Adam Savage, co-host of the popular "MythBusters" television show, soured on the plot of "Interstellar". But when it comes to the newest films in the Star Wars franchise, he has nothing but high hopes.
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While there is no evidence that he will be playing a younger version of Han Solo, it is rumored that Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul is set to headline the Untitled Gareth Edwards Directed Star Wars Spin-Off. This will be the first franchise movie made after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and is believed to revolve around the space pirate and his co-pilot Chewbacca. Though, there is no confirmation on any of this from Disney or LucasFilm, and is only being considered a rumor for the time being.
Making Star Wars delivered the news, which they claim comes from a source that has already given them legitimate Star Wars: The Force Awakens set photos and other information. As often been rumored, It is believed that the first spinoff will revolve around Han Solo, though its doubtful that Aaron Paul will be playing that specific character. Making Star Wars has learned that the Untitled Gareth Edwards Directed Star Wars Spin-Off will begin shooting just as the 24th Bond movie, Spectre, begins to wind down production at Pinewood Studios outside London in the UK sometime in 2015.
Star Wars: Episode VIII, to be directed by Rian Johnson, will overlap with the Han Solo spinoff. Though, its not clear if Harrison Ford will be reprising the role of Han Solo in both or either movie. Some rumors claim that Han dies at the end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, while other rumors claim he is the main star of the next sequel. Its also believed that if he is not starring in the Han Solo spinoff, his older version of the character may bookend the film.
The Untitled Gareth Edwards Directed Star Wars Spin-Off is going to reportedly shoot under the code name Luminac Industrial Goods, though at this time there doesn't seem to be any specific Star Wars reference in that fake title. It should be noted that Aaron Paul recently portrayed Luke Skywalker in the Jason Reitman Live Read of the Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back script, which had Ellen Page as Han Solo. Its not clear who Aaron Paul will play, or how he might fit into the overall Star Wars universe.
Untitled Gareth Edwards Directed Star Wars Spin-Off comes to theaters December 16th, 2016. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards.
SEE ALSO: Adam Savage From 'MythBusters' Has An Incredible Connection To The Star Wars Franchise
One of the biggest complaints with the "Star Wars" prequels from the late 90s/early 2000s was that George Lucas and his production team overused computer animation.
Instead of whimsical puppets and droids, most of the characters and scenery were designed in a computer.
A lot of the action was shot in front of green screens, which was a big departure from the physical props and sets used in the original trilogy.
Even the iconic Yoda puppet was replaced with a CGI character. Ugh!
But things sound more promising for old-school Star Wars fans in the upcoming sequel "The Force Awakens."
One of the actors in the movie, Oscar Isaac, told Yahoo News that much of what he saw on set was real. There wasn't much green screen. Isaac plays an X-Wing pilot in the new movie. Here's how he described shooting the scene we saw in last month's teaser trailer to Yahoo's Jordan Zakarin:
It was hard to believe that I was actually sitting in there and doing that. And it’s physical. You have to kind of get in touch with that child again that had a little X-Wing and would fly around his room making crazy sounds, you had to tap into that spirit again and that was a lot fun. There was a lot of practical effects. A lot of the stuff they actually made. There wasn’t a lot of green screen.
The teaser trailer was full of other hints, including this shot that shows a ship full of storm troopers:
They're real people in real costumes! In the prequels, the clone troopers were all CGI. It looked totally bogus:
These are all good signs that director JJ Abrams is going back to the roots of what made the original Star Wars movies so great. Now we just have to hope the story stands up to the original films too.
"The Force Awakens" comes out December 18, 2015.
SEE ALSO: An explanation for everything you see in the new Star Wars trailer
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of the most hotly anticipated movies in the history of cinema. Of course, this means that the sci-fi behemoth is shrouded in secrecy, and those involved are open to a good deal of trouble if they reveal even the slightest bit of information that was supposed to be kept hidden. Oscar Isaac has now admitted that this secrecy is so intense it even affected how he had to read the film’s script.
During an interview with Yahoo Movies to promote his upcoming turn in JC Chandor’s A Most Violent Year, Oscar Isaac explained the bizarre scenario in which he read through the script. Said the actor,
"You go to the place, and they have a room with cameras and you sit there and read the script. They’re incredibly protective, because nowadays, with however many hundreds of blogs and this and that, people are just ravenous for content. So because of that, there has to be such tight security around it."
Oscar Isaac also admitted that, in the end, this was a tad disheartening as an actor. In fact, he even revealed that it ever so slightly affected the personal way he prepares to play a character - but never the less he completely comprehended the need for for secrecy. "It gets in the way of the process a bit, but it’s understandable," he said. Oscar Isaac - who has said that pretty much all of the current theories regarding the plot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens are completely wrong - will be playing the new character Poe Dameron in the blockbuster. We even got a first glimpse of Oscar Isaacs in full Star Wars mode in the first trailer for The Force Awakens, as he flew his X-Wing into battle.
Some Star Wars aficionados have already started to predict that Oscar Isaac’s pilot might be a bit of a miscreant in the seventh installment to the absurdly popular franchise. That is because of his intense staring and glaring inside his X-Wing. However, not too much should be read in to that, since, you know, it was such an obscenely short shot.
This has been a rather wonderful year for Oscar Isaac. He started it off by being nominated for a cavalcade of awards thanks to his stunning performance as the titular musician in the Coen Brothers’ magnificent, Inside Llewyn Davis. He then followed that up with the less critically acclaimed In Secret and The Two Faces Of January - both of which lacked the delightful complexity and intrigue of Inside Llewyn Davis, but were still elevated thanks to Oscar Isaac’s presence. He is now rounding off his year with A Most Violent Year, which has received rave reviews. In addition to all of that, Isaac also scored his roles in both Star Wars: The Force Awakens and X-Men: Apocalypse in 2014 too. This means that his current cinematic hot-streak is very likely to continue for many more years to come. And since he’s one of the most alluring yet mystical acting talents currently working, that is very much a good thing.
SEE ALSO: Adam Savage From 'MythBusters' Has An Incredible Connection To The 'Star Wars' Franchise
Fans can't wait to head back to a galaxy far, far away.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is the most-anticipated movie of next year, according to a new survey from Fandango.
The seventh “Star Wars” movie, directed by J.J. Abrams, will be in theaters Dec. 18, 2015.
Here are the top five anticipated movies, according to Fandango:
1. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
2. “Avengers: Age of Ultron”
3. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2”
4. “Fifty Shades of Grey”
5. “Jurassic World”
Missing from the list is the next "Fast and Furious" movie out in April.
Fandango also revealed the top family movies of next year. "Despicable Me" spin-off "Minions" leads the list. Universal has been teasing the little yellow characters at movie theaters in front of new movies for a while now.
1.”Minions”
2. “Cinderella”
3. “Pixar’s Inside Out”
4. “Peanuts”
5. “Pan”
Among the lists put out by Fandango Daisy Ridley ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens") is predicted to be the biggest breakout female star. "Fifty Shades of Grey" actor Jamie Dornan leads the list of male breakouts along with John Boyega ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens").
SEE ALSO: The most promising sign yet that the new "Star Wars" movie is going to be good
Following the release of the teaser trailer for the new Star Wars movie "The Force Awakens," a bunch of fans came up with wild theories about what the plot would be.
That's pretty much impossible. The trailer only shows a few glimpses at new characters and settings. And we only know the names of a few of them.
Oscar Isaac, an actor who plays an X-Wing pilot named Poe Dameron in the movie, told Yahoo's Jordan Zakarin that the fan theories"couldn't be more far off-base."
Here's the full quote:
I can’t speak for the cast and crew, I can just speak for myself, but for me I thought, Don’t you want to wait so you can get the real thing? But it creates excitement for it. I don’t think these little leaks necessarily ruined watching the trailer. And also, the [plot theories] that get that formulated based on these things — they couldn’t be more far off-base.
So, what are some of those theories? If you're scared to even read speculation about the new Star Wars movie plot, stop now.
The most common theory is that "The Force Awakens" gets cranking when the main characters come across Luke Skywalker's original lightsaber that he lost in "The Empire Strikes Back." The characters then have to go on a hunt for Luke, who has been in hiding for about 30 years.
Other theories say that Finn, played by John Boyega, start out as an evil storm trooper until he realizes he can talk to the Force. That turns him into a good guy.
On the other hand, there's Adam Driver's character, who most think will be the villain of the movie. A leaked photo from the set showed Driver wearing an X-Wing pilot's uniform. It's possible that he also becomes aware of the Force but falls to the Dark Side.
But Isaac's comments to Yahoo News pretty much blows a hole in those two common theories. We'll just have to wait until "The Force Awakens" premieres on December 18, 2015.
SEE ALSO: An explanation for everything you see in the new Star Wars trailer
This is going to be a huge year for "Star Wars." Most notably, December 2015 will bring the release of the hotly anticipated "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." However, there is a lot to be excited for in the Star Wars universe beyond "The Force Awakens," with the future releases of "Star Wars" spinoff films coming, as well. Outside of waiting for more trailers to be released, we also will hopefully get some more details about plot and the roles of some of our favorite "Star Wars" characters in the new films.
Here are five huge questions that we think we'll finally see the answers to in the coming year.
One of my biggest complaints from the teaser trailer for "The Force Awakens" was that we didn’t get to see any Han, Luke, Leia or Chewie. So far, J.J. Abrams has been pretty tight-lipped about what we can expect to see in "The Force Awakens." In the coming year -- hopefully well before the film’s actual release in December -- we should be receiving more information on what role the original cast members will have in "The Force Awakens." The film has a ton of new characters it will be offering us, so it stands to reason that the original cast members won’t be the central focus of the film. However, I’m really hoping they have a larger role in the movie apart from a quick nostalgia scene. They have to. Right?
Seriously, who is this person? We know that Disney has filed copyright applications for the name, but that is all we know. The application for Captain Phasma was filed at the same time Disney filed for the names for the characters they released, like Kylo Renn and BB-8. But Phasma wasn’t a part of the studio’s first character reveal. There are rumors (completely unconfirmed) that this could be Gwendoline Christie’s character -- which would be completely awesome. It’s also possible that Phasma isn’t going to be in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at all. Will Phasma be a character in one of the spinoff films? Hopefully 2015 will hold the answer to the mystery of Captain Phasma’s identity.
There are exactly zero bits of confirmed information on any of the spinoff movies. They will probably be releasing information in the years between Episodes 7, 8 and 9, but that’s really all we know about the films themselves. There is one plot rumor that is especially interesting, and that is the rumor that Gareth Edwards and Gary Whitta's spinoff will be a heist movie centering around a group of bounty hunters hired by the rebels as they steal the plans to the Death Star. While this is a cool idea, it isn’t exactly new. Fans of the expanded universe have already heard the story behind the heist. This isn't canon, though it's possible a new spin on the story could be fashioned into a fun spinoff story.
The internet also is rife with speculation on the plot for the "Star Wars"spinoff films, and one of the more popular ideas is that the films would be origin stories for major characters. While I think it is unlikely that 2015 will hold the answer to every plot of every spinoff film, we should at least get an idea if they are moving in the origin story direction. Of course, if the films will be origin stories, that would lead to the follow-up question of which characters would get their story told? Would the movies focus on characters from the original trilogy like Han Solo, Yoda and Boba Fett (as rumored), or would they talk about characters from "Episode VII" or the expanded universe? Again, I highly doubt the studio will want to show their hand this early, but we should at least get an idea of the plot of the first spin off, and at least get a sense of direction that they plan to take the spin off films.
We know that Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, R2-D2, and C-3PO are confirmed to appear in "The Force Awakens." It seems that they will be the only original cast members to show up in Episode VII. However, there are quite a few other characters from the original trilogy that could grace our screens with their presence. Namely, can we expect Billy Dee Williams to reprise his role as Lando Calrissian? Williams has expressed excitement over reprising his role, and fans would be excited to see Lando again. 2015 will give us a bit more of a picture of Abram’s plans and how he wants to use (or not use) cast members from the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
SEE ALSO: "Star Wars" is the most-anticipated movie of this year
AND: The most promising sign yet that the new "Star Wars" movie is going to be good
The "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"cast is getting even larger.
Martial arts actors Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and Cecep Arif Rahman from "The Raid 2" are set to appear in the film, according to reports from Twitchfilm and TheWrap.
There's no word on who the trio will play or whether they will be on the light or dark side of the force.
The highly-anticipated film premiering at the end of this year has been keeping news about the film heavily guarded.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is in theaters Dec. 18, 2015.
We have reached out to Disney for comment.
SEE ALSO: The theories about the new "Star Wars" movie plot are probably wrong
When "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" hits theaters this December, it will be directed by J.J. Abrams; however, that almost wasn't the case.
While promoting his upcoming animated movie "Strange Magic," franchise creator George Lucas told USA Today he originally planned to direct and write the film.
The seventh installment would have kept "Star Wars" tradition with a May 2015 release. All previous films in the saga have also been released in May.
According to USA Today, Lucas's plan was to sell his company, Lucasfilm, after the release of the film.
Instead, in 2012 Lucas sold Lucasfilm, along with his script treatments for the next three "Star Wars" films, to Disney for $4 billion.
One reason Lucas decided against directing the film was that the next trilogy of "Star Wars" films would be "a 10-year commitment at least," and he wants to make sure he has time to spend with his 17-month-old daughter Everest.
Instead, Lucas is currently serving as creative consultant on the films.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be in theaters Dec. 18, 2015.
SEE ALSO: George Lucas told Mark Hamill about "Star Wars: Episode VII" in the '80s
This weekend George Lucas will be releasing a new film, but it won't be to a galaxy far, far away.
Instead, "Strange Magic," a fairytale musical about fairies, goblins, and elves, will be the "Star Wars" creator's first full-length animated feature.
The film seemed to come out of nowhere when Disney announced its January release in November 2014; however, it's a project Lucas has been working on for at least 15 years.
At a press conference for the film Friday afternoon, Business Insider asked Lucas why he would turn down working on more "Star Wars" movies to focus on an animated feature about fairies.
Lucas shared that the movie is really about his three daughters, Amanda, Katie, and newborn Everest, whereas "Star Wars" was about his son.
He also explained that when he began working on the film, he hadn't sold his company Lucasfilm yet to Disney. After purchasing the company from Lucas in Oct. 2012 for $4 billion, Disney put up the rest of the money to finish Lucas's passion project while Disney took over the reigns on "Star Wars."
Here's Lucas's explanation in full to us. It has been slightly edited for clarity.
Well, originally I had two daughters, and eventually, another daughter. ‘Star Wars’ was for 12-year-old boys. I figured I’d make one for 12-year-old girls. You know, the 12-year-old boy one worked for everybody from eight months to 88 and boys, girls, dogs, whatever. It really worked. So, I said, well, maybe I can do one like this, but it’s slightly more female-centric. [In ‘Strange Magic,’] we still have sword fighting, we still have things, but truly a story that hopefully will work for everybody. But, what’s really something, I said, well, maybe I’ll do this.
And, I just wanted to have fun. I was directing 'Star Wars' while I was doing these. I’d go out and shoot and this movie we’d put it on the shelf for awhile, and the guys would kind of work. I had a little group of guys and girls that were working on this thing.
It’s a project that I’ve been doing for a long time, and then, when it came to sell the company I realized that it wasn’t completely finished, but I said, well, I still want to retire. I’m not going to wait this out. I want to retire now. Time is more important to me than money. And, so, I just did it and hoped that Kathy [Kennedy] and everybody who has been working on the film and everything would follow through and Disney would put up the money to finish it. I mean, it was mostly done, so it wasn’t like they had to put up a whole bunch of money to finish it. It turned out extremely well. It’s what I envisioned, but, I know it’s been … maybe two years since I sold the company, but time moves very slow in animation.
"Strange Magic" is in theaters Jan. 23.
You can watch the trailer below.
SEE ALSO: George Lucas originally wanted to direct "Star Wars: Episode VII"
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has constantly kept us hungry for more and more details about the films, and the debut trailer that popped online a few months back only increased our appetite. We still desperately want to know what all the classic characters have been up to and how the new ones fit in, but we also enjoy the little things. For example. the latest rumor about the film seems to suggest that a certain glass ceiling within the ranks of the Empire will be shattered with the notoriously-inaccurate marksmanship of a Stormtrooper blast.
According to BBC journalist Lizo Mzimba on Twitter, a relatively unknown actress named Amybeth Hargreaves will be playing a female Stormtrooper in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. No further details were given, but it was an oddly specific enough of a casting call that the unconfirmed claim has been making waves on the Internet:
Bit of @StarWars news from @SpotlightUK. Amybeth Hargreaves plays female Stormtrooper in The Force Awakens. http://t.co/2nDnhfSaTM
— lizo mzimba (@lizo_mzimba) January 16, 2015The beautiful 30 year-old London-based Hargreaves doesn’t have much of a resume (or, even an IMDb account), and besides various commercials and a music video, according to Spotlight, she only has one proper film credit to speak of - a 2012 project called The Martyrs. If that sounds like a somewhat weak resume, it could be because she may be only performing as a double in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Following up his first Tweet, Lizo Mzimba added that the actress may actually be connected to the project through confirmed star Gwendoline Christie:
Wonder if Stormtrooper in own right, or perhaps a filming double if, as rumoured, @loveGwendoline plays a stormtrooper in Ep VII.
— lizo mzimba (@lizo_mzimba) January 16, 2015
Amybeth Hargreaves cast as FEMALE Stormtrooper in 'STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS'. #HYPE! pic.twitter.com/Zw3ESY5XH7
— Superhero Feed (@SuperheroFeed) January 19, 2015In the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, it was, of course, established that the Stormtroopers were originally clones of bounty hunter, Jango Fett, whose D.N.A. template was specifically chosen for combat and battlefield cunning. However, going back to the Original Trilogy, it’s hard not to notice that the army that would be portrayed in the prequels as a sublime legion of genetic war machines had somewhat lost their edge. (To put things kindly.) That being said, the fact that John Boyega’s character has seen wearing a Stormtrooper outfit supports the idea that Episode VII's batch of troopers are not just a bunch of watered-down Jangos, and instead that at some point the Empire stopped relying on clones and simply began enlisting civilians as Stormtroopers.
Has the new Galactic Empire taken to gender equality measures in its lackey-hiring process? We shall certainly find out when Episode VII hits theaters on December 18th.
SEE ALSO: 'Star Wars' Is The Most Anticipated Movie Of Next Year
With J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the can, pre-production is underway on the next new Star Wars film, an untitled Star Wars spinoff to be directed by Godzilla helmer
Gareth Edwards.
Screenwriter Gary Whitta, who was the first writer on the project and has been working with Edwards on the script for a year, recently departed the film under seemingly amicable terms, but things continue to be moving full-steam ahead as production is set to get underway this year. The first thing Edwards needs is a star, and it’s been revealed that Rooney Mara, Tatiana Maslany, and Felicity Jones are in various stages of testing/being eyed for the film’s lead role.
Per THR, Maslany—a brilliant actress who’s been shining on the hit BBC America series Orphan Black for the past few years—is testing for the female lead in Edwards’ Star Wars spinoff, and Mara is due to test for the role this week. Additionally, The Theory of Everything actress and recent Oscar nominee Felicity Jones is said to be on the “wantlist”, but there may be scheduling issues as she’s due to shoot Ron Howard’s Da Vinci Code sequel Inferno this spring and summer.
The most exciting thing to come out of this news is this: the film is led by a woman. Hollywood has a tendency to write/cast a white male in the principal role in nearly every major blockbuster, so it’s kind of incredible that the first new Star Wars movie will be led by a black actor and a woman (JohnBoyega and Daisy Ridley), and the second—Edwards’ movie—will apparently be led by a woman as well.
All three of these actresses are tremendous talents, so this is one of those rare times when the shortlist is a win-win-win. Reading and testing for the film apparently began in the U.K. in December and has now moved Stateside, as Edwards continues to fine-tune the script. While rumors surfaced recently that Simon Kinberg—a producer on these new Star Wars films—was coming onboard to replace Whitta as the screenwriter of Edwards’ movie, THR says there are no plans for him to take over and the film is currently seeking writers.
All in all, this is an incredibly exciting development. Edwards’ film will be released on December 16, 2016, followed by Star Wars: Episode VIII written and directed by Rian Johnson in December 2017. Chronicle director Josh Trank is also attached to helm a Star Wars spinoff for a likely release in 2018, but a firm release date has yet to be set.
SEE ALSO: There Are At Least 3 ‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off Movies In The Works
When George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012 for $4 billion, the sale included treatments for Lucas’ "Star Wars" ideas for episodes VII, VIII, and IX.
So even though the Mouse House was now in charge of all things “Star Wars,” it appeared as if fans were still going to get Lucas’ version of the next trilogy.
It turns out that's not the case.
Speaking with Cinemablend at the press conference for his new animated feature, “Strange Magic,” Lucas said Disney essentially scrapped his ideas for episodes VII, VIII, and IX.
“The ones that I sold to Disney, they came up to the decision that they didn't really want to do those,” Lucas told Cinemablend. “So they made up their own. So it's not the ones that I originally wrote.”
According to Bloomberg, Disney CEO Robert Iger thought the treatments "had a lot of potential."
Lucas has been tossing around ideas for a third "Star Wars" trilogy since the launch of the original trilogy. A Time article from March 1978 suggested Lucas had plans for up to a dozen "Star Wars" movies.
He even pitched the idea of "Episode VII" to actor Mark Hamill in the '80s.
Lucas is now serving as a "creative consultant" on the new films.
What does that mean? Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy described it like this:
The beauty of the collaboration that can continue is as we work our way through these scripts if we're sitting and saying, "Hmm, I wonder if this character can do that?" or "Does this make sense within the rules of 'Star Wars'?"… He's the keeper of the flame when it comes to that.
SEE ALSO: Mark Hamill knew about "Star Wars: Episode VII" back in the '80s
AND: Why George Lucas stopped making "Star Wars" movies to work on a passion project
Disney Chairman/CEO Bob Iger has confirmed that Rian Johnson‘s “Star Wars: Episode VIII” will hit theaters in 2017 and that “Star Wars: Episode IX” will arrive in 2019, according to Get Your Geek On.
GYGO’s David Gremillion, who is a Disney stockholder, received an annual report from the company which included Iger’s statement about the “Star Wars” release dates.
“As one of the few people allowed to visit the set during filming… and one of the fewer who’s seen most of the footage… I can assure the millions of ‘Star Wars’ fans who have spent the last decade hoping for a new movie this one will be worth the wait. And it’s only the beginning of a new era of exceptional ‘Star Wars’ storytelling; next year we’ll release our first standalone movie based on these characters, followed by ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’ in 2017, and we’ll finish this trilogy with ‘Episode IX’ in 2019,” wrote Iger.
Disney will release J.J. Abrams‘ “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the seventh installment in the blockbuster sci-fi franchise, on Dec. 18. It is expected to be one of the highest-grossing movies of all-time.
SEE ALSO: CNN's 'New Day' taunts MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' in full-page New York Times ad
The new Star Wars intellectual property overlords at Disney are not screwing around when it comes to people posting leaked material, namely for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In fact, it’s a lesson that one person on ImageShack is learning the hard, potentially expensive way.
The movie company is currently working to expose the identity of the person or persons responsible for leaking an image of villain from the upcoming film, and are taking the matter to court in order to do so.
Disney has already had ImageShack remove the image, but that was just the tip of the legal iceberg. Under the eyes of the law, all of this could snowball into $150,000 damages.
The website Ars Technica is reporting that an ImageShack user by the name of "Darth-Simi" had posted an image of "a villain" from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which apparently also included a glimpse of the much-discussed cross-guard lightsaber (notably wielded in the trailer by the mysterious Kylo Ren). This really set Disney off into a litigious tizzy, as they immediately had the picture taken down and then even went so far as to file a subpoena under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act requesting that the Los Gatos, CA-based photo-hosting website turn over the personal information of "Darth-Simi."
Basically, in addition to trying to find this one person, it also seems that Disney is throwing down the proverbial gauntlet when it comes to any other potential leakers. It seems many Bothans will die to bring us bits of info about Star Wars projects from this point on.
You may be asking yourself if such a thing is even legal, and the quick answer to that is "yes." While under Title II of the DMCA service providers like ImageShack are given a measure of protection against liability for the posting of copyrighted content, they are also legally obligated to remove it upon request. And yes, they must also adhere to subpoenas requesting users’ personal information when the infringing materials are posted.
However, should the accused infringer in question be able to prove that the material does not breach copyright, then the service provider site can actually exercise a legal safe harbor to the embattled uploader. That being said, from sound of things, presumably never-before-seen "leaked pictures" from a huge motion picture like The Force Awakens will likely have little to no leeway in the old "fair use" loophole.
This is a problematic issue from both perspectives. On one hand, companies obviously should have the right to protect their own intellectual property and not have it finagled by some entitled insider, screwing up PR strategies. However, when big companies come after a random ImageShack user, it just looks elitist and petty; especially if Disney does ultimately pursue some "make an example out of them" strategy, seeking the full $150,000 in damages. From a fan perspective, such a thing could be damaging to the Star Wars brand and chip away at good will the industry has with the people.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens blasts to theaters like a light-speed subpoena when it hits theaters on December 18th.
SEE ALSO: Disney bought George Lucas’ ideas for the new 'Star Wars' trilogy and then scrapped them
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When Game of Thrones’ superbly-statured female knight Gwendoline Christie was added to the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens last year, it generated a great deal of speculation regarding the identity - or at least, general allegiance - of her character.
However, if the latest anonymously sourced array of rumors proves true, then it seems that a great portion of the Internet actually got this one right... maybe.
SPOILER WARNING: The following article may contain information about Star Wars: The Force Awakens that you may not want to know until you actually see the film. Proceed with caution!
In a bit of news that should be taken with a grain of salt, a source has told MakingStarWars.net that Gwendoline Christie’s character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be an agent of the Empire; namely a "shock trooper" sporting a chrome costume and rocking a red and black cape. (You know, to avoid completely looking like a walking set of expensive rims.)
It’s a look that seems to be consistent with what was seen with some of the ultra-blurry figures appearing in leaked set photos. While no name has been given, the details of her occupation have her pegged as the bellicose, facially-scarred, lightsaber-swinging right hand of a high-ranking Imperial that will be played by Domhnall Gleeson. What's more, she is apparently on the hunt for Finn, the character played by John Boyega.
We kind of guessed that Game of Thrones typecasting might have Gwendoline Christie playing a soldier character desperately looking for glory by fighting honorably in a war that she doesn’t quite understand - but if the veracity of this report is on the money, then this Star Wars role will (barring the arrogance and murdering,) resonate a lot more Brienne of Tarth vibes than we previously thought. (Especially if Gleeson’s character ends up getting shanked by a shadow creature that pops out of a wanton witch’s who-ha.)
We’re still not sure exactly how or why the Empire exists in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, or whether it still has a hold over certain star systems in the post-Battle of Endor period, but these new rumors suggest that whatever vestiges of the Empire do still exist are starting to be seen as an alternative the Rebel leads - who may be perceived by a number of its citizens as increasingly corrupt. Knowing this, it will be interesting to see if Gwendoline Christie is really fighting for the bad guys, or if things just aren't as black and white as they have been in past Star Wars saga chapters.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens looks to disenchant you from the false optimism of "Rebel Scum" when it hits theaters on December 18th.
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When the first teaser trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” premiered in Nov., fans were torn over the appearance of a new three-pronged lightsaber.
Some loved it. Others hated it. (What was the point of those mini lightsabers on the side, some asked. Clearly, they’re not going to protect your hands.)
During a recent interview with Collider at the Visual Effects Society Awards, Abrams said he hasn’t been able to avoid the controversy either.
In fact, the “Star Wars: Episode VII” director says he has fielded a lot tons of emails and analysis both defending and arguing against the practicality and logistics of the new lightsaber.
“I will say that what has been funny ... is since the lightsaber has come out, I cannot tell you how many contradictory emails I have received from people who have both defended it with unbelievably detailed graphics,” Abrams told Collider. “I've gotten things that are nuts. And I’ve gotten people who have shown how it will kill you and how it doesn’t make any sense.”
“It’s been the funniest thing to see the arguments that have developed over this thing,” added Abrams.
Perhaps, most famous was late-night host Stephen Colbert’s defensive graphic and accompanying explanation of the new lightsaber in Dec. claiming the three-pronged design in "perfect."
Abrams added that the three-pronged lightsaber underwent a “number of conversations.”
“It was a sketch that became a whole thing,” said Abrams. “This was not done without a lot of conversation. It’s fun to see people have the conversation that we had, but in reverse.”
“Star Wars: Episode VII” is in theaters Dec. 18, 2015.
Watch the interview with Abrams via Collider below:
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In 1977, Star Wars was first released. Vaccination campaigns had already eliminated the terrible smallpox virus from the US. That year, the last case would occur in the world. It wasn't until two years later that vaccines stopped the spread of polio in the US, and vaccine-preventable diseases like measles were still widespread.
So to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated and to stop the spread of these horrible diseases, the CDC took a pop-culture cue — and a couple of our favorite droids — to send out an important message with this amazing poster: get your kids vaccinated to protect them from potentially life-threatening illnesses.
Now that's an awesome PSA.
And it was only part of a Star Wars themed vaccination campaign. Check out this amazing commercial where R2 worries he's caught whooping cough — also known as pertussis.
Luckily, as 3P0 explains, droids can't catch those diseases. But as 3P0 explains, "if a young child gets whooping cough, it can lead to pneumonia, brain damage... even death."
It's been some time since parents have seen what these diseases can do, and due to increasing clusters of parents deciding they don't want their kids getting vaccines (due to disproven fears about their effects), some of these diseases are starting to come back.
We don't want that to happen.
In an odd twist of fate, the current outbreak of the vaccine-preventable measles virus began at Disneyland in California.
Since Disney now owns Star Wars, maybe they want to revive this campaign?
h/t @elbertchu
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NASA has tipped its hat to Star Wars, launching its poster for Expedition 45 featuring all five members wearing Jedi robes.
Look closely and you’ll see an X-wing shaped satellite and a sneaky Death Star:
It’s hard to believe NASA has taken so long to pay tribute to the most iconic space saga of all time. That may be attributable to the fact the franchise isn’t owned by litigation-happy Lucasfilm any more.
The crew in the poster is Commander Scott Kelly and flight engineers Kjell Lindgren, Kimiya Yui, Oleg Kononenko and Sergey Volkov, who bears more than a passing resemblance to a young Nic Cage.
They will take control from the departing members of Expedition 42, who were sent off with an equally awesome poster:
Expedition 45 is scheduled to being in September. As part of the ISS’s One-Year crew, Kelly and Kornienko won’t be back on Earth until Soyuz 44 returns in March 2016.
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If you were excited about the somewhat controversial three-pronged lightsaber teased in the first "Star Wars: Episode VII" trailer, good news, you'll be able to buy one later this year.
This fall, you (or your kids) will be able to get your hands on a three-pronged, four-pronged, or even five-pronged lightsaber thanks to Hasbro.
Fans will be able to create and customize the lightsaber of their dreams with the new Star Wars Bladebuilders line.
If you’ve been to Disney World, this is very similar to the build-your-own lightsaber feature available in the parks.
The lightsabers are recommended for ages 4 and up, but we're sure that won't stop "Star Wars" fans from wanting to get in on the fun.
We were able to get a sneak peak of some of the Bladebuilders line during a preview for the Toy Fair last week. We'll have more photos and video of them over the weekend, but for now, here's a first look at them.
This is the main lightsaber set.
The $49.99 Jedi Master Lightsaber kit in the Bladebuilders set will come with one main lightsaber that lights up and makes sound and two independent “lightdaggers” which also light up.
It will also come with a few add ons (an expansion hilt, 2 elbow connectors, a dual connector, and a cross connector), so you can go crazy creating your own custom dual or triple-bladed lightsaber.
The lightsaber will need AAA batteries, but this edition will come with some demo batteries.
Here are some of the different ways you can configure the lightsabers.
Instead of a full-size dual lightsaber, maybe you want a mini lightdagger on the opposite end.
Maybe you want three blades.
Or maybe you'll want to build a lightsaber trident.
Maybe you'll just want to ditch the large lightsaber and put the two little lightdaggers together.
If you want to get really fancy, you can add on an expansion hilt and go crazy. If you have enough pieces, you can make a six-pronged lightsaber with the one below.
A few thoughts:
1. It doesn't seem to make sense that you get two different colors in the kit. Wouldn't you want your lightsaber to be all one color like the one shown off in the film trailer?
2. None of these photos show off the Kylo Ren design (at the start of this post). I promise you, you can build that lightsaber. That was what was shown to me at the Hasbro preview and I nearly lost it. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take a photo then since it was embargoed. I should be able to get an image when heading back over to the Toy Fair this weekend.
3. It's also worth noting that none of the lightsabers in this kit are red like the one in the trailer. While this could just be Hasbro selling blue and green lightsabers from the light side of the force, could we possibly be seeing more variations in lightsabers down the road on the big screen?
Also available in the fall are lightsabers for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker which can also be attached with the main Jedi Master set. They will be on sale for $19.99.
These also light up and make sounds, but, unlike the pricier lightsaber kit, do not come with AAA batteries.
If you still want to make even more additions to your custom lightsaber, you can purchase a $9.99 lightsaber hilt for Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader.
Each one will be sold separately. Those will not light up or make sounds.
For parents who may be concerned about children swinging around those lightsabers and potentially poking an eye out, Hasbro will also release foam lightsabers for Yoda, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker that will be on sale for $14.99 each.
The lightsabers will also be compatible with the other Buildbladers components, but will not light up and make sounds.
The new lightsabers will be part of Hasbro's big push into new "Star Wars" products this fall. Among the other items that will be available are a Chewbacca Furby, called Furbacca, and a line of "Star Wars" Play-Doh that comes complete with a Millennium Falcon.
I'll round up all of the "Star Wars" toys I check out this weekend in a subsequent post.
SEE ALSO: JJ Abrams received tons of emails harassing him over the new "Star Wars" lightsaber
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