House of Cards sees "One nation, Underwood!"

Netflix's adaptation of House of Cards, in 2013, proved the streaming service was more than capable of producing prestige drama. The award-winning series would be followed by Orange Is the New Black, Stranger Things, The Crown and many more.

House of Cards season 5 sees the Underwoods, played with gleeful malice by Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, battling for re-election against Republican rival Will Conway (Joel Kinnaman).

This new trailer for the upcoming season suggests an even darker tone than previous seasons, which didn't shy away from the murkier realms of politics. The incumbent president is clearly looking to secure more than two terms in office, in a move reminiscent of Senator Palpatine in Star Wars.



House of Cards season 5 is available to stream from 30th May.

Looking forward to House of Cards or do you think the current state of real word politics has eclipsed it? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars ruined John Boyega's love life

So, it's May and Star Wars celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. However, the Force moves in mysterious ways as John Boyega (Finn) discovered whilst on a date.

Speaking on the BBC's The Graham Norton Show, he said: "I went on a date in New York City and we were driving through Times Square and she asked, 'What do you do for a living?' I just pointed up at the 'Star Wars' billboard that showed me with a lightsaber and said, 'That!' That was the end of the relationship - the poster really affected her... I blocked her on my phone."



Boyega reprises the role of Finn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi this December.

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

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

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



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

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

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

Jeff Goldblum cast in sequel to Jurassic World

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

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

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

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

Disney reshuffles Star Wars and Indiana Jones

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

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

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

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

Star Wars Day CuffLinks.com giveaway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Star Wars fan film: The Force and the Fury

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

Fellow fans are going to love this.

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



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

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

Source: LFF

Xbox Games with Gold celebrates Star Wars this May

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

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

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

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

The Battlefront game Star Wars fans are looking for

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



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

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

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

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

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

Carrie Fisher helped write Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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

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

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

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

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