“You must unlearn what you have learned.” - Star Wars Movies Back On?

Well ... it looks like Disney and Lucasfilm have decided to move forward with their stand alone Star Wars prequels.

From ABC News

Hold up, "Star Wars" fans.

Reports of the death of future standalone films from that galaxy far, far away (like "Solo," "Rogue One" and a rumored -- but never-announced -- Obi-Wan Kenobi project) appear to be premature, and speculative at best.

Lucasfilm sources on Thursday characterized as "inaccurate" a report that future "Star Wars" movies falling outside of the regular trilogy storyline (Episodes I to IX) have been put on hold in the wake of the box office under-performance of "Solo: A Star Wars Story."

Instead, Lucasfilm told ABC News there are still "multiple" Star Wars films currently in development that have not been officially announced. Those projects are moving forward separate from an already-announced "Star Wars" trilogy being overseen by "The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson and another series of movies from "Game of Thrones" producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

"Star Wars: Episode IX" starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac is set to hit theaters in December 2019.

The film is being directed by J.J. Abrams, who also helmed "The Force Awakens" in 2015.

Lucasfilm is not yet talking publicly about the subject of any unannounced "Star Wars" films or their expected release dates. Fans will just have to wait and see.

"Always in motion is the future," as Yoda says.

Reference: Hold The Force! Disney Puts Future Star Wars Movies On The Shelf

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Hold The Force! Disney Puts Future Star Wars Movies On The Shelf

Well this certainly sucks. After fumbling the ball with "The Last Jedi", which led to a so-so box office for "Solo", Disney has decided to put all of their future "Star Wars Story" movies back on the shelf until after "Episode Nine" is released. I will not be seeing the next movie myself due to the fact that I no longer care what happens to the remaining characters.

I still can't wrap my head around how Disney and Lucasfilm couldn't even remotely grasp what everyone wanted to see in their new trilogy. To put it simply "put the band back together". How hard is it to understand? Luke, Leia and Han save the galaxy one last time with some new interesting characters thrown in to expand the story. If those characters were strong enough, then make a movie about them. It was a slam-dunk and they blew it.

That being being said, both "Rogue One" and "Solo" were excellent!

From Collider

It may be a while before we see any more movies like Solo: A Star Wars Story out of Lucasfilm. Sources with knowledge of the situation tell Collider that Lucasfilm has decided to put plans for more A Star Wars Story spinoff movies on hold, instead opting to focus their attention on Star Wars: Episode IX and what the next trilogy of Star Wars films will be after that film. Sources tell us that the previously rumored Obi-Wan movie was in active development, but those who were working on the film are no longer involved. It was recently reported that Logan filmmaker James Mangold was in early talks to write and direct the Boba Fett film, but that was before Solo’s release.

This news comes in the wake of the disappointing launch of Solo, which was only Lucasfilm’s second A Star Wars Story spinoff, but which received mixed-positive reviews and fell short of box office expectations. The film scored $84.4 million on opening weekend and has grossed $192.8 million domestically (and $339.5 million worldwide) in four weeks, which is nothing to scoff at but is far, far lower than the performance of other Star Wars movies at this benchmark. For comparison’s sake, Rogue One opened to $155 million and had grossed $424 million domestic by Week 4. To put it simply, while Solo did fine by blockbuster standards, it wasn’t the “event” that Lucasfilm expected out of a brand new Star Wars movie.

Of course the May release date could have had something to do with Solo’s disappointing performance. As opposed to Rogue One or the episodic films by J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, Solo went head-to-head with a slew of summer blockbusters in May, opening mere weeks after box office juggernauts Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2. One wonders how the film would have fared had Lucasfilm pushed Solo’s release to December instead.

Regardless, we’re hearing that plans to revisit this A Star Wars Story format have been put on hold for the moment. Initially announced as “anthology” movies, the spinoffs got off to a rocky start and haven’t exactly been smooth sailing. Josh Trank (Chronicle) was developing a Boba Fett movie around the same time Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) was prepping Rogue One, but Trank was subsequently removed from the project and Lucasfilm lost a film off its planned slate. Then story issues led to extensive reshoots on Rogue One that reworked the third act, with Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy) overseeing the new scenes. And then of course Solo saw directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller fired during production, with Ron Howard coming in to replace them and reshoot a number of scenes.

In addition to Episode IX, Lucasfilm has officially announced development on a new Star Wars trilogy focused on new characters from The Last Jedi writer/director Rian Johnson, as well as a new series of films written by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. These projects continue to be in development and are not part of the paused spinoffs we’re hearing about. But Lucasfilm’s main focus at the moment is planning the next trilogy after the Abrams-directed Star Wars 9, which is expected to conclude the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) that began with The Force Awakens.

As with everything in Hollywood, it’s always possible that some filmmaker could come in and pitch an idea for a Star Wars Story spinoff that makes Lucasfilm rethink its approach, or opt to greenlight that idea as a one-off, but as of right now we’re hearing the studio’s focus has moved away from these spinoffs for the time-being and is squarely intent on getting Episode IX to the finish line and figuring out what the next trilogy of films will be.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Review

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Last night I was treated to a movie that I had been waiting to see for thirty-two years, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. After the release of 'Return of the Jedi' in 1983 no one ever truly believed that it would take three decades for the next installment in the series to be produced. It seemed like a no-brainer that a money driven movie industry, along with a rabid fan base, would demand that after a short hiatus the next chapter in the Star Wars saga return to the silver screen. Alas that did not happen.

As we all know George Lucas would revisit his tribute to 1930s sci fi serials beginning in the 1990s with newly revamped versions of the original three films which paved the way for the three less than stellar Star Wars prequels. In the eyes of most fans the newly added scenes in 'A New Hope', 'Empire' and 'Jedi' did nothing to improve on the originals and the three films that followed them failed to capture the wonder and charm that made Star Wars the most beloved movie series in cinematic history.

Taking that into account I was optimistic but cautious about what Disney and J.J. Abrams would do with this beloved movie franchise. As it would turn out getting Star Wars away from George Lucas and into the hands of 'The Mouse Factory' was a great thing for both Star Wars and it's fanbase. As a fan who was there in 1977 when Star Wars I have to say that my expectations were far exceeded by what I saw last night.

I think what I tweeted (and posted on Facebook) immediately after seeing the movie summed it up best: "Just saw Star Wars The Force Awakens - MIND BLOWN!"

J.J. Abrams had to walk a razor thin line with this movie. He had to make a film that both captured the essence of the three originals, yet be new and fresh like his recent two 'Star Trek' movies. Amazingly the film maker was able to pull off exactly that. While watching The Force Awakens it was a joy to see an equal portion of Lucas (The Lucas who made A New Hope not Phantom Menace), Irvin Kershner (Empire), Richard Marquand (Jedi) and Abrams' influences in what made it onto the screen. I think that it would be safe to say what Abrams has produced here may be the most complete and polished Star Wars film with the exception of 'The Empire Strikes Back', which is arguably the best sci fi film ever made.

This is where things get tough. I really want to delve into the story at this point, but I realize that there are still a vast majority of fans who have not seen the movie yet and may not see it for a few days, so I'm not going to ruin it for you ... though I really, really want to talk about it.

That being said, I think that I won't be wrecking anyone's movie experience by talking about how the plot for The Force Awakens in many ways mirrors that of the first three films. A fact that has put off many of the critics who have already written about this movie. For myself personally this fact actually made the film more enjoyable. It helped connect this movie with the three original in ways that the three prequels failed to do. The plot for The Force Awakens may not have been 100% original, but who cares really? The film is both fun, compelling and stirred up more than a bucket full of emotions I can't get into without blowing any important parts of the story.

To sum it up, Star Wars The Force Awakens is an amazing movie with incredible effects, great acting and a kind of story that sadly had been missing from this franchise since the 1980s. As a fan this was what I wanted to see in a Star Wars movie for years.

In all honesty I waited til this morning to get all my thoughts together about what I saw last night, and I'm still trying to process it all, which in a way really speaks to what an overall amazing movie The Force Awakens really is. Maybe as the day goes by, or after I see it again numerous times, I can truly express whats brewing in my noggin.

Obviously I will be revisiting this film again in a few days after almost everyone has seen the movie to talk in depth more about the plot and the film as a whole in more detail.

The Force Awakens - I loved it, finally a Star Wars for Star Wars fans ... MIND BLOWN!

Star Wars: Inspiring Change Around the World

From The Walt Disney Company

Citizenship is an important focus of The Walt Disney Company, and the Force is strong with Star Wars: Force for Change—an initiative that empowers people to make a positive impact on the world around them. It’s inspired by Star Wars fans and the countless hours they have dedicated to philanthropy over the past three decades.

In mid-2014, Force for Change launched with its first collaboration with UNICEF and simultaneously kicked off a sweepstakes to win a once-in-a-lifetime walk-on role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Through this, Force for Change helped raise over $4.2 million in support of UNICEF Innovation Labs, which creates sustainable solutions to critical issues facing children around the world and has already helped more than 1.5 million children in more than a dozen countries.

At Star Wars Celebration earlier this year, Force for Change announced a partnership with UNICEF Kid Power, which empowers youth to get active and help others. With support from Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, Force for Change has been working closely with the team at US Fund for UNICEF to create programs in support of this innovative new initiative. One such example was this year’s “Art Awakens” campaign to auction off Star Wars-themed works of art by top contemporary artists. Disney also committed $1 million to support UNICEF Kid Power and provide 1 million food packets for malnourished children around the world.

In late 2015, Force for Change announced three new activations. With Code.org, a tutorial called “Star Wars: Building a Galaxy with Code” was released featuring Princess Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2, as well as Rey and BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The online lesson kicked off the third annual global Hour of Code campaign; in it, students learn to write code that allows them to create fun challenges and games using Star Wars characters new and classic. To date almost 200,000 classrooms and millions of individuals have tried the Star Wars tutorial.

In late November, Harrison Ford surprised fans from around the world with the announcement of a new Force for Change-themed sweepstakes in support of 15 causes across the globe. The charities were individually chosen by J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, and the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Through this activation, two winners and their guests won a trip to attend the red carpet premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and over $2 million was raised in support of these incredible causes.

Force for Change also kicked off an initiative in support of children’s hospitals across the US and the UK with events focused on bringing joy to kids in challenging situations through activities, games, character and talent appearances, and other surprises from a galaxy far, far away. This includes a unique program called “Master Your Force,” teaching kids to harness their inner strength through meditation and positive thinking. Additionally, children in select hospitals will get special screenings of The Force Awakens. The program continues in 2016 with the goal of expanding to additional territories worldwide.

With a bright future ahead, and new Star Wars stories to be told, Force for Change aims to continue collaborating with noble causes and encouraging others to be Forces for Change in their own community. How will you be a Force for Change?

Visit ForceForChange.com to learn more.

MARK HAMILL REPORTS TO SET OF STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII

Luke Skywalker is reportedly back in action for Star Wars: Episode VIII, according to reports from Ireland.

From IGN

The Irish Examiner says cast and crew members are gathering in County Kerry to film scenes off the coast on the rocky isle of Skellig Michael, which also served as a location on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Unfortunately, bad weather conditions have reportedly impacted the shoot there.

See Also: Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Retro Style Lobby Card Print - Version 4

"A crew of around 100 people and cast members, including Mark Hamill who will reprise his Luke Skywalker role, are expected to be on the boats due to leave Portmagee today at 7am," reports the Examiner, which included a photo of Hamill's son Nathan checking into his local hotel.

We learned last week that Episode VIII would be shooting in Ireland this month. Skellig Michael was a monastic settlement between the sixth and twelfth centuries. And while we know for certain until The Force Awakens opens, persistent rumors claim the ruins of Skellig Michael double as Luke Skywalker's hideaway.

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

Star Wars-Themed Lands Coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts

From PR Newswire

The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced to an audience of more than 7,500 fans that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif., and Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., allowing Star Wars fans to step into the stories from a galaxy far, far away.

Ambitious plans to bring Star Wars to life in the two parks include creating Disney's largest single themed land expansions ever at 14 acres each, transporting guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life.

"I am thrilled to announce the next chapter in the long and exciting history between Disney Parks and Star Wars," said Iger. "We are creating a jaw-dropping new world that represents our largest single themed land expansion ever. These new lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will transport guests to a whole new Star Wars planet, including an epic Star Wars adventure that puts you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance."

These authentic lands will have two signature attractions. Along with the thrilling battle experience, another attraction puts guests behind the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, as they take on a customized secret mission.

Iger also shared concept images of the Star Wars-themed lands, giving fans a glimpse at what is to come for Disney parks.

The partnership between Disney and Lucasfilm dates back to 1987, when the successful Star Tours attraction, inspired by George Lucas's legendary Star Wars film series, opened at Disneyland. The attraction was then redesigned, emerging as "Star Tours – The Adventures Continue" in 2011 and featuring more than 50 different story outcomes and the possibility to visit five different planets.

For 60 years, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has been delighting millions of people with fantastic storytelling, exceptional entertainment and extraordinary experiences, creating places where guests can make life-long memories with their friends and families. This announcement marks an unprecedented time of growth with exciting developments happening around the world – from Disneyland Resort's Diamond Celebration to the anticipated opening of Shanghai Disney Resort in China.

'Star Wars: Rogue One' Centers on Death Star Heist

From Yahoo Movies

On the final day of the Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, one of the newest members of the Lucasfilm family —spin-off director Gareth Edwards — took the stage to talk about joining a galaxy far, far away.

Josh Trank, who was also slated to appear at the panel, was not able to attend. Moderator Pablo Hidalgo said he has been “under the weather.”

Edwards is set to direct stand-alone film Star Wars: Rogue One, starring Felicity Jones, which is slated for release in December 2016. He was able to share more details about the film, including a logline, concept art and a bit of a sizzle reel at Sunday’s event.

The helmer was joined by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and head of development Kiri Hart for the event, held at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Hidalgo revealed that the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer, which debuted on Thursday, was viewed 88 million times worldwide in the first 24 hours.

But the focus of the panel was the stand-alone films. “We really wanted freedom to do some films that could stand on their own, and tell new stories,” said Hart, who revealed that they’re calling them “anthology films.”

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See Also: 'Rogue One' explained: A brief history of Rogue Squadron

'Rogue One' explained: A brief history of Rogue Squadron

The first 'Star Wars' spinoff will give beloved B-listers the center stage

From Entertainment Weekly

Rogue One will not be the first Star Wars spinoff movie released in theaters. That honor sort of belongs to The Clone Wars, a cheapo 3D-animated horror released to general disregard in 2008. I say “sort of” because Caravan of Courage was also released theatrically in some countries. Caravan of Courage is basically Quest for Fire with Ewoks; it’s unwatchable unless you’re four years old and it’s the middle-late ’80s and your VHS still has the commercials from when your parents taped it before you were born.

What I’m saying is that Rogue One is probably already the best Star Wars spinoff movie ever made.

Disney didn’t reveal anything about the movie’s plot today, but the name speaks volumes. “Rogue One” is the callsign of the leader of Rogue Squadron. If you’re someone who’s only experienced Star Wars via the movies, you may only vaguely know what Rogue Squadron is. If you’re any kind of Star Wars fan, then you know Rogue Squadron is the team of fighter pilots who fly Snowspeeders and X-Wings and basically anything with an engine. If you happened to reach your peak Star Wars fandom in the mid-’90s—the period when there were no Star Wars movies but a seemingly infinite array of Star Wars tie-in books, comics, and videogames—then it’s possible that you think Rogue Squadron is the very best of Star Wars. It’s all the excitement with none of the self-importance; all the thrilling battles, none of the Skywalker-bloodline spiritualist philosophy.

The mascot for Rogue Squadron is Wedge Antilles, played onscreen in the orginal trilogy by Denis Lawson. But when Wedge first appears in Star Wars, he’s played by actor Colin Higgins and voiced by David Ankrum; Lawson plays the character once he’s in the X-wing cockpit. If that makes no sense to you, it’s important to remember that the Star Wars mythology was built partly/mostly/maybe entirely by accident. (George Lucas still calls lightsabers “laser swords.”)

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Sony Pictures Entertainment Brings Marvel Studios Into The Amazing World Of Spider-Man

New Spider-Man Will Appear First in an Upcoming Marvel Film Within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe

From Marvel Comics

Marvel's Kevin Feige to Produce Next Installment of the Spider-Man Franchise with Amy Pascal

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man.

Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel's Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.

Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films.

The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel's world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said: "Spider-Man is one of Marvel's great characters, beloved around the world. We're thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building."

"We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. "This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans."

"Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker's story into the future," added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

"I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie," said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. "Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel's involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years."

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

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'Star Wars’ Spinoff To Have Both Boba Fett And Han Solo?

From The Inquisitr

As of this writing, most fans aren’t even thinking about the Star Wars spinoff films we’ll be getting in the coming years. The film that’s likely on everyone’s minds is J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But if Disney plans to release the films yearly as originally scheduled, then there’s bound to be significant overlap in production schedules.

As such, we’ve been getting a lot of news regarding the upcoming spinoffs — one rumored as a Boba Fett movie and the other as a Han Solo movie. The latest rumor comes from Latino Review, and states that Han Solo and Boba Fett may both be in the first spinoff from Godzilla director Gareth Edwards.

“I want to reiterate for you literal minded readers out there that the only new thing I’ve contributed to this conversation is that I heard a rumor that the Han Solo and Boba Fett movie that we assumed was two movies has become one movie.”

The potential existence of Boba Fett in the movie does lend some credence to the recent info Making Star Wars got on the project that “bounty hunters are important to the film,” though bounty hunters would probably be important regardless of whether or not it was Han or Boba leading the flick. One last bit of information we have is that the movie will be filmed, at least partially, in Mexico.

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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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‘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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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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Disneyland Is Remodeling Tomorrowland Based on Star Wars: Episode VII

From IGN

Add Disneyland’s Imagineers to the list of people who know more about the plot of Star Wars: Episode VII than you. The House of Mouse has big plans for Episode VII in its Anaheim-based theme park. Of course, these installations can’t be built overnight so the park’s designers needed J.J. Abrams to spill the beans on Episode VII's super secret story even before the script and casting are complete.

“The Imagineers assigned to the Star Wars Tomorrowland project have now been debriefed on the characters and plotlines coming for Star Wars Episode VII that opens in theaters in about two years. The original plan for Disneyland’s Tomorrowland relied heavily on characters and plot points from the first three Star Wars films, with attractions like a Millenium Falcon walk-thru on the old PeopleMover platform, a wild Tatooine cantina replacing Tomorrowland Terrace, and a speeder bike ride through an Ewok village where Autopia currently sits. Those key attractions are all still part of phase two, but they are being layered or tweaked to include references from Episode VII that will be released in theaters at least 18 months before any of those attractions open.”

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Benedict Cumberbatch Rumored for Potential Vader-Type Role in 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

Yes, it's time for our regular installment of rumors from around the globe concerning Star Wars: Episode VII and this one has Benedict Cumberbatch re-teaming with his Star Trek Into Darkness director, J.J. Abrams, in what Film Chronicles calls a key role, though they don't have any further information regarding his character. Of course, this is something we would typically expect when it comes to casting rumors as the idea a director would cherry pick from his/her previous projects to cast their latest film, but on top of that, Cumberbatch's recemt departure from Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak is another item giving this rumor a little more weight as the two films do have overlapping production schedules. Bleeding Cool adds to the rumor saying a big official announcement concerning the film is expected soon with rumors of a big name being attached. How big Well, along with Cumberbatch...

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'Star Wars: Episode VII' Will Be More 'Empire Strikes Back' Than 'Attack Of The Clones'

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy says this time they're aiming for a character-driven film with 'complicated stories.'

When Lucasfilm and Disney announced that they would team up to bring a new trilogy of "Star Wars" movie to the screen, what got the most hardcore fans excited wasn't the idea of seeing new films along the lines of "Attack of the Clones." The promise of more "Star Wars" movies — especially if they continue the story of Luke, Han, and Leia — came with the hope that things might go back to how they used to be, back when Yoda was a puppet and nobody knew what a midi-chlorian is.

So it's hard not to get excited when Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy speaks at "Star Wars Celebration Europe" (via IGN) and says something like, "The story and characters are all we're talking about right now. We have an amazing team at ILM, who can create fantastic effects, but if we don't have a great story and characters, the effects mean nothing."

Kennedy — who's splitting her time between Lucasfilm and Bad Robot to shape up the script — implied that the new trilogy will hew closer to the original three films.

"I do think making huge popular culture — and I've had the good fortune to be a part of a lot it — is really hard to do and get right," Kennedy continued. "And if you don't spend the time you need on developing characters, and finding stories, complicated stories, the audience gets tired because they think they're seeing the same thing again and again."

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Star Wars Episode 7 news update: Plot spoilers and rumors swirl

Star Wars Episode 7 news continues to swirl as Jedi fans eagerly await updates on the film developments. In recent rumors a photo has been posted on Twitter allegedly showing the movie's screenplay, and that has sparked further rumors that some solid plot spoilers and leaks could soon be coming.

The production company owned by J.J. Abrams, Bad Robot, recently posted a photo on Twitter without much explanation, but which show a number of apparent scripts on top of one another.

The scripts are on black covers with red sides, and many fans have immediately begun speculating that the photo is showing the Star Wars completed screenplay.

However, Bad Robot has continued to tease fans and has not confirmed what the picture they posted is of exactly.

The company posted their teaser on Twitter: "Hot off the presses. Can you guess what's behind the cover? #FoundAtBR #MysteryScript."

The image shows the pile of scripts with a Bad Robot logo on the front, and nothing else is there to give away what the image is of. However, that's all that's been needed to spark a wave of rumors on the Internet from Star Wars fans.

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Star Wars: Episode VII Confirmed To Shoot In The UK

From Cinema Blend

Will Boba Fett have a British accent? Will a tea trolley be brought into the Cantina every afternoon at 4 p.m.? Will the elevators on board the Death Star now be called lifts? Ok, probably not-- but they could! The Wrap has confirmed that Star Wars Episode VII-- and possibly the sequels and spinoffs to come after that-- will shoot in the United Kingdom, where Industrial Light and Magic has already set up extensive facilities for building their singular visual effects. When Ilm began eyeing that move we speculated that the film might shoot there as well, and now it's official that the full Star Wars Episode VII production will be flying under the British flag. Here's what newly appointed Lucasfilm President-- and longtime Steven Spielberg collaborator-- Kathleen Kennedy said in the announcement: "We've devoted serious time and attention to revisiting the origins of Star Wars as inspiration for our ...

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