The future of the
Star Wars franchise remains uncertain but things might finally be starting to clear up. In this latest roundup of news relating to the long-running series, we have plenty of new intel on
The Rise of Skywalker (including a big box office update and an impressive VFX reel), but also some hints of what comes next thanks to recent comments from Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor, meanwhile, explains why he's been watching
The Mandalorian and a big update to
Star Wars Battlefront II adds a couple of fan-favourite droids to the game.
Most interesting, though, is the latest word on that big "Project Luminous" reveal coming later this month. While it definitely sounds like it could be a big deal, it also appears as if it won't be what many fans were hoping for (leading to us waiting even longer for an update on big screen plans).
So, for your fix of new Star Wars news, all you guys have to do is click the "Next" button below.
The Future Of Star Wars May Be On Television
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is far from a flop, but it has underperformed at the box office. That could explain why we've heard nothing about what comes next for the franchise on the big screen, and during Disney's recent investors call, Disney CEO Bob Iger pointed to the priority being television now.
Noting that the company may have oversaturated the market in terms of
Star Wars movies, Iger added that Lucasfilm will
"take a bit of a hiatus in terms of theatrical releases." As a result,
"The priority in the next few years is television" as the studio instead focuses on bringing more shows to Disney+.
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker VFX Reel
In this amazing video released by ILM, we see how a number of key sequences were brought to life in
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker through the use of visual effects. The highlights, however, may be seeing how Carrie Fisher was brought back for both those present day scenes and flashbacks.
Ewan McGregor Has Been Watching The Mandalorian
Okay, that's not exactly a massive headline, but there's actually a good reason we're bringing Ewan McGregor's television habits to your attention! You see, it turns out that he's been keeping an eye on the popular Disney+ series as a way of preparing for the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show.
"We're going to start shooting it next year," he confirms in the video above. "I’ve been watching The Mandalorian. I liked it. I really liked it. And I’m just trying to keep abreast of all the new Star Wars films that come out. And I’m excited about it. It’s been a long time. I can’t remember when the last one I did. 2003 I think was the last one I did."
Unfortunately, the different time settings mean that we're unlikely to see any sort of crossovers!
George Lucas' Secret Cameo In The Rise Of Skywalker
According to
Good Morning America, George Lucas makes a cameo in
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker...sort of. Sound designers David Acord and Matt Wood reportedly utilised a scream the filmmaker recorded for 1973's
American Grafitti. "The George," as it's become known, has also been used in
Star Wars movies like
Rogue One and
The Last Jedi so this isn't exactly a huge surprise.
In recent years, "The George" has replaced the iconic "Wilhelm" scream which has been used in dozens of films over the years. It's definitely fitting that the creator of the Star Wars franchise had a presence in this finale but it's hard not to wonder what he thought of the film as we've yet to hear his thoughts on the "Skywalker Saga" finale. Based on past experience, he likely wasn't a fan!
Bryce Dallas Howard Ignored Her Father's Advice For The Mandalorian
Experienced filmmaker Ron Howard was tasked by Lucasfilm to take charge of
Solo: A Star Wars Story after the firing of original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. However, when his daughter -
Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard - took the helm of
The Mandalorian's fourth episode, it seems she declined to listen to his fatherly advice about working in this Galaxy Far, Far Away.
"Strange as it may seem, dad's proud," Howard joked in an interview with
Collider.
"I can now admit, [now] that it's aired, that yes I did [see it before it aired]. I did get to see it early, and I even got to throw in a couple of comments. Most ignored. You know, she is my daughter."
"Why would she listen to anything I say? I thought she did a great job with the episode and learned so much under the tutelage of Jon Favreau, who is doing great work on that show and is incredibly passionate about it." It would be great to see Howard also work on
The Mandalorian, but time will tell on that front as we don't currently know who will be involved with the second season.
Why Bob Iger Believes The Mandalorian Has Been A Hit
During the aforementioned call with investors earlier this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger also shared his thoughts on what he believes has led to The Mandalorian being such a hit on Disney+.
He believes the series not really requiring a prior knowledge of the
Star Wars canon has helped a great deal, particularly in the overseas locations where the streaming service has launched. Iger added that audience members are able to enjoy it because they don't feel like they need to watch all the previous movies, thereby making it accessible to average viewers.
It's a valid point and it will now be interesting seeing how that affects future TV shows.
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker's Box Office Haul
As of this past weekend,
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has made $1,058 billion at the worldwide box office. That means the movie has passed
Rogue One's $1,056 billion total haul.
Honestly, this is not a good result for the final chapter in the "Skywalker Saga," so it's no wonder Disney and Lucasfilm are now going back to the drawing board for what comes next.
BB-8 Comes To Star Wars Battlefront II
BB-8 and his evil doppelganger BB-9E have arrived in
Star Wars Battlefront II and based on the gameplay video above, it's fair to say that they're going to make this game even more enjoyable!
Videos of players using the droids to take out
Battlefront II's Jedi characters have already started going viral and these updates from EA are definitely helping to ensure this game retains playability.
A Huge Project Luminous Update
There's been a lot of speculation about "Project Luminous" and we've been hearing rumours that the mentions of a High Republic Era will be the setting for future movies and TV shows.
Well, that's clearly not the case as it's now been confirmed that these tales will instead be told through Lucasfilm's publishing houses (meaning books and TV shows and nothing more).
This could still be pretty cool, but it's definitely not the announcement fans were hoping for.
The Mandalorian's Imperial Troop Transport
STAR WARS: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION IMPERIAL TROOP TRANSPORT Vehicle
(HASBRO/Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $69.99/Available: Spring 2020)
The IMPERIAL TROOP TRANSPORT was used to move the Empire’s soldiers from location to location. This STAR WARS: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION IMPERIAL TROOP TRANSPORT vehicle is inspired by the vehicles seen in THE MANDALORIAN live-action TV series on Disney Plus. With realistic detail including a removable roof, opening doors, fold-down seating, swiveling turret, and blaster storage, this vehicle can be displayed in action figure and vehicle collections. Available for pre-order at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Dorkside Toys, Big Bad Toy Store, Entertainment Earth.