Episode VII News Update

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Emily

So, our Intrepid Leaders are on their honeymoon, which means the B-team is subbing in this week (we’re sorry). Here’s what we’ve got:

J.J. posted another video for UNICEF’s Force for Change, and this time, he’s showing off an X-wing in the video. Take a look at Mashable.com. Personally, I’m thrilled at yet another look at practical effect props showing up here, and I’m looking forward to a comparison of this X-wing to those from the original trilogy.

Meanwhile, Badass Digest claims to have plot details for Episode VII. I don’t think I need to note how very, very, very unconfirmed that is, but if you’re wanting to stay unspoiled, you might want to avoid, just in case. (TOTALLY UNCONFIRMED, BY THE WAY. And some of it doesn’t make ANY sense. Like, at all.)

That’s the news for this morning. Naturally, since The Intrepid Leaders are on a boat, Bria and I are expecting some sort of exciting news to drop at some point this week. (You might remember that Brian and Nanci were on a cruise when Episode VII was announced.) We will be exacting revenge for this later.

Tosche Station Radio #88: Han Solo’s From Corellia

Posted on July 11, 2014 by admin

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This week in Tosche Station Radio we go back to a favorite standby: canon, continuity, and worldbuilding.

Not a whole lot of new original content on the blog this week, but Bria did review Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows.

In Fixer’s Flash, it’s been a whole lot of TV and movies. A trip to the Kennedy Space Center occurred, and Nanci started reading The Serpent’s Head by Bryan Young.

Deak’s Dirt starts with Episode VII news. Crystal Clarke and Pip Anderson have been cast. They came from the open call and seem to be the roles of “Rachel” and “Thomas.” Bad Robot reports via Twitter that Episode VII will be filmed in IMAX and post-converted to 3D. In Rebels news, Lucasfilm has confirmed that David Oyelowo will be voicing Agent Kallus. Starwars.com also posted a video chronicling the genesis of the real life Chopper the droid. Rebels will be featured at SDCC, including Dave Filoni and the entire voice cast. There will also be collecting panels, a Hasbro panel, A New Dawn panel, among others. Speaking of A New Dawn, Star Wars Books has posted the dust jacket. Mike Cooper transcribes the blurb. Finally, Amazon will be releasing 2014 Star Wars literature sampler on July 15. Will feature samples from the four upcoming releases, A New Dawn, Tarkin, Heir to the Jedi, and Lords of the SIth

This week in Bigg’s Bull$#!% kicks off with even more Episode VII release date speculation. Dunc from Club Jade has an insightful analysis on why pushing back the release date might be wise. Is Pip Anderson the new Ray Park? Who knows!

Camie’s Concerns dives into continuity and canon. What are the problems that come when you blindly wipe away world building? What should stay, what should go, and what are the consequences to changing the background?

Tosche Station Radio is the official podcast of Tosche-Station.net and a part of Majestic Giraffe Productions. If you like what you hear, please leave a review on the iTunes Music Store. We can also be found on Facebook 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.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.

Crystal Clarke and Pip Anderson cast for Episode VII

Posted on July 6, 2014 by admin

And from out of left field, another casting development for Episode VII. Announced on the official site, joining the fold are Pip Anderson and Crystal Clarke.

Having hunted high and low for young and undiscovered talent, the filmmakers are delighted to announce that two actors from the open call call have been cast.

Crystal Clarke is an American actress studying in Glasgow, UK, who has both stage and screen acting experience and is soon to be seen in her first feature, The Moon and the Sun (to be released in 2015). British actor Pip Andersen is a skilled practitioner of parkour, a discipline that involves propelling oneself through any given environment with incredible grace and agility. Pip recently demonstrated this remarkable skill in a Spider-Man ad for Sony.

“The Star Wars universe has always been about discovering and nurturing young talent and in casting Episode VII we wanted to remain absolutely faithful to this tradition. We are delighted that so many travelled to see us at the open casting calls and that we have been able to make Crystal and Pip a part of the film,” said producer and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

Clarke and Anderson were pulled from the extensive multi-city and online talent search that contained over 37,000 attendees and 30,000 online applicants.

While there’s no indication on what the extent of the roles are, it is good to see the production crew going out of their way to cast another woman of color to appear in the film. While there is still room for improvement, slowly but surely the diversity ratio is improving in the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

Tosche Station Radio #87: Fording the Ramp

Posted on June 28, 2014 by admin

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Star Wars Weekends, conventions, and broken Harrison Ford appendages are on the docket for this all new Tosche Station Radio.

Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight What’s New on the Blog. Bria reviewed Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #2, Legacy #16, and Rebel Heist #3. Emily reviewed Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #6. Conventions 101 by Bria. We didn’t make this, but we loved it so much we had to talk about it: Guardians of a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

In Fixer’s Flash, the hosts kept busy with Star Wars Weekends and a healthy dose of Steve Blum and Mark Hamill. They also went and saw X-Men: Days of Future Past and found some time to culture themselves with Into the Woods. Of course, it’s World Cup Mania so soccer has gotten into the mix as well.

Deak’s Dirt starts with Her Universe debuting a new Marvel line and Transformers products. Congrats to the Star Wars Insider on celebrating 150 issues! Congrats are also in order to Club Jade, which celebrated its 10 year blogoversary this month. George Lucas museum is heading to Chicago. ABattlefront trailer shown at E3. Shuffling release dates: Heir to the Jedi coming on February 17, Lords of the Sith coming on April 21. Josh Trank to direct second standalone film. Rian Johnson to direct Episode VIII, pen a treatment for Episode IX.

In Biggs’ Bull$#!%, there are more rumors about plot. Most importantly, it’s the ongoing Saga of Harrison Ford’s Broken Appendage. First he broke his ankle. Lucasfilm confirmed and said shooting will continue while he recuperates. Then his publicist said he broke his leg and had surgery. Despite previous reports, the accident involved a door, not the Millennium Falcon ramp. Lucasfilm is still staying mum on the story. The latest rumor is that Ford’s recovery will take 6 months, shooting is being rescheduled, and the Episode VII release date will be moved. Lucasfilm has told TFN that there will be no delay, but rumors persist that Abrams and Kennedy want to move the release date to May 4, 2016, while Bob Iger says “no way”

Camie’s Concerns kicks off convention season with a look at three of the big ones coming up this summer. The hosts also take time to discuss Bria’s blog post offering convention advice for first-timers. Be sure to tune back in two weeks from now when we have Brandy from the Star Wars track at Dragon Con to discuss the track and the convention.

Wrapping up the show, the hosts field a question in Ask us Anything.

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.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.

Tosche Station Radio #86: We’re baaaack… Again

Posted on June 2, 2014 by admin

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It’s Star Wars Weekends and big Episode VII casting news on this episode of Tosche Station Radio!

Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight what’s New on the Blog. Listener Frank Rich sent in a video of the Star Wars panel from AwesomeCon, moderated by our very own Bria. Our good friend Nut provided a tutorial on how to make your own interactive Artoo Mickey ears. Bria reviewed Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #1, The Star Wars #8, Legacy #15, Rebel Heist #2. Finally, Emily reviewed Serenity #5.

Fixer’s Flash is full of Star Wars Weekends sights and sounds from weekends 1-3 and a look ahead to Mark Hamill’s appearance during the fourth weekend. What else have the hosts been up to? Well, there may have been a wedding. But not a red one.

In Biggs’ Bull#*$&, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley have been on the set of Episode VII. If you’re not watching Boyega’s Instagram videos, you are missing out. Peter Mayhew has reportedly arrived in London. Meanwhile, Mark Hamill should be arriving soon after his Star Wars Weekends appearance.

Camie’s Concerns is being replaced this week for an extra-long installment of Deak’s Dirt. We kick things off with a boatload of new products at Star Wars Weekends. They’re now available to order on the Her Universe website. Nanci bought the vintage print dress, the Rebel skirt, the Rebel top, and the Artoo hair clip. Simon Kinberg says the first season of Rebels will consist of 16 episodes, and apparently Lando is in one of them. There are rumors that Obi-Wan will appear, thanks to toy spoilers. Enter to win a chance to appear in Episode VII, see the first alien chicken vendor in the GFFA. Gareth Edwards to direct and Gary Whitta to write the first Star Wars standalone film. And here’s the big one: Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie are set to join the Episode VII cast.

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.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.

Episode VII Ups the Diversity: Christie and Nyong’o Join Cast

Posted on June 2, 2014 by admin

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.

Tosche Station Radio #82: Ended, The Clone Wars Have

Posted on March 20, 2014 by admin

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Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight what’s New on the Blog. In Memory of Aaron Allston: Nanci’s post, Brian’s post, and a podcast. Honor Among Thieves released: Go/No-go and Bria’s more in-depth review. Bria finished out the Hondo Caravan. Yes, she watched all of Season 5 in one week, and then forged ahead with the Bonus Content. Of note, she thought what happened to Barriss was crap. The Doctor is in! Congratulations to Emily on successfully defending her dissertation! Bria reviewed The Star Wars #6. Nanci discussed why The Sequel Trilogy needs a Skywalker. And finally, TeamWedge has come and gone. It was a valiant effort on the part of Wes Janson, but Wedge fell to that pesky astromech, R2-D2. Let’s throw our support to the original Rogue Leader, Luke Skywalker. He faces tough competition, but horrible pilot, Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first round.

In Fixer’s Flash, the hosts have found some time to geeky pursuits while putting together Ikea furniture. The Clone Wars was watched and consumed, but more on that later. Nanci’s been working on a new novel. Both the hosts are getting set for MegaCon.

Deak’s Dirt starts with news that Kevin Hearne’s Luke novel is set for release on January 13. Check out Leland Chee’s Twitter for information about The Clone Wars chronological order. There’s ACTUAL Episode VII news! Confirmed! It will take place 30 years post-RotJ; will feature some familiar faces and a trio of new leads. Artoo is still the only confirmed character. What is going on with EU characters marching in the Star Wars Weekend motorcade? Nanci’s post, Brian’s post. Finally, Mark Hamill is going to be at Star Wars Weekends!

This week in Bigg’s Bull#*$&, Lupita N’yongo is rumored to be close to signing on for Episode VII. Other actors are in consideration as well (surprise surprise).

It’s The Clone Wars bonus content on Camie’s Concerns this week. The hosts recap the final episodes and bid a final farewell to the show.

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.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.

Episode VII will begin 30 years, post RotJ, star new and old faces

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Nanci

We actually got some Episode VII news out of the Disney shareholders earning call today! Not a lot, but right now I’m willing to grasp at any and all scraps of news I can get my tiny fingers on.

Bob Iger confirmed that Episode VII will begin approximately 30 years after Return of the Jedi (or 34 ABY for us Expanded Universe folk), and will star some familiar faces along with a trio of new leads. However, the only confirmed cast member is still R2-D2. Le sigh.

Still! Some news is better than no news! I think. Hopefully, with filming starting in May, we’ll get some more substantial news–like casting!–pretty soon.

Introducing Sabine: Rebels’ Mandalorian Graffiti Artist

Posted on February 19, 2014 by admin

The Hollywood Reporter has today’s Rebels character reveal in Sabine, a Mandolorian combat expert and… street artist.

Who is Sabine? She is a Mandalorian, and is described as “sassy,” “spunky,” “feisty” and has “a little bit of attitude.” She has an expert’s knowledge of weapons and arms, with an affinity for blowing things up. “She does it with flair,” Sircar says of Sabine, who also moonlights as a graffiti artist.

“She’s definitely one who’s turned against the Empire and that’s going to be to the Rebels’ benefit,” as executive producer Dave Filoni hints in the behind-the-scenes featurette above. As Joel Aron, CG supervisor of lighting and FX, says, “She’s adding something that we haven’t really seen before in the Star Wars universe. You have a character that is expressively creative through art — whether it’s the color of her hair or what she’s done to her armor.”

Sabine will be voiced by Tiya Sircar, who has done some voice work but has mostly done small roles in a number of TV shows and films.

Tosche Station Radio #79: Teachable Moments

Posted on February 5, 2014 by admin

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On this episode of Tosche Station Radio, it’s learning moments from the Expanded Universe.

Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight what’s New on the Blog. Bria reviewed Darth Maul: Lockdown the first EU book on the 2014 calendar. In comics, Emily reviewed the new Serenity comic, Leaves on the Wind #1, while Bria reviewed Legacy #11 and The Star Wars #5. Brian reminds everyone to go watch Gargoyles. The Hondo Caravan visited Dathomir and Mortis, broke out of the Citadel and dove underwater with Captain Ackbar. Finally, we talked about Diversity a lot in the past three weeks. Nanci explained why Diversity for Diversity’s Sake is not a Bad Thing. Brian deconstructed Four Stupid Arguments Against Diversity. Bria discussed Diversity Among the Stars (And the Royals of Alderaan).

On Fixer’s Flash, the hosts weren’t up to much geeky stuff thanks to both Bowls of the Super and Puppy variety. They are planning to go see a sing-along version of Frozen.

Deak’s Dirt starts with Christie Golden reminding us that Sword of the Jedi is on hold. Episode VII stuff: According to USA Today, JJ Abrams says the script is done and filming is slated to begin May. Carrie Fisher told TV Guide that she, Mark, and Harrison will begin work in March or April. Rumor – Judi Dench playing Mon Mothma? The Rebels movie rumored to air this summer. We also met the latest character from Rebels, Chopper the droid.

In Camie’s Concerns, the hosts take a look at what Rebels and the Sequel Trilogy can learn from the Expanded Universe. Both good and bad.

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.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.