Tag: chris weitz

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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.

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Rogue One writer asks for science help from Neil deGrasse Tyson, prepare to be mansplained to about the term ‘space opera’

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So a few days ago, Rogue One writer Chris Weitz asked Neil deGrasse Tyson for science help. Star Wars has always had a very tentative relationship with real science – it’s just not that kind of movie, kid – so this has resulted in some spirited discussion in certain areas of fandom.

Now, by no means do I think Weitz’s question will turn out be the very lynchpin of the film, but if the dude wants to make some random thing scientifically accurate, I’m not gonna disapprove, either. After all, what is space opera but a big melting pot of genres?

Tyson hasn’t replied publicly. But he did once tell Business Insider that he never got into Star Wars. “Maybe because they made no attempt to portray real physics. At all.”

This has still made a few headlines, so if nothing else, it’s turned into a cute little stealth marketing trick.

And, for the record, @RogueOne2016 is not an official account.

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First Star Wars spinoff film is Rogue One; Rian Johnson (and MAY 2017) confirmed for Episode VIII

ro-headshotsStarWars.com confirms that the first standlone film will be called Rogue One.

Starring Felicity Jones, directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Chris Weitz, the story is based on an idea from John Knoll, who’s one of the executive producers. The film will shoot in London this summer and is due out December 16, 2016.

They’ve also (finally!) confirmed that Rian Johnson is writing and directing Episode VIII, which is set for May 26, 2017. A RETURN TO MAY!

Much of the personnel here we’ve already heard about, but the title Rogue One is our first detail that really points to what kind of film this will be. A female X-wing pilot? Bring it on.

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Chris Weitz, Gary Whitta on the mysterious Star Wars spinoff

/Film talked to Chris Weitz, the new screenwriter for Spin-off #1. We don’t learn much (will this mystery box ever open?) but he does more or less confirm that Garry Whitta’s draft is still in play. When asked to compare it to Cinderella:

I think in this case I’m not working from a whole cloth, right? So there’s a very strong structure from Gary’s work and that’s a huge advantage to me. But just like with Cinderella, it’s a director’s medium so it’s really about my making what Gareth needs to do his film.

They also talked to Whitta a few weeks ago, something that got lost in the shuffle over here.