Louisiana's Mardi Gras migration to Disney World is a little over a month away. Did you hear about all the changes Disney has planned for 2024? Know before you go.
As it turns out, asking Ewan McGregor about reprising the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in a Star Wars spinoff is basically like a publicity version of Bloody Mary — say it enough times and it’ll appear. Despite the actor’s numerous expressions of interest in revisiting one of the only good things to come of the Star Wars prequels (aside from Watto, of course), the decision ultimately rests with Lucasfilm. And it looks like Lucasfilm is most definitely down.
Today Disney dropped a whole slew of new release dates for the studio through 2021. It might seem like a joke that humanity will even exist to see that year arrive, but hey, we can dream, and in those dreams there’s a lot to be excited about, including Indiana Jones 5.
Unlike the previous Obi-Wan Kenobi — sorry, Alec Guinness — Ewan McGregor has long been excited about the prospect of returning for more Star Wars movies, telling Empire Magazine last October that he was the “right age” to make two more movies as the beloved character. While fans were sometimes unimpressed by the prequels, McGregor’s winning performance as the young Jedi was one of the highlights of the film, leading fans to clamor for a standalone Kenobi movie while McGregor was still the right age.
While fans from around the world have gathered to share their love of Star Wars at this year’s Star Wars Celebration, there has been one sobering element to the festivities. The loss of Carrie Fisher has been felt at every level of the convention, from Thursday’s bittersweet memorial video put together by Lucasfilm to the sadness felt while Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson shared his behind-the-scenes footage from the set. And since this is a convention of all things Star Wars, fans have also speculated about the role the actress might play in the next film. Is there a place for Fisher in Star Wars: Episode 9?
Fans are never satisfied. Here we are, finally enjoying the first batch of footage from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and we’re already wondering about Star Wars: Episode 9 and beyond. The resurgence of Luke Skywalker in particular has us wondering a bit about the franchise’s endgame. The Star Wars movies have always been tied to the emotional journeys of one father and one son; can this universe maintain a new Skywalker narrative after the main one is complete? Or will Star Wars: Episode 9 bring this chapter in the Star Wars universe to a close?
While pop culture junkies like to joke about the fact that Lucasfilm’s new extended universe approach means the sun will burn out before we go another year without a Star Wars movie, what we really need to resign ourselves for is decades of production rumors. Every director with an ounce of style and a half-successful movie under their belt will now be a popular match for a standalone Star Wars film. So when directors such as Guillermo de Toro — who possesses far more than just an “ounce” of style — are rumored to maybe-sorta be in the market for their own Star Wars movie, that means its time to buckle up for the long haul.
It’s been a few months since the world lost Carrie Fisher, and while many would prefer to expand the conversation to her accomplishments outside of the Star Wars universe, plenty of people are anxiously wondering how her death might affect her character in the upcoming Star Wars sequels. For some, this can be viewed as a tacky approach to celebrity, but there’s a sweeter side to things as well. Leia Organa remains an icon for people around the world; finding an appropriate way to say goodbye to her character will be, in essence, the way many Star Wars fans say goodbye to Fisher herself.
Terrible news to confirm today, as a beloved icon and Star Wars star’s condition has taken a turn for the worse. Carrie Fisher, actress behind both Princess and General Leia, has passed away at age 60. The revered actress and comedic presence had earlier suffered a heart attack en-route from London to Los Angeles.
In this new age of ultra-hi-def-liquid-frame-3D-VR-cystal-lava-screen-immersion TVs that you and I can have in our own home theaters, the old classics just don’t look as good anymore. Movies that seemed like the height of technology back when televisions were still cube-shaped look jerky and unfocused now that we’re so used to seeing the highest-definition image possible, so 4K restorations are now on the rise. Gareth Edwards, director of Rogue One, says that Lucasfilm is in possession of a 4K version of the original Star Wars, but has no idea when the rest of us will get to see it.
The force is very strong with Disney and Lucasfilm’s legal department — or at least one would assume, which is why it’s probably not a good idea to infringe on their trademarked properties, especially Star Wars. But that’s exactly what one enterprising business owner did when he started the Lightsaber Academy, which is now the target of a lawsuit filed by Lucasfilm late last week.
Way back in 2012 (or at least it feels way back), Netflix and Disney struck a deal for all of Disney’s movies — including Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm — to stream exclusively on Netflix Instant. According to the terms of their agreement, the deal wouldn’t kick in until 2016, which just so happens to be the year in which we are currently living. As announced today, Netflix will officially begin streaming Disney films in September, but that doesn’t mean the studio’s entire library will magically appear in your Instant browser.
Everyone, fanboy or not, now knows about the big deal that Star Wars creator and Lucasfilm Ltd. founder George Lucas made with Disney. Numerous fanboys and fangirls (is that even a term), have expressed dislike on this big move. But today, Lucas announced that he is donating the 4 billion dollars from the Disney deal to charity.