X-Men 3 is slated to hit screens on May 26, 2006.
Matthew Vaughn is set to replace Bryan Singer as director. Hugh Jackman will be back as Wolverine, while Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen are still in negotiations.
Entertainment Weekly
I got Yoda. Hrm.
All in all, the issue is pretty light on SW content. There’s two pages on Lucas releasing the saga in 3D, which doesn’t strike me as all that thrilling, but whatever. There’s also a SW quiz, like you can’t find enough of those on the internet. Still, the ‘Jedi Master’ section was mildly challenging.
All in all? Unless you’re big into quizzes or collecting, don’t bother.
Six covers???
Entertainment Weekly‘s next issue features six (SIX!) Star Wars covers. If last week’s Desperate Housewives multi-cover is any indication, I will certainly be receiving Susan the lamest one in my mailbox tomorrow. While the coolest one is certainly Han, I’m not really sure which of the others to expect. Could they all be good?
Perhaps it’s not the covers that will produce the lameness – do I detect a cover blurb for the Pop Culture Quiz, my absolute least favorite EW feature?
I’ll keep you posted.
Advice for Writerly Types
A nice list of the top 10 things authors shouldn’t do at cons. Alas, there’s nothing mentioning tip jars… (Don’t do it.)
Smits in ’05?
Jimmy Smits is running for President. On TV, anyway. He’s one of three contenders for the Democratic nomination on The West Wing.
But he hasn’t forgotten Star Wars:
“The ‘Star Wars’ politics has a lot more gravitas to it,” Smits explains. “It’s got that kind of lore and tradition, the decorum. I think it’s much more akin to what our Founding Fathers had with the wigs and stuff, in its own futuristic kind of way.”
On “West Wing,” there’s little pageantry to politics. “It’s much more quick, we [make] the audience keep up with us,” he says.
I guess the whole ‘long time ago’ thing does factor into it…
Outbound Flight
I don’t know how I missed this last night, but starwars.com has posted a first look at Zahn’s next Star Wars novel. It’s the hardcover release for October.
With the foiling of a murderous plot, C’baoth gained the influence he needed to get Outbound Flight underway. In truth, this turn of fortune was carefully engineered by Darth Sidious, the shadowy Sith Lord who wants Outbound Flight to begin, and ultimately, to fail.
The mission is doomed from the start, for lurking within Unknown Space is the Chiss Ascendancy, and the brilliant alien mastermind who will someday become Grand Admiral Thrawn. Not even the presence of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his young Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker, aboard the gargantuan vessel can avert disaster.
POTC cast takes to the high seas
Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, and Orlando Bloom are to participate in a round the world race to promote “Pirates of the Caribbean 2.”
The trio of Hollywood actors – whose fictional sailing skills delighted millions of cinema-goers in the 2003 movie – will take turns lending their assistance to the qualified yachtsmen and women in the grueling eight-month Volvo Ocean Race.
The BLACK PEARL vessel – named after the ship in the blockbuster film – will first welcome British beauty Knightley on board for the European stretch of the contest.
Bloom will take-over for South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, while Depp will be joining the Black Pearl team ahead of their return to the US.
No, HE’S the clone!
Wouldn’t it have been nice if the Clone Army in Star Wars had been cloned from Ewan McGregor? With all due deference to Temeura Morrison, there are many who would have preferred that.
Since he couldn’t do it in Star Wars, Ewan’s doing it in The Island.
The new international teaser trailer is out. And it is good! There are many Ewans to watch on the screen….at the same time!
A Great Book for Lucas Fans
Just picked up the book The Cinema of George Lucas by Marcus Hearn.
This is an amazing look at George from birth through Episode 3. The author divides up his life into various sections including: birth through USC, Student Films, THX-1138, American Graffiti, ANH, ESB, ROTJ, “The lost years” (my quote, not his) and the Prequels.
Besides the tons of personal pictures, there are some interesting shots from his films. He’s also included shooting schedules and other nifty bits for many films. And there are descriptions of each film that help with his more obscure student works. There are also interviews with folks I haven’t seen interviewed for a Lucas biography.
Very throughly researched. It’s HUGE; weighing in at a solid 4.5 pounds. And, thus far, it’s proving to be an enjoyable read.
Just resist opening the last 20 or so pages of the book and you can avoid any Episode 3 spoilage.
It’s priced at a quite reasonable $50 for a book that’s so large and printed on such high quality paper. (Of course, you can get it cheaper almost everywhere.) A worthy investment for any film buff and almost every Lucas fan.
“Blog” added to Webster’s dictionary
“Blog” will appear in the latest edition of Webster’s New World College Dictionary.
And Dunc rejoiced. Now she can tell clueless newbies to, “Look it up in the dictionary!”
“Wedgie” also made the book:
wedgie: noun. a prank in which the victim’s undershorts are jerked upward so as to become wedged between the buttocks.
Somehow I think it will be a hot day on Hoth before that one makes it into Oxford’s. ;)