Star Wars, Geek Culture, and Power Converters
Our friends over at Jedi News have a source telling them that Ian McDiarmid is on board to rejoin the Star Wars franchise in Episode VII. While the specifics of exactly what role he would have in the film is unclear, the source seemed confident that he would be making a return.
Dunc over at Club Jade speculated what McDiarmid’s role might be, and I’m with her. Not a clone, better chance it’s as a holocron/ghost/vision.
Looking forward to the 8-issue comic series adapting George Lucas’ original concept for Star Wars? You’ll want to take a look at this trailer.
I’ve got a running joke with my friends that George Lucas (now just Lucasfilm) can simply raid my wallet by releasing the Star Wars films in new formats every few years. I used my allowance money to buy the Special Edition VHS tapes and have pretty much purchased every release since. Last purchase? The Blu-Ray pack from a few years back. I figured that would do it for a long while, up until yesterday.
Turns out both trilogies are being released as Blu-Ray/DVD combo sets.
Coming this fall, the power of the Force comes home when the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies are released in the US in Blu-ray/DVD combo packs on October 8, 2013.
The prequel trilogy (including Blu-ray and DVD versions of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith) and original trilogy (including Blu-ray and DVD versions of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi) collections will feature brand new cover artwork created exclusively for this release.
Internationally, DVD-only trilogies will be available.
New cover art? Shiny. The big selling point is an updated set of DVDs. Since Blu Ray discs won’t work everywhere, a refreshed set of DVDs that will work in just about any device will be great to have.
So congratulations, Lucasfilm. You got my money. Again.
It’s been ten years since the first Knights of the Old Republic game was released and after playing it through again recently for the first time in years? I can happily report that it still holds up awesomely. The game is just as enthralling to me now in my early 20s as it was when I was in my teens. A lot of that has to do with how distinctly Star Wars the game is despite being set thousands of years before anyone named Skywalker was of any relevance to the galaxy. Obviously it has all the superficial markings of Star Wars like the name, lightsabers and Jedi, spaceships, and such but it’s the overall feel of the epic tale that makes it so very obviously a part of the galaxy far far away.
Let’s take a look at some of what not only make this game pure Star Wars but makes it an excellent example for other stories told within the galaxy.
Note: Obviously one of the neatest things about the game is that you make your own choices through your own character and therefore the game could go any number of ways. I’m writing this piece assuming a light side Revan which is technically canon. This piece will also have a heavy bias towards playing with a female Revan which sadly isn’t canon but that’s my preferred storyline so canon can deal for the duration of this piece.
It’s a mission to save the galaxy
While it’s hardly a trope unique to the galaxy far far away, it is one of its pillars. Your character is just an ordinary person (or so you think) who, through a series of circumstances, has to go on a quest through the galaxy to find pieces of the Star Map to help win the war against the Sith. Along the way, you pick up a number of companions with whom you build friendships and you also often help others out even if they have nothing to do with your main quest. At the end of the day, you save the day by defeating the evil Sith leader and destroying the space station that was giving them the edge in battle.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Although a story doesn’t always have to have galactic ramifications to be one where good triumphs, that’s a part of what makes this game so good. The fate of the galaxy is literally in your hands. You choose whether to be a good guy or a bad guy and whether or not you’re going to save the Republic or take back the Sith Empire for yourself and rule and galaxy. Granted, the galaxy sort of falls to pieces five years later anyways but the Ebon Hawk and her crew still saved the day!
IGN’s Eric Goldman recently had the chance to sit down with ABC president Paul Lee during the Television Critics Association’s press tour. One of the questions asked: Is a live-action Star Wars television series a possibility?
At the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour today, I asked Disney president Paul Lee about the possibility of Star Wars on ABC. While Lee wouldn’t give any specifics, he did say, “I certainly have a glint in my eye. They have a lot on their plate when you look at the features that they’re planning on rolling out for the next few years, but we’ve started conversations with them.”
Nothing’s a guarantee, but it’s certainly not outside of the realm of possibility now that Disney has a stake in the franchise. If they’ve figured out a way to turn the Marvel film universe into a TV series, it’s certainly possible Star Wars could make the medium leap as well. Will this be the McCallum series that’s been in flux since 2005? I doubt it, especially given that he left Lucasfilm earlier this year. Still, more Star Wars is an exciting possibility.
Hold on to your butts. Maybe this means news is coming, or maybe it’s a whole bunch of nothing, but it appears Lucasfilm will be a part of the live action film panel at Disney’s D23 Expo.
Let the Adventures Begin: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios
Go behind the scenes at The Walt Disney Studios with this revealing look at our upcoming roster of live-action adventures from Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. Fans will enjoy exclusive video clips, filmmaker discussions, and star appearances at this session hosted by Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn, Disney Live Action Production President Sean Bailey, and Marvel Studios President and Producer Kevin Feige. With Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Disney’s Maleficent, Saving Mr. Banks, Tomorrowland, and Muppets Most Wanted, coming down the pike, make sure to claim your spot for the total package—surprises included! Cell phones, cameras, and all recording devices will be checked for this presentation.
Don’t get too excited yet. This could simply be some Lucasfilm folks talking up Star Wars and not revealing any new details. Of course, with the lack of major news from Celebration (beyond John Williams returning), perhaps Disney and Lucasfilm decided to save things for the Mouse House’s big convention. Stay tuned!
UPDATE: Turns out the title of this article is, in fact, a rumor. A Lucasfilm spokesperson told Big Shiny Robot that Kathleen Kennedy as said that “Nothing has changed” and Episode VII will still begin shooting in 2014. There was no comment on the codename.
Our friends over at Jedi News have a report up saying that a trusted source has told them that a deal has been struck to use Pinewood Studios in England for filming for the next ten years.
To quote their report:
Further to this we understand that the film has been in pre-production at Pinewood Studios for three and a half months in advance of an August 2013 shooting date. We hear they have block booked the studios for 10 years and that construction of offices and facilities on-site is underway. Also storage space is being located in the local area.
There’s also a mention in the report that Episode VII could be filming under the fake name of ‘Foodles Productions Ltd’.
As always, this is an unconfirmed rumor so take it with a grain of salt until we hear something official from Lucasfilm.
Dave Filoni took the stage this morning at Celebration Europe to talk about the new forthcoming animated series Star Wars Rebels. Although there was no trailer since nothing’s been animated yet, the official logo for the show was revealed, as seen to the right.
He also said that the new show be very different visually from The Clone Wars and that the artistic influences of Ralph McQuarrie’s concept art will definitely be evident. Said Filoni, “We wanted to create a look for this part of Star Wars that precedes A New Hope by just a little bit.” and “We have created a set of digital brushes that replicate McQuarrie’s style…We’re going for something that’s much more an illustrative look.” They’re hoping to try and match the look of the Original Trilogy.
Most of what Filoni showed was concept art for the new show and the artwork included a brand new ship that will be central to the main character of the show- the Ghost.
You can read a liveblog of the entire panel by the official site here.
Kathleen Kennedy’s panel at Celebration Europe this morning didn’t yield much in terms of Episode VII news but she did announce that John Williams will be back to score all three Sequel Trilogy films. A video interview (as seen below) was shown to the panel audience and he clearly seems to be as thrilled to be back in the galaxy far far away however he has yet to read the script.
You can read the entire official liveblog of Kennedy’s panel over on the main site.
On this episode of Tosche Station Radio, Amy Ratcliffe joins the hosts for a San Diego Comic Con recap!
Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight what’s New on the Blog. Nanci wrote Dear Star Wars Books: Thank You For the Women. She also wrote about the Monolithic Jedi as presented in the post-NJO EU. Bria wrote a review of Legacy #5. Meanwhile, Brian and Nanci will be on panels at Dragon Con! Yay?
It’s a dull week in Fixer’s Flash. Nanci’s been busy writing, but Brian’s been busy packing. No show next week as Brian ships the studio across the country!
Deak’s Dirt starts with news out of Comic Con! Mark Hamill talks Star Wars and it sounds like his hopes are high. There was a bit of Star Wars Expanded Universe news. Nothing earth-shattering, biggest reveal was Honor Among Thieves cover. Legend of Korra trailer. Book 2 coming in September, Brian and Bria are still recovering. Agents of Shield news. Colbie Smulders will be in the show! Zack Snyder will officially be directing a Batman/Superman film with an anticipated release date of Summer 2015. The Hollywood Reporter also says that Warner Bros. is aiming for a Flash film in 2016 and a Justice League film for 2017 but that wasn’t announced at the panel (or at least as far as we are aware). Lionsgate treated audiences to a new Catching Fire Theatrical Trailer. (The staff is still recovering from that one.) The film will be out this November. We also got to see some of the first footage for the Veronica Mars film. The anticipated Marvel Studios panel didn’t disappoint especially if you were in Hall H. Of course we have to have an Episode VII rumor. Is JJ leaving? Surprise, Lucasfilm says no.
This week on Camie’s Concerns, Amy Ratcliffe stops by to discuss San Diego Comic Con and general geekery! You can find Amy on Twitter and on her blog.
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.
