Lucasfilm has announced Ahsoka's midseason episode, directed by series showrunner Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels), will be shown in selected cinemas across the globe on the 12th of September.
This is the first global Star Wars screening since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019.
Following events in episode 4, which I won't spoil, I envy fellow UK-based fans attending the soldout Empire x Ahsoka midseason celebration screening in London next Tuesday.
New episodes of Ahsoka drop every Tuesday exclusively on Disney+.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was the last big screen instalment in the franchise before the pandemic. Rumours suggest there will be an announcement regarding at least three new movies at Star Wars Celebration Europe.
One of the movies is expected to follow either Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) or Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). Could this be directed by Taika Waititi (Thor: Love and Thunder) or Shawn Levy (Deadpool)?
There's even a suggestion that a Star Wars movie will drop exclusively on Disney+ during the 4-day event in London. Perhaps the first instalment in the Thrawn trilogy?
Whatever is announced, I'm looking forward to it.
As I've written previously, Star Wars Celebration Europe is fantastic fun (with a bit of judicious planning and budgeting) and a unique opportunity to meet fellow fans and forge new friendships through all things Star Wars. For example, I'm still in contact with fans I met from Australia in 2016.
We'll be covering the official Lucasfilm fan event that also celebrates the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. So stay tuned for further updates.
What are your thoughts regarding a new Star Wars movie? What would you like to see? Let me know in the comments below.
The latest episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+ channels Game of Thrones, and features a surprising redemption arc.
Following last week's Coruscant capers in The Convert, which potentially ties into Emperor Palpatine's (Ian McDiarmid) return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Foundling briskly explores Grogu's past as Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) go in pursuit of dragons in an adventure worthy of Classic Star Wars comics strips.
Grogu experiences a flashback to Order 66 from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and his surprising saviour is finally revealed. No, it's not Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) saving Baby Yoda from 501st Legion clone troopers, led by Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen), as they storm the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, it's Ahmed Best!
Best is perhaps infamously known for playing Jar Jar Binks in George Lucas' prequel trilogy. Here, Best is playing Jedi Master Kelleran Beq and it's a joy to behold as he valiantly battles clone troopers and escapes from Coruscant with Grogu.
I hope we see Beq again.
The Mandalorian is tantamount to Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels) unleashing the contents of a mythological toy box with the power of Epic Games' Unreal Engine. It’s film school for geeks with knowing nods to spaghetti western and tech noir genres.
More galactic joy ride than a deep character-driven rumination on love and loss like Pascal’s other hit television series, The Last of Us. And I’m fine with that.
In related news on Disney+. Star Wars: The Bad Batch season two follows Omega and Clone Force 99 as Filoni's animated spin-off series continues to explore events between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope with the maturity of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
Are you watching The Mandalorian on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.
Betwixmas brings Spider-Man: No Way Home a billion-dollar bonanza in theatres for Sony Pictures!
It's the first movie to reach that box office milestone since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concluded George Lucas' 9-part space opera, which was the last movie I saw before the pandemic, in 2019.
Whilst I've had the booster vaccine, I remain reluctant to venture into the cinema due to health reasons. So, in place of a press screener, Nick Smith, our resident US-based stellar scribe, will be reviewing Spidey's latest and greatest at his local multiplex. I'll wait to see it on Netflix (hopefully on an LG OLED) in 2022.
Have you seen Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let me know in the comments below.
As part of its Hallowstream celebration, Disney+ announced in August LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales, which is in the spirit of last year's LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special.
An official trailer for the upcoming Halloween special dropped today.
Read the official synopsis:
“Poe and BB-8 must make an emergency landing on the volcanic planet Mustafar where they meet the greedy and conniving Graballa the Hutt who has purchased Darth Vader’s castle and is renovating it into the galaxy’s first all-inclusive Sith-inspired luxury hotel. While waiting for his X-Wing to be repaired, Poe, BB-8, Graballa, and Dean (a plucky and courageous young boy who works as Graballa’s mechanic) venture deep into the mysterious castle with Vader’s loyal servant, Vaneé. Along the way, Vaneé shares three creepy stories linked to ancient artifacts and iconic villains from across all eras of Star Wars. As Vaneé spins his tales and lures our heroes deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the castle, a sinister plan emerges. With the help of Dean, Poe and BB-8 will have to face their fears, stop an ancient evil from rising, and escape to make it back to their friends.”
LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales stars Jake Green as Poe Dameron, Raphael Alejandro as Dean, Dana Snyder as Graballa the Hutt, Tony Hale as Vaneé, Christian Slater as Ren, Trevor Devall as Emperor Palpatine, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as NI-L8 and Matt Sloan as Darth Vader.
Like the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales is a follow-up to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and streams exclusively on Disney+ from 1st October.
Are you looking forward to LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales this Halloween? Let me know in the comments below.
As part of its Hallowstream celebration, Disney+ has announced LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales, which is in the spirit of last year's LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special.
Here's the official synopsis:
“Poe and BB-8 must make an emergency landing on the volcanic planet Mustafar where they meet the greedy and conniving Graballa the Hutt who has purchased Darth Vader’s castle and is renovating it into the galaxy’s first all-inclusive Sith-inspired luxury hotel. While waiting for his X-Wing to be repaired, Poe, BB-8, Graballa, and Dean (a plucky and courageous young boy who works as Graballa’s mechanic) venture deep into the mysterious castle with Vader’s loyal servant, Vaneé. Along the way, Vaneé shares three creepy stories linked to ancient artifacts and iconic villains from across all eras of Star Wars. As Vaneé spins his tales and lures our heroes deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the castle, a sinister plan emerges. With the help of Dean, Poe and BB-8 will have to face their fears, stop an ancient evil from rising, and escape to make it back to their friends.”
Hollywood actor Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) makes his Star Wars debut as Ren. The Ren a young Ben Solo killed in order to become the leader of the Knights of Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Slater previously cameoed in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Here's hoping he'll appear in a live-action Star Wars spin-off, too.
Like the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales is a follow-up to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and streams exclusively on Disney+ from 1st October.
Are you looking forward to LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales this Halloween? Let me know in the comments below.
Daisy Ridley reads fictional Star Wars quotes, as her character Rey, on Comedy Central whilst promoting the long-delayed Chaos Walking co-starring Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home).
Ridley's comedic timing is pitch-perfect, and she drops f-bombs with aplomb!
Disney has released a new trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon.
The latest movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios will premiere in selected cinemas and on Disney+ 5th March. It will be available to stream at additional cost to Disney+ subscribers with Premier Access.
Although I didn't bother with the live-action Mulan, Raya and the Last Dragon is more my jam and an uplifting tale of friendship in adversity is a welcome tonic in lockdown.
Raya is played by Kelly Marie Tran, who was trolled on social media for her role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and given scant screen time in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and is clearly having a blast headlining here.
"Everything's been taken away from Raya," producer Osnat Shurer said. "She's totally on her own. She's got nothing left save for her father's sword, her friend, Tuk Tuk, and a shard of something that might be magical. And she sets out into Kumandra seeking the last dragon, Sisu, with the hope of restoring peace to her land."
Raya and the Last Dragon was uniquely produced in homes during the pandemic. Whilst nothing can replace the serendipity of working closely together, technology (pioneered by Apple and Lucasfilm) has enabled socially distanced creatives to collaborate on a world stage. This blog, itself, is a beneficiary.
"As filmmakers, [directors] Don [Hall] and Carlos [López Estrada] bring a combination of animation know-how and emotional storytelling to Raya and the Last Dragon, bringing our fantasy adventure to surprising, original, and dynamic heights," Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee explains. "They both saw the potential for this film and had a strong vision for the story, especially for our lead character, played by the wonderfully talented Kelly Marie Tran. And no small feat, directors Don and Carlos, writers Qui [Nguyen] and Adele [Lim], and the entire crew of 400 Disney Animation artists are making this film together, while separated and working from home."
There are no viewing figures for Pixar's Soul, which was released on Disney+ last Christmas. However, if this strategy continues to be successful in driving Disney+ subscriptions upwards of 90 million, Marvel Studios' delayed Black Widow could be next in line to receive a simultaneous release in cinemas and on Disney+.
Are you looking forward to Raya and the Last Dragon? Let me know in the comments below.
Christmas is coming early for Star Wars fans (myself included). On Thursday Lucasfilm released a trailer for the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special and The Mandalorian and The Child AKA Baby Yoda make an appearance on Life Day.
Here's the official synopsis:
"The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day. Rey sets off on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films. But will she make it back in time for the Life Day feast and learn the true meaning of holiday spirit?"
Set after The Rise of Skywalker, Rey sets out with BB-8 to learn more about the Force and meets friends and foes from the entire Skywalker Saga in a festive timey-wimey tale.
The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special arrives on 17th November on Disney+.
Will you be watching this fun homage to the infamous television special from 1978? Let me know in the comments below.
Lucasfilm has announced further cast members reprising their roles for the upcoming The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special on Disney+.
Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO join the cast.
“We’re particularly thrilled that these great actors from the Star Wars family chose to reprise their roles and came to play in this LEGO sandbox,” Josh Rimes, director of animation development at Lucasfilm, says.
Set after The Rise of Skywalker, Rey sets out with BB-8 to learn more about the Force and meets friends and foes from the entire Skywalker Saga. The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special arrives on 17th November on Disney+.
Are you looking forward to a LEGO Star Wars spin on the maligned television special from 1978? Let me know in the comments below.
Force Friday, the merchandising event that started with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, isn't happening this year and not because of the global pandemic. But that doesn't mean there won't be new Star Wars merchandise this holiday season.
The long-awaited Black Series Rey (Dark Side Vision) (affiliate link), from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, was announced for next February during the first-ever Hasbro PulseCon, a 2-day online event celebrating all things Hasbro.
"While searching for the Sith wayfinder, Rey envisions her turn to the dark side. Wielding a double-bladed Lightsaber, her rage and immense power is frightening. This Star Wars The Black Series Rey (Dark Side Vision) 6-Inch Action Figure includes cape and lightsaber."
Alongside Rey are fun holiday-themed Black Series Stormtroopers (affiliate link), which includes decked-out repaints of the Range Trooper from Solo: A Star Wars Story, a Clone Trooper from the prequel trilogy, a Stormtrooper from the original trilogy, a Snowtrooper from The Empire Strikes Back and a Sith Trooper from The Rise of Skywalker.
But that's not all! The Mandalorian (affiliate link) gets a Kenner-branded vintage collection release and there's a Boba Fett (affiliate link) deluxe action figure from Return of the Jedi. And in 2021 there's going to be a Black Series Ahsoka Tano Force FX Elite Lightsaber.
There's more, much more. So, watch Hasbro PulseCon 2020 Day 1 below and lookout for exclusives at your favourite retailers.
Are you hoping to find Black Series and Kenner-branded vintage collection action figures under the tree this holiday season? Let me know in the comments below.
"At the beginning, there was toying with an Obi-Wan connection, and then it really went to that she was no one," the actress told friend and Murder on the Orient Express co-star Josh Gad on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
"When it came to episode nine, JJ pitched me the film and was like, 'So yeah, Palaptine's [your] grandaddy.' Then, two weeks later, he was like, 'Yeah, we're not sure.' So it kept changing. Even when I was filming, I wasn't sure what the answer was going to be."
This has sparked further heated debate amongst fans about the divisive conclusion to the Skywalker Saga. Ridley was amazing as Rey and that's a testament to her acting ability. She stars next with Willem Dafoe and James McAvoy in upcoming video game 12 Minutes for PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
The holiday season is almost upon us as the year passes by in the blink of an eye due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. There's some festive cheer to look forward to with the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special coming to Disney+.
Our beloved band of heroes celebrate Life Day, introduced in 1978's infamous Star Wars Holiday Special and most recently mentioned in The Mandalorian, on Chewbacca's homeworld of Kashyyyk.
Set after The Rise of Skywalker, Rey sets out with BB-8 to learn more about the Force and meets friends and foes from the entire Skywalker Saga. There's a tie-in with this year's LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar and DK Books.
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special streams on 17th November on Disney+.
In this opinion piece regarding the current state of Star Wars, Matt Charlton, our resident Disney superfan, reflects on recent rumours in the wake of the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga. Does the Force have a future?
Guest post by Matt Charlton
Like the whispers of a planetary blockade in place above the planet Naboo over a 'trade dispute', with news only just reaching the Galactic Senate and prompting the dispatch of two Jedi Knights to investigate, could there be any truth in a recent revelation from a YouTuber that we could well be facing a Star Wars Expanded Universe-esc (EU) retcon, which might result in the sequel trilogy being spun off to an alternative reality?
Be warned, spoilers will be afoot for those who have not yet seen the Skywalker Saga - if you would like to avoid them, please navigate away now.
It's no secret that the sequel trilogy wasn't well received by an especially vocal segment of the Star Wars fanbase. There were many people who were upset with story lines, casting decisions and many other issues that came to light from what many perceive to be a disjointed way of thinking, combined with conflicting ideas from The Walt Disney Company along with directors, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, screenwriters and an urgency to recoup the $4 billon dollar invested in acquiring Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012.
If there's one thing that we've learned in the Information Age, there is nought as fickle as a pop culture fanbase and given 24/7 access to the internet, boy do they like every one to know about it [the fandom menace casts a long shadow- Ed].
A lot of people were overly critical that director JJ Abrams' The Force Awakens followed George Lucas' A New Hope too closely. Some of the plot points certainly seemed to mirror those tropes we saw in 1977. Simply replace Starkiller Base with the Death Star and take Jakku's sandy landscape for what we saw in Tatooine with a teenager staring out into the sky wondering what might be possible and you can certainly see what people are saying - if you were that way inclined.
Personally, I loved The Force Awakens. I liked the new direction. I liked the teases about Rey's (Daisy Ridley) parentage, wondering about where Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o) got Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) lightsaber from when we last saw it dropping through the middle of Cloud City on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back and wondering what on earth had happened to make Luke up sticks and run away, and why the heck R2-D2 ended up with a map to where he was if he didn't want anyone to find him?
Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) was the perfect embodiment of the dark side. Wonderfully played by Adam Driver with a depth we've not seen in the Star Wars universe for some time. It was a great start to the trilogy and I remember wondering if that was a gravestone we saw where Luke was on the cliff top, to the point where I would freeze frame the digital copy that I bought on the Apple TV in order to try to find clues in what The Last Jedi might bring us.
Rian Johnson's movie was a fairly radical departure from what we knew. A lot of people were unhappy with the way that Luke was written out. It's difficult to know how Mark Hamill felt about the way things went but I think he probably, like the rest of us might have wanted to see a little more than Force Projection as a display of Luke's powers. It was even worse when the resulting physical and psychological damage from this ends the life of our beloved hero. I loved him throwing the lightsaber over his shoulder. It was funny - though I'm not sure it was a very 'Luke' thing to do.
We know from The Rise of Skywalker that the X-wing, we see beneath the waves, is fully operational, but it could well be that until Luke transcended the living Force and gave up his physical form that he never truly believed that he could get over that stumbling block that Master Yoda (Frank Oz) had to help him with in The Empire Strikes back and lift it out of there. The accompanying score to that piece (mirroring the Dagobah swamp sequence) certainly helped my tear ducts to produce 'something'. He finally did it. Do, or do not. But there was nothing stopping him, physically from jumping into it and heading to Crait to help out, in person, and get a proper on screen reunion with his sister and his two beloved droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO.
The return of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in The Rise of Skywalker was pretty cool, we got to see some pretty neat set pieces and some new Force powers. The pacing of the movie is pretty quick, it never feels as long as it is.
I think for me, looking back over the three 'new' movies as a whole - I enjoyed them, they were fun, and there are certain aspects of them that I love, but when you put them all together, as a trilogy - something isn't quite right. The poorest, out of the three was The Last Jedi. With Luke's bizarre behaviour, green milk drinking defeatist attitude and Yoda blowing up the (empty) Jedi library. The last act with them trying to outrun the First Order and having limited fuel was also a little lacking on story timing.
As a trilogy, it falls flat.
Is this down to a missing overarching vision? Was it a case of having too many different directors involved, then changing directors due to creative differences? Did Rian Johnson look to change too much of what JJ Abrams had laid the foundations for and it was too difficult to bring back to something that made sense?
One of the really jarring things, is Leia's (Carrie Fisher) Mary Poppins in space sequence, I didn't like that at all, it just felt like it went against everything we know about what would actually happen if someone found themselves out there in the vacuum of space. I know it's a movie, I know it's science fiction, but it just didn't gel for me, maybe it was the CGI, it just didn't look natural.
Although Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford all signed on for (at least) The Force Awakens, there was never a reunion of all three on screen. I think everybody expected this to happen. With Harrison Ford being taken out in the first movie, it was probably never going to be part of the plan, though he does return for The Rise of Skywalker. The untimely, devastating passing of Carrie Fisher will have also changed the direction of where they were originally going with the trilogy when it was first planned out.
There's been a lot of talk on the internet about how the fine folks at Disney aren't too happy with Star Wars - when they purchased Lucasfilm, they thought they were buying a license to print money, and it turns out that if the money you're printing isn't the denomination or the currency that the fans are wanting, they'll outright find another minting source.
I'm a big Disney fan. I love Disney. I also think that they did a stellar job with Marvel Studios since they took over, the whole of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) shows what is possible with joined-up thinking and an overarching storyline that can culminate in the coming together of multiple superheroes and a decade of planning to give us the Russo brothers' Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame blockbuster.
However, I don't know if they've taken the right path with Star Wars. I love there's a portion of the theme parks dedicated to all things Star Wars in Galaxy's Edge, I love that there's Darth Vader meet and greets and I love some of the other stuff that's come out. I even enjoyed Solo: A Star Wars Story, and I don't think there are many people who didn't enjoy Rogue One. In fact, I'd quite happily watch 3-hours of footage based around Darth Vader's single-handed assault on the docking corridor of the Tantive IV.
I remember the prequels coming out - I was 18 when The Phantom Menace was released. I remember when the first teasers dropped and you had to have QuickTime (QT) to watch them [I streamed it endlessly on my graphite iMac DV SE - Ed]. I remember being excited. I remember enjoying them. All three of them.
Sure some of the acting was wooden, some of the dialogue was cheesy, Jar Jar (Ahmed Best) was annoying, but overall I love them. I know a lot of other people didn't. There were similar feelings of unhappiness, the internet was still something that not many people had access to in the late 1990s and if they did it was on a single family computer rather than in the palm of their hand. It's a lot easier now to broadcast your opinion on an iPhone and have someone read it instantly.
If we think about the timelines of the trilogies, we can see some major differences.
The Phantom Menace - Anakin is a young boy
Attack of the Clones - Set 10 years after TPM
Revenge of the Sith - 3 years after AOTC
A New Hope - 19 years after ROTS
The Empire Strikes Back - 3 years after ANH
Return of the Jedi - anything up to a year
The Force Awakens - 30 years after ROTJ
The Last Jedi - Immediately after The Force Awakens
The Rise of Skywalker - A year after TLJ
The prequel trilogy spanned 13 years.
There was a 19 year gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
The original trilogy spanned 4 years.
The sequel trilogy spanned 1 year.
It makes you wonder whether things got a little too granular, maybe there wasn't a big enough time jump to allow off-screen character development to take place, maybe this was influenced by the release schedule being one film every year [thankfully now abandoned - Ed]?
Say what you want about George Lucas, and him not having a 9 movie plan to start with [Lucas makes mention of the 9-part saga in the liner notes of The Empire Strikes Back - Ed] (I remember pre-internet this was something I used to excitedly discuss with my school friends). Star Wars was his baby. I know that the trade disputes/Trade federation weren't a great addition to The Phantom Menace, but it was more about bogging down the Jedi with red tape and distracting them from what else was going on, which gave Palpatine the platform that he needed to grab some emergency executive power to make things run faster so that he could 'help' Naboo. I get it, I get what he was going for.
I still would have rather had 3 movies about Anakin (Jake Lloyd/Hayden Christensen) at his darkest though. What we see implied with the Sand People and the Younglings is only scratching the surface at how far our young hero had to fall in order to become Darth Vader.
So anyway, back to the original point of this article. A concept was introduced in Star Wars Rebels called the Veil of the Force. If applied to the movies, this could allow for a multiverse/multiple timelines scenario. It could allow the events of the sequel trilogy to become things that are ignored/never happen. It could also give rise to something new - like a big screen version of Timothy Zahn's EU (now legends) trilogy complete with Grand Admiral Thrawn. That would be epic.
I completely understand why Disney did what they did with the EU content, by retconning/retiring all of the things that had come before, they could forge their own path. They wouldn't be constrained by stories that had been told before.
To paraphrase Doctor Ian Malcolm, just because they could do something, doesn't necessarily mean that they should have.
There's been a huge number of internet outlets pick up on the potential 'leak' from Dicktor Van Doomcock, with some mainstream UK tabloids also getting in on the act.
There's rumours that a Lucas cut of The Rise of Skywalker exists, and that it contains lots of additional footage that was left on the cutting room floor of the edit we ended up with. There are rumours that somehow Luke will be warned not to attempt to kill Ben Solo, stopping him from becoming Kylo Ren.
There are rumours that the higher ups at Disney aren't happy with the direction things have been taken in and there are rumours that things could be changing as and when contracts end.
There are also rumours that we could see additional Luke Skywalker movies, set in the Mandalorian timeframe that could also somehow tie into the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) live-action series.
I still want to know how the hell Maz got hold of the lightsaber, and like Mark Hamill want to know if it came with the hand still attached? :D
The Mandalorian has shown Disney that there is still a massive appetite for Star Wars content, and that the content doesn't necessarily have to have characters we have come to know and love in them. If the story is right, the direction is done well and there's a cute green alien involved, we're all over it.
Jon Favreau (Iron Man) is being touted as the new head of Star Wars alongside Dave Filoni, with the help of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. There are even rumours that George Lucas might be coming back to run Lucasfilm. Who knows at this point what is true or not.
I'm not sure a replacement sequel trilogy will be what we end up with, but I definitely think that Disney are doing some work, internally, to see what they can do to move forward from where they have seemingly ended up.
There are still so many aspects of the Star Wars universe that are ripe for exploration on both the big screen and on the small screen with Disney+, I don't think the stories are finished, and I'm excited to see where things end up going.
Do I think that there's enough hate to completely remove the sequel trilogy from Star Wars canon? Maybe.
Do I really believe that something like this will happen? Not really.
And besides, Master Yoda says that... Hate.... leads to Suffering.
What's next? We get Game of Thrones Season 8 redone? :D
The original YouTube video, with regards to the rumours.
Read an article on Cosmic Book News, which discusses the content of the video above and also lists Lucas' alleged demands.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Star Wars fans can look forward to an unprecedented intergalactic bounty on Disney+ on May Fourth AKA Star Wars Day: Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, the final ever episode of The Clone Wars and The Rise of Skywalker.
Whilst I'll be eagerly watching The Rise of Skywalker for the first time since seeing it at the cinema last December. Other fans will be approaching the conclusion to the Skywalker saga from a certain point of view.
Guest post by Simon Judges
The Rise of Skywalker hitting Disney+ earlier than expected got me to thinking about my relationship with the saga.
I was there at the beginning. When I was six years old, my dad took me to see the original Star Wars at the local “fleapit”. I’d be lying if I said I could remember how I felt coming out of the film, but I do know I saw it again at a bigger, better-equipped cinema not long afterwards. And it dominated my childhood. Playground games, comics, books, toys, stickers. I lived and breathed Star Wars, and wanted more. Luckily, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi fed my hunger.
My love of Star Wars hasn’t diminished much in the 42 years since. It’s true that, as I approach 50, I tend not to play at being Han Solo so much, but I regularly watch the films, read the books, play the video games, and generally keep up with all things Star Wars.
In December last year, however, something strange happened. For the first time ever, I watched a Star Wars film and left the cinema underwhelmed.
Now, while I didn’t love the prequels, I did find something in each of them to enjoy. The pod race, the duel of the fates, the battle of Geonosis, the opening and closing moments of Episode III (although the less said about Vader’s “Nooooooo…” the better).
I really enjoyed The Force Awakens. Yes, it was a retread of A New Hope, but it had energy, pace, and genuine wit and humour. And I still don’t understand the hate for The Last Jedi. It’s certainly not the best of the bunch, but it ain’t that bad. Rightly or wrongly, Rian Johnson made some bold decisions. Personally, I loved Luke as a grumpy old man. (That’s my opinion - don’t @ me.)
But The Rise of Skywalker just felt wrong. On first viewing, it seemed to be a bad story, badly written and badly acted. A friend described it as the worst kind of fan fiction up on the screen. And I think that was the problem. JJ Abrams was facing a double-edged sword. He had to service the story, and he had to serve the fans; fans who, if Twitter and YouTube were to be believed, were VERY unhappy about the way things were going. In doing so, he managed to create a glorious mess. To me, it felt rushed and sloppy. There was just too much crammed in. The story and the characters had no time to breathe. Worse, the two main plot points - Palpatine’s return and his connection with Rey - just felt lazy.
I’ve seen it a couple of times since - once, again, at the cinema. Going in with lower expectations, I didn’t find it quite so… bad. I’ve also seen it at home. Somehow, TV seemed kinder to its flaws; while still present, they’re less glaring. And of course, I’ll be watching it again now that it’s on Disney+.
I love Star Wars. I love everything about Star Wars. I always have. And I’ll always defend the rights of Abrams and Johnson et al to make mistakes. Their intentions are good; they come from the right place. You just can’t please everyone, especially with a property as hot as Star Wars. But I think I’ll always be disappointed with the way this current saga ended.
The Mandalorian has given me hope. It’s clearly affectionate for the past - you only have to watch the Mos Eisley episode to see that - but it’s already ploughing its own furrow. Let’s see what season two brings. But, while I am looking forward to what the future holds, I’ll admit to a tiny bit of trepidation. For the first time ever, I’ve felt let down by a Star Wars film. “Faster, more intense!” may have worked for Lucas, 45 years ago. But it’s a phrase I think should be best avoided by whoever’s next in the director’s chair.
What do you think? Is The Mandalorian and further live-action spin-offs the future of Star Wars? Let me know in the comments below.
Lucasfilm is celebrating Star Wars Day with The Clone Wars series finale, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian and the entire 9-part Skywalker Saga on Disney+.
The Rise of Skywalker is being released early on Disney+ and Sky Cinema due to the coronavirus lockdown. The Blu-ray (affiliate link) was released earlier this month.
May also marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back. Not only my favourite Star Wars instalment, but also my favourite film.
Are you looking forward to watching the Skywalker Saga on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.
Whilst Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may have ended the saga that George Lucas started. Director JJ Abrams (The Force Awakens) didn't appease all fans - an impossible task for anyone at the helm. And Colin Trevorrow's (Jurassic World) leaked treatment for Episode IX, Duel of the Fates, has inspired this awesome animated fan film.
What do you think of this animated fan film based on Colin Trevorrow's script? Let me know in the comments below.
Disney Pixar's Onward, starring Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Far from Home) and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), was released on 6th March to critical acclaim.
However, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and cinema closures, Disney is making the movie available for digital download from today and on Disney+ from 3rd April.
The House of Mouse has already released Frozen 2 on Disney+. Now, please add Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Disney+ has launched a dedicated UK Twitter account ahead of the 24th March launch of the House of Mouse's nascent streaming service.
Episodes of the first live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, will seemingly be released weekly as they were in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and The Netherlands. So, there's no official way to binge-view the entire first 8-part series unless you're prepared to wait. Be sure to check back for updates should the situation change.
Disney has confirmed existing DisneyLife subscribers, in the UK and Ireland, will be migrated to Disney+, which was expected. Although unconfirmed, Disney+ will be available to Sky Q and NOW TV subscribers in a similar deal that sees Netflix on both Sky-owned subscription-based platforms.
There's no sign of The Simpsons on Disney+ in the UK. However, classic animated series DuckTales, Chip 'n' Dale, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles and The Gummi Bears will be available at launch. These titles are currently available on DisneyLife. Now, where are the Wuzzles?
In related news. Disney has released a Star Wars narrative timeline ahead of the seventh and final season of The Clone Wars this Friday on Disney+. The Rise of Skywalker is coming soon to the streaming service and bows on Blu-ray (affiliate link) next month, just 3 months after its theatrical release.
Director Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi) spoke to MTV, on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, about his thoughts on JJ Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker:
“I want to sit down like a Star Wars fan and just get my popcorn and just be 10-years-old again and see this whole thing brought home in a beautiful way that surprises me… it’s Star Wars. It takes you there. It transports you. The instant that John Williams score comes up, the instant you’re back in that world and hear those lightsaber sounds, it’s just [snaps] – you’re back to being ten.”
Eloquently put in the wake of the fandom menace surrounding the conclusion to the sequel trilogy. Johnson is currently developing a new Star Wars trilogy at Lucasfilm.
