Category Archives: Episode VII

Howard Roffman Returns to Lucasfilm

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Over at the Official Blog, Howard Roffman discusses his return to Lucasfilm as well as his history with Bob Iger of Disney and Kathleen Kennedy. It’s a fascinating read, delving into history with Disney as well as why he chose to come back to Star Wars.

I would not have come back unless I truly believed that we were doing the right thing for Star Wars and, even more fundamentally, that we were entrusting its fate to people worthy of that trust. I believe in Bob and his teams at Disney. I believe in Kathleen. And I believe in George and our company. My faith isn’t blind. It’s based on knowing these people for decades, knowing their talents, their achievements, their integrity, their commitment. For many of the pundits analyzing the Disney deal, we are often little more than abstractions based on resumes and numbers on a page. But for me it’s much more. My faith is the product of my life experience, what I know from living and working with the folks to whom the torch has been passed, who will now share responsibility for keeping the Star Wars flame burning bright.

To read the rest, head over to the Official Blog.

Brad Bird Not in Episode VII Running

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When Michael Arndt signed on for Episode VII, speculation immediately shifted towards Lucasfilm bringing Brad Bird on as the film’s director. It would have made a lot of sense. Bird has been in Disney’s good graces for a while, helming films such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Unfortunately for those hoping for Bird, E!Online reports that he won’t be handling the film.

Spielberg’s out, Abrams is out, and now Bird is out. I’m starting to think the director will be someone that most of us don’t recognize.

Tosche Station Radio #36: Authenticity

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The hosts are back and there’s more Episode VII news to discuss in this week’s Tosche Station Radio!

Kicking off the show, Nanci highlights what’s new on the blog. Brian wrote a pair of columns looking into the Big Frakking Sale with a look at what it could mean for the Expanded Universe and the future of Star Wars in general. Bria reviewed the first Captain Marvel arc. Nanci re-read the Jedi Prince books. Meanwhile, Bria’s re-reading her collection of Expanded Universe novels. Emily reviewed Billy Dee Williams’ appearance on NCIS. Nanci introduced a new feature called Bake It So and the first recipe featured was “Come to the dark side, we have chocolate cake.” Bria reviewed The Old Republic: Annihilation by Drew Karpyshyn. The hosts talked about Cosplay Appreciation Day and the awful double-standards applied to female fans.

In Fixer’s Flash, Nanci’s been keeping herself busy by going on cross-country trips and writing a novel for Nanowrimo. She also appeared on the Wrong Opinions About Movies podcast to discuss the big Lucasfilm sale. Nanci’s week was made when she was officially accepted into the Rebel Legion! Meanwhile, Brian has been reading a book and not making appearances on other people’s podcasts.

Deak’s Dirt and Camie’s Concerns are combined this week as the hosts tackle more Star Wars news and discussion. We now know who the screenwriter for Episode VII will be. What does all of this mean for the Expanded Universe? Will the Big Three return? Just what is Lucasfilm up to?

Wrapping up the show, the hosts answer questions in their Ask Us Anything segment.

Tosche Station Radio is the official podcast of Tosche-Station.net and a part of the Solo Sound network. If you like what you hear, please leave a review on the iTunes Music Store or the Zune Marketplace. We can also be found on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.

Nanci and Brian are the co-founders and writers of Tosche-Station.net. You can find Nanci on Twitter with the handle @Nancipants and you can find Brian with @LaneWinree.

Report: Kennedy Says Lucasfilm Ramping Up for 2-3 Films Per Year?

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“2-3 Films per year? Seems aggressive.”

Dunc over at Club Jade spotted an interesting (and surprising) quote in the Star Wars edition issue of Entertainment Weekly. According to them, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy wants to make 2-3 films a year?

Lucasfilm’s co-chairman and soon-to-be president, Kathleen Kennedy, has told employees she wants the company to produce two or three films a year (it’s averaged fewer than four per decade), and first up is Star Wars: Episode VII for 2015, which will pick up sometime after Darth Vader gave his life to overthrow (figuratively and literally) the Emperor and save Luke in 1983’s Episode VI— Return of the Jedi. Yes, the plan is to return to the characters in the first trilogy (1977–83). Whether the original actors will have significant roles or merely be on hand to pass the baton to a new generation of actors—something Lucasfilm tried with mixed success with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Disney with TRON: Legacy—is unclear.

Now, let’s be clear. Based on this quote, it doesn’t mean that this would equate to 2-3 Star Wars films per year. It could be 2-3 films with any existing or potentially new Lucasfilm intellectual property. I’d hope it’s the latter, because 2-3 Star Wars films per year screams market over-saturation to me.

If it’s 2-3 Lucasfilm projects that aren’t necessarily Star Wars, that actually makes a lot of sense. With the capital resources Disney can now provide, the studio can probably afford to expand the scope of their work dramatically.

Or option the third, Entertainment Weekly misquoted Kennedy or misunderstood what she was talking about. I expect multiple news outlets are reaching out to Lucasfilm and Disney for clarification right now.

Trope Tuesday: Epileptic Trees

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It’s been a busy few weeks (Episode VII? What!?) and I’ve let this feature fall by the wayside. But it’s back! Trope Tuesday is our regular feature that dives into Tropes, literary themes, devices, and elements that make our favorite pieces of entertainment chug along. This week, we’re looking at one called Epileptic Trees.

A term for wild, off-the-wall theories. Named after a leading tinfoil-hat theory explaining the mysterious shaking, rustling trees on Lost during the first season of that program. The theory? The trees are having epileptic fits. Can be traced back to H. P. Lovecraft‘s story “The Colour out of Space”.

Not only common, but expected for Mind Screw series. A major species of Tree is Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory. An ongoing series which uses Chekhovs Guns to the point of becoming a Chekhov’s Armoury encourages Trees because all newly introduced objects/people/skills/etc will be suspected of being a Chekhov’s Gun. Horrible epileptic trees are known as Poison Oak Epileptic Trees.

See Stock Epileptic Trees for other common examples.

Epileptic Trees suggested by characters are a sign of Scully Syndrome. When an Epileptic Tree is rendered null and void by the official Canon, it’s said to be Jossed. When an Epileptic Tree becomesCanon, you’re allowed to say, “I Knew It!” – unless it became Canon because it was an Epileptic Tree, in which case it’s Ascended Fanon. See also Inferred Survival, Urban Legend of Zelda and Schrödinger’s Butterfly.

Boy howdy, is the Star Wars fandom getting swamped in this lately. There’s all sorts of conjecture and theories as to what Episode VII might be. We’ve got everything from the Expanded Universe being overwritten (because George Lucas hates Mara Jade*) to Darth Vader’s coming back from the dead (because why not). Fans are busy trying to find any sort of clue or hint from the films, books, and television that they might be able to use to divine the future of the franchise.

Brace yourselves. It’s going to be a long three years.

*No proof of this claim

Episode VII Writer Confirmed

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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?

Rumor: Toy Story 3 Screenwriter In Consideration for Episode VII

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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.

Report: Harrison Ford Open to Playing Han Solo Again?

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Since reality has turned itself upside down and the impossible is happening left and right*, here’s another report that fits that bill. According to Entertainment Weekly, a “highly placed source” has said that Harrison Ford is open to the idea of donning the vest and bloodstripes again.

Harrison Ford is open to the idea of bringing Han Solo back to life on the silver screen in 2015, according to sources close to the just-announced Star Wars sequel, but don’t be surprised if his contract includes a mandatory death scene for the sly old space smuggler.

“Harrison is open to the idea of doing the movie and he’s upbeat about it, all three of them are,” said one highly placed source, referring to Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher, the trio that made a hyper-speed jump to global fame on May 25, 1977, the opening night for George Lucas’s original Star Wars film.

Usual caveats here. A “highly placed source” could just be a janitor over in Marin County. But hey, there was a point in time where it seemed absurd that Ford would take up the mantle of Indiana Jones again.

*Seriously, Episode VII. That’s a thing.