We've been contacted by event organiser Blakkbyrd about this intriguing show dedicated to Stuart Freeborn and taking place in his native Leytonstone.

"Purely by accident I discovered that Stuart was born in Leytonstone,“ says Elliott, excitement rising in his voice. “There were these stories about how he used to do make-up on himself and he’d ride around Leytonstone on his bike, looking to see if he’d get a reaction from people.

Following that I did an engraving of Yoda for the Leytonstone Arts Trail, as well as an article about Stuart. I was amazed by the number of people who showed an interest, and how few knew he was from Leytonstone.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by how many people have signed up to take part,“ says Elliot.

"There are at least 20 artists, Artefacto Bespoke Tattoo is running an exhibition in conjunction with the Stone Space show, and the Luna Lounge, next to the gallery, will be holding a Star Wars day on May 25, with a Star Wars-themed indoor market and fancy dress disco.

“It’s great, because May 25 will be 36th anniversary of Star Wars, the 33rd anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, and the 30th anniversary of Return of the Jedi. “We’ll also be running workshops and talks at Leytonstone Library. (call Leytonstone Library on: 020 8496 1190 )"

Source Blakkbyrd
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Tim Curry Suffers Major Stroke
Reported by Mark on 24 May 2013 18:32

Tim Curry, the voice of Emperor Palpatine in the final episodes of season 5 of The Clone Wars and the forthcoming bonus material which would have formed season 6 has suffered a major stroke.

Rocky Horror Picture Show star Tim Curry is recovering at home following a major stroke, according to reports. The British actor, 67, who lives in Hollywood , is said to be “doing great” following his collapse.

His agent Marcia Hurwitz denied a suggestion that the actor had been left with his speech impaired by the stroke. She told the Daily Mail: “Tim is doing great. He absolutely can speak and is recovering at this time and in great humour.”

Curry played Dr Frank-N-Furter in the cult Rocky Horror musical alongside Susan Sarandon and Meatloaf in 1975.

The actor pulled out of a 2011 Trevor Nunn production of Rosencrantz and Gildenstern are Dead at the Chichester Festival Theatre suffering from asthma attacks and a chest infection.

Everyone here at Team Jedi News send their very best wishes and hopes for a steady recovery.

It's a Star Wars three-union. Ewan McGregor now joins Natalie Portman and Joel Edgerton on Jane Got a Gun. I'm assuming Aerosmith are doing the soundtrack music?

Ewan McGregor might be the latest (and hopefully last) actor to join his "Star Wars" co-star Natalie Portman in "Jane Got a Gun." McGregor, who appeared as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the three "Star Wars" prequels, is poised to take over the role of the lead villain in the Western, after Jude Law left and Bradley Cooper's schedule didn't work out. As reported last week, the short list of actors that were being considered for the lead baddie were "Thor" star Tom Hiddleston, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- McGregor's name was nowhere to be found. Perhaps that leak was a psych-out; there's no doubt that McGregor is leading man (or villain) material.

So far, "Jane Got a Gun" has been more like a game of musical chairs than the straightforward production that its star and producer Natalie Portman had probably hoped for. Director Lynne Ramsay left the film after last minute wrangling with the film's producer (and perhaps more importantly, one of its financiers) Scott Steindorff. Gavin O'Connor ("Warrior") came onboard almost immediately -- as if he were waiting in the wings, as it were -- but that didn't stave off the film's problems. Michael Fassbender was supposed to play the ex-lover of Portman's character, whom she'd call upon once her farm was besieged by bad guys, but he quit the film as well, reportedly because of schedule conflicts with "X-Men: Days of Future Past." Joel Edgerton had been cast to play the lead villain threatening Portman, but he switched hats and took over former lover duties.

Edgerton, for one, sounds pretty positive about getting his "Gun" on so far. He told Vulture, "Movies are shot out of order... and nothing will have to be reshot." He added cheerily, "We're winning out there. We're having a great time. It's been wonderful." Okay, then.

Our pal Ryan Leston over at Yahoo! Movies UK focuses on the enduring charm of those original Star Wars merchandise releases, chatting with Steve Sansweet about all manner of ancient goodies.

“The contract Kenner signed with Lucasfilm was only signed a month before ‘Star Wars’ opened in the US. They had already started preliminary work but back then, to do a line of 3D moulded toys from design and final approval to manufacturing, carding and distribution took a minimum of twelve months… and Kenner took the contract thinking that ‘Star Wars’ would be in theatres for a short while and that by the time these figures were out, people would probably have forgotten them.”

That's never going to happen! Click here for the full article.

It's time to join the moisture farmers down at Tosche Station for the latest episode, brought to you by Majestic Giraffe Productions.

On this episode of Tosche Station Radio, the hosts are joined by staff writer Bria to discuss the new Star Wars animated series: Rebels!

Nanci and Brian are the co-founders and writers of Tosche-Station.net. You can find Nanci on Twitter with the handle @Nancipants and you can find Brian with @LaneWinree.

Contact Information: iTunes | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+

Sideshow celebrates the 30th anniversary of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi with the new Darth Vader Deluxe Sixth Scale Figure. Recreate every memorable scene with this essential Vader figure, featuring a fully articulated body, faithfully reproduced costume, and detailed helmet, mask, and portrait options. To complete your display, they've included an impressive Imperial-themed light up figure stand and a meditation chamber stand for Vader's helmet and mask.

The Darth Vader Deluxe Sixth Scale Figure features:

• Newly Developed Fully Articulated Darth Vader body
• Fabric body suit and cape
• Detailed armor and gloves
• Head with Helmet and Mask
• Additional Anakin Skywalker Portrait
• Detailed chest and belt boxes
• Multiple Gloved hands for various gestures
• Lightsaber(s): Hilt Only and Hilt with Blade
• Light-up figure display base with Imperial symbol
• Helmet and Mask accessories with light-up Meditation Chamber display base
• Sideshow Exclusive: Severed Gauntlet - whilst stock lasts!

To pre-order take the link below...

The Blackhole Stormtrooper Premium Format figure will be available for pre-order on May 30th but in the meantime you can enter for a chance to storm off with your very own Blackhole Stormtrooper Premium Format figure by entering the competition below, courtesy Sideshow Collectibles!

George Lucas had finished Star Wars, and it nearly killed him. He wanted to move on, devote his time to other projects. His company, Lucasfilm, and its various branches devoted their time to creating new moviemaking tools. Lucas worked mainly as a producer, while helping his buddy Steven Spielberg with the Indiana Jones films.

But, soon enough, that galaxy far, far away kept on calling. Lucas had come up with even more stories during the filming of a New Hope, and his creative brain was beginning to work on these again.

Testing the waters, he allowed the Star Wars universe to be licensed into a series of novels. Though the quality of these stories were as varied as the authors working on them, the Expanded Universe as it was to be known was quickly proving that many people were still starving for Star Wars, and a theatrical return seemed a good idea, if a good story could be had.

While any news lately pertaining to Industrial Light & Magic has been on the negative side in terms of layoffs and closures, we do get this ray of sunshine from Variety informing us that visual effects supervisor John Knoll has just been promoted to ILM's chief creative officer.

With Lucasfilm gearing up for a new era of active production of Star Wars films and TV series, the company has upped John Knoll to chief creative officer of Industrial Light & Magic.

Knoll joins ILM president Lynwen Brennan at the top of the storied f/x studio.

Knoll’s credits as vfx supervisor include the first three “Pirates of the Caribbean” pictures, the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, two “Mission: Impossible” pics, two “Star Trek” films and the upcoming “Pacific Rim.” He won a vfx Oscar for the second “Pirates” pic and was co-leader of ILM’s production team on the Oscar-winning animated feature “Rango.”

In his new role, Knoll will be involved in early creative planning for all projects that come to ILM. Said Brennan: “I was looking to find someone to partner with. We always have a vfx supervisor and producer partnered to run a show here. You have the creative and the business side.”

Knoll will be the creative voice in across-the-board planning for ILM while Brennan will focus on business and costs.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

It's time to join your hosts Dan and Cory over at Coffee With Kenobi.

In Show # 1 we introduce the “thesis” of our Podcast, what it is all about, and how we came up with the concept. We will also introduce ourselves and how the Podcast came together. And finally, we will discuss some recent news that has been heading our way, and we will introduce our very first topic for discussion on show # 2.

We are a bi-weekly Star Wars Podcast hosted by Dan Zehr and Cory Clubb that analyzes our favorite Saga in a whole new way! Coffee With Kenobi relies heavily on our listeners; we want to know your opinions on higher level Star Wars topics. If you want your voice on all things Star Wars heard, this is the Podcast you’re looking for!

Contact Information: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Jedi News is working with Roqoo Depot and the 501st Legion to bring you the very latest activity from garrisons across the planet. Here's this weeks events:

Prisoner of Bogan Part Five

Daegen Lok, a mad, rebellious Je’daii, and offworlder Xesh have escaped from their prison moon and led pursuing Je’daii on a wild chase across the Tython system. On the polluted, industrial world of Nox, the escapees made contact with four generals—former servants of Queen Hadiya in the Despot War— hoping to ally with them.

The meeting with the generals was interrupted by the Je’daii, and Lok and Xesh fled, taking Je’daii Shae Koda prisoner. Now, the Je’daii assume Lok will travel to the planet Shikaakwa, where there are more soldiers loyal to Queen Hadiya.

Meanwhile, Je’daii Masters uncovered unsettling information about Xesh’s former masters—the Rakatan Infinite Empire—a civilization of dark side Force users intent on conquering the galaxy...

That's how writer, penciller and scripter John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, inker Dan Parsons, colourist Wes Dzioba, letterer Michael Heisler and cover artist David Michael Beck set up the fifth issue of Prisoner of Bogan.

We've known for many years that Lucas had the prequels mapped out in the mid 70's, before embarking on the oddesey of filming A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. But did we know the level of details Lucas was discussing the plots with writer Lawrence Kasdan, director Richard Marquand and producer Howard Kazanjian back in July 1981? We do now.

To give the others a better idea of who Darth Vader is, George Lucas maps out the character's pre-Dark Side life as Anakin Skywalker. Lucas' words here, in 1981, offer a startlingly accurate preview of what would eventually become the "Star Wars" prequels, released between 1999 and 2005. And yet there are notable exceptions, as well. For instance, Lucas compares The Force to yoga and says anyone can use it, which seems to conflict with what we learned about midi-chlorians in "The Phantom Menace." And he's adamant that Yoda does not fight -- an opinion he clearly revised sometime before 2002's "Attack of the Clones."

The first part of Microsoft's Xbox One press event yesterday featured an introductory video featuring lots of people talking in general terms about how the next Xbox console was going to be, well, the coolest thing ever. What's really interesting about the video is that it features well known people from Microsoft and the gaming industry, alongside regular folks helping to start the marketing wheel on the Xbox One.

The start of the video has Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates, but the clip continues with appearances by former Microsoft Xbox execs like Robbie Bach, J Allard and Ed Fries. Apparently the men who helped to create the original Xbox console back in 2001 are more than welcome to help Microsoft promote the new Xbox One product.

The video also contains quick cameos with major game developers like Cliff Bleszinski of Epic's Gears of War and just regular Xbox console fans. We even see some people who are normally outside the game industry make appearances in the clip, such as newly announced Halo: The Television Series producer Steven Spielberg, Dreamworks Animation head Jeffrey Katzenberg and Star Trek Into Darkness/Star Wars Episode VII director J.J. Abrams.

With rumors of one of the storylines for an upcoming Star Wars spinoff film focusing on the life of a young Han Solo, actor Josh Holloway has stated his desire to don the iconic black vest and DL-44 blaster:

"Yeah, sure, I would love that. It'd be a blast. I'd love to do that," he told E! Online whilst discussing his latest TV series 'Intelligence'.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

Boss giving you a hard time at the office? Pressure of a looming project deadline making beads of sweat form on your brow? Worried about that 50-page paper you need to compose for school?

Then wrap your fingers around this new Darth Vader Stress Toy courtesy of ThinkGeek and squeeze away all that built-up tension and angst.

Its priced at $12.99 and is about the size of a baseball.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

EA Labels president Frank Gibeau has confirmed that the publisher will offer a first look at its Star Wars plans during its E3 press conference next month.

The press conference will include ”a first look at our plans for the Star Wars partnership with Disney,” Gibeau said on the company’s Beat blog. Earlier this month EA announced that it had signed a multi-year licensing agreement with Disney for the rights to produce Star Wars games. Studios such as BioWare, Visceral, and DICE will all work on games in the franchise, but the first is not expected until after April 2014.

EA’s E3 press conference is set to take place at 4pm Eastern Time on June 10.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

He may not be diving head first into the development of Episode VII, but producer Damon Lindelof had this to say about the possibility of joining the Star Wars family down the road:

"I'd say over the next decade, you and I are going to get five Star Wars films," Lindelof told Grantland, "and it won't be Episode VII, but I may be involved in one of them when the pressure isn't as intense."

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

Prisoner of the Floating World Part Three

It is a time of fragile peace in the galaxy. A fledgling power-sharing government has risen from the defeat of the One Sith and forged an uneasy triumvirate of the Jedi Council, the Imperial Court, and the remnant Galactic Alliance.

While on a mission to the isolated Carreras System to prove the Triumvirate’s good intentions, Imperial Knight Yalta Val was waylaid by the Sith. Now an imposter has taken Val’s place and is manipulating the system’s governor to suit his own nefarious plans.

When Ania Solo accidentally finds Master Val’s lost lightsaber, she starts a chain reaction that could upset all of the imposter’s plans—making Ania and her friends targets for elimination. But a third party is about to enter the fray...

That's how scripters Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman, artist Gabriel Hardman, colourist Rachelle Rosenberg, letterer Michael Heisler and cover artist Dave Wilkins set up the third issue of the latest Legacy title.

Here's another new release from the team over at Dark Horse.

Fearsome Sith Lord Darth Maul, rescued and restored after surviving his confrontation with Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, wreaks havoc through the galaxy with his brother Savage Opress!

When the brothers’ murderous rampage is interrupted by a bounty placed on their heads by Ja’Boag, the duo decides to target him—only to be met by a team of Jedi and Ja’Boag’s own private army! Collects the four-issue miniseries.

CREATORS

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Bruno Redondo

Colorist: Michael Atiyeh

Letterer: Michael Heisler

Cover Artist: Dave Dorman

Genre: Star Wars

Publication Date: May 22, 2013

Format: FC, 96 pages; TP, 7" x 10"

Price: $15.99

Age Range: 12

ISBN-10: 1-61655-077-5

ISBN-13: 978-1-61655-077-6

Join your host Gary for the latest episode of Galactic Escape Pod.

This week's topics include the new animated TV show announcement for Star Wars Rebels, Michael Kaplan To Design Costumes For Episode VII, John Williams Interview, The Clone Wars Yoda Arc Bonus Content, The Old Republic Gree In-Game Event Returns, and The Story of The Empire Strikes Back LP Part 5 from 1980.

Contact Information: Email - podcast@galactic-voyage.com | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Join Marjorie and Arnie for the latest edition of Star Wars Action News...

Star Wars Action News hosts Marjorie and Arnie have reported many times on the Toy Man Toy Show in St. Louis, MO.  Sunday, May 19th, was the most recent show and had Star Wars represented from all era, from 12-Back carded vintage figures to the most modern of Hasbro toys.  Listen to find out if you should visit St. Louis for the next Toy Man show on July 14th!

Also on this week's podcast,   Brock reviews Dawn of the Jedi--Into the Void, Jerry continues looking back at Return of the Jedi toys from 30 years ago,  Johnathan reviews the new Endor AT-AT, and Steve reports from Star Wars Fun Day in the UK!

With details on how to get the Endor AT-AT for 20% off and a bendy Artoo, it's all on this week's Star Wars Action News podcast!

Contact Information: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Microsoft will adapt its “Halo” game franchise as a premium live action series exclusively for Xbox Live. Steven Spielberg will produce the series with gamemaker 343 Studios.

Series was announced during the launch of the Xbox One videogame console on Tuesday from the Xbox campus, in Redmond, Wash.

Project comes from Nancy Tellem, who heads up Xbox Entertainment Studios.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

Our own Matt Booker brings to our attention this article posted on Art Info that explains how George Lucas will be receiving the 2013 Bay Area Treasure Award from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

San Francisco’s foremost art museum is doing its best to get on a likely competitor’s good side. At an October 24 dinner ceremony SFMOMA will give George Lucas — whose plan to build the billion-dollar Lucas Cultural Arts Museum celebrating “the art of storytelling” in the city’s Presidio Park is one of three shortlisted proposals — its 2013 Bay Area Treasure Award. The prize, which is bestowed annually by SFMOMA’s foremost fund-raising affiliate, the Modern Art Council (MAC), recognizes visual art pioneers based in the Bay Area.

Lucas will be the Award’s 14th recipient, joining esteemed forbears including installation and conceptual light artist Jim Campbell, painters Wayne Thiebaud, and William T. Wiley, large-scale steel sculptors Richard Serra and Mark di Suvero, and photographer Ruth Bernhard.

“I’m proud to be recognized by SFMOMA and this award in the Bay Area,” Lucas said in a statement. “It’s an honor to be included in the company of such esteemed artists and cultural figures.”

“We’re honored to celebrate such an original talent,” the president of the MAC, Joni Binder Shwarts, said in a statement. “Lucas’s influence has made our region a center for innovation in film and animation. He has also contributed greatly to the community through his support of progressive education in K-12 schools, a shared priority for the museum.”

Proceeds from the gala ceremony will benefit SFMOMA’s educational programs, which serve some 50,000 students, families, and educators every year, and the museum’s exhibitions program.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

On the heels of yesterday's blockbuster announcement of a new Star Wars Rebels animated TV series, MTV Geek offers up their proposed list of 5 characters they would like to see included in the series as members of the Alliance.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

Check out the latest newsletter from the team over at Star Wars Cards.

Outside of the card collecting community, it might seem as if this is a summer of Star Trek, and not Star Wars. For trading cards however, this is a summer with a definite Star Wars theme. This May, in fact only days from now, is the scheduled release of Topps Jedi Legacy card set. Jedi Legacy is being released in an iconic month for Star Wars - May, and it may well turn out to be an iconic card set, since it will feature what are known as 'relic' cards as well as film clips. And unlike many past card sets that focused either on a single film, or generically on Star Wars as an entirety, this card set is very focused on the characters of Luke and Anakin (aka Darth Vader). It is, in short, a card set aimed at Star Wars fans and Star Wars collectors.

The success of this approach may be key to the future of Star Wars card collecting, and will be part of the discussion when Andy Dukes and I present a talk about Star Wars Trading Cards at Celebration Europe II in Essen, Germany in July.

But the big fan celebration in Europe won't be the end of the Star Wars summer for card collectors. A second edition of the Star Wars Galactic Files card set is also scheduled for release at the end of July.

Like the first Galactic Files set, this set is going to be massive in size, and cover the full scope of the Star Wars universe. With a huge number of base cards to collect, the set also includes a large number of chase cards to collect, including dual-autograph cards, and a new card type 'medallion' cards which are being promoted in promo card form, both at a Free Comic Book day giveaway, and at the Philadelphia Card Show. I believe additional promos may be coming in the official Star Wars fan club magazine.

It should all make for an interesting, but busy card collecting season.

And of course, for those who are regular collectors of the Topp's Star Wars sets, it's possible that a late May release date for Jedi Legacy will really mean early June? And will a late July release date for Galactic Files 2 mean August? We can only wait and see.

Now I'm not a fashionable guy by any stretch of the imagination. My wardrobe is as basic and uninspiring as it gets. You'll never see me browsing the store racks of $150 jeans or $400 jackets. Not a chance.

But that hasn't lessened my interest in this update, as we get word the beige pants that Mark Hamill wore during Star Wars are being placed in auction via Nate D. Sanders Auctions.

The auction, which is currently near $30,000 at the time of this posting, is scheduled to close today at 5PM Pacific Time, so if you want a chance to own a true piece of Star Wars memorabilia, take this link and place your bid now.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

Pardon the pun but how's this for setting a good example. Brit rapper Example, the man who has a number one album and two number one singles to his name, proudly wore his geek credentials when at his recent wedding his future wife walked the aisle to the strains of music from both Jurassic Park and Star Wars.

Example and his gorgeous Aussie ladyfriend, Erin McNaught, tied the knot at the weekend. But instead of the typical harp and choir music leading them down the aisle, Example chose something a little more unusual.

Example – real name Elliot Gleave – chose to play the theme tunes from his favourite films Jurassic Park and Star Wars while everyone was waiting for Erin to walk down the aisle.

He also threw in the xylophone music from True Romance when it was time for the former Miss Australia’s big entry.

Example was only given two things to organise for his wedding – the music and the food. And if the music choices were anything to go by, just imagine what was served up at dinnertime…

Many congratulations to the happy couple from Team Jedi News.

Here's another shot of Brian Rood (@broodone) working on his latest @starwars piece...more info later @disneysww twitter.com/AcmeArchives/s…

— Acme Archives (@AcmeArchives) May 18, 2013

Looks pretty darn amazing doesn't it. Make sure to grab your tickets for Celebration Europe II where Brian and a vast array of other fantastic artists will be there.

Anyone who follows Chris Jones and has seen his work here on Jedi News knows what an unbelievable talent he has, but with this image of Grand Moff Tarkin he might have surpassed himself. Awesome.

Join Tha Mike Pilot, Bryan Young and Consetta Parker for the latest episode of Full of Sith.

The Full of Sith gang reunites to discuss the impact of Return of the Jedi and their memories of the film that celebrates its 30th anniversary this month. There is also big news revealed in this episode!

Contact Information:Voicemail - 206-426-5592 | Website | Twitter | Facebook

While he has yet to be officially announced as being attached to Episode VII, J.J. Abrams has already stated his desire to have John Williams score the soundtrack for the start of the new Sequel Trilogy.

And if Mr. Williams does in fact return to that galaxy far, far away for Episode VII as well as for the remaining two films in the Sequel Trilogy, he will have reached an achievement that has not been attained by any previous music composer.

Quoted from Policymic:

It is no real surprise that J.J. Abrams and the folks at Disney have recruited Williams to score the new Star Wars: Episode VII. That being said, it is worth noting that something truly iconic is about to occur. No single composer has lived to compose an entire film saga that will span nine films by the time it is all said and done. As a composer, he has over 140 titles to his name! That’s more than the number of Best Picture nominees for the last decade!

It goes without saying that the entire Star Wars community would be pulling extremely hard for Mr. Williams to secure this prestigious accolade.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @JustinL81

Another very cool image from the first weekend of Star Wars Weekends 2013 with Jeremy Bulloch, James Arnold Taylor and Ray Park all clearly having had a great time.

Back in the day here in the UK we were treated to the marvels of Marvel UK, which had brought us Star Wars via the weekly Star Wars comic, which morphed in 1980 into The Empire Strikes Back weekly and by late 1981 into The Empire Strikes Back monthly.

In November of '81 Jedi News' Stephen G Harrogate had the first of two letters printed in The Empire Strikes Back monthly which, as you can see above, was about 34 years ahead of it's time.

Interesting that while C.Y.R.I.L was requesting ideas for the title of the 7th episode back in November 1981, we still don't know what it is in May 2013. I wonder if Uncle George had any suggestions for the films title before his departure?

It's out in UK shops this week and features a 17-page retrospective looking back at the golden days of Lucasarts and the influence it had on a generation.

Thanks to Simon Burgess for the heads up.

Production has begun on Star Wars Rebels, an exciting, all-new animated television series based on one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time. Scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, it will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.

Leading the development of the series is a creative team of exceptional talent. Screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) is an executive producer on Star Wars Rebels and will write the premiere episode. He is joined by Dave Filoni as executive producer, who served as supervising director of the Emmy nominated Star Wars: The Clone Wars since 2008. Executive producer Greg Weisman brings with him a wealth of animation experience with credits such as Young Justice, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles.

Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, "The entire team at Lucasfilm has provided extraordinary creativity and innovation for over three decades, and we're thrilled to be bringing the expansive and imaginative world of Star Wars to Disney XD's viewers."

"I couldn't be more excited to explore new corners of the Star Wars universe," said Kathleen Kennedy, president, Lucasfilm. "I think Star Wars Rebels will capture the look, feel and fun that both kids and their parents love about Star Wars."

The action-filled series is set between the events of Episode III and IV -- an era spanning almost two decades never-before explored on-screen. Star Wars Rebels takes place in a time where the Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking shape. Details about the show are a closely guarded secret at this point.

Star Wars Rebels will be produced by Lucasfilm Animation, featuring many of the key talents that made Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Fans attending Star Wars Celebration Europe will be the first to get an exclusive look at the new series. Casting will be announced at a later date. More information about this developing project will be found on StarWars.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/starwarsrebels.

Via the team over at Rebel Scum, some hi-res images of a trio of forthcoming Hasbro vehicle releases.

Because everyone loves high resolution images of stuff that isn't out yet, we've added a gallery featuring The Vintage Collection Star Wars X-Wing Fighter (Red 3), The Empire Strikes Back Slave I and the Return Of The Jedi TIE Interceptor.

Take note to the images of the Han Solo in Carbonite and the see if you can spot the gaff in the Bigg's X-Wing shot.

Tried a bit of stand-up comedy tonight at The O2 in front of 13,000 people. Just a warm up gig... twitter.com/WarwickADavis/…

— Warwick Davis (@WarwickADavis) May 18, 2013

While some of you were ripping it up over at Star Wars Weekends 2013, and some of us were as sick as a blue milk drinker with lactose intolerance, here's what our pal Warwick Davis was up to.

Great news from my good friend Joe' The Brutal One' Mignano.

PRESS RELEASE HoloNet Audio Dramas, an offshoot of the Dark Empire Radio podcast, is short narrated STAR WARS fanfiction in audiobook form, with music and some sound effects. The main emphasis of the HoloNet Audio Dramas project is to bring the joy of audio fanfiction to visually impaired fans of STAR WARS, and of course, anyone that enjoys good fan audio. All of our audio work so fan can be streamed and downloaded from our website, www.holonetaudiodramas.com.

We currently have simple audio CD's featuring nine of our tracks that we are occasionally giving out to sight-impaired fans; the same audio that is currently on our website. In time, we will add more narrated fanfiction to our website and hope to soon announce a Kickstarter (or similar) type campaign to pre-load simple MP3 players with our material. All tracks are narrated by voiceover artist Joe "Lord Bruticus" Mignano, who goes by the handle "The Brutal One." Joe has been a regular voice on a number of STAR WARS podcasts, radio commercials, and other media.

HoloNet Audio Dramas is a completely free not-for-profit charitable service, done solely for the mission and purpose of bringing quality fan audio to those that have not had the pleasure of experiencing it. Our website will be constantly updated as time progresses.

I think this deserves celebrating. Who's for a slice of cheesecake?

Check out my review of the cancelled 2013 Build-A-Droid figure FA-4 over at Sandtroopers, along with a gallery of close-ups.

This figure of Count Dooku's FA-4 Pilot Droid seen briefly in ATTACK OF THE CLONES was originally announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2012 as part of the first wave of what would have been a new incarnation of THE LEGACY COLLECTION. The plan was to bring back the popular "Droid Factory" aspect of the line with a new series of Build-A-Droids.

The movie was supposed to be released in 3D early in the year, and the action figure line was goiong to bemarketed to tie into the release...featuring a number of figures based on characters appearing in the movie. However, those plans changed drastically when the film release was first postponed...and then cancelled. Eventually, the toy line was also cancelled.

Of all the announced figures for the initial waves of what would have been "Legacy Collection 2" (LC2), it's surprising that this droid was the ONLY brand-new, never-before-made action figures. The rest were either repacks, repaints, or what some might call "redos" of figures made in earlier years. But FA-4 was brand spanking new, and therefore was the surprise favorite that fans were looking forward to adding to their collection.

For the full review click here.

You have 11 hours to get your order in for the green-gilled assassin. Yep, Assassin's Greedo is the latest tee via Shirt Punch, available in guys, gals and youth sizes from SM up to 4XL and can be yours for as little as $10.00.

While production on Episode VII is still a number of months away, casting and other behind the scenes activities will be ramping up by the day.

Latino Review are confident that The Tudors star Jonathan Rhys Meyers would be appearing in the film, having worked for J.J Abrams on Mission Impossible: III, directed by Abrams.

As to what character he would play, no word yet.