The Mandalorian and Grogu at Steve Jobs Theater

Lucasfilm recently screened The Mandalorian and Grogu at Apple's Steve Jobs Theater.

Read the official description:

"Attendees were treated to a special screening of The Mandalorian and Grogu at Apple’s Steve Jobs Theater courtesy of Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound. Before the screening, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor John Knoll joined Apple’s Alex Lindsay for a discussion about ILM’s legacy with Apple hardware and software and how the studio is developing new software and leveraging the latest Apple technology to streamline the filmmaking process. Watch the film at home on Digital now!"

Pre-order The Mandalorian and Grogu at Amazon (affiliate link).

Have you seen The Mandalorian and Grogu? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars Comics Library Volume 1

Marvel Comics' Star Wars Weekly was a staple of many Star Wars fans' (myself included) childhood. My earliest memory was borrowing a primary school friend's copy of Star Wars Weekly #2 featuring Tusken Raiders attacking Luke Skywalker on the cover!

TASCHEN has announced Star Wars Comics Library Volume 1 1977-1979!

The Greatest Space Fantasy of All!

The first journey into the Star Wars comic book universe

"In January 1976, as George Lucas prepared to shoot his new film, then titled The Star Wars, he asked Marvel Comics to publish a comic book for the film’s release. Marvel’s initial reluctance abated once they understood that Lucas was prepared to give the rights for free. Royalties would only be paid if the comic sold more than 100,000 copies.

Upon the movie’s release in May 1977, Marvel soon realised that they had a mega-hit on their hands. The first issues, scripted by Roy Thomas and drawn by Howard Chaykin, a young artist Lucas had spotted in the indie comic Star*Reach, sold over one million copies, four times the number of Marvel’s top superhero title: The Amazing Spider-Man. Hence, Star Wars became a monthly publication.

With no new film due to drop for at least a few years, and fans ravenous for more stories, Lucasfilm released several novels. But the only regular source of new material was the comic. It continued to outsell all Marvel’s other titles, thanks to the quality of the creators guiding the stories. Thomas and Chaykin were soon joined by writer Archie Goodwin and penciller Carmine Infantino, who took Luke, Han, Leia and Darth Vader all over the galaxy, exploring new worlds and introducing new characters.

The first 23 issues have now been digitally remastered to correct the original era’s inexpensive, imperfect printing, while still capturing the spirit and texture of the comics' historic first release, and collected in an XXL-sized edition: bigger even than a Death Star. This truly out-of-this-world collection includes an in-depth history by comic book historian Peter Sanderson."

Pre-order Star Wars Comics Library Volume 1 1977-1979 at Amazon (affiliate link).

Are you looking forward to Star Wars Comics Library Volume 1 1977-1979? Let me know in the comments below.

The Empire Strikes Back at the BFI IMAX

This August, Star Wars fans can see Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back at the BFI IMAX.

Read the official description:

"The Empire Strikes Back is not only one of the great film sequels of all time, it is the moment when George Lucas and Frank Oz introduced masterful Jedi knight Yoda into the Star Wars series. He takes young Luke Skywalker under his wing to teach him the ways of the Force. The resulting scenes between Hamill and Oz’s puppet are seamless and accomplished. Elsewhere, pioneering special effects are showcased to impressive effect, making for a perfect film in every measurable way."

The three screenings take place on Saturday 15th August, Friday 21st August and Monday 31st August.

Are you booking tickets to see Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back at the BFI IMAX? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars made out of cardboard

In an era of AI-generated slop and algorithms, I stumbled across Star Wars superfan and YouTuber Zach King's loving recreation of the original Star Wars, made out of cardboard!



King enlisted several of his friends to help create the Star Wars reimagining, including on-screen roles for actors Randall Park and Jamie Costa. Costa has previously acted in Star Wars fan films.

"Star Wars has truly inspired so many filmmakers and reshaped how movies are made," King tells SPACE. "As a nod to how groundbreaking those films were, we asked ourselves, what if we made a version out of cardboard and shot it in just five days? That’s exactly what we ended up doing."

I mean, what Star Wars kid (myself included) didn't use cardboard boxes and pretend they were flying the Millennium Falcon or an X-wing into the Death Star trench during school summer holidays?

Have you watched Star Wars made out of cardboard? Let me know in the comments below.

Lucasfilm announces Star Wars: The Experience

Lucasfilm has officially announced Star Wars: The Experience, a large museum exhibit to celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary in 2027.

The roaming exhibit will contain more than 70 objects from a galaxy far, far away.

Star Wars: The Experience will open on 13th February 2027, just before the 50th anniversary re-release of the original Star Wars comes to cinemas. The exhibit will be on display at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until 6th September 2027.

“Star Wars created a cultural landscape that spans decades and delivers massive, undeniable global appeal,” says Larry Dubinski, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute. “Its influence extends far beyond cinema—shaping entertainment, culture, technology, and business, while redefining how stories are created, experienced, and shared across generations. The Franklin Institute is excited to put Philadelphia once again at the center of a major cultural moment with another blockbuster world premiere exhibition in 2027.”

From there, it will visit cities all across North America over the course of 5 years. It will not be going overseas.

Fans (including our very own Nick Smith) attending San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) this month will get the first look at the care put into curating this exhibit over more than four years of collaboration, with exclusive exhibit renderings and other new details.

Are you planning on visiting Star Wars: The Experience? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars fans patrol seaside town

Star Wars fans descended on a Lancashire seaside town for a free six-and-a-half-hour themed event, featuring costumes, market stalls and more.

For years, local fans have organised meet-ups at Cleveleys, on the Fylde Coast, where Andor season one was filmed on the seafront. Cleveleys was transformed into the planet Niamos as part of the filming for Andor in 2021.

Jessica Monger grew up in California, not far from Star Wars creator George Lucas and moved to Cleveleys on the Fylde Coast in 2012.

"I still get giddy thinking about it, especially since I grew up in California next to Modesto, where George Lucas was from," the Star Wars superfan said.

Andor is a prequel spin-off series set before Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Disney+.

"So I move halfway across the globe, and it's right here at my doorstep - yeah, it's brilliant," said Monger, who has lived in the UK for more than 15 years.

Organisers said the event's emphasis was on community spirit and accessibility. This is the way.

Star Wars: Visions gets striking spin-off

On Friday, Lucasfilm dropped an official trailer for Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi on Disney+ and Hulu, first revealed at Anime Expo 2026.



Read the official synopsis:

"This summer, trust in the Force and listen to your heart when Kara resumes her quest to find her missing father and evade Jedi Hunters in Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi, a new limited series from Lucasfilm and Production I.G."

The 8-episode limited anime series is part of an all-new Star Wars: Visions Presents banner, which allows filmmakers to tell longer-form Star Wars: Visions stories. Picking up not long after the events of the Visions shorts, in the new series, Lah Kara continues to train in the ways of the Jedi under Margrave Juro amid an epic journey of self-discovery as she and Juro’s small fellowship of Jedi-in-training embark on a quest to save her father.

Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi, an all-new anime series, streams on 5th August on Disney+ and Hulu.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi on Disney+ and Hulu? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Starfighter footage shown by Disney

During an Infinity Vision presentation in Barcelona, a certification program launched by the Walt Disney Company that verifies premium large format (PLF) cinema screens, Disney showed footage from Star Wars: Starfighter.

The footage was shown behind closed doors to industry professionals attending CineEurope.

Matt Smith, star of Doctor Who and House of the Dragon, has seen a rough cut of Star Wars: Starfighter and describes it as "absolutely blinding!"

According to a synopsis published on IMDb:

"In a rebuilding galaxy, a solitary pilot becomes entangled in a crucial mission as new threats emerge. Their journey may alter the future of the Force itself."

The upcoming film directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) stars Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.

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.

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

Star Wars Zero Company gameplay

This is where the fun begins. During Summer Game Fest 2026, Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm Games shared a gameplay trailer for Star Wars Zero Company.



Read the official synopsis:

"Every Move Counts. Command an elite squad through a gritty and authentic story in Star Wars Zero Company, a single-player turn-based tactics game launching on PC, PlayStation 5 (PS5), and Xbox Series X|S.

Each choice you make could alter the fate of the galaxy in this cinematic original story set in the twilight of the Clone Wars Era."

"Our team has poured everything we love about Star Wars into Zero Company," said Greg Foertsch, CEO and Creative Director at Bit Reactor. "We've worked hand-in-hand with Lucasfilm Games to create an authentic Star Wars story packed with unique new characters, robust character customization, a new ship, Separatist Droids, and much more, all rooted in the conflict of the Clone Wars."

Take command of an elite squad when the new Star Wars video game arrives on PlayStation 5 (PS5), XBOX Series X|S and PC on 27th August.

“Star Wars Zero Company delivers an entirely new experience in the galaxy and for our fans,” says Douglas Reilly, VP and GM of Lucasfilm Games. “It pairs cinematic storytelling with strategic gameplay in a way that feels fresh for the franchise. Some of the most interesting stories come from new perspectives, and Zero Company explores the Clone Wars from deep within the shadows of the conflict, through a lens we haven’t seen before, while still feeling completely authentic to the world fans know.”

Pre-order Star Wars Zero Company at Amazon (affiliate link).

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

Marcia Lucas, who saved Star Wars, dies aged 80

Marcia Lucas, an Oscar-winning editor of Star Wars and ex-wife of Star Wars creator George Lucas, has passed away from cancer at the age of 80.

“Marcia will be remembered as a brilliant storyteller, a trailblazer for women in film, a loving mother and grandmother, a generous host, and a loyal friend whose humor and sparkle filled every room she entered. Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love,” Marcia Lucas’ family said in a statement.

Lucas was a founding force behind Star Wars and helped shape its culture-defining success in 1977.

“Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity — a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen,” the statement added.

During the filming of Star Wars, she suggested to her then-husband that Obi-Wan Kenobi should sacrifice himself fighting Darth Vader on the Death Star. That narrative decision raised the stakes for the film’s third act and set up the conflict between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the sequels.

Along with editors Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew at a fledgling Lucasfilm, Lucas literally saved George Lucas' space opera in the editing suite. The climactic Death Star battle succeeds because of her tireless dedication to storytelling. Forming a foundation for the wizardry of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and John Williams' legendary score.

George Lucas credited her with helping make sense of the vast amount of footage filmed for the climactic Death Star battle.

"It was extremely complex and we had 40,000 feet of dialogue footage of pilots saying this and that," he told Rolling Stone shortly after the film's release.

"Nobody really has ever tried to interweave an actual plot story into a dogfight, and we were trying to do that."

She also collaborated with director Martin Scorsese on a string of his acclaimed 1970s films, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Taxi Driver and New York, New York.

Lucas would go on to work with George Lucas on Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark in an uncredited capacity, and, finally, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

In a poignant quote shared by Lucasfilm, Lucas once described her passion for the craft of editing.

“I love film editing,” she said. “I have an innate ability to take good material and make it better, and to take bad material and make it fair.”

The Mandalorian and Grogu lifts off

It's a long weekend on both sides of the Atlantic, and Star Wars is number one at the box office.

The Mandalorian and Grogu may have garnered mixed reviews with the lowest box office bow in the franchise's storied history. However, it's on track to recoup its $165 million budget with an estimated $103 million opening weekend through Memorial Day in the US and $64 million internationally.

Star Wars fans (myself included) are mostly enjoying the first big-screen adventure in almost 7 years. I’m reminded of childhood cinema trips to see the original trilogy with my late mum! Action figures in tow! Read our spoiler-free review.

Star Wars turns 49 today! Next year, George Lucas' space opera celebrates its 50th anniversary with the original Star Wars back on the big screen, followed by Star Wars: Starfighter on 28th May 2027.

The Mandalorian and Grogu, based on the fan-favourite characters from The Mandalorian on Disney+, is in cinemas and IMAX now.

Have you seen The Mandalorian and Grogu? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

The Mandalorian and Grogu

Star Wars is back on the big screen!

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, based on the fan-favourite characters from The Mandalorian, be more than a feature-length episode that should have been released on Disney+?

Matt, Harry and Luke Charlton don Beskar armour and embark on a family-friendly adventure in a galaxy far, far away...

Guest post by the Charltons

This is the way.

2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest box-office draws in years. Already planning to see well over 5 films this year (I can’t remember the last time that happened) with the kids, it's great to go to the movies and share laughter, shock, awe, and excitement over popcorn.

Our last outing was The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and we had a great time – I couldn’t help but notice just how many times they had to labour the point about putting your mobile phones away and enjoying the movie – I know that since COVID, a lot of people have struggled being separated from their devices for 2 hours but generally speaking I’ve found most people to be respective of these rules – especially at a £15 per person IMAX showing.

Anticipation has been building for The Mandalorian and Grogu for years!

I watched all of The Mandalorian series as they aired on Disney+, Ahsoka season one, too. I’ve dabbled in Star Wars: Rebels, and I haven’t seen all of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, even though I enjoyed the ones I’ve watched so far.

My 10-year-old has gotten really into the series and has watched all of it in the last month. We had a Mandalorian-themed birthday party. I 3D printed him a helmet, we painted it together, and he’s looking at one of the really expensive Darksabers with his birthday money. He was worried that he hadn’t finished Ahsoka yet, and he hasn’t watched Star Wars: Rebels, but he absolutely adores The Mandalorian.

Safe to say, the stakes were high when we booked this movie.

This is our spoiler-free review.

The movie carries a 12A rating in the UK, which means you need an adult to go and see it if you’re not at least 12. The trailers we saw at Cineworld included Scary Movie, which was interesting, but that looks to carry a 12A certificate too – not too surprising for this day and age, but one that’s worth bearing in mind if you are taking smaller kids with you.

Being neurodivergent, we booked the first showing on a Saturday morning, and we arrived in plenty of time to get settled, ear defenders in tow.

We were lucky to get a free poster with each ticket, we passed on the Cineworld exclusive Grogu popcorn buckets as I’ve been told at £34.99 the quality leaves a lot to be desired, but I guess that’s to be expected – we certainly don’t have the same sort of madness over this side of the pond for popcorn buckets and whilst I do have a mouse droid bucket downstairs in my MattCave™ it was gifted to me rather than something I actively sought out to purchase.

The biggest problem I have with these things is once you start putting food in there, how on earth do you get it clean? Then it's sticky, and just no – it doesn’t work for me.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.

You might be wondering if you need to have seen the plethora of Disney+ material that Star Wars has put out there to properly enjoy The Mandalorian and Grogu – and let’s not beat about the bush here, we’re talking hundreds upon hundreds of hours of Star Wars content.

The answer is no. You do not. There’s no overarching story from any series or movie that came before it. If you know who Mando (Pedro Pascal) is and who Grogu is, you’ve got enough to go see it. Even if you don’t I bet you’d have a great time.

Clocking in at 2 hours and 12 minutes runtime plus ads, trailers (no end credits but there’s some good music worth sticking around for), the whole thing feels like a really well put together Mando series/episode, and that isn’t a bad thing.

There are Easter eggs galore, and I have no doubts that on a second or third or even fourth viewing, I will find even more.

I took my 15-year-old and my 10-year-old. My wife would have joined us, but someone needs to stay with the cockapoos, and she often gets the short straw – mainly because I can drive and she cannot – but I’ll take her to see it for a date night, maybe if we can get a babysitter.

One of the things we do – whether it's just us or our autism – is see something on screen, look across at the person we’re watching it with to see if they are reacting with the same unbridled joy that we are – I caught both the kid doing this, and I do it too. There were so many of these moments throughout the entire movie, and I really do feel like I unlocked a core memory here.

This is Star Wars at its very best – I’ve seen it likened to Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau tipping out all of their Star Wars toys and just playing. I can see that totally. What we got was a romping ride filled with surprise, peril, joy, a few jump scares and satisfaction.

Ludwig Göransson does an amazing job on the soundtrack, with his signature Mandalorian theme featuring throughout (much to the joy of Luke – yes, he is named after *that* Luke, and yes, I am his father).

Sigourney Weaver (Alien) is great, the whole cast is, to be honest. We loved every minute of it, and I would quite happily say that this is one of, if not the best movie that Disney have put out there in the Star Wars universe.

I haven’t enjoyed a Star Wars movie at the cinema this much since "Master Skywalker, there are too many of them, what are we going to do?" It’s amazing to share this joy with my children, but I think this movie will appeal to Star Wars fans of all ages, genders, and whatever their situation.

Pure unbridled joy, fist pump moments, and so so many "AWWW!" "WOW!" moments. I saw so many different emotions on the face of my 10-year-old – it made every second of it worth it.

I saw some mixed reviews just after the premiere. I also saw some bad press about it being the lowest opening weekend for a Star Wars movie, but the Rotten Tomatoes scores look to have settled at 63% critic and 89% Popcornmeter with over 2.5k reviews.

Ignore the critics who want to spoil the fun for everyone. Ignore any naysayers who might say Star Wars just isn’t for them anymore.

Go and see it, you won’t regret it.

I bet you laugh out loud at least once, and the smiles command the highest bounty there is.

I’m ordering the soundtrack on vinyl as soon as I finish this review.

Masters of the Universe, Supergirl, Toy Story 5, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Avengers: Doomsday are just some of the movies on our must-see at the cinema list. What’s on yours?

Matt, Harry and Luke.

Have you seen The Mandalorian and Grogu? Let us know in the comments below.

Star Wars actor Tom Kane dies aged 64

Tom Kane, best known to Star Wars fans (myself included) for voicing Yoda and the narrator in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, has died at the age of 64 at a Kansas hospital, surrounded by family.

His talent agency announced the news on Facebook:

"Today we say goodbye to Tom Kane — a legendary voice actor whose work shaped the childhoods and imaginations of millions around the world.

From his unforgettable performances in Star Wars to countless animated series, documentaries, and games, Tom brought wisdom, strength, humor, and heart to every role he touched. His voice became part of our lives, our memories, and the stories we carry with us.

But beyond the incredible career was an extraordinary man. Tom was a devoted husband and father who, alongside his wife, built a loving family of nine children — three biological and six welcomed through adoption and fostering. That compassion and generosity defined who he was just as much as his remarkable talent did.

Though his voice may now be silent, the characters, stories, and love he gave to the world will live on forever.

Rest in peace, Tom Kane. Thank you for everything.

May the Force be with you, always."

The Mandalorian and Grogu in Fortnite

Fortnite and Star Wars fans (myself included) can watch a 10-minute sneak peek from The Mandalorian and Grogu for free this Tuesday.



I enjoyed watching the special look at The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+! Seeing an INT-4 Interceptor (as seen in Matt Ferguson's poster art) in action was so much fun! Hopefully, there'll be more deep cut Easter eggs in the upcoming Star Wars movie!

Whilst speaking about the upcoming Star Wars film, director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) teased that he’s already thinking far beyond this next adventure, especially when it comes to where Grogu’s story is headed in the larger Star Wars universe.

"Creatively, I have a lot of plans, and I have a lot of thoughts about these characters, especially for Grogu. Grogu is a character that is – his species lives for centuries.

“He's on a path to be both a Jedi and a Mandalorian. He's making certain choices and decisions, and he has a great teacher now. And so, as he develops and grows, there's opportunities for stories that would emanate from that."

The Mandalorian and Grogu, based on the fan-favourite characters from The Mandalorian on Disney+, embark on their most thrilling mission yet in The Mandalorian and Grogu, an all-new family-friendly Star Wars adventure filmed for IMAX and opening exclusively in cinemas on 22nd May 2026.

Are you looking forward to The Mandalorian and Grogu? Will you be watching the 10-minute sneak peek in Fortnite? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Starfighter alters the Force

Details regarding Star Wars: Starfighter remain scarce, but an intriguing plot description has emerged from a reliable source.

According to a synopsis published on IMDb:

"In a rebuilding galaxy, a solitary pilot becomes entangled in a crucial mission as new threats emerge. Their journey may alter the future of the Force itself."

The upcoming film directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) stars Ryan Gosling, Flynn Gray, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams.

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.

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

Ahsoka is back for Star Wars anniversary

The second season of Ahsoka, the Star Wars live-action spin-off series starring Rosario Dawson, will premiere on Disney+ in early 2027, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of George Lucas' space opera.

Dawson, who has played the fan-favourite character in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, made the announcement at Disney's Upfront presentation to advertisers. She also introduced a behind-the-scenes sizzle reel showcasing some of the making of season two.

Lucasfilm president and series showrunner Dave Filoni has described the new season as “all-out war” between Grand Admiral Thrawn and the New Republic forces led by Admiral Ackbar.

Hayden Christensen is set to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano's former master, in season two.

Since season one of Ahsoka in 2023, Lucasfilm has scaled back on Star Wars projects. Skeleton Crew and the second and final season of Andor are the only live-action series to be released.

The Mandalorian and Grogu hit the big screen on 22nd May. 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+?

Are you looking forward to Ahsoka season two on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars actor Michael Pennington dies aged 82

The veteran stage and screen actor Michael Pennington, best known for his role as Death Star Commander Moff Jerjerrod in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, is understood to have passed away at the age of 82, according to Fantha Tracks.

His good friend and fellow screen veteran Miriam Margolyes (Harry Potter) confirmed news of his passing in a touching tribute on social media:

“Michael Pennington has died.

“An old friend, from Cambridge days, a very fine actor, brilliant, wise, clear. I am sad beyond measure.

“Bless your dear memory. Old chum.”

Much of Pennington's footage from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi ended up on the cutting room floor (deleted scenes are available online). However, Moff Jerjerrod was a fan-favourite, and I fondly remember quoting his memorable lines on the school playground in 1983 and later in a 1990s newsroom.

He most recently narrated Icons Unearthed: Star Wars.

How Lucasfilm Games kept Star Wars alive

A long time ago, before I started blogging, I wrote video game reviews for a Mac gaming site in the early noughties, starting with Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.

The circle is now complete.

Star Wars: Gamers' Søren Kamper approached me with an idea for an article about how Lucasfilm Games kept Star Wars alive following Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. How could I resist? Søren, you have the conn.

Guest post by Søren Kamper

When Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arrived in 1983, it gave the original trilogy a triumphant ending, complete with Ewoks, fireworks, and Darth Vader making the correct career move. But for a generation of fans, it also raised a strange question: what happens when the story seems over?

There were no new Star Wars films on the immediate horizon. Star Wars survived in toys, novels, comics, VHS tapes, and playground arguments about whether Boba Fett was truly gone. But one of the most important forces keeping the galaxy alive was quietly humming away on home computers and consoles: Lucasfilm Games.

As covered in Welcome to Lucasfilm, Lucasfilm Games carries a deep sense of nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the 8-bit Atari and Commodore 64 era. That nostalgia matters because these early games were not just merchandise. They were a way of travelling back to the galaxy when the cinema doors had seemingly closed.

The Galaxy Needed Somewhere to Go

Lucasfilm Games was established in 1982, just before Star Wars: Return of the Jedi completed George Lucas’ original trilogy. Its first titles, including Rescue on Fractalus! and Ballblazer, were not Star Wars games, but they showed the studio’s early DNA: technical curiosity, science-fiction atmosphere, and a willingness to treat games as more than branded distractions.

That distinction is important. Lucasfilm Games did not initially keep Star Wars alive by simply pumping out film adaptations. It helped keep the spirit of Lucasfilm alive by experimenting. The same company that had made audiences believe in X-wings, lightsabers, and trench runs was now asking what else could be done with a screen, a joystick, and a little imagination.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the original trilogy had become a home-video fixture, the Expanded Universe (EU) was gathering strength, and players wanted more than simplified recreations of famous scenes. They wanted to live in the galaxy. Lucasfilm Games, later LucasArts, understood that better than almost anyone.

X-Wing Made Star Wars Feel Serious Again

If one game truly announced that Star Wars could be reborn through interactive storytelling, it was Star Wars: X-Wing in 1993. This was not just “remember the trench run?” with better packaging. It was a proper PC space combat simulator that asked players to manage power systems, follow mission briefings, and survive as Rebel pilots in a campaign that treated the Galactic Civil War as a living conflict.

That mattered enormously. In the long gap between Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, X-Wing made Star Wars feel operational again. The Rebellion had missions. The Empire had patrols. Convoys needed protecting. Capital ships loomed. Suddenly, Star Wars was not a trilogy you rewatched; it was a place you reported for duty.

For a fuller historical breakdown, the Complete List of All Star Wars Games Ever Made at Star Wars: Gamers shows just how central the 1990s became to the franchise’s gaming identity. The decade did not merely fill the dead air between film releases. It built an entire interactive wing of Star Wars fandom.

TIE Fighter Gave the Empire a Cockpit

Star Wars: TIE Fighter arrived in 1994 and remains one of the bravest ideas in the franchise’s gaming history. Instead of putting players back in the Rebel Alliance, it placed them inside the Imperial Navy. You were not Luke Skywalker. You were following orders, defending Imperial interests, and realising that Star Wars could become more interesting when games were allowed to shift perspective.

That is where LucasArts separated itself from ordinary licensed game development. The studio was not just adapting Star Wars. It was finding playable angles that the films could not easily explore. The Star Wars Games of the 1990s archive captures this period well: flight sims, shooters, and console adventures turned the decade into a genuine expansion era.

TIE Fighter also proved that games could complicate Star Wars without breaking it. The Empire was still the Empire. Darth Vader was not suddenly running a charity. But from inside the cockpit, the conflict felt different.

Dark Forces Opened Another Door

Then came Star Wars: Dark Forces in 1995, and suddenly the galaxy had boots on the ground. Kyle Katarn was not a Skywalker, not a Jedi, and not a movie character waiting for his close-up. He was a former Imperial turned mercenary, and his world felt grubbier, moodier, and more dangerous than the polished heroics of the films.

Generation Star Wars has already highlighted Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, and it is easy to see why the game still has a hold on players. Dark Forces expanded the galaxy without making it feel less like Star Wars. Imperial bases, secret weapons, sabotage missions, and the Dark Trooper project gave players a story that felt adjacent to the films rather than trapped beneath them.

The 1990s Became the Second Life of Star Wars

By the middle of the 1990s, LucasArts had helped turn Star Wars into a living archive of playable experiences. Rebel Assault used CD-ROM spectacle to make Star Wars feel cinematic on home computers. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire became part of a multimedia experiment that treated a story between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi like a major event, even without a film. Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II pushed Kyle Katarn into Force mythology with live-action cutscenes and branching choices.

Not every game was perfect. Some have aged like blue milk left too close to a binary sunset. But collectively, they did something vital. They kept the galaxy moving. For fans who discovered Star Wars on VHS, these games were often the main course. They let players fly, sneak, shoot, race, and explore during an era when Star Wars could easily have become a museum piece.

From LucasArts to Lucasfilm Games Again

That is why the closure of LucasArts in 2013 hit so hard. The Generation Star Wars article LucasArts closed and game over for Star Wars 1313 captured the feeling at the time: it was the end of an era, and not just because a studio name had disappeared. For many fans, LucasArts was where Star Wars had gone during the quiet years.

The name has since returned through Lucasfilm Games, now coordinating Star Wars projects with studios across the industry. That modern model is different from the old in-house LucasArts era, but the mission is familiar.

As the Star Wars: Galactic Racer gameplay trailer coverage shows, Lucasfilm Games still understands the power of reaching back into gaming memory and finding something worth reviving.

That may be the real legacy of Lucasfilm Games after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. It did not merely keep Star Wars commercially visible. It kept the galaxy playable. It gave fans agency at a time when the films had gone quiet. It transformed nostalgia into missions, cockpits, corridors, lightsaber duels, and loading screens.

Following Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Lucasfilm Games helped prove that Star Wars did not need to be on cinema screens to feel alive. Sometimes, all it needed was a keyboard, a joystick, a mission briefing, and the sound of a TIE fighter screaming past.

What are your favourite Lucasfilm Games or LucasArts memories? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars Weekender at the Royal Albert Hall

May the Fourth be with you! The Royal Albert Hall has announced its first-ever Star Wars in-concert Weekender with two screenings of each film from the original trilogy taking place over four days - Thursday 29th April to Sunday 2nd May 2027 - to celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary.

The screenings of Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert will be accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), who famously recorded the original movie soundtracks with composer and conductor John Williams.

Sarah Quinn, LSO Chair and Sub-Principal Second Violin, said:

"From that triumphant opening chord on the first recording session for A New Hope in Anvil Studios, the Star Wars ‘sound’ has become synonymous with the London Symphony Orchestra, which carries the DNA of John Williams’s music in its blood. What better way to celebrate this anniversary than reliving the original trilogy in full, and we look forward to sharing these momentous performances at the Royal Albert Hall."

Screening schedule:

29th April - 2nd May

Thursday 29th April 2027

7:30pm - Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert (U)

Friday 30th April 2027

7:30pm - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert (PG)

Saturday 1st May 2027

2pm - Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert (U)

7:30pm - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert (PG)

Sunday 2nd May 2027

1pm - Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert (PG)

6:30pm - Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert (PG)

Are you attending the LSO Star Wars Weekender at the Royal Albert Hall in 2027? Let me know in the comments below.

Hasbro announces animatronic Ultimate Grogu

Our friends at Hasbro have sent over details regarding an animatronic Ultimate Grogu to celebrate Star Wars Day and the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu on the big screen.

Few characters have defined modern pop culture quite like Grogu. First capturing hearts on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, the breakout Star Wars character’s story is set to continue on the big screen in the upcoming film Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu starring Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. Hasbro is bringing that cultural phenomenon to collectors’ shelves with Ultimate Grogu, a meticulously crafted 1:1 scale animatronic designed for collectors, fans, and cosplayers alike.

“Our goal with Ultimate Grogu was to make fans feel like he’s truly part of their world,” said Adam Biehl, Head of Disney Action Brands at Hasbro. “Our design and development team spent hours studying how the character came to life in The Mandalorian series, striving to capture his personality and movements in a way that honors what Lucasfilm delivered in entertainment. Powered by our long-standing collaboration with Disney Consumer Products, we’re launching the most life-like, interactive, and expressive Grogu character Hasbro has ever created.”

The Ultimate Grogu features built-in motors, sensors, and microphones to deliver over 250 animations and sounds. The animatronic boasts three different modes of play which include endearing movements like waving, giggling and even “toddling” forward, in ways that make him incredibly life-like. Crafted with premium materials and authentic detailing, the figure includes accessories and tailoring true to the fan-favorite character’s screen appearance.

As Claire Goolsby, one of the Hasbro electrical engineers who worked on the toy, explains:

“One of the things that we’re excited to bring to life in this product is directional audio sensing. He has two microphones in him that are strictly listening for noise. When we’re in a less-crowded environment, those will be active, and he’s going to turn left or right or toward the center to really make him feel like he is part of your dinner table, your game night, or any sort of action.”

Ultimate Grogu is available for pre-order now on Hasbro Pulse, Amazon, and Fan Channel retailers, with two pre-order options launching simultaneously. The first option with standard packaging will begin shipping in early 2027. For fans looking to receive sooner, a limited run of First Edition quantities featuring special edition packaging and a collector card will ship in late 2026.

Pre-order Ultimate Grogu at Amazon (affiliate link).

Are you getting an Ultimate Grogu? Let me know in the comments below.