Category: Star Wars

Rare Darth Vader costume for sale
LONDON – An exceptionally rare Darth Vader costume comes up for sale next month and is expected to fetch as much as 230,000 pounds ($365,000), auctioneer Christie’s said on Wednesday.
The main components of the 1980 costume, including the helmet and mask, are considered to have been production-made for “The Empire Strikes Back,” the second of the “Star Wars” series to be released, Christie’s added.
It will lead the auction of popular culture at Christie’s in London on Nov. 25.
One of the most recognizable and infamous characters in the history of film, Darth Vader played a central role in the story of Star Wars, the epic film series made by George Lucas.
“While there are limited public records of the costumes produced and used for the first Star Wars trilogy, the helmet, mask and shoulder armor from the present example have a provenance leading back to the film studios around the time of production,” Christie’s said.
The costume was acquired by the present owner, an American private collector in 2003 and is the first complete costume to be offered at auction, it added.

‘Star Wars’ saga gets 3D makeover
After more than five years of teasing, Lucasfilm disclosed today that work is under way on converting the “Star Wars” saga to 3D.
All six pics will get theatrical re-release in stereoscopic starting with “Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” which returns to theaters in 2012.
Exact release date has not been announced, but a Lucasfilm spokesperson said the pic will open wide and “as close to day and date (worldwide) as possible.”
The prospect of six “Star Wars” pics released in 3D should stifle speculation that the format is a fading fad. It also promises to reintroduce the franchise to young auds who are used to 3D and only know ‘Star Wars’ from homevideo and the “Clone Wars” Cartoon Network skein.
20th Century Fox will once again distribute. Fox domestic distribution prexy Bruce Snyder called the series “perfectly suited” for 3D and said “I expect this to be as much fun for people that have not experienced ‘Star Wars’ as it was for people who were there in 1977 staring at the screen with mouth agape.”
Spacing of the re-releases has not yet been determined, as that will depend on the pace of the conversion effort.
There are no plans yet for a homevideo release.
John Knoll, visual effects supervisor for Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic, is overseeing the conversion, which is being done by outside vendors with close oversight by ILM.
Knoll said Lucasfilm is committed to ensuring that the 3D conversion delivers results as good as a movie shot and authored in 3D. Knoll said that it’ll be used to make the experience more immersive and he’ll avoid some of the more jarring, exaggerated uses of 3D that have marked previous stereoscopic pics.
“Having seen a lot of stereo material, I have very strong opinions about what I like and don’t like about stereo,” Knoll told Variety. “I’m going to be applying my aesthetic. It’s not going to look like (conversions) we’ve seen in the past.”
Knoll said there are no plans to add or fix visual effects on the movies. Over the years, Lucas’s digital tweaks on the original trilogy pics have generated pushback from fans.

Unaltered Original Star Wars Films Not in Blu-ray Set
The big Blu-ray news today is George Lucas and Lucasfilm confirming that all six Star Wars films are coming to Blu-ray Disc next year and will include plentiful bonus features such as never-before-seen deleted scenes.
The bad news, at least for Star Wars and film purists, is versions of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in the set will be the modified special edition versions (re: Greedo shoots first) and not the original versions. Lucas explains the reasoning behind this decision to the New York Times.
“You have to go through and do a whole restoration on it, and you have to do that digitally,” he said. “It’s a very, very expensive process to do it. So when we did the transfer to digital, we only transferred really the upgraded version…. [it’s] kind of an oxymoron because the quality of the original is not very good.”
I’m not convinced Lucas is being entirely forthcoming about his plans with this statement. There are only a few minutes of film that differ between the original and special edition release that would need to be cleaned up and transferred for Blu-ray. It sounds more like Lucas is putting additional dollars into supplemental materials now and will revisit the “original” trilogy a few years down the road – say 2015 or so – to re-energize the franchise/brand after making loads of cash off the first Blu-ray set.
Given Lucas’ track record with multiple versions of Star Wars on VHS and DVD you have to imagine the door for the unaltered films on Blu-ray will never truly close.

‘Star Wars’ saga will hit Blu-ray in 2011
Big news out of Orlando, where George Lucas told the crowd at Star Wars Celebration V that all six live-action “Star Wars” films will be released next year on Blu-ray for the first time. In a press release that followed, Lucasfilm revealed that it would be a hefty boxed set “utilizing the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with extensive special features ñ including documentaries, vintage behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, retrospectives and never-before-seen footage from the Lucasfilm archives.”
The scene at the Florida convention, where Lucas was joined onstage at one point by Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, was described at StarWars.com, here’s an excerpt:
“Star Wars” fans were treated to a glimpse of bonus material, in the form of a long-lost deleted scene from “Return of the Jedi.” The scene has long been talked about online — a sequence that depicts Luke Skywalker assembling his new, green-bladed lightsaber prior to infiltrating Jabba the Hutt’s palace. After completing the Jedi weapon, Luke stashes it in R2-D2’s dome. What makes the “Jedi” deleted clip so remarkable is that it made it all the way to postproduction before it was cut, so it is a rare example of a cut scene with completed visual effects and music.
Actor Mark Hamill came out to describe the scene, remarking that once again his original introduction in a “Star Wars” film was cut out (his Anchorhead introduction was, of course, cut from A New Hope). Luke’s intro is purposely played as ominous, with his face cowled in shadows and his intentions unclear.”I had the black cloak, the glove, and I thought, wow, this time around I get to be the antagonist. Little did I know I was predicting the path of the prequels,” said Hamill, noting the similarities to Luke in this scene and Anakin Skywalker’s appearance.
That deleted scene is posted on You Tube — the audience reaction is priceless — but I suspect it won’t be there for very long considering that Lucasfilm attorneys move at light speed.

Happy Star Wars Day!
Today is known around the world as Star Wars Day. Why? Because it’s the only day of the year when we can utter one of the geekiest phrases ever: “May the Fourth be with you!” (Get it?)
Repeat that sentence as much as you like, along with any other quote from the Star Wars universe. Celebrate the franchise again May 25, because that’s the day it officially opened in theaters.

New ‘Star Wars’ Animated Film Is Coming To Theatres
NEW YORK – The “Star Wars” universe, already substantially rendered by computer generated imagery, is giving in all the way to animation.
“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” an animated film, will open in theaters Aug. 15 and be followed by a TV series of the same name, to air on the Cartoon Network and TNT this fall.
“I felt there were a lot more `Star Wars’ stories left to tell,” said “Star Wars” creator George Lucas in a statement. “I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the animation forward.”
Produced by Lucasfilm Animation, both the film and TV show will be distributed through Time Warner Inc., which owns TNT, the Cartoon Network and the film’s distributor, Warner Bros.
Lucas, who serves as executive producer, is also planning a live-action television series spinoff of the franchise, which he began working on last fall. The animated series has long been in the works, though the theatrical release was only announced late Tuesday.
The movie and subsequent series takes place between the ground covered in episodes II and III of the “Star Wars” films: “Attack of the Clones” (2002) and “Revenge of the Sith” (2005). It will include cartoon versions of many familiar characters, including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala and General Grievous.
A new character named Ahsoka, Anakin’s padawan, will be the first female Jedi to be a character of focus.
“It turned out to be an idea that George wanted to explore,” said Dave Filoni, director of the “Clone Wars” movie and supervising director of the series. “Henry Gillroy (a writer on the series) and I very much wanted to have a female Jedi in more of a lead role because you’ve had all the boys.”
More than 30 episodes are planned, though Filoni declined to say exactly how long the show will run. He acknowledged it’s a finite timeline before encroaching on “Revenge of the Sith” story lines.
Though the “Star Wars” films have been extraordinarily lucrative, the force won’t be expected to be as strong in cartoon form. The film and series are clearly aimed at younger viewers, though Filoni hopes to also entice the many “Star Wars” die-hard fans.
“An animated series always appeals more to a younger audience,” said Filoni. “But at the same time, we’ve tried to do some sophisticated things and ensure that we are going to satisfy the broad spectrum of `Star Wars’ fans.”
Though Lucas farms out various “Star Wars” projects in what’s known as the “`Star Wars’ expanded universe,” Filoni says that Lucas ensured “The Clone Wars” has “that `Star Wars’ feeling.”
Fans will also remember other animated series following the first time Lucas completed a “Star Wars” trilogy. After “Return of the Jedi,” the series “Ewoks” and “Droids” ran in the late `80s.
The Cartoon Network also ran an earlier version of a “Clone Wars” animated series for three seasons beginning in 2003.

George Lucas planning ‘Star Wars’ TV series
Filmmaker George Lucas said Tuesday that he has “just begun work” on a live-action television series rooted in the “Star Wars” universe, which is huge news not just for fans of the science-fiction epic but also for networks looking for a piece of the Lucas magic that has grossed $4.3 billion in theaters worldwide.
There is a caveat, though: The proposed series doesn’t have anyone named Luke or Anakin in it, a story path that Lucas concedes is “taking chances” as far as connecting with an audience expecting the familiar mythology.
“The Skywalkers aren’t in it, and it’s about minor characters,” Lucas said in an interview. “It has nothing to do with Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or any of those people. It’s completely different. But it’s a good idea, and it’s going to be a lot of fun to do.”
Lucas joked that the series would be about “the life of robots” but wouldn’t let any details slip about the true premise. The “extended universe” of “Star Wars” has come to life already in Lucas-sanctioned novels, comics and games that chronicle the history of the Jedi and tell the tales of bit players in the films, such as the bounty hunters from “The Empire Strikes Back.”
Lucas already has another television series percolating: Lucas Animation has been working for months on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” a computer-animated series that he hopes will introduce a new era of visuals to weekly episodic television. Lucas plans to produce it through his own companies before shopping the finished product to networks.
That model may also be used for the live-action show, although producer Rick McCallum said Tuesday that it’s too early to say. McCallum is interviewing writers for the live-action series.
Lucas is confident he can find a home for his droids and Jedi, but he also knows the projects are unorthodox enough to give network executives pause.
“They are having a hard time,” Lucas said. “They’re saying, ‘This doesn’t fit into our little square boxes,’ and I say, ‘Well, yeah, but it’s “Star Wars.” And “Star Wars” doesn’t fit into that box.’ ”

‘Star Wars’ 30th anniversary marked
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Seventeen hours to go in a darkened theatre not so far away?
Welcome to the “Star Wars” marathon. A free showing of all six “Star Wars” movies began Wednesday morning at the Los Angeles Convention Center and was expected to end at 2 a.m. Thursday. The event kicked off a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the release of the original film.
Several thousand people showed up for the screening, which included brief intermissions.
“Because the saga spans 30 years, it spans multiple generations of fans as well,” event spokesman Jonathan Zaleski said. “There are people in costume, families. It’s an interesting mix.”
“You get the usual assortment of stormtroopers running around,” he added. “I imagine its pretty uncomfortable to sit for 17 hours encased in plastic.”
Lucasfilm Ltd. supplied the digital prints for the movies and also is involved in “Star Wars Celebration IV” at the Convention Center.
That event, open to fan club members on Thursday and to the paying public on Friday through Monday, was to include costume contests, exhibitions of movie props, autograph opportunities from “Star Wars” celebrities, and even a stormtrooper “Olympics.”

‘Spider-Man 3′ Is “Silly,” Says Lucas
George Lucas has joined the major newspaper critics in their negative appraisal of Spider-Man 3.
In an interview with FoxNews.com’s Roger Friedman, Lucas said, “It’s a silly movie. … There just isn’t much there. Once you take it all apart, there’s not much story, is there?”
Over the weekend, Spider-Man 3 surged ahead of Lucas’s Star Wars’ episode Revenge of the Sith to take the record for the biggest weekend box-office record.
Star Wars was also criticized as being “silly,” Lucas noted. “But it wasn’t.”
He also disclosed that he is working on at least two other Star Wars movies for television.
“But they won’t have members of the Skywalker family as characters. They will be other people of that milieu.”

Lucas, Hamill reunite for ‘Star Wars’ spoof
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – George Lucas and Mark Hamill will reunite for “Robot Chicken: Star Wars,” a 30-minute stop-motion animation special for Adult Swim, Cartoon Network’s late-night programming block.
The special spoofs key scenes and favorite characters from the “Star Wars” universe. It was done in collaboration with Lucas’ production company Lucasfilm. Lucas, the creator of the “Star Wars” franchise, will voice a cartoon version of himself, and Hamill will resurrect Luke Skywalker.
The special, set to premiere at 10 p.m. on June 17, comes from “Robot Chicken” creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich. Green directed.
The voice cast also includes Conan O’Brien, Seth MacFarlane, Robert Smigel, Malcolm McDowell, Hulk Hogan, James Van Der Beek, Donald Faison, Abraham Benrubi, Breckin Meyer and Joey Fatone.
The special stems from three “Star Wars” skits on “Robot Chicken,” including the popular “Emperor’s Phone Call,” featuring Darth Vader calling Emperor Palpatine to tell him that the Death Star has been blown up.
Representatives for Lucasfilm wanted to post that sketch on StarWars.com, and they set up a meeting with Green and Senreich that turned into a pitch meeting for a special.
“We were big fans of the work that Matt and Seth had done, so when they approached us about the idea to make a ‘Robot Chicken’ episode dedicated to ‘Star Wars,’ we were really enthusiastic about it,” said Tom Warner, Lucasfilm’s senior director of marketing.
The “Star Wars” special was developed with Lucasfilm’s approval at every stage. The company also helped with sound files on Chewbacca and R2-D2.
Like just about every child in 1977, Green saw the first “Star Wars” movie.
“It informed my whole creative sensibility, and the ‘Star Wars’ toys I played with in my childhood inspired my imagination,” Green said. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of a ‘Star Wars’ project, and I got to make one.”
And he got to direct Lucas.
“It was really exciting,” Green said. “He was very shy but very playful.”