How goes it, Star Wars fans? We’re back with another news recap, and this time, we’ve got quite a lot to cover. We just got the Mando trailer, and there are several leaks we should discuss. Let’s get to it!
JediPaxis and MSW leaks
A fair amount of controversy has surrounded the leaks from redditor JediPaxis lately, because he has modified his leak synopsis. However, to me, it all seems plausible and he is probably taking more flack than he deserves. They are trying out multiple endings for the film, so the thing is in flux. That said, one could argue that he changed his synopsis pretty soon after posting, so maybe he should have waited a little before posting. Can’t blame him though because what he did was non-trivial. He integrated many many leaks from multiple sources, and put together a cohesive story. He did it and beat many people to the punch.
Notable among the changes is the fact that Luke and Leia Force-ghosts were said to have protected Rey, and now it is just voices. We heard the voices of Luke and Leia in the trailer, so it checks out there. However, I wouldn’t reject the idea of seeing Luke and Leia as Force-ghosts just yet. A lot of the things taken out may go back in, it’s probably too early to tell definitively. For me, the idea of Force-ghosts helping Rey make sense for two reasons. One, TLJ demonstrated that Force-ghosts can interact with the physical world. Yoda could conjure up lightning, and tap Luke on the head with his cane. Also, an early draft of RotJ has Yoda helping Luke out against the Emperor. So, given that JJ consulted GL on this film makes this seem at least within the realm of possibility.
New Moon Name Confirmed
This one comes from Disney Parks blog. They claim that the ocean shots in the trailer are on the “ocean moon” of Kef Bir. There is another shot of ships heading toward an iceberg, and I assume this is the same moon. Apparently, Kef Bir is another moon of Endor, in addition to the “sanctuary moon” that we saw in RotJ. Presumably, large parts of the DeathStar made it to this ocean moon. Beyond that, things are a bit unclear.
There is also a scene in the trailer with Imperial Star Destroyers seem to be emerging from the ice. When I saw that I actually first thought they were coming out of the Jakku desert! According to others I have heard from, this seems to be coming out of the ice, so I will defer to what people have been saying, but it is fair to say that shot was hard to see. What’s more is according to Jason Ward at MSW, these scenes of the emerging Star Destroyers are part of the new opening of the movie. This is probably a little bit tentative at this point if you ask me, and things could still be in flux.
New Article from Vanity Fair on The Mandalorian
The latest trailer from Mando looks amazing. I was more impressed than ever about the show, and I’m more excited than ever. Adding to this excitement is a new Vanity Fair article on the show, and a focus on a new character, Fennec Shand. The article comes with new footage for the show in a trailer that looks pretty cool. This thing looks hyper-realistic. OK, that may be an exaggeration, but it’s looking pretty good. I would have thought that Nick Nolte’s ugnaught character would be mostly CGI, but the shot looks pretty real, so I’m not sure how they did it, or if the mo-capped Nolte’s facial expressions.
New Photo of Finn Wearing Stormtrooper Gear
This latest instagram post from John Boyega is specifically about a ride at Disney theme parks, but it may also be from The Rise of Skywalker. At this point, it isn’t clear so I’m showing it anyway. If this is from TROS, then it might be pretty major for the plot. This could be part of Finn’s heroic arc, where he eventually goes back to infiltrate storm troopers, taking advantage of his knowledge from the past. What would be amazing is if he somehow starts a coup d’etat that overthrows part of the First Order. He would know what buttons to press to convince the other storm troopers to turn. This could be the most extreme scenario, but Finn needs something big for this film! Check the post here:
“Less is More” Strategy from Bob Iger
This latest quote couldn’t be more true. In a recent interview with BBC radio, Bob Iger states that a “less is more” strategy may work better for Star Wars. He may be right. I’m not thrilled to say this, but fewer films, yet more focused and developed could be what is needed. After all, George Lucas would spend 3 years per film when doing both the OT and the prequels. In the yeas between TFA and Solo, there were 4 movies released in a span of 2.5 years, from December 2015 to May 2018. Let’s be realistic. I love the movies as much as anyone, but I also do feel like I need more of a breather. Casual fans were even a bit confused by so many Star Wars films. I recall when I saw Rogue One in theaters, a little girl asked her mom, “Where was Rey”? Her mom didn’t give a straightforward answer either. Maybe
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