Clone Wars Saved

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is coming back, and not in the form of reruns.

You read that right. Just announced today by Dave Filoni at the San Diego Comic-Con during The Clone Wars' 10th anniversary celebration, the beloved animated series will be returning with 12 new episodes.

Also released today was the trailer, which revealed fan favorites, including Captain Rex, an older Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker will indeed return. Also seen in the trailer is Bo-Katan, hinting heavily that the Siege of Mandalore will be featured.



Filoni expressed excitement today for the project, and was thankful for fans' support. "Well, thankfully, their enthusiasm is relentless. Their love of these characters and stories hasn't diminished. I actually think their voice has gotten louder as the years have gone by. It's been very humbling to have their support and to have people continue to hashtag me, '#SaveTheCloneWars'," Filoni said.

The fans have spoken, and LucasFilm answered. What do you hope to see in these 12 new episodes? Let us know in the comments below!

More Star Wars Films and Series Announced

Winter is coming to Star Wars.

Creators of the award winning television series, Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will write and produce a new series of Star Wars films. These films, separate from both the new trilogy currently being developed by Rian Johnson and the Skywalker saga, will start development once the final season of Game of Thrones is complete. "We are honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started once the final Game of Thrones season is complete," Weiss and Benioff said in a join statement.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

"David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today," said LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy, "Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting."

Disney CEO Bob Iger has also announced that there are multiple live action Star Wars television series planned for Disney's upcoming streaming service besides the one previously announced. While no details were released, he did reveal that an official announcement was on the way and that the "level of talent on the television front will be rather significant as well."

As for when these new movies will take place, no information has been given. However, Iger did release a statement that has fans thinking it may take place during The Old Republic. "Their interest was in creating a series of films that are Star Wars-based and we've actually been talking to them for a long time. To my knowledge they didn’t express interest in creating a series. They have an idea for number of films and at some later date I'm sure we'll disclose to all of you just what those are. They are focused on a point in time in the Star Wars mythology and taking it from there," Iger said.

When do you think these films and series should take place, and who should we see in them? Let us know!

Read our previous article regarding the new trilogy and series here.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Teaser Released

"So you wanna make a difference?"

"Yeah."

The long awaited teaser for Solo: A Star Wars Story is here and now fans are expecting to see the full length trailer during Good Morning America on Feb 5.


Airing during Super Bowl LII, the teaser gave fans their first look at the movie, including Alden Ehrenreich's young Han Solo, Donald Glover's Lando Carissian, as well as two original characters played by actors Emilia Clark and Woody Harrelson. The teaser also featured interesting music, combining new age music with original Star Wars theme, giving this movie an unique feeling compared to the other movies in the franchise. With the movie expected to hit theaters on the 41st anniversary of the release of A New Hope, this is seen by some as long overdue.

The road to Solo thus far has been rocky, to say the least. With previous directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller leaving the project after two years to new director Ron Howard reshooting much of the film, fans are skeptical of the final result. However, head of LucasFilm Kathleen Kennedy is seems confident in the film. "We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie," Kennedy said.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is expected to hit theaters on May 25 and will star Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Emilia Clark, Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Bettany, and Thandie Newton.

Judge Me by My Size, Do You?

Since its debut in 1977, Star Wars has inspired children and adults everywhere. As much as the Star Wars films captured the imaginations of children everywhere, they pale in comparison to the hundred of hours children put into playing and imagining with Star Wars toys. For me there was nothing more satisfying as a child than igniting my lightsaber and pretending to be a Jedi Knight. Over forty years after the debut of the original film, and the subsequent line of toys, they are still are hit with children and adults alike.

 

Eric Brubaker and his son, Edward, play with lightsabers together.

Originally licensed by Kenner Products, the first Star Wars action figures debut in 1977 with 12 figures from what is now known as Star Wars: A New Hope. Thomas Allen Jr. has been a fan of the franchise since the very beginning. “My first memories of the toys actually begin with my parents buying me Star Wars action figures from probably 1979-1984. I remember playing with toys from all three of the original movies, from Luke and C-3P0 to Boba Fett and Darth Vader,” Allen said.

Kenner continued to produce toys for the Star Wars franchise until 1985. Production was ceased when interest for the films began to slow down following the release of the final film, Return of the Jedi. Inspired by a renewed interest in the mid 1990’s, fueled by the release of the trilogy on VHS and in anticipation for the 1997 special edition releases, Hasbro began releasing Star Wars merchandise, after acquiring Kenner in 1991. 

“Around that time in the mid 90’s is when I got my first Star Wars toys," Star Wars fan Eric Brubaker said, “when episodes two and three came out, I was able to start collecting on my own. Eventually I passed those down to my son to see if he would even be interested in Star Wars. Toys help seal the deal.” Brubaker’s nine year old son, Edward, has turned into quite the Star Wars fan these days, and his toys are a big part of the fascination, going as far as building his own Tatooine playset. 

With thirty different toy lines to date, the most recent being based on The Last Jedi, the Star Wars toy business has exhibited no sign of slowing down. And undoubtedly Star Wars will be around for a long time, inspiring many generations of fans young and old to come.

A special thank you to the sole author of this article, Gregory Nyikos, our newest member of the blogging team! 

Ian McDiarmid to Reprise His Role as Palpatine

Good, goooood, our favorite Emperor has returned to the franchise. Everything is proceeding as he has foreseen.

Fans of the television series, Star Wars: Rebels will be delighted to discover that Palpatine actor, Ian McDiarmid is reprising his role as the evil Emperor in the second half of the final season. Palpatine previously appeared in season two of the show, but was instead voiced by Sam Witwer, who is also known for voicing another villain, Darth Maul.

The mid-season trailer brought many more dramatic moments, not the least of which was the Emperor's appearance. His return represents a dramatic threat to the Ghost crew, one they have never seen before. "He’s a sophisticated villain,” executive producer Dave Filoni said, "I wanted something more insidious than perhaps lightsaber play," Filoni explained. "The Emperor can appear so many different ways. He can seem frail at times or powerful at times. He’s the ultimate deceiver, and he plays on your own wants and greeds."

While nothing has been confirmed as far as seeing McDiarmid in another live action film, he, like Ewan McGregor, has stated that he would be happy to return to the franchise. "I suppose there must be a chance but I think you'd find out about it more quickly than I would. But there is what they call the anthology series and, actually, the most recent one, Rogue One, was about the time when I was in charge. I was referred to a few times, Darth Vader popped up, but you did not see me. Maybe they are keeping me as a surprise for later but I have no idea. Of course, I don't want anyone else to play him."

Star Wars: Rebels continues February 19, 9PM EST on Disney XD.

Ewan McGregor Possibly Preparing for Kenobi Movie

Help us, Ewan McGregor, you're our only Kenobi. This is the opinion of many Star Wars fans, especially with the news of the Obi-Wan Kenobi stand-alone movie.

Kenobi actor, Ewan McGregor, first portrayed the iconic Jedi Master in 1999, when The Phantom Menace released in theaters. Now, a new image of McGregor has gone viral, and his appearance is raising some eyebrows. 

The photo, shared on Facebook by Tony Horton, features McGregor in gym gear, sporting what many consider to be the iconic Kenobi beard and participating in P90X training. "Kenpo X finished off the first week of the Scotty Fifer Fitness Fandango. Not too late for you to join us for some classic P90X with Fifer and friends. Bring It," the caption on the picture said.

Ever since the return to the franchise and the announcement of different spin-off stories, fans have been asking for McGregor to reprise his role, and to perhaps even have his own movie. However, even with the announcement of talks with Stephen Daldry to direct, nothing else has been confirmed. McGregor has previously stated that he would "love" to return to the franchise. "Listen, I have been asked about it a lot, to the point where it looks a bit like I'm sort of touting for work. I've been very open to say I'd be happy to do it, if they want to do it" McGregor said.

The film is rumored to begin production in 2019, with its release in 2020. It is currently under the production name of Joshua Tree. Read our previous article on the announcement here.

What do you think is happening? Will Lucasfilm and Disney ask McGregor to don his Jedi robes once again? Let us know in the comments, and share your opinions with us.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoiler Review

"Beware of the spoilers, you must." If you do not want to read any spoilers, do not read ahead. Instead, our spoiler-free review can be read here. You have been warned. Get ready because this is a long one. EDIT: This review reflects the opinion of one admin, Echo. Other admins may disagree or agree.

There has never before been a movie that has made my jaw literally drop. Until now. I went Star Wars: The Last Jedi with high expectations and was not disappointed. From the truth of Rey's heritage to Snoke's shocking death, this movie had me laughing, near tears, and in perpetual suspense.

Something that likely came as a shock to many fans is the identity of Rey's parents. Confirmed by both Kylo Ren and Rey herself, she is not a Kenobi or Skywalker, like some fans theorized. Rather, her parents were junkers and drunks, who dropped her off for drinking money. While we didn't learn her last name, I was relieved she was her own character. It felt right and was a nice way to begin the separation from the Skywalker family saga. Although I will admit, I am disappointed the last of Anakin's family legacy is Kylo Ren.

Another shock for fans was Snoke. The shadowy leader of the First Order ended up being his own character, rather then being perhaps Mace Windu or Darth Plagueis. What surprised me more, however, was his personality. What fans saw in The Force Awakens was a mysterious villain with little more than a name and a scarred face. In The Last Jedi, however, we see a powerful, arrogant being with immense Dark Side powers. With little more than a flick of his wrist, he was seen tossing around both Rey and Kylo Ren, and even used Force Lightning for the first time in the sequels. So, when he was rather easily killed by Kylo Ren cutting him in half with Anakin's lightsaber, my jaw dropped. The shock factor of the scene, including what seemed to be Kylo Ren's return to the light and the fighting with Snoke's Praetorian Guards, left me on the edge of my seat.

Following Snoke's death, I assumed the Kylo Ren had indeed returned to the Light Side of the Force, and I could not have been more wrong. There were moments in the film that echoed the originals (especially the elevator scene with Kylo Ren and Rey which included a few lines taken directly from Return of the Jedi). I incorrectly thought that Ren would follow in Darth Vader's footsteps, but instead of restoring peace, he took control of the First Order with Rey refusing to join him.
Throughout the movie, Ren and Rey had spoken at length and the movie sold me on his redemption. Yet, this turn of events pleasantly surprised me by taking a different route than the originals.

The Last Jedi introduces a plethora of brand new Force abilities we have yet to see in the franchise. Snoke, in an attempt to destroy Rey and Luke Skywalker, formed a mental bridge between Ren and Rey, allowing them to see each other while in different parts of the galaxy and speak. Kylo Ren was even seen by Luke while they spoke, insinuating that only Force users could see what was happening between the pair. The ability to project your image on a different planet was a new thing for me, though when Luke did so to stall Kylo Ren on Crait, it took too much energy and Luke Skywalker became one with the Force. This may have been touched on in Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars but now fans know for certain: Force users can survive for a short period of time in space. Carie Fisher's Leia Organa demonstrated this after a missle launched at the bridge killed Resistance leaders by sucking them into space. And Force Ghosts. Master Yoda was a beautiful addition to the movie, and he showed just how powerful he still was by summoning a strike of lighting to destroy the last of the Jedi writings. Director Rian Johnson was certainly inventive, and he showed he had the creativity to direct a new trilogy.

For those who supported a romance between Finn and Rey: sorry. The two are still just friends. A sweet, if awkward friendship began to form between John Boyega's Finn and Katie Marie Tran's Rose Tico that ended in a one sided kiss from Rose after stopping Finn from sacrificing himself to save the Resistance. Again, it was very awkward at times but it felt real between them and rarely, if ever seemed forced. Romance, however, was not at the forefront of the film, which was a huge relief. If anything, it was as Carrie Fisher stated, "It's about family and that's what makes it so powerful."

While there is so much more I can discuss, I believe I made my point clear. The movie was shocking, inventive, powerful, and though awkward at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Johnson's Star Wars film was certainly deserving of the title and it left room open for a brand new movie or even a trilogy, perhaps with the Force sensitive child we saw on Canto Bight. As I stated in my spoiler-free review, I would give this movie a nine out of ten stars.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoiler-Free Review

It's big. It's shocking. It's inventive. It's Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

For those who have not yet seen the movie, firstly, go out and see it. Those who still haven't, do not worry about reading any spoilers here. We will be posting another review that will involve "spoilers" as well for fans who wish to read that review as well. EDIT: This review reflects the opinion of one admin, Echo. Other admins may disagree or agree.

It has been two years since The Force Awakens first aired in theaters and ever since then, fans have been asking questions and answering them with a large amount of out-of-this-galaxy theories. While not all of my questions have been answered, I will say this; I walked away very satisfied.

Perhaps one of the best things about this movie is director Rian Johnson's daring story line. Although there were times where the plot was slow or seemed forced (pun certainly not intended), it kept me guessing into the very beautiful end. There were multiple twists and turns where my jaw literally dropped, my eyes started to water, or I started laughing. The plot was definitely dark at times, but it was so much more. There was humor, anticipation, hope, and sadness, especially during Carrie Fisher's scenes. Be sure to go with an open mind, however. As Luke Skywalker said in the trailer, "This is not going to go the way you think."

Ever since A New Hope premiered in 1977, Star Wars has always had stunning visual effects (yes, I do count The Phantom Menace). The Last Jedi is no different. From the shocking red earth on the salt planet of Crait to the gorgeous crystal fox, it seemed as if I could reach through the big screen and touch the movie. For fans of the television shows Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, there are visual nods if you can catch them. And the lightsabers were beautifully done. 

Overall, I would rate the film nine out of ten stars, only because the story seemed too slow at first and it was forced at times and we did not see enough of Nien Nunb. However, the characterizations were incredibly well done, visual effects were stunning, there were nods to not only the originals, but the prequels and the television series, and it left me in awe. Never before has a movie made my jaw drop, and The Last Jedi made mine drop at least six times. This was most definitely a movie worthy of the title Star Wars.