Author Archives: Jacob Burdis

Boba Fett lives! Fett: 1 Sarlacc: 0

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Boba Fett escapes his encounter with the Sarlacc Pit in ROTJ via Wookieepedia

Boba Fett escapes his encounter with the Sarlacc Pit in ROTJ via Wookieepedia

 

Boba Fett has arguably been one of the most favorite characters of ‘Star Wars’ fans since he first appeared in the lackluster ‘Star Wars Holiday Special.’ Hardcore fans know that Fett’s journey didn’t end with him falling in the Sarlacc pit in ‘Return of the Jedi.’ He would go on to become an integral part of the ‘Star Wars’ expanded universe. While he has appeared in a plethora of material in the expanded universe, there was always a small hint of doubt that he actually lived on. ‘Star Wars’ used to be broken into different levels of canon, and Fett’s adventures after ‘Return of the Jedi’ were never set in stone. Then, earlier this year, the expanded universe rebooted and was labeled “Legends.” This set the hundreds of novels, comic books, and other materiel in an “alternate universe” of sorts; and sealed the fate of many beloved characters.

 

Flash forward to today. J.W. Rinzler, a ‘Star Wars’ historian and writer known for his many books that chronicle the history of the franchise, conducted an “Ask Me Anything” session on social media site, Reddit. Rinzler was asked point-blank whether Boba Fett survived his apparent demise in ‘Return of the Jedi.’ His reply brings hope to the ‘Star Wars’ universe. “Yes, he does,” Rinzler stated, “I have been in meetings with George where he confirms that Fett survived. If it comes from George then it’s true!”

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Marvel announces first ‘Star Wars’ release for January 2015

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As many ‘Star Wars’ fans know, there have been many changes to the franchise since Disney bought it back in 2012. One of those changes was the announcement earlier this year that Marvel would take over the licensing for ‘Star Wars’ comics. Dark Horse Comics has had the license and has published superb content since 1991. Older fans will remember that Marvel actually held the initial license for the comics from 1977 to 1986. Many fans view this as ‘Star Wars’ returning to its original owner, at least as far as comics are concerned.

Today, Marvel announced their very first project in their return to ‘Star Wars’ with an announcement on the official ‘Star Wars’ website, titled ‘Star Wars: The Original Marvel Years.’ Perhaps jumping on the success of the Dark Horse Comics ‘omnibus’ series, Marvel flaunts the release of their own oversized collection. They will be “re-presenting those original adventures in its over-sized Omnibus format.” The book will contain issues #1-44, plus Annual #1, of the original ‘Star Wars’ run with Marvel. Axel Alonso, Marvel editor in chief, said the following: “I am extremely proud to present these original Star Wars stories, told as only Marvel can, in the first in a massive and glorious Omnibus series.”

 

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‘Star Wars: The Original Marvel Years’ via StarWars.com

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Hallmark announced new ‘Star Wars’ Christmas ornaments

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As summer heats up, ‘Star Wars’ fans often can’t help but look forward to one of our favorite times of year: Christmas. Christmas time is a treasured time for ‘Star Wars’ fans, and usually have fond memories of unwrapping toys from their favorite galaxy far, far away as children. ‘Star Wars’ ornaments have also been a staple of the fandom over the years as well. Adhering to the belief that it’s never too early to be thinking about the holidays, Star Wars and Hallmark released an exciting announcement last Friday.

"Yoda Peekbuster" via StarWars.com

“Yoda Peekbuster” via StarWars.com

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Boba Fett torches zombies on Reddit

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reddit

Earlier today, Jeremy Bulloch took to Reddit for a round of the ever popular, “Ask Me Anything” session. ‘Star Wars’ fans best know Bulloch for his role as the most fearsome bounty hunter in the galaxy: Boba Fett. As the majority of readers know, the “Ask Me Anything” event held on social media webiste, Reddit, allows anyone to engage in a Q&A session with someone of fame. There are usually no limitations on the questions (though the person hosting might decide to ignore the question) and really lets fans interact with celebrities in an inventive way.

Bulloch was first asked what is was like to see his character of Boba Fett tattooed on people all over the world. He replied with a entertaining anecdote. “The worst thing about that is I remember someone coming and saying, ‘Hey, Jeremy look at this!’ And they pulled up their shirt and there was a tattoo of Boba Fett. He said, ‘could you just sign this Mr. Bulloch? It would be very nice of you!’ So with a felt tipped pen, I signed my name. Not long after that, this guy comes up to me and said, ‘Look Mr. Bulloch!’ There was his sizzling flesh with my name, which I had written. He had it tattooed right on his bare flesh.” Only a ‘Star Wars’ fan understands that level of dedication. 

Bulloch was also asked about the iconic Boba Fett costume, and if he was able to keep it after shooting ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi.’ Bulloch jokes that if he was a thief he would have stolen the costume and run off with it, but then goes on to tell fans that he was actually the Mandalorian armor as a gift. He noted that he was worn it twice for charity events and that he greatly enjoys showing it off. When asked what color Mandalorian armor he would wear if he could pick his own, he replied, “blue.’ Bulloch believes that Boba Fett (and lets face it, who is going to challenge him?) would have several different color schemes of armor, depending on the event. He could therefore be dressed up for a black-tie event or wear something “moody” while laying low.

The best part of the AMA though, was when a fan asked what the funniest behind-the-scenes moment Bulloch had while filming. Bulloch replied with this gem: “Well, I think one of the funniest was when we were rehearsing the carbon-freezing scene. I was treading on Darth Vader’s cape and we fell over and two of the biggest villains were floundering on the floor. We looked like two silly children. There’s lot of fun moments actually. Under a mask no one can hear you. There’s a part where I turn to an Imperial officer and say, ‘Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold,’ but I actually said ‘Put Captain Cargo in the Solo hold.’ Luckily I didn’t have to tell anybody because you can’t hear what I’m saying under the mask. But I didn’t have any lines…How on earth with so few lines could I make a mistake??”

There was a range of other entertaining questions and responses and you can peruse the full session, here. Bulloch wrapped up the Q&A by answering a question about his “plan” during a zombie apocalypse (yes, it got that zany). “Start the jet pack up and just fly around and burn through and remove them all.”

Yoda’s Take: A review of ‘The Jedi Doth Return’ by Ian Doescher

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'The Jedi Doth Return' via Quirk Books

‘The Jedi Doth Return’ via Quirk Books

 

In July of 2013, Quirk Books began an experiment. They announced a brand new retelling of the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy unlike anything seen before. The journey ends with the release of ‘The Jedi Doth Return’ on July 1st, 2014. The trilogy of books, penned by Ian Doescher, would attempt to re-imagine the ‘Star Wars’ story through the pen of William Shakespeare, arguably the greatest author in English literature.   It was a risky and bold move, so this Yoda’s News Staff Writer set off to see if it would pay off.

A bit of background, I have never been an avid reader of Shakespeare. It’s not for a lack on interest in the material itself, but rather the style of writing that I find abrasive. Most of us read fiction, primarily ‘Star Wars’ books, as an escape and form of enjoyment. Shakespeare’s works have always felt more like homework, as the reader is forced to decipher the true events taking place. I am a bit late to the party with this series, not reading the first two installments, ‘William Shakespeare’s Star Wars’ and ‘William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back.’ In this regard, I can hopefully present an unique perspective to readers of Yoda’s News: That of someone who isn’t normally inclined to read this novel.

Expectations for this novel were somewhat high. ‘Return of the Jedi’ would arguably be the most difficult for Doescher to tackle with scenarios like Jabba’s Palace, the final confrontation on the Death Star, and complex space battles all posing a real threat. Any one of these events could seriously jar the reader from the material and unravel the foil of a Shakespearean story, if not handled correctly. While Doescher faced a lot of challenges, he handled them with true skill and craftsmanship.

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Yoda’s Take: A review of ‘Crucible’ by Troy Denning

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via Del Ray Books Facebook page

via Del Rey Books Facebook page

‘Crucible’ first came out almost a year ago today on July 9th, 2013. It was arguably one of the most highly anticipated installment in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise in recent memory. Publisher, Del Rey Books, advertised the novel as being the beginning of the end for the “Big Three” as they reached their rightfully deserved retirement years:

“Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia have spent a lifetime fighting wars, bringing the Jedi back from extinction, raising families, and saving the galaxy more times than they can count. They’ve earned the right to rest on their laurels and let the younger generation shoulder the burden–but fate has another adventure in store for our heroes, a quest only they can tackle and hope to survive…”

Troy Denning, a veteran ‘Star Wars’ novelist, seemed like the perfect choice to tackle one last great adventure for Luke, Leia, and Han. ‘Crucible’ is Denning’s thirteenth installment in the galaxy far, far away that is cherished by fans across the globe. He first joined the ranks as a ‘Star Wars’ author back in 2001 with his entry in ‘The New Jedi Order’ series, ‘Star by Star.’ For twelve years, Denning delved into the adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han in bestselling series such as ‘The Dark Nest,’ ‘Legacy of the Force,’ and ‘Fate of the Jedi.’ He has been at the forefront of the ‘Star Wars’ expanded universe and clearly has an innate understanding of the true personas behind the beloved characters from the ‘Original Trilogy.’ If anyone could tackle this trailblazing story, it was Denning. And he delivered.

Click Here for the Full Review

Kevin Smith talks ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’

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Lifelong ‘Star Wars’ fan and filmaker, Kevin Smith, made news recently when he was invited to the set of ‘Star Wars: Episode VII.’ Smith was given this rare, honorary experience last week and got to actually go on the set at Pinewood Studios. This weekend he attended the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland and briefly talked about his experience during a Q&A session. One fan asked Smith, “What was it like being on-board the Millennium Falcon?” While much of what Smith experienced at Pinewood remains unknown ,due to the high secrecy of production and non-disclosure agreements, he went on to give an emotional eleven minute answer.

Smith began by telling the audience about how he was contacted by J.J. Abrams via email while they were filming in Abu Dhabi. Smith recounts the email fondly and says that Abrams wrote, “Hey man, how are you? I’ve been thinking about you, we’ve started shooting the movie. If your ever gonna be over in England why don’t you come by the set?” He went on to talk very passionately about how he transformed back into a kid upon arriving at the set. “What I saw, I absolutely loved. It was tactile — it was real. It wasn’t a series of fucking green screens and blue screens in which later on digital characters would be added. IT was there, it was happening. I saw old friends who I haven’t seen since my childhood, who aren’t really friends, but I love them more than some of my fucking relatives. I saw uniforms, I saw artillery that I haven’t seen since I was a kid. I saw them shooting an actual sequence in a set that is real. I walked across the set, there were explosions. And it looked like a shot right out of a Star Wars movie. I watched them do it four times, standing next to JJ.”

There a lots of other great parts to his response in the full video. Anyone familiar with Smith and his work, notably ‘Clerks,’ is aware of his passion for ‘Star Wars’ and its really inspirational to hear his thoughts on both Abrams and ‘Episode VII.’ Check out the full video below via Kevin Smith’s Livestream page, (the ‘Star Wars’ talk starts at minute marker 35). You can also check out Smith’s website where he shares his thoughts on all things in the geek realm, including ‘Star Wars,’ here.

Star Wars Insider/Nerd Block: The Ultimate Alliance

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Earlier today, “Star Wars Insider” announced an exciting new alliance via their Facebook page:

“The force is strong with Nerd Block! This month Star Wars Insider has teamed up with Nerd Block to include 2 epic items in July’s classic block!”

Nerd Block is an amazing service that delivers a monthly “mystery package” right to your door. The package includes apparel, toys, and collectibles from a variety of franchises such as Star Wars, Adventure Time, Doctor Who, Marvel, and many more. The package has been advertised as “comic con in a box” and provides a custom t-shirt and four to six unique items. Its a great program for those who don’t have easy access to buy such products, and the value of the items in the box is advertised to be above the subscription fee. “Star Wars Insider” recently celebrated their 150th issue and has been a great source for interviews, short stories, and feature articles for twenty years. These two companies teaming up is something ‘Star Wars” fans everywhere can get excited about.

via Star Wars Insider Facebook page

Nerd Block also offers subscriptions on a monthly basis so fans can just participate in the mash-up with “Star Wars Insider” for the month of July, or keep it going if they enjoy the service. At the time this article was written, there are fifteen days left to subscribe to Nerd Block in order to receive their “Star Wars Insider” package. Fans can check out this link to find out more about Nerd Block and subscribe for prices starting at $13.99 USD. They offer four subscription packages in all: Nerd Block Jr. (Boys) for $13.99, Nerd Block Jr. (Girls) for $13.99, Nerd Block Classic for $19.99, and Horror Block for $19.99.

You can share your thoughts with us online, through Twitter. You can find us at @ARybak89 (Alex Rybak) and at @YodasNews(official Yoda’s News handle).

John Whitman talks ‘Galaxy of Fear’

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galaxy1

This week Alex Rybak, a Staff Writer for Yoda’s News, sat down with John Whitman. Whitman, a ‘Star Wars’ author from the 1990’s, who wrote the young  adult series titled ‘Galaxy of Fear.’ ‘Galaxy of Fear’ is comprised of 12 books that were published from 1997-1998 and take place shortly after the Battle of Yavin. Chris Hamilton, of the Star Wars Kidscast, joined to assist in the interview. Chris is an expert in children’s literature, especially ‘Star Wars’ titles.

Click Here for the extensive Q&A Session!

Daisy Ridley reportedly a “lead” in ‘Episode VII’

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Screenshot via Spotlight.com

Screenshot via Spotlight.com

 

Spotlight, a “professional acting jobs and auditions” company, has some very revealing info about who the possible lead is in ‘Star Wars: Episode VII.’ The UK-based casting services company has been around since 1927 and contains resumes for over 60,000 amateur performers. Daisy Ridley, as most ‘Star Wars’ fans are aware, was cast earlier this year in an undisclosed role. Her resume on Spotlight was submitted and managed by her agent, Johnathan Arun. He credits her in ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ as “LEAD.’

 

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Screenshot via Spotlight.com

 

While this hasn’t been confirmed by the other “Big Three” (Lucasfilm, Disney, or Bad Robot), fans should know this is a pretty legitimate source of information. These are professional resumes for performers and can’t be edited by anyone off the street such as other sites, like IMDb or Wikipedia. While some are claiming that Ridley’s representation might simply be polishing her resume, it’s not likely they would so flamboyantly twist the truth that way, on such a public forum.

What do you think? Will Ridley inherit one of the sacred lead roles in ‘Star Wars?’ Share your thoughts with us on Twitter. We can be found at @Chewbacca89 (Alex Rybak) and at @YodasNews (official Yoda’s News account).

New Star Wars App Steals the Scene

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Disney Publishing Worldwide released a new Star Wars application for iOS devices on June 19th. This app will let users recreate classic scenes from the Star Wars Sage and give them the ability explore the storytelling experience in entirely new ways. According to a press release from the official Star Wars website, the app “gives kids and Star Wars fans of all ages the tools to create, control, customize, capture, and share their own 3D animated Star Wars scenes.” This Yoda’s News corespondent decided to see what all the hype was about and downloaded the free app.

When the app opens, there are three different scenes that fans will get to recreate. There is currently one scene from each of the three films in what is commonly refereed to as the ‘Original Trilogy.’ From the ‘A New Hope’ we have a scene titled ‘Death Star Attack,’ ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ features the ‘Cloud City Duel,’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’ offers the ‘Battle of Endor.’ Now while the app itself is free, only the ‘Battle of Endor’ scene is free for fans to re-create. The other two scenes are available for $2.99 a piece or you can buy both as a discounted bundle for $3.99. The ‘Battle of Endor’ scene is more than enough for fans to explore the app and its various features, should they decide to purchase more scenes in the future.

On the forest moon of Endor, ‘Star Wars’ fans will be slightly overwhelmed with the amount of options they are presented with. The app features 3D models of characters and vehicles from the beloved franchise that users can place anywhere in the environment. You can customize the characters with various weapons and place vehicles at your leisure. Adding dialogue, you can have the characters interact in entirely new ways and essentially recreate the scene in your own way. Much like a director on set, you are given three movable cameras to place in the environment, giving you a wide array of ways to capture the scene you are creating. Throw in the iconic score by John Williams and dialogue to add depth to your scene. Fans might notice a slightly limited selection when it comes to the added audio, but there is potential for improvement here.

After you are satisfied with your scene, you get to create your own ‘title crawl,’ musical score, and ending credits. These are nice touches that really add a lot to the experience and replicate the “feel” of ‘Star Wars.’ Getting to see your own words in the classic opening sequence and your name plastered under “Director” make the fans feel like they really are a part of the storytelling process.

Now, one thing that ‘Star Wars’ fans truly enjoy is sharing their various handiwork. Whether its fanfic, artwork, or a cantina band cover band; fans love to share. The cherry on top of this app is the ability to upload your finished scene to Youtube right from the program. Is obvious that Disney Publishing really put a lot of work into bringing this interactive and revolutionary app to fans. Andrew Sugerman, executive vice president of Disney Publishing worldwide had the following to say. “At Disney Publishing, we are committed to reaching today’s consumers in deeper, more engaging ways through innovative and immersive storytelling experiences. ‘Star Wars’ Scene Maker allows us to put kids and fans of all ages in the director’s seat and provide them with ways to unleash their creativity and share their passion for the Star Wars brand in a new way.”

Fans will have plenty to explore with these three scenes, but can also look forward to new content coming through the app in the future. As ‘Star Wars Rebels’ kicks off this fall, the app will expand to feature scenes from the highly anticipated TV show. According to the statement released by Disney Publishing, “additional content packs will be released through app updates, and available through in-app purchase.”

The app is currently only available for iOS devices, specifically the iPad (click here if you are on your Ipad for a direct link). While this was slightly disheartening to hear at first, upon examining the app, it’s clear it would be difficult to navigate on a smaller screen. Check out the trailer below and then have fun creating your own scenes. Feel free to share you scenes on Youtube and send us a link and we will feature some right here, on Yoda’s News.

video via www.starwars.com

For additional Star Wars mobile apps updates and information, visit StarWars.com, DisneyStories.com, Facebook.com/disneyreads, and Twitter at @DisneyReads.

Share your thoughts and experiences with the app online. We can be found on Twitter at @Chewbacca89 (Alex Rybak) and @YodasNews (official Yoda’s News handle). A special thanks to my wife for letting me use her iPad. 

Rian Johnson to Write, Direct ‘Episode VIII’

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As production continues on ‘Star Wars: Episode VII,’ ‘Deadline Hollywood’ broke a story today that claims Rian Johnson is in talks to both write and direct ‘Episode VII’ and Episode IX.’ Rian Johnson, best known for his work on ‘Looper,’ is one of many recent directors announced to be involved in the sci-fi franchise. Johnson will be taking over the core film franchise, a surprise for many fans who were led to believe current ‘Episode VII’ director, J.J. Abrams. While he will be tasked with writing the story treatment for the next installation of ‘Star Wars,’ his main role will be directing the rest of the Sequel Trilogy after Abrams steps aside. It should be noted that ‘Bad Robot’ (Abram’s production company) is still slated to be producing the Sequel Trilogy, which raises many questions as to who will assume what responsibilities. It is clear by this announcement and the recent news of Gareth Edwards and Josh Trank directing ‘Star Wars’ spinoff films, that Lucasfilm and Disney are committed to providing the franchise with diverse talent.

Check out the full story from ‘Deadline Hollywood’

Update: According to  hollywoodreporter.com  Johnson will direct only Episode VIII, but he is writing a treatment for Episode IX.

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Episode VII Cast Has ‘A Bad Feeling’ About Filming

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Last week, news broke that Harrison Ford had been injured while filming on the set of ‘Star Wars: Episode VII.’ Yoda’s News reported last Thursday that Ford had broken his ankle on the set and was transferred to a local hospital for care. He reportedly was injured by a hydraulic door while filming, but his injuries were reported as minor. Today, The New York Post reported that Ford’s injuries might be more serious than previously thought. Someone close to production on the highly anticipated film informed The Sun that Ford had “pelvis injuries and may have had a chest X-ray.” Little else is known about the nature or severity of Ford’s injuries, but The Sun is reporting that the incident isn’t going over well with his fellow cast members. 

The ‘Episode VII’ cast is reportedly “livid” with the film makers over the incident and fear for their safety. ”The cast are livid. They are openly questioning the safety of sets. They’ve asked for everything to be triple-checked,” an insider informed The Sun. While cast members expressed sympathy for Ford, they reportedly have feelings of resentment and are anxious to make sure a similar scenario doesn’t occur anytime soon. Disney claimed filming would progress on schedule, but one can’t help but notice the fallibility of such a comment while one of the movie’s stars is in the hospital. So far, ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ has had a fairly smooth production process and not encountered any of the common pitfalls that can plague a film. Fans will hope this is only a small hiccup in the journey and not the beginning of an epidemic for their beloved franchise.

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Star Wars Battlefront Official Trailer from E3

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Last year at the annual gaming conference, E3, EA Games announced something Star Wars fans have been anticipating for years: a new installment of ‘Star Wars: Battlefront.’ ‘Battlefront’ has been a longtime fan-favorite ‘Star Wars’ video game that let players reenact battles from the galaxy far, far away. In 2013, EA showed off a short teaser that made the announcement official. With little details to go off of besides a 2015 release date, fans were anxious for more.

This year EA Games treated attendants of E3 to even more footage of the game along with glimpses of behind the scenes work on the project. A couple hours ago, they also shared the trailer via their official Youtube Channel for fans everywhere to watch. You can catch a glimpse at the massive collaboration between EA Games and Lucasfilm Ltd., as they share their goals for the end result of the game. Along with on-site shooting and visiting the archive rooms at Lucasfilm, EA Games shares some actual game footage. More details are coming down the trench in the Spring of 2015.