Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker

[GeneChing]

JJ Abrams Returning To Director’s Chair On ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ (http://deadline.com/2017/09/jj-abrams-star-wars-episode-9-director-colin-trevorrow-lucasfilm-disney-1202167681/)
by Mike Fleming Jr
September 12, 2017 7:18am

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REX/Shutterstock

UPDATED: The deal is done, with Disney confirming Deadline’s scoop. Abrams will direct and also co-write the film with Chris Terrio. See the official press release at the bottom of the story.

PREVIOUS EXCLUSIVE: Rian Johnson decided not to take the offer to come back and replace the recently departed Colin Trevorrow on Star Wars: Episode IX. Now, Disney and Lucasfilm are courting another director for an encore, the one who relaunched the franchise to dizzying heights. Deadline hears the studio is in talks with JJ Abrams, and sources said they are trying to work out a deal for him to return. This is expected to happen today.

Abrams revived the franchise with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, whose $2.06 billion worldwide gross made it the third highest-grossing film of all time behind James Cameron’s Avatar and Titanic.

Abrams is in discussions to replace Trevorrow, who exited the picture after creative differences with Lucasfilm and its chief Kathleen Kennedy. All this happens as Ron Howard stepped in to replace Phil Lord & Chris Miller as director of the Han Solo spinoff movie.

Johnson’s film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, launches December 15. Abrams has been producing everything from Westworld to M:I6-Mission Impossible, and the Stephen King anthology series Castle Rock, and conveniently doesn’t have a next film to direct. And he certainly can be a steadying hand in settling The Force. He’s repped by CAA.

Below is the news release that posted on Starwars.com:


J.J. Abrams, who launched a new era of Star Wars with The Force Awakens in 2015, is returning to complete the sequel trilogy as writer and director of Star Wars: Episode IX. Abrams will co-write the film with Chris Terrio. Star Wars: Episode IX will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Abrams, Bad Robot, and Lucasfilm.

“With The Force Awakens, J.J. delivered everything we could have possibly hoped for, and I am so excited that he is coming back to close out this trilogy,” said Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy.

Works for me. :)

[GeneChing]

As any die-hard Star Wars fans know, Mark Hamill clearly yells "Carrie!" when he gets out of his X-Wing after destroying the Death Star. It's one of the many bloopers in that first film that makes it so endearing.

But on to the new Keri...


JULY 6, 2018 10:10AM PT
‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Eyes Keri Russell (EXCLUSIVE) (https://variety.com/2018/film/news/star-wars-episode-ix-keri-russell-1202861343/)
By Justin Kroll @krolljvar Film Reporter

Keri Russell is headed to a galaxy far, far away.

Sources tell Variety that the “Felicity” alum is in early talks to join J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: Episode IX,” which Abrams is writing and directing. Russell and Abrams last collaborated on 2006’s “Mission: Impossible III.”

The role calls for action-heavy fight scenes. Russell has shown her ability to perform tough stunts in projects like FX’s “The Americans,” “Mission: Impossible,” and “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

Abrams and Lucasfilm execs met with several actresses for the role in the past two months and settled on Russell right before the Fourth of July holiday. Abrams will likely cast two more actors by the time the film begins production at the end of the month. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver are all expected to return.


Abrams helmed “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and was asked to come back to direct this latest installment after Colin Trevorrow exited following creative differences. Abrams filled the role last fall and has spent most of that time working on the script with Chris Terrio.

It’s unknown at this time whether Russell will be on the side of the rebels or the evil empire.

Russell recently wrapped the final season of “The Americans.” She is repped by WME and manager Joannie Burstein.

[GeneChing]

JULY 10, 2018 10:58am PT by Richard Newby
Why Lando Calrissian's 'Star Wars' Future Won't Go the Way You Think (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/why-lando-calrissians-star-wars-episode-ix-role-may-disappoint-fans-1125952)

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Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp./Photofest

If the sequel trilogy has proven one thing, it's that it loves to defy fan theories.

“You might want to buckle up, baby.” Additional casting for JJ Abrams’ Star Wars Episode IX is reaching lightspeed and bringing with it some new faces, like Keri Russell in an undisclosed role, and the long-awaited return of Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian. The news broke Monday of Williams’ return to the Star Wars franchise, something fans have been clamoring for since his absence in The Force Awakens (2015).

While Williams has voiced Lando in many of Star Wars’ animated and video game iterations over the years, he hasn’t appeared as the character in the flesh since 1983’s Return of the Jedi. The former smuggler played a key role in this year’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, where he was portrayed by Donald Glover, regarded by many as a highpoint in the film. Solo explored the future rebel pilot’s first encounter with Han Solo, including an explanation of how he lost the fabled Millennium Falcon, setting up the history between the two that comes into play in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Sadly, all interaction between Han and Lando resides in the past, as Solo tragically met his end at the hands of his son, Kylo Ren, in The Force Awakens. Still, Lando’s presence will certainly be welcome as the Resistance finds itself at its smallest since its beginning, and in need of heroes to turn the tide against the First Order. That is, assuming he returns a hero.

Lando’s inclusion in Episode IX will find the character in an interesting position. With Han and Luke dead, and Leia presumably absent following the death of actress Carrie Fisher, Lando is the only central human character from the original trilogy who can still join the fight. He provides a link to the past, and a history that began long before our current generation of heroes, Rey, Finn, and Poe, were born. The sequel trilogy has quite admirably dealt with the past, anchoring it to perception and myth, while refraining from name-dropping and an over-reliance on fan-service in regards to classic characters.

Much of Abrams' and Rian Johnson’s Star Wars films have dealt with the failures of the older generation, and their incapability to replace their true selves with the fantastic stories that are told about them throughout the galaxy. In other words, we’ve seen these icons presented as humans rather than legends. We’ve seen Han and Chewbacca forsake the Rebels in favor of a return to smuggling, Leia make hard decisions that favor the lives of the many over the few, and Luke give into his fear of failure and hasty decision making. While it doesn’t seem novel enough that we’ll find Lando returned to smuggling in IX, his absence from the Resistance makes it seem likely that he’s returned to his role as Baron-Administrator of Cloud City, or a similar position that perhaps sees him take a neutral role in the war.

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Lucasfilm Ltd./20th Century Fox/Photofest

During development of The Last Jedi (2017), Johnson originally considered Lando for the role of the codebreaker that Finn and Rose search for, a part that eventually became DJ and went to Benicio del Toro. DJ’s mantra “don’t join,” is similar to Lando’s position in Empire, where he betrays Han, Leia, and Chewie to Darth Vader. Although Lando eventually redeems himself in Return of the Jedi, it would not be surprising to see Lando jaded in the event of yet another galactic war. One of the most interesting angles The Last Jedi explored in concern to the perspective of ordinary citizens is that the Resistance and the First Order are often seen as the same, and arms dealers make millions selling to both sides and prolonging a war with no clear heroes or villains. War-profiteering may be a controversial position to find Lando in, but it’s not exactly a far-cry from where we’ve seen the heroes of the original trilogy end up.

There will of course be those fans still clinging to the Expanded Universe, the media now fittingly categorized as Legends and placed in non-canonical state following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, who will expect to find Lando as a major Rebel leader. In the Legends novels, Lando marries, has a son, and owns a mining facility, while still providing frequent aide to his old friends in missions that included going up against a resurrected Palpatine, helping Luke search for force-sensitive students, while still having time for his gambling habits. As one of the last few remaining original Star Wars characters, there’s certain to be a large amount of expectation attached to Lando’s presence in IX.

While the Legends canon asserted Lando’s heroism, something expected after Return of the Jedi, the sequel trilogy has taught us not to give into expectation. As Luke says to Rey in The Last Jedi, “this is not going to go the way you think.” That statement could be applied across this new series of Star Wars films, and it’s a good rule to go by. Because as much as internet speculation will position Lando as Finn’s father, or as a Rebel savior, the reality will likely be something much more affecting and honest. Lando has encompassed both the good and bad side of the galaxy, its selfless and selfish nature, and it’s that narrative, the one that makes him human, that’s more interesting than any legend. That’s a return worth getting excited about.

I was disappointed at del Toro's role - he was under-used. He's always under-used.

[GeneChing]

To quote that other franchise 'logical'. Only the wookie survives.


JULY 27, 2018 5:16pm PT by Graeme McMillan
The Promise of Carrie Fisher's Final 'Star Wars' Appearance (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-episode-ix-takes-a-big-risk-carrie-fishers-leia-1130505)

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2018/01/ep8-194880_r-h_2018.jpg
Courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.

Lucasfilm has revealed the surprising news the late actor will appear in 'Episode IX' as Leia.

Now, it’s official: Star Wars fans will have one final chance to say goodbye to Carrie Fisher, with Lucasfilm announcing that the actress, who died in December 2016, will appear in next year’s Star Wars: Episode IX.

In a statement, director J.J. Abrams sought to put concerns about potential CGI resurrections to rest, saying that the new movie will use “unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII” and assuring fans that “we were never going to recast, or use a CG character.” While this is, undoubtedly, comforting, it would also appear to offer particular clues about the role Fisher — or, more specifically, her character, Leia Organa — will play in the movie.

Firstly: Purely for practical purposes, Leia’s presence in the movie will be small. If nothing else, there can’t be that much extraneous, unseen footage from 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens; she was barely in that movie, so unless large swaths of scenes were shot but never even hinted at by anyone involved in the production, there’s limited material to draw from in the first place, and surely not everything available will be used.

Considering the context of the footage, it also limits the potential use for Episode IX. Leia appeared in few scenes and locations in The Force Awakens. Leia was on Takodana, rescuing Han, Chewbacca, Rey and Finn, and then at the Resistance base on D’Qar, where she takes part in planning, and later monitoring, the attack on Starkiller Base. Aside from brief interludes with Han and, later, Rey, she’s very much in “harried leader” mode throughout the movie. Does this mean that this is the Leia we’ll see in Episode IX, even after losing her ex-husband, and then her brother, in the previous two movies?

(It’s possible that the Fisher footage will end up being just a minor flashback, used to punctuate a contemporary moment; memories during her funeral, as some on social media have already suggested. If so, then the above problem is side-stepped, to a degree.)

Abrams’ comments leave space for some level of postproduction trickery to be applied to the Fisher footage. Presumably, Fisher will be intercut with new footage of actors shot specifically for Episode IX. Will digital trickery be used to make sure that Fisher shares a location with the other cast members? If so, will that be all that’s altered? What about costuming choices? For that matter, what about the potential for posthumous dubbing or soundalikes used for dialogue where Leia is off-camera or not in close-up? Abrams said that the movie would never use a CG character, but what about a performance augmented or altered by CG?

Of course, if any such edits or alterations are made, they’ll have to be done with subtlety and sensitivity. This is key to the entire enterprise of including footage of Fisher posthumously. For as much as fans want to be able to say goodbye to the actress, and also to Leia, they want to do so in a manner that feels appropriate and respectful to both. While Abrams and Lucasfilm — and Fisher’s family, especially daughter Billie Lourd, named in Abrams’ statement — want to provide both closure and tribute to Leia and Fisher alike with this move, they’re courting backlash if this isn’t done perfectly.

That the footage will come from The Force Awakens feels particularly fitting, then; that, after all, was a project that already came with expectations and looming accusations from fandom expecting the worst. It’s also perhaps a reminder that those involved with this move love the mythology — and loved Fisher as a person — as much as anyone else, if not more so, and will be approaching it with the utmost care.

Everyone will, inevitably, remain worried until the final product appears onscreen, but perhaps we can rest just slightly in the meantime.

[GeneChing]

This would be really amusing if he appeared in the role of Dr. 11. :p


AUGUST 28, 2018 10:54AM PT
‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Casts Matt Smith in Key Role (EXCLUSIVE) (https://variety.com/2018/film/news/star-wars-episode-ix-matt-smith-1202886507/)
By JUSTIN KROLL
Film Reporter
@krolljvar

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/matt-smith.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1
CREDIT: BILLY FARRELL/BFA/SHUTTERSTOCK

From the Whoniverse, to Buckingham Palace, to a galaxy far, far away.

Sources tell Variety that “The Crown” star Matt Smith is joining “Star Wars: Episode IX,” which is currently in production in the U.K. It’s unknown at this time whether the “Doctor Who” alum will be on the side of the rebels or the evil empire.

Smith joins returning cast members Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver, as well as newcomers Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant, Dominic Monaghan, and Naomi Ackie. Billy Dee Williams is reprising his role as Lando Calrissian, and Carrie Fisher will be featured as Leia Organa in the final installment of the Skywalker saga, using previously unreleased footage shot for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Fisher died in December 2016 at the age of 60.

Mark Hamill will be returning as Luke Skywalker and Anthony Daniels will reprise his role at C-3PO.

Abrams helmed “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and returned to direct this latest installment after Colin Trevorrow exited following creative differences. Abrams filled the role last fall and has spent most of that time working on the script with Chris Terrio. Kathleen Kennedy is producing the pic.

Smith is coming off his Emmy-nominated performance as Prince Philip in Netflix’s “The Crown,” which was also his final season as all the major roles for the third season have been recast. Smith can be seen next in “Charlie Says,” in which he plays Charles Manson. That pic premieres at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday.

He is repped by UTA and Troika in the U.K.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adzYW5DZoWs

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n1T3HxHd7Y

[GeneChing]

Where’s Rose? Star Wars Fans Want Kelly Marie Tran’s Hero on More Merch (https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/10/star-wars-wheres-rose-kelly-marie-tran)
The first major female Asian character in the galactic saga was missing from many products for The Rise of Skywalker. Here’s what happened.
BY ANTHONY BREZNICAN
OCTOBER 11, 2019

https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/5d9f470715cfd60008961fc7/16:9/w_2560%2Cc_limit/Kelly-Marie-Tran-star-wars.jpg
Kelly Marie Tran in The Last Jedi.BY JONATHAN OLLEY/WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES/LUCASFILM LTD./EVERETT COLLECTION.

Laura Sirikul was on a mission. To the rest of the world, it was just October 4, but to movie fans like her, it was a galactic holiday—Triple Force Friday, when toys and merchandise from three upcoming Star Wars projects finally went on sale.

Sirikul ventured to big-box retailers around Pasadena, California, in search of items featuring her favorite character: Rose Tico, the quick-witted engineer played by Kelly Marie Tran. After hitting Target, Walmart, Hot Topic, and the Disney Store, Sirikul found herself asking a question that has since become a hashtag on social media: #WheresRose?

At the end of September, preview videos hyping the new merchandise showed a white T-shirt using the word “Rebel” as a backdrop for the character as she struck a heroic pose. “That ‘Rebel’ shirt was at the Disney Store, but she wasn’t on it,” Sirikul told Vanity Fair. “There was no Rose Tico at the mall.”

Below is an example: On the left is an image from the preview video; on the right is a snapshot a fan took from another Disney Store.


Zac Jones
@ZacJone03136985
Not gonna lie, this shirt looks way better with Rose. #WheresRose

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGNjXNJUUAAsBwv?format=jpg&name=360x360https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGNjXZgUUAAI_vL?format=jpg&name=small
4
10:25 AM - Oct 6, 2019
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Other shirts, posters, and images teased in the preview materials have also turned out to be inexplicably Rose-less on store shelves, leading to frustration and confusion from those who take pride in her as one of the first major Star Wars characters played by someone of Asian heritage. It echoed a similar #WheresRey? movement during the release of The Force Awakens, when toys and clothing featuring Daisy Ridley’s character appeared to be in shorter supply than products featuring male characters.

Sirikul, 35, a Thai-Chinese-American journalist for the site the Nerds of Color, said Rose’s absence “feels like a diss,” and she believes diverse representation in toys, apparel, and posters is just as important as having it onscreen. “Star Wars is totally a lifestyle. Everyone wants to show off their love for it. Star Wars is everyday,” she said. “It’s so important to have her on [products] to represent that ‘this is my fandom.’”

Including Rose Tico sends a strong message to all fans, regardless of their personal identity, said Jess ****ara, 32, a Japanese-American activist, podcaster, and writer for the site #SWRepMatters, which chronicles diversity in Star Wars storytelling. “What we see in media, especially as kids, is how we see the world,” she said.

The character is especially meaningful to those who have seldom seen themselves represented in sci-fi/fantasy storytelling, let alone in merchandising. “To have a character as an action figure, or a Funko Pop!, or to have her on a shirt is Disney saying, People who look like you are important,” ****ara said.

Hasbro hasn’t revealed a new action figure for Rose, but there is a Funko Pop! collectible, and she does appear on some T-shirts for girls, boys, and women. She’s absent from some apparel for men, although other female characters are present. A full rundown of the Rose-themed products on the ShopDisney site shows cell phone cases, bags, the Rose T-shirt, and a water bottle featuring her new imagery.



Jenny Nicholson @ Halloween
✔
@JennyENicholson
· Oct 4, 2019
Replying to @JennyENicholson
Re: people saying she just undersold last time, fine. Maybe there was a surplus of 3" Rose action figures or whatever because the people who like Rose don't buy 3" action figures, I sure don't. But removing her from the GROUP artwork on something innocuous as a tote bag?


Jenny Nicholson @ Halloween
✔
@JennyENicholson
Another for the thread - product reveal livestream vs final product image. You guys.

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2:23 AM - Oct 5, 2019
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[GeneChing]

There was no official comment from Disney consumer products, but a source close to the matter inside the company told Vanity Fair on background that the division takes the #WheresRose inclusivity concern seriously. Star Wars products draw from thousands of pieces of individual art that are meant to be mixed and matched, the source added, which is why the Rose Tico illustrations sometimes appear with the “Rebel” logo, and sometimes the logo is used on its own.

The same goes for many of the character collages that appear in posters, calendars, and other materials. A general template may exist for the piece, but supporting characters and aliens can be swapped for each other, the source explained, insisting the character was never deliberately removed from products.

****ara said she was more perplexed than angered by the hit-or-miss availability of the products. “I think it’s weird. I don’t really know what to think about it,” she said. “There’s some overreaction on Twitter, and it’s hard to gauge what’s real and what’s people just jumping to conclusions. I’ve seen the Rose-less options, but I have seen the designs that have Rose. It is confusing.”

Some third-party retailers said a production delay on art was one reason for Rose’s absence early on. Brian Rood, an artist who designed matching “light side/dark side” posters for The Rise of Skywalker, said on Twitter that his early design didn’t include Rose because the reference imagery for the character was slow to arrive, but the final version does include her.


Brian Rood
@broodone
Well its finally out there and here it officially is. Leading into designing this piece we came up with the idea of having two unique posters that would mirror each other almost identically. Both images needed to work alone on their own as... http://brianrood.com/archives/5133

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1182693674011906054/n7_LKXbL?format=jpg&name=600x314

Brian Rood Art official The Rise of Skywalker painting debuts with Force Friday previews!
Well its finally out there and here it officially is. Leading into designing this piece we came up with the idea of having two unique posters that would mirror each other almost identically. Both i…

brianrood.com
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You can see the effect of the mix and match assembly in this tweet comparing an illustration from a Rise of Skywalker storybook with a similar collage sold by shirtmaker Absolute Cult.

Not only is Rose missing from the shirt on the right, but Chewbacca has been replaced by Keri Russell’s masked character Zorii Bliss, and the droids BB-8 and D-O are absent.


Absolute Cult
@AbsoluteCult
· Oct 7, 2019
Replying to @acagoldsmith
Hi Amber - we can't see your attachment! What design are you referring to?


Amber Goldsmith
@acagoldsmith
This one (took a screenshot):

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGQ51LqWsAA1AI4?format=png&name=small
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When confronted with the #WheresRose? issue by this concerned fan, Absolute Cult wrote, in a since-deleted tweet: “We would never remove her - she wasn’t included on that design asset from Disney when we first designed the shirt. Will look at addressing this asap if there is an updated asset… Our Rose tee from The Last Jedi was one of our best sellers!”

Within a day, the company updated its sales page and tweeted that it had added Rose to the collage.


Amber Goldsmith
@acagoldsmith
· Oct 7, 2019
Replying to @AbsoluteCult
This one (took a screenshot):

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGQ51LqWsAA1AI4?format=png&name=small

Absolute Cult
@AbsoluteCult
#wheresrose? There's Rose ☺️ ➡️ https://www.absolutecult.com/products/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-resistance-illustration-womens-t-shirt …

Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker Resistance Illustration Women's T-Shirt
The story of a generation comes to an end... Celebrate the final instalment of the Skywalker saga with this excellent piece of official Star Wars merchandise. This officially branded design comes on...

absolutecult.com
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Rose was first introduced by writer-director Rian Johnson in 2017’s The Last Jedi, joining John Boyega’s Finn on a renegade quest to save the remnants of the Resistance. Not only was the actress Asian, but she was another young woman joining a storytelling universe traditionally dominated by men. Plus, she was a different kind of hero from Ridley’s tough, battle-ready scavenger Rey. Rose was a gearhead, and kind of a Star Wars geek herself—her starry-eyed impression of Finn from stories she’d heard led him to try harder to live up to that noble image.

Fan affection for her soon shifted to a defensive crouch when online trolls began targeting Tran with atrocious racism and sexist harassment, leading the bubbly actress to delete her Instagram posts and pen a column in the New York Times about the abuse.

Fans of Rose don’t just love the character; they remain fiercely protective of her, and many felt overjoyed when they learned that in this December’s The Rise of Skywalker, she has been promoted from mechanic to a Resistance commander. At Star Wars Celebration in April, director J.J. Abrams told the crowd: “Rian did a ton of great things, but the greatest thing he did for me was cast Kelly Marie Tran.”

When The Rise of Skywalker opens on December 20, fans hope #WheresRose? isn’t a question that they’ll need to ask.

I was a bit bummed that Rose got such an ordinary name and not something more galactic.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qn_spdM5Zg

[GeneChing]

Does Star Wars Need a Darth Maul Movie or TV Series? (https://comicbook.com/starwars/2019/11/18/star-wars-darth-maul-movie-tv-series/)
By KOFI OUTLAW - November 18, 2019 05:03 pm EST

The Star Wars franchise is generating massive hype right now (at the time of writing this), thanks to the one-two-punch of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker almost hitting theaters, and The Mandalorian's premiere on Disney+. However, when The Mandalorian episode 2 dropped just before the weekend, "Baby Yoda" wasn't the only big Star Wars-related topic trending on social media: Darth Maul was a major trending topic, as well. Seeing Maul's name trending convinced a lot of Star Wars fans that the Prequel Trilogy villain was making a(nother) comeback in The Mandalorian - but turns out it was just because fans still love him that much.

Well, all that random online chatter about Darth Maul sparked a very good question: Is a Star Wars: Darth Maul movie or TV series something that needs to happen?

While we're discussing that question, we'll also need to get a few facts about Star Wars canon in order:

Darth Maul didn't die in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

This is probably the most important-yet-aggravating point of Darth Maul's role in the Star Wars franchise, so let's get it out of the way. Those who have watched the official Star Wars animated series (Clone Wars, Rebels) already know that Maul's story continues on in a big way. Maul survived The Battle of Naboo and his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but was severely damaged, both physically and mentally. Maul is discovered in hiding on a junk planet by his brother, and restored to health by the witches of his home planet (Dathomir), known as the Nightsisters. With his mind repaired, and his body enhanced of cybernetic parts, Darth Maul joined with his brother Savage Opress and rode out the Clone Wars in the Outer Rim territories, building a massive crime syndicate, eventually finding a base on Mandalore for his Shadow Collective group to rule through a puppet government. That time of greatness falls apart when Maul gets too powerful and has his hold on Mandalore and the Shadow Collective smashed by Darth Sidious.

Maul's story gets a bit murkier after that. Clone Wars never got to finish its storyline for Maul before the show was canceled, so Maul's arc of being Sidious' prisoner, and his escape and battles with General Grievous and Count Dooku were pushed into the Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir comic series. Both Star Wars Rebels and Solo: A Star Wars Story pick up Maul's thread during the era before Star Wars: A New Hope, exploring how he survived in the shadows in the year's since the Republic's fall by building a new crime syndicate called Crimson Dawn, and trying to unlock secret powers of the Sith. In the end, Maul died in a final duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tattooine, when Luke Skywalker was just a little boy.


Darth Maul is One of the Biggest Problems in Star Wars Right Now.

That brings us to the glaring issue hanging over Star Wars. Like so many supporting or bit characters in the series, Maul has become so much more of an icon than was probably intended, originally. However, there's a major divide between those who know the longer and deeper story of the character that's been established, and those who think he was painfully underutilized by being killed off in The Phantom Menace. So how do you do more with the Darth Maul, without upsetting Star Wars' established continuity?

Darth Maul Needs His Own Star Wars Movie or Miniseries.

In the end, the main problem here is that Darth Maul's story got lost in the transitional period where Star Wars went from its old canon under George Lucas, to this new expanding canon under Disney. A Darth Maul movie or miniseries would be a great way to revisit the events of Clone Wars and Rebels without having to fully redo those arcs, while the main focus could be filling in more of Maul's story between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It would once again unify the fanbase in their "official" knowledge of Darth Maul's story, and the publicity potential is clear, since Darth Maul can still rise to the height of a trending topic, on a random day.

For our money, Disney+ and The Mandalorian have made it hard to argue against getting more Star Wars live-action series. A Darth Maul miniseries would give ample time and space to not only bring the villain's story to a close, but also help clean up the unfinished stories that Clone Wars, Son of Dathomir, and Solo started. Clone Wars will get that momentum going when it brings back Ray Park as Darth Maul for its season 7 revival on Disney+, so what better window for a live-action spinoff?

Do you want to see this happen?

The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th.

So much YES that I'm already splitting this into an indie thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71592-Darth-Maul-TV-series).

Gotta support Ray.


http://www.kungfumagazine.com/admin/site_images/KungfuMagazine/upload/7583_KFTC2016-04_MayJune.jpg
JULY+AUGUST 2016 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1296)

THREADS
The Mandalorian (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71066-Star-Wars-The-Mandalorian-Live-Action-series)
The Rise of Skywalker (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70466-Star-Wars-IX-The-Rise-of-Skywalker)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsp8iOt76YU

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEMYlPA5Q7g

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjdjyvnOGtg

[GeneChing]

Will China Release Huayi Brothers’ ‘Eight Hundred’ Soon? (http://chinafilminsider.com/headlines-from-china-will-china-release-huayi-brothers-eight-hundred-soon/)
BY CHINAFILMINSIDERDEC 17, 2019

http://chinafilminsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/p2553910093.jpg

Recently, there are rumors that the previously cancelled war epic film Eight Hundred, directed by Guan Hu, will be released at Chinese multiplexes this December. According to an article published by Wechat media account dianyingqingbaochu, Eight Hundred might come to theater as China is urgently in need of boosting the total box office of 2019. As of December 16, this year’s total box office earnings has exceeded last year’s RMB 61 billion yet hasn’t reached the goal of RMB 65 billion. Therefore, China had taken measures to maximize the 2019 box office performance since late November. For instance, Jumanji: The Next Level opened two weeks earlier than its original release date. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is also rescheduled to open on December 18. Local films, such as Sheep Without A Shepherd and Only Cloud Knows, also got early releases or arranged nationwide sneak preview screenings. In addition, at least four buyout foreign films will open in December. Therefore, Eight Hundred, as a highly anticipated film with great box office potential, might be allowed to eventually release this year to ensure box office growth. Wait...Never mind the 800 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71303-The-Eight-Hundred). PRC is getting Skywalker (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70466-Star-Wars-IX-The-Rise-of-Skywalker)today, a day before us?

[GeneChing]

DECEMBER 22, 2019 9:02AM PT
China Box Office: ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Beaten by Martial Arts Finale ‘Ip Man 4’ (https://variety.com/2019/film/asia/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-flops-in-china-ip-man-4-1203450552/?fbclid=IwAR2hl8fE6sz48yb5QXOfJesfJ8hspcG6TPnAhb9S xPrNDmoh1Yg022XZaHU)
By PATRICK FRATER
Asia Bureau Chief

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-2.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1
Anthony Daniels is C-3PO in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
CREDIT: LUCASFILM LTD.

Martial arts spectacular “Ip Man 4: The Finale” was the no-contest winner at the Chinese box office over the weekend. “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” while doing great business in the rest of the world, limped into third spot in China.

The Wilson Yip-directed historical action film “Ip Man 4” sees Donnie Yen as the eponymous kung fu teacher, and mentor to Bruce Lee, journeying to the U.S. where his pupil has upset the local order by opening a school devoted to the Wing Chun branch of the sport. In addition to being the supposed closing element of the hit franchise, the film is an excuse to pitch Yen against Western brawler Scott Adkins.

“Ip Man 4” dealt knockout blows every day from Friday through Sunday, accumulating some $43 million according to provisional data from local sources. That was roughly 45% of the nationwide box office total.

In second place was Chinese-made thriller “Sheep Without A Shepherd.” It scored $22.3 million, for a 10-day cumulative of $77 million.

Feng Xiaogang’s tear-jerking New Zealand-set road trip “Only Cloud Knows” and “Skywalker,” both new releases, duked it out for third place. “Cloud” came out higher on Friday and Sunday, but was narrowly beaten on Saturday by “Skywalker,” which also had bigger previews. “Cloud” floated a $10.7 million estimated score for the full weekend. “Skywalker” managed $8.73 million in normal sessions, but with the addition of previews on Wednesday and midnight screenings late Thursday, rang up an estimated $12.1 million cumulative by the end of Sunday screenings.

That is far, far away the weakest opening performance of any of the recent “Star Wars” films in China. And its lifetime total won’t come close to any of the others in the franchise.

Online ticketing agency Maoyan slightly upgraded its forecast of the film’s final total, from $18 million on Friday to $22 million by Sunday. That compares with a lifetime score of $126 million in 2015 for “The Force Awakens”; $69.4 million for “Rogue One” in 2016; and $42.6 million for “The Last Jedi.”

The early “Star Wars” films were not released in China in the same cycle as in the West, and Chinese film-goers have not been steeped in the franchise’s lore and legend. That, more than poor reviews, seems to have limited the film.

“Skywalker” earned average ratings on China’s film websites: 6.0 out of 10 on entertainment driven social media platform Douban, 7.3 on Mtime, 7.8 on Maoyan and 8.0 on rival ticketing platform Taopiaopiao. Those were only a few notches behind “Ip Man 4,” which had ratings of 7.3 on Douban, 7.4 on Mtime, 9.5 on Maoyan and 9.3 on Taopiaopiao.

In October, it was announced that Disney and Tencent-owned China Literature would soon release a “Star Wars” novel specifically for China, featuring “Chinese-style expression.” It is not clear that will be enough to revive the film franchise in the Middle Kingdom, which is now beginning to discover its own sci-fi movies.

THREADS
Ip Man 4 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69747-Ip-Man-4)
Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70466-Star-Wars-IX-The-Rise-of-Skywalker)

[GeneChing]

I always get first forum review. Surely some of the rest of you have seen this by now. I'll drop a review later.

I will say this - Rose was slighted. And good luck with this pitch, Jon. :rolleyes:

Jon M. Chu Lobbies For Disney+ ‘Star Wars’ Series For Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico (https://deadline.com/2019/12/jon-m-chu-disney-plus-star-wars-series-kelly-marie-tran-rose-tico-1202817658/)
By Denise Petski
Senior Managing Editor
December 27, 2019 11:27am

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/kelly-tran-rose-tico.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
Lucasfilm

Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu is squarely in Rose Tico’s corner. Chu has taken to social media to urge Disney+ to make a Star Wars series revolving around Resistance member Rose Tico, played by Kelly Marie Tran in the Star Wars films The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

“Ok @disneyplus. Put me in coach. Let’s make this series happen. #RoseTicoDeservedBetter @starwars,” Chu tweeted Friday.

Tran’s Rose Tico was a major supporting character introduced in Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi, but her on-screen time was greatly reduced in The Rise of Skywalker, prompting anger from fans. Their outrage was sparked by the way Tran, the first woman of color to be cast in a significant role in the Star Wars‘ franchise, was treated by some fans who disapproved of her casting in The Last Jedi. A victim of online bullying, Tran was forced off social media and had to delete her Instagram account due to the harassment and racist attacks.

Stay tuned.

Chu is currently in post-production on Warner Bros’ In The Heights, an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical, set to hit theaters in June 2020.


Jon M. Chu
✔
@jonmchu
Ok @disneyplus . Put me in coach. Let’s make this series happen. #RoseTicoDeservedBetter @starwars

12.6K
9:07 PM - Dec 26, 2019
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[GeneChing]

Selected for films we've discussed here.


THE 92ND ACADEMY AWARDS | 2020 (https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2020)
Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Honoring movies released in 2019

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
NOMINEES
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
JOAQUIN PHOENIX
Joker

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
NOMINEES
BRAD PITT
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood

CINEMATOGRAPHY
NOMINEES
JOKER
Lawrence Sher
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Robert Richardson

COSTUME DESIGN
NOMINEES
JOKER
Mark Bridges
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Arianne Phillips

DIRECTING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Todd Phillips
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE
Bong Joon Ho

FILM EDITING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Jeff Groth
PARASITE
Yang Jinmo

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
NOMINEES
PARASITE
South Korea

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
NOMINEES
JOKER
Hildur Guðnadóttir
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
John Williams

BEST PICTURE
NOMINEES
JOKER
Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers
PARASITE
Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

PRODUCTION DESIGN
NOMINEES
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
PARASITE
Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo

SOUND EDITING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Alan Robert Murray
1917
Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Wylie Stateman
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Matthew Wood and David Acord

SOUND MIXING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano

VISUAL EFFECTS
NOMINEES
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
JOKER
Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Written by Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE
Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho

REVIEWS
Joker (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1511)
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1499)

THREADS
Joker (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71455-Joker)
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70864-Once-Upon-a-Time-in-Hollywood)
Parasite (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71321-Parasite)
Skywalker (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70466-Star-Wars-IX-The-Rise-of-Skywalker)
Endgame (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71016-Avengers-Endgame)