Fun The STAR WARS Franchise

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
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They have not even arrived yet, but rumours are that the cute and lovable PORG aliens are gonna do for THE LAST JEDI what the Ewoks did for RETURN OF THE JEDI.

Or what Jar Jar did for The Phantom Menace.....

There is already an animated video of them that seems to have people falling in love with these curious creatures!

But is it love at first sight for you?


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Or is that anger I sense growing in you?



 
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Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
How Porgs are Bringing the Cuteness Back Into Star Wars


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There can be little doubt that the galaxy far, far away has delivered some of cinema’s most astounding moments, riveting plot twists and memorable characters.

We’ve had the terror of Darth Vader, the innocence of Luke Skywalker, the sliminess of Jabba the Hutt and the wisdom of Yoda.


Star Wars changed the landscape of modern cinema in so many ways, but not all of it was about being cool.

Sometimes it was about being cute.

Think back to the original trilogy.

In the original 1977 movie we were first introduced to cuteness in the form of Artoo Detoo.

The cutest character in the original (with the Mousedroid a close second), he almost stole the show and ignited a following that endures to today, with the R2 Builders doing such an amazing job of recreating the little droid that their work is seen in the modern Disney era of Star Wars films.

The Empire Strikes Back was a darker film that introduced Master Yoda to the series.

While he wasn’t conventionally cute, he gained a rabid following of his own.

However, the third film was the one that really smashed the cute button.

Arriving in the film as our heroes land on the forest moon of Endor, tasked with destroying the shield generator and allowing the Rebel fleet to attack the second Death Star, we first met the frankly adorable ewoks.

As played by the legendary Warwick Davis, the first ewok we met was Wicket, a character who would not only swiftly get his own action figure but also star in an animated series and two television movies.


Hated by some, George Lucas referred to the Ewoks as the little rabbit by the side of the road who helps the hero when they are in trouble.

The ewoks were certainly that: helping the Rebellion defeat the Empire on the ground while the fleet took on the Empire in space.

Marvel’s comic series also had their fair share of cuteness in the form of the hoojibs.

Basically telepathic rabbits, the hoojibs assisted the rebellion as they fought the Empire and became firm favourites with the readers.

1999 saw the return of the saga to the big screen as The Phantom Menace arrived.

Mixed reviews for this and the other two prequels weren’t helped by the presence of a certain loud, uncoordinated gungan by the name of Jar Jar Binks.

He was far from cute, that honour being left once again to Artoo, who displayed his bag of tricks while Anakin fell prey to the dark side and Obi-Wan tried to save his apprentice from the darkness.

The Force Awakens smashed box office records in 2015 and brought with it a new level of droid cuteness – BB-8.

This diminutive astromech droid well and truly stole the show as he fought alongside Rey, Finn and his master Poe Dameron in their battles against the First Order.

Which brings us right up to date.

Early images and footage from The Last Jedi have revealed what are quite possibly the cutest characters ever to grace the screen in a Star Wars film – the Porgs.



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Looking very much like puffins, these wide-eyed, open-mouthed, bird-like creatures live on the world of Ahch-To.

If you thought the ewoks were marketable (and they were, the fuzzy denizens of Endor were a marketing phenomenon back in the mid 80’s) then you’ve seen nothing yet.

With Star Wars fandom online already delirious over the Porgs (seriously, check it out, fans and the staff at the official Star Wars site are losing their minds) there’s every chance these creatures will be the toy of the year, just as BB-8 was a couple of years ago.


So while we wait for the training of Rey, the return of Kylo Ren, the scheming of Snoke and the attack of the First Order we can also prepare for an onslaught of avian awesomeness in the form of the Porgs.
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
INTRODUCING PORGS, THE CUTE NEW CREATURES FROM STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
WE KNOW ONLY ONE TRUTH: WE LOVE PORGS. GET TO KNOW THESE LITTLE BEINGS WITH INSIGHTS FROM THE LUCASFILM STORY GROUP'S PABLO HIDALGO.



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It blinked its eyes, turned its head toward us, and it was love at first sight.

I’m talking, of course, about that short, slightly chubby, and insanely cute creature from the Star Wars: The Last Jedi behind-the-scenes reel shown at D23. It was only on-screen for about a second — a puppet on a work bench — but immediately inspired lots of online chatter from fans. What is it? Where does it come from? Can I keep it?

StarWars.com is excited to reveal that that little critter is called a porg. And to get just a little more information, we talked to the Lucasfilm Story Group’s Pablo Hidalgo.

StarWars.com: So Pablo, right now all we know is that these little guys are called porgs. What else can you tell us about them that won’t make Rian Johnson ask for StarWars.com to be shut down and erased from the Internet?

Pablo Hidalgo: Porgs are native to Ahch-To, and can be found dwelling along the cliffs of the island where Luke and Rey are. In many ways, they’re the Star Wars version of puffins. They build nests. They can fly. Their babies are called porglets.


StarWars.com: Based on their demeanor, would I be wrong in assuming they’re friendly?

Pablo Hidalgo: Given how rarely their island has visitors, their curiosity outweighs any skittishness they may have.

StarWars.com: Do you know where the name comes from?

Pablo Hidalgo: You’d have to ask Rian. He came with that name and the idea of the porgs fully “hatched,” so to speak.


StarWars.com: In the D23 behind-the-scenes reel, we see that porgs (or at least a porg) were made through practical effects.

Pablo Hidalgo: The porgs are realized through a variety of effects, depending on what’s needed. Sometimes they’re puppets, with the puppeteers digitally removed from the shot. Other times, they’re entirely CG.

StarWars.com: I saw fan art of porgs on Twitter on the same day they were revealed. Fans just seemed to instantly connect with them. Why do you think that is?

Pablo Hidalgo: Ever since that roadside scavenger let out that belch outside Jabba’s palace in Return of the Jedi, the idea that there’s an entire animal kingdom living amid the drama and adventure of the Star Wars saga is a compelling one. Besides, porgs are cute. You fall into those deep, soulful eyes. I think a lot of people are going to want a porg as a pet.
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Dern’s “Star Wars” Character Is Omnisexual?



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John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness from the “Doctor Who” franchise isn’t going to be the only omnisexual space adventurer out there, it looks like he’s about to be joined by Laura Dern’s Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo.

Screen Rant reports that “Leia: Princess of Alderaan,” the upcoming “Star Wars” franchise tie-in novel released this past Force Friday, includes a passage where Dern’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” character Holdo and Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa are joking about inter-species relationships:

“‘A pair of pretty dark eyes.’ Then Amilyn thought about that for a moment. ‘Or more than a pair, if you’re into Grans. Or Aqualish, or Talz. Or even – ‘ ‘That’s all right!’ Leia said through laughter. ‘It’s just humanoid males for me.’ ‘Really? That feels so limiting.’ ‘Thank goodness it’s a big galaxy.'”

Though hinted at in the novel, there’s zero indication that Holdo’s sexuality will be referenced in any way shape or form in Rian Johnson’s film. Last year Disney came under fire in a report from GLAAD about its noted lack of diversity on screen – especially in terms of LGBT characters. Something like this could be seen as an attempted answer to that criticism.

Holdo is one of several new characters introduced for the first time in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” another is Benicio del Toro as the mysterious D.J. and Kelly Marie Tran as a Resistance janitor named Rose Tico.

“Leia: Princess of Alderaan” is now available in book stores, while “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” opens in theaters December 15th.
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Jon Hamm Is Boba Fett… In An Audio Book


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“Mad Men” star Jon Hamm will read the voice of Boba Fett in the upcoming audiobook “From a Certain Point of View”.

The novel brings together more than forty authors for forty stories to tie in with the celebration of Star Wars’ 40th anniversary.

Jonathan Davis, Ashley Eckstein, Janina Gavankar, Neil Patrick Harris, January LaVoy, Saskia Maarleveld, Carol Monda, Daniel Jose Older and Marc Thompson will also provide narration.

The stories will explore background characters from the original “Star Wars” ranging from X-wing pilots to droid-hunting stormtroopers.

“From a Certain Point of View” hits on October 3rd.
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Palpatine Actor Doesn’t Want To Be Recast


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Speaking with BBC News this week, “Star Wars” veteran actor Ian McDiarmid admits that he doesn’t want anyone else playing the role of Emperor Palpatine in future films, and doesn’t know if he’ll be needed for future ones

The actor has taken on the role in all three prequels and the original trilogy entry “Return of the Jedi” where his character was seemingly killed. The character didn’t appear in ‘Rogue One’ and isn’t going to appear in the young Han Solo spin-off film, but there’s a chance he might appear in a future standalone:

“I suppose there must be a chance but I think you’d find out about it more quickly than I would. As far as the new films are concerned, I’m dead. There is no question about that. But there is what they call the anthology series and actually the most recent one, Rogue One, was about the time when I was in charge. I was referred to a few times, Darth Vader popped up, but you did not see me. Maybe they are keeping me as a surprise for later but I have no idea. Of course, I don’t want anyone else to play him.”

The character has been resurrected in comic form in the past and recently there was an unconfirmed rumor of an appearance in ‘The Last Jedi’ but not in a way you’d expect – a rumor that has since been dismissed.

In related news, Ron Howard has posted two photos from the currently filming “Han Solo” film, both shots likely tied to the Spice Mines of Kessel/Kessel Run sequence teased a few days ago.
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
“Star Wars: Episode IX” Wraps All Nine Films?


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Having kicked off the third ‘trilogy’ of the “Star Wars” universe, filmmaker J.J. Abrams is returning to close it out with “Star Wars: Episode IX”. In a new interview with the BBC, he reveals that the plan for the new film will be to take the franchise in a bit of a new direction.

The biggest criticism of Abrams’ “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is that it was essentially a remake of ‘A New Hope’. Asked by the British broadcaster about working on a franchise that has such impact, Abrams says:

“Well, it’s certainly something that I’m aware of now working on Episode IX – coming back into this world after having done Episode VII. I feel like we need to approach this with the same excitement that we had when we were kids, loving what these movies were. And at the same time, we have to take them places that they haven’t gone, and that’s sort of our responsibility. It’s a strange thing – Michael [Giacchino, composer] worked on things like Planet of the Apes and Star Trek and Star Wars, and these are the things of dreams. Yet we can’t just revel in that; we have to go elsewhere.”

Going into further detail, a Reddit post (via Star Wars News Net) from a fan who has photographic proof that he met both Abrams and the film’s screenwriter Chris Terrio and has revealed that the film will not only close out the sequel trilogy but will effectively wrap up the nine film saga with some big callbacks to the prequel trilogy:

“They said that they’re going to be brave and there will be big surprises. I got the impression that JJ felt like he had to refresh previous Star Wars moments for a modern audience in TFA, and now it feels like they have free reign to do what they want. Apparently they’ve had no interference from Kathleen or Pablo or the Lucasfilm Story Group. 9 is also the film which unites all three trilogies and brings everything together. That’s all they would tell me.

I worry a little bit that the questions I was asking were too leading. I was speaking to Chris and he was talking about the OT. I said about how I grew up with the PT and the prequels were my entry point into Star Wars. I asked about elements of the PT coming into 9 and Chris said about how 9 unites all of it. He said 9 definitely makes it feel like they’re all happening in the same universe, and there would be PT elements in 9. They could be visual or thematic – he didn’t overtly say that there would be returning planets or characters from the PT or anything.”

Abrams’ “Star Wars: Episode IX” is currently targeting a May 2019 release.
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Disney Putting Demands On “Last Jedi” Exhibitors


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There’s no doubt that Disney’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is poised to be a box-office titan of gargantuan proportions and one of the year’s biggest films. Combined with their Marvel and Pixar catalog, Disney is easily the biggest film distributor on the planet with immense power – and now they’re exercising it.

A new report in The Wall Street Journal claims that the company is forcing theaters to agree to secret terms which some theater owners dub the most onerous they’ve ever seen.

Those terms include the fact that Disney will receive 65% of revenue from ticket sales, the highest percentage a Hollywood studio has ever demanded (domestically the rate is normally 55-60%). They are also forcing theaters to screen the film in their largest auditorium for at least four weeks (Disney movies typically only require a two week commitment).

If any theater breaks any condition of the agreement, which could include pulling just one screening from the schedule, the studio will charge a 5% penalty fee – uppting their take to a staggering 70% of ticket sale revenue. The agreements were all signed prior to tickets being made available for sale.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” will open on December 15th.
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Oh well. At least Disney aren't being greedy. :emoji_confused:

THE LAST JEDI must be a masterpiece too, for them to be so confident! :emoji_confused:
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Next Decade Of “Star Wars” Being Planned Out



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Just weeks out from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy popped up on the latest episode of The Star Wars Show to discuss working with the Star Wars Story Group and how they’re shaping the future of the franchise beyond J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: Episode IX” in 2019.

Kennedy, who also teased that the conclusion of the animated “Star Wars Rebels” will lead to new things on that front, says plans are being laid out now for where the franchise will go:

“We’re sitting down now, we’re talking about the next ten years of Star Wars stories and we’re looking at narrativly where that might go; future stories beyond Episode 9, with these new characters, Rey, Poe, Finn, BB-8, but we’re also looking at working with people that are interested in coming into the Star Wars world and taking us to places that we haven’t been yet, and that’s exciting too because it’s a vast galaxy far, far away… The possibilities are endless.”

She also took the time to compliment ‘Last Jedi’ director Rian Johnson, one of the few helmers who has shown an innate ability to not only offer strong filmmaking but also work with Kennedy and Lucasfilm without issue:

“Rian Johnson… I don’t have enough accolades to say about him. He just had an amazingly good time every single day. He’s such a huge fan and I think he’s done an exceptional job of taking these new characters and some of the legacy characters and moving us to this next place. And I think there’ll be some surprises that people aren’t expecting. That’s what I think he’s brought to this. He just has such an incredibly fertile imagination. There’s a brief little moment in The Last Jedi where there’s a little Porg and then there’s a little baby Porg next to the Porg… it doesn’t get better than that.”

Reports have swirled about further ‘A Star Wars Story’ films on the way, most notably a Stephen Daldry-directed Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off, but nothing is confirmed at this point.
 

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Rian Johnson To Helm New “Star Wars” Trilogy

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Disney has just closed a deal with “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson to develop a new trilogy of “Star Wars” films.

Johnson will write and direct at least the first of the new films alongside his longtime collaborator Ram Bergman who will produce, and is expected to be involved in some capacity in all three. The new trilogy is confirmed to be separate from the episodic Skywalker saga and will “explore a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored.”

Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, says: “We all loved working with Rian on ‘The Last Jedi. He’s a creative force, and watching him craft ‘The Last Jedi’ from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy.”

Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement: “We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on The Last Jedi/. Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can’t wait to continue with this new series of films.”

No release dates have been set for the new films.



 
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Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
Disney Confirms New “Star Wars” Live-Action Series


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Along with the reveal of Rian Johnson’s new “Star Wars” trilogy, Disney chairman-CEO Bob Iger had another exciting announcement during the company’s quarterly earnings call today.

He says the company is planning a live-action “Star Wars” TV series to air on Disney’s new exclusive entertainment streaming service that is expected to launch by the end of 2019.

He also confirmed TV adaptations of “Monsters Inc.,” “High School Musical” and new original Marvel series are also expected on the service. The future home of Marvel’s existing Netflix series, despite being co-owned by Netflix, could also end up on the new streaming service following a report in the Wall Street Journal about this week’s seemingly scuttled acquisition of Fox by Disney.
 
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