in director Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi. The actor's likeness appeared in Gareth Edwards' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Christensen's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker, in the Star Wars prequels, was met with mixed reaction until the latter moments of Revenge of the Sith. Most notably when a dismembered Skywalker solidifies Obi-Wan Kenobi's (Ewan McGregor) failure. However, Natalie Portman delivers a bland performance herself. This could be attributed to the director, dialogue and an over-reliance on special effects. Therefore, I'm optimistic given Johnson's focus on a character-driven story.

Hayden Christensen joins Mark Hamill and more at a special "40 Years of Star Wars" panel on 13th April. Lucasfilm teased the lineup:

"Never before have this many involved in bringing Star Wars to life — from the original trilogy to the prequels to the current Star Wars Rebels animated series — joined together in one place to discuss a galaxy far, far away. Plenty of surprises are in store so fans will not want to miss this very important kick-off to Celebration."

Stay tuned for more coverage of Star Wars Celebration.