Your weekend edition of The Week in Star Wars contains a batch of new images and posters from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, updated casting for young Lando, Joss Whedon on Star Wars, deleted scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and more…
Well kick things off with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and you might recall some promotional images from the movie via the Topps Trading Card app last week [see those here]. Well a massive twenty more landed online this week [which you can see here]…
…Following on from a new poster and trailer last week, Disney and Lucasfilm released a series of character posters featuring Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) and Director Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). See them all here along with the announcement that the UK will get the movie a day early…
…Speaking of the trailer, and you can watch Kylo Ren react to it here…
…And if that’s not enough video content, Duracell released a new Star Wars-themed commercial to tie in with Rogue One, and it’s rather fantastic. Check it out here…
…It had been rumoured that Donald Glover (Spider-Man: Homecoming) was leading the charge for the young Lando casting in Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, and it turns out that was very true. “We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us,” directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller said in a press release. “These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever…”
…If there is one man who could melt the Internet with the announcement he’s directing a Star Wars movie, it would be Joss Whedon. While it might not be likely, the Avengers: Age of Ultron director would like to do it. “I mean, it’s a fun thing to do, to put yourself in the service of something if you think you can add an interpretation,” he said. “It’s no different than any other storytelling. There are some times when you get micro-managed to death but with Marvel, they let me make two movies that were very much mine. So do I want to make James Bond movie? Yeah. Anne Hathaway does Catwoman again? Sure, I’m in. Do I want to make a Star Wars movie? Yeah. I was like, ‘I don’t want to make a Star Wars movie. Like, god dammit, why?’ But I saw the trailer for Rogue One a while ago and I was like, ‘I want to do that.’ To make a Star Wars movie and not be wed to the bigger picture.”
…With the 3D Blu-Ray release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens just around the corner, a quote from the commentary track by director J.J. Abrams was released this week, talking over the *SPOILERS* death of Han Solo. “People have asked me if I think Kylo Ren was just playing with him the whole time, if he meant to kill him from the beginning,” Abrams says. “And the truth is, I think Kylo Ren in this moment is actually being convinced to walk away from this. Snoke is, as Han says, using him, and I think that somewhere Ben knows this. But I think that he can’t accept it. Deep down he has gone too far.” You can also watch the clip here, and a deleted scene here…
…Oli Davis and I talk about this quote on this week’s Flickering Myth Podcast while also giving our thoughts on the latest trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story…
…Remember that rumour that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was going to have a new version of the fight on Bespin between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker? Well, it turns out that was almost true. “Touching the lightsaber triggers what we call the ‘Forceback,'” J.J. Abrams says on the 3D Blu-Ray commentary track. “There were many iterations of this. In one, from the Cloud City Corridor, she looked down and saw Vader fighting Luke, which we ended up cutting. We wanted it to be a more personal story, something that she couldn’t comprehend, that was overwhelming to her, frightening to her, that was taking her through all of these elemental experiences, of fire, of rain, snow, wind. But also that she was being confronted with truths about the Force, about the past. The Knights of Ren here, the past for herself. She realizes that the cries she heard were actually her own cries as a young girl being taken away from her family. And then she hears a voice, ‘Rey,’ and that’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
…Star Wars Rebels now, and you can read Chris Cooper’s review of Episode 3 ‘The Antilles Extraction’ here, watch the Rebels Recon for episode 4 ‘Hera’s Heroes’ here, read Chris Coopers review of that episode here, and watch a sneak-peak at episode 5 ‘The Last Battle’ here and a clip here…
…If you’ve held off from buying Star Wars Battlefront but are still keen on venturing to the galaxy far, far away for some multiplayer shooter action, EA announced that it is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the game next month with the release of Star Wars Battlefront Ultimate Edition…
…Ricky Church got to speak with Star Wars: Ahsoka author E.K. Johnston this week, which you can read here…
…And if you’re into your techy gimmick toys and are attending Disney Parks later this year, you’ll be able to get your hands on a remote controlled Mouse Droid from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, with the Death Star droid set to arrive in mid-December. Check out the official promotional image here…
That’s all for this week – may the Force be with you.
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the co-host of The Flickering Myth Podcast and Scooperhero News. You can follow him on Twitter @ThisisLukeOwen and read his weekly feature The Week in Star Wars.
