Star Wars, Geek Culture, and Power Converters
A JEDI PRINCE.
A DEVASTATING BETRAYAL.
AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LOST CITY?
(My favorite part about the teaser is the extraneous question mark at the end.)
(Also, confession time: 12-year-old Nanci thought that Ken the Jedi Prince was a total hottie on that cover. It’s Drew Struzan’s fault, okay?! Don’t judge me!)
Since certain people attached to this blog are off having fun this weekend, it falls to me to report what Club Jade reported yesterday: the rumors are true: Micheal Aredt, screenwriter of Toy Story 3 and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be writing Episode VII. For more information, you can see our previous post about Aredt and the rumors.
What I find particularly interesting about this is my memory of Toy Story 3; I bawled for almost an hour straight after seeing that film, and anything from The Hunger Games is likely to be similarly particularly emotionally wrenching. Could the choice of Aredt for Episode VII suggest a more philosophical, more pathos-based approach to Star Wars?
StarWars.com released another video featuring George Lucas and new Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. This time around, the duo talk about directors and the process behind starting Episode VII.
As always, the usual caveats apply when an “informed insider” reports anything to an entertainment rag, but Vulture is reporting that Michael Arndt has put together a 40-50 page treatment for Episode VII.
Informed sources tell Vulture that Star Wars: Episode VII has found a leading candidate to write the film’s screenplay: Michael Arndt, the Pixar favorite who was nominated for an Oscar for Toy Story 3, won an Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine, and wrote The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is currently shooting. Insiders confirm that Arndt has written a 40- to 50-page treatment for the film and is likely to be at least one of the writers when the Disney/Lucasfilm project begins shooting in 2014.
As far as rumors go, I dig this one. It’s sort of a marraige that makes perfect sense. A writer with an immensely successful project with Disney being turned lose on Star Wars would be all sorts of interesting.
But of course, this is just a rumor for now.
Given Clone Wars voice actress Ashley Eckstein’s love of Disney, it should come as no surprise that she’s very excited about the big Lucasfilm purchase and what this means for the future of both companies. Over at the official Star Wars Blog, Ashley talks about her history with Disney.
One could say that I “grew up Disney.” My Dad started working for Disney when I was two years old and my earliest childhood memories revolve around Disney. Growing up in Orlando, Florida, with a parent that was a Disney “cast member” definitely had its perks. I got to go to the Disney parks all the time for free, I got in to advance screenings for Disney movies, my summer camps were at the Disney resorts, and I had special opportunities like going to live tapings of The Mickey Mouse Club. I bring this up because Disney was and always has been a MAJOR influence in my life and has definitely shaped the person I am today.
Be sure to give the whole entry a read!
Remember about two weeks ago when the biggest thing on the horizon wasn’t Episode VII? That’s right, we were excited about the Star Wars edition of Angry Birds. Today, the re-skinned and re-themed game is now available for purchase on most major mobile platforms and desktop environments.
Most of you, I’m sure, are like me right now and hoping and praying that the election results hurry up and get in so we can all get back to normal lives. For me, normal on Tuesdays involves episodes of NCIS, but since we’re missing my favorite procedural for election coverage tonight, I thought reviewing last week’s episode, which guest-starred Star Wars favorite, Billy Dee Williams, might make up for the lack of show.
Billy Dee Williams (left) as Leroy Jethro Moore and Mark Harmon (right) as Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Unfortunately, the episode didn’t quite live up to what it could (and should) have been in honor of these brave men. Spoilers after the jump. Continue reading
Remember that big-name guest said to be appearing on The Clone Wars this season? None other than The Doctor himself, David Tennant. IGN has the scoop, saying that Tennant will be playing an ancient droid responsible for helping younglings construct their lightsabers.
Also, a clip!
I meant to post this a few days ago, but with the whole Episode VII-becoming-reality-thing, it got lost in the drafts. In any case, artist Alex Ross has released the cover for issue two of the new Star Wars comic:
We’ve got some X-Wings, the Falcon, Slave I, Luke, Wedge, and Leia. Well this should be fun!