Today is May 4th and you know what that means: it’s Star Wars Day! To celebrate the annual occasion, Disney dropped this incredibly adorable version of The Force Awakens…as told by emoji! In under four minutes, the cute clip breaks down the seventh installment in the Star Wars franchise, hitting most of the major beats of the film. Rey, Finn, Poe, Kylo Ren, Han Solo, and the rest of your characters pop up throughout in emoji form, and the animation makes fun use of GIFs, apps, and recognizable iDevices. Enjoy, and May the Fourth Be With You!
Now, those of you who picked up a copy of John Williams’ score from The Force Awakens likely scratched your head and went, Huh, where’s the new Cantina song? Well, here it is now! In honor of Star Wars Day, Lucasfilm is finally making “Jabba Flow” available to stream and purchase. The track is written and performed by director J.J. Abrams and Hamilton creator and star Lin Manuel Miranda. Watch them perform it live, for the first time ever, in a video recorded earlier today; it’s embedded below. Continue reading Star Wars Day: Emojis tell ‘The Force Awakens’, and J.J. Abrams & Lin Manuel Miranda perform the new Cantina song→
Chewie, you’re coming home. Disney’s announced that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will become available to own next month. It initially rolls out across digital platforms on April 1, followed by Blu-ray and DVD releases on April 5. A 3D version is also in the works for those of you with capable living room setups. Both the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack and DVD releases will come packaged with lots of bonus content including a behind-the-scenes making-of documentary including exclusive interviews with the cast and filmmakers. For the full breakdown of bonus content, which also includes deleted scenes and featurettes on building BB-8 and an inside look at John Williams crafting the iconic score, pop after the break.
Now here comes some more good news (or sour news), depending on your perspective. Disney is teaming up with retailers Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and its own Disney Store to offer fans even more exclusive bonus content. Each retailer offers unique collector’s packaging and special goodies inside. For example, Target’s includes 20 minutes of new content including exclusive interviews with the cast and a special look at the movie’s costumes and weaponry. The Disney Store, on the other hand, is including a limited lithograph set inside. All of this extra stuff is welcome, but retailer-exclusives pretty much forces fans and collectors to hunt down various copies of the same movie! Be sure to click after the break where you’ll find images of these bundles and links to order them.
J.J. Abrams latest resurrection was a box office smash, breaking records left and right. It’s most significant record has to be outpacing James Cameron’s Avatar to become the highest grossing domestic film of all time. It raked in $928.79 million in North America (compared to Avatar‘s $760.51 million). It could not, however, steal the golden crown from Avatar. Cameron’s technological marvel performed better internationally and that amounted to a worldwide gross of $2.79 billion. The Force Awakens ended up resting at a still wildly impressive $2.05 billion overall gross. Continue reading ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ comes home in April with bonus content galore→
The new Star Wars is just a little over a month away from hitting theatres–can you believe it?! To satiate fans’ eager anticipation, Disney and Lucasfilm have released the official poster for J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens as well as the official full-length theatrical trailers that clocks in at 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Eye the poster above, and watch the new trailer after the break.
On a slightly depressing note, said poster is surprisingly not illustrated by iconic artist Drew Struzman. Special effects master and my friend Greg Aronowitz says it like it is in his latest blog post titled, “You disappoint me, Disney.” Though I didn’t grow up with Star Wars, I empathize with Greg’s ultimate grief over Disney attempt at replicating Struzman’s work as opposed to simply using it.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens December 18.
Update (11/4): Today a slew of new posters hit the ‘Net, each featuring a major player from The Force Awakens. Newbies Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) look fiercely confident with their respective staff and blue-bladed lightsaber. Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver lightsaber emits a sinister red hue. And then, of course, we have our returning franchise veterans, Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford); thanks to some fancy photoshop, they both have aged incredibly well. All in all, I’m definitely digging the design motif here–the left side of each poster draws a distinct vertical line. What can it mean? Also, where’s Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)? Here’s not here, and he isn’t even positioned in the official theatrical poster posted above even though everybody else is. Abrams certainly has a trick up his sleeve here, and I can’t wait to get to the bottom of this mystery. Eye the new character posters in the gallery below.
Update 2 (11/6): Another new trailer–this one’s international and is targeted towards the Japanese audience–has landed and it features new, never-before-seen footage. What are you waiting for–it’s embedded after the break!
Update 3 (12/5): A sixth character poster starring the third hero newbie is here! Eye Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron in the gallery below. Notice that the X-Wing fighter’s portrait does not mimic the others; he prefers flying machines to lightsabers, after all.
We’re a mere three months out from stepping into a new chapter in the Star Wars universe. In an effort to ramp up anticipation of The Force Awakens(as if everything else hasn’t already), Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm have branded today “Force Friday,” a day to celebrate all things Star Wars with officially licensed products including toys, collectibles, gadgets, you name it. Retailers nationwide are selling brand new Star Wars stuff, and perhaps the most coveted of them all is the app-enabled droid BB-8 from Sphero.
Sphero, the company behind app-controlled spherical robots, was chosen by Disney and Lucasfilm to imagine and produce an interactive iteration of everyone’s favorite Astromech Droid, BB-8. Though little is known about this cute little droid who’s set to make his debut in The Force Awakens, Star Wars fans worldwide immediately embraced BB-8 following its impressive stage presence at this summer’s Star Wars Celebration. BB-8 is director J.J. Abrams’ shining example of how he’s following in George Lucas’ early footsteps using practical effects above CGI ones where possible. BB-8 looks like a giant soccer ball with an R2D2-like head magically balancing on atop its body. The droid stunned the crowd at Celebration, and now, thanks to Sphero’s handiwork, you can call BB-8 your own.
The BB-8 toy is significantly smaller than its movie character counterpart, fitting in the palm of your hand. Pair it with your phone via Bluetooth and you’re in control of its movements. A free companion app on iOS and Android allows you to guide it around, a patrol mode makes it roam around your space autonomously, and a message mode lets you create, send, and share holographic videos (the droid does not actually beam out holograms, mind you; you’ll see the augmented reality images displayed on your phone or tablet). Gyroscopic propulsion and magnets make the magic happen. Be careful, though; BB-8’s head will fly off if you slam it into a wall hard enough or accidentally drop it from an elevated surface. Battery life is listed at an hour, and it comes bundled with an inductive charging cradle. The coolest bit? Sphero says its BB-8 has an “adaptive personality that changes as you play.” Its got a range of expressions and sounds, and it’ll perk up when you give voice commands.
What will all this tech cost you? Sphero’s newest robotic toy is a pricey $149.99, and it’s available today. Good luck tracking one down, though. BB-8 is the new Tickle-Me-Elmo, if you know what I mean. Sphero sells it on its website, and major retailers carry it, too.
It’s a funny thing, really. Though little was divulged in terms of new announcements at the Star Wars panel at San Diego Comic Con 2015, it turned out to be the most amazing Con experience and one I will never forget.
A packed Hall H chants “Let’s go Star Wars!” and claps as if we were at a sporting event. Only at Comic Con, am I right? In time, moderator Chris Hardwick (the Talking Dead host and Nerdist leader was everywhere this year!) came out to introduce producer Kathleen Kennedy of Lucasfilm, director J.J. Abrams, and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan. Abrams talked up Episode VII‘s reliance on practical effects over CGI, and he made a point by bringing out a new character named Bobba Joe. The creature, operated magically by five people, managed to walk across the stage twice without falling over or bumping into anything. The oversized puppet really impressed the audience with its finesse. Abrams says to expect many characters like this in the film.
“We aren’t ready to show you scenes from the movie or a new trailer, but we wanted to bring something that was as unique and unexpected as we could,” Abrams told the crowd. The behind-the-scenes reel shown to panel attendees brought tears to many eyes–it encapsulates the sheer force of the Star Wars franchise and does a great job of sharing the level of detail and blood, sweat, and tears that Abrams and co. are putting into this thing. Also, Simon Pegg pops up in a surprise cameo! You can watch nearly 4-minute clip after the break.
The cast came out next. Our three heroes John Boyega (Finn), Daisy Ridley (Rey), and Oscar Isaacs (Poe Dameron) and then the villains Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), and Gwendolyn Christie (Captain Phasma) and then the legacy players Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and Harrison Ford (Han Solo). And yes, the crowd went more than wild at the sight of all this talent, especially when Mr. Ford entered the scene. He received the biggest standing ovation by a mile. Gleeson accidentally leaked the name of the villains’ base: Starkiller Base. Beyond that, nothing new was announced here. A handful of first-looks at practical effects characters were displayed, and you can see those in the gallery.
Just as the panel felt like it was wrapping up, Abrams said this: “Who wants to go see a live Star Wars concert right now? We only have room for all of you. We are literally all going to walk to a location together and experience a Star Wars concert tonight.” It’s hard to describe the rush I felt along with everyone else there. It was like a wave of excitement crashed into the crowd and all of sudden we were all high on life all at once. And with that, the entire Hall H–over 6,000 people–proceeded to collect their belongings and follow a procession of Stormtroopers to the Embarcadero Marina Park South where the San Diego Symphony was waiting to perform selections from the iconic Star Wars score. The walk took about 45 minutes or so, but that wasn’t a problem for anyone. With our exclusive lanyards we walked proudly behind the convention center and slowly made our way to the secret venue on the water. Once everyone was situated with free colored lightsabers, Abrams and the entire cast came out again to introduce the symphony. Composer John Williams wasn’t on hand, unfortunately, but he did pre-record a message wishing the fans a good time and “May the force be with you.” The sun set, the music played beautifully against a backdrop consisting of classic scenes spanning all six films, and just when we all thought it couldn’t get any better, fireworks exploded in the sky just as the Star Wars main theme kicked in at the end of the concert. A rainbow of lightsabers showered the symphony with love.
This was truly a shared experience to cherish for a lifetime.
Just in time to celebrate Star Wars Day–May the Fourth be with you all–Vanity Fair has pushed out its cover for their upcoming June issue and look above to see who’s adorning it: from L-R there’s John Boyega as Stormtrooper Finn, the completely real and not-CGI new droid BB-8, Daisy Ridley as scavenger Rey, Peter Mayhew’s Chewie, and Harrison Ford back as Han Solo. Famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz was invited to the Force Awakens‘ set to snap the pic.
For more, head over to Vanity Fair. At the bottom of the page you’ll discover a photo gallery packed with never-before-seen looks at Oscar Isaac’s X-Wing pilot Poe Dameron, Game of Thrones‘ Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, 12 Years A Slave‘s Lupita Nyong’o as CGI’d character Maz Kanata, Girls‘ Adam Driver as baddie Kylo Ren, and more. The preceding article is also worth a read; in it, director J.J. Abrams teases an Easter Egg death for Jar Jar Binks, and he also reiterates his reliance on practical effects. Also, there’s video following Leibovitz on set!
Want a copy of the Star Wars-themed Vanity Fair to display on your coffee table? The June issue hits newsstands nationwide on Tuesday, May 12. Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theatres December 18.
Today at the Star Wars Celebration convention in Anaheim, California, director J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy unveiled the latest teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Tons of fans present at the event exploded in excitement over the new one minute fifty-nine second teaser, and now you can too; go on, don’t hesitate, mash play above and let all of its glory wash over you! Done? Watch it again.
A few things to note. That is original Star Wars star Mark Hamill providing voice-over during the first half of the teaser; his lines are directly plucked from Return of the Jedi when he’s revealing to Leia that Darth Vader is his father. “The force is strong in my family,” says Hamill’s Luke Skywalker. “My father has it. I have it. My sister has it.” The line that comes next is new: “And you have the power, too.” We’re left to assume here that Luke is talking to a next-generation Skywalker in The Force Awakens, but neither Abrams nor Kennedy would confirm. Seeing Darth Vader’s utterly maligned helmet here is a striking image that I know will sit with me for some time.
What else? Referring to the desert world that made its debut in the first teaser, Abrams confirmed it is not Luke Skywalker’s home of Tattoine, but instead an entirely new world called Jakku. These expansive, beautiful sequences were filmed in the deserts of Abu Dhabi.
The latter half of the panel introduced new franchise stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac. Respectively they play a scavenger named Rey, a Stormtrooper named Finn, and an X-Wing pilot named Poe Dameron. Though plot details are still being tightly kept under wraps, Abrams allowed each of them to briefly let some character details fly.
“We discover Rey on the desert planet Jakku,” Ridley shared with the crowd. “She is a scavenger in a ship graveyard. She’s completely self-sufficient and does everything for herself, until she meets another character and an adventure begins.” Boyega picks up and says, “When we find Finn, he’s in incredible danger. The way he decides to react changes his life and launches him into the Star Wars universe in a unique way.” Issac goes on to describe Dameron like this: “He’s the best fricking pilot in the galaxy, that’s who he is! He’s been sent on a mission by a certain princess. He comes across Mr. John Boyega’s character and their fates are forever intertwined.”
Making fun surprise appearances today were R2-D2 and the new droid BB-8. Though The Force Awakens admittedly uses lots of green screen for its special effects, Abrams reiterated his film’s reliance on practical effects and BB8 is a prime example of that. “We talked about how having a CGI BB-8 would be easier,” Abrams noted. “But we thought it would be better for the actors and the performances to have the real thing.” The director is taking a cue from Star Wars creator George Lucas’s playbook here; the original trilogy took advantage of robotics and advanced puppetry to pull off some of the most inventive and impressive stunts in cinematic history. Sounds like J.J. is on board with that, too. Watch BB-8 in action on stage right here.
The trailer ends with perhaps the most exciting bit yet: Han Solo and Chewbacca return in fleetingly grand fashion and ignite the nostalgic part of our collective brains. “Chewie, we’re home,” Han positively snarls, which is then followed by the lovable Wookiee’s signature roar. Though Han’s portrayer Harrison Ford wasn’t on hand at the event, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, and Peter Mayhew showed up to express their ultimate gratitude for the generations of passionate Star Wars fans. “I have a simple message: a simple thank you,” Hamill gushed. “If it weren’t for all the UPFs—Ultra Passionate Fans—we wouldn’t be here. It never ceases to amaze me.”
It’s here, and it’s glorious. Today director J.J. Abrams released upon the world his vision for Star Wars. Tatooine? Droids! Stormtropers! A landspeeder? X-wing starfighters! A triple-bladed lightsaber! TIE fighters? The Millennium Falcon! John Williams’ iconic score! A Sith (?) foreboding the reawakening of the Force: “There has been an awakening. Have you felt it? The Dark side…and the Light.”
The 88-second teaser takes no time to prove its might; it is extremely effective in teasing the seventh episode in the Star Wars saga. It injects the classic Star Wars universe with fresh characters (see John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, and is that Adam Driver as the shadowy villain?), potential new worlds (I’m pretty certain the desert world is Tattoine, but what about those water and icey worlds?), and a visual style that grounds CG animation with practical finesse (how fantastically gritty is that Stormtrooper reveal sequence at 0:32!). The flashy clip does raise more questions than answers, doesn’t it? Why is Boyega wearing a Stormstrooper suit? Is he actually playing a baddie, or is he taking a cue from the Luke/Han playbook and simply impersonating one? Better question: Why are Imperial Stromtroopers still around, and more, why are TIE fighters still flying the skies chasing after X-wing starfighters? At the end of Return of the Jedi our heroes defeated the Galactic Empire, right? Or perhaps they merely put a major dent in it and now, after many years have passed, The Empire will rise again with a new villain at the helm. The timing is on point: The Force, which apparently has been in a slumber, is making a comeback and both the Dark side and the Light will battle for supremacy again. Please share your theories in the comments section below!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, also starring Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow and original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker, opens December 18th, 2015.
