Rumor: Hayden Christensen *May* Be In “Star Wars: Episode VIII” np

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I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. – Obi Wan Kenobi – “Star Wars: A New Hope”

The good news is that right now the following is just a rumor. The bad news is that it even is a rumor.

According to MakingStarWars.com:

“A team in the U.K. are soon heading to the U.S. to begin training Hayden Christensen for a Star Wars: Episode VIII appearance of some sort.”

How possible is this? There is some degree of it being true if you have heard the recent rumors/spoilers and in a way it would make sense to bring back the “Force Ghost Of Anakin Skywalker” or even possibly “Darth Vader” for a few scenes in “Star Wars: Episode VIII”……”if” these rumors are true.

I am going to discuss the recent rumor/possible spoiler that has been going around in the SPOILER section below.

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Back in 2012, Disney purchased the “Star Wars” franchise from George Lucas for $4 billion dollars and without a doubt the cover boy for the Star Wars franchise is Darth Vader. Disney always had plans for Vader, either it be through spin off movies taking place after “Revenge Of The Sith”, possible flashback scenes in the New Trilogy, “Star Wars Rebels”, novels, comic books, video games and of course merchandise. Just because Vader died in “Jedi” doesn’t mean he will never be used again.

On to the recent rumors/spoilers! WARNING: Spoilers ahead! The following “could” contain some major spoilers for the “New Star Wars Trilogy”.

SPOILERS:

I got a bad feeling about this. – Han Solo – “Star Wars: A New Hope”

Darth Vader is one of “movies” greatest villains of all times. He is an icon. My personal feeling is that in Hayden Christensen we got a watered down version of Darth Vader in The Prequels that came nowhere close to the great performances by David Prowse and James Earl Jones in The Original Trilogy. Having Hayden Christensen coming back in any form, either Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader, just doesn’t sound right to me. Let’s get to the rumors.

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The newest rumor is that Kylo Ren, the new villain in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, is obsessed with Darth Vader and is collecting anything that he can that once belonged to Vader. Why is he doing this? He could be doing it because he is not a Sith and is hoping that any of Vader’s relics will lead him to The Dark Side but it possibly could be that he is looking to clone Darth Vader or maybe even resurrect Vader from the dead.

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So far we have seen one amazing trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and one prominent image that we see early on is someone holding the previously charred helmet last seen at the end of “Return Of The Jedi”. More than likely the helmet is being held by Kylo Ren. Also through previous rumors, concept art and even the most recent Force Friday toys, it seems that the light saber given to Luke by Obi Wan in “A New Hope” plays a major role in the story. This light saber was last seen in “Empire” after Vader cut Luke’s hand off in Bespin and hasn’t been seen since. Keep in mind that particular light saber was Anakin/Darth Vader’s original light saber.

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One thing that we have learned throughout the Star Wars Saga is that anything is possible. A Clone Army can be cloned from the DNA of Boba Fett’s father; Jedi can appear in the form of Force Ghosts after they have died, and some Sith can cheat death. If Disney really does want Darth Vader back, cloning or even resurrection is probably their best option. Is Kylo Ren collecting Vader’s helmet and light saber in order to bring Vader back for good? Kind of reminds me a bit of Holcruxes from “Harry Potter”. With this evidence, it’s definitely not out of question to bring Darth Vader back.

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The other possibility is that maybe Hayden Christensen is coming back as a “Force Ghost” to help the new Jedi in the New Trilogy. He did appear as a Force Ghost in The Special Edition of “Return Of The Jedi”. (Not my favorite Force Ghost of Anakin). Many people (including me) were not crazy about Hayden Christensen’s wooden performance as Anakin Skywalker in The Prequels but I think a lot had to do with the direction, the screenplay and something they both have in common, George Lucas. Maybe with a better story and director, Christensen can redeem himself. I would love to see a flashback scene where we get to see Anakin in the Clone Wars just being completely badass and maybe getting a glimpse of his Dark Side that the Jedi never saw.

Right now these are just rumors and speculation. With all rumors, some are true and some are completely made up. “The Force Awakens” comes out in a few months and maybe we will see some clues as to whether this lean towards the truth, or not.

Source: Making Star Wars

RUMOR: Is The “Star Wars” Unaltered Original Trilogy Finally Being Released? np

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The one thing that the many fans of the “Star Wars” Original Trilogy have been hoping to see is the unaltered versions of the “Star Wars” Original Trilogy released on home video. We have heard rumors in the past that either Fox or Disney would be releasing the unaltered versions for years but nothing has come about those rumors.

This week we received some good news from Empire Magazine concerning the unaltered versions of the Original Trilogy. While being interviewed by Empire magazine, director John Landis (“Animal House”) informed them that Disney will be re-releasing the unaltered versions of the Original Trilogy.

dsaxcdscfscsEven better news is that according to Landis, his Source is George Lucas:

dadedadBack in 1997, George Lucas released the Special Editions of the “Star Wars” Original Trilogy in theaters and ever since then Lucas has been altering the Original Trilogy with each home video release.

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There were definite enhancements made to films but there were also scenes that were altered that many fans were not happy with such as Greedo shooting first, Hayden Christensen replacing Sebastian Shaw as Anakin’s force ghost and the infamous Darth Vader “Nooooooo!”. You can still view the unaltered versions of the Original Trilogy but as the years pass it is getting harder to find them since they are only on VHS tape, Laser Discs and even a DVD version was released that was an inferior nonanomorphic version of the Laser Discs.

That this is coming from a respected director and friend of George Lucas is definitely a good sign. But until we hear word from Disney, Lucasfilm and Fox, it’s not official.

Source: Empire, Furious Fanboys

VIDEO: First Teaser Trailer For Disney’s “The Jungle Book”

Walt Disney Pictures has just released the first teaser trailer for their upcoming live action movie, “The Jungle Book”.

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Directed by Jon Favreau (“Chef,” “Iron Man,” “Elf”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johannsson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela. “The Jungle Book” seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world.

Disney’s The Jungle Book opens on April 15, 2016.

Disney To Release A Sequel To “Mary Poppins”

 

It’s been about 50 years since we last saw Mary Poppins on the big screen, well not counting “Saving Mr. Banks”, and now it looks like the Disney classic, “Mary Poppins” is getting a sequel.

According to Entertainment Weekly:

One of the world’s most cherished characters is about to take flight once more.

EW has learned that Disney is developing a new original live-action musical film featuring the beloved magical nanny, Mary Poppins. The studio is bringing back Into the Woods director Rob Marshall and producers John DeLuca and Marc Platt, who successfully shepherded Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway tuner to the big screen for Disney last year.

The new Poppins film will take place in Depression-era London, some 20 years after Disney’s classic Mary Poppins, and will draw from existing Poppins tales in the rest of author P.L. Travers’ 1934-1988 children’s book series. The practically perfect 1964 screen adaptation starring Julie Andrews pulled its story primarily from the first installment in Travers’ eight-book series; the new project (which is decidedly not being developed as a sequel) will explore Mary’s further adventures with the Banks family and beyond as illustrated by Travers’ seven additional novels.

Disney and Marshall are collaborating with the Travers estate and have already earned support from Poppins’ co-composer Richard Sherman, who penned the original film’s famous songs like “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” with his late brother, Robert.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

“Star Wars: Episode VIII” Begins Filming This Month In Ireland

There were rumors this week that some of the cast and crew of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” were heading to Ireland this month to film reshoots. Lucasfilm came out and let Entertainment Weekly and the world know that although they were heading to Ireland this month it was not for rehoots for “The Force Awakens” but it was to start filming “Star Wars: Episode VIII”.

From Entertainment Weekly:

The initial reports out of Ireland were that J.J. Abrams and company were returning to the island Skellig Michael off the southern coast of Ireland later this month for some additional photography.

Lucasfilm now tells EW that the confusion about what was shooting came from them trying to stay low-key and using the title ‘Star Wars’ without differentiating between the films.

Skellig Michael is a sharp cluster of rocks rising 715 feet out of the sea, wearing a coat of lush vegetation wherever the land is flat enough to take root. It’s also home to many sea birds, some of them threatened, which has led the Irish environmental group An Taisce to object to filming on the island, according to The Irish Times.

The island is home to the ruins of a small monastery that was occupied for between 400 and 600 years until the 12th century, which is most likely why the Star Wars team is interested in shooting there. The island is a UNESCO Heritage Site and tourism is severely restricted to prevent damage to the ruins, which include steep, crumbling stone steps that rise to the monastery at 600 feet above sea level.

How will it be used in the story? Only those national park inspectors and the birds they’re watching will know for sure.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

“Star Wars: Episode VIII” wil be directed by Rian Johnson (“Looper”) and will open on May 26th, 2017.

New “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Promotional Art Revealed np

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With less than 4 months left till “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” being released, we can expect to see more and more new images, promotional art and character profiles revealed. A lot of these images come from the Star Wars: Card Trader, which digitally replicates the original Topps Star Wars trading cards from 1977, along with some new cards from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

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Source: Comic Book Movie; Star Wars: Card Trader; Les Toiles Heroesiques

Fans Awaken For “Force Friday”; First Look At “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Toys np

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Fans Awaken for ‘Force Friday’

More than 3,000 retail locations in the U.S. open at midnight to celebrate new ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ products

Today, merchandise inspired by the highly anticipated new movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens launched at retailers around the globe as ‘Force Friday’ officially got underwayHot off the heels of the 18+ hour global live unboxing event on YouTube where highlights of the new product range were officially unveiled, the celebration continued as more than 3,000 retail locations in the U.S. opened their doors at midnight for fans to be among the first to discover new Star Wars products.

“We’ve been working closely with the filmmakers to bring the characters and storylines from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to life through an exciting array of products, and we’re thrilled to share them with fans around the world,” said Leslie Ferraro, Co-Chair, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media and President, Disney Consumer Products.

Starting in Sydney and ending at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media hosted an epic global live event to unveil key Star Wars: The Force Awakens productsFans who tuned in to theStar Wars YouTube page were able to see the following toys unboxed by top digital stars from the Maker Studios network:

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  • Sydney: Star Wars BladeBuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber toy from Hasbro

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  • Tokyo: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Big Figs(31” and 48”) from JAKKS Pacific

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  • Hong Kong: Hot Wheels® Star Wars character car assortment and Escape from Jakku™ Starship playset from Mattel

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  • Seoul: LEGO Star WarsPoe’s X-Wing Fighter™

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  • Paris: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Kylo Ren Lightsaber, a Disney Store exclusive

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  • Madrid: Star Wars Micro Machines First Order Star Destroyer from Hasbro

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  • Berlin: LEGO Star WarsKylo Ren’s Command Shuttle™

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  • London: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Elite Series die-cast figure assortment, a Disney Store exclusive

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  • Rio de Janeiro:Star Wars Black Series 6” figure assortment from Hasbro

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  • ‘Good Morning America’ (New York): LEGO Star WarsMillennium Falcon™ and Star Wars BB-8 from Sphero

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  • Toronto: Star Wars Remote Controlled Millennium Falcon Quad and X-Wing Starfighter from Air Hogs, Spin Master

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  • Chicago: Star Wars: The Force AwakensRole Play for kids exclusive to Disney Store

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  • Mexico City: Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper Deluxe NERF Blaster from Hasbro

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  • San Francisco: Star Wars Battle Action Millennium Falcon from Hasbro

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  • Los Angeles: Star Wars: The Force AwakensPoe Dameron’s X-Wing Vehicle from Hasbro

Additionally, fans tuning in to watch ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ on ABC were treated to a fun product reveal with Jimmy and his security guard sidekick Guillermo, showcasing Star Wars: The Force Awakens Voice Changing Masks exclusive to Disney Store.

Beyond lightsabers, construction sets, figures and collectibles, fans can find products across a wide variety of categories, including apparel for all members of the family, home décor, lifestyle accessories, books and more. New Star Wars products can be found around the world at mass and specialty retailers, such as Amazon.com, Kohl’s, Target, Toys “R” Us and Walmart, as well as Disney Store and disneystore.com.

Highlights from the merchandise line found in the U.S. include:

–       A large collection of exclusive merchandise from Disney Store including role play items, talking action figures and figure play sets, along with themed apparel, tech accessories, mugs, journals and more

–       J. Crew apparel for men, women and kids featuring the fan-favorite “Chewie, we’re home” scene of Chewbacca and Han Solo from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser trailer

–       A Star Wars collection of Rock & Republic® misses apparel and Mighty Fine juniors apparel offers female fans graphic tees, leggings, sweatshirts, hoodies and dresses available at Kohl’s

–       The ultimate Millennium Falcon children’s bed from Pottery Barn Kids, looking like something seen from a galaxy far, far away

–       A villainous take on home merchandise featuring new characters from the Dark Side, such as First Order Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren available at JCPenney

To preserve the integrity of key movie moments, an additional wave of products will be released closer to the film’s debut, when fans will be able to find additional items featuring the newest characters, including Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, BB-8 and more. On December 18, a Play Set based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens will become available for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition, the latest installment of the best-selling “toys-to-life” video game from Disney Interactive.

PHOTOS: Disney Parks Introduces Exclusive “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Merchandise Line np

 

With Force Friday upon us, Disney Parks has also released many Star Wars: The Force Awakens items that will be exclusive to the resort destinations, so you may want to save up a few more bucks for your next trip if you’re a Star Wars fan

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Open edition pin assortment

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BB-8 spinning top toy

 

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Limited release Kylo Ren MagicBand

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Limited release Stormtrooper Eachez Vinylmation

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Build Your Own Lightsaber now features Kylo Ren pieces

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A latex creature from The Force Awakens is available

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Jakku sand playset is perfect for the beach

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There is a new Droid Factory set featuring characters from the new film

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Stormtrooper head bank

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There is a play-set that allows you to “force push” First Order forces

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Mystery pin set

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Plenty of Disney Store products are also available through the Disney Parks

And we leave you with this awesome bb-8 light-up necklace which you will certainly see all over the parks after nightfall.

First Look At “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Premium Collectible Figures From Hot Toys – “Kylo Ren” And “First Order Stormtroopers” np

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Hot Toys has just revealed the first line of 1/6th scale premium collectible figures for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. The first figures revealed are of Kylo Ren and The First Order Stormtroopers, which will come in two versions, a standard Stormtrooper and a Heavy Gunner Stormtrooper.

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Source: Hot Toys Facebook, Superhero Hype

VIDEO: First Look At Star Wars: The Force Awakens “BB-8” App Enabled Droid Toy From Sphero np

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Every kid is going to want this toy this Holiday, so expect this to fly off the shelves when it finally comes out. This miniature version of BB-8 from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” amazingly duplicates almost everything that the real BB-8 can do in “The Force Awakens”. The toy will retail for $150.00 upon release.

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Meet BB-8™ – the app-enabled Droid™ that’s as authentic as it is advanced. BB-8 has something unlike any other robot – an adaptive personality that changes as you play. Based on your interactions, BB-8 will show a range of expressions and even perk up when you give voice commands. Set it to patrol and watch your Droid explore autonomously, make up your own adventure and guide BB-8 yourself, or create and view holographic recordings.

It’s now possible to explore the galaxy with your own trusty Astromech Droid by your side. BB-8 is more than a toy – it’s your companion. Learn more: sphero.com/starwars

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Source: Sphero