Her Universe holding SDCC fashion show. Ashley Eckstein’s fangirl clothing line will hold a “fashion show and design competition” during the convention. “Designs must be fashions, not costumes, and can be ‘geek couture’ or ready-to-wear outfits.” The winning designers will get a chance to collaborate with Ashley on a line for Hot Topic.
Checking in: Expanded Universe characters and Star Wars Weekends
Our most popular post by far this week has been the one on the issue of Expanded Universe costumers and the Star Wars Weekends parade at Disney World. There have been a number of updates over several days, but nothing truly definitive enough to start a fresh post with… Check in now to make sure you’re up to date!
Report: Disney keeping Expanded Universe characters out of Star Wars Weekends parade?
Word on the streets (well, the message boards) is that Disney has told the 501st and Rebel Legions that certain Expanded Universe characters are “not being allowed to march” in the Star Wars Weekend Motorcade. The only character we know for sure at this time is Mara Jade, but it’s easy to guess at several others from there. Nanci Tosche Station has thoughts.
One big question: Would this apply to characters from other eras who haven’t crossed over into tv or movies, like the Old Republic, or does it only affect post-Return of the Jedi characters who may in the path of the sequels?
Although this means certain costumers (including quite a few women) will no longer be able to march in the official parade, certain means of quiet protest have been suggested: Attendees can still dress in costumes or don EU character shirts.
UPDATE: TFN’s Eric Geller reached out the Lucasfilm on this, and they told him “that neither Disney nor LFL ordered a prohibition on EU characters in the SW Weekends parade.” Tosche Station maintains they’ve heard otherwise from 501st members, although no one is yet sure how high at Disney the orders may come from.
UPDATE #2: More explanation…
Rumor: Hasbro to introduce Episode VII Falcon?
Jedi Temple Archives is hinting that something “Big. It’s Massive. It’s Freaking gigantic” that is “sourced to Episode VII.” And it may be introduced at SDCC. Naturally we expect Hasbro will be making an Episode VII Millennium Falcon toy (since we’re pretty sure it’ll be in the film,) but does this mean it could be the first toy out of the gate for the movie? The first toy to be revealed? Or will we be seeing something in the vein of the the life-sized Falcon built at the China Toy Fair?
Okay, so it’s probably just a toy reveal, but let’s indulge in some overthinking: A Hasbro Falcon would be a big toy, but I’d hesitate to call it massive, even for a reveal. And a life-sized Falcon would certainly make an impression on the con floor… Not to mention the marketing budget, San Diego not being Shanghai, and the movie will still be more than a year away come July. Maybe for SDCC 2015? (Parts of the Shanghai one could be reused, and shipping overseas is doable, but U.S. safety regulations may be another matter entirely.)
In any case, as reveals go, it’s probably one of the few things they can show us without giving too much away too early.
In other rumors floating around this weekend, Zac Efron knows nothing, and there’s apparently some dude on Reddit (totally solid!) that claims he was told Episode VII will be shooting some scenes at the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
Star Wars Weekends gets super-sized for 2014, but the Hyperspace Hoopla is no more
Time to start planning your summer vacation around Star Wars! Walt Disney World has announced the 2014 schedule of Star Wars Weekends, including the expansion to a fifth weekend and the addition of nightly fireworks.
Held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Star Wars Weekends (each Fri-Sun from mid-May to mid-June) will be hosted by fan favorite voice actor James Arnold Taylor. This year’s theme, “Join the Rebellion,” looks to loosely tie into the launch of Rebels.
Sadly, Dunc’s favorite part of Star Wars Weekends will not be returning – the Hyperspace Hoopla show has been retired. The Star Wars dance-off stage show has done its last boogie and will be replaced with new shows and the Symphony in the Stars fireworks show. No word yet on whether Disney World will be doing a May the 4th event.
Planning out the rest of your travel itinerary?
Legoland California in Carlsbad is having its annual Star Wars Days on the last weekend of March. No word yet on whether Legoland Florida will have its own Star Wars Days, which it first started at the Winter Haven park last year for May the 4th.- Star Wars Identities, the traveling museum exhibition using Star Wars saga to explore the notion of identity, has just started its tour stop at the CITÉ DU CINEMA in Paris, and will continue to June 30, 2014.
- Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology, the traveling museum exhibition linking real world archaeology to our favorite adventurer, is back in 2014, with its second US stop, at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, from March 8 to August 10, and then it will spend the winter in Canada at the Telus World of Science Edmonton from October 11 to March 8, 2015.
- Want some Star Trek instead? io9 shows off theme park concept art for a Star Trek themed land that will open at Paramount Park Murcia (Spain) at the end of 2015, with a Starfleet Academy / Federation headquarters design. Start saving up your latinum for the trip to southeast Spain!
Legoland California in Carlsbad is having its Roundup: The Rebels movie is coming this summer
Again! Yup, there’ll be a Rebels movie on the Disney Channel. And a series of shorts. So what’s new? It’s coming “this summer,” says Disney. We’ve been hearing fall, so maybe that’s for the actual series on Disney XD? A summer date sure makes a lot of sense given all those book releases in July and August.
Lucas Cultural Arts Museum. The Presidio Trust turned down George Lucas’ museum plan yesterday – as well as the two other contenders. Apparently none of them were “right for this location.” Will Lucas take his plan elsewhere? “A lot of other people have asked us to dance, and we will start calling them
back,” said spokesman David Perry. Chicago, perhaps?
Randomly. I don’t know why people think C-3PO on a magazine cover is some kind of Episode VII confirmation, given that Star Wars Identities is rather obviously namedropped (and the 7 is probably photoshopped) but whatever. Here’s C-3PO on a French magazine cover. The Identities exhibit opens in Paris later this month.
Disney sets Star Wars Weekend dates for 2014
Disney annouced the dates for 2014′s Star Wars Weekends in Orlando last month, but many of us no doubt missed them in the midst of holiday craziness. So they’ve made it to StarWars.com today, and are set for May 16 – 18, May 23 – 25, May 30 – June 1 and June 6 – 8.
We’re doomed! Best #StarWars, #EpisodeVII and #SWEU tweets for Oct. 7-13
The amount of skill it took to build and program C3PO as a coward is staggeringly impressive and seemingly cruel. #starwars #returnofthejedi
— Expositionist (@Expositionists) October 9, 2013
Last week we pondered Anakin Skywalker’s mad trolling skills, watched (or attended, or attended via cardboard avatar) NYCC and pondered how long George Lucas is keeping J.J. Abrams on the phone. All that and more, below the cut.
Continue reading “We’re doomed! Best #StarWars, #EpisodeVII and #SWEU tweets for Oct. 7-13”
Roundup: Kotobukiya’s Mara in the plastic
NYCC namesake corner. Tricia Barr nabbed a picture of the Kotobukiya Bishoujo Mara Jade on display. Thoughts?
Queue the eyeroll. Scott Mendelson asks if there’s Star Wars without George Lucas. To quote Brian, “Welcome to the most annoying question directed at EU fans, rest of fandom.”
Casting. On The Graham Norton Show, Harrison Ford says he “hasn’t decided yet” about Episode VII, but he’ll return to Indiana Jones “in a New York minute.” And Michael B. Jordan tells The Huffington Post that he has indeed auditioned for the film.
On that note, read this. Film Critic Hulk on why casting rumors are nonsense. None of this is a surprise, but it is definitely something to keep in mind, and one of the reasons we don’t take rumors particularly seriously around these parts. (Also: They amuse me.)
Your moment of zen Star Wars Joke-A-Day – perhaps better known as our own The Stooge – has hit upon a big scoop.
NYCC: Star Wars at New York Comic Con
This weekend is New York Comic Con, and Star Wars will be out in full force – even more than their presence at San Diego Comic-Con back in July. From October 10 – 13, the Javits Center in New York City will be wall-to-wall fandom, and topping it off for Star Wars fans will be Pablo Hidalgo’s panel on Rebels on Saturday at 2:45 pm. On Tuesday, @StarWars warned that there will be a giveaway item at the Rebels panel – some sort of Imperial propaganda.
Del Rey announced their lineup of authors doing signings at their Star Wars Books booth (and free book giveaways), with John Jackson Miller, Drew Karpyshyn, J. W. Rinzler, Ryder Windham, Jason Fry, and Chris Reiff making appearances.
Rooqoo Depot has a great listing of more Star Wars goings-on, including a list of the Star Wars panels (Anthony Daniels! Origami! Making of Return of the Jedi!), as well as booth signings for DK Books and Dark Horse Comics.
For those looking for exclusive merchandise, Hallmark has a Rancor ornament, Kotobukiya has an R2-Q5 ARTFX+ Statue, and Dark Horse has a NYCC sketch cover variant for The Star Wars #1. Her Universe will be selling at the official Reed Pop store.