Movie and TV News

Several reports came in yesterday evening that Lucasfilm is developing a new Star Wars live action project and have hired writer/director J.D. Dillard and writer Matt Owens for it. Click through for more details!

J.D. Dillard (left) and Matt Owens (right)

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The final movie in the Skywalker Saga will be coming home on March 31. Click through for the full Blu-ray specs…

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Check out the “Bad Batch” preview at StarWars.com, the new upcoming episode of The Clone Wars only on Disney+. Get your Disney+ membership HERE!

In what almost feels like Groundhog Day, website Geeks WorldWide broke the exclusive story yesterday that filming for the Cassian Andor Disney+ series will be pushed back several months. Tony Gilroy was hired a while ago to fix script issues and to direct several episodes. But now new script issues have surfaced and the filming date has been pushed back as result of that. Filming was to begin in June, no new date is known. However, only recently Diego Luna confirmed that filming will begin in 2020. One has to wonder why only The Mandalorian doesn’t seem to suffer from any production issues at all, while both Kenobi and Cassian Andor are plagued by script issues and delays.

Coming to you a little bit later

Blu-Ray.com has an entry for the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker 4k Blu-Ray that also reveals the cover. It’s a re-use of the exclusive Dolby Cinema poster, so it’s nothing new. A lone X-Wing is facing off a fleet of Final Order Star Destroyers. The release date of the Blu-Ray is still unknown. Will you add The Rise of Skywalker Blu-Ray to your Star Wars movie collection? Or will you wait until the movie is on Disney+? What do you think of the cover?

The Rise of Skywalker 4K Blu-Ray

The Academy Awards just ended, I watched the entire 3 1/2 hour show so you don’t have to. Yes, I am crazy. From a Star Wars perspectice not much happened, The Rise of Skywalker won zero Oscars. As expected! But there is still a little bit to talk about and not all people who are involved with Star Wars failed to win an Oscar! So please click through for a few words about the 92nd Academy Awards.

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The script for Colin Trevorrow’s Episode IX has finally appeared online! It was leaked a while ago, but until now fans had no access to the script itself and had to rely on other people summarizing it. But earlier today a Twitter user posted a link to a file hoster that will allow you to download the full script! I downloaded the script and checked it, it seems legit. It’s the version from December 16, 2016, shortly before Carrie Fisher passed away. I cannot post a link here, but I will point you to the Tweet that will give you the download link. Just click here to go to the Tweet! You’d better hurry if you want to read it before Lucasfilm has the link removed!

Concept art from Trevorrow’s Episode IX

A short while ago several pieces of concept art from Trevorrow’s “Duel of the Fates” Episode IX appeared on the internet. And now even more concept art has surfaced and it offers a fascinating glimpse at the Star Wars movie that never was. Click through for some highlights and see what could have been…

Kylo Ren facing an ancient Sith temple

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Now this is certainly…. quite the revelation. Actor Juan Bautista, who played one of the Knights of Ren in The Rise of Skywalker, was a guest on the Popcorn Talk YouTube channel and he revealed that the version of the movie he saw one week (!) before the official release was somewhat different. The movie had an entirely different ending. Click through for more!

UPDATE: It appears Popcorn Time failed to perform a proper background check or otherwise failed to check if their guest was legit. The guest on their show was NOT a Knight on Ren in the movie. A “Juan Bautista” is nowhere to be found in the credits for The Rise of Skywalker.

Rey on Exegol after the final battle

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You certainly know of “Star Wars Underworld”, the Star Wars tv show that was announced more than a decade and a half ago. 50 scripts were written but ultimately the show was put on indefinite hold when it was decided that filming the scripts would be too expensive with the current technology they had back then. So George Lucas wanted to wait for the tech to improve. And while it’s not new apparently, filmed test footage of “Star Wars Underworld” has now appeared on YouTube. It’s a copy of two videos on Vimeo, spliced together, so maybe some of you have already seen it, but I was not aware this footage even existed. So click through for a closer look at the Star Wars tv show that never was.

Star Wars Underworld test footage

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This weekend the final episode of Star Wars Resistance aired. I suppose not many readers have watched it, perhaps you may have even forgotten about the show in light of Baby Yoda taking over last year and with The Clone Wars soon to be in the spotlight. Anyway, let’s take a look back at Star Wars Resistance, the show that will most likely not leave a lasting impression with most fans. Click through for my discussion!

Yay! It’s over!

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Collider broke the exclusive story tonight! The Disney+ Kenobi series has been put on indefinite hold and the crew has been sent home for the time being. Click through for more!

UPDATE: Ewan McGregor talks about the production delay! He says the release date of the show will not be affected! Click through for his statement!

Fans will have to wait longer for him to return

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You probably heard about the leaked Episode IX script that was originally meant to be filmed by Colin Trevorrow – Star Wars Episode IX: Duel of the Fates. The story would have been very different if that movie had ever seen the light of day. Rey would have still been a nobody and Luke would have had a more active role. Kylo would have been killed in the end by Rey, he was irredeemable. No Emperor was involved. And now concept art from the early Episode IX version has surfaced! Click through for a look at the Star Wars movie that never was!

Luke Skywalker blocks Kylo Ren’s lightsaber with his hand

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We finally have an official date for the return of The Clone Wars on Disney+. It’s February 21st! A new trailer has also dropped on YouTube! Click through to watch it and check out the new poster art for the final season!

That kid in the background is Caleb Dume

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The Hollywood Reporter broke the exclusive news yesterday. According to their sources Disney is trying to get Taika Waititi to develop a Star Wars movie. Taika voiced IG-11 on The Mandalorian and also directed the season finale. So he’s no stranger to Star Wars. The question is if Taika would be a good fit for Star Wars though when he’s also tasked with writing the script. Taika Waititi is known for such movies like JoJo Rabbit (he’s nominated for two Academy Awards for that), Thor Ragnarok and What We Do In The Shadows. His movies are quirky, have lots of comedy and the question is if his particular style of filmmaking would be good for Star Wars. Would you like a Star Wars movie in the style of Thor Ragnarok? I enjoyed that movie, but I am not sure its idiosyncratic style would make for a Star Wars movie all fans accept. The next question is if Taika has the time, since he’s a very busy man these days. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Tuesday was a very special day for The Rise of Skywalker! The movie crossed two thresholds at the box office! One positive and one not so postive! Click through for the details!

So happy you could cry

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The Rise of Skywalker was nominated for three Academy Awards! Click through for all the details!

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A new Star Wars rumor is circling the interwebs. Apparently, a bearded Jar Jar Binks may appear in the upcoming Kenobi Disney+ series! Nothing else is known, so take this with the usual grains of salt!
It has to be pointed out that Ahmed Best will be the host of a Star Wars quiz show on Disney+, so maybe Ahmed would be fine with portraying Jar Jar one more time? He did voice the character in the Clone Wars cartoon, which already had a somewhat more nuanced approach to the character. Would you look forward to seeing Jar Jar appear again in live action? Or would you rather never see him again? Also: how would Jar Jar fit in? Does Obi-Wan go to Naboo? It could be quite exciting to see Theed again. Or will Jar Jar travel to Tatooine? Leave your opinion in the comments! Movieweb has the full story!

Artist’s impression of a bearded Jar Jar Binks (I can’t draw, so excuse me!)

We’re quite a few weeks out from the release of The Rise Of Skywalker in theaters. The film, while opinions are split, found favor with many legacy Star Wars fans, even those who lost hope with The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. And many longtime Star Wars fans who admit that the film was flawed, can, at the very least, admit that the film was enjoyable, and back to basics in many ways. If you’ve seen the film multiple times, has it grown on you, or have you lost interest. Do you hope that Hasbro produces a lot more toys based on this film in the 3.75" and 6" scales? While many other fans are obsessed with box office numbers, it’s a fact that a blockbuster film that makes a bazillion dollar doesn’t make a good film. So, even if The Rise Of Skywalker produces less revenue, it may rank as the best of the Sequel Trilogy overall for many, many Star Wars fans. Your thoughts in the comments, please.

The weekend box office numbers for The Rise of Skywalker are in and they have more or less decided things. We now know where the movie is headed at the box office. But I don’t just want to talk about box office today, I also want to talk about what Disney should or could do next and what all of that could mean for the future of Star Wars toys as well. So click through for the latest box office numbers and how the numbers might shape the future of Star Wars both on the silver screen and in the toy aisle!

Rey wants to become a hermit

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It appears we have an official release date for The Clone Wars Season 7. CBR.com is reporting that the series goes live Monday, February 17th! Check out the full story HERE.

Jordan Breeding from Cracked.com put together a well-written article on the inherent problems of the Disney Star Wars Sequel Trilogy and why opinions on it are more divisive than past films. Before you get defensive, the article is not a Disney anger-filled rant. The author explains that the films are successful moneymakers and willingly accepts that there are fans who love them and fans that don’t love the films. More importantly, he illustrates why people will have a different interpretation of the film based on what group they fall into when it comes to pop culture (legacy fans, new fans, parents, kids, etc.). Jordan points to things at the cornerstone of this new trilogy that affects its pace, tone, and plot. And perhaps he shows us why so many possible directions of the story exist which ultimately cannot satisfy everyone interested in them. Finding a cohesive SATISFYING storyline that appeals to EVERYONE would prove ultimately impossible no matter who was at the helm of its creation. Some of this may be the most basic of sense to you, but the summation is very helpful in putting things into perspective. It helped me see things a bit differently too. You may disagree with him, and that will be respected. But please check out his essay on this topic and see if you can find any common ground with the writer. I know for me, he has issues with the First Order too, and that’s one of the biggest problems I had with the Sequel Trilogy myself. Special thanks to JTA reader John M. for the alert.

I want to talk about some 100% unverified rumors. And to make it absolutely clear: these are not rumors originated by JTA (some people have problems with reading comprehension, so in short: this is from a source on Reddit, NOT JTA!), I merely talk about the rumors. Yes, it’s all unverified. Yes, we will never be able to verify any of that unless some of the people involved open up. However, I think the rumors have at least some credibility to them and may even explain the behavior of some of the actors in recent times. So what are the rumors about? Disney’s alleged meddling with The Rise of Skywalker and that JJ Abrams is extremely unhappy about the final cut. This article has spoilers! So if you haven’t seen the movie yet, stay away, everyone else, please click through! And you may only click through if you understand that these are Reddit rumors, NOT JTA rumors!

You always need some salt!

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I want to provide a quick update on The Rise of Skywalker box office! Click through for the very latest numbers and a realistic outlook on things!

Updated with the most recent weekend numbers for domestic and worldwide! The box office race between The Rise of Skywalker and The Last Jedi is decided!

They fly now?

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Esquire ranked the 40 “greatest” Star Wars characters of all time. While I can’t disagree with many of them, there are quite a few head-scratchers here, including L3-37 beating out Luke Skywalker. Check it out, and let us know your Top 10 favorites in our comments!