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Tag: Star Wars

  • Can We Trust Her? Katee Sackhoff Explains Bo-Katan’s Behavior in the Latest Episode of ‘The Mandalorian’

    Can We Trust Her? Katee Sackhoff Explains Bo-Katan’s Behavior in the Latest Episode of ‘The Mandalorian’

    The book ends of Chapter 19 of The Mandalorian, The Convert, left fans wondering what Bo-Katan Kryze was up to following her experience in the mines of Mandalore. The episode’s opening picked up in the aftermath of Chapter 18’s plunge into the Living Waters where she encountered a massive Mythosaur, an encounter she chose to keep from Din Djarin after asking if he had seen anything alive in the pool. Bo-Katan’s dip in the Living Waters also put her in a position she never thought she’d be in: walking The Way of the Mandalore as a member of the Children of the Watch. With her home world of Kalevala destroyed by a fleet of Imperial remnant TIEs, Bo-Katan, now washed free of her apostasy, was invited by the Armorer to remain with the covert of Mandalorians. Needless to say, it was a pretty busy day for Bo-Katan.

    Did those experiences change the skeptical Bo-Katan, however? Fans aren’t so sure and much of the social media discussion after the episode centered around the character’s decision to remain mute about the Mythosaur, wondering if she intends to use the knowledge of the beast to her advantage. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bo-Katan actress Katee Sackhoff assuaged those concerns, saying her behavior was rooted in something much less malevolent. “She doesn’t trust necessarily what she saw. She might have thought that she imagined it,” explained Sackhoff. “There’s so many things that she’s trying to process in her head that I don’t necessarily think that it’s something that she wants to tell anyone about right now.“

    Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) holding the Darksaber in a scene from Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Part of what Bo-Katan may be trying to process is that the beliefs that Din Djarin has held dear–beliefs she called “cute”–may hold some water. According to Sackhoff, Bo-Katan’s attempts to reconcile her past with Din’s “cult” with her own past and the very recent events of her own present have given her quite a bit to ponder which is why she remained so quiet when she was accepted into Din’s Tribe.

    The mistakes of her past — with Death Watch and the resulting death of her sister Satine — weigh heavily upon her, and she’s in a more vulnerable state than we’ve ever seen her before when Din brings her in. But because of the disagreements with Din’s cult in the past, the Watch welcoming her to their clan with open arms is a surprise to her. To be immediately accepted by people is new for her. She may or may not be trying to figure out if that’s a place where she should potentially stay.

    Katee Sackhoff

    Still, it’s hard for fans to believe that the militant Bo-Katan won’t look to weaponize her newfound friends in another attempt to avenge her sister’s death and ascend to lead the reborn Mandalore. According to Sackhoff, that’s not in the cards, however. “I truly believe at this point that she hopes someone else steps up,” Sackhoff said. “She doesn’t want the responsibility. The responsibility cost her everything,” she explained. “Leading didn’t work, so maybe fitting in will.” With more than half the season still ahead, Bo-Katan’s choice to be a leader or a follower will likely have a huge impact on the events of not only The Mandalorian Season 3 but also the shape of the New Republic.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Puts Din and Grogu in the Backseat for a Look at the Not-So-New Republic

    REVIEW: ‘The Mandalorian’ Puts Din and Grogu in the Backseat for a Look at the Not-So-New Republic

    Chapter 18 of The Mandalorian, The Mines of Mandalore, wrapped up Din Djarin’s quest to end his apostasy well enough that it didn’t need to be revisited; however, the book ends of Chapter 19, The Convert, do indeed revisit the events of the previous episode and, to some extent, cleverly revise them. Returning to Kalevala to find it under attack by Imperial remnants, Bo-Katan, Din and Grogu hotfoot it to a safe space one hyperspace away. Where they go and what happens there are left for the show’s closing moments, though an attentive audience surely guessed where they’d land. As interesting as those closing moments–and the moments they surely set up for the future–are, the episode spends 80% of its runtime (the longest of any chapter of The Mandalorian to date) putting Din and Grogu’s ongoing journey in the back seat so Doctor Pershing can take the wheel.

    Last seen on Moff Gideon’s light cruiser in the Season 2 finale, Doctor Penn Pershing’s reemergence served as a reminder of where Din and Grogu’s journey began, provided a look at the Reconstruction Era of the galaxy and seemed to put the pieces in place for Gideon’s next move. Part of the New Republic’s Reintegration Program, Doctor Pershing’s arc in The Convert serves up a heaping helping of The Who’s We Won’t Get Fooled Again. Co-writers Jon Favreau and Noah Kloor deftly take advantage of years of conditioning of the Star Wars audience to subtly say an awful lot about the New Republic without saying anything at all. Like the other members of the Reintegration Program, Pershing is now a number and not a name, ironically finding himself given the same cold, impersonal identification assigned to the Clone Troopers by the “evil Empire.” An entirely different article could be written on the episode’s commentary on the inefficiency of the New Republic’s handling of old Imperial and Alliance resources, but their handling of a resource as valuable as Pershing as nothing more than a mundane cog in the machine set the gears of his “regression” at the behest of Elia Kane, who is likely working with Gideon. Pershing’s final fate, having his brilliant mind wiped by the “good guys” of the New Republic using an Imperial Mind Flayer, might as well have been done with Roger Daltrey screaming “meet the news boss; same as the old boss” in the background. The hypnotized never lie.

    (L-R): Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) and R5-D4 in Lucasfilm’s THE MANDALORIAN, season three, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Whatever Gideon wanted Pershing to do with Grogu’s blood, it looks as though Kane will now help see it through putting Mando and The Child back in the sights of the former Imperials. However, if the closing moments of the episode are any indication, Kane, Gideon and whoever else they assemble may not like what they find the next time they cross paths. As Din returns to the Mandalorian covert to prove he’s come back to the faith, the full measure of his rescue from the Living Waters of Mandalore by Bo-Katan. Though she has never walked the Way of the Mandalore, by bathing in the Living Waters herself, Bo-Katan has been “redeemed” and may now live among the Children of the Watch. The details of Din and Bo-Katan’s experience on Mandalore (Bo-Katan is keeping one tiny detail to herself for the time being) are sure to encourage The Tribe to consider returning to Mandalore and begin the culture’s prophesied return to glory. Bo-Katan’s no dummy and these new brothers and sisters in “faith” provide her with an army of warriors who will certainly do everything they can to protect one of their own, as they’ve demonstrated in the past.

    So while the “Big Three” of the first few episodes only get a small fraction of The Convert’s runtime, the detour to the Coruscant of the New Republic is by no means a waste of minutes. The events on Coruscant serve as a reminder that while you can take the solider out of the Empire, you can’t always take the Empire out of the soldier: the threat of Gideon, in this case in the form of Kane’s ongoing loyalty to his “plan”, still looms large. Additionally, the time spent exploring the ins-and-outs of the New Republic is long overdue. Through two seasons of The Mandalorian, only bits and pieces of what was going on at the center of the galaxy could be gleaned when Mando’s Outer Rim adventures attracted their attention. The New Republic is still new story telling territory and with the rise of Mandalore drawing nearer with every episode, it’s safe to say that the hypocrisy of the New Republic will come into play. There’s nothing in the street looks any different to me…

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Find A New Home

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Find A New Home

    The last few weeks have been some of The Bad Batch‘s best; a remarkable turnaround from a fairly lame first half of the season. Where episodes once felt flat and pointless, they are now full of life and purpose, aimed towards a clear end goal with actual substance. The latest entry, titled Pabu, continues this trend with a wonderful excursion focused on community, something the leading group of rebels has found themselves severely lacking. A perfect mix of calm and storm, the episode manages to be both a singular adventure and a catalyst for the development of its heroes in one gorgeous outing.

    Pabu sees the Bad Batch accompany their occasional business partner and not-a-pirate Phee Genoa, played by Wanda Sykes, to the episode’s titular planet for a bit of rest and relaxation. After a betrayal by their previous employer, the group needs a safe place to hide and a refresher on what it means to be alive, something Genoa believes she can supply in the form of a peaceful refugee city. Of course, things don’t go exactly as planned, and the group ends up having to protect the citizens from a massive tidal wave that wipes out half the community’s infrastructure. The resulting escapade is a lovely look into what the clones could have, and uphold, if they were willing to lay down their guns and give up the fight.

    (L-R): Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    It’s an excellent follow-up to last week’s installment, The Outpost, which saw Crosshair finally submit to a devastating revelation about the Empire. Similar in fashion, the Bad Batch have come to see their own allegiances in a new light, ditching Rhea Perlman‘s Cid and complimenting their former comrade’s journey in a subtly clever way. The parallel between the two storylines is likely far from accidental, with the show’s nearing finale kicking the series’ overarching plotlines into their final gears. One of the best aspects of Pabu, an episode that appears to be potentially one-off at first glance, is how effectively it pushes the narrative forward for its protagonists. Even if the Bad Batch don’t grow to call the planet home, their experience there opens up new ideas and helps both Dee Bradley Baker‘s Hunter and Michelle Ang‘s Omega consider other methods of living.

    Also of note is the ingenious bait-and-switch of Genoa’s role in the series. After several episodes of the character claiming not to be a pirate, something played as a joke every time, it turns out that she is not, in fact, a pirate. She truly is a “liberator of stolen artifacts”, as she puts it, and an advocator of the downtrodden. This reveal works in a few ways. It’s surprising and endearing, yes, but it’s also another notch in The Bad Batch‘s allegorical belt. From the start, the series has made no false pretenses about its intentions to portray the “soldiers post-war” dilemma, and refugees are a large part of that conversation. It’s truly very intriguing to see The Bad Batch manage to tie another character, one who seemed to be outside of the thematic elements of the show, into the grander image.

    Overall, Pabu is a solid half-hour of television. It’s whimsical in its ideals and thrilling in its execution. The Bad Batch has really hit its stride in the back half of this season, and it really feels as though the show is leading to something special. Hopefully, it can stick the landing.

  • RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ May Have Introduced ‘Skeleton Crew’s Villain

    RUMOR: ‘The Mandalorian’ May Have Introduced ‘Skeleton Crew’s Villain

    When the first episode dropped for the long-awaited third season of The Mandalorian, we met the pirate king Gorian Shard. While it’s uncertain if we might see more of him in this season, a new rumor from Bespin Bulletin may have pointed out that this was a way to set up the main antagonist in the upcoming Jon Watt‘s directed Disney+ Star Wars series, Skeleton Crew.

    There was a strong focus on the character during the episode, as his crew seemingly are obsessed with mentioning his name. They also went all out with the make-up that hinted at this character having a bigger role overall but we won’t know until more episodes are released from The Mandalorian.

    There is some uncertainty if the school that the pirates try to enter might even be the same where Jude Law‘s character works. It’s not confirmed but would make for some fun world-building by the Disney+ corner of Star Wars exploring its very specific connections.

    We’ve heard very little of the Disney+ series that is set to release at some point this year. We may get a first tease during the upcoming Star Wars Celebration and they might even confirm the appearance of Shard as one of its main antagonists. He also seems perfect for a series that wants to explore the pulpy side of the galaxy far far away.

    Source:

  • Lucasfilm Being Sued Over Star Wars Series ‘The Acolyte’

    Lucasfilm Being Sued Over Star Wars Series ‘The Acolyte’

    It looks like things aren’t going well over at Lucasfilm. After the news hit the web that two of their highest profile projects have been scrapped, Kevin Feige’s unnamed project and Patty Jenkin‘s Rogue Squadron, it seems that an even bigger mess has found its way to their doorstep. Deadline has broken the news that Lucasfilm is currently being used for firing producer Karyn McCarthy from the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ series The Acolyte.

    The project is currently being filmed, but some behind-the-scenes events may have led to this legal issue. McCarthy is famous for her work on Ballers as an executive producer and was involved with Leslye Headland‘s new Disney+ series. She was fired after working on the project for a few weeks last year. The issue arises that she turned down an offer to work on Colin Farrell‘s Sugar for Apple, as she decided to dedicate herself to Lucasfilm’s latest venture.

    In the filing the following scenario is painted:

    Two weeks later, without explanation, without reason, without justification, Lucasfilm told McCarthy it wanted out of the deal. By this time, the Apple offer was gone – Apple had to move on and found another executive producer for Sugar. McCarthy now had neither deal.

    Some might be wondering where the core issue lies, as it’s not unusual to miss out on opportunities when focusing on other projects. The firing may have just been terrible timing that added to the bitterness of the situation. Yet, it turns out that she was also not compensated for her work. So, we’ll have to see how this turns out for everyone involved.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Thanks Its Good Soldiers for Their Service

    REVIEW: ‘The Bad Batch’ Thanks Its Good Soldiers for Their Service

    Good soldiers follow orders. The motto of the Empire’s Clone Army and the basis of the rift between CT-9904 and his Bad Batch brothers, those words are as etched in the minds of fans of Star Wars animated series nearly as deeply as in the minds of the clones. Throughout the course of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch, “good soldiers follow orders” has been the rote and retaliatory response given any time evil deeds were done by Clones in the name of the Empire. Of course, following orders in the service of evil is still doing evil (indeed the phrase seems to be a reference to the “superior orders” defense that Nazi war criminals attempted to use during the Nuremberg trials, continuing a long-running allegory within the Star Wars universe) and the phrase was never going to hide the evil acts.

    Crosshair has always been severe and unyielding. It is his nature. You cannot change that. He cannot change that.

    Tech, The Bad Batch: Kamino Lost

    After a bit of a slow start, Season 2 of The Bad Batch has quickly gotten very interesting following Emperor Palpatine’s Defense Recruitment Bill. The bill not only ushered in the era of the Imperial Stormtrooper but also emphatically ended the era of the Clones, who for all their order following, were decommissioned. The latest episode, The Outpost, is a beginning-to-end indictment of the Empire’s dismissal of the Clones and a parabolic reminder that you reap what you sow. At the center of it all is Clone Force 99’s “do what needed to be done” loyalist Crosshair who by the end of the episode finds himself in a very bad place under the special care of the series’ new bad lad, Dr. Hemlock.

    I am a soldier of the Empire.

    Crosshair, The Bad Batch: The Solitary Clone
    Lieutenant Nolan in a scene from “STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH”, season 2 exclusively on Disney+. © 2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.

    Though it’s laid on pretty thick, the episode’s depiction of the dismal treatment of the Clones seems necessary as a teaching tool not for the audience but for Crosshair. From the moment the ennuyé Imperial Officer drones on to the Clones about their service to Crosshair’s mission to Barton-4 under the uber-douchey Lt. Nolan to the anticlimactic discovery of the purpose of that mission, the humdrum pacing of The Outpost lures fans into a bit of a trap: Crosshair gonna Crosshair. And then…he doesn’t.

    This is who I am.

    Crosshair, The Bad Batch: Return to Kamino

    Having a character go against his very nature, especially one whose nature has been the sole focus of nearly every interaction with the character since the show’s debut is no small thing. What’s more, having Crosshair betray that nature in order to kill Lt. Nolan over the death of a few “regs” symbolizes a near-total metamorphosis for the Bad Batch’s resident cynic. By pulling the trigger and killing Nolan, Crosshair followed his own orders and, by his own beliefs, is no longer a good soldier despite doing what he believed needed to be done. It would seem the fate of his brothers in Clone Force 99 is destined to intertwine with his once more as the new clone king, Dr. Hemlock, now has Omega in his sights. But will the reborn Crosshair soon have Hemlock in his?

  • ‘Rogue Squadron’ and Kevin Feige’s Star Wars Films Dead in the Waters of Dagobah

    ‘Rogue Squadron’ and Kevin Feige’s Star Wars Films Dead in the Waters of Dagobah

    Lucasfilm has a Star Wars film slated for release in December of 2025 but, as of right now, there doesn’t seem to be a project ready to fill the coveted spot. As Disney continues to evolve following Bob Iger’s return to the reigns of the company, word has come that Patty Jenkins‘ Rogue Squadron and Kevin Feige‘s project are no longer in development.

    Rogue Squadron’s status has been in doubt for some time now but this is the first time Feige’s project, which was reportedly being written by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness scribe Michael Waldron, has been said to be on the chopping block since it was announced in 2019. As THR points out, with Waldron scripting Avengers: Secret Wars and Feige continuing to the steer the MCU ship to that endpoint, the pair are too busy to work on their Star Wars project at the moment.

    With those two films out of the running for the 2025 spot, projects by Taika Waititi and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy could fill it though it’s unclear just how far along I’m development those projects are. Perhaps with Star Wars Celebration 2023 just around the corner, perhaps Lucasfilm will shed some light on the subject.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Debut Sets the Stage for Fan-Favorite Pirate

    ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Debut Sets the Stage for Fan-Favorite Pirate

    So close, yet so far! That’s how Star Wars fans are feeling after the Season 3 debut of The Mandalorian which tantalized fans before letting them down. Chapter 17 of the series brought a new kind of trouble into Din Djarin’s path in the form of pirates. For longtime fans of Star Wars, especially those of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, the appearance of the pirates most likely brought to mind the premiere pirate in the galaxy, Hondo Ohnaka. You’d be forgiven for thinking that, at any point during the tense standoff between Greef Karga, Mando and the band of thirsty pirates, Hondo was going to walk around the corner and help cooler heads prevail. Alas, the old Weequay outlaw was nowhere to be found, but that certainly doesn’t mean he won’t make an appearance sooner or later.

    Theories about a potential live-action debut for Hondo aren’t anything new. In fact, they date back well over two years when it was revealed that Season 3 of The Mandalorian was filming under the working title “Buccaneer.” The Mandalorian co-creator Dave Filoni created Hondo for Star Wars: The Clone Wars and has never been shy about his love for the pirate; as he and Jon Favreau continue to find ways to bring fan (and creator) favorite characters into their expanding live-action universe it would be shocking if Hondo didn’t eventually make the jump and the events of the episode of The Mandalorian, The Apostate, seem to hint at that possibility becoming very real very soon.

    Though it jumped around a bit, The Apostate was primarily set on the Outer Rim planet of Nevarro. The Outer Rim Territories have always been a wild place full of pirates, slavers and outlaws of all sorts, so it’s unsurprising that the gang of pirates, run by newcomer to the franchise Gorian Shard, found their way into the episode. Though Din Djarin made short work of Vane and the rest of Shard’s nameless gang, he certainly left a score to settle with the pirate king when he escaped after briefly squaring off. Past seasons of The Mandalorian have given enough reason to presume that Shard will come back into play at some point in Season 3, most likely at a very inopportune time for Din Djarin and Grogu, and when he does it might just open the door for another chapter in the legend of Hondo to be written.

    Presumably, no pirate roams the Outer Rim Territories without having a shared history with its most famous–at least in his own mind–outlaw. Hondo is known to be alive and well during this New Republic era and while he turned in his pirate hat to help the Rebellion during the rise of the Empire, it’s possible he’s found his way back to his favorite past time. Hondo’s appearances in Filoni’s stories have almost always served the same purpose: to bail the good guys out of a jam and with Shard on the hunt for Mando, an appearance by Hondo to help out a new hero seems all but a sure thing. Oh, the stories he could tell…so many of them true!

  • RUMOR: ‘Wonder Man’ Star May Have Joined Damon Lindelof’s Secet ‘Star Wars’ Movies

    RUMOR: ‘Wonder Man’ Star May Have Joined Damon Lindelof’s Secet ‘Star Wars’ Movies

    Well, here’s an exciting surprise. We’ve long heard about a mysterious Star Wars project from Damon Lindelof and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy but still have no idea how far along in production it is. The project was first teased all the way back in March and a new rumor from The Hot Mic may have hinted that it has already found its central star. It seems that the future Wonder Man himself, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has joined another major franchise and will be one of the leads for this new Star Wars entry that reportedly takes place after The Rise of Skywalker.

    This is naturally a rumor and nothing more, but Adul-Mateen has been quite the rising star. Not only did he have a major role in the Aquaman film but was even set to lead a spinoff that sadly got canceled. He took on the iconic horror role of Candyman in a recent remake and is also attached to Marvel Studios’ upcoming series Wonder Man. So, adding another Disney franchise with Star Wars to his resume is definitely not too shabby.

    This also marks the second time he and Lindelof worked together on a project, as he also took on the role of Dr. Manhattan. He gave quite a memorable performance and may have left quite an impression, which potentially put him on the list to lead this project. It’s certainly going to be exciting to see just how far his career will go and how big his future is with Star Wars if this turns out to be true.

    Source: The Hot Mic via SFF Gazette

  • Release Date and Episode Titles Revealed for Volume 2 of ‘Star Wars: Visions’

    Release Date and Episode Titles Revealed for Volume 2 of ‘Star Wars: Visions’

    One of Disney +’s best Star Wars projects to date was 2021’s nine-episode anime anthology, Star Wars: Visions. The series consisted of shorts inspired by and set in the Star Wars galaxy that were not mandated to exist within the canonical timeline. The shorts were well received and a second season was ordered up fairly quickly and set for 2023. With Season 2 of The Bad Batch, Season 3 of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka all on the slate, 2023 is a busy year for Star Wars and fans wondered where Volume 2 of Visions might fit. Now we know.

    In an official release from Disney, Senior Vice President Franchise Content & Strategy at Lucasfilm James Waugh revealed that Volume 2 of Star Wars: Visions will stream on Disney Plus on Star Wars Day/May 4th! Like the first season, Volume 2 will consist of nine episodes from different animation studios, which were revealed in a Tweet.

    Waugh, who serves as an executive producer on Visions, talked about the studios and the “incredible” shorts they have put together for Volume 2.

    With Volume 2, we expanded our canvas to take audiences on a global tour of some of the most talented creators from around the world. Every short is incredible, full of heart, scope, imagination, and the values that make stories distinctly Star Wars — all while opening up bold new ways of seeing what a Star Wars story can be.

    James Waugh

    The release was accompanied by the episode titles, which are listed below with their animation studios and directors. The studios and directors are all newcomers to the series.

    • “Sith” (El Guiri, Rodrigo Blaas)
    • “Screecher’s Reach” (Cartoon Saloon, Paul Young)
    • “In the Stars” (Punkrobot, Gabriel Osorio)
    • “I Am Your Mother” (Aardman, Magdalena Osinska)
    • “Journey to the Dark Head” (Studio Mir, Hyeong Geun Park)
    • “The Spy Dancer” (Studio La Cachette, Julien Chheng)
    • “The Bandits of Golak” (88 Pictures, Ishan Shukla)
    • “The Pit” (D’art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd., LeAndre Thomas and Justin Ridge)
    • “Aau’s Song” (Triggerfish, Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke)

    May the 4th be with you!