Rogue One Trailer (feat. Beastie Boys)

Kenny Baker, actor behind R2-D2, dies

The 3ft 8in actor, who starred in six Star Wars films as well as Time Bandits and Flash Gordon, was 83

The British actor who played R2-D2 in the Star Wars films has died at the age of 83 after a long illness.
Kenny Baker, who was 3ft 8in tall, shot to fame in 1977 when he first played the robot character.

He went on to play the character in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as the three Star Wars prequels from 1999 to 2005.
Baker also appeared in a number of other much-loved films in the 1980s, including The Elephant Man, Time Bandits and Flash Gordon.
His niece, Abigail Shield, paid tribute to her uncle. She told the Guardian: “It was expected, but it’s sad nonetheless. He had a very long and fulfilled life. He brought lots of happiness to people and we’ll be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world. We’re all very proud of what he achieved in his lifetime.”

Baker and Shield’s father, Ian, grew up in Birmingham. She said: “When he was a child, he was told that he probably wouldn’t survive through puberty, being a little person in those times, they didn’t have a very good life expectancy. He did extremely well in his life. He was very ill for the last few years so we had been expecting it. He had been looked after by one of his nephews, who found him on Saturday morning.”
Baker met his wife Eileen after an appearance on the Michael Parkinson TV chat show. She wrote in and said she was a little person too and wanted to meet him. “They got married soon after,” Shield said. “Sadly she died of epilepsy about 20 years ago.”
Shield added: “He had problems with his lungs and was often in a wheelchair. He was very poorly for a long time. He was asked to go out to LA for the new Star Wars premiere but he was told he was too ill to travel. Luckily he did manage to meet George Lucas again when he came to Manchester.”

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer (Official)

Lando Calrissian Will Return in Star Wars Han Solo Movie

Disney and Lucasfilm are currently casting a young Lando for their second Star Wars spin-off Han Solo.

 While Lando Calrissian's whereabouts were never mentioned in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and there is no indication that we'll see him return in Star Wars: Episode VIII, LucasFilm and Disney are not done with the character by a long shot. A young Lando already turned up in Star Wars Rebels during the Disney XD animated series' first season, voiced by the legendary Billy Dee Williams. Now it is being reported that Lando will be one of the secondary characters in Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, the franchise's second spin-off following this December's Rogue One.

 Young Lando and Han will be gambling buddies, as told in past Star Wars lore. While LucasFilm and Disney have not confirmed this news, The Wrap reveals that the filmmakers are currently casting Calrissian under the codename 'Chance'. It is believed that this is in reference to the character's luck with cards and dice. No further details have been revealed about how Lando will fit into this particular story.
Lando Calrissian was first introduced in The Empire Strikes Back as the defacto leader of Cloud City. He turns traitor on his old buddy Han Solo, turning the space pirate, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO over to Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett. He later redeems himself, and eventually helps stage a rescue of Han on the desert planet of Tatooine, where Solo is being held prisoner by gangster Jabba the Hutt. In Return of the Jedi, Lando pilots the Millennium Falcon and helps take down the second Death Star.
Han Solo and Lando Calrissian have a long and storied relationship in the Star Wars mythology, some of which has been told in novels that are no longer part of the official canon. It is well-known that Lando lost the Millennium Falcon to Han in a game of sabacc. Han would lose the ship himself later in life, only getting it back during the events depicted in The Force Awakens, which hit theaters this past December.
Billy Dee Williams reprised the role in two episodes of Star Wars Rebels titled Idiot's Array and Siege of Lothal, which roughly take place around the same time as the upcoming Han Solo movie, which will be directed by Lego Movie and Jump Street team Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Those stories are part of the official canon as it now stands, but it isn't known if there will be some sort of Rebels and Han Solo movie crossover. Alden Ehrenreich was chosen out of literally hundreds of hopefuls to play the role of a young Han Solo.
Disney and LucasFilm refuse to comment on the casting of Lando. There is no officially confirmed start date for Han Solo: A Star Wars Story. The movie will be in theaters summer 2018, following Rogue One's big debut this holiday season, and the premiere of Star Wars 8 in December 2017. We'll have more as this story breaks.

The Best STAR WARS Exclusives of Comic-Con 2016

In just over a week, Comic-Con is coming back to San Diego and the Force is coming with it! And if you’re looking for new Star Wars  collectibles to pick up SDCC,  you won’t have to look far. The official Star Wars site has released a full list of the various exclusives that will be available at Comic-Con. Casual fans and hardcore collectors should be well served by these offerings. We have our eyes on a few as well, which is why we’re sharing a list of our most anticipated Star Wars exclusives from the show!
Star Wars Socks

These original trilogy themed socks from Static are hilariously goofy, and it may be the only time that we’ll ever be excited about buying socks! Each design is limited to 100, and you can pick up any pair for $20.
C-3PO & Captain Phasma Star Wars: The Force Awakens Premium Edition Action Figures




Jakks Pacific is offering two exclusives at the show, from its latest Star Wars: The Force Awakens 20″ action figures: Premium Edition C-3PO and Captain Phasma. These will run you $59.99 each, but they appear to be well worth it.
Boba Fett Keepsake ornament

It just wouldn’t be Star Wars without everyone’s favorite bounty hunter. Hallmark’s Beginnings: Boba Fett Keepsake ornament two-pack is is based on the work of Ralph McQuarrie. That’s why he’s rockin’ the full white costume that the artist envisioned him with. The helmet is also based on an early piece of Boba Fett artwork by McQuarrie. We don’t have the pricing info for this one, but fans will also be able to pick it up at New York Comic Con later this year.
Rey’s Backpack

Loungefly is offering a recreation of Rey’s backback from The Force Awakens, which will be limited to only 200. It comes with a Rey-on-a-speeder pin and some eye goggles that should look familiar to fans of the film. You can pick it up for $65 at the con.
Star Wars Skateboards

Something about these First Order themed skateboards Santa Cruz just speak to us. But is it the call of the light or the dark? These boards will go for a cool $100 each at the show.

R2-D2 Unpainted Prototype


Don’t let the $149.99 price scare you off. This is a terrific variation of Sideshow’s R2-D2 Deluxe 1/6 figure that has the light-up dome and hinged panels of the original. But this time, R2 has a monochromatic silver finish.
We’re also quite taken by two Star Wars exclusives that we’ve previously covered. First is the Hasbro exclusive Star Wars: The Black Series 6-Inch Obi-Wan Kenobi Pack, which you can see here. That one will be $44.99 at the convention, with a limited number available online after the con. The other exclusive is Gentle Giant’s  Chewbacca McQuarrie Concept Mini Bust, which is based on McQuarrie’s initial artwork for everyone’s favorite wookie. We featured that one last week, and we’ve got a gallery that you can check out. It will be $120 at the show.
Which Star Wars Comic-Con exclusives have captured your attention? Feel the Force, and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Til Darth Do Us Part: Star Wars mad bride led down the aisle by R2-D2

Guests even had lightsabers fitted to their chairs as a Star Wars soundtrack played for the bride's entra

 

Star Wars mad Kevin Birch and Leanne Fagan even had two Stormtroopers at their wedding

A Star Wars mad couple opted for an intergalactic themed wedding , with the bride even being walked down the aisle by R2-D2.
Kevin Birch, 44, and Leanne Fagan, 34, love the movie franchise so much, the newlyweds kitted out their wedding with its famous robots.
The robot beeped and swirled its way up the aisle as it led Leanne to the alter.
Two armed stormtroopers then flanked the bride as she made her way up the aisle, with the Star Wars’ soundtrack filling the room.

 

The wedding was complete with Star Wars robots

 

Leanne was walked down the aisle by two stormtroopers

Guests at Liverpool's Town Hall sat watching with blue, red and green lightsabers beside their chairs, and several carried Star Wars tissue packets.

Dog owner spends £2,000 on wedding for love-struck pooches Elvis and Bella

The registrar even put on a furry hat that briefly transformed her into an Ewok, while another council staff member had her hair in Princess Leia-style buns.
The Stormtroopers turned threateningly towards the audience with guns at the ready when the registrar asked if anyone had any reason why the pair should not be wed.

Liverpool Echo

Guests at the wedding were even given lightsabers and Star Wars tissues

The Birkenhead couple, who met through work at a supermarket, then said their vows and were pronounced man and wife with Stormtroopers, a black-clad Imperial Guard and R2-D2 at their side.
The groom told the Liverpool ECHO before the service: “We’re having a small nod to Star Wars, because we’re both kind of geeky and wanted a little flavour of it.

Meeting the parents? Liam Payne spotted hanging around in Cheryl's hometown Newcastle

Leanne’s not having bridesmaids - she’s having Stormtroopers and R2-D2.”

Liverpool Echo

Han Solo Movie Script Praised by Star Wars Expert

Artist Iain McCaig has read the initial draft of the Young Han Solo spinoff, calling it the best Star Wars script ever.

There is a lot of hype building for some of the future films in the Star Wars franchise lately. After a brief bit of concern over massive reshoots for Rogue One, fans are now very excited after a bunch of new details came out, including the confirmation of Darth Vader for the movie. But Disney has other spinoff movies planned, and after Rogue One, it will be everyone's favorite scruffy nerf herder Han Solo who is getting a solo movie. Now, the initial script for Han Solo: A Star Wars Story is getting high praise from a trusted source. And that source just so happens to be an expert on all things Star Wars.

We know relatively little about the upcoming, untitled Young Han Solo movie, but thanks to a recent report from Star Wars News Net, we get a bit of a window into what we might be able to expect in terms of quality. Speaking at an art and industry conference in New Zealand recently, The Force Awakens concept artist Iain McCaig revealed that he has read the script for the Han Solo spinoff movie, and that he thinks it is really amazing. The article doesn't feature a direct quote, but here is what the report has to say about McCaig's feelings on the script.

"'By far the best Star Wars script, and one of the best scripts period, that I have ever read. I laughed, I cried, I did all the things you should do when reading a good script. You're in for a treat.'"

Lawrence Kasdan, whose Star Wars history dates back to writing the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back, wrote the script for the Young Han Solo movie, which should lend some credibility to McCaig's praise. Kasdan was also brought on board to help J.J. Abrams rework the initial draft of The Force Awakens, which was done by Michael Arndt. Interestingly enough, Kasdan reportedly wrote the initial script for the Han Solo spinoff movie even before he made his contribution to The Force Awakens.
McCaig has been a member of the Star Wars family for quite some time, and had a very good working relationship with George Lucas, before he sold off Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012. McCaig was a concept artist on all three of the prequel movies as well as The Force Awakens, and has a good relationship with Disney currently, as he did some of the concept art for the very successful live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book. That being the case, it isn't likely that he would say anything negative about the script for the Han Solo movie, but he didn't necessarily have to be so overly positive either.
We don't know a whole lot else about the Young Han Solo Star Wars movie, but we know a small handful of essential details. For one, Hail Caesar! standout Alden Ehrenreich has been cast in the title role, taking over duties for Harrison Ford who is obviously a bit too old to play a young version of himself. We also know that The LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are the ones who have been chosen to helm this standalone movie. With those pieces in place and McCaig's comments, it is still early, but we may be able to start getting our hopes about about this movie. The Young Han Solo movie is currently set for a May 25, 2018 release date.

Rogue One May Not Have Star Wars Opening Crawl

 Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy reveals that the Star Wars spinoffs may abandoned the opening story crawl for something that is more unique.

If you are a Star Wars fan, things are pretty great right right now. Disney has successfully breathed new life into the franchise after the disappointment of the prequel trilogy, with The Force Awakens being very well received and absolutely crushing it at the box office. Next up for the studio is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and it will be the very first spin off movie in the Star Wars universe. That being the case, it looks like it may be missing a very iconic element of the Star Wars franchise.

In the recent massive EW feature on Rogue One, many new details about the movie were revealed. One particular thing of note that came up in the report was that Rogue One may not feature the classic text crawl during the opening of the movie. Here is what Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy had to say about the prospect of a text crawl when asked about it.

"We talk about that all the time. It's something that we're right in the midst of discussing even now, so I don't want to say definitively what we're doing. The crawl and some of those elements live so specifically within the 'saga' films that we are having a lot of discussion about what will define the [stand-alone] Star Wars Stories separate and apart from the saga films. So we're right in the middle of talking about that."

Every one of the seven Star Wars movies that have been released have featured the classic text crawl, which helps to set up the story and typically leads into a big, action set piece. Rogue One will be the first non "saga" Star Wars movie, as Kennedy pointed out, and Disney needs to do a few things to make those movies stand out, as they have several of them planned for the future. The text crawl is one of the most distinct elements of a Star Wars movie though, so it would be a pretty bold movie for Disney to opt out of doing one for Rogue One.
The decision to do or to not do a text crawl for Rogue One will probably come a little bit later, as Kennedy and the studio currently have bigger fish to fry. Prior to the EW feature, there was a lot of concern over reshoots that are currently underway for the movie. Reports surfaced that as much as fifty-percent of the Gareth Edwards movie needed to be reshot, but during the course of the EW feature, Kennedy tried to downplay the severity of what is going on with the reshoots.

"There's nothing about the story that's changing, with a few things that we're picking up in additional photography. I think that's the most important thing, to reassure fans that it's the movie we intended to make."

Rogue One is taking place during the time period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope and follows the story of a band of Rebels who are tasked with stealing the plans for the Death Star. The reshoots are currently underway, but with recent confirmation that Darth Vader is indeed going to be in the movie and lots more details courtesy of EW, people seem to be much more excited than they are worried. Rogue One will be a very different kind of Star Wars movie, and if they decide to not go with a text crawl, it will be very interesting to see how they open the movie. Rogue one: A Star Wars Story is set for December 16 release.

Star Wars creator George Lucas scraps plans to build his $700m museum in Chicago and is now focusing on a California location 

For George Lucas, Chicago might as well be a galaxy far, far away.

The Star Wars creator invented an entire sci-fi universe and multibillion-dollar empire. But he could not manage to build his legacy museum in the US city.

Thwarted by local politics, the 72-year-old filmmaker said Friday that the Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art would now be built somewhere in California.

Done: George Lucas will not build his museum in Chicago, it was revealed on Friday; here he is seen in December in Washington DC

Plan V: Thwarted by local politics, the 72-year-old filmmaker said Friday that the Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art would now be built somewhere in California

Lucas had planned to spend some $700 million of his own fortune to build the museum on prime real estate along Lake Michigan, which the city offered to lease for 99 years at a price of $10.

That plan, which would have seen the museum replace a parking lot, went awry soon after it was announced in 2014 when a local preservation group sued to prevent construction.

The group contended that the museum, which would have replaced a parking lot, should be built at another site away from the lakefront, which is considered land reserved for public use.

Lucas on Friday strongly criticized the group's stance.

The details: Lucas had planned to spend some $700 million of his own fortune to build the museum on prime real estate along Lake Michigan, which the city offered to lease for 99 years at a price of $10; here Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill are seen in 1977's Star Wars

Hiccup: That plan, which would have seen the museum replace a parking lot, went awry soon after it was announced in 2014 when a local preservation group sued to prevent construction

'No one benefits from continuing their seemingly unending litigation to protect a parking lot,' he said in a statement.

The filmmaker had hoped to display his formidable art collection that focuses on narrative forms such as comic art, photography, film, and magazine illustrations, as well as "Star Wars" memorabilia.

The museum also would have included his collection of paintings by Norman Rockwell - the celebrated 20th century master illustrator of everyday American life.

But plans were stopped in their tracks when US District Judge John Darrah refused to dismiss the case against Lucas, saying there was a persuasive argument that the proposed museum would "impair public interest in the land."

A legend: The filmmaker had hoped to display his formidable art collection that focuses on narrative forms such as comic art, photography, film, and magazine illustrations, as well as "Star Wars" memorabilia; here he is seen in 2005

Attempts to negotiate between the parties soon thereafter stalled.

Within minutes of Lucas' announcement Friday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel lamented the loss of 'a gift worth approximately $1.5 billion.'

'Chicago's loss will be another city's gain,' Emanuel said in a statement. 'This missed opportunity has not only cost us what will be a world-class cultural institution, it has cost thousands of jobs for Chicago workers, millions of dollars in economic investment and countless educational opportunities for Chicago's youth.'

Sad turnout: Within minutes of Lucas' announcement Friday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel lamented the loss of 'a gift worth approximately $1.5 billion'; here Lucas is seen with wife Mellody Hobson in December

Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks, the group that brought the suit, reiterated that point.

"It is unfortunate that the Lucas Museum has made the decision to leave Chicago rather than locate the museum on one of the several alternative sites that are not on Chicago's lakefront," Irizarry said.

The lakefront was supposed to have been one of the museum's key draws, putting it in close proximity to other institutions with which it hoped to collaborate, including the Art Institute of Chicago.

Lucas' previous efforts to build the museum on federal parkland in San Francisco also failed.

 

 

ILMxLAB and Magic Leap “Lost Droids” Mixed Reality Test

This Star Wars Perfume Will Let You Smell Like Queen Amidala

Also available in Jedi and Empire scents

If you’ve ever had a strong desire to smell like Queen Amidala or Luke Skywalker, have no fear because Star Wars-themed fragrances are coming soon to a galaxy near you. Thanks to Lifestyle Perfumes, you can have the force with you in lightsaber-inspired bottles that house three different scents — two men’s colognes and a women’s perfume.
The colognes are named “Empire” and “Jedi;” “Empire” is for the bad boys of the galaxy, supposedly evoking “an aura of masculinity and power” as well as the “dark side of the Force” while “Jedi” captures “swaggering, fearless flair” with “sensual notes of musk and sandalwood.”
The women’s perfume is called “Amidala” and was inspired by the Queen of Naboo’s “royal elegance as well as her strong indomitable will,” and like any galactic woman will appreciate, the fragrance has a “sovereign seductive aura for any situation by day and by night.”
Unfortunately the perfumes are only available in Europe, so unless you’re planning on hopping the pond, you can satisfy yourself with reading about the fragrances (and their very detailed descriptions) on the Lifestyle site.

 

Star Wars toy collection auction contains 'Holy Grail' pieces and could fetch half a million pounds

Private assortment of toys from Europe are to go on sale at Thornaby auction house Vectis

Items up for auction

A collection of Star Wars toys, described as the best ever to come up for public auction, could fetch half a million pounds when it goes on sale on Teesside.
The private assortment from Europe is said to contain some of the “Holy Grail” pieces for fans of the famous film franchise.
Vectis Auctions, in Thornaby , said the star piece is a prototype rocket-firing Boba Fett, which has an estimate of £15,000-20,000.
In total it is thought the collection could fetch around £500,000.
Kathy Taylor, a valuer at the auction house, said: “This collection is one of the best in the world and the Boba Fett toy is one of the rarest Star Wars figures.

Prototype rocket-firing Boba Fett, which has an estimate of £15,000-20,000

“The collector sent me an email and when we read through the list it was quite amazing to see what he had.
“We sent him a valuation and he came back to us and said yes please, so we went across to Europe to get it ourselves.”
The collection, which will go on sale from July 19-20 and also includes a Charcoal Anakin Skywalker first shot figure, has previously been displayed in a museum.

Items up for auction

Items up for auction

Previous sales at the auction house saw 3,000 toy cars, trucks and trains built up over 50 years sold for £227,000, and boxes of unsold and unwanted Action Man and Star Wars toys that lay untouched in a retired salesman’s garage for decades for £180,000.

¡VAN A VOLVER A GRABAR LA MITAD DE STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE!

¡VAN A VOLVER A GRABAR LA MITAD DE STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE!

Por lo general, los fans están bastante indignados tras los comentarios sobre que hay que modificar la película por que "parece una película de guerra", ya que esa era la idea original, hacer algo de tono más bélico.

No obstante es de suponer que, como películas de guerra hay de muchas clases, de El Pianista a El Puente sobre el Rio Kwai, se refieren a los comentarios a que les ha quedado demasiado oscura, y en general, lejana del tono de Star Wars.

Una serie de artículos van aclarando aspectos del problema, con mayor o menos claridad: Aquí por ejemplo citan la frase de Gareth Edwards sobre el tema de la película: "about the fact that God's not coming to save us, and we're on our own."

Bueno, al menos en las películas de Star Wars que yo he visto, "Dios" si llega para salvar a los protragonistas, anque lo haga bajo el nombre de La Fuerza.

Además destacan que de fallar este primer spin-off todos los demás estarían en peligro, obviamente.

En este otro las cosas quedan ya más claritas: Resulta que han ido grabando sin tener un guión FINAL, por lo que cuando este ha sido terminado por McQuarrie, tiene mejores ideas que las de la película ya grabada.

Así que ahora HAY QUE DESCARTAR EL 40%, osea, que lo único que vale son los planos de la Estrella de la Muerte en el Espacio y las letras del principio, je, je...

Van a RECONSTRUIR 32 sets y estarán DOS MESES grabando.

Cosas como esta pasan cuando los guionistas van por detrás de los directores...

Sin embargo, este otro artículo niega la intervención directa de McQuarrie, aunque si habla de su contribución.

El caso es que parece que lo que se va a grabar son escenas que desarrollen los personajes, no tanto como cambios de argumento o reproducción de batallas.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Reshoots Confirmed

Disney is forcing director Gareth Edwards to do reshoots, though there never were any test screenings that sent Disney into a panic.

Earlier today it was reported that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was undergoing extensive and very expensive reshoots after a few disastrous test screenings sent Disney into a panic. That report was only partially true. There never were any test screenings. And Disney isn't worried about the overall structure of the movie. But there will be reshoots, which are common place in the Hollywood studio system.

Just a few years ago, news of reshoots were an immediate cause for alarm. But Disney has made them common practice, as they want the best product possible. All of the recent Marvel movies have reshoots built into their production schedule. And The Force Awakens under went reshoots before its release this past December. According to Disney and Lucasfilm, this is all business as usual.
The initial report claimed that Disney executives were extremely worried about Rogue One after the movie failed to test well. That has been clarified. At this time, according to Deadline, only Disney's top brass have seen the movie. The story, which follows a group of Rebels on a mission to steal plans to the first Death Star, is said to be much darker this time around.
Gareth Edwards, best known for Monsters and Godzilla, is directing the movie, and it was stated by an insider close to the studio that he has been very strict about studio interference. But there is a lot riding on the movie, especially with it set to launch a new franchise of Anthology films, which will be followed in 2018 by Han Solo: A Star Wars Story. The Disney suits decided that, after watching the entire first cut of the film, some big changes needed to be made.
While the reshoots are reportedly lasting for four weeks over the course of this summer, Rogue One will not be delayed and is still set for a December 16 release date. The first cut is said to be 'lacking the edge that Force Awakens had' and the 'story needs to jell'. The hope is that Rogue One will still be able to put in an appearance at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. And the first spinoff is the centerpiece of this year's Star Wars Celebration taking place this July in the UK.
This latest report goes onto state that Alden Ehrenreich may make a Han Solo cameo that is being compared to Luke Skywalker's one-minute appearance in The Force Awakens, but this has not been confirmed. The actor was hired for the role after Rogue One wrapped, and this could be part of the reshoots. The movie stars Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker and Mads Mikkelsen in the leads. And Darth Vader is confirmed to show up at some point, though it isn't known how large of a role the iconic villain will actually have.
The Force Awakens is said to have required about three weeks of reshoots, which matches Rogue One. That movie went onto earn an astounding $2.07 billion at the worldwide box office. Disney and LucasFilm aren't in crisis mode, according to this latest report. They are just moving forward with what they believe will be the best version of the movie.

Carrie Fisher comes face to face with her Star Wars character Princess Leia at Madame Tussauds in London 

She will forever be known as the iconic character Princess Leia from Star Wars.

And almost 40 years on from the first film, Carrie Fisher still bore a startling resemblance to the young princess from Alderaan, who has been recreated as a waxwork.

The 59-year-old actress came face to face with her former character at Madame Tussauds in London on Tuesday.

Scroll down for video 

Double take: Almost 40 years on from the first film, Carrie Fisher still bore a startling resemblance to the young Princess Leia from Star Wars, who has been recreated as a waxwork

Accompanied by her pet pooch Gary, Carrie was snapped next to a scene from the 1983 film, Return of the Jedi, which sees the member of the Imperial Senate enslaved by Jabba the Hutt.

The Hutt's throne room is faithfully recreated by Madame Tussauds and also features the sadistic court jester, Salacious B. Crumb.

For the reunion Carrie wore an all black ensemble - a sharp contrast to Princess Leia's classic gold bikini she was forced to wear while chained to Jabba.

The actress reprised her role in last year's acclaimed reboot to the series - Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens - with Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, after a 32 year break.

Striking: The 59-year-old actress came face to face with her former character at Madame Tussauds in London on Tuesday

Realistic: Accompanied by her pet pooch Gary, Carrie was snapped next to a scene from the 1983 film, Return of the Jedi, which sees the member of the Imperial Senate enslaved by Jabba the Hutt

And Carrie will again play a leading role in the upcoming movie Star Wars: Episode VIII as General Leia Organa.

Filming has already begun in Ireland for the hotly anticipated new instalment, and a release date is scheduled for 2017. 

 

 

 

Crafting the Props from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Han Solo: A Star Wars Story Begins Shooting in January 2017

Writer Lawrence Kasdan reveals that the Star Wars Han Solo spinoff will start shooting this coming January in London.

Later this year, the beloved Star Wars franchise will continue with the first spinoff, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which will be followed next year by Star Wars: Episode VIII in December 2017. The next movie after that will be Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is set for release May 25, 2018, exactly 41 years after this iconic character was first introduced in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. While there is still very little we know about the story, screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan recently revealed that production is set to begin in January.

Biz Journals caught up with Lawrence Kasdan after he was presented with the AJFF Icon Award for Contributions to the Cinematic Arts at the Woodruff Arts Center's Rich Auditorium earlier this month. While the writer wouldn't reveal any details about the plot, he said directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are getting ready to move to London, to prep for principal photography starting in early 2017. Here's what the writer had to say about the Star Wars spinoff.

"You know, Chris Miller and Phil Lord are going to direct it. They're great, funny and imaginative and we've had a great time together. My son [Jon] and I wrote the script and Chris and Phil are working on it and they're about to move to London to start shooting in January. And it should be fun."

Earlier this month, Alden Ehrenreich was cast as the young Han Solo. All we know about the story thus far is that it will take place before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, offering an origin story for this iconic character. Since he is part of the LucasFilm story group, and co-wrote the script for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lawrence Kasdan was asked if he could shed any light on the sequels Star Wars: Episode VIII or Star Wars: Episode IX. Here's what he had to say below.

"I have a little information. [Star Wars Episode 8 Director] Rian [Johnson] is a friend of mine. I'm getting to know Colin Trevorrow, who is going to direct Episode 9, so I feel very involved with it."

No other cast member or characters have been confirmed for the Han Solo movie at this time. It's possible that this spinoff could show how Han Solo met Chewbacca for the first time, but that hasn't been confirmed. Hopefully we'll have more casting and story details soon, so stay tuned for more on Han Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The 6 'Star Wars' Technologies Inventors and Scientists Have Already Made Real

Soon we'll all be using hydrospanners to fix our Millennium Falcons.  

We’ve long known that life imitates art as art imitates life. But science fiction complicates that famous formulation, forcing us to acknowledge that life only imitates certain types of art when technological progress allows for it. Increasingly it does and, also increasingly, human inventors seem to be taking cues from the Star Wars universe, building the sort of tools used by the Rebellion and the Empire in their ceaseless game of intergalactic red rover. Let the cynics dwell on why lightsabers would never work, it’s still remarkable that we already have six futuristic technologies (and some planets) cribbed from a trilogy of movies that absolutely shattered minds when it was released a little less than three decades ago.
These are those technologies:

Cybernetic Limbs

Luke's cybernetic hand.

We all remember that scene at the end of The Empire Strikes Back: Luke’s hand — sliced off during a confrontation with Darth Vader earlier — is back. Only it’s not really his arm; it’s got a bunch of metal and wires strewn around. It was an artificial limb. But unlike conventional prosthetics, this one was basically as good as the real deal. It could move with full functionality. It responded to sensations induced by external forces. And it was encased in a skin-like exterior. It was pretty much the same as the other arm.

The DEKA Arm

In the real world, we’re not at the point where we can just replace our limbs with artificial ones and get along with life just as well — but we’re made steps to that. Late last year, researchers at DARPA were able to construct a prosthetic hand connected to a patient’s spinal cord and give that person an ability to move the mechanical arm and even feel sensations induced on specific areas of the limb.

Princess Leia in hologram form.

Holograms

“Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” Those words were immortalized by Princess Leia, but it wasn’t her saying those things directly — it was a hologram version of her. Without question, we are now in the age of holograms. We already made Tupac come back to life and perform at Coachella via hologram — and it looked pretty damn impressive.
This isn’t just an important technology for entertainment purposes. Holography is also seeing a significant impact in teaching medical students how to identify and interact with different parts of the body to diagnose and treat illnesses. In the future, your physician might just let you sit around while they pull up a holographic version of you to examine and see what ails you.

Droids

If you think of robots as a version of droids, this isn’t even a stretch of the imagination. We’ve got droids that look like humans (and they are as clumsy and lazy as us, too!); droids that trudge around like animals; droids that follow us around and show us weird shit, etc.
It’s just a matter of time before we have droids that run around and tell us how bad all of our ideas are.

Speeders

A vehicle that can hover in mid air and zip across large distances? Impossible, right?
Well, we’re not totally far off from seeing speeders become a reality. We already have trains that levitate using magnets. Elon Musk’s proposed hyperloop transportation system is already being built by two different companies.

Most of all, hovercraft technology is progressing fast.

HUD

A heads-up display shows someone a digital interface overlaid whatever screen they’re using to see out in the real world. They provide access to information that doesn’t require you to pull up an entirely new device, and sometimes interacts with what’s happening ahead of you in a way that augments what your visual space looks like. Remember when Luke was gearing up to blow up the Death Star, and switched off his targeting computer? That could be considered a version of an HUD.
Nowadays, we’re already seeing HUDs in the form of smart glasses, smart cars, pilot displays in aircraft, and many other systems.

Tractor Beams

Last but not least, tractor beams are now a real thing. Researchers from Britain developed a device last year that can use high-amplitude sound waves to create an acoustically-driven hologram to move small objects around.
It’s a miniature form of a tractor beam, but it still counts — and illustrates a possible method that could be advanced for scaling up a working tractor beam that could move large objects around with just a flick of a switch.

 

 

Star Wars is 39 Years Old Today!

39 years ago today the world was changed when an unexpected space fantasy altered the way the world looked at movies. Star Wars (later A New Hope) was released on May 25^th, 1977 and summer blockbusters would never be the same.

  May the 4^th may be “Star Wars Day” due to clever marketing and fandom’s love for wordplay, but today is the day it all began. Before Star Wars, movies about space wizards, alien planets, and interplanetary battles of good and evil were the fodder of B-Movie cinema. They were seen as lesser and not taken seriously. Today’s blockbuster landscape would have seemed fantasy in its own right to movie goers of the early 70’s. But the spectacle and awe of Star Wars brought to life through the passion of George Lucas change all that. Lucas had a vision that the serials of his youth could be elevated to something that could both have mass appeal and stand the test of time.



Star Wars changed the film industry, advanced technology, and elevated aspects of geek culture into the mainstream in unprecedented ways. Without Star Wars, Lucas, and those who collaborated with him, the world would be a much different and far lesser place. So, Happy Birthday Star Wars! Although we here at SWNN will obviously salute you on this day due to our predisposition for all things of the galaxy far, far, away, it is the world and the entire film industry that should honor you for forever altering the way we consume movies. Happy Birthday and may the force be with you!

Check Out the Star Wars Celebration 2016 Poster!

Galactic eras collide on the official Star Wars Celebration 2016 poster! Lucasfilm has today launched The Star Wars Show, a new new web series that aims to explore everyone’s favorite galaxy far, far away. The new episode, which you can check out in the player below, has a cool surprise for Star Wars fans as it reveals the official Star Wars Celebration 2016 poster! Check out the full version, which blends Gareth Edwards’ upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in the gallery viewer at the bottom of this page. There’s also an amusing opening sequence that features Star Wars: Episode VIII helmer Rian Johnson and a certain Wookiee. Check it out in the player below! RELATED: Star Wars Celebration Europe to Feature Rogue One Panel  Set to take place this July at the ExCeL London Exhibition Centre, Star Wars Celebration 2016 is Lucasfilm’s love letter to fans. Beginning July 15, the event will feature three fun filled days of costumes, exhibits, a vibrant, interactive show floor, screenings, exclusive merchandise, celebrity guests, panels, autograph sessions, fan-inspired activities, and other surprises celebrating all things Star Wars. Star Wars Celebration 2016 aims to deliver a landmark experience where memories are made, families brought together, old friends reunited, and new friendships formed — all in the setting of the ever-evolving Star Wars universe. RELATED: Star Wars Celebration 2017 Set to Take Place in Orlando Last year’s Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim had an estimated 50,000 fans in attendance. Much of the event was live streamed on StarWars.com where a number of trailers made their debut, including the second teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, an official reveal of Star Wars Battlefront, and the first look at Rogue One. CS will be in London for Star Wars Celebration 2016, so check back for updates! What do you think of the Star Wars Celebration 2016 poster design? Will you be attending the event this summer? Let us know in the comments below!

Star Wars 8 Set Video Shows Daisy Ridley in Costume as Rey

 

The last half of Star Wars: Episode VIII is currently shooting in Malin Head, Ireland. And today, we have the first set video featuring star Daisy Ridley in costume as Rey. She appears to be wearing the same uniform she had on at the end of The Force Awakens, when she meets Luke Skywalker for the first time. Though, we suspect she'll be getting a costume change at some point in the movie, if only to sell more action figures.
The video arrives courtesy of Twitter, and you can clearly hear the excitement of the two girls in the car upon seeing Rey in the flesh. Shooting was completed this weekend on the scenic cliffs of Malin Head. Also spotted in the area was the Millennium Falcon. And while there are no pictures, it is confirmed that Chewbacca was on location for these scenes. Though it isn't known if original actor Peter Mayhew was in the costume, or if it was his understudy and stand-in Joonas Suotamo, who will, at some point, completely take over the role.
Last week, we saw new photos surface of stars Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) arriving in Malin Head, Ireland. Along with their arrival in town, the Millennium Falcon has certainly made its presence known to the locals. This massive ship has been parked on the edge of a cliff, reportedly a mile from Banba's Crown, an area which is well known as a great spot to get pictures of the Northern Lights.
The Republic of Ireland's Aviation Authority has enlisted a strict "no-fly zones" around the set. The security in Donegal County is also very tight, with only one country road that leads to and from the set. Production is said to be wrapped in Malin Head, with the shoot shifting to the south of Ireland, close to the Skellig Michael Island set, where the final scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was shot, depicting Luke Skywalker's secret Jedi temple. It isn't known how this particular vehicle obtaining this set footage of Rey got on the country road.
The production has also been constructing Jedi Temple sets on a mountain headland dubbed Ceann Sibeal in Kerry County, where shooting is expected to take place later this month. Of course, we don't know exactly what will be shot in Ireland, but there have been plenty of rumors that have surfaced thus far. There has been speculation that the story follows Rey starting her Jedi training with Luke Skywalker, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. There have also been rumors that Kylo Ren will capture Poe Dameron and Finn to try and set a trap to draw Rey out of hiding.
Rian Johnson is directing Star Wars 8 from his own script, with Disney and LucasFilm setting a December 15, 2017 release date. Disney and LucasFilm still haven't revealed an official synopsis or any story details quite yet, but we'll be sure to keep you posted as soon as more details are released. Until then, check out the new video from the Ireland set of Star Wars: Episode VIII, arriving in theaters December 15, 2017. StarWarsPost.com has more photos you can check out, though we've included the video below.

John Williams May Not Return for Star Wars 8

John Williams, who has scored every Star Wars live action movie to date, isn't sure if he'll be back for Episode VIII.

With Star Wars 8 midway through production, it still hasn't been announced whether or not composer John Williams will be back to score the soundtrack. He remains undecided, but one thing is for certain. He doesn't really want to see anyone else take on the job, either.
John Williams recently conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra, where he opened the show with a hint about his participation in the next Star Wars sequel. He only briefly mentions the movie, but it sounds like a big possibility that he may not return. He has this to say about scoring Star Wars: Episode VIII, as reported by JWFan.com.

"I told the producers I wasn't sure if I wanted to do the next one, but told them I didn't want anyone else doing it either."

The last half of the statement was meant as a joke. And it got a laugh from the crowd just as the conductor led into the Scherzo for X-wings track off The Force Awakens soundtrack. It's clear that the musician doesn't want to relinquish control to someone else, having been in charge of the live-action Star Wars movies since 1977, starting with A New Hope. This December's spinoff Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will mark the first big screen entry that he has not been in charge of, with Alexandre Desplat doing the music.

Before John Williams committed to doing The Force Awakens, there was some question whether or not he would return due to health issues. The conductor had to drop out of Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies, but is returning for the filmmaker's next project The BFG. When the official press release came out for The Force Awakens, it was stated that he would be doing the entire new trilogy. Later press releases from Disney and LucasFilm backed off that, stating he was only doing the music for Episode VII.
John Williams has sounded enthusiastic about returning for more Star Wars in the recent past. But taking on such a commitment at his age has become somewhat of a burden. If the composer doesn't return, it's possible that Alexandre Desplat could step in to replace him. It isn't known when a final decision will be made. There are still a couple of months left for the Star Wars: Episode VIII shoot. So don't expect to hear an official confirmation until sometime in late summer or this fall.