Exclusive: Q&A with Dave Filoni and The Clone Wars cast from USO screenings (Part II)

The USO has posted their highlight clips from last week’s visit by the cast and crew of Star Wars: The Clone Wars to MCAS Miramar in San Diego. Ashley Eckstein has posted her experience from the USO tour to the official Star Wars blog. I’ve already posted the transcript of the part I: the first question and answer session with Dave Filoni and the voice actors at Big Shiny Robot! earlier this week, along with my report on the event, and interview with James Arnold Taylor. Now it’s time to present the second Q&A session, the one that happened after the US premiere screening of ‘Eminence’.

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The Clone Wars delivers Darth Maul to Death Watch in ‘Eminence’

Pre Vizsla and the Mandalorians of Death Watch encounter some new potential allies when they come across Darth Maul and Savage Opress in ‘Eminence’, this week’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While they have a common enemy in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Sith and Death Watch first team up to take on some crime lords on Nal Hutta, in order to start building up Maul’s criminal empire so he can challenge the Jedi for his vengeance. In the clip above, Vizsla and Bo-Katan encounter the injured Sith brothers, and decide to keep them alive. In the second clip, below, Maul wakes up and has to answer some questions. On Saturday, watch for the appearance of a Falleen and listen for the Huttese!

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Disney World’s Star Wars Weekends 2013 will run from May 17th to June 9th

WeekendsStart planning your vacation time, now. Disney has announced the dates for Star Wars Weekends 2013.

Each weekend from May 17th through June 9th in Orlando, Florida, you’ll get to meet a rotating array of Star Wars guests and enjoy other Star Wars shows and events at Disney Hollywood Studios. And you can usually count on The 501st and The Rebel Legion to be making appearances, as well.

Returning as hosts will be James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan) and Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka) from The Clone Wars. Both will be continuing the shows they hosted last year. And both are the perfect fit to blend Star Wars and Disney, as both have professed their love of the two franchises. (Which are now one franchise. Maybe?)

Guest announcements and schedules will probably start going out in early 2013 so you can start planning which weekend you’d like to attend.

Start stocking up on your sunscreen!

Dave Filoni, Ashley Eckstein in the mood for Disney

Clone Wars heavy-hitters Dave Filoni and Ashley Eckstein both have blog entries about Disney and Star Wars on the official site today.

Filoni writes about his history with Disney – he worked on Kim Possible, among others – Star WArs Weekends, and

When Revenge of the Sith was over, I found myself in the incredible position of carrying the torch forward. Now I can see the incredibly bright light that is the future of Star Wars. For those of you who are fans of The Clone Wars, do not worry. We have many stories left to tell, and every one of them came directly from George himself. Right down to the last one, where that thing with Ahsoka happens…

As the daughter of a Disney “cast member,” Ashley Eckstein has never made a secret of her Disney love, and she writes at length about the effects of “being immersed in the Disney culture at such a young age.”

I wanted to work for Disney SO badly that I turned in my application on my 16th birthday. After several auditions, I finally got my big break and I was cast as a cheerleader in the Hercules Parade. I got to dance down Hollywood Blvd. Thanks to Disney, I was able to perform in front of thousands of people on the weekends and it made my dream, again, feel tangible.

Star Wars Reads Day in Decatur, Georgia

Star Wars Reads Day was a roaring success at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia. This was the big event for the Atlanta metro area, featuring Ashley Eckstein (aka Ahsoka Tano) as the main guest.

The crowds had formed by about 9:30 with excited kids in Jedi and Ewok costumes. The street musician who always hangs around the square was working his way through Star Wars pieces. Vader came out not long after with the best reaction ever: the kids all yelled out “Yay!” while simultaneously backing up.

Once inside, the 501st and Rebel Legion worked their magic greeting the kids. The display of Star Wars books quickly got picked through. (Which was the whole point, right?)

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Ashley Eckstein reveals Her Universe releases for Halloween, Cyber Monday on Tosche Station Radio

The Clone Wars actress and Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein was a guest on Tosche Station Radio last night, where she answered fan questions and revealed a few upcoming products, including a new Halloween bag from Katie Cook (pictured, last year’s,) more Star Wars pajamas, a Spock costume top, and extended sizes for the Ahsoka Tano costume top. They’ll also be coming out with a Tardis dress exclusively for Hot Topic.

Get ready for The Clone Wars S5 to start Saturday morning!

Counting down for the first episode of The Clone Wars season five, ‘Revival’ coming out Saturday morning on Cartoon Network (9:30 am on PT/ET, 8:30 am Central). The official site has a preview of Darth Maul exerting his alpha dog status over his brother Savage Opress. But Savage isn’t happy about being relegated to apprentice again. After last week’s fan screening of the first two episodes at Lucasfilm, a Q&A with Dave Filoni, Joel Aron, and Ashley Eckstein focused on Ahsoka’s journey and the return of Darth Maul.

The Daily.com has an exclusive preview clip for the entire season, with Dave Filoni describing how this season is a great place to jump in and get caught up with the Star Wars adventure, and how far they’ve come since they started the show.

Here’s more to get you psyched for ‘Revival’ and the kickoff of the fifth season: