More looks behind the development of Solo‘s Kessel Run and train heist with Lucasfilm design supervisor James Clyne.
Continue reading “Solo roundup: Creating the Kessel Run, train heist”
Link: A third Star Wars web show is on the way
A third Star Wars web show is on the way. Under the new Disney Digital Network, StarWars.com will launch ‘Science and Star Wars,’ a collaboration with ILM hosted by Anthony Carboni. Unlike The Star Wars Show and Rebels Recon, this will be a Facebook exclusive.
Today in The Force Awakens: Six Star Wars technologies we might see for real
→ Popular Science points out six Star Wars technologies that may not be as far away as we think. Most shocking? There’s already a robot ball.
→ Why racial diversity in The Force Awakens matters.
→ Chris Taylor implores fans to stop overthinking the new teaser. Alas, it is in vain, but I’m sure he knows that.
→ Rumor corner: Jason on Making Star Wars has more thoughts on the beginning of the film, given what we heard yesterday. And there are yet more 4chan/Reddit ‘spoilers,’ including at least one direct contradiction to what we heard yesterday from the same ‘source.’
Mythbusters takes on Star Wars tonight
The circle is now complete! Mythbusters, the Discovery Channel show that attempts to confirm or bust urban legends and Hollywood magic by recreating the circumstances and using science to explain, is leading off their 2014 season with a special devoted to Star Wars.
The January 4 episode (Discovery at 8pm ET/PT) features hosts and former ILM special-effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, along with team members Grant Imahara, Tory Belleci, and Kari Byron as they verify the plausibility of several epic Star Wars stunts. Joined by R2-D2, Chewbacca, members of the 501st Legion and actress Sophia Bush, the two build teams will take on some of the favorite scenes, hoping to find out answers to questions posed by Star Wars fans for years:
In the news: Will 300 sequel make a movie star of Joel ‘Uncle Owen’ Edgerton?
Rising star. Joel Edgerton has worked steadily in Hollywood since Attack of the Clones, but a big name he isn’t – yet. He’s currently in talks for a role that could change that, Vulture reports – the lead in the sequel to 300, Battle of Artemisia. (UPDATE: Vulture is now saying Edgerton is also being offered the role of Ilya in Steven Soderbergh’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. remake. )
Edgerton starred in September’s Warrior, last month’s The Thing and will play Tom Buchanan in next year’s high-profile adaption of The Great Gatsby alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan.
Home entertainment sales up. A trade group reports that home entertainment spending has risen 5% in the third quarter – the first increase since 2008. Helping drive the rise are Blu-ray sales, up a whopping 58% from a year ago. I can think of one recent release that may have helped with that…
Science! NASA has awarded three scientists $100,000 to “study the ability to trap and move objects using laser light,” aka tractor beams. Evil overlord wannabes everywhere are plotting in joy. For inspiration, check out Gadget Review’s list of Star Wars tech that now exists.
Commercials. British electronics retailer Dixons is the latest business to borrow Darth Vader for an ad campaign. The spots will debut Saturday.
EUbits: Shadow Games mini-excerpts, looking at recent SW comics, and a real Crystal Star?
While a lot of talk this week has been focusing on the changes coming in the Star Wars Blu-ray release, there’s also been some news and chatter in the world of the Expanded Universe:
Shadow Games: Del Rey has posted two mini-excerpts from Shadow Games on the Star Wars Books account on Facebook. The novel, by Michael Reaves and Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, comes out at the end of November.
Mini-excerpt #1 (from last week):
“Confidence,” Dash retorted, annoyed at being pulled out of his pleasant reverie. “The Outrider is twice the ship the Falcon is.” As far as he was concerned Solo’s boat was a scow compared with Dash’s heavily modified YT-2400.
“Then where am I supposed to come by these steely-eyed, laser-toting…characters?”
A smile curved Kendara Farlion’s lips and her teeth showed, white and even in her face. “I never thought I’d say this, but there are advantages to being from Mos Eisley. I know exactly where to look for that kind of character.”
Comics:
- John Jackson Miller provides production notes and trivia to accompany the first issue of Knight Errant: Deluge, tossing in references to Steinbeck and Saving Private Ryan. Also, check out the review on ComicBookResources.com.
- My review of last week’s comic release: Jedi: The Dark Side #4 over at BigShinyRobot.com. In short, Qui-Gon pulls his face off, and Xanatos does very little but be angry.
- Geekweek takes a tour inside Dark Horse Comics in Milwaukee, Oregon and chats with managing editor Scott Allie and founder and CEO Mike Richardson.
Favorite Scenes: Del Rey asked fans on Facebook to identify favorite scenes from the novels. A lot of deaths pop in: Anakin Solo, Ganner, Chewbacca (I guess fans have mellowed a bit on that) and Thrawn, as well as scenes from the X-Wing (both comedic and action scenes), Republic Commando, and Darth Bane series. Did not see any mentions of Waru or the Black Fleet Crisis, and that makes me sad.
Fact mirrors Star Wars fiction: Discovered: A real life “Crystal Star” (well, a crystallizing former star) – Formerly a white dwarf star, this planet is believed to be turning into one giant diamond. At 4,000 light-years away, it’ll take a while for this rock to be a girl’s best friend. Also, did not see any mentions of Waru, and that makes me sad again.
Ice wars: Frozen lake makes blaster sounds
Sound waves made by a frozen lake sound remarkably like a (slightly dulled) Star Wars blaster, Kottke notes.
Star Wars in the news: Favreau, TOR, hockey, sciene, and the other George Lucas
Iron Man director Jon Favreau will be presenting George Lucas with the Gene Siskel Film Center Visionary Award for Innovation in Filmmaking this weekend… In addition to being handpicked by George for an interview. So the Chicago Tribune caught up with the younger filmmaker. (via)
- Elephant in the room: MTV asks The Old Republic team about sex in the GFFA – or rather, in their game.
- Sports. As a Metro Detroiter, I am so sick of the Stanley Cup brouhaha I can’t muster up anything clever for A Star Wars guide to the Stanley Cup Finals. Just please let it end tonight. (Yes, this technically should have gone in the fandom post. Sorry. The Stanley Cup, at least, is news. Trust me on that one.)
- Important questions: How far away is Star Wars gadgetry? Well, we have the Death Star… (Okay, okay, it’s just an article on the science exhibit.)
- No, the other one. If you’ve ever have the pleasure of Google Newsing ‘George Lucas’ on a regular basis, as I have not being doing all-too-infrequently lately, eventually you’ll run into the one who doesn’t run a media juggernaught. That other George Lucas has now been appointed the next Archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska. (via)
Video: Gravity and the Great Attractor
George Takei and Mark Hamill are guests on this episode of Irrelevant Astronomy. And how can you say no to a tongue-in-cheek robot talk show produced by NASA anyway?
The catchup: Links from Twitter
Here are some of the things I’ve micro-blogged over @clubjade in the past few days.
Design! Mockery! Jumpsuits! Vintage Dharma Initiative ads are by Lost fan Adam Campbell and awesome. (via)
Important questions of our time. How does Star Wars end?
The blogside. Author Sarah Zettel on her love/hate relationship with Star Wars.
Bacta! Dutch scientists have created a healing goo based on the liquid that protects embryos in the womb, but they’re calling it “baby butter.” Eww.
Tips. Authors behaving badly is common sense advice from a bookseller.