The Week in Star Wars returns after a short hiatus with some big updates from Han Solo and The Last Jedi, as well as some comic book and Episode IX news too…
Let’s kick things off with Han Solo, and a new report from Jedi News has revealed that Spencer Wilding has landed himself a role in the upcoming spin-off. The actor was supposed to appear at Fandom Fest in Kentucky but the convention updated their website, explaining, “Spencer Wilding will be unable to attend as he will be filming the newest film in the Star Wars Universe. Spencer will be coming back next year.” Wilding might not be a name you instantly recognised, but he was the man in the Darth Vader suit in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a scoop we revealed exclusively last year. Could this mean we’ll see the Sith Lord in Han Solo?..
…Two other new names added to the Han Solo production are composer John Powell (Bourne, Shrek) and Star Wars alumni Warwick Davis, who Ron Howard revealed via Twitter…
…Since Ron Howard has taken over the film following the shock departure of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the set has been more open to sharing images via social media. This week it was the turn of Emilia Clarke, who shared this set video of Chewbacca. Check it out here…
…Some new images from Star Wars: The Last Jedi were leaked online this week, showing us new character posters for Luke Skywalker, Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren and – more importantly – a non-holographic Supreme Leader Snoke. Check them out here before they’re taken down…
…Images that won’t be taken down however are the reveal of the Black Series two pack of Luke Skywalker and Rey from The Last Jedi, which you can check out here…
…There was no big news coming out of San Diego Comic Con last week as Star Wars didn’t have a panel, but Lucasfilm did announce a host of new Star Wars books, novels, activity books and more set for release this year as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi publishing initiative. Check out a selection of them here…
…Director Rian Johnson has also been speaking out the movie’s comparisons to the original trilogy, a criticism that was thrown against J.J. Abrams’. “The temptation is to say, well it’s a middle chapter, so it’s got kind of an Empire thing,” said Johnson. “But at the same time, I really wanted to maintain the same sense of fun that J.J. Abrams had in The Force Awakens, that to some extent in Return of the Jedi, which I was like 10 years old, that was primed for me when that came out, and the sense of playfulness, I think. So when I say Empire, I guess I don’t want to give the impression that it’s kind of dark, doom and gloom. It was also very important to me that this was a fun adventure. It’s a mixed bag of a lot of different stuff. And hopefully some unique stuff too…”
…Also from San Diego Comic Con was a quick soundbite from Avengers: Infinity War directors Anthony and Joe Russo who revealed they would love to direct a Star Wars film. “I sat in a theater when I was 11 years old and watched The Empire Strikes Back from 10 in the morning until 10 at night the day it came out,” said Joe Russo in an interview with Variety. “To say we’re obsessed with Star Wars is an understatement. We’d absolutely love to do a Star Wars film.” Well, they do work closely with Disney…
…Looking ahead to Star Wars: Episode IX, and Colin Trevorrow has been talking with The Hollywood Reporter about the pre-production of the movie. “Not only did I grow up on these stories, like all of us did, [but] I think that the values of Star Wars are values that I hold very close and very dear in my life,” said Trevorrow. “I feel that the message of the way that the Force teaches you to treat other people and show respect for others, and the way it guides you through life, is really important to me. And I hope everybody would realize that that set of stories has affected me as deeply in my life as it has affected them.”
…Our own Tom Nightingale sat down to chat with Boba Fett actor Jeremy Bulloch at the Star Wars Identities exhibition at the O2 in London, which you can read here…
…Ricky Church reviews Star Wars Battlefront II: Inferno Squad, which you can read here…
…Marvel announced that the Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra creative team of writer Kieron Gillen and artist Salvador Larocca are set to take over the main ongoing Star Wars comic series this November from issue #38. “My aim’s simple – to do what Salva and I did with Darth Vader, but for Leia, Luke and Han. As in, chart the rise and fall of the rebellion between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, how it changes them all and how it changes the universe,” said series writer Kieron Gillen. “So a simple aim, but as nightmarishly tricky to pull off as dropping a proton torpedo down a thermal exhaust port. But hopefully as thrilling if we pull it off. I can’t wait till you see it up. First up: the post-apocalyptic hell that remains of Jedha after the Death Star punched a hole through its mantle.” Read the thoughts of Salvador Larocca here…
…And finally, here are your comic book previews for the week. First up is Star Wars: Rogue One Adaptation #5: The Star Wars story continues! Rogue One, the small rebel crew comprising Jyn Erso and friends, has arrived on Scarif! But much danger lays in the path between the rebels and the Death Star plans…Including never-before-seen moments! And here’s the preview of Star Wars: Darth Vader #4: Vader’s first mission isn’t going well. The dark side is the way of power. But no one said it would be easy.
That’s all for this week – may the Force be with you.
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth, the co-host of The Flickering Myth Podcast and the author of Lights, Camera, GAME OVER!: How Video Game Movies Get Made. You can follow him on Twitter @ThisisLukeOwen.
