LucasFilm Trolls Everyone With Image of Empty Toy Box

LucasFilm has done the impossible and gotten an empty cardboard box to go viral. The pure stroke of marketing genius came earlier this week in the form of a press release announcing a new line of Star Wars toys. Accompanying the release was an image of an empty toy box, which still became newsworthy thanks to an image of the three main characters plastered across the top. Poe Dameron is decked out in his Resistance pilot gear. Finn is still wearing Poe’s jacket, spawning a million fan-fics on tumblr, I’m sure. And Rey has traded in her trademark buns for a new, longer hairdo. Speculation on the significance of the new style has already skyrocketed, with many a fanboy wondering if or how it will factor into her Jedi training under Luke. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi will force its way into theaters on December 15, 2017.

Star Wars Episode VIII Title Revealed

Read it and weep tears of joy.

This week, Disney/Lucasfilm has revealed the title of the next installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. This December, everyone and their momma is going to see Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Approximately five microseconds after images of the title hit the internet, the rumor mills were already up and running, speculating on the meaning of the title. Who is this titular “Last Jedi”? Luke Skywalker, or Rey? If it is one of them, does that mean the other will die, or worse, fall to the Dark Side? Will they throw us a curveball and let Finn swing around a lightsaber this time (please, after Mace, I just really want a black Jedi again)? Some astute fans on the internet have already pointed out that Jedi can be singular or plural, in which case this may refer to more than one force-wielder, but the fact remains that this sets an ominous tone for the sequel. The answers to all these burning questions are still a few months off; Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi hyperdrives into theaters December 15, 2017.

Episode VIII Director Rian Johnson Hints at What’s to Come

Star Wars Episode VIII director Rian Johnson is finally beginning to let some details trickle out about the middle installment in the sequel trilogy. In a recent sit-down with USA Today, Johnson took a few moments to comment on the hotly anticipated film’s tone, plot elements and its mysterious title. He surprised everybody by saying he wanted the next film “to be a blast and to be funny and to be a ride the way The Force Awakens and the original Star Wars movies were.” This flies in the face of what pretty much every cast member from Daisy Ridley to Adam Driver was saying before this, drawing comparisons between Episode VIII and the original trilogy’s darker second installment, The Empire Strikes Back. Johnson also revealed that audiences would be learning more about each of the the three main characters, Finn, Rey, and Poe Dameron, as each is exposed to new challenges and threats, stating his goal was to “Figure out what’s the most difficult thing each of them could be challenged with now.” As for the driving force of the story, Johnson made sure to emphasize that the bond between Rey and Luke would play a central role, stating that “‘What's going on with Luke Skywalker?’ is the essential question at the heart of the new film.” The one thing he’s remaining mum about? The title, although he did mention that he’d had it in mind since his very first draft of the script. The next major media event, Star Wars Celebration, is still three months away, so hopefully we’ll find out more before the film debuts on December 15, 2017.

[h/t USA Today]

Hidden Figures Beats Out Rogue One in Weekend Box Office

Hidden Figures may not have won big on awards night, but the biopic about NASA’s black female engineers pulled out what many are calling an underdog victory at the weekend box office. The New York Times initially reported that Hidden Figures had tied with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but final numbers showed Figures slightly outpacing the sci-fi epic by about $700,000. The fact that Hidden Figures was playing in about half as many theaters as its competitor lends extra weight to the accomplishment. Cast member Janelle Monae took a moment to celebrate the achievement in a post on her Instagram page that has garnered more than 41,000 likes. And yes, Rogue One is in its fourth week, and yes, it’s still on track to gross way more than Hidden Figures could ever hope for, but just...let us have this one, mkay?

[h/t Variety]

Woody Harrelson Joins Han Solo Anthology Film

Next up is two bits of casting news. First, Woody Harrelson is reportedly in talks to join the already jam-packed Han Solo anthology film. Set before the events of A New Hope, the film follows the exploits of a young Han Solo, played by up-and-coming actor Alden Ehrenreich, as he runs around a galaxy far, far away and becomes everyone’s favorite mischievous smuggler. The project has already added a slew of talented names, with directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller behind the camera, Donald Glover as beloved character Lando Calrissian, and Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke in an as-yet-unspecified role. Harrelson is rumored to play a mentor figure to Han Solo who takes him in and teaches him everything he knows. I didn’t think it was possible to anticipate this movie any more than I currently do, but this latest development has me drooling all over again. The as yet untitled film is slated to drop May 25th, 2018.

Star Wars Brain Trust Meets to Discuss What to Do About Carrie Fisher/Princess Leia

In less awesome movie news, Disney’s Star Wars brain trust has convened to discuss what to do with the character Leia Organa following the sudden death of beloved actress Carrie Fisher. Fisher, who originally played Princess Leia in the 1977 film Star War: A New Hope and its two sequels, had recently reprised the role in the first installment of the sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens. This week, the Hollywood Reporter quotes sources saying that General Organa was originally meant to play a bigger part in Episodes VIII and IX, including an emotional reunion with her brother Luke and a confrontation with her son Ben. Reports immediately following Fisher’s death confirmed that she had already finished filming her scenes for Episode VIII, but her presence in the final film of the trilogy is largely up in the air. Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow is due to arrive in LA next week for talks with Lucasfilm bigwig Kathleen Kennedy, most likely to explore their options. There don’t seem to be many good ones currently. Either Fisher’s role is drastically reduced and/or written out, or they opt to go the controversial route of digitally resurrecting her with CGI effects. Neither makes for a very satisfying solution, but their hands are effectively tied for the moment.