Tag: star wars news

  • Star Wars Creative Grand Admiral Provides Positive Update on Season 2 of ‘Ahsoka’

    Star Wars Creative Grand Admiral Provides Positive Update on Season 2 of ‘Ahsoka’

    Dave Filoni’s new role as Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm certainly keeps him quite busy. The role allows Filoni to be “involved at the inception phase” and “help [Lucasfilm creative teams] tell the best story that they want to tell.” If that were all Filoni was doing with his time, he would find himself with a full plate; however, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars creator also has many more stories of his own he’d like to tell in the best way possible, including more chapters in the lives of some of his most beloved creations.

    Among those creations, it’s clear that Ahsoka Tano has carved out a large place in Filoni’s heart. Her story has been carefully curated over more than 15 years, including headline her own Disney Plus series in 2023. While the finale of Season 1 saw the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker stranded on the extragalactic planet Peridea, far away from her home galaxy, it still ended on a hopeful note and with a very clear indication that Season 2 was right around the corner. In January 2024, Lucasfilm made it official, announcing that a second season of Ahsoka was in development under the watch of Filoni. Not much has been said of the project since but recently, in an interview with Josh Horowitz, Filoni gave an encouraging update on the sophomore season.

    When asked by Horowitz if Filoni had produced a script for his live-action, New Republic-era film (which was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023), the CCO indicated that Season 2 of Ahsoka was taking up the bulk of his time. “Because I’ve been writing [Ahsoka Season 2], things have clicked and I have a much better idea about where things are going to go,” explained Filoni, before teasing his film a bit by saying, “I will say, I have an opening I really like quite a bit, I’m very excited about it for that picture. I’m excited about the potential of just doing it.”

    Right now, my focus is clearly on [Ahsoka]” said Filoni before adding, “as well as the rest of the galaxy and how it’s spinning.” The rest of that galaxy currently consists of projects such as The Mandalorian & Grogu (which Filoni said has been “fun to dive into“), Daisy Ridley’s New Jedi Order-era film and James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi-era film, which has been described as a “biblical epic” about the “first Jedi to wield the Force.” Of course, like with any studio, there are also multiple projects at different stages of production about which nothing is known which will also take up part of Filoni’s time; however, it seems clear that the future of Star Wars is in great hands with Filoni leading the way for a new generation of stories and storytellers.

  • First Reactions to ‘The Acolyte’ Give the High Republic Series High Praise

    First Reactions to ‘The Acolyte’ Give the High Republic Series High Praise

    Lucasfilm’s latest Star Wars streaming series, The Acolyte, premiered in London on May 23rd, with attendees having the opportunity to see the first two episodes. Meanwhile, select journalists were sent a screener package that included the first four episodes. After the screening, fans and critics took to social media to share their initial reactions to the upcoming show.

    The High Republic Era Kicks Off with a Bang

    The Acolyte provides Star Wars fans with the first live-action look at the High Republic era, a time when the Jedi were at their zenith as protectors of the galaxy and the Sith were long since believed to be extinct. Long-time media personalities such as Screen Rant’s Joseph Deckelmeier and Peter Sciretta felt the new setting provided a fresh perspective on the galaxy far, far away.

    Star Wars Noir

    Star Lee Jung-jae, who plays Jedi Master Sol, said The Acolyte fits into the “detective genre.” For several critics, the noir nature of the series was a highlight.

    The Cast Carries the Show

    While maybe not quite on the same scale as Game of Thrones, the main cast of The Acolyte is fairly large. While it’s sometimes tough on an audience to have so many characters to get to know, it sounds as though the great writing by showrunner Leslye Headland has made that quite a bit easier.

    The first two episodes of The Acolyte debut on Disney Plus on June 4th.

  • This Is Most Definitely the Way: Sigourney Weaver in Talks to Join ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’

    This Is Most Definitely the Way: Sigourney Weaver in Talks to Join ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’

    The cast of The Mandalorian already counts modern-day sci-fi queen Katee Sackhoff as one of its key characters in Bo-Katan Kryze. Now, as the streaming series prepares to make the jump to the big screen comes word that the OG sci-fi queen is in talks to step into a role in the galaxy far, far away.

    According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Sigourney Weaver is in talks to join Lucasfilm’s next Star Wars movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu.

    Weaver’s potential role in the Jon Favreau-helmed flick was not revealed though it is reportedly a “key role.” The Mandalorian & Grogu will begin production soon ahead of a scheduled May 22, 2026 release.

    Source: The Insneider

  • New Stills from ‘The Acolyte’ Reveal Margarita Levieva’s Character

    New Stills from ‘The Acolyte’ Reveal Margarita Levieva’s Character

    As part of their Star Wars Day celebration on May 4th, Lucasfilm released a second trailer for the upcoming Disney Plus streaming series, The Acolyte. While much of the buzz around the new look at the project centered around the reveal of an apparent Sith Lord–likely the series’ big bad–it also gave the audience its first look at Margarita Levieva, though you’d be forgiven if you didn’t catch her right away.

    (L-R): Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Koril (Margarita Levieva) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    According to a pair of stills published after the Star Wars Day trailer for the series, Levieva is playing a female Zabrak named Koril. Her cranial horns would seem to establish her as an Iridonian Zabrak rather than being from the segment of the population that relocated to Dathomir. Koril is seen to be part of the mysterious coven of witches led by Jodie Turner-Smith’s Mother Aniseya who “value their independence and the preservation of their beliefs and powers.”

    Levieva was cast in the project in December 2022 in what was reported by Deadline to be a guest role.

    About Star Wars: The Acolyte

    In Star Wars: The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master against a dangerous warrior from his past. As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems….

    The series stars Amandla StenbergLee Jung-jaeManny JacintoDafne KeenCharlie BarnettJodie TurnerSmithRebecca HendersonDean-Charles ChapmanJoonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

    Leslye Headland created the series, based on Star Wars by George Lucas, and serves as an executive producer along with Kathleen KennedySimon EmanuelJeff F. King and Jason MicallefCharmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers. Rayne RobertsDamian AndersonEileen Shim and Rob Bredow are the producers.

    Headland also directed the premiere episodes (Eps. 101 & 102). Directors Kogonada (Eps. 103 & 107), Alex Garcia Lopez (Eps. 104 & 105) and Hanelle Culpepper (Eps. 106 & 108) round out the directing duties on the series.

    Award-winning composer Michael Abels, known for his work on Get Out and Us, scored Star Wars: The Acolyte.

    The thrilling, suspenseful live-action series launches on Tuesday, June 4, with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney+.

  • ‘Tales of the Empire’: Barriss Offee Voice Actor Teases the Potential for an Overdue Reunion

    ‘Tales of the Empire’: Barriss Offee Voice Actor Teases the Potential for an Overdue Reunion

    Tales of the Empire, the second installment in Lucasfilm’s Star Wars animated Tales series, is now streaming on D+ which means fans can finally learn the fate of Barriss Offee. One of the more controversial characters to emerge from the later season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Offee’s disillusionment with the Jedi. Order ended with an attack on the Temple which she tried to pin on her close friend, Ahsoka Tano.

    While her 3-episide arc in Tales of the Empire begins with her heading further down a dark path, Offee finds herself redeemed and at peace with herself by the final episode. In that episode, Offee references an old friend who is neither named nor seen and it’s hard not to imagine she wasn’t talking about Ahsoka. Given the exact time period in which the final episode was set is unknown (only that Offee had certainly aged significantly) there are certainly some storytelling gaps yet left to fill. Additionally, despite having been stabbed by the Fourth Sister, Offee’s fate was left uncertain as the episode wrapped. With so many things left unknown, could an reunion between Offee and Tano happen?

    While she wasn’t giving away any secrets, actress Meredith Salenger, who voiced Offee in Tales of the Empire, addressed the possibility.

    All I’m gonna say is, this was three episodes, so we don’t know what happens,” said Salenger. “I hope things happen, I believe she would like to have a reunion with her to hash things out and, perhaps, apologize, I don’t know. That’s my personal thought but it’s all up to Dave [Filoni] and I would love to see Bariss chatting with Ahsoka again. I think they’d have a lot to talk about.

    Both Offee and Tano had their issues with the Order and found themselves on divergent and sometimes dark paths before returning fully to embrace the light. Despite their differences and Offee’s betrayal, it’s certain the two adult characters would have quite a bit in common. Whether in a second season of Ahsoka or another project down the road, it’s a reunion fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars would love to see.

    Tales of the Empire is now streaming on Disney Plus.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Jon Watts Reveals Release Window for Star Wars ‘Skeleton Crew’

    Jon Watts Reveals Release Window for Star Wars ‘Skeleton Crew’

    After originally being planned as a 2023 release, Lucasfilm’s Star wars steaming series Skeleton Crew found itself bumped into 2024 as Disney reshuffled their D+ slate following Bob Iger’s return and the Hollywood strikes. With so much Star Wars content ahead of it in line, it was clear the Jon Watts‘ project was destined for the second half of the year. Now, thanks to Watts, fans can narrow down the release window even more.

    While taking part in a panel at CCXP, Watts shared that Skeleton Crew was slated to hit Disney Plus around Christmas.

    Barring any surprises, Skeleton Crew will be Lucasfilm’s fourth streaming series of 2024 following the recently wrapped final season of The Bad Batch, the six-episode anthology series, Tales of the Empire, and The Acolyte. Set in the same New Republic era as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew stars Jude Law and Kerry Condon and features an impressive list of directors including The Daniels, Jake Schrier, Bryce Dallas Howard and, of course, Watts.

    With Watts sharing the news, it’s worth watching social media tomorrow, May 4th, to see if Disney follows up with some official news on Skeleton Crew as part of their Star Wars Day celebration.

  • ‘The Acolyte’ Showrunner Compares It to an Emmy-Nominated Mystery Series

    ‘The Acolyte’ Showrunner Compares It to an Emmy-Nominated Mystery Series

    Lucasfilm’s next Star Wars streaming series, The Acolyte, will be the first live-action project set in the High Republic Era which openedup a lot of storytelling possibilities for showrunner Leslye Headland. The first trailer for the project didn’t give too much away but it did make it clear that the series will see the Jedi investigating a mysterious enemy. According to Headland, fans should expect a slow burn as the story unfolds and compared it to another project of hers that was the subject of very high praise.

    The Acolyte is a mystery,” said Headland. “It’s similar to Russian Doll, which was really about giving the audience information episode by episode, this spiral of storytelling.Russian Doll, which was co-created by Headland, was a huge hit for Netflix and was nominated for multiple Primetime Emmy Awards which makes any comparisons to it welcome.  “This is a much larger landscape,” said Headland, “but it similarly tackles the idea of, ‘Your eyes can deceive you.’ You’re going to think the show is one thing, but then it’s going to gearshift into something else, and then do it again.”

    The Acolyte is still a Star Wars show and no matter how early in the timeline it’s set, it’s still set in the familiar galaxy far, far away created by George Lucas and it seems that galaxy is something Headland is very familiar with. “It’s a show packed with everything I wanted to explore: I wanted EU [Expanded Universe] stuff in there, references to the original trilogy, The Phantom Menace, the Disney sequels…it’s absolutely packed. Because you never know, you may not get the chance again,” she explained. Headland also explained that paying homage to Lucas through camera work and designing the High Republic era. “Chris [Teague] and I talked a lot about honoring George Lucas’ camera moves,” she said. “I would say the original trilogy became our touchpoint for how to craft the world, while the Episode I-ness of the show is a bit more thematic.” It certainly sounds as the the series is in very good hands.

    The Acolyte will begin streaming with a two-episoses premiere on June 4th.

    Source: Games Radar

  • James Mangold’s ‘Dawn of the Jedi’ Brings on ‘Andor’ Scribe as Co-Writer

    James Mangold’s ‘Dawn of the Jedi’ Brings on ‘Andor’ Scribe as Co-Writer

    Lucasfilm generated significant buzz at Star Wars Celebration 2023 by announcing a trio of new films that would bring the galaxy far, far away back to theaters. Each of the three films will be set in eras never before explored in films and two of those in eras never explored at all. Though directors are in place for all three (Dave Filoni, James Mangold and  Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy), there’s been no release dates provided and, in fact, Jon Favreau‘s The Mandalorian & Grogu will beat them all to the big screen. However, as Mangold continues work on his Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, it looks like he’ll be getting a hand on completing the script for his Dawn of the Jedi era film.

    According to THR’s Borys Kit, writer Beau Willimon has been brought on by Lucasfilm as a co-writer for Mangold’s film.

    Willimon is a known quantity for Lucasfilm, having written three episodes of their Star Wars streaming series, Andor, one of which “One Way Out,” earned him an Emmy nomination.

    As revealed in April 2023 at Star Wars Celebration, Mangold’s untitled film will take place in “the deep past, telling the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.” The director explained that it provides him with “a chance to tell the entire story of its own: the birth of the Force,” and to answer questions such as “where did (the Force) come from? How is it found? Who was the first Jedi?”

    Source: THR

  • Lucasfilm Reveals a Release Date for ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’

    Lucasfilm Reveals a Release Date for ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’

    Lucasfilm kicked off 2024 by announcing that the next chapter in the story of Din Djarin and his foundling, Grogu, would be told in theaters; however, no release date was given for the film at that time. That’s now been remedied via an official release from Disney that provides a date for the duo’s big screen debut.

    Star Wars will return to theaters with Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu on May 22, 2026.

    Updating…

  • Star Wars Reveals Trailer, Synopsis and Release Date for ‘Tales of the Empire’

    Star Wars Reveals Trailer, Synopsis and Release Date for ‘Tales of the Empire’

    In 2022, Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi took audiences by surprise both with its eye-catching animation and captivating canonical short stories. The six-episode series filled in some of the blanks in the personal histories of Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku, further fleshing out some of the franchise’s more intriguing characters. A second season of the series was promised during Star Wars Celebration 2023 and now Disney has rolled out the first details about the follow-up.

    Rather than delving further into Ahsoka or Dooku’s lives or giving other Jedi the same treatment, Lucasfilm made a markedly different choice. Through a thrilling trailer, Season 2 was revealed to be titled Tales of the Empire! The six-episode season will still focus on force users, however, with Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee set to take center stage.

    Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is a six-episode journey into the fearsome Galactic Empire through the eyes of two warriors on divergent paths, set during different eras. After losing everything, young Morgan Elsbeth navigates the expanding Imperial world toward a path of vengeance, while former Jedi Barriss Offee does what she must to survive a rapidly changing galaxy. The choices they make will define their destinies.

    Official synopsis via Disney

    All six episodes of the series will stream on Star Wars Day, May 4th. Star Wars veterans Diana Lee Inosanto (Morgan Elsbeth), Meredith Salenger (Barriss Offee), Rya Kihlstedt (Lyn aka Fourth Sister), Wing T. Chao (Wing), Lars Mikkelsen (Thrawn), Jason Isaacs (Grand Inquisitor) and Matthew Wood (General Grievous) all returned to voice their roles for the series.