One of Resistance Reborn‘s biggest “secrets” is out of the bag – Wedge Antilles (and someone else canon fiction readers will recognize) will be back in the novel. StarWars.com has an excerpt, and the final cover, which you can also see below.
Resistance Reborn, by Rebecca Roanhorse, arrives November 5.
Wedge Antilles and Hobbie Klivian join the Rebellion in Rebels’‘The Antilles Extraction.’ Andi Gutierrez chats with Henry Gilroy, Pablo Hidalgo, and Dave Filoni about Wedge, Sabine’s background with the Empire, Biggs Darklighter (!) and Skystrike Academy. Plus, Pablo answers a question about… Science?
Grand Admiral Thrawn was revealed as a villain in Star Wars Rebels S3, and that’s not even the whole of it. Timothy Zahn – who gave his blessing to the Rebels version via video – is writing a canon Thrawn novel that’ll be out in April 2017.
The Rebels Thrawn is being voiced by Lars Mikkelsen, Mads Mikkelsen’s brother.
Thrawn, who originated in Zahn’s Heir to the Empire in 1991, is the first Legends character to make the jump to the new canon.
When asked if Mara Jade could be next, Filoni was fairly straightforward: “No, not likely.” (I am, for the record, more than okay with that.) Filoni also said that the ysalamiri aren’t making the leap to canon, although there are some visual nods to them in the production design of Thrawn’s introduction.
On his Facebook, Zahn said he’s just turned in the first draft of the novel.
The trailer also featured Wedge Antilles and a Force sensitive character named Bendu, who’s being voiced by Fourth Doctor Tom Baker. For more on everything else about Rebels S3, head to StarWars.com.
Two episodes were show (but not livestreamed) and you can read one review, with some spoilers, over at io9.
Filoni and Lucasfilm’s Kiri Hart talk about how the show makes Thrawn work on Sunday, comparing him to Vader as a villain: “We want to treat him like a big time villain, as much as Darth Vader,” Filoni said. “But on the strategic, military side of things.”
The Journey to the Force Awakens series finally gets a little bit of fleshing out on StarWars.com – and we finally get a synopsis for the centerpiece, Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath. As predicted, it features Wedge Antilles!
As the Empire reels from its critical defeats at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance — now a fledgling New Republic — presses its advantage by hunting down the enemy’s scattered forces before they can regroup and retaliate. But above the remote planet Akiva, an ominous show of the enemy’s strength is unfolding. Out on a lone reconnaissance mission, pilot Wedge Antilles watches Imperial Star Destroyers gather like birds of prey circling for a kill, but is taken captive before he can report back to the New Republic leaders.
Meanwhile, on the planet’s surface, former Rebel fighter Norra Wexley has returned to her native world — war weary, ready to reunite with her estranged son, and eager to build a new life in some distant place. But when Norra intercepts Wedge Antilles’s urgent distress call, she realizes her time as a freedom fighter is not yet over. What she doesn’t know is just how close the enemy is—or how decisive and dangerous her new mission will be.
Determined to preserve the Empire’s power, the surviving Imperial elite are converging on Akiva for a top-secret emergency summit — to consolidate their forces and rally for a counterstrike. But they haven’t reckoned on the Norra and her newfound allies — her technical genius son, a Zabrak bounty hunter, and a reprobate Imperial defector — who are prepared to do whatever they must to end the Empire’s oppressive reign once and for all.
We also get the covers for the YA novels:
Phil Noto on all three! Note that MVP author Jason Fry, in addition to writing the Luke novel The Weapon of a Jedi, did double duty with Cecil Castellucci on the Leia book, Moving Target. Also getting a full synopsis is Claudia Gray’s Lost Stars:
The reign of the Galactic Empire has reached the Outer Rim planet of Jelucan, where aristocratic Thane Kyrell and rural villager Ciena Ree bond over their love of flying. Enrolling at the Imperial Academy together to become fighter pilots for the glorious Empire is nothing less than a dream come true for the both of them. But Thane sours on the dream when he sees firsthand the horrific tactics the Empire uses to maintain its ironclad rule.
Bitter and disillusioned, Thane joins the fledgling Rebellion — putting Ciena in an unbearable position to choose between her loyalty to the Empire and her love for the man she’s known since childhood.
Now on opposite sides of the war, will these friends turned foes find a way to be together, or will duty tear them — and the galaxy — apart?
The Journey to the Force Awakens books – which will also include several reference books, plus at least two comics – will be out on Force Friday, September 4.
Well. Valentine’s Day. If you’re like me, you’re going to spend a lot of time rolling your eyes at everything and anything today. (Speaking of! Going to be live on the Tosche Station podcast tonight! Talking about Marvel romance novels! Ranting is almost guaranteed!) Anyway, onto business:
At the Star Wars Blog, Jennifer Heddle writes a tribute to the original Star Wars couple, Han and Leia. Who isn’t pro Han and Leia these days? (We don’t want to know.)
Over at Suvudu, Tricia Barr takes a look at Star Wars power couples. Includes refreshingly not-overboard artwork of Wedge Antilles and Iella Wessiri from Chris Trevas!
And for those looking for a little less kissing, io9 presents the 7 greatest bromances in space. Obi-Wan and Anakin are repping for the Wars, which… Okay.
If you thought Episode I was slashtastic… Episode VII is among the five posters for sci-fi spinoffs that Sci Fi Wire really wants to see. Nice idea, but their suggestion of Peter Jackson is a bit much. (I mean, really? REALLY? Did no one see his King Kong?Lord of the Rings is one thing, but no giant gorilla movie has any right to go on that long.)
Lucas Online is hiring! Pablo and Bonnie have been out and about urging folks to apply for the Project Web Developer job. One could certainly do worse…
Awards: Joshua Budich’s Star Wars collection site, which I blogged about way back in 2007, has won a Webby Award and was the People’s Voice pick in the 13th Annual Webby Awards.
Wednesday was Denis Lawson‘s birthday (yay, Wedge!), so to honor everyone’s favorite GFFA supporting character, this week’s featured filk is an excerpt from the stage extravaganza Star Wars: Musical Edition. Set just after the Rebel briefing in Return of the Jedi, Wedge’s Lament is a heartfelt tribute to the friends Wedge has seen come and go as the only non-main character to survive all three movies, and a hope that he will lose no more friends by helping to end the war.
In other filk news, “Weird Al” Yankovic’s new album released on Tuesday. The video for his new tune “Weasel Stomping Day” was produced by Seth Green and his cohorts over at Robot Chicken and aired on this week’s episode.