Tag Archives: Disney

Holonet Blast #126

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Hello, friends! We’re still a week out from Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse, but last week Del Rey whetted our appetites with a new excerpt via io9. This one features our favorite pilot, Poe Dameron, as he tracks down Maz Kanata (my cat’s namesake) at, of all places, a spa. Because why the hell not? Poe’s hair can’t possibly stay that pretty on its own, right?

Last week we mentioned that Disney + tweeted out all the movies and shows you’ll be able to watch on the streaming platform. And for some Verizon customers, you can watch all that content for free! Verizon will be offering 12 months of Disney + to 4G LTE and 5G unlimited wireless customers, along with new Verizon FIOS and 5G home internet customers. As someone who has FIOS internet (not through Verizon, for transparency’s sake), I will say if you’ve been waiting on updating your internet service, you will never look back after upgrading to those blazing speeds. Plus, free Disney +!

In news that surprises no one, but is still nice to have confirmation nonetheless, the Disney Parks blog announced that yes, Star Tours will be updated with new modules for The Rise of Skywalker. This is great news as most of the Star Wars focus at the parks has been on Batuu, and Star Tours is still such a great ride, I’m glad it’s not being neglected. The Starspeeder 1000 will take guests to the ocean moon of Kef Bir (where the Death Star ruins are located – presumably another moon of Endor or at least in the same system?), as well as a location yet to be determined. Color me interested! The new modules will debut on December 20, the release day of The Rise of Skywalker.

Oh, and speaking of The Rise of Skywalker…I guess we got the final trailer and tickets went on sale? Not sure if that interests anyone here. But I thought I’d mention it.

Kidding! Of course that’s the biggest news of the past week. We already broke down the trailer on Tosche Station Radio, which you can download on all your favorite podcatching apps. In case you have not yet bought tickets, Star Wars dot com has the scoop on special events and giveaways associated with different theatre chains. And, because why not, here’s another look at the trailer itself. See y’all next week!

Holonet Blast #69

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Welcome to our weekly roundup of news. Early this week I was beginning to wonder if maybe I’d have nothing to report, but Star Wars came through in a big way in time for this post.

Thrawn: Alliances

This week’s addition to the Star Wars canon from our folks at Del Rey Books is Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn: Alliances. The new book is getting rave reviews from fans of the Thrawn of Legends as well as those who were only introduced to the character via his appearances on Star Wars Rebels. Have a look at our Staff’s GO/NO GO article, and Bria’s REVIEW to know more about this newest adventure featuring our favorite Chiss Grand Admiral.

 

Fox shareholders okay Disney deal

For those of you who follow Lucasfilm’s parent company, Disney, on the corporate level, it is important to note that this week the contentious acquisition of much of the Murdoch media empire was finalized. The $71.3 billion purchase includes film properties such as Avatar and the X-Men series, television including The Simpsons and This is Us, the FX family of cable networks and National Geographic, and the streaming service Hulu. The deal must be approved by regulators in more than a dozen countries, but has been approved by shareholders in the US and abroad.

 

Cast announced for Star Wars Episode IX

The big news out of Lucasfilm this week was the announcement of the principal cast for the next (and reportedly final) episode in the Skywalker saga. Sequel Trilogy stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac were no surprise. TFA and TLJ veterans Domnhall Gleeson, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Billie Lourd, and Lupita Nyong’o will also be returning. New cast members announced include The Americans’ Keri Russell, well-known British character actor Richard E. Grant, and 2017 BIFA Most Promising Newcomer award winner Naomi Ackie.

While I was pleased as punch to hear of both the returning cast and the newcomers,  it was the news of certain members of the Original Trilogy cast that got me gushing. Mark Hamill’s return to the role of Luke Skywalker has many people speculating as to whether he will appear in flashbacks or as a Force Ghost to live up to his iconic pledge to “see ya ’round, kid”. Either way, fans will once again get to see Luke Skywalker on screen, and that is never a bad thing. Anthony Daniels will once again don his signature golden plates as C-3PO. And in a delightful surprise, it has been announced that Billy Dee Williams will once again bring Lando Calrissian to the screen.

But the news that had me in tears was that the role of Leia Organa will once again be played by the late Carrie Fisher. Since Carrie’s untimely passing in December of 2016, there has been much speculation as to what would happen to the character in the final episode of the saga. Director J. J. Abrams has announced that there is enough existing footage of Fisher’s Leia to tell her story to its conclusion. The choice to use existing footage (and likely ADR) possibly alongside body and photo doubles as opposed to digitally re-creating the actress in total or re-casting the role was the one I was hoping the team would make and has been signed off on by Carrie’s daughter, Billie and her brother, Todd.

John Williams will be scoring the film.

Principal Photography on Episode IX is slated to begin August 1 at Pinewood Studios in London.

The film’s release is currently scheduled for December of 2019.

 

That’s it for this week’s news from a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Send Star Wars news tips to us here at Tosche Station and send Carrie Fisher feels to @MandaTheGinger.

Holonet Blast #23

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Hello, friends, and brace yourselves; we got quite a bit of stuff to cover this week.

First: the bad news. Via the Hollywood Reporter, Disney is pulling its movies from Netflix and starting its own streaming service, which will go live in 2019. What does this have to do with Star Wars, you ask? It’s not yet guaranteed that Star Wars and Marvel movies will be exclusive to this service, but I’m not getting my hopes up. it looks like Disney-branded films and Pixar movies are going to be exclusive to the service and it wouldn’t be surprising if that list of exclusive properties grew.

On to happier, Star Warsier things! EW has delivered unto us a heck-load of TLJ content this past week, including some exclusive images from the film. The images are paired with tantalizing details in the commentary. They also have a lot (as in eight, because of course) of pieces about different elements of The Last Jedi. I’m going to post links with their titles in bullet points, but you can also find all of them here.

On the literary front, Del Rey has revealed the retailer exclusive posters for Phasma! Continue reading →

There is Peace: Anakin, Ezra and Emotional Support

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Yoda: Inside you much anger, much fear.

Ezra: I just want to protect myself and my friends.

Yoda: And this is why you must be Jedi?

Ezra: Yes, and not just them. Everyone. I’ll protect everyone. Before I met Kanan, I only ever thought of myself, but Kanan and the rest, they don’t think like that. They help people, they give everything away, and I see it. I see how it makes people feel.

Yoda: Feel, yes. How?

Ezra: Alive. They feel alive, like I do now.

– Rebels S01E09, Path of the Jedi

Anakin at nine: The golden child of the twin suns, given the choice to leave his hard but love-filled slave life behind to become a champion of the galaxy. He is warm, talented, and compassionate, but fear and anger already have firm footholds in his heart.

Ezra at fourteen: A street rat who will help others subjugated by the Empire, as long as it suits him. Trust doesn’t come easy after years of being alone and he is afraid, though he’ll never admit it. Still, there is goodness deep inside him, and Hera and Kanan encourage the light inside him.

Both of these young boys are taken in by a new family at the start of their respective stories, the promise of becoming a Jedi dangled before them. We know where Anakin’s journey takes him—his fall, his redemption at the end—but we don’t know where Ezra’s heading yet. His future is totally open.

star_wars_rebels_ezra_jedi

Source: Lucasfilm.

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Star Wars: Unafraid and Lady Lovin’

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Here’s the thing: I am not a movie buff, I am not a film student (anymore), and I almost never have strong feelings about anything. I go into everything with no expectations except cool women and pretty cinematography. You can imagine that a lot of recent films have disappointed me.

The Force Awakens has already given me everything I want, just in the trailers and teasers and TV spots. A female lead, gorgeous shots that are a blend of old and new, and Leia. My God, do I love Leia. I am perfectly content with just the teasers and trailer, and the thought that there is an actual whole movie coming out next week is so overwhelming I can’t even directly acknowledge the thought lest I explode. Or cry. I can’t look directly at the idea, I must tip-toe by the realization that this is actually happening.

But I have no fear (and really, do I ever?) I’m not known for my good taste in films, I unabashedly love terrible or unpopular movies. Can I count the number of times I’ve watched the Prequels? No, but it’s probably a higher number than the OT. The only thing that could legitimately make me dislike The Force Awakens would be awful treatment of the lady characters, but I have such utter faith in the team at Lucasfilm I hardly believe that will happen.

I do have hopes, though. Hopes that Rey and Finn will shine, and will inspire other films to cast women and people of colour in starring roles. Hopes that I will want to watch this movie as often as I crave watching The Hunger Games. I want to fall in love with Rey and Finn and the other characters the same way I have so fallen for their actors, so funny and charming and kind. I want this film to give me feelings so strong I realize I can never love any person as much as I love TFA. Finally, I desperately want to see Han and Leia have sweet moments. I will ship them till my dying breath.

Star Wars has always been an innovator, a leader, an inspirer. As long as I can remember, Star Wars has been in my life—from babysitting me when my parents didn’t want to deal with a bored toddler, to me wanting to be Obi-Wan’s sister with a pink lightsaber when we were pretending to be in Lord of the Rings back in primary. Those orcs didn’t stand a chance.

The OT showed me that I could be a princess and still be in space with cool ships and guns. The PT inspired me in part to take up politics so I could be like Padme, inspiring change in a country I felt so strongly for (a failed venture, that in part lead me back to falling in love with Star Wars.) The Clone Wars gave me Ahsoka, who I love so dearly I am actually astounded by the depths of my feelings. Abrams is wrong, Star Wars has always been for everyone.

I want the new films to give me, and all young girls coming into this fandom, women (note the plural) to look up to and give us hope for our futures, or inspiration for our present. This is really all I am hoping for: a positive force for women and girls of all ages. I don’t care if Rey is a Skywalker or a Solo, I only care that she is everything Star Wars has been needing for over thirty years, and that she’ll be someone for little girls to look up to and love.

I also really want Finn and Rey to hold hands. Romantically. Oh God, please don’t be related.

Star Wars Goes Digital on April 10th

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Star_Wars_logoIn news surprising to no one thanks to rumors over the past few days, Disney announced tonight via a commercial during this big deal college basketball game that the six films will be available in Digital HD starting on Friday, April 10th.

“Since the debut of the first film nearly 40 years ago, Star Wars has become a worldwide phenomenon with legions of fans from every generation,” said Alan Bergman, president, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s only fitting that audiences enjoy this legendary saga and its many fascinating behind-the-scenes stories on a wide variety of platforms, and we’re very excited to finally bring all six films to Digital HD for the first time.”

The digital releases will also contain bonus material although that will apparently vary by retailer. You can read the full press release on the official site.

Where’s Hera? (And Sometimes Sabine)

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January 4th, 2015 and I’m already tired. Why? Because I am sick of it. Because I’m sick of death of having to constantly fight and ask for female representation in merchandise when there’s absolutely no good reason not to include it. Are you a fan of Star Wars Rebels and love the ENTIRE team? Well good luck finding merchandise that includes Hera or Sabine let alone both.

If this is sounding familiar, it’s because we’ve been through this before. We wondered where Black Widow was in all the Avengers gear after the film came out in May 2012 and then we asked again in August 2014 when Gamora was almost nowhere to be found. (Amy Ratcliffe detailed the latter over at her blog.) At this point, it’s an easy choice to call it a pattern of marketing (especially Disney in this situation) purposefully eliminating female characters from their products. This is hardly also a new battle for Star Wars. Those in the fandom will likely recall the uproar when Daisy Ridley was originally the only new woman in the Episode VII cast and then again when Hera and Sabine were not announced with the first wave of Rebels action figures. (And hey, that’s just the highlights from 2014.) Unfortunately, it looks like it’s time to start up a hashtag for #WheresHera.

Let’s take a look at some of the Star Wars Rebels merchandise out there. Over the weekend, I found myself at the Disney Store, a calendar mall stand, and Jo-Ann Fabrics. While this is not a comprehensive listing of places that sell Star Wars gear, I found the products there to be fairly representative of what I’ve seen other times.

I found this set of kids’ PJs in the Disney Store. Notice who’s missing?IMG_1411I don’t recall seeing anything with either lady on anything in the store but I DID see a girl of perhaps five eagerly grabbing for a Star Wars lunch box. Much of the rest of the items featured Darth Vader, clone troopers, and the Inquisitor. (It took effort not to explain the Inquisitor’s lightsaber to the confused dad holding it.)

 

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Disney CFO: Star Wars to follow the Marvel model

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Screen Shot 2014-01-03 at 1.09.21 PMFrom THR, Disney CFO Jay Rasulo says that Star Wars will be looking to Star Wars as it markets itself going forward.

Walt Disney, the parent of Lucasfilm, intends on doing for Star Wars what it did for its Marvel superheroes — including broadening the appeal to female and international audiences and moving lots of toys and other products, said CFO Jay Rasulo on Wednesday.

“We are doing what we do for our Disney franchises … with Star Wars, and it is mirroring Marvel, but we already know the path, so it’s going to go faster, smoother, with the same goals,” Rasulo said.

Emphasis added. It’s certainly nice to see a high level Disney exec at least pay lip service to reaching out to the female demo in its marketing and content creation. However, with the lack of Marvel products geared towards the female audience currently on the shelves (where’s Gamora?), one wonders if anyone told marketing and merchandising that this was the plan.

Disney: Star Wars toys for girls are coming

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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.