The catchup: Rogue One posters, Catalyst interviews

We got a pair of new posters this week; The first for IMAX, the second for Dolby. Both are more adventurous than the standard one-sheet, but there’s still plenty of that shiny digital smoothness that’s de rigueur these days. A late addition: New character posters from Japan, on a Spanish website because why not.

Rogue One’s first tie-in novel, Catalyst, came out this week and there are interviews with author James Luceno over at StarWars.com (by our own James) and The Verge (by Andrew Liptak.) You can also check out reviews at Big Shiny Robot and Tosche Station. And finally, if you just want the summary/spoilers/infodump, there’s io9. (Or Chris Taylor at Mashable.)

→ EW’s Anthony Breznican (and John Knoll) on the style inspiration for K-2SO.

→ Of course ILMxLAB has a Rogue One tie-in, too.

→ One of the new TV spots offers a glimpse of Warwick Davis’ character.

Wear Star Wars Every Day: November Thanks-for-giving prize drawing!

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Just like your local PBS station, it’s time for another donation drive for Collateral Repair Project via #WearStarWarsEveryDay! We can’t do it without the support of viewers like you! With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I’m turning the rest of the month of November into a big Thanks-for-giving promotion with a huge pile of prizes available to good people who donate to help Collateral Repair Project in their goal of providing emergency assistance, education, and community support for urban refugees in Amman, Jordan.

Donate at least $20 to the Wear Star Wars Every Day GoFundMe from November 14 to November 30, and you’ll be entered into prize drawings for some very cool Star Wars book prizes, including some awesome titles from Abrams Books!

  • A set of four Star Wars Topps trading card series books from Abrams ComicArts. These books contain the artwork of the full sets of the original Topps trading cards for Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Star Wars Galaxy trading card sets. Plus each book contains a packet of bonus cards. Plus, the Return of the Jedi book and Star Wars Galaxy book are signed by the author of the introduction and commentary, Gary Gerani, the original editor of the Star Wars Topps series. This four book set will go to a random donor who donates at least $75 on the GoFundMe from 11/14 to 11/30.
  • A signed copy of Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston from Disney Lucasfilm Press. The new Ahsoka young adult novel, signed by both the author, E. K. Johnston, and the voice of Ahsoka Tano and audiobook narrator, Ashley Eckstein. This book will go to a random donor who donates at least $40 on the GoFundMe from 11/14 to 11/30.
  • Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown Advance Uncorrected Proof by Joe Schreiber from Del Rey. This advance copy of Maul Lockdown was published in 2013 for advance reviewers and others prior to the novel’s hardcover release in January 2014. This uncorrected proof will go to a random donor who donates at least $40 on the GoFundMe from 11/14 to 11/30.
  • Star Wars: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume One from Abrams ComicArts. At nearly 550 pages, this volume reprints all the original Topps Star Wars trading cards from 1977 and 1978 – all five sets, including sticker cards. Plus it also covers the Wonder Bread Star Wars trading cards and comes with a pack of four bonus trading cards. This 2015 book will go to a random donor who donates at least $20 on the GoFundMe from 11/14 to 11/30.
  • Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume Two from Abrams ComicArts. This volume reprints all the 1980 Topps trading cards for The Empire Strikes Back, all three sets, sticker cards, and giant photocards. Plus it comes with a pack of four bonus trading cards. This 2016 book will go to a random donor who donates at least $20 on the GoFundMe from 11/14 to 11/30.
  • Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume Three from Abrams ComicArts. This volume reprints all the 1983 Topps trading cards for Return of the Jedi, both sets, sticker cards. Plus it comes with a pack of four bonus trading cards and contains a signed and numbered bookplate by Gary Gerani, the original editor of Topps Star Wars trading cards and author of the book’s introduction and commentary. This 2016 book will go to a random donor who donates at least $20 on the GoFundMe from 11/14 to 11/30.
  • Star Wars Galaxy: The Original Topps Trading Card Series from Abrams ComicArts. This volume reprints all the Topps trading cards in the Star Wars Galaxy trading card series from 1993 to 1995 showcasing original art from a lot of big names in comic, movie and fantasy art. Plus it comes with a pack of four bonus trading cards and contains a signed bookplate by Gary Gerani, the original editor of Topps Star Wars trading cards and author of the book’s introduction and commentary. This 2016 book will go to a random donor who donates at least $20 on the GoFundMe from 11/14 to 11/30.

Drawing will be held in early December, and all prize winners will be notified by email. Star Wars Topps Trading Card books generously donated by Abrams Books. Good luck! Remember that your donations help Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit that provides assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees. Learn more about Wear Star Wars Every Day!

Thanks for giving to Collateral Repair Project via Wear Star Wars Every Day!

Star Wars out this week: The Force Awakens 3D Blu-ray, Catalyst

Out Tuesday we have The Force Awakens 3D Blu-ray, which also includes director J.J. Abrams’ commentary. (Some of it we already know from preview clips and other media, but there’s a decent rundown over at io9.)

In books, there’s the Rogue One prequel novel, Catalyst by James Luceno. It’s our last major release before the film, although we do have Carrie Fisher’s latest memoir coming on the 22nd.

The catchup: Rogue One commercials, why the movie’s message matters

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First off, there are two new Rogue One commercials out this week:



Anyone seen them in the wild yet?

→ CBR’s Brett White on why, after the presidental election. Rogue One matters more than ever. The film’s screenwriters Gary Whitta and Chris Weitz are also showing solidarity for those fearful of a Trump presidency.

→ Over at Entertainment Weekly, there’s a new excerpt from Catalyst featuring Galen and Jyn Erso. Meanwhile, Jennifer Heddle has 6 reasons the novel is essential.

→ Interviews with Riz Ahmed and Gareth Edwards.

Wear Star Wars Every Day: Week 45

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Week 45 of my #WearStarWarsEveryDay fundraising campaign is all wrapped up, and we’ve got a wacky mix of Star Wars wear for this first full week of November. No donations for Collateral Repair Project in this time period, which is a bit of a bummer, but I know that with the election in the US, everyone’s mind has been elsewhere. Still, big thanks to Trina who donated a shirt worn this week, and Danielle who lent four of the items donned this week, along with Tyler who lent another wrist sweatband.

Every day I wear a new and different Star Wars apparel item, my daily pledge makers will chip in $4.65 to Collateral Repair Project! This time around, we have six shirts from a variety of companies, including my Back to Jakku mashup shirt from Teepublic for Back to the Future Day. There’s also Tyler’s wristband which I wore to jury duty, and a warning sign for our favorite stormtrooper in A New Hope. This review for Week 45 covers November 4 to November 10 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for and the latest happenings at Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees.

Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation via GoFundMe or a per-day pledge.

Today in Rogue One: Behind-the-scenes shots, Donnie Yen, new posters

ro-bts-swaStar Wars Aficionado got their hands on some new behind the scenes shots from Rogue One.

→ Jetset magazine has an interview with Donnie Yen, where he talks about initially turning down Rogue One and how it was his idea to make Chirrut blind. Though no, the character still isn’t Force-sensitive. (via)

→ On Twitter: Two new posters for Mexico and Latin America and a pair of behind the scenes shots from filming at the Canary Wharf tube station.