Straight from Electronic Arts’ E3 press conference. Battlefront is back, and now you can stop asking for it at completely unrelated literature panels at conventions.
Category Archives: Star Wars
Disney: Star Wars toys for girls are coming
You may have missed the #WeWantLeia protest that cropped up in response to the lack of (and seeming disinterest in providing) Star Wars toys for girls. Disney, however, did not miss it. In an exclusive to Time, Disney promises that toys for the non-boy demographic are coming.
Disney told TIME on Wednesday that it would add Princess Leia toys to its existing Star Wars merchandise line soon, following recent criticism from parents and bloggers about the lack of products for girls.
“The current assortment of Star Warsproducts at the Disney Store launched earlier this year, and is just the beginning of what is to come,” Disney spokeswoman Margita Thompson told TIME. “We’re excited to be rolling out new products in the coming months, including several items that will feature Princess Leia, one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars galaxy.”
Now it’s worth pointing out that toys for girls and Princess Leia shouldn’t be synonymous and there should be more than that in the pipeline, but for now this is a good start. This, folks, is why it’s important to bang the drum for diversity.
Josh Trank to direct another Star Wars standalone film
Over on the official site, Lucasfilm has announced that Josh Trank will helm another Star Wars spinoff film.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Josh into the family,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “He is such an incredible talent and has a great imagination and sense of innovation. That makes him perfectly suited to Star Wars, and for this new slate of movies that reach beyond the core characters and storylines of Episodes I through IX.”
Trank states, “The magic of the Star Wars Universe defined my entire childhood. The opportunity to expand on that experience for future generations is the most incredible dream of all time.”
Trank captured imaginations worldwide with his critically lauded directorial debut Chronicle, a fresh and engaging take on the superhero genre. Trank is currently at work on The Fantastic Four for 20th Century Fox.
While his resume is somewhat limited at this point, Chronicle was a surprisingly well done film. I generally don’t enjoy “lost footage” movies, but that particular film was a thoroughly enjoyable one for me. Suffice to say, I dig Lucasfilm bringing him on board to direct one of the standalones.
Edit: Apparently back in 2008, Trank made a bit of a Star Wars fan film
Episode VII Ups the Diversity: Christie and Nyong’o Join Cast
Now this is how you address concerns about diversity.
Lucasfilm announced just moments ago on the official site that Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie and Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o will be joining the cast of Episode VII.
Lupita Nyong’o joins the recently announced cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. This year, her breakthrough performance in 12 Years a Slave earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Gwendoline Christie, currently starring in the hit television series Game of Thrones as Brienne of Tarth, has also been cast in the production. She can next be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.
“I could not be more excited about Lupita and Gwendoline joining the cast of Episode VII,” says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “It’s thrilling to see this extraordinarily talented ensemble taking shape.”
Yes, be excited. Be very excited. This is fantastic news.
Review: Star Wars: Rebel Heist #2
It’s a very Star Wars week as Rebel Heist #2 by Matt Kindt and Marco Castiello is released in comic store everywhere today. How does this second issue stand up against the first?
While Han Solo has managed to land himself in prison, Princess Leia is halfway across the galaxy. And oh boy is she handling her mission much more competently and professionally than he was. That doesn’t mean it won’t be tough to get the Alliance’s agent off of Feddasyr.
Review: Star Wars: Legacy #15
It’s another crazy day in the life of Ania Solo as Legacy #15 by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman hits comic store shelves today. Will Ania survive the glass rain and the most inhospitable planet this side of Mustafar? Will Ramid’s sacrifice be in vain? Will something about this quest to track down the Sith ever go right? (Okay, so maybe only some of these questions will get answered in Issue #15.)
Stuck out in the middle of a glass rainstorm, things continue to look bleak for Ania Solo even though her friends have finally tracked her down. Thankfully, none of them are about to let this strange bounty hunter take their friend without a fight. But how do you stop a bounty hunter with a light whip who seems hell bent on finding and capturing Ania Solo?
Review: The Star Wars #8
All good things must come to an end and thus so does The Star Wars this week. Issue #8 hits comic store shelves today as J.W. Rinzler and Mike Mayhew bring this excellent alternative universe to its close.
It’s a race against the Empire as Annikin Starkiller infiltrates the Space Fortress to rescue Queen Leia. Meanwhile, General Luke Skywalker is leading an army of newly trained wookiees in an aerial starfighter against the deadly battle-station. Annikin, never one for stealth, has already been spotted by Darth Vader and Prince Valorum who are more than happy to deal with the Jedi…
Gareth Edwards and Gary Whitta sign on for Star Wars standalone
The Star Wars powers that be certainly aren’t letting us want for news lately. Star Wars.com has just given us our first piece of confirmed information about one of the standalone films.
From the Official Site:
In addition to the episodes of a new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney have begun development on multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga. Gareth Edwards will direct the first stand-alone film, with a screenplay by Gary Whitta. The film is due out December 16, 2016.
Edwards is known for directing the recently released Godzilla while Whitta’s writing credits include The Book of Eli and Telltale Games’ adaptation of The Walking Dead.
No word yet on what the film will be about but release date is December 16, 2016.
J.J. Abrams says hello from Abu Dabi and you can win a chance to appear in Episode VII
First off, it’s official: Episode VII is filming in Abu Dabi. See for yourself in the video above. Second, you can win a chance to appear in Episode VII by supporting UNICEF through the new Force for Change program.
Star Wars: Force for Change is a brand new charitable initiative from Disney and Lucasfilm in collaboration with Bad Robot dedicated to finding creative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. The first Star Wars: Force for Change campaign will raise funds and awareness for UNICEF’s Innovation Labs and its innovative projects benefiting children in need.
For your chance to appear in Episode VII and visit the London studios, click the link above and enter the contest.
Review: Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #1
This comic is special, folks. It has the distinction of being the first comic or book published to officially be a part of the new canon. Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir with a script by Jeremy Barlow and pencils by Juan Frigeri takes one of the unused story ideas from The Clone Wars’ unfinished Sixth Season and brings it to life on paper but does it work? Read on to find out!
Darth Maul’s plans to conqueror the galaxy were halted when his former master decides to chop them right in half before he could get very far with his Mandalorian and Underworld army. Held captive in a secret prison, Maul’s efforts seem to have found their end. Sidious’s plotting, on the other hand, is just beginning. He believes that Mother Talzin survived the invasion of Dathomir and he’s willing use Maul as bait to lure the Nightsister back out.