It’s Mark Hamill’s turn to pull a fast one on some unsuspecting Star Wars fans for Force For Change.
Link: A third Star Wars web show is on the way
A third Star Wars web show is on the way. Under the new Disney Digital Network, StarWars.com will launch ‘Science and Star Wars,’ a collaboration with ILM hosted by Anthony Carboni. Unlike The Star Wars Show and Rebels Recon, this will be a Facebook exclusive.
Star Wars out this week: So many Rogue One tie-ins
Tuesday is a big Rogue One day for releases, with two brand-new novels for younger readers. Beth Revis’ Rebel Rising is about Jyn Erso, while Greg Rucka’s Guardians of the Whills gives us some backstory on Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus. There’s also the paperback edition of James Luceno’s Catalyst, which gives us some background on Galen Erso and Orson Krennic, and first came out before the movie.
On the comic front, Wednesday brings Rogue One #2 and Poe Dameron #14.
It also happens to be the first week of May, which means May 4 is Thursday. We expect plenty of puns, some sales, and a movie marathon on TBS. Fair warning: Traditionally this has not been a huge day for news, so don’t get your hopes too high.
Han Solo and the Character Name Rumors
Making Star Wars has heard two names – both female – for the Han Solo standalone. One seems to be a puppet/voiced character (Phoebe Waller-Bridge, maybe?), while the other seems to be a major character with “top billing” – so likely Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton. That said, the names could be set pseudonyms.
→ Speaking of Clarke, she told the Los Angeles Daily News that talking about the Han movie “even scarier” than doing so for Game of Thrones.
→ io9’s Evan Narcisse makes the case that Donald Glover’s funk album proves he has the mindset to make Lando Calrissian his own.
→ Star Wars News Net has heard that they might be filming for three weeks on Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands.
→ Disney has released the schedule for their D23 Expo in July. We hope to learn a bit more about the Han film (and likely The Last Jedi) at the live-action film panel on Saturday, July 15.
Kylo’s cape is for real: Fuzzy look at Ren, Rey in The Last Jedi
A Battlefront II image unearthed on Reddit gives us a distant and fuzzy look at new togs for Kylo Ren and Rey. Kylo definitely has a cape (as rumored,) while Rey seems to be sporting a Jedi-style obi belt.
UPDATED: Slightly higher res versions have been found! Kylo’s cape looks to be leather and in bad shape, but maybe wrinkly capes are just hot right now. (Right, Krennic?) Rey has gained a textured layer, and her belt also looks to be leather
These are noted as “movie production stills,” not game images.
The Last Jedi rumors: A couple (small) things on Ahch-To
There’s no rest for Making Star Wars when it comes to The Last Jedi. First up, we have some more details on the native animals of Ahch-To, including a sketch. There are also some details on Luke Skywalker and… A necklace? (Not, not that one.)
Star Wars: Episode IX (also) heads back to May
The Star Wars franchise’s return to May is complete: Episode IX has been officially scheduled for May 24, 2019, per StarWars.com. The fifth Indiana Jones film also got moved back to July 10, 2020.
The Han Solo film will be the first to return to spring on May 25, 2018.
The first two trilogies all had May release dates; The Force Awakens was the first Star Wars film to debut in December.
John Boyega pranks Star Wars fans for Force for Change
They’re turning up the charm offensive with John Boyega at Celebration in the latest Force for Change video.
Star Wars out this week: Darth Maul #3
In the comics shops this week is Darth Maul #3. And while you’re there, you might want to pick up Poe Dameron #13, since I forgot to do a release post last Monday. Celebration!
Coming up next week are three things for the Rogue One fans – Beth Revis’ Rebel Rising, Greg Rucka’s Guardians of the Whills and the paperback edition of James Luceno’s Catalyst.
Meanwhile, our book release schedule has been updated to reflect some of the Celebration announcements.
Rumor: Mr. Robot creator in running to script a Star Wars standalone?
A site I’ve never heard of before, Omega Underground, is claiming that Lucasfilm has take meetings with Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail about a potential standalone film. They go on to say said film is (of course) an Obi-wan one, and note that Esmail’s connections include Bryan Lourd, Carrie Fisher’s ex-husband and father to Billie. His resume isn’t very long, but Mr. Robot was fairly well-received, so it’s not entirely implausible.
I’m inclined to be particularly cynical about this one mainly due to the site coming into the Star Wars rumor game out of nowhere. And let’s face it. “Obi-wan spin-off” is an evergreen rumor that the fandom eats up with a spoon every time. Stay skeptical, friends.