The latest episodes of Andor have been rated among the best television episodes of all time. Today we’re discussing that, the new Finn and Jannah book, and more!
0:00 Star Wars Night at the Braves
2:09 Last Week in News
14:19 Last Week in Canon
32:19 Q&A
Jude Law has officially joined the famed intergalactic universe with Star Wars: Skeleton Crew!
In PEOPLE’s exclusive first look at the latest addition to the iconic franchise, the actor, 51, takes on the role of Jod Na Nawood in Disney+’s new coming-of-age series.
“When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy,” according to the show’s official synoposis. “Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.”
In addition to Law, child actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Kyriana Kratter (KB), Robert Timothy Smith (Neel) and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern) will also star in the new series.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew premieres Dec. 3 on Disney+….
Did you catch the subtle Harrison Ford tribute present throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars?
WhatCulture Star Wars is dedicated to all things Star Wars. We’ll have all the usual lists, features, and news, plus there’ll be Ups & Downs for all the latest shows and new Star Wars movies. The force is with us!
THE ACOLYTE series premiere is finally here, and with it, an all-new season of RFR After Show livestreams! The lead-up to this show has been divisive among fans, to say the least. But now that we’ve all seen it, does it live up to the hype or the hate? We review the first two episodes, “Lost/Found” and “Revenge/Justice” and speculate on where this new era of STAR WARS is heading. So join us as we break down both eps, along with highlights from the live chat and listener calls with your reactions, thoughts, theories and observations about this latest STAR WARS series.
THE BAD BATCH’s explosive series finale is here! Join us as we dig deep into this final episode and reflect on the epic three-season journey with Clone Force 99. The chat will be popping and phone lines jamming for the final Rebel Force Radio Bad Batch After Show Livestream, starting tonight at 9 p.m. ET. Be there!
The Bad Batch final season is coming to an end and I believe the creators of have been using the show to test out a new animated series surrounding the clone underground led by Captain Rex. Just like how the Bad Batch was spun off from the clone wars, I believe it makes financial sense for Disney to take this route.
Plus, begun the Clone War has with new Droidekas and clone troopers, the Ghost crew’s Sabine Wren and Chopper join the Vintage Collection, and other reveals from today’s livestream.
StarWars.com Team
Grand Admiral Thrawn is returning to Hasbro’s Star Wars: The Black Series next year.
The Chiss tactician will debut an updated sculpt modeled after the character’s appearance in the Ahsoka series as one of several new arrivals to the 6-inch scale line. Plus, a host of new characters will be added to the 3.75-inch scale Vintage Collection, including Luke Skywalker in X-wing gear from Star Wars: A New Hope, Clone Commander Rex from Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and a two-pack of Sabine Wren and Chopper to complete the Ghost crew from Star Wars Rebels.
And there’s more exciting announcements to come with pipeline teasers including an Amazon-exclusive 4-pack of Ahsoka Tano, R7-A7, CH-33P (Cheep), and RG-G1 (G-G) from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and a deluxe Cobb Vanth with Boba Fett armor as seen in The Mandalorian from The Vintage Collection. We’ll also soon get our first look at a deluxe Black Series pack with IG-12, Grogu, and Anzellan from The Mandalorian Season 3, an Amazon-exclusive three-pack from the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor video game, and a premium roleplay helmet modeled after Moff Gideon still to be revealed.
Check out the full list of today’s reveals below! Pre-order begins tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT….
The first two episodes of Ahsoka are here! So it’s time to talk about my impressions of the new series and dive into the story and themes being established for the next six weeks!
With STAR WARS films several years away, our focus is the streaming series. This week, we collected cool interview highlights from the casts of AHSOKA, ANDOR, and THE MANDALORIAN himself, Pedro Pascal, who reveals he hasn’t been under the helmet much lately. Will we see live action recreations of classic animated moments from Ahsoka Tano’s history? Will Grogu play a role in the story? Should the famous STAR WARS opening crawl be included in streaming series, like AHSOKA, or should it be reserved for the films only? Star Wars in Pop Culture features SUCCESSION, NEWHART and introduces us to the fandom of the NBA’s 2023 #1 draft pick, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. Plus, Hera’s goggles, Galaxy’s Edge, and the mystery of Fake Mace.
We gathered up a collection of preview pix from AHSOKA from various sources across the web and provide a breakdown of each pic including some of our first glimpses of Hera Syndulla, Shin Hati, Baylan Skol, a mysterious Inquisitor, and Ahsoka Tano herself.
From RFR: “Countdown to AHSOKA”
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Animation fans received a bounty of treats at this year’s Star Wars Celebration in London.
YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES
On Saturday, host Krystina Arielle, executive producer James Waugh and showrunner Michael Olsen welcomed fans of all ages to a special screening of “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures.” The screening began with the debut of the trailer, followed by a Q&A with Waugh and Olson. Dee Bradley Baker, the voice of a youngling named Nubs, surprised fans by introducing the screening using the voice of the animated Jedi youngling.
Set 200 years before “The Phantom Menace,” during the High Republic era, the animated series follows Jedi younglings as they study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi along the way. Produced by Lucasfilm in collaboration with Wild Canary for Disney+ and Disney Junior, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” is executive produced by Lucasfilm’s James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez and Josh Rimes. Michael Olson (“Puppy Dog Pals”) is showrunner and executive producer.
“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” stars Jamaal Avery, Jr. as Kai Brightstar, Juliet Donenfeld as Lys Solay, Dee Bradley Baker as Nubs, Emma Berman as Nash Durango, Jonathan Lipow as RJ-83, Piotr Michael as Master Yoda, Trey Murphy as Taborr Val Dorn and Nasim Pedrad as Master Zia.
“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” releases on Disney+ and Disney Junior, where available, on May 4, 2023.
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
Later that day, fans were treated to a panel celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Emmy® award winning series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Moderated by Amy Ratcliffe, the panel included executive producer Dave Filoni, VP, Animation Production Lucasfilm Animation Athena Portillo, sound editor Matthew Wood and art director Kilian Plunkett as well as cast members Dee Bradley Baker, Ashley Eckstein, Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor as they reminisced on how the series came to be. Dave ended the panel with the exciting announcement that he had so much fun creating the first season of “Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi,” a second season is currently in production.
STAR WARS: THE BAD BATCH
On Monday, there was a panel for the acclaimed series “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” which just wrapped its second season as the Bad Batch continued their journey navigating the aftermath of Order 66 and the rise of the Empire.
Host Amy Ratcliffe welcomed “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” executive producer and supervising director Brad Rau, executive producer and head writer Jennifer Corbett, executive producer Athena Portillo, actors Dee Bradley Baker, who voices The Bad Batch, and Michelle Ang, the voice of Omega, to discuss highlights from the second season. Executive producers Rau, Corbett and Portillo announced that the show will return for a third and final season in 2024 to finish telling this part of the story. Fans in the room were treated to a special Season 3 teaser, sharing a sneak peek at what is to come including the return of Ming-Na Wen’s fan-favorite bounty hunter, Fennec Shand.
STAR WARS: VISIONS
To close out Star Wars Celebration’s animation panels, on Monday afternoon there was a “Star Wars: Visions” panel. The panel was filled with an abundance of reveals ahead of the series’ May 4, 2023 release– including first story details for all nine shorts, the full cast list, the trailer and key art.
The newest Volume will continue to push the boundaries of “Star Wars” storytelling, with nine new shorts from nine studios from around the globe. Employing the most captivating animation styles from a variety of countries and cultures, the second volume offers a dynamic new perspective on the storied mythos of Star Wars.
To kick off the panel, host Amy Ratcliffe introduced executive producers of the Emmy® nominated series, Josh Rimes, James Waugh and Jacqui Lopez, who discussed the success of the show’s first season and its unique concept featuring a collection of animated shorts that stretches beyond any one form of animation and serves as a broader framework for Star Wars storytelling.
Amy went on to reveal the trailer for Volume 2 and the voice talents behind the second volume.
The cast includes:
“Screecher’s Reach”: Eva Whittaker
“I Am Your Mother”: Maxine Peake, Charithra Chandran
“Journey to the Dark Head” (English Dub): Ashley Park, Eugene Lee Yang
“The Bandits of Golak”: Suraj Sharma
“The Pit”: Daveed Diggs
“Aau’s Song”: Cynthia Erivo
After revealing the cast, Amy Ratcliffe introduced the series’ filmmakers, who took to the stage in groups of three to reveal the first details about each of their shorts.
Rodrigo Blaas, writer/director of El Guiri’s “Sith” from Spain
Paul Young, director of Cartoon’s Saloon’s “Screecher’s Reach” from Ireland
Gabriel Osorio, writer/director of Punkrobot’s “In the Stars” from Chile.
Magdalena Osinska, director of Aardman’s “I Am Your Mother” from the United Kingdom
Hyeong-Geun Park, director of Studio Mir’s “Journey to the Dark Head” from South Korea
Julien Chheng, director of Studio La Cachette’s “The Spy Dancer” from France
Milind Shinde, founder of India’s 88 Pictures and executive producer of “The Bandits of Golak.”
LeAndre Thomas, writer/director/executive producer of “The Pit”; Arthell Isom, founder of D’ART Shtajio and executive producer of “The Pit”
Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke, co-directors of Triggerfish’s “Aau’s Song” from South Africa
Panelists shared how they incorporated their country’s history and culture into their stories and created original characters that fit into the Star Wars galaxy and cast local talent to bring these characters to life. At the end of the panel, attendees were also treated to a surprise early screening of Aardman’s short “I Am Your Mother.”
More information about all of the animation announcements out of Star Wars Celebration can be found at StarWars.com.
Anakin and Obi-Wan’s Jedi starfighters, Poe Dameron’s X-wing, and many more fan-favorite ships join the small-scale, big-fun line of toys.
“Size matters not,” Yoda said. “Judge me by my size, do you?” But when it comes to Jazwares’ charming Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron series, Yoda might’ve been wrong. Smaller is better.
Launched in 2022, Star Wars Micro Galaxy Squadron calls back to fan-favorite lines of old with small-scale vehicles and characters, putting them literally in the palm of your hand. It’s the perfect size for armada building, and Jazwares has wasted little time in exploring the saga’s various eras with releases that appeal to fans of all generations, from Mando and the Razor Crest to Luke Skywalker and his X-wing. And the line is about to expand…
Animated Star Wars projects don’t get the same level of attention as live action. I can understand why, because I used to be the kind of person who thought they weren’t worth my time. But here is what the animated stories can offer that live action often does not.
Today, Disney+ announced the cast for The Acolyte, an upcoming Star Wars Original series from Lucasfilm. Joining the previously announced Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give) are Emmy Award-winner Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (Nine Perfect Strangers), Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Rebecca Henderson (Inventing Anna), Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (1917), and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix).
The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
The High Republic saw the Jedi Order at its prime, centuries prior to the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. You can learn more about this era at StarWars.com’s official hub for all things High Republic.
From creator, showrunner, and executive producer Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), The Acolyte has begun production in the U.K. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef. Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing. Headland will also direct the series pilot.
Bring home the galaxy: andor’s vel sartha joins the black series and more!
Get a first look at vel sartha in hasbro’s 6-inch figure line, and check out other galactic essentials.
Every tuesday, bring home the galaxy will reveal new products inspired by the star wars saga and showcase the best galactic gifts this year for the whole family. Check starwars.Com each week for a highlight of five select products, including some of the biggest reveals. Plus, in collaboration with ups this holiday season, special star wars bring home the galaxy-themed wrapped ups trucks will appear along regular delivery routes in new york city, los angeles, chicago, orlando, and atlanta.
This week, bring home the galaxy welcomes a rebel leader to the star wars: the black series collector’s line and much more. Read on for some of our favorite items of the week…
When comic book artist and book cover illustrator Dan Parsons first saw a glimpse of a galaxy far, far away, it was unfortunately blocked by a big head of hair.
“My first Star Wars memory was standing in a long line in 1977 to see A New Hope for what seemed like forever,” Parsons recalls. “I ended up having to sit in the very back, only to realize that I was behind a dude with a very large afro! It was, after all, the ’70s!”
Luckily for Parsons, he loved what he could glimpse through the curls enough to realize that he one day wanted to merge his love for Star Wars with his talent for art as a career.
“I think I had a sense that I wanted to be an artist when I was a kid,” Parsons explains. “Around that time I saved up my allowance and bought the Ballantine Frank Frazetta art books, and never was quite the same after that. Although, I didn’t start working full time as a professional until recently, I had been working as a research scientist around 14 years before entering this crazy career.”
As a teenager, Parsons took pride in his work as the cartoonist for the school newspaper and chief illustrator for the school literary magazine — The Pikesville Prism. In college, he majored in science, as well as earning a degree in Fine Art from Towson University in Baltimore. “I can’t say that college had any great affect on me other than exposing me to classical art and giving me a chance to work from the live model,” Parsons admits. “My background in art came from the comic books that I read all through my life. I think my psychology came from there as well!”
Studying both fine art and comics, Parsons says that a number of varied illustrators and artists have influenced his style over the years. “I always cite Frazetta as a major influence, but mostly because his work introduced me into the world of art,” Parsons says. “Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, Al Williamson have remained strong influences on me and newer artists that have really affected me are Dave Finch and Travis Charest. I think Gene Colan has had a deep influence on my storytelling. His sense of flow is unrivaled. And of course, Will Eisner. It was a great honor to recently contribute a piece of art to his tribute book. I’m also really into classic art. The Greek/ Hellenistic style is just the most beautiful art ever created.”
“My current favorite is an illustrator from the early 1900s named Joseph Clement Cole,” Parsons adds. “He had a pen and ink style that is just amazing — loose, but highly detailed. Of the modern comic book artists, I like Dave Finch for scale and mood. I also like the Silvestri/Batt team a lot. I love the sketchy, yet tight, feel they get. My favorite Star Wars artist is definitely Jan Duursema. And I am fortunate enough to be able to work with her on the Star Wars books. Her storytelling is on par with her mentor’s, who I also love, Joe Kubert. I just read his new graphic novel Jew Gangster. He is a true master of simplicity.”
A Creative Partnership
Starting out as a self publisher, Parsons came to be known in the independent comic crowd for his “bad girl” comic, Harpy. His work on the comic earned him enough of a reputation to start getting assignments such as the covers and interior work for the Battlestar Galactica comic. Soon enough, Parsons was onto more projects including the Sci Fi channel’s First Wave comic book. He also illustrated various trading cards projects for the titles Witchblade, Vampirella, Lexx, The Crow and The Lord of the Rings, as well as the ever popular Star Wars Heritage and the Revenge of the Sith sets for Topps.
“I have must have drawn nearly every Star Wars character in the galaxy when you put together the Heritage and the Revenge of the Sith sets,” Parsons smiles. “Of course my favorite will always be Jedi Master Plo Koon! Who else in the galaxy has a small intestine for a face? I like working on the bounty hunters a lot too. Bossk is another face only a mother could love!”
However, before he was sketching his favorite characters on cards for Topps, Parsons found himself chatting with his favorite Star Wars artist — Jan Duursema — in hopes of teaming up with her on a future project. “I was at the San Diego Comic-Con back in 2002 and I had a spot in Artist Alley not far from artist Jan Duursema,” Parsons recalls. “Little did I know she was on the hunt for a new inker. I showed her some of my work which at the time had a real Al Williamson flavor. I think it was a King Kong type piece that caught her eye. I inked some sample pages and we have been working together ever since. We both have a realistic, illustrative approach that works well together.”
For his first official Star Wars project, Parsons was hired to ink an 18-page Obi-Wan/Anakin tale for the double-sized 50th issue of Star Wars: Republic. “I went on to ink the first four issues of Jedi and then Jan [Duursema] and I signed on as the regular team for Republic,” Parsons says. “We worked on the title until the series end with issue #83.”
Parsons continues his creative partnership with Duursema as they tackle the newly released Star Wars: Legacy series. He also has lent his penciling and inking talents on King Kong for Dark Horse. “King Kong was always a favorite of mine so that is a real treat to work on,” Parsons says. “I also continue to work on my creator-owned series Harpy and Savage Planet here and there. Some Harpy stuff is scheduled to come out this summer from Amryl Entertainment. I am also working on an oil painting for a pirate novel called Tales from the Sea. There are other things that are in the works, but I don’t want to get yelled at for ‘giving up the ghost.'”……..
Andor is finally out! What did you think of the first three episodes? I loved them and can’t wait to talk about this series with all of you for the next ten weeks!
Andor comes out tomorrow! Here are my spoiler-free thoughts on the first four episodes of the series. In short, I love it. It’s very different from the previous live action Star Wars series. It’s very unique. It’s light on the action, but never boring. I can’t wait to talk about it more over the next ten weeks!
In a recent interview with ABC’s On the Red Carpet, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy and actors Kyle Soller and Denise Gough have weighed in on how long a Star Wars series should be.
Gilroy took the occasion to highlight, yet again, why he’s so thankful for this opportunity — it’s not because he’s a StarWars fan that has always wanted to play in this sandbox, but because he’s an immensely talented creator who was looking for a major platform to tell the story he wants with next to no limitations, and not just in terms of budget.
Why is Huyang going to be in the Ahsoka series? Was Ahsoka too young to be a Padawan? Is Jacen Syndulla going to be in Skeleton Crew? These questions and more answered in this week’s Q&A!
When it comes to the Clone Wars Star Wars fans are spoiled for choice. But which series do you think is better? Join Ewan and Ben-Roy as they discuss the ups and downs of these beloved shows, and try to figure out which one of them they couldn’t do without…
WhatCulture Star Wars is dedicated to all things Star Wars. We’ll have all the usual lists, features, and news, plus there’ll be Ups & Downs for all the latest shows and new Star Wars movies. The force is with us!
We are less than a month away from the release of Andor, the new Star Wars live-action series centered around the title character that was first introduced in Rogue One. The series will also depict how the Rebel Alliance was formed in the five years leading up to the mission to steal the Death Star plans, and will include characters like Mon Mothma and Saw Gerrera.
Tony Gilroy is the series’ showrunner and main writer. As he revealed at StarWars Celebration in May, Andor will be two seasons long, with the first year capturing the events of the first year in the aforementioned timeline, and the second season, the remaining four years. In his own words:
“The series is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It rewinds back five years from the events of Rogue One to follow Cassian Andor on his journey to get to the movie. We’ve done twelve episodes for the first season. The twelve episodes that we’ve done cover one year in time. We’re going to do another twelve that are going to take us over the next four years into Rogue One.”
Both Gilroy and lead actor Diego Luna have said multiple times over the past couple of months that the second and final season will lead us directly into the events of the movie, possibly hinting that the final scene in the show could see Cassian in the moments right before he’s introduced in the movie. “The final scene will walk you into Rogue One,” Gilroy said at Celebration….
Last year, Star Wars Visions decided to take the galaxy far, far away into the realm of anime, but the next volume of shorts will be bringing in talent from around the world. Series executive producer James Waugh reveals why the series is now taking a more varied approach, and delves into how the series will still retain an emphasis on Japanese animation.
At Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022, it was officially confirmed that Star Wars Visions would be going forward with a new set of shorts developed by animators from not just Japan, but also the United States, Chile, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, South Africa, India, and South Korea. When talking to Deadline about the future of the Visions brand, Waugh explained that he sees it as an all-encompassing label to allow creators from around the world to express what Star Wars means to their style….
