Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
This Wednesday, December 5 brings three new comics and a trade. Marvel is launching Age of Republic: Qui-Gon Jinn #1, the first of a 30-issue series that will eventually evolve into Age of Rebellion and (as we approach Episode IX) Age of Resistance. There’s also Star Wars #58 and Poe Dameron Volume 5. And from IDW, Destroyer Down #2.
Deadline is reporting that Lucasfilm is bringing on Stephen Schiff as showrunner for the Rogue One prequel series that will star Diego Luna as Rebel spy Cassian Andor. They also say that the production has hired writers. The show is expected to begin production next year.
Schiff was an executive producer of The Americans, the FX spy drama that co-starred Episode IX’s Keri Russell. He also wrote 9 episodes of the series.
The Cassian show is the second live-action Star Wars series announced for the streaming service Disney+. The first, Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, is currently in production.
The Mandalorian is bringing on Nick Nolte, Variety reports today. Lucasfilm has yet to officially announce any casting for the series, but Variety has also reported that Pedro Pascal and Gina Carano are on board. Making Star Wars has recently reported yet another name.
The Mandalorian will debut exclusively on the streaming service Disney+, which is expected to launch late next year.
The new shorts, which revisit parts of the saga in bite-sized chunks for kids, have officially debuted on the new official Youtube channel, Star Wars Kids. There are six shorts and three “fun facts”. Watch them on StarWars.com (with commentary from producer Josh Rimes) or below the cut.
Shockingly, someone actually gets suspicious of Kaz in this Sunday’s “Secrets and Holograms.” Also, some garbage!
When a determined Kaz tries to discover the truth about Captain Doza, he and Torra embark on an adventure where they uncover more about the Tower than either bargained for.
More pics and a clip under the cut. Continue reading “Torra is onto Kaz in Resistance’s ‘Secrets and Holograms’”
Although there have been numerous reports – and even social media posts from the likes of John Boyega (mostly via Instagram stories) and Oscar Isaac’s wife Elvira Lind – we finally have some comments from higher up the food chain. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and director J.J. Abrams both talked to Roya News about Jordan’s Wadi Rum:
“Wadi Rum is breathtakingly beautiful and the perfect location for our film,” says Abrams. “I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to shoot in Jordan. Between the warm welcome from the government and the dedication and hard work of the local film professionals, we couldn’t have had a better experience. We are enormously grateful.”
Producer Kathleen Kennedy said “I also want to thank the Royal Film Commission Jordan, and the Army, whose tremendous support has been invaluable, and helped make this shoot possible.”
Other than Boyega and Isaac (and maybe Anthony Daniels,) the cast has been mainly mum on who exactly is out in Jordan. There are fuzzy photos that may indicate at least one other cast member joined them, but they’re hardly conclusive.
STAR WARS – EPISODE IX – SPOLER ALERT – NOW IT CAN BE TOLD LEAK. DATELINE PINEWOOD. It's cold & raining. Demands are made to return to the wonderful warm planet of Jordan's, Wadi Rum where cast and crew spent a glorious time in a beautiful, spectacular, thrilling setting. Or two.
— Anthony Daniels (@ADaniels3PO) November 28, 2018
There’s plenty of speculation on what Jordan means for the story – understandably, a return to Jakku is a common theory – but it’s interesting that Daniels’ tweet implies it may be standing in for more than one. Curious.
Another series of Star Wars animated shorts is debuting on Friday. Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures “will introduce the classic themes, pivotal moments, and iconic characters from the Star Wars saga to the next generation.”
More shorts are coming in December and throughout 2019 leading up to Episode IX.
Like Forces of Destiny, we’re not exactly the target audience here – they’re aimed at “providing a kid-friendly entry point” to the saga. (Although it does give parents another way to introduce the saga to their kids!)
They’ll have a dedicated website, StarWarsKids.com, and their own Youtube channel. A new Hasbro line debuts at Walmart on December 1, and nationwide in January.
One new book, one reprint and a brand new comic are coming to stores this week. Out Tuesday, November 27 is Millennium Falcon: Owners’ Workshop Manual by Ryder Windham, Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas, as well as the paperback edition of Jason Fry’s The Last Jedi novelization. Fry has been tweeting some behind-the-scenes info about writing the book.
On Wednesday, November 28, we get Darth Vader #24, the second-to-last issue of the ongoing.
We meet a famous racer with a connection to Yeager in “The Platform Classic,” Sunday’s new episode of Star Wars Resistance.
Kaz uses the upcoming “Platform Classic” to reunite Yeager with someone from his past, Marcus – who happens to be in deep with the Guavian Death Gang. After Marcus’ mechanic is kidnapped, Kaz assists him in preparing for the race, learning more about Yeager in the process.
More pics and a clip under the cut. Continue reading “It’s race time (again) on Star Wars Resistance”
Just two comics coming on Wednesday, November 21: Star Wars #57 (the solicitation is very excited about “Shirtless HAN SOLO, chopping wood,” which I guess explains the American Gothic riff on the cover) and Solo #2, both from Marvel.