Making Star Wars is reporting that a big – and actually surprising – cameo is on the way for Rebels season 3. It’s so big and surprising that I’m actually going to a cut to discuss it.
Continue reading “Rumor: A surprise cameo coming to Rebels S3?”
Rumors: More familiar (and not-so-familiar) figures for Rogue One
JoBlo has quite the rumor dump on Rogue One, including a brand-new droid, a name and some new stormtrooper types.
Over at Making Star Wars, reports of a second classic villain. (Again, this is pretty obvious, so take it as you will.)
And it seems a fourth costume from the film has shown up in Nuremberg.
Rumor: Will Episode VIII share a filming location with Game of Thrones?
Making Star Wars is reporting that Episode VIII may be heading to Dubrovnik, Croatia for some location shooting. The city, which fronts the Adriatic Sea, has also been used as a filming location for HBO’s Game of Thrones, most notably as King’s Landing.
My idle speculation: A new planet, or perhaps a different part of Takodana, to check in on Maz?
Rumor: Guess who’s coming to wreak havoc in Rogue One?
I still really can’t really believe we’re bothering to dance around this one*, but Making Star Wars has some supposed details on what exactly that super famous villain may be doing in Rogue One. (Really, is this fooling anyone? Didn’t think so.)
* Look, spoilerphobes. I respect what you’re trying to do – to a point – but I don’t think you’re stupid. This is not a who-is-Fulcrum level spoiler, and if it doesn’t end up in the marketing I’ll be utterly shocked.
In other Rogue One news, it seems that some costumes from the film will be on display at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. The three in photos from @DarrenArsenal1 appear to be the outfits worn by Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Donnie Yen from the film’s sole cast photo.
Rumor: Disney shopping Star Wars films to basic cable again
Variety reports that Disney began pitching the free TV rights – technically basic cable – on the Star Wars films last week, for all three trilogies. The asking price on is claimed to be “high” – even for the “vintage” titles. Movie rights are worth less and less to networks these days, but Star Wars seems to be an exception.
Spike TV held the Star Wars rights through 2014, paying $65-$70 million for six years and six films. The Indiana Jones films went for about $25M each in 2008.
Cable outlets who have met or are meeting with Disney include Turner, FX Networks, Viacom, NBCUniversal (which owns SyFy, which aired A New Hope when it first launched as the Sci-Fi Channel and USA Network, who had the rights to the original trilogy in the 90s,) A+E Networks and AMC Networks.
Variety cites speculation that the pitches to outside networks may be Disney’s way of seeing “what the market will bear” – aka covering their ass – before settling the rights on one of their own networks. (I’ve been expecting the films will indeed show up on Freeform.)
The Force Awakens will debut on Starz next year as the last film under the channel’s deal with Disney. TFA likely won’t show up on basic cable until 2018, while Episode VIII and IX will go to Netflix first under Disney’s current deal with the streaming service.
Rumor: Episode VIII filming pushed back to February?
There are a few things floating around in regards to Episode VIII, gleaned from The Wrap‘s Jeff Sneider during a Meet the Movie Press chat. (Via Screenrant.)
Sneider said that principal photography in VIII has been pushed back a month in order to accommodate script changes. The new female roles have apparently been minimized to focus more on Rey and the other characters we met in The Force Awakens, and Gina Rodriguez is out. Bel Powely is still a question mark, but one of the roles has gone to an unknown Asian actress.
It’s rather telling that Sneider hasn’t this for The Wrap – almost nothing we’ve heard about VIII has been solid enough for the trades to touch formally, so feel free to be cynical on this. In any case, Episode VIII is still set for a May 26, 2017 release.
Spoilerphobes beware: Someone tall, dark and familiar coming to Rogue One?
Making Star Wars has heard some “chatter” that we’ll see a familiar figure in Rogue One, with several key people already on board.
There’s another familiar sight over at TMZ in some leaked set pics from Pinewood.
Rumor: Han Solo spinoff has a shortlist
Variety claims that Lucasfilm has narrowed down the possible actors for the upcoming young Han Solo film to a dozen names.
Sources tell Variety that after seeing thousands of actors, execs have cut the list down to about a dozen actors with Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Dave Franco, Jack Reynor, Scott Eastwood, Logan Lerman, “Brooklyn” star Emory Cohen and “Everybody Wants Some” actor Blake Jenner among the names making the cut.
Variety’s sources also claim the rush could be to get the new Han into Rogue One for a cameo.
The solo Solo film, directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, is currently scheduled for a May 25, 2018 release.
While everyone is freaking out over this shortlist, Drew McWeeney has the right idea.
Rumor: Bel Powley now up for mystery Episode VIII role?
There’s a new name in the mix for the unknown new female character in Episode VIII: Diary of a Teenage Girl’s Bel Powley. Previous names related to the role are Gugu Mbatha-Raw (who’s apparently out?) Gina Rodriguez and Olivia Cooke.
There was an earlier rumor that there were two new roles for the Rian Johnson directed film drawing from the same shortlist, but that’s yet to be collaborated beyond the initial report.
Powley is getting a lot of good buzz for Girl, and also appears as the young Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out.
As always, remember these are only rumors, and they are anything but solid. Episode VIII is due to begin shooting this month, so hopefully we’ll hear something solid on any newcomers soon.
Keeping up with Rogue One, that other new Star Wars movie
So if there’s one thing I’ve learned the past few months, it’s that it is really, really hard for me to get excited or inspired about Rogue One when there are actual Episodes in play. Well, to be specific, sequel Episodes, because the prequel apathy has always been strong with me. I may, however, be in the minority on this: The next Star Wars film – which is, technically, a prequel to A New Hope – is the most anticipated movie of 2016, according to Fandango.
On the other hand, The Hollywood Reporter’s Graeme McMillan wonders if the film is too early a detour, a sentiment I can’t help but agree with.
In any case, today’s big Rogue One rumor, per Star Wars Time, is that the trailer will be attached to May’s Captain America: Civil War. That seems less like a rumor and more like plain old common sense, as we’re certainly going to see it drop in the spring, if not before.
If you’re looking for some heavier rumors, Making Star Wars is back in the mix with some (possible) details on the characters played by Mads Mikkelsen and Felicity Jones, and a set description from Pinewood.
Rogue One is due out December 16, 2016.