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.

Is the Force with AI Star Wars fan film?

An AI-generated Star Wars fan film from Kavan Cardoza, AKA Kavan the Kid, has garnered a lot of attention in the mainstream media, from Forbes to The Mirror. The 11-minute short film took 14 days to complete using AI tools like Google's Veo, Midjourney, and Runway.



Read the official synopsis for Star Wars: The Ghost's Apprentice:

"A century after the Skywalker saga, a new chapter unfolds. Jace Moon, a young Jedi, has spent the last decade training under the spectral guidance of his uncle, Orin, a Force Ghost. Now, as a rising darkness emerges—the High Imperium—Jace must step forward to face this growing threat and shape the future of the galaxy."

As an ethical debate continues to surround artificial intelligence (AI), it affords a glimpse into a possible future. From deepfake technology to smartphones, AI is deeply embedded in our daily lives.

What did you think of the AI-generated Star Wars fan film? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Brightstar

Whilst Star Wars fans (myself included) wait for a new movie and further spin-off series on Disney+, fans continue to produce short films based on George Lucas' space opera.

Star Wars: Brightstar, directed by Raphaël Hébert, is an award-winning fan film sans Skywalkers or Mandalorians.



Read the official synopsis:

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a fugitive family living in peace must brace itself when their past has tracked them down."

The 20-minute short film features an electrifying lightsabre duel and an emotional core evoking the original trilogy.

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

Stormtroopers on the Fourth of July

Happy 4th of July to all our US-based readers!

Following months of successfully touring film festivals and comic cons, the next chapter in the Star Wars fan film Stormtroopers is released today.



Read the official synopsis:

"An Imperial Base Station is laid siege by battleship attack & haunting PTSD within its ranks."

I want to give huge congratulations to director Micheal Fitzgerald and his team, who've worked tirelessly on their latest Star Wars fan film.

What did you think of the latest Stormtroopers instalment? Let me know in the comments below.

Stormtroopers win on Star Wars Day

Micheal Fitzgerald has sent over an update regarding the latest episode in his Stormtroopers fan film series to be released later this year, which won big on May the Fourth AKA Star Wars Day.

Guest post by Micheal Fitzgerald

Stormtroopers wins Best Irish Short Film at the May the 4th Sci-Fi Film Festival.

The May the 4th Sci-Fi Film Festival featured the best Irish & International Sci-Fi films in Portmagee, Kerry over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Stormtroopers won a number of awards including:

- Best Irish Short Film
- Best Actress - Carolyn Bracken
- Best VFX - William Beam
- Best Production Design - Micheal Fitzgerald

In the film, an Imperial Base Station is besieged by battleship attack & haunting PTSD within its ranks.

It stars Carolyn Bracken (You Are Not My Mother; Dublin Murders, Balor Hall, The Gone); Pius McGrath (Foundation, The Gates); Peter Cosgrave (Pilgrimage) & Klancy Casey Williams. It is directed by Micheal Fitzgerald (Home & Away; Game of Thrones; Dublin Murders).

Stormtroopers filmed in epic locations including hiking 792m above sea level to film in a dormant volcano in Waterford to diving 30m deep to film underwater in Tipperary while the 32m Large Antenna Array in the National Space Center in Cork doubled as the anchor location for the Imperial Base Station.

The May the 4th Sci-Fi Film Festival premiere follows up on several Stormtroopers event screenings including:

- Mitchelstown Cave Premiere 200ft underground in the chilled prehistoric caverns in March
- Exclusive Dublin Comic Con Premiere in The Convention Centre Dublin also in March
- National Space Centre Homecoming Premiere in April

For further information, please visit the official site.

Are you looking forward to the next episode of Stormtroopers? Let me know in the comments below.

Wes Anderson-inspired Star Wars

An ethical debate surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) is dominating mainstream media as the 'godfather of AI', Geoffrey Hinton, warns of human extinction as he steps away from Google.

Are we facing a nascent moral panic?

From deepfake technology to replacing creatives in the pursuit of profit, AI is deeply embedded in our daily lives. Been using Bard from Google for a few weeks but have no plans to relinquish creative chores to AI (as yet)!

An AI-generated Star Wars fan film, featuring deepfakes of Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray, has been created in the style of director Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), and it's gone viral ahead of Star Wars Day.



Read the synopsis for Star Wars by Wes Anderson Trailer | The Galactic Menagerie:

"Welcome to the "Galactic Menagerie," a whimsical and visually stunning fan-made fake trailer that reimagines the classic Star Wars universe through the eccentric lens of Wes Anderson. This enchanting mashup brings together iconic Star Wars characters with Anderson's trademark symmetrical compositions, pastel color palettes, and quirky humor.

Journey to a galaxy far, far away and experience a unique adventure featuring Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and other fan favorites. Watch as they navigate the Galactic Menagerie, a universe filled with eccentric creatures, charming droids, and peculiar locations reminiscent of Anderson's beloved films such as "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

Don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind fan edit that celebrates the magic of storytelling and the power of imagination. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more extraordinary content. May the force be with you!"

One fan wrote: “I want to see this so much more than any contemporary official Star Wars project.”

“Wow, I need this in my life – this would be actually fun to watch,” wrote another, while someone else added: “The detail in this is astounding. I actually thought this was a Wes Anderson short. Very, very well done!”

What did you think of the AI-generated Star Wars fan film? Let me know in the comments below.

Stormtroopers invade National Space Centre

The Mandalorian's third season has concluded on Disney+ with many fans (myself included) feeling bereft without a weekly fix of Mando and Grogu.

However, I was able to pre-order the Star Wars The Vintage Collection N-1 Starfighter from Hasbro Pulse and Micheal Fitzgerald has sent over an update regarding the next episode in his award-winning Star Wars fan film series, Stormtroopers, just in time for Force Friday.

Guest post by Micheal Fitzgerald

The Stormtroopers Homecoming Premiere lit up the intergalactic National Space Centre in Cork on Saturday night.

The NSC 32m Large Antenna Array features as the key location in the new Stormtroopers episode where an Imperial Base Station is besieged by battleship attack & haunting PTSD within its ranks. Stormtroopers also filmed in epic locations in Cork, Waterford & Tipperary, including hiking 792m above sea level to film in a dormant volcano in Waterford and diving 30m deep to film underwater in Tipperary.

It stars Carolyn Bracken (You Are Not My Mother, Dublin Murders, Balor Hall, The Gone); Pius McGrath (Foundation, The Gates); Peter Cosgrave (Pilgrimage) & Klancy Casey Williams. It is directed by Micheal Fitzgerald (Home & Away, Game of Thrones, Dublin Murders), Stormtroopers was made to platform the storytelling and production quality standards of the highly skilled and diverse Cork-based production crew and interesting cast and epic locations.

The Homecoming Premiere was followed by a Q&A Panel with key cast & crew with brilliant audience momentum and interaction.

The last Stormtroopers episode premiered in 2018 and it has earned over 1.3m YouTube views and a number of awards.

The Homecoming Premiere follows the Mitchelstown Cave Premiere 200ft underground in the chilled prehistoric caverns and a full house at the Dublin Comic Con Premiere in The Convention Centre Dublin in March.

The new Stormtroopers episode next makes it Film Festival Debut when it opens the May The 4th Sci-Fi Film Festival in Portmagee, County Kerry at 7pm on May 4th where it has already been nominated for Key Awards listed below.

May the 4th Sci-Fi Film Festival - Stormtroopers Nominations:

Best Irish Short Film
Best Director - Micheal Fitzgerald
Best Actress - Carolyn Bracken
Best Cinematographer - Billy Cummings
Best Editor - Billy Cummings
Best Score - Brian Lane
Best Visual Effects - William Bean
Best Production Design - Micheal Fitzgerald

For further information, please visit the official site.

Are you looking forward to the next episode of Stormtroopers? How are you celebrating Star Wars Day? Let me know in the comments below.

Stormtroopers at Dublin Comic Con

The next instalment in Stormtroopers, a Star Wars fan film filmed on location in Ireland, premieres at Dublin Comic Con (DCC) on 11th March.

I can't wait to see what Michael Fitzgerald and the talented team have put together this time. Stay tuned for further coverage.

For further information, please visit the official site.

Stormtrooper unboxes a new blaster in E-11

This is the unboxing video Star Wars fans are looking for! Fan films are always fun to watch and sometimes they go above and beyond (special thanks to my friend Earl Barker for the tip-off).



Read the synopsis for E-11: Standard Issues:

"Today TK-421 shows you exclusive first pictures and outstanding test results of the new E-11 - the upcoming standard blaster rifle of the Imperial Forces. Enjoy increased precision, new firing mode and a reworked cooling system for much more power!"

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

Jamie Costa as Robin Williams goes viral

"Mork calling Orson! Come in Orson..."

Previously, I've shared Jamie Costa's Star Wars fan films. Han Solo: A Smuggler's Trade, in which he played the titular captain of the Millennium Falcon, and Star Wars: Origins.

Costa's Robin Williams (The Fisher King) test footage scene is on another level. I implore you to watch it if you haven't already.



Williams was a household name growing up in the seventies and eighties. Mork & Mindy became a welcome escape from childhood trauma and Williams one of the first actors I remember doing impressions of to amuse family and friends.

Costa's clip has, deservedly, gone viral. He effortlessly captures the late actor's zaniness with many fans (myself included) calling for an official biopic.

Worlds of Star Wars and Indiana Jones collide

The 40th anniversary of Indiana Jones is the ideal moment to share this award-winning Star Wars fan film approved by Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill.



Read the official synopsis:

“Star Wars: Origins takes a unique look at where it all began. A thrilling action-adventure film drawing inspiration from both Star Wars and Indiana Jones to tell an epic story based on Earth during WWII. Behind what is possibly the most expensive fan film ever made are award-winning team, and life-long Star Wars fans; writer/director Phil Hawkins filmed on location in the Sahara Desert, Morocco, Star Wars: Origins is a self-funded not-for-profit project and the culmination of three years work.”

The movie stars Marie Everett (What Happened To Monday), Jamie Costa (Han Solo: A Smuggler’s Trade), Hadrian Howard (The Mummy) and Philip Walker.

On his ambitious love letter to George Lucas’ beloved sagas, writer and director Phil Hawkins said, “I’ve been lucky enough to make five feature films in the past — which were released by the likes of Sony Pictures and Netflix — but I could see a great divide from the low-budget films I was making to the scale and ambition of the films I’d like to make. Those films I grew up watching. Star Wars: Origins is hopefully a piece of work to help cross that divide and show the studios what I can do.”

Hawkins' fan film takes its inspiration from the Star Wars Easter eggs in Raiders of the Lost Ark and captures the essence of both beloved Lucasfilm franchises with aplomb.

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

Star Wars fan film: Prequel Trilogy remake

It's New Year's Eve and most of the UK is now in tier 4 (the highest level of restrictions) due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tim Hoekstra, from New Zealand-based Knights of Renesmee, got in touch to 'shamelessly plug' his latest Star Wars fan film, a 6-hour prequel movie marathon filmed during the lockdown, that will help pass the time until 2021. How could I refuse?



I asked Tim: "What was the inspiration and, more importantly, is there going to be a holiday special in 2021?"

"The Star Wars Holiday Special would be extremely fertile ground haha. We'll see..." You heard it here first, folks! Tim went on to explain the creative impulse behind the shot-for-shot remake of Star Wars creator George Lucas' prequel trilogy. "We started almost 4 years ago with Revenge of the Sith, filming it over 5 days (it was holidays, we were bored and none of us had jobs). Our motivation was largely to have fun hanging out which I think you can see in our film. Another motivation was to make something nostalgic we could look back on in 10 years when we all have kids/families etc. After releasing it to Youtube and getting ~50 views in the first week, I woke up one morning and found it on Youtube trending with 100'000 views and from there, completing the trilogy was inevitable..."

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

Star Wars fan film: Scorekeeper

This past year, I've not shared many fan films and wanted to redress that. And to make a new year's resolution to further support the creative fanbases of Doctor Who, Star Wars and more as we continue to navigate the 'new normal' together in 2021.

Scorekeeper is a fun not-for-profit mash-up of Star Wars and Predator franchises from Creative Force Films (CFF), based out of Atlanta, GA. Featuring bounty hunter Bossk from The Empire Strikes Back and The Clone Wars.

"An Elite Rebel Team infiltrates an Imperial outpost on a mission of securing an asset that has vital information. Unbeknownst to them, they are not the only ones on the hunt."



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

Star Wars fan film: The Last Stand

Stormtroopers have always had a bad rep in the Star Wars saga. So, director Sekani Solomon wanted to envisage them in a more serious fashion.

"Star Wars: The Last Stand is a dynamic, gritty and somewhat over the top full CGI depiction of battle-worn storm troopers facing off against an unknown enemy."



Solomon writes on YouTube: "Stormtroopers are often portrayed as somewhat silly and incompetent, so I wanted to create a film to showcase troopers as skilled fighters, which is how I see them. Having the simple idea of showing Stormtroopers fighting, I knew the crux of the project would be to illustrate the battle in an interesting way. To do this I wanted to use dynamic camera angles, focusing on moments and scenes we don’t usually see in Star Wars films. I worked on this piece on and off for 3 years, mostly by myself."

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

Star Wars fan film: Vader v Kenobi duel reimagined

This Star Wars fan film reimagines the final duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness) and Darth Vader (David Prowse) aboard the first dreaded Death Star in A New Hope. A scene infamously spoiled in the track listing for the soundtrack album. And this wouldn't be the last time a major plot spoiler would appear in a Star Wars soundtrack release. Qui-Gon's Noble End in The Phantom Menace is another notorious example.

"Scene 38 Reimagined is about the final confrontation between Ben Kenobi & Darth Vader in A New Hope nearly 20 years after the events of Revenge Of The Sith. This is a one-off story driven scene reflecting the characters in its chronological order from the point of Revenge of the Sith through Rebels, Rogue One, and all canon material leading to A New Hope."



George Lucas endlessly tinkered with the original and prequel trilogies prior to selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012. Those alterations have been met with derision by many fans. However, this fan film is certainly worth a watch in an era dominated by Hollywood bombast and attention deficit, a far cry from the seventies. There's a kineticism at play more in keeping with Kylo Ren's (Adam Driver) rage from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars fan film: Vader Episode 1: Shards of the Past

Star Wars: Episode IX will be in cinemas this December. Whilst we wait for the first teaser trailer for director JJ Abrams' (The Force Awakens) conclusion to the Skywalker saga. Here's an awesome fan film by Danny Ramirez from Star Wars Theory.

Vader Episode 1: Shards of the Past.

"Anakin Skywalker is DEAD.

For eight months, the mysterious Darth Vader has enforced the Emperor’s commands. Fighting between the loss of Padme, and the new cursed life he now leads, Vader must do what must be done when a surviving Jedi Master from Order 66 has lured him to the home planet of his late wife’s tomb…"



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

Stormtroopers fan film screened at IndieCork Festival

Star Wars fans were able to see fan film Stormtroopers, filmed on location in Ireland, on the big screen this week.



Stormtroopers, a big hit with fans around the world, was shown in front of a full house in Screen 1, The Gate Cinema, during IndieCork Film Festival 2018.

Director Micheal Fitzgerald (known for Home & Away & Cork Racing Drive) was delighted fans had an opportunity to see Stormtroopers on the big screen in the wake of its deserved success on YouTube.

For further information, please visit the official site

Stormtroopers panel conquers Dublin Comic Con

The Stormtroopers Star Wars fan film panel and screening, at Dublin Comic Con (DCC), was a resounding success in front of a packed audience in the Convention Centre.

Irish comedian Stephen Mullan did an outstanding job to anchor the screening, panel interviews and Q&A panel with Irish actors Carolyn Bracken, Peter Cosgrove, Klancy Casey Williams, VFX artist William Bean and writer & director Micheal Fitzgerald.



The Q&A with the cast and crew saw fans of all ages asking compelling questions, and each person was awarded a unique custom LEGO Stormtrooper commemorating the fan film.



Stormtroopers is one of the best Star Wars fan films I've seen in a while and that's saying something given the quality of films lovingly crafted by creative folks in our community.

For further information, please visit the official site.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Incels fan film parody

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is seemingly the most divisive instalment in the franchise's storied history, culminating in a level of social media toxicity hitherto unknown. So much so, some fans have vilified cast members - most notably Kelly Marie Tran - and backed a campaign to remake Episode VIII.

So, here's a Star Wars fan film in response to the controversy surrounding director Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi entitled Star Wars: Revenge of the Incels. Revenge of the Incels is framed as a remake of Johnson's Brick.

“Not liking a character in a movie (is one thing), but then going to that actor’s social media pages and saying racist things? Like, that mindset is so just gross to me, and I just needed to make fun of these people. Movies are supposed to be fun and you’re supposed to have a good time, and they’re ruining that.” — Dana James Jones, co-creator of Star Wars: Revenge of the Incels.



Star Wars: Episode IX, directed by JJ Abrams (The Force Awakens), is currently in production for release in December 2019.

Stormtroopers fan film panel at Dublin Comic Con

Star Wars fan film Stormtroopers, filmed on location in Ireland, has been a huge hit with fans around the world and now the cast and crew are appearing at Dublin Comic Con (DCC) this August.

The Stormtroopers panel includes lead actors Carolyn Bracken, Peter Cosgrove, Klancy Casey Williams, VFX artist William Bean from Dog Day Media (known for Ed Sheeran's Songwriter) and writer & director Micheal Fitzgerald (known for Home & Away & Cork Racing Drive).

Dublin Comic Con runs in the Convention Centre Dublin on 10th, 11th & 12th August.

The last few tickets can be sourced from Dublin Comic Con here!