“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….“
Yes, those words are how the universe and fandom of Star Wars began. Star Wars is forever some say and a vast subject nonetheless. With the new Star Wars movies coming, there is going to be a lot of breaking information, not just for those, but there are great disturbances in the Force as the power of Star Wars marketing and entertainment moves about the geek world. So, right now in this KOOL, KOOL site… I am starting this new periodic segment where I look for all the internet has to offer and try to find all the answers to the question “Star Wars… Where Are You?“
Each article will focus on Star Wars, with probably a lot of media news, but there will also be reviews and event reporting when possible. I will stay away from spoilers as I do not want them myself, and I will be pretty conservative with the things I post as I am not wanting to destroy my or anyone else’s sense of mystery when it comes to any project. However, I will share what I find interesting and potentially enticing for fans of this 36 year old franchise. I will also talk about Star Wars in general, its philosophy, and its influence on pop culture and all of us.
But most importantly, I will bring you news. I will probably not cover every detail of everything that happens between the times I post, so feel free to post news of your own in the comments. Just, again, no spoilers please. And if you speak out of turn I’ll probably just say you could use a good kiss.
So, lock in the coordinates, grab a blaster, and let’s talk about Star Wars! Punch it!
Ok, yeah, that news is old, but it is pretty much why I am here writing and you are here reading. Disney buying the rights to Star Wars is what has opened the door to new movies and all kinds of stirrings involving the brand. Since then there have been great things happen like the confirmed announcement J.J. Abrams will direct the first of the next Star Wars films, with a release date as early as 2015, and then there have been some bad news like the unfortunate canceling of the Cartoon Network’s The Clone Wars as well as the 3D theatrical versions of Episodes II-VI. Star Wars is becoming very, very KOOL again! And for some of us, it never wasn’t. I hope everyone who has ever enjoyed any aspect of Star Wars joins me in the information I have to share. I’ve been there from the first movie through The Clone Wars, and hope to be around to see everything that comes next.
The Clone Wars was also nominated in three other categories not won by the series – Outstanding Directing in and Animated Program, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing, and Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition. These awards came on the foot heels of the Disney’s recent acquisition of Lucasfilm and the show’s cancellation at the end of season five, most likely due to the conflict between the Cartoon Network’s children’s programming and that of Disney.
George Lucas, the creator and former owner of the Star Wars property, attended Sunday’s presentation ceremony of the award. Handing off the award to the winner was none other than Carrie Fisher, who we all know as Princess Leia.
Lucasfilm describes the series as action-filled and will take place between Episodes III and IV, focusing on the creation of the Rebellion forming resistance against the Empire. Insiders have claimed the program will have a teenage cast of characters, although this has not been confirmed by Lucasfilm. Even if it is true, that is not necessarily a bad thing since Luke and Leia were still teenagers in A New Hope, and, even in our world, many soldiers are only of that age. Probably the best part of the news is that The Clone Wars show-runner Dave Filoni will be an integral part of the production of the series, hopefully ensuring the same attention to character and detail as of the Star Wars universe and a fluidity from the previous series is maintained as much as possible.
The Walt Disney Company announced their plan to further build out the merchandising and consumer products empire around the Star Wars franchise. In a “you don’t say?” moment, Lucasfilm informed the masses in a press release during Licensing Expo 2013 in Las Vagas on June 18th. This following quote is from Lucasfilm’s Howard Roffman.
“We’re excited to be part of The Walt Disney Company and to be able to marshal all the resources we’ve never dreamt of before. There’s only one place where it made sense for Star Wars to reside and that is Disney, it is the only entertainment company that understands long term: long term brand affinity and franchise planning, plus the power of storytelling and compelling characters – this is what our fans expect from Star Wars.”
Also, shooting for the film has been confirmed to be taking place in the United Kingdom where the original Star Wars trilogy was mostly filmed. Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm, mentions the ambition to revisit the origins of Star Wars. Episodes I-III departed from this tradition and were mainly filmed in Australia. This is great news as it ensures most of the Empire’s commanding officers will be speaking in a British accent just like they did in the original movies. Tally-ho!
In the meantime, Dark Horse currently has a traditional take on Star Wars with their newest title simply of the same name. “Star Wars“ takes place after the events of A New Hope and stars all the traditional characters, but Dark Horse has several other titles which take place in the same galaxy far, far away. I would advise anyone not picking up these comics do so as they are very well done. Dark Horse may not be able to keep the comic publishing rights forever since Disney also owns Marvel, but it seems like they are not sitting back, and are instead coming up with some of their best content.
Whew! Ok, I think I have caught up everyone on the past six months of Star Wars news so hopefully the next one will not be so crammed. A long time ago is when I feel like I started this article. Please let me know if you liked it by leaving comments below. I hope to be back very soon for another installment of “Star Wars… Where Are You?”
