LEGO extends Star Wars license for another decade

LEGO announced at Toy Fair that they have extended their license with Lucasfilm for Star Wars-themed toys, video games, etc. for another ten years. So not only will there be twenty new Star Wars LEGO building sets released in 2012, we’ll be seeing lots of LEGO Star Wars merchandise until 2022 (or probably longer).

As part of the announcement, they released some stats including that the LEGO Star Wars video game franchise has sold more than 30 million units with their four titles (and Joystiq seems to think they have a sequel in the works to their 2011 The Clone Wars video game). Also, from Toy Fair, Kotaku has some photos of some The Old Republic building sets and The Lord of the Rings sets (a new license for LEGO) and Collider’s got images of The Avengers sets. And for those who want to drool over all the revealed sets, FBTB has your full LEGO Star Wars set coverage from Toy Fair.

Reflecting on The Phantom Menace 3D

So I’ve been out to the theaters now twice to see The Phantom Menace 3D and what do I think? It had been a while since I had popped in this episode to watch at home, and seeing on the big screen in 3D with my friends and fellow Star Wars fans was the thing to do. I took in both a midnight show and a regular evening show on opening day, and got some popcorn and a great seat and enjoyed. Here’s are my thoughts on seeing The Phantom Menace in 3D.

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Ahmed Best talks cut Jar Jar scene in Revenge of the Sith

With The Phantom Menace 3D out this weekend, Entertainment Weekly checked in with the man behind Jar Jar Binks, Ahmed Best, who gave his thoughts on the Gungan’s diminished role in Episode III. Best also mentioned a scene cut filmed but cut from the finished version of Revenge of the Sith where Supreme Chancellor Palpatine takes a walk with Representative Binks:

“And Palpatine kind of thanks Jar Jar for putting him in power. It’s a really interesting scene, and it shows the evolution of Jar Jar from this fun-loving kid’s character into this manipulated politician. And it was an interesting arc for the character that I thought could have been explored, because the scene is really dark. But it just didn’t fit in the movie, which I understand. But yeah, George’s take on it is Jar Jar is now just a politician.”

‘Crisis on Naboo’ wraps up the undercover Obi-Wan arc tonight on The Clone Wars

Tonight’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is ‘Crisis on Naboo’, finishing the four part story arc involving Obi-Wan Kenobi’s infiltration of the criminal underworld. The Jedi posing as a bounty hunter Rako Hardeen will be teaming up with Cad Bane and the rest of the Box-surviving team to kidnap the Chancellor during a summit on Naboo. Watch the show and talk with the man behind Obi-Wan, James Arnold Taylor, who will be hosting a live chat (8 PM Eastern/5 PM Pacific) during the broadcast on Entertainment Weekly‘s website Also, Catherine Taber talks about working with Matt Lanter and the late Ian Abercrombie.

And for a neck-snappingly refreshing good time, check out this second clip of the bounty hunter team in action:

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Video: Star Wars Begins filmumentarian finishes Raiding the Lost Ark

Jamie Benning, who created the Star Wars Begins, Building Empire, and Returning to Jedi “filmumentaries,” has posted the finished version of his latest fan documentary, Raiding the Lost Ark on Vimeo. (He’s not so big on YouTube these days.)

Compiling lots of making-of information with original interviews with several cast and crew members (and even an interview with Blade Runner‘s Sean Young, who had auditioned for the role of Marion Ravenwood,) it’s essentially an super vocal commentary of the first Indiana Jones film. Benning guest-blogged on Empire Online about the making of Raiding the Lost Ark, while PBS dives into Benning’s history of filmumentaries, and GeekDad has a Raiding image gallery

Trailer: James Arnold Taylor’s “Talking to Myself”

Voice actor James Arnold Taylor, (Obi-Wan Kenobi on Star Wars: The Clone Wars) recently posted a trailer for his one-man show, “Talking to Myself”. Teasing his eighty-minute show, this clip covers some of different parts of his act. If you’ve seen his show from Star Wars weekends at Walt Disney World (or seen video of that half-hour show online last year), these bits aren’t new, but it is always entertaining. Hopefully Taylor will bring his show to Celebration VI!

The Clone Wars distinguishes ‘Friends and Enemies’ tonight

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s undercover mission continues on this week’s new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars – ‘Friends and Enemies’. While Obi-Wan (in his guise as his own killer), Cad Bane and Moralo Eval (there’s another transparent name in this galaxy) are on the run after their escape from prison, they decide to solve their relationship issues and go shopping. Meanwhile, Anakin and Ahsoka, still not in on Kenobi’s secret mission, have their own objectives: track down the jailbreaking trio.

Back on earth, director Dave Filoni announced that he is auctioning off a rare Celebration V poster of his art, depicting Boba Fett and Cad Bane, and signed by himself, George Lucas, Daniel Logan and Corey Burton. Proceeds to benefit the AIDS and Breast Cancer Emergency Fund of San Francisco.

Combining earth and the galaxy far, far away… there seems to be a rather familiar chapeau in Pablo Hidalgo’s millinery emporium in this second clip from ‘Friends and Enemies’:

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The Clone Wars kicks off a big Obi-Wan arc tonight with ‘Deception’

Tonight on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi infiltrates a Republic prison to learn what the Separatist bounty hunters are up to – but is he in over his head? ‘Deception’ is the first part of a four-part story arc with Obi-Wan posing as a bounty hunter in order to get close to other galactic scum and villainy, including Cad Bane and Bossk.

How far does this deception go? Well, if you watch the clip above, it sounds like not even some of his closest friends are in on the secret. TV Guide interviews Dave Filoni about Obi-Wan going undercover in prison – is it bad as Oz, they ask? Get a taste of life in the clink with the clip below.

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The Death Watch returns to The Clone Wars with ‘A Friend in Need’

The Mandalorian Death Watch returns in ‘A Friend in Need,’ tonight’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As mentioned all the way back around Comic-Con last year, Katee Sackhoff will be voicing one of the Mandos, Boca Raton Bo-Katan. Jon Favreau returns to his role voicing Pre Viszla. The episode will focus mostly on Ahsoka coming to the aid of her Separatist friend, Lux Bonteri, who has gotten himself in over his head with Count Dooku, as shown in the second clip, below.

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