Resistance nabs an Emmy nomination

Star Wars Resistance is up for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Children’s Program. It’s up against A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Carmen Sandiego, Song Of Parkland and When You Wish Upon A Pickle: A Sesame Street Special. Rebels was nominated in the same category in 2017 and 2018.

Star Wars alumni up for Emmys this year include Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Actress in a Comedy and Writing for Fleabag; Drama Writing for Killing Eve, plus both shows are up for Outstanding Series in their respective categories), Emilia Clarke (Lead Actress in a Drama for Game of Thrones), Gwendoline Christie (Supporting Actress in a Drama, also Game of Thrones), and Benicio Del Toro (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for Escape At Dannemora.)

The Emmys are given out on September 22.

Homeland Security kept Rogue One’s Riz Ahmed from Celebration Chicago

At a recent leadership summit, Riz Ahmed talked about Muslim representation in Hollywood and revealed that he was stopped at the airport in April, keeping him from Celebration Chicago.

Pointing to [Hasan] Minhaj, he said “He can win a Peabody, I can win an Emmy, Ibtihaj Muhammad can go to the Olympics, but some of these obstacles are systemic and we can’t really face them alone, we need your help. I’m basically here to ask for your help, because it’s really scary to be a Muslim right now, super scary. I’ve often wondered, is this going to be the year when they round us up, if this is going to be the year they put Trump’s registry into action. If this is going to be the year they ship us all off.”

Minhaj, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx and Eva Longoria also took part in the summit.

Daisy Ridley: The Rise of Skywalker is “a brilliant end to the story”

Daisy Ridley is doing press for Ophelia, which opens this week, but naturally the Star Wars questions are flying. On Good Morning America today, she and discusses the emotional impact of finishing up. She has seen “a couple bits” of the film, which was “very exciting.” It’s “the most excited I’ve felt.”

Drag it to 3:45 for her full Star Wars comments. Overall, she said that The Rise of Skywalker provides “a brilliant end to the story” and that J.J. Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio “have done a wonderful job.”

“I think people are going to feel very satisfied” in the movie, she said.

Continue reading “Daisy Ridley: The Rise of Skywalker is “a brilliant end to the story””

Peter Mayhew has passed away

Peter Mayhew has died, his family announced today. The original Chewbacca actor passed away April 30 at his Texas home, they said in a statement tweeted from his Twitter account:

He’s survived by his wife Angie and three children. The family asks that, instead of gifts, fans consider donations to the Peter Mayhew Foundation.

Mayhew originated the role of Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy. He returned in Revenge of the Sith and in some scenes of The Force Awakens, where he taught and passed the role to Joonas Suotamo.

https://twitter.com/JoonasSuotamo/status/1124095635332853760

More remembrances from George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Kathleen Kennedy.

An open memorial service is being planned for December in Los Angeles.

Celebration Chicago: Art Show pre-orders up; Ray Park, Matt Lanter, Tiya Sicar join guest list

The Celebration Art Show offerings are live and up for preorder! Above is Brian Miller’s “A Galaxy Far, Far Away,” which is both my favorite and a perfect fit for our header space, but there’s something for everyone.

The latest batch of guests are Ray Park (Darth Maul) and the voice of animated Anakin, Matt Lanter, and Rebels’ Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren). As chance would have it, Lanter is the interview on this week’s Star Wars Show:

Looks like a bunch of game reveals are coming to the con. Y’all have fun with that.

No go, Solo: VFX Oscar goes home with First Man

Solo: A Star Wars Story became the latest Star Wars film to strike out at the Oscars. It was only up for one award: Best Visual Effects, which went to First Man.

Adam Driver and Richard E. Grant, both up for Supporting Actor for BlacKkKlansman and Can You Ever Forgive Me?, respectivly, lost to Mahershala Ali. Grant, who did win at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, will make his Star Wars debut in Episode IX.

One (upcoming) Star Wars connection get gold: The Mandalorian composer Ludwig Göransson won for his Black Panther score.

We did see several other Star Wars alumni, including Diego Luna, who co-presented a segment about Best Picture nominee Roma, and Laura Dern, who talked about the Academy’s upcoming mueseum.

No Star Wars film has received an Oscar since 1984, when Return of the Jedi was awarded a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects. The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens were both up for four Oscars each; Rouge One lost on two.