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Tag: Star Wars

  • ‘Star Wars: Rebels’ Co-Creator Tapped to Launch New Trilogy for Lucasfilm

    ‘Star Wars: Rebels’ Co-Creator Tapped to Launch New Trilogy for Lucasfilm

    As Lucasfilm continues to prepare for its return to theaters in 2026 with The Mandalorian and Grogu, the studio continues to chart a new path forward in the galaxy far, far, away. With a trio of films announced at Star Wars Celebration Europe set to tell tales in all-new eras and Dave Filoni‘s Mandoverse creeping toward its end, a trade report has broken news that Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy has reteamed with a Star Wars vet to bring more adventures to the big screen.

    According to THR’ Borya Kit, Simon Kinberg, who co-created the beloved animated series, Star Wars: Rebels, has signed on to write and produce a new trilogy of Star Wars films for Lucasfilm.

    Though the trade report came with no details about what the new trilogy will be, it does seem clear what it won’t be. According to THR, Kinberg‘s trilogy will NOT be a continuation of the Skywalker Saga which spanned Episodes I through IX. Kinberg’s goal, as was the case with Rebels, is to introduce audiences to a new story and a new group of characters although, as THR’s report indicated, that does not necessarily mean characters from other Star Wars projects won’t potentially appear in the new trilogy. Kit made it clear that the new trilogy is not being designed as Episodes 10, 11 and 12.

    As it stands now, Lucasfilm will return to theaters for the first time since 2019’s Star Wars: Episode IX-The Rise of Skywalker with the Jon Favreau-led The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22, 2026. Beyond that, the Daisy Ridley-led New Jedi Order era film is expected to be on deck with James Mangold‘s Dawn of the Jedi era film and Dave Filoni‘s Mando-verse finale also on the lineup card.

    Source: THR

  • Lucasfilm’s Daisy Risley-Led ‘New Jedi Order’ Project Gets Worrying Update

    Lucasfilm’s Daisy Risley-Led ‘New Jedi Order’ Project Gets Worrying Update

    One of three new films announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, Lucasfilm’s untitled New Jedi Order movie will feature Daisy Ridley’s return to the Star Wars universe as Rey. Set 15 years after the events of Episode IX-The Rise of Skywalker, the project will tell “the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down.”

    The project was originally developed by Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, both of whom left the project shortly before it was officially announced. In March 2023, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight took over scripting duties with an eye on having the film in theaters in 2026. Now fans may find themselves having bad feelings about that possibility.

    A pair of new reports revealed that Knight has left the project, leaving Lucasfilm searching for a third writer. According to Variety, as a result, production will be delayed until “well into” 2025 at the earliest, casting doubt on a potential 2026 theatrical release. The studio has already begun the search for a new writer for the film which will still be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

    Though no release date for the New Jedi Order film was ever provided by Disney, it was believed that Lucasfilm had planned to launch the Star Wars franchise’s return to theaters with the film. While those plans changed with the announcement that The Mandalorian and Grogu would lead off the studio’s new theatrical era on May 22, 2026, it was believed that the untitled Ridley project was intended for release on December  18, 2026.

    Sources: Variety, Puck News

  • Ewan McGregor Updates the Status of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Season 2

    Ewan McGregor Updates the Status of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Season 2

    When it premiered on Disney Plus in 2022 Lucasfilm’s Star Wars streaming series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, debuted as the service’s most-watched series opener ever, surpassing even the incredibly popular first season of The Mandaloian. Though viewership declined over the course of the series, the Ewan McGregor-led project was generally well-regarded critically and included some incredible and iconic moments, including a reunion between Obi-Wan and his former Padawan, Darth Vader.

    Despite mostly positive vibes coming from Obi-Wan Kenobi and McGregor’s eagerness to continue on as the character, Lucasfilm had other irons in the fire. During an interview at 2023’s Star Wars Celebration Europe, Lucasfilm’s head honcho, Kathleen Kennedy made it clear that any further Kenobi stories would only potentially come “down the road.” Now it seems as though McGregor and the studio have begun walking that road.

    That is not an active development. But I never say never, because there’s always the possibility. That show was so well-received and [director] Deborah Chow did such a spectacular job. Ewan McGregor really wants to do another. Everybody’s all hands on deck with what we’re doing right now, as you can see by what we showed everybody [at the Celebration]. We’ll turn our attention to that again maybe down the road.

    -Kathleen Kennedy on a second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi
    During an appearance at Los Angeles Comic Con, McGregor revealed to the audience that he and Lucasfilm were “exploring ideas” for a sophomore season of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    Among those ideas is one that will certainly thrill fans of Lucasfilm’s iconic animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: a further reunion with McGregor’s prequel co-star, Hayden Christensen, that would include potential flashbacks to the Obi-Wan and Anakin’s time in the Clone Wars!

    I was saying this to someone earlier. That armor! Putting on that armor would be a great joy. Then me and Hayden can really get back together.

    While ideas are wonderful, there’s plenty a slip twixt cup and lip. However, McGregor remains one of the studio’s most iconic, beloved and marketable stars and may be one of the only stars of the franchise capable of willing something into being.

  • Lucasfilm Reportedly Planning to Introduce Popular Star Wars Character into a D+ Streaming Series

    Lucasfilm Reportedly Planning to Introduce Popular Star Wars Character into a D+ Streaming Series

    Though Lucasfilm chose not to renew their most recent Star Wars streaming series, The Acolyte, the studio’s Disney Plus projects have certainly been an overall success. Andor remains the crown jewel of the bunch but live-action projects such as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka have also been generally well received as have animated series like The Bad Batch and Tales. Under new Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni‘s watch, Lucasfilm has not hesitated to bring animated characters to live action or to cross over into Legends continuity or pull from other canon media to borrow characters or ideas to help flesh out their D+ series and it sounds as though the studio is planning to do it again.

    According to trusted insider Daniel RPK, Lucasfilm is preparing to use Jedi Cal Kestis in an upcoming Disney Plus series. A survivor of Order 66, Kestis first appeared in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and then again in its sequel, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

    I’ve seen a lot of chatter online about that. It could be really interesting. It’s not something that’s front and center right at the moment, but what’s interesting in the company that we do is that everybody across all these different lines of business, we all talk to one another. That often doesn’t happen in situations like this, but because so many of the people at Lucasfilm, are used to working together, we’re very transparent about what the storytelling is that’s going on — whether it’s in the streaming space or the movie space, or books, animation games, whatever it is. Eventually, it’ll be some kind of immersive entertainment.

    -Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy on the possibility of Cal Kestis appearing in a live-action Star Wars project, EW, April 2023

    Due to the popularity of the gaming franchise, Kestis is an incredibly well-loved character and one that fans have hoped would appear in a live-action project for quite some time now. The buzz around fans’ hopes grew so loud that it reached the ears of Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, who during Star Wars Celebration 2023 teased the possibility saying “There are many things we talk about just in terms of how we use technology with ILM inside the company. So this constant cross-pollination of ideas to determine just exactly what stories move into the movie space, what stories move into the TV space — you never know, because the creative process is very similar in all of those different spaces. And so you don’t have a crystal ball. You see what works, and then if it does, you draw from that.“

    Though it sounds as though the plan is for a live-action debut for the character, no mention of a particular project was made. Kestis is a human character whose canon adventures in the video games occur around 9 BBY. While it’s not clearly defined, Kestis would be in his early to mid-40s in the New Republic era that is currently unfolding on Disney Plus. Whether it is relevant or not, actor Cameron Monaghan, who portrayed Kestis in the games, is 31 years old, making it entirely reasonable that he might appear in something like Skeleton Crew or Season 2 of Ahsoka, which Filoni is currently writing.

    Source: EW

  • Disney Pulls the Plug on Lucasfilm’s High Republic Era Series, ‘The Acolyte’

    Disney Pulls the Plug on Lucasfilm’s High Republic Era Series, ‘The Acolyte’

    For the past few years, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has remained steadfast in her belief that for Star Wars to thrive, the franchise needs to move away from Skywalker-centric projects. Though she’s called that mission “vital” and eschewed an adherence to George Lucas‘ original outline for the franchise, it’s proven difficult to cut the cord. Indeed recent streaming efforts such as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka have both featured appearances by Skywalkers despite also attempting to blaze their own paths in the New Republic era. However, the franchise’s latest streaming offering, The Acolyte, set out to provide a brand new entry point for fans by telling a story with no connectivity to the Skywalker Saga despite being steeped in the familiar mythology and themes of the Star Wars franchise.

    I think it is vital. Just staying within the construct of George’s storytelling, to keep chipping away at that, I think would be wrong. It’s our job to step away now, but still have a connection to the mythology that George created. That won’t stop. But we are moving on from the Skywalker saga. That’s what’s taking a lot of time, discussion, and thought right now.

    -Kathleen Kennedy, Vanity Fair 2022

    Series creator Leslye Headland–a lifelong Star Wars fan who described her love for the franchise as “existing on a cellular level”–put together what I called the” boldest storytelling effort to date within the franchise as it looks to redefine itself” in The Acolyte. The series came out of the gate strong but interest waned greatly down the stretch and, to no one’s surprise, became the target of online ridicule. Despite the social media buzz, Headland’s series showed promise late and she remained optimistic that more opportunity to continue the story of the series’ main characters would present itself. And now we know how that worked out.

    According to Deadline, Disney has pulled the plug on the High Republic-era series, choosing not to move forward with a second season of The Acolyte.
    (L-R): Mae Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) and Osha Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, season one, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    With that, the stories of sisters Mae and Osha Aniseya, Darth Teeth, Darth Plagueis and, of course, the intrepid tracker, Bazil, will be lost to time.

    Source: Deadline, Vanity Fair

  • D23: First Look at Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’

    D23: First Look at Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’

    Created by Marvel Studio’s Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts, Lucasfilm’s upcoming live-action Star Wars streaming series Skeleton Crew represents a new direction for the studio. Set during the same New Republic era as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, the big-budget adventure will feature four young characters who find themselves on a wild adventure in the galaxy far, far away. Skeleton Crew will introduce youngsters Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Kyriana Kratter (KB), Robert Timothy Smith (Neel) and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern), who will star alongside Jude Law, who plays Jod Na Nawood. A first look at the streamer was expected as part of D23’s Disney Entertainment Showcase and Lucasfilm did not disappoint.

    When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

    -Official Synopsis, Skeleton Crew

    Lucasfilm assembled an all-star team of directors for Skeleton Crew. In addition to Watts, Star Wars vet Bryce Dallas Howard, The Daniels, David Lowery, Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier and Lee Isaac Chung were all revealed to be helming episodes during Star Wars Celebration 2023.

    Skeleton Crew will debut on Disney Plus on December 3rd.

  • D23: Familiar Faces Set to Return for ‘Andor’ Season 2

    Arguably the crown jewel in Disney’s Star Wars streaming efforts, Andor was always destined for a short run. The prequel to Rogue One–which itself is a prequel to A New Hope—Andor was designed by Tony Gilroy to cover the five years immediately leading up to the 2016 film.

    Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn and Alan Tudyk will all return to reprise their respective characters in Season 2 of Andor.

    Updating…

  • What to Expect from Lucasfilm at D23

    What to Expect from Lucasfilm at D23

    It’s been 16 months since Lucasfilm last gave a major update on their upcoming Star Wars slate but that’s all about to change when the studio takes part in D23’s Disney Entertainment Showcase. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy will get a portion of the two-hour panel to share the latest news on Star Wars streaming and theatrical slates. Before she takes the stage, let’s look at what she might bring with her.

    Disney Entertainment Showcase (Friday-7 PM PDT/10 PM EDT)

    At least the next two Star Wars releases for Lucasfilm will be streaming series but there’s plenty going on with the theatrical slate as well. Expect a little bit of news about the schedule for both…and probably a surprise or two.

    Skeleton Crew

    (L-R): Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), KB (Kyriana Kratter), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) in Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    With a large display on the convention floor causing some buzz during D23’s media preview night, Skeleton Crew will be front and center in Kennedy’s presentation. Expect Jude Law and the young leads to either be present or have some pre-recorded footage and for a teaser trailer for the series to be shown and then released online. Skeleton Crew hits D+ on December 3rd and after the very muted response to The Acolyte, Lucasfilm needs to start building some momentum behind Jon Watts‘ Goonies-esque space adventure.

    Andor, Season 2

    Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in Lucasfilm’s ANDOR, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Once on track to stream in 2024, the second season of Andor fell victim to the Hollywood work stoppages of 2023 and was moved off of Disney’s 2024 slate. Production on the series has wrapped, however, and given that some footage was shown to the crowd in attendance at Star Wars Celebration 2023, it’s likely Kennedy will have something a little more official to show at D23. Additionally, since Season 2 of Andor is likely the next Star Wars streaming series on the schedule, a release date isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

    Streaming Series in Development

    Despite Bob Iger‘s mandate to reduce content, Lucasfilm is still going to churn out Star Wars content on Disney Plus and right now, very little is known about what’s next. Dave Filoni has been hard at work on the scripts for Season 2 of Ahsoka but he also has a film on his plate which means another season of the Rosario Dawson-led New Republic era series may not be quite ready to go. Announcing the studio’s next live-action series, even if only by naming it might generate some buzz. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that a third installment of the studio’s Tales series might be announced but there’s still a large hole in their animated slate now that The Bad Batch has completed its three-season mission. On that note, an announcement about the studio’s next big animated series seems possible.

    Theatrical Slate

    Production on Jon Favreau‘s The Mandalorian & Grogu kicks off soon which means an update on the project is about the surest thing on this list next to the Skeleton Crew teaser. Some concept art, a title treatment and some cast announcements would generate plenty of excitement both in person and online. Kennedy could also provide updates on the studio’s other three upcoming films. Title treatments for any or all of them would be great and with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy‘s New Jedi Order era film looking like it’s on track for a December 18, 2026 release, cameras could actually roll before the end of the year if not early next year. Updates on anything beyond that (Filoni’s New Republic era crossover film or James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi era film) would be a surprise for sure but a welcome one.

  • D23: First Look at the Villainous Pirate Gang from Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’

    D23: First Look at the Villainous Pirate Gang from Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’

    The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, D23, is underway in Anaheim, California and while Disney’s major studios won’t be showcasing their upcoming projects until Friday evening, there’s still plenty to see for fans touring the convention center. Each year, studios set up impressive displays and this year is no different. Lucasfilm is expected to showcase at least a couple of Star Wars streaming series (Skeleton Crew and Season 2 of Andor) as part of their portion of the panel and ahead of that, they showed off an impressive first look at the villains of one of the series.

    Footage shown during Star Wars Celebration 2023 revealed that the Nikto pirate Vane, who was a thorn in Din Djarin’s side during Season 3 of The Mandalorian, was set to return in Skeleton Crew. Following August 8th’s media preview night, amusement and theme park enthusiast Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) shared a first look at Vane and the rest of his motley crew of pirates from the floor of the Anaheim Convention center.

    Last seen fleeing following the death of his boss, Gorian Shard, the floor display reveals that Vane now has his own diverse gang of pirates. In addition to a peg-legged droid, Vane’s crew features a Shistavanen armed to his wolf teeth with pistols and a Gran with a patch covering one of his three eyes.

    When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

    -Official Synopsis, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

    The droid, named SM-33 (like Smee, get it), will be voiced by Nick Frost and was described by series creator Jon Watts as “a rusty old, cranky droid” who serves as “the first mate of a mysterious ship.” While it seems SM-33 starts the series as part of Vane’s crew, Watts has indicated that the droid “sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way.” A teaser trailer for the series, which will debut with two episodes on December 3rd, is expected to roll out during Lucasfilm’s portion of the panel and will likely be officially released online as well.

    Source: Twitter

  • First Look, Release Date Revealed for Lucasfilm’s Next Star Wars Streaming Series

    First Look, Release Date Revealed for Lucasfilm’s Next Star Wars Streaming Series

    As fans continue to digest Lucasfilm’s latest Star wars streaming series, The Acolyte, the studio has turned its attention to its next project. Via People Magazine and official Star Wars social media accounts, Lucasfilm has provided the first look at Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

    Co-created by MCU Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts and and Spider-Man: Homecoming writer Christopher Ford, Skeleton Crew follows four kids on a journey through the galaxy far, far away. Child actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Kyriana Kratter (KB), Robert Timothy Smith (Neel) and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern) will star alongside Jude Law, who plays Jod Na Nawood, in the new series which will make its streaming debut on December 3rd in Disney Plus.

    “It is a fun place to be, the universe of Star Wars,” said Law, adding that “seeing children in that environment in a Star Wars environment is thrilling and very, very unique.”

    When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

    -Official Synopsis, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

    Being part of the Star wars universe means joining one of Hollywood’s longest running shared narratives in mid-stream. Skeleton Crew is set during New Republic era (home to The Mandalorian and Ashoka) and according to Law, “there are great references to old films and recent episodes and series. There’s a lot of originality and I hope that will bring the feeling of fun to those who watch it.“

    The series has been compared to Richard Donner‘s 1985 classic, The Goonies, and based on Law’s comments, that seems like a fair comparison. all in constant state of confusion and jeopardy and challenge.” He adds that Skeleton Crew is “very much a piece about working together and overcoming fears and overcoming…perhaps [one’s] opinion of oneself or one’s own weaknesses in order to succeed.” Sounds like a bit of Jedi wisdom being shared by Law, though he’s not the only help the kids will have along the way.

    In addition to Law’s Nawood, the kids will be added in their journey by “the first mate of a mysterious ship,” according to Watts. That first mate will be “a rusty old, cranky droid” known as SM-33. Voiced by Shaun of the Dead star Nick Frost, SM-33 “sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way,” says Watts while nothing Frost’s voice work was “fun” and “perfect.” It’s not Star Wars without a droid!

    With D23 just a week away, fans might expect a teaser trailer for the series to be right around the corner.

    Skeleton Crew wil begin streaming on Disney Plus on December 3rd.

    Source: People.com