After a long wait, we finally got the first trailer for the upcoming The Book of Boba Fett. There’s still quite some time until it releases at the end of December. As a spinoff of The Mandalorian, it was assumed it might also follow a similar structure with around eight episodes getting released. Disney+ doesn’t restrict their episode counts and we’ve seen many series adapt the length depending on what the series requires. It looks like that Boba Fett’s upcoming adventure might run for around nine episodes according to Jordan Maison, who has shared stories in the past such as on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game.
For what it's worth, I heard (from the same people who told me about the trailer today) that #TheBookofBobaFett is 9 episodes.
As this is the first time the show doesn’t follow a specific episode count, it does open the possibility that future entries on the streaming service don#t abide by a specific structure. Marvel Studios sets six episodes for hour-long series while half-hour shows will get around ten. As streaming doesn’t have to abide by any rules, it’s curious that most of them seem to try and structure their episode counts in advance rather than what the story requires. Still, it may be a way to keep the stories as focused as possible and consistent for viewers, especially with Disney+’s focus on weekly results. We’ll see if we get a confirmation on the episode count in the near future.
‘Y: The Last Man’ gets canceled but might find a new home
FX’s Y: The Last Man, the adaptation of the iconic comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra got canceled before its first season came to an end. Showrunner Eliza Clark announced it through her Twitter account, all while maintaining hope that this wouldn’t be the end of it. Just a couple of days later a rumor emerged that the show might find its next home at HBO Max, something that, in a way, would bring the show back under the Warner Bros. umbrella, as the source material was published through DC’s Vertigo imprint.
Marvel Studios, hopefully for the final time, decided to push back a few of its upcoming theatrical releases. Every movie starting with Thor: Love and Thunder was moved forward by a few months, with a couple of the previously announced 2023 dates removed altogether from the schedule. Kevin Feige referred to these changes as being due to “production shifts and changes” and since Marvel has several slots at their disposal it’s something that can easily be decided upon.
Harry Styles joins the MCU
Variety senior writer Matt Donnelly confirmed that Harry Styles had joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe on a viral tweet posted the night of the Eternals World Premiere. Styles is said to be playing Eros, the brother of the Mad Titan Thanos on a post-credit scene in the upcoming MCU feature. It came as a surprise to most that someone working for a major trade could so carelessly spoil such an important introduction, depriving fans of the surprise they would surely get at the end of their first Eternals viewing.
Thanagarians to appear in new CW series ‘Naomi’
Naomi seems to be adapting the Raanian / Thanagar War plotline from the comics. A recent clip from Naomi has made its way onto the internet giving us our very first look at Alexander Wraith as Dee, the mysterious mechanic in town who Naomi believes is holding a secret the could solve the mystery of her origin. Dee is a Thanagarian war deserter, who planned to run from the conflict with his wife who didn’t make it to earth. Naomi’s adoptive father is the one who came to earth in search of Dee but ended up falling in love and staying on Earth.
Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ continues its meteoric rise
After just four weeks in release, Netflix’s Korean drama Squid Game pulled in a stunning 142 million views by member households globally. The numbers were released by Netflix on Tuesday as part of its third-quarter earnings report in a letter to its investors. “A mind-boggling 142m member households globally have chosen to watch the title in its first four weeks. The breadth of Squid Game’s popularity is truly amazing,” the letter read.
‘World War Hulk” project in development at Marvel Studos
It’s been thoroughly reported that Mark Ruffalo has, over the years, often pitched Hulk solo storylines to Marvel Studios’ president Kevin Feige. Even though World War Hulk probably won’t turn out to be a Hulk solo outing, you can’t get more Hulk-centric than this. Fans rejoiced at the prospect of bringing the iconic comic storyline to the big screen where the MCU will have to deal with the implications of such a world-altering event.
Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ might get its expected sequel
Dune: Part One is already being described and one of the biggest cinematic achievements of the past decade. Many have left theaters clamoring for the studio to deliver the sequel, as the future of the franchise seems brighter than ever before. Following the massive positive reaction to part one of director Denis Villeneuve‘s passion project, WarnerMedia Studios CEO seemingly confirmed that plans for a ‘Dune’ sequel are already being put into place.
Anakin Skywalker returns. Again.
After confirmation that Hayden Christensen would return to the Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader role in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, a trade report announced that he would also make an appearance in the upcoming The Mandalorian spin-off, Ahsoka. Star Wars continues to move forward while leaning on a number of characters from its past, from Anakin to Kenobi and Boba Fett.
We’ve been long waiting for an official casting for the upcoming The Mandalorian focused on Ahsoka Tano. Luckily, one has arrived and it’s quite the big announcement. The Hollywood Reporter has just announced that Hayden Christensen is returning as Anakin Skywalker, or rather as Darth Vader, in the upcoming Disney+ series. It’s his second return in the role, as he’ll also star in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
Dave Filoni is writing the series with Jon Favreau acting as a producer. Plot details remain under lock and key, but Christensen’s inclusion is a curious addition. The series supposedly takes place after Ahsoka meets with Din Djarin in The Mandalorian. Why is this relevant? Well, that was after the fall of the Empire and Darth Vader’s death as the New Republic started to form. There’s a chance he might make an appearance as a Force Ghost or even in flashbacks.
It’s great seeing the actor returning in the role beyond just Obi-Wan Kenobi. There’s a good chance that the welcoming experience might’ve convinced him to give the franchise another chance as it continues to expand on Disney+. There’s still a lot of potential on resisting Darth Vader’s story, especially if they take inspiration from 2020’s comic run on the character. We’ll see if there’s more Star Wars in his future.
Production on Lucasfilm’s upcoming Disney+ exclusive series, The Acolyte seems to be on track. According to the Bespin Bulletin, the series will indeed begin shooting in the UK in February 2022, at Pinewood Studios. This fits with a previous report, and even though it’s now new information, it does bode well towards the expected 2023 release as everything seems to be on schedule.
The London setting is seemingly justified by the tremendous success of shooting The Mandalorian with the help of StageCraft technology in Los Angeles. Something that lead Lucasfilm to later announce that three new StageCraft stages were being built around the world. A new one in California, one in Australia (used while shooting Marvel’s Thor: Love andThunder), and another one in London, at Pinewood. This means that even though production might move to the UK, audiences can be assured of the same production value.
The Acolyte will be led by Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), who will serve as showrunner, producer, and writer on the show. Details regarding casting are as of yet unknown, something that will probably change in the upcoming months as principal photography nears. Back in May 2021, production was searching for a female POC as the lead, as the series has been described as a “female-driven action thriller with martial arts elements”. The show will be set during the late High Republic era something that could mean that the events of the series might be set a mere 50 years before The Phantom Menace, making it possible for several characters known to be alive at this time to make an appearance.
Just yesterday, reports were going around about a potential IATSE Union strike to ensure reasonable expenses and breaks for crew members. It was hinted that they were going to go on strike Monday, but a new rumor might point to it taking place as of tomorrow. According to Star Wars Time, it seems that the production of The Mandalorian‘s third season will shut down alongside other Lucasfilm productions. It seems that the plans for the company are to close up shop for around 90 days with 60,000 film and TV workers affected. They do highlight that there is a slim chance they might avoid a potential shutdown, but the chances seem quite slim.
There are also rumblings surrounding Marvel projects eyeing a similar development. So, we can assume the same will happen with other projects like the currently filming The Last Of Us, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, or the recently started Secret Invasion. There’s also the uncertainty of how it may affect post-productions due to VFX departments and editors. The latter may fall into IATSE Local 700 of The Motion Picture Editors Guild. Star Wars Time highlights that their source at the time was unsure. So, the projects like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, and other productions could also face delays. There’s also the question of projects that require reshoots within that 90-day window.
It’s an important step for the industry, as it faced many new challenges with the pandemic. We’ve seen discussion for fair compensation on many levels of Hollywood’s talent, such as Scarlet Johansson‘s ongoing feud with Disney over Black Widow. These actions ripple out to others and draw the attention of the industry to see how they may influence the future. We’ll surely keep a close eye on how it develops, but once the strikes happen we can expect quite a few delays of future releases moving forward.
With reports coming out that season 3 of The Mandalorian has begun shooting, we now have news of returning actors arriving on set. With Lucasfilm usually keeping most production details under wraps, it’s likely this won’t be the case for most new cast members, but someone like Carl Weathers isn’t to be deterred by those concerns. The actor, who famously played Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise and Colonel Al Dillon in Predator, is set to return to a galaxy far, far away as Grief Karga, as he begins his on-screen work today.
Mandalorian, season #3 begins for Yours Truly, on tomorrow. Greef Karga will be back on Disney+. #BePeace
Karga, who we last saw in the second season’s Chapter 12: The Siege, is now one of the leaders behind the rehabilitation of a settlement on the planet Nevarro. The character remained on the planet alongside Cara Dune, who we won’t see returning following the issues actress Gina Carano dealt with leading up to her leaving the show altogether. So being, Weathers will, as of now, be joined by Pedro Pascal and Giancarlo Esposito who will be reprising their roles as Din Djarin and Moff Gideon, respectively.
With Weathers back, it also shouldn’t be off the table having him direct an episode or two. He already has directed several TV episodes spread out through a number of shows (Hawaii Five-0, Pensacola: Wings of Gold, Chicago Med) even doing so in the aforementioned Chapter 12. With The Mandalorian creator and executive produced Jon Favreau being a big proponent of bringing different visions to each of the show’s episodes (9 different directors in 16 episodes), it’s probably a safe bet to imagine Weathers will return to the director’s chair.
Season 3 of The Mandalorian doesn’t yet have an official release date, but all signs point to a 2022 premiere. After having its first season released in 2019, with the second coming in the following year, 2021 will become the first year without a new episode. This opened things up for The Book of Boba Fett, a spin-off of the show following both the title character and Fennec Shand, which will premiere on Disney+ on December 29, 2021.
Jake Gyllenhaal has his hands full. In addition to being the lead of the upcoming Oblivion Song film, we learned this week that he’ll be working with Extraction director Sam Hargrave to bring Rob Leifeld’s Prophet to live-action. Prophet is sort of a Captain America analogue from Image Comics and what’ll be most interesting here is to see if the character will have feet.
Ultron Bots and the Illuminati
A juicy rumor popped up this week that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would feature some Ultron bots from another reality. It was quickly followed up by the appearance of some leaked concept art that furthers the speculation that the film will feature a version of the Illuminati and that Charles Xavier will be a part of that group. We know Marvel Studios was, at one point, developing an Illuminati series for Disney Plus so they are eager to introduce the group so maybe this is our introduction to the secret society.
A new rumor suggests that Star Wars fans will be reuniting with an old friend next May (May 4th is a Wednesday, afterall) when the streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi debuts. Previous rumors had it in March (?) but a release on May the Fourth Be With You Day is pretty sweet!
A May release does open up a few questions surrounding Disney+’s potential schedule for 2022. Also, a May 4th release to celebrate Star Wars Day seems like the perfect timing to release one of the most anticipated series for the streaming service. There are rumors that Marvel Studios‘ Ms. Marvel series is eyeing an early 2022 release, which gives The Book of Boba Fett its time to shine once it premieres in December.
Of course, these are two distinct franchises that the service is okay with letting release simultaneously. There’s still the possibility that we get some kind of trailer to tease upcoming projects, but Disney’s Investors Day could also take place in December to take over that role. Right now, we’re still waiting for a trailer to give us a glimpse into the upcoming The Mandalorian spinoff.
Just recently, we finally got the first poster for this year’s The Book of Boba Fett. The first spinoff of The Mandalorian, which kicked off Disney’s new streaming venture. Its placement did also push back the third season of the Pedro Pascal-led series. There have been various reports regarding its potential production start, but never an official word. At one point, it seemed to be eyeing a late 2021 start so that it can hit its 2022 release.
Just an update on this. They began filming last week at Manhattan Beach studios. They’re filming – they’ve been filming for over a week. No, Pedro isn’t there. They’ll be filming at the train yard sometime in October. This is the way. https://t.co/Zzux95jddy
It’s interesting that they might end up filming at a train yard in October. A public filming spot could lead to set photos finding their way online confirming the production. While it’s not too surprising that Pascal isn’t involved with production just yet, as they’ve filmed big pieces from previous seasons without him, here’s hoping he does join production at some point. The end of the last season hinted that he may take off his mask more often, but who knows if it was just a special moment for Grogu. We cannot wait to see how they might mix things up with the upcoming season.
After a long wait, we finally got a poster and release date for Star Wars‘ next Disney+ series, The Book of Boba Fett. It’s been a while since we visited The Mandalorian‘s part of the galaxy far far away, but luckily it won’t take much longer. There’s still some uncertainty about when we can expect the third season featuring Din Djarin, but it looks like the streaming service and the House of Mouse has big plans for the franchise. In a recent report by The Hollywood Reporter, they’ve shared that Disney is currently eyeing 11 Star Wars series to release in the upcoming years.
They haven’t specified if this also includes repeat seasons, which are only confirmed for The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch. If these are excluded, we are currently only aware of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, Andor, Lando, A Droid Story, and Acolyte. If the Boba Fett-centric story isn’t included in the list, there are five unannounced series heading to Disney+. Disney+ Day won’t feature a showcase of their future projects, but we may get a few teases of the already announced projects.
So, we’ll likely get future announcements if Disney holds another Investor’s Day this December. Keep in mind, this also doesn’t include potential films or specials as they use the wording “series” specifically. It’s great to see how much potential Disney sees in their streaming service, as they continue to expand. Hopefully, we’ll get a clearer picture of what their future releases entail as we enter 2022.
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