Category: star wars on tv

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The Force Awakens debuts on Starz, and how I finally joined the 21st century

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The Force Awakens begins its run on the premium cable channel Starz today. While currently available On Demand and in the Starz app, it will air on the actual channel at 9:00pm tonight. (There may be live-tweeting!)


Also available are the extra features from the two Blu-ray releases – several behind-the-scenes documentaries and cut scenes.

To celebrate the release, Starz contacted me (along with several other fans, I believe) and sent me a Google Chromecast and access to their app. I do have Starz through my cable package, but I’ve never ventured much beyond that. (Yes, I am fitfully behind the times in my TV-watching technology – I didn’t even have a functioning flatscreen TV until late last year.) Setup on the Chromecast was simple – it requires a power outlet, a HDMI slot and an iOS or Android device to act as the remote. I set it up, grabbed Starz from the app store for my iPhone, and was streaming the special features to my TV last night in under twenty minutes. (You will need an existing Starz subscription, but once that’s set up, you can also watch directly on the app.)

This morning, I powered it back on and, boom – The Force Awakens itself. Next up – moving the Chromecast to a currently defunct flatscreen that’s been gathering dust in a cable-less part of the house…

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New Thrawn trilogy covers now contain approximately 275% more Grand Admiral Thrawn

Jedi Bibliothek has our first look at the new covers for Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy. This time, they’re a triptych!

They are, without a doubt, a vast improvement over the very dated originals. And that’s certainly a lot of the eponymous Grand Admiral Thrawn, which makes sense as his forthcoming Rebels appearance is the catalyst for the long-overdue refresh.

The new artwork is by Rick Kelly, we learned from Del Rey’s Tom Hoeler. The official Star Wars Books page has also shared the new covers.

I am sad to see that our namesake Mara Jade didn’t make the cut this time. Sure, Thrawn is becoming canon and she isn’t, but she is a major character in these books – and one of the most popular Legends characters ever. Did they just not want to get our hopes up?

In any case, here’s hoping that the new look gets more people reading. Legends or not, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command are some of the best Star Wars novels on the shelves.

The new covers are expected to begin appearing in stores late next month, as the existing paperbacks are restocked.

Thrawn makes his Rebels debut on September 24 , with a new canon Timothy Zahn novel coming in April.

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Rebels returns on Saturday, September 24

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The third season of Star Wars Rebels will debut Saturday, September 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Disney XD. The hour-long season premiere ‘Steps into Shadow’ features the introduction of classic villain Grand Admiral Thrawn into canon – the first character to make that leap since the old Expanded Universe was reclassified as Star Wars Legends.

As we learned at Celebration, the new season also introduces new looks for Rebels characters Ezra and Sabine, plus a new character voiced by Doctor Who’s Tom Baker. Here’s a new teaser:

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SDCC: Jaina Solo wins fan figure vote; new Hera, Thrawn figures coming

Jaina

Despite early leads by Darth Talon and Starkiller, Jaina Solo won Hasbro’s 2016 fan choice figure poll. (Here’s the percentages just before the poll closed.)

Jaina, the oldest child and only daughter of Leia Organa and Han Solo in decanonized Legends timeline, has had at least one figure from Hasbro in the past, plus a Bishoujo-style statue from Kotobukiya. The new figure will take some time: The fruits of last year’s poll – Darth Revan and Sabine Wren – aren’t expected to hit the shelves until late this year.

Hasbro announced several new figures at SDCC, including a 6′ Hera Syndulla and an Imperial Royal Guard inspired in part by the (also Legends) comic Crimson Empire.

And getting a 3.75 figure, the newly canonized Grand Admiral Thrawn, who will appear in the upcoming third season of Rebels. (His rank will be correct on the final figure.)

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Your Snoke Theory Sucks and other Celebration Europe catchup

Before you freak out on Pablo, here's what he said later: "Theorize all you want! It's cool! Just keep it out of my timeline."
Before you freak out on Pablo for having a sense of humor, here’s what he said later: “Theorize all you want! It’s cool! Just keep it out of my timeline.”
The ‘Your Snoke Theory Sucks’ sticker by the Steele Wars podcast seems to be quite the hit out of London last weekend, spotted in the hands of both Pablo Hidalgo and Rian Johnson. Steele Saunders even talked to Inverse about them, and why they proved to be so popular. Not at the con? You can still get your own in both sticker and t-shirt form.

→ IGN’s Daniel Krupa takes a look at the 6 classic movies that Episode VIII director Rian Johnson encouraged his cast and crew to watch, and how they might influence the upcoming film.

→ Dave Filoni chats Rebels S3, Thrawn and dealing with a “mass continuity” with io9’s Germain Lussier.

→ Felicity Jones talked about her big line in the Rogue One sizzle reel with Entertainment Tonight, and here’s what we learned from the Rogue One exhibit.

→ Spotted on the floor: Kelly Marie Tran, who still had filming to do!

→ As always, check out the CJ Tumblr for more photos, videos, GIFs and links from the con!