Movie and TV News

Disney released their Q4 earnings report earlier today. Overall, it was a good quarter for Disney, their numbers are better than expected by analysts. Almost all segments see an earnings increase, while operating income has decreased, mostly because of associated costs for Hulu, Disney Plus and Twentieth Century Fox. Theme parks still have lower attendance than before, but average spending per consumer is up which resulted in increased earnings. In the merchandise licensing segment Star Wars was not mentioned at all, instead Toy Story and Frozen were mostly responsible for increased revenue.
With that out of the way let’s briefly talk about what Bob Iger had to say about Star Wars on Disney+ in the earnings call:

Star Wars has three television series, they are in varying forms of production and more in development for Disney Plus and Marvel has many more so, while in the Star Wars case, Star Wars 9 which comes out this December will be the last of the Skywalker Saga, and we’ll go into a hiatus for a few years before the next Star Wars feature there’ll be a lot of creative activity in the interim.

So while Iger didn’t provide any specifics, it seems we can expect more Star Wars series on Disney+ before we get a next movie. Nothing was said about what the series or the new movie(s) will be about. Nothing was said about Rian Johnson, Benioff & Weiss or Kevin Feige. But at least we now that more Star Wars series are in development. What other Star Wars series would you like to see on Disney+?

Boy oh boy, time just seems to be dragging! But we’ll soon be swamped with Star Wars media from every angle! We have Jedi: Fallen Order coming next Friday, The Rise of Skywalker in December, and all the supplemental books and comics, but first, we have The Mandalorian which is only days away! FX has given us an exclusive trailer that provides some new footage and while it seems like we’ve been getting a TON of new TV spots for this, I for one appreciate the trickles leading up to the release. Take a look and satiate your Mandalorian hunger!

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If you are excited about the upcoming premiere of The Mandalorian, then head over to Vanity Fair to check out their exclusive look at Ming-Na Wen’s new Star Wars character. And, while you are there, be sure to check out the new mini-trailer showing off some awesome new scenes, including the Mandalorian on a dewback, biker scouts, and speeder bikes. Great stuff!

Your name will be legendary

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Just what is going on over at Lucasfilm/Disney? Benioff & Weiss were announced as the ones who would oversee a new Star Wars trilogy/project in 2018, and Disney CEO Bob Iger mentioned them by name again and again since then. Now Deadline reports that the former Game of Thrones showrunners have stepped down from their Star Wars project. Some speculations arose when Benioff & Weiss made a deal with Netflix not too long ago, because that begged the question of why Netflix would pay them both so much money if Benioff & Weiss would be potentially busy with Star Wars for years to come. So now we have the answer. They will not work on Star Wars. Now, this is nothing new for Lucasfilm. They’ve lost quite a few directors/writers in the past few years, all of them were fired.

And while this is just speculation one could assume that whatever idea Benioff & Weiss came up with for their movie project was nixed by Disney in favor of whatever it is Kevin Feige may be doing. Deadline thinks it was their busy schedule that informed their decision, but they fail to mention that their Star Wars project was announced long before they made a deal with Netflix which now seemingly leaves them no time for Star Wars.

Read the full story on Deadline and then leave an insightful comment! One thing is sure, following Lucasfilm news is never boring. The revolving door of creative people coming and going keeps on revolving!

DB Weiss & David Benioff

The second full trailer for The Mandalorian is out! Click through to watch and discuss!

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StarWars.com has just revealed the Official theatrical poster for The Rise Of Skywalker! I’m entering Star Wars overload. What do you think about it? Can’t wait to frame it up and hang it on my wall.

The first proper trailer for The Rise of Skywalker has finally been released! Click on the image below to watch it right now!

Update: screenshots have been added to the article!

Click through for more!

Click image to watch the trailer!

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Ticket sales are now open for The Rise of Skywalker! You can get them directly from Fandango, or just run to your nearest box office of choice! My three theater’s sold out ALL day one shows in 4 minutes! It was A LOT of showings too.

27 minutes of footage from The Mandalorian was shown to the press on Saturday and first reactions are very positive. After the screening a press conference was held, highlights of which you can watch on YouTube.

On the panel are Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano and Carl Weathers. They talk about what their approach to the show was, in addition to that Dave Filoni talks about the differences between working on animation and live action. It is revealed that Favreau and Filoni worked on the plots together, brainstorming ideas, with Favreau then writing the script.

You also learn that while directors on TV usually don’t have all that much creative freedom, they approached each episode of the Mandalorian more like a movie, where a director has a lot more input. Overall, you get the feeling that the Mandalorian is in very good and capable hands. Jon Favreau speaks specifically about how they want to reward fans that have been with the franchise for a long time, since they were kids, and to bring everyone together, you can expect some Easter Eggs, references to both legends and canon, one of these things that will get referenced is actually Lifeday, as Favreau seems to have a weak spot for the Holiday Special. But watch for yourself! The video is about 21 minutes long, just click on the image below to start the video.

Click the image to watch the video!

Starwars.com has confirmed via their various social media outlets that the final trailer for The Rise of Skywalker will drop on Monday night during Monday Night Football. 

Tickets for The Rise Of Skywalker go on sale Monday, and we don’t even have a trailer yet, although the rumor is that after Disney drops the final trailer for the film during the New England Patriots and New York Jets game starting at 8:15 PM ET! Deadline has the full story. Are you getting your tickets early?

Variety has an exclusive scoop about the Cassian Andor Disney+ series on their website. They have learned that Tony Gilroy was hired by Lucasfilm to write and direct the pilot episode of the yet untitled Cassian Andor series, Gilroy is also said to direct a few more episodes. Gilroy will not be the showrunner, this is still supposed to be Stephen Schiff (he was previously the co-producer for The Americans). You may certainly remember Gilroy as the person who was hired to salvage Rogue One to great results. His work on Rogue One was so substantial that he received a writing credi. Gilroy is not a Star Wars fan, but that may not be a bad thing at all, he certainly knew how to fix the very messy state Rogue One was reportedly in. No release date for the Cassian Andor series is known, but it’s supposed to be some time in 2021.

BANG Showbiz posted a short inteview clip with Rian Johnson on their Twitter page. In the interview he says he’s excited to be a Star Wars fan again and he’s looking forward to seeing the new movie in December. But then BANG Showbiz asks the big question, what about Rian Johnson’s own new trilogy? This is what he has to say about that:

“Well we’ll see, I mean I’m still talking to Lucasfilm, they’re figuring out what they’re doing, and we’ll see what happens, but you know I’d be thrilled if it happens but I’m doing my own stuff too.”

This doesn’t sound too confident. It seems plans at Lucasfilm are still shifting. We also don’t know how exactly Kevin Feige’s Star Wars project will fit in. Would Lucasfilm have three different Star Wars movie projects at the same time? Benioff & Weiss, Rian Johnson and whatever Kevin Feige is developing? But as usual things can change. It’s certainly interesting to learn that “Lucasfilm is figuring out what they’re doing”. Let’s hope they’ll figure it out very soon. We still know very little about what kind of movie we’ll get in 2022 and what will happen beyond.

Click the image below to watch the short interview clip with Rian Johnson! And leave your own – constructive – thoughts in the comments! What do you think Lucasfilm will do?

Click to go to the video

Star Wars Resistance season 2 premiered in the US yesterday. In an attempt to boost awareness and maybe ratings for the series, the season 2 opening episode “Into The Unknown” is available on the Star Wars Kids YouTube channel, it’s not even geoblocked, so anyone should be able to access it.
So how was it? Click through for a discussion!

Kaz, about to fall down some stairs

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Holy cow! Our good friends at Rebel Force Radio have just broken the incredible news that Denis Lawson, the man who brought Wedge Antilles to life, will be reprising his role in The Rise Of Skywalker!

While The Rise of Skywalker, and the sequels in general, prefer to give us old designs or only slightly tweaked Original Trilogy designs, featuring the well known X-, A- and Y-Wings and TIE Fighters, the spin offs and now also the upcoming The Mandalorian prove that Lucasfilm can still design new things. Check out that sleek brand new Bounty Hunter Fighter featured on a Topps Card below. Maybe one day you can also buy it as a toy, but don’t hold your breath until then.

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Check out the all new promo poster for The Mandalorian! In the age of photoshopped promotional art it is refreshing to see some painted artwork again. Make sure to click on the picture below and then to expand it to see the full version of the new poster!

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More details for the upcoming Disney+ Kenobi series have been announced! Deborah Chow will direct the series and Hossein Amini will write the scripts. Executive producers will be Chow, Amini and Ewan McGregor, alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Tracey Seaward (she worked on The Queen, Philomena, Florence Foster Jenkins) and John Swartz (producer for Force Awakens, Rogue One and Solo).
Deborah Chow has directed episodes for quite a few illustrous tv/streaming shows, she worked on the Mandalorian, Better Call Saul, Fear The Walking Dead, American Gods, The Man in the High Castle, Mr. Robot and Vampire Diaries, to name a few. Hossein Amini is best known for writing the Ryan Gosling movie “Drive”, he also worked on “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “47 Ronin”.  See the full story at the Hollywood Reporter.

Deborah Chow and Hossein Amini

The Hollywood Reporter broke the very surprising news a few hours ago: Kevin Feige will develop a new Star Wars movie with Kathleen Kennedy!

According to a top Disney source that spoke to the Hollywood Reporter Kathleen Kennedy “remains in charge with no plans for any changes”.

Click through for more!

Kevin Feige and Kathleen Kennedy, with Mark Ruffalo

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Entertainment Tonight met Jon Favreau at the recent Saturn Awards and he talked at length about Gina Carano (who stood right next to him, looking quite delightful) and the Mandalorian series. And then the Holiday Special was brought up, since a few elements from the special, like the rifle, are in the new series, and Favreau remarked that he is actually a great fan of the Special. Admittedly, he likes some segments more than others, and then Favreau said that one day he would love to do a Holiday Special on Disney+. And if fans want that, they should let Disney+ know.
Ignoring the possibility that Favreau may have just made a fun remark… what would you like to see in an all new Holiday Special? Rey and Kylo singing “I just called to say I love you”? A Finn and Rose ballet number? Old man Lando watching some spicy droid movies? Luke entering a lightsaber tossing contest? Chewie presenting the best Porg recipies (without any subtitles, of course)? Leave your ideas in the comments!
You can watch the whole interview with Favreau and Gina Carano on YouTube!

A new version soon(ish) on Disney+?

The prestigious Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films held their 45th annual Saturn Awards Ceremony last weekend. And Star Wars Resistance won the award for Best Animated Series on Television, other contenders were Archer, Duck Tales, Family Guy and Simpsons. Congratulations to Filoni and team! Click through for a bit more info and details!

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There are some rumors circulating the internet that Lucasfilm may develop a Disney+ spin-off series based on Solo. Website Star Wars Unity has a story about an alleged Solo spin off that would continue some of the story threads of the movie. The rumor report says that any series based on Solo would most likely revolve around Crimson Dawn and not so much Han Solo, Chewbacca and Lando. Click through to read more!

More love for Solo

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Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive story on their website with one all new detail about the upcoming Mandalorian show on Disney+.

The show will explore the origins of the First Order! Now if that is just a side plot or a major plot element is unknown. What we do know is that remnants of Imperial forces are still around. Perhaps we will see how these remnants reform to become the First Order. Not all of the former Stormtroopers, Moffs and Governors became good citizens of the New Republic. So it seems The Mandalorian might bridge the original and the sequel trilogy and provide some much needed background and add some worldbuilding to the sequels.

Check out the EW website for their exclusive story and some quotes by Dave Filoni and Jon Favrau, which add some perspective to the First Order angle!

This morning the official Star Wars YouTube channel released the much talked about D23 footage for The Rise of Skywalker! Click through to watch the video, for screenshots of several highlights and a short analysis! If you want to know nothing, then please stay away from this article. Some potential spoilers and rumors will be discussed!

Spoiler territory

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The Disney+ panel not only released the first official public trailer for The Mandalorian, but also officially announced the long-rumored Obi-Wan Kenobi series. 

The Disney+ panel was the first to announce an all-new Star Wars series in development, one that many fans have been asking to see since the closing scenes of 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi, electrified the audience when he emerged following the announcement of his involvement in a new series taking place eight years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, where we last saw Obi-Wan delivering the infant Luke Skywalker to his Tatooine homestead.

Click through for all the details from the Disney+ panel at D23!