Several “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Promotional Art Pieces Released, Better Look at New Characters

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With today being the first official day for “Star Wars Celebration,” some promotional art showcasing “Kylo Ren”, “Captain Phasma” and “Incinerator Troopers” has made it’s way online.

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These promotional art images look pretty legit. Keep in mind though that one site is saying they have 100% confirmation that these are authentic and the other site is issuing a warning that there is a possibility that some of this could be really good fan art productions.

SOURCE: Making Star Wars; Indie Revolver

New Teaser Trailer For “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

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Today at Star Wars Celebration, J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy revealed the second teaser trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Lucasfilm has officially released the newest trailer on their “Star Wars” YouTube channel:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs]

 

Some images I was able to capture from the trailer:

New Lucasfilm logo:

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A downed Imperial Star Destroyer and X-Wing:

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Darth Vader’s cremated helmet:

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R2D2 and Rey?

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Luke’s missing light saber?

4A fleet of X-Wings:  6

X-Wing pilot, Poe Dameron:

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Rey, Finn and BB-8:

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Kylo Ren:

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New Stormtroopers:

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Rey (or Kira):

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New TIE Fighters:

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Stormtroopers being attacked:

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Finn, an ex Stormtrooper:

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New Star Destroyer:

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Captain Phasma/Chrome Trooper?

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The Millennium Falcon being chased by a TIE Fighter:

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Into a downed Star Destroyer!!!!

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Redesigned TIE Fighter pilot looks so cool!

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Chewie and Han are back!

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“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the first chapter of a new trilogy that takes place 30 years after Return Of The Jedi. The movie is being directed by J. J. Abrams and will reunite the original cast as well as new cast members to continue the Star Wars saga.  Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled to be released domestically on December 18th, 2015.

SPOILERS: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Trailer Description

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The next trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will make its premier on April 16th to attendees at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, CA.

When will we see it? Disney hasn’t said anything other than it will be attached to “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” but I have a feeling that we may see the trailer shortly after it premiers at Star Wars Celebration. “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” open in the US on May 1st but will open in Europe on April 22nd.  Expect to see something appear online during the fourth week of April or possibly during the weekend of Celebration.

Last year, MakingStarWars.com posted the description of “The Force Awakens” teaser before it debuted and they were spot on. Now Making Star Wars has information as to what we will see in the newest trailer for “The Force Awakens.”

  • The teaser runs at about one minute and fifty seconds, just under two minutes.
  • Han, Leia, Artoo and Threepio.
  • We do see Yavin in the teaser.
  • We see a shot of Finn with a blue lightsaber.
  • There is a shot of Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), the chrome Stormtrooper, very briefly.
  • We do see Kylo Ren’s helmeted face.
  • We see Poe Dameron shoot down a TIE fighter.
  • A shot of Finn and Poe walking past one another at the base.
  • Rey is in a few shots.
  • There is a shot of Poe Dameron, Artoo-Detoo, See-Threepio, and a CGI character (Rose).
  • BB-8 socketed in the back of an X-wing.
  • Kylo Ren’s Imperial shuttle flies by with TIE escorts to the Star Destroyer (it is the one MakingStarWars.net wrote about).
  • Star Destroyer(s).
  • The Falcon.
  •  X-wing fighters flying in a V-shape formation.
  • Darth Vader’s helmet sitting on a podium.
  • No Serkis.
  • No Luke.

Source: Making Star Wars

Why You Need To See “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” At An IMAX Theater; First Description Of IMAX Scene

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The release of a new “Star Wars” film has always been more than just a movie release, it has been more of an “event” where you will see long lines of fans camping out in front of theaters for days. Without a doubt, “Star Wars” has always been one of those movies that you have to experience on the big screen. The next chapter in the “Star Wars” saga will be no different. On second thought, this time there will be a “big” difference.

On December 18th, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will be released in theaters and the best possible way to experience it is at an IMAX theater. Last year Disney announced that certain segments of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” would be filmed using IMAX camera’s. They also released the following images showing exactly what we could expect from seeing the movie in an IMAX theater as apposed to your standard movie theater, which will display all scenes in the widescreen format.

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The clear advantage that the IMAX version has is that even though it may lose a small portion of the image horizontally, it more than makes up for it by what the image gains vertically. Keep in mind that not all of the movie was filmed using IMAX cameras, so there will be times you will experience shifting aspect ratios. Plus Disney has still not revealed exactly how may minutes will take advantage of IMAX footage.

This week MakingStarWars.com received their first description of one of the scenes that was filmed using IMAX cameras. Be warned, some “minor” SPOILERS ahead:

Later on in the film after Rey and Finn take their flight in the Falcon is where we get the IMAX sequences. The Falcon is chased by TIE Fighters and we apparently move by some familiar landmarks in the film’s one-sun desert setting. This is the big chase and action sequence which dominates the film’s first act. TIEs are in hot pursuit of the Falcon as it rockets away from the salvage station. Rey and BB-8 pilot the ship. Finn gets on the Falcon’s turret. There’s a lot of banter between the two and to an extent they don’t seem to really know what they’re doing. But most of all, Finn is rather inept. As TIEs shoot at the Falcon, Rey has to ask Finn if he plans on “answering back.” Its a situation he can’t talk himself out of and he has figure out how to use the turret and actually hit one. To save their skins, Rey pilots them into the insides of the giant crashed Star Destroyer she was scavenging from during her introduction sequence. The Falcon and the TIEs “slalom” around debris and the insides of the downed ship, eventually losing their persuers.

Presumably they give us a moment to catch our breath, the IMAX sequence ends and then the Falcon end up being swallowed by another huge ship in space. Monomyth fans are going to have a fun time with those “belly of the whale” analogies. It appears the IMAX sequence is going to seriously rock as its the flight of the Falcon being chased by TIE Fighters into Star Destroyer wreckage.

I think that scene says it all. IMAX, here I come!

3/19/15 Marvel News Mash-Up (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Spider-Man in Avengers?, New Toys, ETC.)

First Look At Marvel Comics’ “Star Wars: Shattered Empire”

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One of the 20 titles that is part of “Journey To Star Wars: The Force Awakens” book line is the upcoming Marvel comic book, “Star Wars: Shattered Empire.” The above illustration looks to take place right around the end of “Return Of The Jedi” and will continue the adventures of Luke, Leia and Han. Other than this cover, we have no real information in regards to plot or release date. The cover looks great though.

Newest “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” Character Posters Revealed

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In the March 6th Mash-Up, I posted character posters for Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Nick Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye. This last round of character posters includes Ultron, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. We still might get Vision…

Quicksilver-Avengers-Character-posterScarlet-Witch-Avengers-Character-Poster

“Avengers: Age Of Ultron” opens May 1st, 2015.

Danny Elfman Explains Why He Scored Additional Music For “Avengers: Age Of Ultron”

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A few weeks ago I reported that Danny Elfman had scored additional music for “Avengers: Age Of Ultron.” My best guess originally was that Elfman was contributing his “Spider-Man” theme from the Sam Rami “Spider-Man” movies.

Elfman was recently asked about his involvement with “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” and this is what he had to say:

I was doing the same thing actually just last week because I’ve contributed music to the new Avengers movie. I took part of Alan Silvestri’s theme on the original [movie], which I really liked, and I pulled it into a new theme, which became kind of a hybrid. I really enjoyed that.

Sorry, but I’m not buying it. Brian Tyler is the writer and composer of Avengers: Age Of Ultron’s score. Why would Elfman create a new theme and use part of Alan Silvestri’s them from the first “Avengers” movie? Doesn’t make sense at all. I think he is just covering up his real involvement which will be putting together a very small score for “Spider-Man” in the after credits scene for “Ultron.”

If I’m wrong, I’m wrong and it wont be the first time, and most likely not the last. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Source: ComicBookMovie.com

Marvel At Toy Fair 2015

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Last month the Toy Fair 2015 was held at the Jacobs Javits Center in New York City. As always, Marvel had a huge presence at the Toy Fair displaying all of the toys, statues and action figures that we can look forward to seeing this year. Many toy manufacturers such as Hasbro, Funco and Lego showed off their Marvel line of toys.

Here is a video showing some of the highlights from Marvel’s presence at the Toy Fair 2015:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1MHDNxQNGI]

Source: Marvel.com

Sideshow Collectible Corner

“Black Widow”

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I’m pretty sure that this closeup of the newest Back Widow premium figure from Hot Toys would fool most people into thinking that this was actually Scarlet Johansson herself.

Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles are excited to present the deadly female of the mighty Avengers, the 1/6th scale Black Widow Collectible Figure from Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron!

The movie-accurate collectible is specially crafted based on the image of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in the film and features a newly painted head sculpt with short curly brownish-red real fabric hair, newly tailored costume with leather-like trims and blue highlights, detailed weapons and accessories.

The Black Widow Collectible Figure is currently available for preorder exclusively at ShideshowCollectibles.com. The price is $219.99 and it will be shipping in the last quarter of 2015.

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Source: SideshowCollectibles.com

That’s it for this week!

2015 Movie Slate for Walt Disney Pictures

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Walt Disney Studios has provided us with a list of their upcoming theatrical releases for 2015 as well as their release dates. Lets take a look at what awaits movie theater goers for 2015.

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“Strange Magic,” a new animated film from Lucasfilm Ltd., is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Popular songs from the past six decades help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, faeries and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion. Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Industrial Light & Magic bring to life the fanciful forest turned upside down with world-class animation and visual effects.

Release date: January 23, 2015

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Based on the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows novice runners from McFarland, an economicaaly challenged town in California, as they give their all to build a cross country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominately Latino high school, with whom they ultimately bond to buil not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

Release date: February 20, 2015

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A live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, “Cinderella” brings to life the timeless images from Disney’s 1950 animated masterpiece as fully-realized characters in a visually-dazzling spectacle for a whole new generation.

Release date: March 13, 2015

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Life is an adventure for Maya, the clever and resourceful blonde-bobbed monkey in “Monkey Kingdom,” Disneynature’s new feature film set among ancient ruins in the storied jungles of South Asia. Maya’s world is forever changed when she welcomes her son, Kip, into her complicated extended family. Like all families, Maya’s has more than it’s share of colorful personalities and she’s determined to give her son a leg up in the world. When their longtime home at Castle Rock is taken over by powerful neighboring monkeys, Maya’s whole family is forced to relocate, and she uses her street smarts and ingenuity to lead them to untapped resources amidst strange new creatures and unsettling surroundings. Ultimately, they will all have to work together to reclaim Castle Rock, where Maya can hopefully realize her dreams for her son’s future.

Release date: April 17, 2015

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When Tony Stark jumpstarts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as they battle to save the planet from destruction at the hands of the villainous Ultron.

Release Date: May 1, 2015

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In Disney’s riveting mystery adventure “Tomorrowland,” a jaded scientist and an optimistic teen embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and place.

Release date: May 22, 2015

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Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate to a new city, house and school.

Release Date: June 19, 2015

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The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats.

Release date: July 17, 2015

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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 photo realistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world.

Release date: October 9, 2015

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Tom Hanks stars in Steven Spielberg’s Untitled Cold War spy thriller, which is the true story of James Donovan, an attorney who finds himself thrust into the center of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on the near-impossible mission to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot.

Release date: October 16, 2015

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“The Good Dinosaur” asks the generations-old question: What if the cataclysmic asteroid that forever changed life on Earth actually missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In theaters May 30, 2014, the film is a humorous and exciting original story about Arlo, a lively 70-foot-tall teenage Apatosaurus with a big heart. After a traumatic event rattles Arlo’s tranquil community, he sets out on a quest to restore peace, gaining an unlikely companion along the way—a young human boy named Spot.

Release date: November 25, 2015

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Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as “Star Wars” returns to the big screen with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Release date. December 18, 2015

Major Character From Original Star Wars Trilogy May Be In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

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Massive spoilers ahead so do not read unless you want to be spoiled.

RebelScum.com provided a list of the upcoming Hasbro toy line for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. There is noting really exciting in the list, since it is just names, but one name that sticks out more than others is “Darth Vader”.

(This is only a section of the toy list. The rest can be found at RebelScum.com)

Star Wars 7 Signature Lightsaber
Star Wars 7 Deluxe Villain Lightsaber
Star Wars 7 Electronic Lightsaber Assortment
Star Wars 7 Extendable Lightsaber Assortment
Star Wars 7 Villain Extendable Lightsaber
Star Wars 7 Foam Lightsaber Assortment
Star Wars 7 Force FX Lightsaber
Star Wars 7 Force FX Lightsaber Assortment
Star Wars 7 The Black Series Villain Helmet
Star Wars 7 Mask Assortment
Star Wars 7 Chewbacca Electronic Mask
Star Wars 7 Lead Villain Electronic Mask
Star Wars 7 Darth Vader Voice Change Mask

It’s also interesting to note that Hasbro recently announced that they would not be revealing their “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” toy line at this year’s New York City Toy Fair.

The following is a press release from Hasbro:

As usual, Hasbro will be exhibiting a variety of fun and exciting Star Wars products from across its portfolio of brands, including Star Wars action figures, Star Wars Galactic Heroes and more. There will be no toys based on Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Star Wars Episode VII) shown at Toy Fair this year.

Obviously, we know that there’s a huge amount of anticipation for Star Wars toys this year, and we wanted to be forthcoming about this as we know it might make a difference for some of you in regards to travel plans. While we’re happy to host all of you at Entertainment Brand Preview Day and look forward to having you check out the latest and greatest toys from Star Wars and Hasbro’s other exciting brands, we want you to have as much information as possible to be able to plan your travel and coverage.

More than likely the reason that this particular toy line is being held back from Hasbro is because it will contain spoilers for the movie. To see Darth Vader packaged in their “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” toy line would reveal a huge spoiler.

Does this mean that Darth Vader will be in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”? I do think it is a safe bet that at the very least we will see Darth Vader’s helmet in the movie or maybe even in some kind of flashback. We also have seen some evidence through concept art (see below) that his presence will somehow be in the film.

Guess we will have to wait until December 18th before we all know for sure.

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‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Second Trailer Coming; Trailer Will Showcase ‘Original Trilogy’ Characters

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The second teaser trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ will appear before the movie, ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron,’ when it opens in theaters on May 1st. This isn’t to much of a surprise since ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ is expected to have the biggest opening of 2015 and it makes sense to show the trailer before what is expected to be the second biggest opening, ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron.’ It is rumored that we will get our first at look at Han, Leia, Luke and possibly Chewbacca, C3PO and R2D2 .

It is possible that we will see the second teaser even earlier than May 1st. ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’ will open a week earlier in Australia and New Zealand. Also keep in mind that ‘Star Wars Celebration,’ which is the official Star Wars Convention, will take place on April 16-19 in Anaheim, California and there is a very strong probability that fans attending may see the teaser there.

Update: I just got some new information regarding the next trailer. /Film is saying that although they agree that the new trailer will debut before the film ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron,’ they do not believe that the characters from the ‘Original Trilogy’ will be shown in the next trailer because Lucasfilm wants to keep their specific roles as secret as possible. This makes more sense to me and I will tell you why in the spoilers below.

SPOILERS: Your first clue is in the actual title, ‘The Force Awakens.’ Luke has been missing for 30 years. If Luke was around during all of that time, they would not have called the movie ‘The Force Awakens.’ As the last known living Jedi, Luke would not have just given up being a Jedi and stopped practicing the Force. MAJOR SPOILERS: Most insiders are saying that the movie opens up where Luke’s severed hand and his light saber are floating in space and the light saber lands on a desert planet (might be Tatooine, might not). This is what brings the main characters, John Boyega (Finn) and Daisy Ridley (Rey), together. They find the light saber and eventually find Han Solo, who confirms it is Luke’s light saber. Han, Rey and Finn then take off on the Millennium Falcon to search for Luke.

Original Source: Latino Review

Disney Didn’t Use Any Of George Lucas’ Ideas For ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

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George Lucas has been making the rounds promoting his upcoming animated movie, ‘Strange Magic’ and he let it known that although he did present his ideas for ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ to Disney, they decided to pass on them.

The ones that I sold to Disney, they came up to the decision that they didn’t really want to do those. So they made up their own. So it’s not the ones that I originally wrote [on screen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens]

After hearing what he said, it reminded me of a few months ago, after the first trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ was released, Lucas was asked what he thought of the trailer. His response was:

“I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t seen it yet because it’s not in the movie theater. I like going to the movies and watching the whole thing there. I plan to see it when it’s released.”

I had the feeling that Lucas was not happy with the direction that Disney and JJ Abrams were going and that maybe they haven’t been using his as a consultant. That Disney passed on all of his ideas makes me think that what I thought is true.

Lucas recently revealed that he did see the new trailer and this was his response:

“I saw the trailer. I saw it in a theater because I don’t watch movies online.” When asked if he liked it, he smiled. “Yeah, it was intriguing.”

To me this is not a positive response and that was his best way to not really say anything positive or negative.

Editorial: The problem that I have with George Lucas now is that he really has lost his way and he has been surrounded by yes men for so many years that he thinks he can do no wrong. I am very grateful for George Lucas in that he created the stories and characters for ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ but ever since the ‘Star Wars Prequels’, I have come to the conclusion that he is not a very good director or story teller.

I was ecstatic when it was announced that Disney was purchasing Lucasfilm and they had announced that there would be an ‘Episode VII.’ Some fans were upset fearing that Disney would make an awful kid friendly movie but seriously, could any movie be worse than any of ‘The Prequels?’ ‘The Prequels’ were horribly written, horribly directed, horribly acted and relied to much on green screen and CGI rather than real locations and practical effects. And lets face it, the blame squarely goes on George Lucas who wrote and directed them. I have seen Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Samuel L Jackson and Christopher Lee in movies where their acting was really well done. If all of your normally good actors are horrible in a movie, it’s because of direction. According to many that have acted with Lucas, he doesn’t like second takes, doesn’t really give direction and the most popular words of direction that he gives his actors are, “Faster and more intense.”

After Lucas finished ‘The Prequels’, he was asked out of the 6 ‘Star Wars’ movies, which was his least favorite? Lucas shocked ‘Star Wars’ fans and said, ‘The Empire Strikes Back!’ That is when I knew Lucas had lost his mind but also read into some jealousy there too. To me, and most Star Wars fans, ‘Empire’ is by far the best of the ‘Star Wars’ movies. Lucas’ complaint was that there was “to much drama.” What Lucas calls drama, most movie lovers would refer to that as “character development.’ ‘Empire’ was the movie that Lucas had the least control over. Irving Kershner directed ‘Empire’ and it had a different tone and feel from any of the other Star Wars movies. Back when I was a kid, this was the first sequel that I had ever seen that was drastically different from the first movie and that made it special.

‘Return Of The Jedi’ was directed by Richard Marquand, but I have read that Lucas had much more control and essentially directed the movie himself. The first thing that I thought of when I first saw ‘Jedi’ was ‘Do they really have to destroy another Death Star?’ Even a a kid, I thought that was weak writing. Why not have an all out war against the Rebel Alliance and The Empire.? And the Death Star was basically destroyed the same way, poor design. It did have a powerful ending, that was eventually ruined due to Lucas’ constant altering of the film (see below).

Yes, I do agree that this is his world and he has a right to create whatever story he wants with it but I am very much against it when anything from ‘The Prequels’ leak into ‘The Original Trilogy.’ Even though I did not like ‘The Prequels,’ I understood that millions did. So the way I looked at it was that ‘The Prequels’ just didn’t exist to me, just like ‘The Godfather Part III’. Now with Lucas’ obsession to have every aspect from ‘The Prequels’ tie to ‘The Original Trilogy,’ he has ruined parts of ‘The Original Trilogy’ for me and for a lot of Star Wars fans. ‘The Star Wars Special Editions’ had improved some parts of  ‘The Original Trilogy’ but ultimately did more harm than good. The worst additions that he made were to ‘Return Of The Jedi’ where he added Hayden Christensen, the young version of Anakin Skywalker, to the end of Return Of The Jedi, replacing Sebastian Shaw, who portrayed the older version of Anakin Skywalker.

Original Anakin:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S2auEHR4rg]

Anakin-‘lite’:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1-4U6GXPnc]

I used to watch the original scene over and over and each time I saw that scene I really got the chills knowing that Anakin was redeemed and was now a part of the living spirit of the Light Side Of The Force. Now I see that scene with Hayden Christensen as the young Anakin Skywalker and each time I see it I think Luke must be thinking, “Who is that guy, who is younger than me, hanging out with Ben and Yoda?” First off, Hayden Christensen was God awful in ‘The Star Wars Prequels.’ Make that, his character was God awful. Before ‘The Prequels,’ I never imagined that the person inside the Darth Vader costume was an annoying, conceited, perverted, jealous, whiny, arrogant jerk. The original Darth Vader worked because fans loved to hate him. “The Prequel” Darth Vader doesn’t work because he is just a jerk. Then to make matters worse, Lucas decided to add probably the worst scene from ‘Revenge Of The Sith’ to ‘Return Of The Jedi.’ The dreaded “Nooooooooo!” yell from Darth Vader.

‘Return Of The Jedi: Special Edition’ “Nooooo!”:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGxnOnaQyGo]

‘Revenge Of The Sith’ “Nooooo!’ (Is he saying No or calling cattle?):

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaLxFIVX1s]

The other change in the ‘Return Of The Jedi Special Edition’ that is not as offensive as the other two is seeing Jar Jar Binks on Naboo at the end jumping up and down screaming “Weesa Free!” I really think that is George’s way of saying to all of the Jar Jar haters that, ‘Yep, you forced me to minimize his part in the sequels, but this guy is still alive and there is nothing you can do about it.’ And when Lucas is asked if we can have ‘The Original Trilogy’ on Blu-ray he basically says, “but these are far superior, besides I used the original negatives from ‘The Original Trilogy’ to create ‘The Special Editions’ so basically those negatives have been altered or destroyed and they no longer exist.” What he is saying is, “it’s either my way or the highway.” Why would you destroy the original negatives unless you wanted everyone to be forced to enjoy your new version? I still find ‘The Special Editions’ of ‘A New Hope’ and ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ as watchable and enjoyable. I can’t say the same about ‘Return Of The Jedi’ because they are tainted with ‘The Prequels’ horrible storyline and characters.

I have no doubt that Lucas presented Disney with his version of a storyline for ‘Episode VII’ and it was rejected by them. Let’s not forget that the last thing Lucas wrote was ‘Indian Jones And The Chrystal Skull’ and that was another mess. He can’t write anymore but I think the basic problem is back when he was making ‘The Original Trilogy,’ he had people that would actually step up and say, “That doesn’t sound right. George.” Lucas used to listen to people. Now those people are afraid to stand up to Lucas out of fear of losing their jobs. Or he just doesn’t listen to them.

Mark Hamill recently said during an interview:

“The most interesting aspect from my point of view is that [Star Wars] is now in the hands of the generation who were fans,” Hamill said. “…It’s the next generation of filmmakers who were sort of weened on these pictures.”

And I couldn’t be happier now.

RUMOR: “Star Tours: The Adventures Continue” To Add Planets & Characters from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

The site Star Wars Underworld is claiming that an inside source has informed them that the first Star Wars additions coming to Disney theme parks post-purchase will be additions to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland  based on characters and locations from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

Star-Tours-Poster-Crop

Star  Tours: The Adventures Continue was designed by Disney Imagineers and members of Lucasfilm to easily insert new destinations and characters at any time. With the current iteration of the attraction, any new film sequences could be created and programmed separately and then exported to the ride. meaning any addition would result in little-to-no downtime for the attraction. We have speculated about these additions several times on our podcast, but this is this first outside report.

Recently, we reported that Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that there will be a much larger presence of Star Wars themed attractions based on the new sequels and spin-offs. Adding new destinations based on “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to Star Tours would seem to go along with his plans.

Stay tuned as more information becomes available