Happy Sunday, and welcome to a different version of “This Week, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away“. First of all, thanks to everybody who has been maintaining with this weekly collection of articles recapping the most recent within the Star Wars galaxy. I’ve been having a lot enjoyable writing them, and your assist for the final version has inspired me to maintain them coming! Please share with your mates when you take pleasure in it, and don’t be shy: Let me know what works, what doesn’t, and pitch any concepts you’ll have.
It’s been a comparatively quiet week within the Star Wars galaxy, a minimum of in comparison with final week, however we nonetheless had fairly a number of of fascinating quotes from a number of individuals tied to the franchise. Let’s break all of it down, starting with three headlines you’ll have missed.
Three Things That May Have Flown Casual
- Legendary VFX artist Marc Thorpe, who labored on The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Indiana Jones, handed away final week. Our condolences to his household and associates. He might be missed.
- Everyone desires a job: Vanessa Marshall mentioned at this yr’s Fan Expo in San Francisco that she’d like to play Mara Jade in live-action. I discovered this particularly fascinating since George Lucas famously hated the character. For that cause, I don’t see Dave Filoni ever introducing her, however possibly I’m improper! Let me know your ideas under. Also, Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki desires to make a Star Wars film (I imply, who doesn’t!) Have you seen that movie, and do you suppose he’d be a great match? Let me know your ideas!
- We bought an unique take a look at Dark Horse’s Hyperspace Stories #12 this week, test it out right here.
Quote of the Week
Bob Iger doesn’t need Disney to change into a (insert your greatest Ron DeSantis impression) “woke-ocracy.” Before we transfer on, enable me to ask those that will fireplace up the remark part complaining about this subject to please begin your reply by defining the time period “woke,” simply so we’re all on the identical web page. (Warning: Comments are moderated and people stuffed with misogynist, racist, homophobic, or general hateful remarks might be taken down.)
Iger, who apparently didn’t get the memo that he’s inflicting a PR nightmare each time he opens his mouth as of late, lately appeared at The New York Times DealBook Summit this week, the place he had an fascinating chat with NYT‘s Andrew Ross Sorkin. Iger voiced some noteworthy opinions concerning the present state of Disney — he even took up the possibility to (very politely) throw Bob Chapek below the bus a few instances.
When requested about complaints concerning Disney “going woke” in recent times, Iger mentioned the next:
“Creators overlooked what their No. 1 goal wanted to be. We should entertain first. It’s not about messages.
We have entertained with values and with having a optimistic affect on the world in many alternative methods. Black Panther is a superb instance of that. I like having the ability to entertain when you can infuse it with optimistic messages and have a great affect on the world. Fantastic. But that shouldn’t be the target. When I got here again, what I’ve actually tried to do is to return to our roots.”
He’s clearly referring to initiatives like The Little Mermaid (which, as I argued in my evaluate on Movie News Net, ought to have leaned extra into the truth that they’d a Black lead), and maybe most significantly Strange World (which I additionally suppose lacked the required advertising). However, this remark may additionally have Star Wars ramifications within the not-so-distant future.
I’m already making ready myself for a giant advertising push centered on The Acolyte being probably the most various Star Wars challenge ever — and although that’s one thing to be celebrated, I’m not a fan of promoting a film or TV present on the ethnicity or sexual orientation of its lead actors. It can really feel like an affordable transfer and one we’ve seen loads of in recent times (e.g. come see Blue Beetle, the primary Latino-led superhero film! Well…) I’d relatively a film or present be bought on a great and most significantly, recent story, which The Acolyte appears to have.
Iger’s feedback are particularly related in the case of The Acolyte. He signed off on its improvement within the remaining days of his first tenure, however it was below Chapek that Headland began casting it with largely minority actors. I don’t count on the primary narrative of the present to deal with inclusiveness, however will Iger consider they need to have centered on “leisure over messaging” if the present fails on Disney Plus? (Which, for the document, I don’t suppose will occur.)
Ten Years Ago This Week in Star Wars…
We’ll speak about vacation presents from Lucasfilm in a minute, however it was enjoyable to look again this week on the first huge one from Disney. Barely two years after they acquired the corporate from George Lucas, Disney launched throughout Thanksgiving 2014 the first-ever teaser trailer for The Force Awakens, that includes our first take a look at Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren (and his crossguard lightsaber). People screamed, minds had been melted, and 13 months later the movie grossed over $2 billion on the field workplace.
The hype was unreal. 2015 was a time to be alive as a Star Wars fan. It’s clear the model is just not in the identical place right this moment, even when I’ve been clamoring for an additional movie in theaters for years. However, as I discussed throughout this Thursday’s episode of SWNN Live!, Lucasfilm certain is aware of the best way to put collectively an excellent trailer. Those followers we’ve misplaced since, we could by no means get again, particularly for a movie led by Daisy Ridley’s Rey, and possibly that’s okay.
But come on, these of us who’re excited will lose our minds over it, and people who are on the fence will in all probability be swayed by an excellent promo. I’m particularly trying ahead to the advertising hype, maybe much more than the precise movie. And most significantly, a few of those that don’t know what’s taking place might be bought as a result of they had been seven years previous when The Force Awakens got here out they usually grew up with Rey.
Speaking of The Force Awakens, we had the first assertion from Adam Driver on Star Wars this week in two years. It’s loopy to suppose that, since I joined Star Wars News Net again in April 2020, that is the second time we’ve run a quote from him on the positioning. He mentioned:
“I took it actually critically and considered it loads. I used to be very on the fence. I used to be conscious that it was an excellent alternative and I didn’t need to be in it and be unhealthy. Lots of people had been gonna watch it, I used to be a fan of these films…”
I like this quote loads, as a result of we frequently have a tendency to consider Adam Driver as the primary one that was desirous to get off of the Star Wars practice, who possibly considered it as a automobile to larger issues. And whereas there may be some stage of cynicism by way of which we are able to interpret this quote, I select to consider that he, because the meticulous actor he’s, was actually on the fence as a result of he was equally excited and terrified to affix such a beloved franchise. He, maybe greater than anybody in these movies, made the function his personal — largely due to the sheer physicality he dropped at it. I don’t suppose we’ll get him again as Ben Solo, ever, which is another excuse why these movies might be much more particular to me.
Will We Have a Star Wars Holiday Gift?
Ever since Disney purchased Lucasfilm again in 2012, we’ve had a minimum of one main piece of reports from the franchise each vacation season, apart from 2018. That ranges from the discharge of latest theatrical function movies or Disney Plus collection in December, to the announcement of a full lineup of reveals and films within the now-infamous Disney Investors Day 2020 (I’ll have loads extra to say on this on subsequent week’s version, so keep tuned!)
Last yr, it might not have been that important, however we bought a short showcase from Disney Plus of their 2023 programming, which included the first appears at Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew. As we enter the primary week of December, it’s time for us to begin speculating on what this yr’s “present” could also be. Is it going to be a serious piece of reports, like reporter Jeff Sneider lately hinted at in The Hot Mic podcast, or maybe a brand-new take a look at a number of the collection popping out subsequent yr?
I are likely to lean in the direction of the second choice, largely as a result of I can’t fairly fathom what the information at this time limit could also be. The firm is making an attempt to get well from the fallout of the strike and might be reviewing the primary draft of Steven Knight’s script for the Daisy Ridley-led function movie. That movie, which is tentatively anticipated to begin taking pictures subsequent yr, continues to be early on within the course of to be able to announce any casting information…aside from, possibly, John Boyega’s return? Even that appears unlikely at this level, and it’s nonetheless too early for them to have selected a title or a emblem.
However, Disney Plus does like their “subsequent yr” teases, and it looks as if a great time to get a few of that. At least, in 2023 they didn’t idiot anybody with their “Disney Plus Day” fiasco. Jennifer Corbett, head author and EP of The Bad Batch, lately teased that progress is full steam forward — possible as a result of they had been in a position to wrap voice recordings pre-strike they usually’ve had a while to get forward of the in-franchise competitors. Even placing apart an general streaming platform advert that features the third and remaining season of the The Clone Wars spin-off, I might see a launch window announcement and the general public launch of the teaser trailer we bought to see at Star Wars Celebration.
However, this additionally looks as if the right time to begin selling The Acolyte. We don’t want a lot, not even the one-minute teaser that was unique to the conference — very similar to Ahsoka final yr, we’d be proud of only a fast cash shot inside a bigger Disney Plus advert. The similar goes for Andor season 2.
And what of Skeleton Crew? This is the massive query at Lucasfilm in the meanwhile. The firm has been particularly cautious with its public messaging about it post-Celebration. I didn’t get to see the trailer in London, however the phrase that got here out of that panel was that it was extra kid-oriented than a lot of the current live-action initiatives. Are they involved about it, particularly following a blended reception to The Mandalorian season 3?
I do consider they’ve loads of religion in The Acolyte and Andor, and although I’m not tremendous enthusiastic about Skeleton Crew, having a present led by Jude Law as a Force-wielder and with an episode directed by the Daniels (Everything Everywhere All at Once) ought to be sufficient to a minimum of generate some inner hype. The present filed a Copyright utility in July, proper earlier than the SAG-AFTRA strike began, through which they mentioned they deliberate to have it completed by December. That tells me that, earlier than the summer time, they didn’t have plans for important reshoots.
Did they possibly change their considering? Another risk is that they’re relying on the household enchantment of the present, they usually need it to return out throughout the vacation season. Perhaps they couldn’t make it in time for the tip of 2023 and have determined to sit down on it for a number of extra months. (Yes, that is wishful considering.)
Jocasta Nu’s Reading List
- Star Wars News Net: Jay Goodearl highlights some current idea artwork designs from the High Republic posted by StarWars.com this week.
- Screen Rant: Molly Brizzell goes deep into how The Mandalorian season 3 seemingly fastened a continuity error tied to Din’s backstory. Was that intentional, unintentional, or was it by no means a problem? You let me know!
- MovieWeb: Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron might have been an excellent character, however Kyle Kruske thinks he was tanked by poor writing. While I’m a fan of the sequels, it’s arduous to not see how the main target was largely placed on Rey and Kylo, whereas different characters didn’t get as a lot time spent on their arcs.
- SlashFilm: This isn’t notably new, however Bryan Young thought it’d be a great time to revisit a number of the quotes from George Lucas and Dave Filoni about how the Force, and midichlorians, work.
- Movie News Net: Shameless, non-Star Wars plug right here, however be at liberty to take a look at my evaluate of Netflix’s May December, now accessible to stream!
What did you consider the most recent version of “This Week, In a Galaxy Far, Far Away”? Let me know your ideas and ideas down under within the remark part. You can even ship them, or attain out with any data suggestions, immediately by way of our Contact web page.
Have an excellent week!
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish pupil that has films as his second ardour in life. His favourite film of all time is The Lord of the Rings, however he’s additionally an enormous Star Wars fan. However, fantasy films aren’t his solely cup of tea, as films from Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he began to know the language of filmmaking. He is that man who will watch a black and white film, simply because it’s in black and white.
