Carrie Fisher, aka Princess Leia, came out from under the heavens giving her hilariously light-hearted thoughts on the future of Star Wars and whatever came of Leia and Han Solo. Episode VII writer-apparent, Michael Arndt may want to take a peek at what Her Celestial Highness has to say about the character she first brought to the Galaxies, way back in the late '70s, and a tidbit or two on where to go from here.
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The desire to dress up in skimpy sci-fi costumes is strong in AnnaLynne McCord. The Insider.com posted a curious photo gallery of the 90210 actress in a number of odd get-ups from the show, including a shot from next week's episode in which she dresses up in a replica of the famous metallic bikini that Carrie Fisher wore in Return of the Jedi. more »
Lincoln took the spotlight at a rainy premiere Thursday night, closing out AFI Fest 2012. But whispers of Star Wars made their way to the red carpet. Steve Spielberg, however, took the speculation head-on, saying he won't direct any future Star Wars installments.
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Whether you love or hate the idea of Disney acquiring and expanding the Star Wars franchise, you can't say the House of Mouse isn't treating Episode VII like the prestige project is deserves to be. Vulture reports that screenwriter Michael Arndt, who won an Oscar for his Little Miss Sunshine script, and was nominated for another with Toy Story 3, is the leading candidate to write the new Star Wars script more »
What do you do when going from being raised on a walnut ranch to launching some of the biggest movie franchises of all time spanning decades and then selling your film company for billions to Disney? Well, one might try making "little personal films" for one.
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Yes, Mara Jade, it's possible for Harrison Ford to be "open to the idea" of reprising his role as Han Solo in Disney's Star Wars Episode VII and still hate the character, as Movieline noted back in 2010. The key here is that the actor may finally get the opportunity to kill off the character that has bedeviled him throughout his auspicious career, which is something he wanted back in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. more »
Star Wars fans worldwide learned Tuesday the celestial shattering news that George Lucas had sold Lucasfilm, and its most famous offspring to Disney for $4.05 billion. That news even surprised none other than Luke Skywalker himself. Actor Mark Hamill said he was surprised by the news, though he and fellow Star Wars veteran Carrie Fisher had met with Lucas who told them he wanted to do additional episodes in the decades-long franchise.
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Get ready for more Star Wars, and possibly further incarnations of your favorite George Lucas properties: The Walt Disney Company is buying LucasFilm for $4.05 billion, with plans to release Star Wars: Episode 7 in 2015. Great idea, or "Nooooooo!" worthy? Weigh in, Movieliners! [UPDATE: Disney head Bob Iger says Disney's planning Star Wars 8 and 9 to follow.]
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The Farce is still strong in Seth Green and Matt Senreich. The boy geniuses behind Adult Swim's Robot Chicken series joined collaborator Todd Grimes at Star Wars Celebration VI on Friday to unveil footage of their new animated series Star Wars: Detours. IGN reports that the comedic CGI animated series — which depicts the very familiar Star Wars crew in "exaggerated Chibi/super deformed style" (translation for the uninitiated: small bodies, massive heads) — takes place in-between Episodes III and IV of George Lucas' Star Wars canon and will focus on the what these characters do in their downtime. more »
Finally, a Wookiee-centric Star Wars vehicle that could get some actual laughs. Anyone who's actually sat through The Star Wars Holiday Special should welcome a report by The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog that Fanboys director Kyle Newman is developing Chewie, a spec script by Evan Susser and Van Robichaux that is reportedly a tongue-in-cheek look at the making of Star Wars through the eyes of Peter Mayhew, the seven-foot-three-inch hospital worker who donned a fur suit and became one of the most memorable sci-fi/fantasy sidekicks of all time.
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The other day at the weapons check table, where costumed attendees must have their (mostly) fake light sabers and guns and knives inspected and tagged, a Comic-Con security officer summed up cosplay culture during the Con to me: Folks don their costumes at home thinking they'll stand out in the crowd, only to arrive at the Convention Center and see that uniqueness is almost pedestrian here in San Diego — if only for this one wondrous weekend in July. So what's the secret to crafting a truly Tweet-worthy, next-level costume?
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Start your day with perhaps the closest read in the history of close reads: Joss Whedon's history as a writer for Roseanne: "Whedon really plants his pop culture flag, however, in House of Grown-ups with the arrival of a new, high-tech VCR. (Like the discussion about pornography, it’s a tangential detail that Whedon seems to enjoy more than the actual plot.) We get a fun run of Darlene wanting to rent 'Lethal Weapon 2, Jaws 3, and Nightmare on Elm Street 4,' John Goodman busts out an impressions of Dirty Harry, and Roseanne proclaims her love for Doctor Zhivago. And, for the ultimate Whedon touch, when nobody can agree on what to rent, what film finally unites everyone? Star Wars." [Splitsider]
Star Wars opened 35 years ago today, which prompted Movieline pal Mike Ryan to probe the memories of contemporary filmmakers for a collective glimpse at the film's towering influence. It's a pretty diverse sample, from Jon Favreau to Diablo Cody to Gary Ross to Simon Pegg, but for my money, nothing beats Eli Roth's illustrated Star Wars comics... from age 8.
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This week marks the big screen return of Will Smith — Hollywood’s most bankable star — after a four year absence from acting, during which time the erstwhile Fresh Prince refocused his personal pursuit of happiness: namely, producing the burgeoning entertainment careers of kids Jaden and Willow Smith, while fine-tuning his own career. So where do you go when you’re already on top — or were, a few films ago? Back to the blockbuster well, if you’re Smith, whose Men in Black 3 headlines the latest step in a lifetime career plan that, he describes, began when he was just a kid himself.
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"Midnight showings were conceived as a way to reward the most ravenous consumers and offer a two hour block in which their anticipated movie could be enjoyed alongside the small contingent of people who actually gave a shit as much as they did. They were niche activities, like nudist weekends or snake-handling conventions. Every fat dude with a Jabba The Hutt mask in a thirty mile radius was honored for one night with an evening to argue about who shot first, and within that small window of time, those fat dudes with stains on their signed R2D2 medium t-shirt didn’t have to feel like the weirdos. They were among friends. Sadly, over the past few years, the policy that allowed that escape has changed to welcome every Han, Luke and Lando with even a passing interest into the screenings. The result is an atmosphere filled with people who, on average, care far less." [Cinema Blend]
