The Week in Star Wars is back with some possible plot details from Star Wars: The Last Jedi as well as details on the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray, Star Wars Land and more…
Let’s kick things off this week with Star Wars: The Last Jedi and although Josh Gad and Judi Dench have been unable to get answers about the mystery behind the title [see them try here and here], Disney’s Bob Iger has shed some light on the subject. After seeing an advanced screening of the movie, Iger said it was “a great chapter in the iconic Skywalker family saga”. Now, does this confirm that Rey is in fact Luke’s daughter, or is this a hint that Mark Hamill will be the focus of the film..?
…Speaking of Mark Hamill, the actor recently spoke out against the fans for bad-mouthing the prequel trilogy – particuarly around the performance of young Jake Lloyd. “I couldn’t believe some of the things they wrote about the prequels, you know,” he said in an interview. “I mean really, beyond ‘I didn’t like it’. I’m still angry about the way they treated Jake Lloyd. He was only ten years old, that boy, and he did exactly what George wanted him to do. Believe me, I understand clunky dialogue.” Flickering Myth’s Ricky Church wrote an op-ed to go alongside this titled, In Defence of the Star Wars Prequels: Are they really that bad?, which you can read here…
…Over to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story now and Hasbro unveiled a batch of promotional images for its new Spring wave of 3.75″ Star Wars figures featuring Admiral Raddus, Galen Erso, Lieutenant Sefla, Shoretrooper Captain and Commando Pao from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as Fenn Rau from Star Wars Rebels [see here], along with a glimpse of their upcoming 40th Anniversary Black Series Titanium Figures from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope [see here]…
…Previews also unveiled some of its upcoming Egg Attack action figures for Rogue One [see here], A New Hope [see here], and Star Wars: The Force Awakens [see here]…
…We also got our first look at the Blu-ray cover for the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story [which you can see here], with Wal-Mart claiming the film will be released on April 4th. Bear in mind that’s not official…
…Westworld star Thandie Newton has become the latest addition to the cast of the now-in-production Han Solo movie, where she joins the previously announced Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!) as Han, Donald Glover (Atlanta) as Lando Calrissian, Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke in an unrevealed role, and Woody Harrelson as Han’s mentor…
…In news I can’t quite believe I’m reporting, the chaps behind those fantastic Epic Movie and Disaster Movie films are back again – and this time they’re taking a swing at Star Wars. They announced their next project as, *sigh*, Star Worlds Episode XXXIVE=MC2: The Force Awakens The Last Jedi Who Went Rogue. Urgh. “Jason and Aaron are a powerhouse duo who have proven time and time again that they are fully tapped into the what audiences love,” said Paul Hanson of Covert Media. “Their fearless take on pop culture has us beyond thrilled to tackle the world’s most popular franchise with the two of them leading us into a galaxy far, far away.” The film should be out – and very much ignored – in the fall…
…A second Star Wars-themed comedy is also set to shoot this year in The Line Kings, which will follow “a group of rabid Star Wars fans who camp out for four days on Hollywood Boulevard, in front of the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre after Disney announces that the fans who are first in line after four days will win walk-on roles in the next film in the series — leading to a battle royale between two fan groups determined to be first…”
…Star Wars Battlefront may have been a huge success in terms of sales, but the reception from fans and critics certainly wasn’t as strong as Electronic Arts would have liked. Well, it seems EA has taken the criticism on board, and is promising to rectify things this year with the currently-in-development Battlefront 2. According to the official EA website [which you can read here], Star Wars Battlefront 2 will have a proper single-player campaign. About bloody time! The game will also contain elements from Star Wars: The Last Jedi…
…Star Wars Rebels returns to the small screen this coming Saturday, and you can check out a clip from ‘Legacy of Mandalore’ here…
…Time to start saving folks, as Disney has announced that its Star Wars Land attractions at Disneyland or Disney’s Hollywood Studios are set to open their doors in 2019…
…And lastly in comic book news, Marvel have announced a crossover between Star Wars and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra called The Screaming Citadel. “We’re so excited for The Screaming Citadel because it brings a whole new tone and feel to the Star Wars characters we know and love,” says series Editor Jordan D. White. “The titular citadel is our version of the dark and mysterious castle on the hill, and our cast of rebels and rogues are the adventurers who face a stormy night exploring the darkness. Kieron and Jason write these characters so vibrantly, it’s awesome to see them thrown into a new situation like this…get ready for a good one!” Check out the covers here.
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 (which you can pre-order from Amazon UK and Amazon US). You can follow him on Twitter @ThisisLukeOwen.
