Category Archives: Star Wars

Rumor: Star Wars expansion to be largest in recent Disney parks history?

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As always, thDisneyis is a rumor so use as many grains of salt as you need.

According to the Orlando Business Journal, Disney World will be getting a Star Wars expansion. It’s doubtful that anyone would be surprised if this happens. Why wouldn’t Disney use one of the most valuable intellectual properties in entertainment in their parks? What may be surprising is the scale Disney is considering for this expansion.

Guess what, Disney fans? That rumored Star Wars land/expansion at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will dwarf any other Disney-related expansion in its recent history.

At least that’s what a source with close connections to the park told me about all the growing chatter about a new Star Wars land project coming to Walt Disney World.

It’s expected that any type of Star Wars expansion could easily be north of $200 million in new investment at Mickey’s house, but the thought of something bigger is quite impressive.

Another interesting rumor is the expansion wouldn’t be contained to just Disney’s Hollywood Studios or any single park.

To find out just what that expansion might entail, I reached out to yet another source who seems to have a magical way of knowing things about Disney.

“My understanding is the Star Wars expansion will be similar to the Harry Potter expansion featuring new attractions, new creative merchandise and food and beverage options, as well as re-purposing older rides with the Star Wars theme,” said Chad Emerson, a Disney author and expert.

“There also have been conversations of re-themeing the Fantasmic! night show and introducing a new fireworks show with a Star Wars theme,” Emerson told me. The Fantasmic! show is on the opposite end of the theme park from its current Star Wars-themed area. He said that thought process by Disney shows the Mouse doesn’t see Star Wars as a ‘single area’ type of addition, but rather, as playing a larger role in the entire park.

“It’s not just an isolated land I hear they have in mind, and they are not just seeing this as a way to revitalizing a part of the park. Disney is seeing this Star Wars brand as something that will be sprinkled elsewhere throughout Hollywood Studios and elsewhere through out the resort,” he said.

Not so sure how keen I am about re-theming Fantasmic, which is perhaps Disney’s most iconic daily show at their parks. Expanding the presence of Star Wars to more than one area is interesting, though. Perhaps the Swiss Family Robinson Tarzan treehouse is going to be re-skinned to an Ewok theme.

Obviously here at Tosche Station, we’re keen on new Star Wars themed park developments. A few weeks ago we did a podcast on this very topic.

(Via Club Jade)

Review: Star Wars: Legacy #4

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Somehow, Ania Solo’s week just keeps taking her further and further away from being a junk dealer and into a much larger universe.  Out today is Legacy: Prisoner of the Floating World #4 by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman and trouble is definitely the name of the game here for our heroes.

This review contains mild spoilers for the issue.

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10 Spinoff Film Ideas

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Star_Wars_logoWith news of new Star Wars films comes rumors about just about everything to do with them.  While most of the rumblings have been related to the Sequel Trilogy, the spinoff films haven’t exactly been forgetting in the rumor mill.  We’ve already heard rumors about the spinoff films starring Han Solo, Boba Fett, or even Yoda.  But hey!  It’s a big galaxy out there spanning thousands of years and even more characters.  Why should those three get all of the fun?

Here are ten different spinoff film ideas that I think have some potential to play out well on the big screen.

1. Count Dooku
With the right actor, this could be brilliant!  There’s a lot that we really don’t know about the Jedi Master turned Count of Serenno.  It would give viewers the chance to see an action film staring a Jedi and to also get a closer look inside the head of what makes a Jedi leave the Order and become a Sith.  Top it off with a cameo/small role at the end from Christopher Lee and you are set!  If you doubt that they could find a younger actor who can do justice to a Christopher Lee role, check out how perfectly cast Xavier and Magneto were in X-men First Class.  It could be either an origins film or perhaps just one of his adventures but either way, it has potential.  Personally, I’d prefer to see an origins films that goes through his fall to the Dark Side but I’ll happily watch either.

2. Shatterpoint
Wait hear me out before you shake your head because it could actually work.  While I think that the vast majority of Expanded Universe books are either ill-suited or completely unlikely to get the big screen treatment, this one has potential.  It’s a self-contained story set during a time frame that viewers are already familiar with and it would star Samuel L. Freaking Jackson.  It would definitely have to get an R-rating given the amount of warfare and horrific violence that goes on during the story and it would also definitely be darker than any Star Wars film we’ve seen before.  Regardless, it’s a fantastic tale that isn’t tied to tons of backstory.  Everything the audience needs to know could easily be worked into the dialogue.  Not only that but Shatterpoint would feature a leading cast of actors of color which would definitely be awesome.  Who wouldn’t want to see a wisecracking Nick Rostu on the big screen?  And Kar Vastor?  He would be imposing to say the least.  Plus, SLJ swinging a lightsaber on the big screen again and getting to kick some serious butt is always a plus.  I’d love to see how the director would handle how Mace sees shatterpoints because that has potential to look amazing.

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X-Wing: Mercy Kill Out In Paperback Today!

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Mercy Kill CoverAaron Allston’s X-Wing: Mercy Kill is out now in paperback!  If you have yet to pick yourself up a copy, now would be an excellent time to do so.  Even if you’ve already purchased the book in hardcover or ebook format, you could pick yourself up another copy and either use it to help solve the dilemma of ‘do I place Mercy Kill after Fate of the Jedi or with the other X-Wing books?’ by having them in both spots on your bookshelf or by giving it to someone as a gift and getting them hooked on the Wraiths.

If you’re still not convinced of how great this book is, you can check out all three of our reviews.

Razor’s Edge gets a new release date

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For those of you looking forward to this book (that includes the staff here), great news! You’re going to get it a week earlier.

Rumor: Rebels cast skews younger

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Well, not YOUNGER younger, but think teenagers. Bleeding Cool has another rumor that will interest Star Wars fans.

The title of Lucasfilm’s upcoming animated series Star Wars: Rebels is loaded with extra meaning.

Not only is the show about the formation of the Rebel Alliance, taking place in the narrative space between Episodes III and IV, the title also riffs on the main characters. I’ve learned that most of them are teenagers. Rebellious teenagers? Well, that’s the reference, at least.

Club Jade wondered if that means a young Leia in the senate or Wedge in the fledgling Rebellion might be in the works. I’ll just say both of those ideas are lovely and I hope they’re being considered.

The Golden Age of Star Wars

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golden age

Standing next to Tim Zahn, holding my two copies of Heir to the Empire, has blinded me.

It’s no secret that the Tosche Station staff holds the Expanded Universe close to our hearts. We may disagree on our favorite eras and characters and series, but we all agree that the EU helped develop and cultivate our love of the Star Wars saga as a whole. For me, it was Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy. For Brian, it was the X-Wing series. For Bria, it was the Young Jedi Knights. Without the EU, none of us would be here today, running a Star Wars-centric blog and podcast.

But it’s never all happy-go-lucky in the world of fandom. Lately, with all the rumors swirling around about the Sequel Trilogy, some fans have become jaded (pardon the pun). They despise the idea that the EU as we know it will cease to exist canonically, and feel betrayed by Lucasfilm after all these years. They mourn the “death” of the EU.

We’ve already written about why that’s not necessarily true, and why it’s possible that some EU elements will remain in the Sequel Trilogy. We’ve also discussed why canon vs. non-canon shouldn’t matter in the long run. The books will always exist on my bookshelf and e-reader, no matter what Leland Chee calls them.

That’s not the point of this blog post. Even though I think those fans are misguided–more Star Wars is always a good thing, right? Right?–I understand why some fans feel betrayed. To them, the EU is Star Wars, and ending the EU ends their enthusiasm.

For a long time, the EU was my Star Wars, too.

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Rumor: Episode VII cast breakdown

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This comes via Bleeding Cool and is very much a rumor, so take it with as many grains of salt as you need. Supposedly, there’s a cast breakdown for Episode VII floating around.

Late-teen female, independent, good sense of humour, fit.

Young twenty-something male, witty and smart, fit but not traditionally good looking.

A late twentysomething male, fit, handsome and confident.

Seventy-something male, with strong opinions and tough demeanour. Also doesn’ t need to be particularly fit.

A second young female, also late teens, tough, smart and fit.

Forty something male, fit, military type.

Thirtysomething male, intellectual. Apparently doesn’t need to be fit.

Again, apply as much skepticism as you need. Even if this list is true, there’s always the possibility that the casting will change as the movie is still very much in the pre-production stages.

Lucas and Abrams haven’t talked Episode VII yet

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LucasWhile at the Daytime Emmy Awards, Access Hollywood caught up to George Lucas to, of course, talk about the upcoming new Star Wars film installments. Lucas, unfortunately, didn’t have much to say.

I have not spoken to J.J. He’s been busy with Star Trek, and I’m sure that he’ll let me know when he’s got some questions. So, you know, that’s all going well. Kathy tells me it’s working out great.

Understandable. Abrams is still doing his post-Trek release stuff and there’s no word on where Michael Arndt is with the screenplay yet. Don’t worry, Star Wars fans. More information will come. Eventually.

(via)

George Lucas wins first Emmy for Clone Wars

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Emmy win

It took a little while, but George Lucas finally got himself an Emmy win.

With Carrie Fisher presenting, Lucas, Dave Filoni, and other Clone Wars staff took home the award for best animated series. The show won another Emmy for David Tennant, who played the Jedi mentor droid Huyang in the show’s final season.

It’s certainly a well deserved win for the Clone Wars staff. While the show may have ended earlier than many fans would have hoped, there’s no arguing it went out on the highest note possible.