Another bumper edition of The Week in Star Wars sees the final trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and an update on its box office tracking as well as news on the Boba Fett movie, Han Solo movie themes and more…
We’ll kick things off this week with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as after an extended TV spot [watch that here] and international spot [watch that here] were released, the final trailer for the movie was released ahead of its debut in a couple of weeks’ time [watch it here]. You can also watch a very clever and creative Andriod/iOS 8-bit version of the trailer here, and check out new images of Darth Vader here. Want more images? Here’s more…
…In other marketing material, Empire revealed their Rogue One covers this week which you can check out here, while we also have five new posters for the film here, and the first official image of Jimmy Smits’ Bail Organa here…
…With the release impending, the projected box office tracking for the movie was revealed this week. If you’re a regular listener to the Flickering Myth Podcast, you will know that Oli and I have been having a debate on whether Rogue One: A Star War Story or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will do better at the box office when all is said and done, and it looks like I’m on for another winning prediction. While Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opened to $75 million, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is tracking $130-$150 million domestically. If the movie has legs and does well overseas, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that it could do over $1 billion worldwide…
…Back in September it was announced that Michael Giacchino (Doctor Strange) had signed on to replace Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel) as composer on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with less than five weeks to put together a score, and now he’s been talking about his experiences. “I was like, ‘No, I don’t want to. I want nothing, nothing. Let’s just do it…’,” said Giacchino when asked if he listen to any of the music already composed by Desplat. “I’ve been excited to see this movie very much for the past year or so. And I thought, ‘Oh wow, Alexandre will probably do a really cool score for that.” And I was honestly looking forward to just seeing that and [hearing] whatever he did. I had never – not even an idea – that I would ever be involved in it. It all happened so fast. I got a call one day. I was on a plane next day because I had two days left of Doctor Strange scoring to do in London. And the day after my last day of scoring with Doctor Strange, [Lucasfilm] said can you come out to Pinewood? So I went out to Pinewood Studios and I met with everyone. They showed me the movie. And literally I came home with the movie. I spent the weekend with my kids and said, ‘You know what? The next four and a half weeks are going to be brutal. But Monday I’m going to start it,’ and Monday I sat down and started it. And there it was: four and a half weeks later, we were scoring…”
…Ben Mendelsohn has been talking about his character Orson Krennic’s relationship with Darth Vader in an interview with Empire this week and said, “It’s fair to say Lord Vader and he aren’t friendly. Darth is very much about the Force. Krennic is force. Not really down with the whole mystical thing. [Krennic does not come] from the aristocracy of the Empire, if you like. He is truly a man that has made his own way up the chain through his own abilities. His weapon, for instance, is a very old type of blaster, because he’s an old warrior dude. He’s been put in charge of making this thing happen. And it’s gonna get done!..”
…Looking ahead to the next Anthology movie, and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has been talking about what we can expect from the Han Solo movie. “This moves closer to a heist or western type feel,” she said. “We’ve talked about Frederic Remington and those primary colors that are used in his paintings defining the look and feel of the film…”
…The movie’s star Alden Ehrenreich has also spoken this week about the casting of Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian saying, “He’s wonderful, I think he’s going to do an excellent job. He’s such an interesting guy. He’s a successful stand-up, comedy writer, show runner, director, actor, rapper — and now Lando…”
…In other Anthology movie news, and it looks like we very nearly got a Boba Fett movie which was set to be directed by Josh Trank (Chronicle). Trank had been announced for a Star Wars Story movie last year during his time on Fantastic Four, but the director left the project shortly thereafter. It was then revealed that Trank had been disruptive on set of Fantastic Four and the movie was drastically re-shot without his help because the original cut was deemed dreadful by 20th Century Fox. Some sources have said that it was this reputation that got Trank fired from the Star Wars movie, which would make sense as this third Anthology movie is being written by Fantastic Four writer and producer Simon Kinberg. The Boba Fett movie was going to be announced at Star Wars Celebration 2015 (the same event they revealed the title of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) with a sizzle-reel already created, which sadly has never been seen. The state of the Boba Fett movie is now unknown – and it may never get made…
…If you think Lucasfilm is done once Episode IX is released and whatever the third Star Wars Story movie is, you may want to think again. “That’s a conversation going on right now, too,” Kathleen Kennedy said. “I have to honestly tell you, could we [do nothing but standalones]? Sure. But I don’t know. We are looking at all of that. There are [possible movies] that we have been talking a lot about. But we are planning to sit down in January, since we will have had The Force Awakens released, now Rogue One, and we’ve finished shooting Episode VIII. We have enough information where we can step back a little bit and say, What are we doing? What do we feel is exciting? And what are some of the things we want to explore?”
…While the man himself has had no involvement with Star Wars movies since selling Lucasfilm to Disney back in 2012, Kathleen Kennedy has revealed that the Anthology movies were George Lucas’ idea. “George talked to me about doing [standalone movies] when I first came aboard,” she said. “He had often thought about doing it and he had actually written down three or four thoughts and ideas, directions you could go. Obviously inside the mythology there were lots of opportunities. So that was the first conversation I had.” Kennedy notes that Rogue One and Han Solo were not part of his plans however, and he was more interested in “the Jedi and the foundational ideas that George had thought about when he created the mythology,” Kennedy notes…
…Here are 3 Star Wars movies you could have made before Han Solo, according to one of our writers…
…New LEGO Star Wars images have landed online this week, including Yoda’s Jedi Starfighter (75168), Duel on Naboo (75169), The Phantom (75170), Scarif Shoretrooper (75523), Chirrut Îmwe (75524) and Baze Malbus (75525). Check them out here…
…Sideshow Collectibles has revealed the upcoming Hot Toys exclusive Star Wars 1/6th scale Stormtrooper Porcelain Pattern Version figure. The collectible is available to pre-order now, priced at $234.99. and is expected to ship July-September 2017; take a look here…
…The also announced their upcoming 1/6th scale Zuckuss figure from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. The limited edition collectible is available to pre-order now, priced at $224.99 and is expected to ship November 2017 – January 2018; check it out here…
…Hasbro is unleashing a new wave of Elite Series Star Wars action figures in the run up to the holidays, featuring Jyn Erso, Director Krennic and the Imperial Death Trooper from Rogue One, Darth Vader and Princess Leia from A New Hope (and Rogue One?), and Rey from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Take a look at the new figures here…
…Hot Toys released promotional images for the upcoming Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) and Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) Cosbaby Bobble-Heads from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which are available both as part of a set or separately. Check those out here…
…Moving on to Star Wars Rebels now, and you can watch the Rebels Recon for episode seven ‘Iron Squadron’ here and Chris Cooper’s review here, along with clips from episode eight The Wynkahthu Job here…
…And finally, your comic book preview for the week in Star Wars Annual #2: Princess Leia is on a top-secret dangerous mission that brings her to a planet that wants no part of the war against the Empire. But when an injury threatens to end her mission, can she inspire that rebel spirit in those who just want to keep their heads down? Writer Kelly Thompson (A-FORCE) and artist Emilio Laiso (GODS OF WAR) bring us an all-new tale of Alderaan’s last monarch in action!
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.
