Star Wars 7 Character Details Revealed In Trading Cards

From Screen Rant

Lucasfilm is trying its hardest to make sure that no major spoilers about Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens leak, but with all the new tie-in merchandise that’s been hitting shelves, that task is easier said than done. Everything from the new toys to Halloween costume descriptions have given fans new tidbits to chew over while they await the film’s December 2015 release date.

See Also: Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Retro Style Lobby Card Print - Version 5

That trend continues with the (unofficial) release of some apparent new Star Wars trading cards that seem to be part of some kind of game. It’s not entirely clear what collection these cards are from, but the symbols on them are extremely to similar to previous official Star Wars card games. And if these are legitimate, they include some very interesting character details for the new Force Awakens heroes.

Making Star Wars (which has been a go-to source for Episode VII information thus far), has images of the cards, which feature Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren. Each card has so-called “Power-Up Link Symbols” that showcase a character’s affiliations and abilities. The Kylo Ren card doesn’t have anything juicy (outside of the Sith symbol), but some eyebrows are sure to be raised when we get to our protagonists.

Both Finn and Rey are listed as members of the Rebels (these cards seem to be using old school Star Wars terminology), but Rey also has the “Jedi” symbol on her card, while Finn does not. Given that the latest wave of marketing materials (such as the D23 poster and the 15-second Instagram teaser) have featured Finn (and not Rey) wielding a lightsaber, it’ll be surprising to many that he is not considered a Jedi according to the cards.

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STAR WARS SPECIAL: C-3PO UNCOVERS SECRETS

Witness the story behind C-3PO's new arm from James Robinson and Tony Harris leading into 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'!

From Marvel Comics

This December, experience a very special one-shot: an exciting new chapter in the Star Wars saga! Today, Marvel is pleased to announce STAR WARS SPECIAL: C-3P0 #1, launching as part of Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Reuniting acclaimed and award-winning creators James Robinson and Tony Harris for the first time in nearly two decades, follow everyone’s favorite protocol droid on a solo adventure leading up to his appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

Plus, the burning question will be answered here: How did C-3P0 get that red arm?!

STAR WARS SPECIAL: C-3PO #1 is the only place to learn the shocking truth behind how C-3PO lost his original arm – and the exciting origins of how he gained a new one!

“That’s a really exciting part of doing this story,” says writer James Robinson. “I saw a photo of C-3PO with his red arm the other day and I thought ‘Wow, I’m the writer who gets to explain that’.”

You may be fluent in over six million forms of communication…but this book is a must have in any language! Don’t miss the exciting origin of C-3PO’s crimson appendage this December, only in STAR WARS SPECIAL: C-3PO #1!

See Also: Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Retro Style Lobby Card Print - Version 1

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Framed Artwork Print - Version 3

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Signed and Numbered Poster Print - Version 3

Even Anthony Daniels Thought the 'Star Wars' Prequels Were Kind of Lame

From Yahoo! Movies

As C-3PO, Anthony Daniels is the rare Star Wars actor to have appeared in all of the movies — including the prequel trilogy and the upcoming The Force Awakens. And while other carriers of the Star Wars legacy (including Mark Hamill) have defended George Lucas’ prequels, Daniels now admits he’s not a big fan. In an interview with The Guardian, the 69-year-old actor shared his feelings about The Phantom Menace and its ilk, as well as bemoaning the extreme secrecy surrounding The Force Awakens.

When asked by The Guardian about the prequels, Daniels noted “ruefully” that they still aired frequently on the British Sky network, and complained about the films’ excessive use of CGI. “The effects are clever but pointless. The skill is there, but so what? Coldness, that’s the word. Bleakness, even,” said the actor.

He also hinted that Star Wars creator George Lucas turned a blind eye to his collaborators’ prequel concerns. “George has changed a lot over the years, but I think he finds it slightly hard to collaborate,” Daniels told The Guardian. “He made decisions that I believe might have been better discussed with other people.”

Daniels added that The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams is “more collaborative. He likes to listen.” (Although, he said, he and the director debated about “a certain issue” regarding C-3PO that he couldn’t yet reveal.) Like many fans, Daniels is also appreciative that Abrams insisted on practical effects. “It became clear early on that with J.J. we were getting back to the old-fashioned kind of filmmaking. We have walls. Actual sets!” he said.

While he was pleased to be back in his C-3PO costume (now modified so that the headpiece can be removed in 8 seconds, rather than the original 30), Daniels was blindsided by Disney’s total lockdown on potential Force Awakens spoilers. “The secrecy has been beyond ludicrous,” he told The Guardian. “For heaven’s sake, it’s a movie. When I got the script, it was typed in black on paper of the deepest red so you couldn’t photocopy it. I got a hangover just reading it.”

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Troopers - Star Wars - Stormtroopers - Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - Framed and Matted Print

Star Wars (1977 Marvel) #81, March 1984 Issue - Marvel Comics

Star Wars 7 Villain Has Darth Vader’s Helmet?

From Yahoo News

Although ‘Star Wars 7’ is unlikely to feature Darth Vader in the flesh, it looks as though ‘The Force Awakens’ villain Kylo Ren may have found his iconic helmet…

During the official live unboxing of the first ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ toy line, a new figure of Kylo Ren revealed exactly what’s under his hood – and it looks an awful lot like the back of Darth Vader’s iconic helmet.

The 18-hour event taking place across the globe has unveiled a whole host of brand-new ‘Star Wars VII’ toys… and during the segment taking place in Tokyo, Japan it seems they revealed a lot more than we were expecting.

“You can see his helmet, the helmet is in… from what we’ve been reading online, especially on the website and in interviews, it’s possible he modelled it after Darth Vader,” said the host. “Because that’s someone he was really, really into and had an affection towards. But we’ll have to see in the movies.”

But if you ask me, it looks a lot more than merely modelled on Vader’s helmet.

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Darth Vader light saber and removable cape - Star Wars Power of the Force - Green Card - Action Figure

The Story of Star Wars - London Symphony Orchestra special edition #2489 - MIP never opened, never played

New ‘Force Awakens’ Concept Art Really Makes It Look Like One ‘Star Wars’ Character Will Make A Comback

From The Inquisitr

Outside of the Episode VII cast and crew, nobody’s quite certain who or what is going to show up in the next Star Wars movie. New concept art that’s supposedly leaked from the film, though, points to the return of one major character in The Force Awakens, and it’s the sort of resurrection that could turn fans’ expectations for the next trilogy upside down.

By now, two things should go without saying for this kind of post. First, of course, is that this is all conjecture, with occasionally unreliable outlets posting supposed leaks from even more unreliable sources. Second, which should be even more obvious, is that you should stop reading right about now if you want to roll into The Force Awakens spoiler-free.

Those things said, the last few days have seen an uptick in reports that a major Star Wars character was going to make a surprise return in Episode VII. Namely, one Darth Vader. Last week, a selfie from Warwick Davis showed the diminutive actor in front of what appeared to be a Darth Vader costume on set, kicking off yet another round of speculation that Vader would be appearing in some form or another in The Force Awakens.

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‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Warwick Davis ‘Excited’ To See A Poster With Old Cast Members

From International Business Times

Warwick Davis, a cast member of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," is reportedly excited about a poster from his upcoming movie. The producers released the first official trailer of the movie about a month ago. There has been no official confirmation about any poster release.

Warwick Davis has been associated with the "Star Wars" franchise for a long time. Speaking to the IrishExaminer, the actor said that the upcoming movie will be "an amazing moment" for cinema. The actor also said that he was "most excited" to see some of the old cast members in a poster that will be released eventually.

It is still unclear if the actor was speaking about a specific poster that he has knowledge of or was speaking about a poster in general terms. Three of his fellow cast members reprising their roles are Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. The three cast members played a prominent role in the original trilogy.

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Oscar Isaac Says Your 'Star Wars' Theories Are Totally Wrong

From Yahoo! Movies

There were two enemies on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Dark Side of the Force, and the dark side of the internet.

Oscar Isaac is forbidden from giving much insight about his role in the battling that first enemy, but he can say that director J.J. Abrams’ fight against the scourge of leaks from the film’s Pinewood set is equally epic.

For starters, when he auditioned for the part of Poe Dameron in the highly anticipated sequel, he wasn’t even sent to script to read ahead of time.

"They won’t even do that," Isaac, who stars in JC Chandor’s forthcoming crime drama A Most Violent Year, told Yahoo Movies. “You go to the place, and they have a room with cameras and you sit there and read the script. They’re incredibly protective, because nowadays, with however many hundreds of blogs and this and that, people are just ravenous for content. So because of that, there has to be such tight security around it. And it gets in the way of the process a bit, but it’s understandable.”

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Chewbacca Makes His First Appearance in New 'Star Wars' Charity Video

From Yahoo Movies

Thirty years after his last big-screen adventure, Chewbacca looks surprisingly spry and youthful — he even looks a bit like his son, Lumpy.

Chewbacca Makes His First Appearance in New 'Star Wars' Charity Video

We’re not going to speculate just how everyone’s favorite Wookiee gained that sudden tightness around his eyes, but we do suspect that his contributions to the rebellion earned him more than a few galactic credits.

Speaking of big money, the first look at the new Chewie comes courtesy of a video for Omaze, which teamed up with J.J. Abrams and the Star Wars: The Force Awakens crew to raise more than $4.62 million for UNICEF over the last year, most of which came as entry fees for set-visit contests.

Watch The Video:



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The Epic Anti-Spoiler Poster on the 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Set

From Yahoo Movies

Is J.J. Abrams’ anti-spoiler poster actually a hint that Darth Vader is coming back for Episode VII to choke young Imperial officers?

No, probably not, but it’s fun to speculate!

Frank Marshall, the husband of Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy, tweeted the photo above when he visited Pinewood Studios in London on Monday where the Star Wars sequel is being filmed. Director J.J. Abrams’s hatred of leaks is legendary, and now he’s got a rabid Internet of Star Wars fans to contend with. And because they read into every little sliver of information and amplify rumors and hearsay across the geek-o-sphere, no matter what he says or does — including putting up this fun poster — will become fodder for the daily grist mill.

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See How Much Different Star Wars 7's Stormtroopers Will Look Here

From Cinema Blend

The design of the Stormtrooper has enjoyed several tweaks through the first six Star Wars movies, from the clean-cut white-and-black appearance in A New Hope to the color enhancements brought in for the digital prequels and the new Clone Wars TV shows. And if the following images are accurate, the Stormtroopers will look quite different for J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII, as well.

Maybe we’ll have to start calling them "Chrome Troopers," based on the images shared on Indie Revolver, a site that has brought interesting visual scoops over the course of Episode VII’s production schedule. These reportedly are concept images of the design of the new Stormtroopers. They look metallic, with a reflective surface that could look amazing if, say, a lightsaber glow is reflected back in the Trooper’s face. The hood is a new addition for any sort of Stormtrooper that we have seen to date, though the site claims, "The chrome troopers do not actually wear a hood or covering in the film. The metal collar stands up from the torso armor and curves up on the sides before dipping down again at the back."

Truthfully, this looks more like Doctor Doom than a character in a Star Wars movie!

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Bad Robot gives the finger to aerial "leaks" with "Episode VII" Millennium Falcon video

From Yahoo!

If you were online last week, you probably saw photos of the Millennium Falcon floating around. Taken "accidentally" during a fly-over — and then later less "accidentally" with a drone — blurry shots of the iconic ship spread faster through the galaxy than a Killik hive.

JJ Abrams wasn't about to stand for that. If anyone was going to leak footage of the Millennium Falcon, it was going to be him, dammit! So that's what he did. He even upped the ante with an impressive Easter egg clinging to the underside of the hull. That's no moon…




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‘Star Wars’ Provides Disney with a ‘Huge Opportunity’

From Variety

Walt Disney Studios is quick to admit it doesn’t have an awareness problem with “Star Wars” when it starts releasing new movies, beginning with next year’s “Episode VII.” But it also knows the future of the franchise at the Mouse House, however, relies on getting the film right for fans and newcomers.

“This title is very well known out there,” and “the single most important thing is to make sure that this movie is great,” said Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman, on Wednesday, at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2014 Media, Communications &; Entertainment conference.

Disney hasn’t been shy in discussing the impact “Star Wars” will have on the company’s bottom line since buying George Lucas’ Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012.

But with a new animated series, “Star Wars Rebels” debuting on Disney XD, an expanded merchandise program, and the first live action film to debut in theaters in 10 years next year, the franchise’s presence at Disney is starting to be felt.

Yet a lot is riding on the success of “Episode VII,” out in theaters Dec. 18, 2015, since the J.J. Abrams-directed film will drive much of the interest in “Star Wars” across the rest of Disney’s divisions. In addition for new films, there are plans for more TV shows, licensing deals and theme park attractions.

“If we can get this right, it’s a huge opportunity for the entire company,” said Bergman, who wore Stormtrooper tennis shoes while discussing the studio’s upcoming film slate — a standalone film, to be directed by “Godzilla’s” Gareth Edwards, is already scheduled for Dec. 16, 2016.

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'Chronicle' filmmaker Josh Trank directing 'Star Wars' spin-off film

From Entertainment Weekly

Man, this is one busy galaxy …

While J.J. Abrams toils at Episode VII, launching a whole new trilogy of Star Wars films set three decades after the fall of the Empire and Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, two other spin-off movies are also in the works.

High-level sources have previously told EW that one will be a young Han Solo story, and the other will focus on the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Godzilla filmmaker Gareth Edwards is directing one, and now we know who will be handling the other — Chronicle director Josh Trank

We just don’t know who is doing which — or if the deal has been altered further and we’ll be getting stories from totally new characters in the Star Wars universe.

What do know Edwards will be doing the first one, due in theater Dec. 16, 2016, and scripted by Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli).

Trank will be busy for the foreseeable future tackling a new version of The Fantastic Four.

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'Star Wars: Episode VII' leaked photos show real sets and a huge creature

From The Verge / TMZ

Here's some good news out of the Star Wars sets in Abu Dhabi: director J.J. Abrams and crew have made a lot of actual, real, physical buildings and creatures, meaning the new film could end up looking a lot more like the Star Wars you know and love and not the CGI-heavy prequels that you may still be trying to forget about. A huge series of photos from the set leaked to TMZ this morning, and they show off a giant creature — which is supposedly controlled by five people inside of it — as well plenty of Tatooine costumes and a ramshackle marketplace. It's the biggest leak yet from the extremely secretive set, and even though there are no big details, the fact that there's a lot to see out there is a very good sign. Head over to TMZ to see the full gallery of 45 photos.

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Gareth Edwards Scores Godzilla 2, 3 ... and Star Wars?!!

From Bloody Disgusting

Monsters director Gareth Edwards is now the most monstrous filmmaker in Hollywood.

In this article announcing that he’ll be getting behind the camera for one of three Star Wars spinoffs(!), they reveal that Edwards will be returning to direct not one, but two Godzilla sequels.

The site explains that while story ideas exist for the two Godzilla sequels, the Godzilla 2 project is still in early development and does not even have a script. But they are clear that Edwards is attached to direct both.

Produced by Legendary Pictures and released by Warner Bros., the monster movie reboot earned an impressive $93.2 million at the domestic box office this weekend. It also opened in most overseas markets, which added up to over $103 million, says Box Office Mojo.

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From The Hollywood Reporter

Edwards is attached to direct one of the Star Wars spinoff films, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) is writing the script for the movie, which has a release date set for December 16, 2016, said Disney and Lucasfilm in a statement later posted on the official Star Wars website.

Due to the high level of secrecy surrounding the Star Wars development process, it is unclear which spinoff Edwards will tackle.

Speculation has focused on characters such as bounty hunter Boba Fett and Jedi master Yoda as those who might be getting their own movies. There are also rumors of a potential Han Solo origin story or at least something on the Solo clan, and untold adventures of Luke Skywalker.

"Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life - join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited & honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm," said Edwards in a statement release after THR broke the news.

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Chewbacca Photo Bombs Disney's CEO In Selfie From Star Wars Set

From Cinema Blend

Laugh it up, fuzzball. You just might be part of a famous "selfie," if the Star Wars social media network is to be believed.

The human in the above shot is Bob Iger, the current chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. Which means when he says he’d like to be part of a photograph with Chewbacca, old "Mystery Box" maestro J.J. Abrams has to relent and let an image be posted to the official Star Wars Instagram page.

The pic was posted on May 4, known around the globe as Star Wars Day because of the clever turn of phrase, "May the Fourth be with you." What we don’t know, for certain, is whether that’s actually Chewbacca star Peter Mayhew in the famous costume as he photo-bombs Bob Iger. After all, we know that Mayhew is in London for the start of the Star Wars: Episode VII shoot. He was in the table-read photograph seen ‘round the world. But it could be any tall extra in the Iger shot. If I had to bet, I’d say it’s Mayhew. Sure looks like Chewie to me.

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New Star Wars films won’t draw on expanded universe

From TotalFilm

Simon Kinberg is currently working on a script for one of the forthcoming Star Wars spin-offs, but according to the screenwriter, the main series of films will not draw upon the expanded universe.

“You know, it’s not off-limits, and it’s certainly inspiring,” says Kinberg of the expanded universe material. “I’m working on an animated show for [Lucasfilm] as well, Star Wars: Rebels, that will take inspiration from everywhere.”

“But…” he continues, “I know for the movies, the canon is the canon, and the canon is the six films that exist.”

Which isn’t to say that Lucasfilm isn’t keen to develop the expanded universe further, and indeed, Kinberg’s spin-off will do just that… it just won’t feed directly into the main series.

Directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Adam Driver, Star Wars: Episode VIIwill open in the UK on 18 December 2015.

Source: IGN

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J.J. Abrams Wants To Cast Relative Unknowns In Star Wars: Episode VII

From Cinemablend

Before A New Hope, Harrison Ford was best known as a carpenter, Carrie Fisher was Debbie Reynolds’ daughter, and Mark Hamill was an aspiring actor and the son of a Naval captain. Star Wars put these three relative unknowns on the map, and it sounds like J.J. Abrams wants to do something very similar with Star Wars: Episode VII.

Lost and The Lord of the Rings co-star Dominic Monaghan appeared on the video podcast Dweebcast, and opened up about his relationship with Abrams and the director’s approach to this material. He said that, in conversations with Abrams, it’s always been clear that he wants to make stars out of newcomers, not look for massive celebrities (like Zac Efron) who will distract from the story with their presence. Monaghan says:

"We’ve talked a few times about it and he said, ‘We’re putting together a cast of unknowns – we want to follow the ’77 New Hope cast because obviously Harrison Ford wasn’t well known at that point, Mark Hamill wasn’t and Carrie Fisher wasn’t either. What he said was, we don’t want to fall into that mistake of people going, ‘Oh it’s that guy from that thing!’ and then you’re completely out of the Star Wars universe."

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Star Wars VII 'will return to ice planet Hoth'

From The Week (UK)

THE next film in the Star Wars series could include scenes on the ice planet of Hoth, last seen in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, according to reports.

Filming is not officially set to begin until May but Icelandic news site Visir reports that the Star Wars crew may begin work on scenes in Iceland as early as next month.

Hoth was the setting for an epic clash between the rebel alliance and the evil Galactic Empire, led by Darth Vader. The battle between rebels and the imperial forces on the snowy planet is one of the best loved sequences in the sci-fi series.

Director JJ Abrams has filmed in Iceland once before, recording "plate shots" for the 2013 picture Star Trek Into Darkness, Visir says.

Plate shots are background images, often used alongside green screen recordings or computer animation to create composite sequences that superimpose actors or props over a particular setting. If it does go ahead, filming in Iceland is expected to capture background imagery of this kind for Star Wars VII.

Icelandic film production company True North has been linked to the project. Members of the Star Wars crew were reported to be scouting for locations in Iceland alongside True North in October last year, although True North declined to comment on any involvement with the picture.

Disney and Lucasfilm have also released no new information about the upcoming film since the revelation last week that Star Wars VII would be set 30 years after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Many believe that the new films will see the return of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill in their roles as Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker.

Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o and Girls star Adam Driver have also been tipped for roles in the new film.

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Star Wars: Episode VII Looking At 12 Years A Slave Oscar Winner Lupita Nyong'o

From Cinema Blend

Thanks to yesterday's shortlist we know that Jesse Plemons, Attack The Block's John Boyega, Downton Abbey's Ed Speleers, and stage actors Matthew James Thomas, and Ray Fisher are the actors who are being heavily considered to play the young male hero in Star Wars: Episode VII, but now a new story from The Hollywood Reporter has given us some insight as to what the production is looking for in its female roles. According to the trade's sources, actress Lupita Nyong'o - who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress just a few weeks ago for her turn in Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave - has taken at least one meeting with director/co-writer J.J. Abrams about potentially playing a key part in the next chapter of George Lucas' sci-fi epic.

Insanely heavy security surrounding the project prevents us from knowing anything concrete about both the story and the characters in Star Wars: Episode VII, though THR may have some insight as to who the Oscar winning actress may play. Apparently there is a possibility that the film will feature a descendent of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the trade says that the part is for a "non-Caucasian role." Fans will probably notice that Nyong'o doesn't look a whole lot like either Sir Alec Guinness or Ewan McGregor, but it's possible she's just a very, very distant descendant - if that is indeed her part.

As things stand, the only actor who we're 99% sure is going to be in Star Wars: Episode VII is Girls' star Adam Driver, who will reportedly be playing a villain with a role similar to the one played by Darth Vader in the original trilogy. We haven't even heard anything about Mark Hammill, Carrie Fisher or Harrison Ford. Presumably we will be hearing a lot of official announcements in the next few weeks, as production on the new Star Wars movie is scheduled to start up this spring in London.

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