Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Star Wars

  • 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.

  • The Hierarchy of Power in the MCU Is About to Change (?): Dwayne Johnson Is in Business with the House of Mouse

    The Hierarchy of Power in the MCU Is About to Change (?): Dwayne Johnson Is in Business with the House of Mouse

    The Rock is cooking…and while we can’t quite smell just exactly what it is he’s cooking quite yet, it’s likely to be something special. Through his Seven Bucks Production company, The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment has struck a first-look deal with Disney that will see The People’s Champ develop films for both theatrical and streaming release.

    The agreement cements what’s been more or less a handshake deal between the Seven Bucks and Disney for quite some time. Dwayne Johnson has starred in several Disney films including 2021’s Jungle Cruise and has been leading the promotional charge for Moana 2 as it prepares for its November theatrical release. Johnson’s deal provides the marketable star the opportunity to collaborate with all of Disney’s major studios, including Marvel and Lucasfilm.

    The move is the latest in a series that has seen Johnson grow his brand to unimaginable heights. Johnson spun a successful pro wrestling career into an even more successful acting career and has become a social media icon. The actor has his own tequila label, his own energy drink, his own line of men’s skincare and is part owner of the UFL. Following the major restructuring of Warner Bros. plans with DC Comics characters–which no longer included Black Adam–Johnson now finds himself back in the market for another comic book movie. Interestingly enough, a recent rumor had Johnson in the running for one of the X-Men’s most formidable adversaries, Apocalypse, though no further word has come of that since. While there’s no word just yet on what Johson will tackle first, it’s hard to imagine the star doesn’t have something in mind that would see him move into one of Disney’s major brands fairly quickly.

    Source: Variety

  • REVIEW: ‘The Acolyte’

    REVIEW: ‘The Acolyte’

    Since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, the studio’s projects, both film and television, have been unevenly received by Star Wars fandom. It’s been eight and a half years since the nostalgia-driven Episode VII-The Force Awakens launched the Disney Star Wars era and in that time, segments of the fandom moved from a sense of uncertainty and unrest to vocal and volatile about the direction of the franchise. Almost echoing the history of the Jedi Order itself, Star Wars fandom experienced the First Great Schism when Episode VIII-The Last Jedi hit theaters. As fans grew increasingly displeased with the further exploration of the Skywalker Saga and the themes originally developed within it by George Lucas, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy recognized a need to move away from the Skywalkers and the outline of The Maker. However, even as the ascension of heir to the empire Dave Filoni began as Disney Plus allowed for more stories to be told through streaming series, it seemed hard to break away from the addiction to the Skywalkers. Even as the Creative Grand Admiral of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars division, Filoni‘s projects continued to feature Skywalkers as Luke made an appearance in The Mandalorian and Anakin in Ahsoka.

    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

    While the desire to connect each new project to the brand’s most recognizable names can be easily understood–especially since so many of the key creatives currently working on Star Wars projects grew up as fans of the brand–it remains a cord that has to be cut. Enter Leslye Headland. Like Filoni, Headland is a lifelong fan of the franchise who describes her love for Star Wars as existing on a “deep cellular level.” And, like Filoni, she has grown into adulthood pondering, meditating on and dreaming about the galaxy far, far away. And now, in The Acolyte, Headland gives fans a brand new entry point into that galaxy that allows fans to engage with the same themes and concepts that Lucas made central to Star Wars but in an all-new era of stories that does not depend on the Skywalkers or, so far, even a passing familiarity with their stories. Steeped and connected in the mythology of Star Wars yet independent of anything that’s come before it, The Acolyte is Disney’s boldest storytelling effort to date within the franchise as it looks to redefine itself.

    I just love Star Wars—I always have. Every time I’m asked the question ‘what is your fandom like?’ or ‘what do you love about Star Wars?’, it’s difficult for me to answer because I love it on a deep cellular level. I almost think Star Wars has been a part of my personality since I can remember.

    -Leslye Headland
    (L-R): Mae (Amandla Stenberg) and Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) in Lucasfilm’s THE ACOLYTE, exclusively on Disney+. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

    Set at a time in the High Republic era that precedes the events of Episode 1-The Phantom Menace by a century, The Acolyte represents a daring new direction for Star Wars. And through four episodes, it blazes the trail that the franchise sorely needed. Headland‘s intrepid exploration of the High Republic is ripe with thematic parallels upon which Lucas built the foundation of the franchise and toys with the expansion of the mythology similar to Filoni’s work. However, The Acolyte is singular in that outside of the briefest of cameos that casual viewers will never recognize, Headland does it all with a new cast of characters who are incredibly easy to like from jump street.

    As the franchise sputtered through the sequels, Kennedy believed the future depended not only on moving away from the Skywalkers but also on allowing talented creators to expand the Star Wars sandbox beyond Tatooine and to tell character-driven stories. The Acolyte succeeds on both counts. While it’s billed as Star Wars-noir, it tells a Star Wars tale as old as time that explores the duality of good and bad and centers around relationships. At the center of the story are twins, Osha and Mae, and Jedi Master Sol, whose history with the twins allows Headland to explore flaws inherent in the Jedi Order. Within the first four episodes of The Acolyte, the dynamics of the Jedi–who are at their peak during the High Republic–reveal the beginnings of the cracks in the firmament that ultimately allow for their fall. Star Amandla Stenberg‘s transition between twins Osha and Mae is smooth and effortless and among the franchise’s best in years and Lee Jung-jae’s compassionate Sol joins the ranks of the Jedi Order’s most loveable Masters.

    We’re not defined by what we lose; we’re defined by what we survive.

    -Jedi Padawn Jecki Lon

    Despite the Great Schism, Star Wars lives on and as Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon shares with Osha, “we’re not defined by what we lose; we’re defined by what we survive.” The Acolyte stands as a wonderful example of survival and adaptation. It’s an all-new era of Star Wars with no keepers standing at the gate and no background necessary to enjoy. It delivers one of the franchise’s most beautifully shot episodes to date in Episode 3, many of its most interesting new characters in what seems like forever and some of the best-looking action sequences ever shot in the galaxy far, far away. The screener package left us at one helluva cliffhanger but should the second half of the series deliver on the promises made in the first, The Acolyte will become the first step in a new direction the franchise sorely needs.

    Sources: Vanity Fair,

  • 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.

  • Merch Leak Provides First Look at the Leads of ‘Skeleton Crew’

    Merch Leak Provides First Look at the Leads of ‘Skeleton Crew’

    Though Lucasfilm rolled out a trailer for its live-action streaming series Skeleton Crew exclusively for those in attendance at Star Wars Celebration 2023, next to nothing has been made public about the show. Due to hit Disney Plus around Christmas, the series stars Jude Law, Kerry Condon and a group of largely unknown child actors. While fans wait for some kind of footage from the project to be shared, a new listing for a collectible from the show has provided a first look at tht young leads.

    Found on the online store Fanatik, via r/StarWarsLeaks, a collectible ingot shows the four children who are the main focus of the series along with an unknown character who is either a droid, cyborg or just wearing a very intricate mask.

    New Skeleton Crew collectible give us our first look at the main characters of the show
    byu/Matapple13 inStarWarsLeaks

    The biggest revelation is that one of the leads is an Ortolan, the same species as renowned Jizz-wailer Max Rebo, first seen in Return of the Jedi. And so we have our first look at the four kids who “make a mysterious discovery on their home planet that leads them to get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy.” Their journey will lead them to cross paths with Law’s Force-wielding character, a mysterious Jedi we still don’t know much about at all.

    Skeleton Crew will stream on Disney Plus beginning in December.

    Source: Fanatik

  • 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

  • Star Wars Characters We’d Like to See in the Next Installment of Lucasfilm’s ‘Tales’ Anthology

    Star Wars Characters We’d Like to See in the Next Installment of Lucasfilm’s ‘Tales’ Anthology

    As part of the annual Star Wars Day celebration, the second installment in Lucafilm’s Tales anthology, Tales of the Empire, debuted on Disney Plus on May 4th. Like the first installment, 2022’s Tales of the Jedi, Tales of the Empire was well received by critics and fans, with former Jedi Barriss Offee’s three-episode arc stealing the spotlight. Dave Filoni, who has created both seasons of the anthology, has made it clear he’s having a lot of fun with these animated shorts which means a third season of Tales has a good chance of coming together. While we await official confirmation from Lucasfilm, we put together a list of characters who might be worth exploring further.

    Tales of the Jedi: Plo Koon and Baylan Skoll

    Obviously, there’s a story there. We’re in a wait-and-see pattern [about the rest of Skoll’s story] at this point.

    Dave Filoni on Baylan Skoll’s future in Star Wars media

    In the first two seasons of Tales, the two key figures of the series have been juxtaposed against one another, helping to shine a brighter spotlight on some central themes. Should Lucasfilm be interested in producing a true sequel to Tales of the Jedi, two characters who could make the cut are Jedi Master Plo Koon and former Jedi Baylan Skoll. It’s fairly well-known that Koon is a favorite of Filoni’s and while his age is undefined in canon, he lived quite a long time and helped the Jedi Council navigate many major crises before being killed following Order 66 being given. If Koon were chosen, Skoll, who was played by the late Ray Stevenson in Ahsoka, would be a fascinating character against which to juxtapose him. Disillusioned with the Order, Skoll lost his faith before Order 66 and after surviving the Jedi purge, moved on in search of power. Given the very divergent paths the characters took, there’s plenty of fertile storytelling ground to craft some intriguing 3-episode series.

    Tales of the Sith: Asajj Ventress and Darth Maul

    Though the two have had plenty of screen time already, the best parts of the stories of Asajj Ventress and Darth Maul may have yet to be told. The excitement around the return of Ventress in Season 3 of The Bad Batch should be all Filoni needs to give the audience a three-episode arc focused on the Nightsister who has truly walked one of the most interesting and complicated paths of any character in the Star Wars universe. The series could pull from the novel Dark Disciple to fill in the gaps between The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch and give a glimpse of what the former Jedi padawan is up to following her brief appearance in The Bad Batch. As for Maul, given his cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the studio clearly had plans to tell more of his story on screen. If Maul’s arc were to flesh out the “Son of Dathomir” story that was never used in The Clone Wars and follow up on his Solo appearance, fans would eat it up.

    Tales of the Bounty Hunters: Embo and Bossk

    From Cad Bane to Zuckuss and everyone in between, bounty hunters have been a staple of Star Wars storytelling since A New Hope. It seems like a near certainty that Filoni–who has given plenty of screen time to Bane, Boba Fett, Fennec Shand and other hunters–will eventually get around to putting the focus on a pair of the galaxy’s most dangerous hunters. One solid bet to make the cut if such a Tales series does go into development is Embo. Voiced by Filoni in The Clone Wars, Embo lived a long and interesting life that lasted beyond the time of The New Republic. Another favorite of Filoni’s from his time on The Clone Wars, Bossk was revered as one of the galaxy’s finest bounty hunters and, like Embo, survived well into the New Republic era.

    Of course, dozens upon dozens of other characters may deserve the spotlight of the animated shorts more than these characters; however, given previous rumors that some future seasons of the Tales anthology may focus on Sith and bounty hunters and the uncertainty of how to move forward with Skoll’s story in live-action, these are some characters that merit some consideration.

    Tales of the Empire is now streaming on Disney Plus.

  • 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 Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie TurnerSmith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas 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 Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGraté and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers. Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen 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.