Star Wars

What if I told you that there was another Star Wars universe very different from the one you know? In this universe, Han Solo doesn’t sound like Harrison Ford and Darth Vader doesn’t sound like James Earl Jones. Here, Princess Leia is played by a Broadway star instead of Carrie Fisher. And Luke Skywalker and C-3PO ... well, actually, those parts are still played by Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels. Some things are just multiversal constants.

When he was still in charge of Lucasfilm, George Lucas liked to say that Star Wars was like poetry; it rhymed, in a cycle of repetition. There was Return of the Jedi, and then many years later (or some years before, depending on how you look at things) there was Revenge of the Sith...

Star Wars Day always brings us new ways to appreciate the galaxy far, far away. This year we got a gift from some clever editors at ‘The Tonight Show,’ who managed to string together clips from all eight Star Wars movies (‘Rogue One’ included) to re-create the first verse of Smash Mouth’s “All Star.” If that sounds like it shouldn’t work at all, we agree. But it does.

Truth is in perilously short supply these days, and whether in the spheres of politics or entertainment, reporters have had to adapt. It’s no longer enough to ferret out the actual reality of a situation and relay that to readers; writers must get out in front of and directly interface with the flurries of half-facts and hearsay that swirl around any major story. So the read on a new cache of purportedly leaked information regarding the upcoming Star Wars film is not so much “We may now know what happens in The Last Jedi” as much as it is “A Reddit user wants us to believe he knows what happens in The Last Jedi.”

This past weekend, a seismic shift in box-office history took place and went largely unnoticed. The writing was on the wall for Star Wars’ legacy in the all-time top 10 highest-earning films, as noted on Reddit prior to the start of this past weekend. Box-office behemoth Beauty and the Beast continued to generate healthy grosses in its fifth weekend of release, ending the weekend with a princely (or should I say, princessly!) sum of $471.1 million. This gave the film a slight edge of the next-most-lucrative film on the list, which just so happened to be George Lucas’ original space opus. Star Wars and its lifetime gross of $461 million have now slid down to the #11 spot.

Walt Disney World and Disneyland already have a few Star Wars-based attractions, including the Star Wars Launch Bay, where you can interact with characters from the movies like BB-8, and Star Tours: The Adventure Continues, a simulator ride that brings guests on a journey at lightspeed through various corners of the galaxy far, far away. But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming: A full “Star Wars Land” coming to theme parks on both coasts, which will boast some of the most advanced theme-park technology to date.

Billy Dee Williams himself confirmed the news.

Star Wars Celebration kicked off in Orlando this afternoon with a giant panel to honor the upcoming 40th anniversary of the beloved franchise. As exciting as it all was, including guest appearances by everyone from George Lucas to Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, there was still a glimmer of sadness in the air as one member of the gang was absent this year. The loss of Carrie Fisher last December left a stain of melancholy across not only the Star Wars fanbase, but all of Hollywood. To celebrate the brilliance, charisma and warmth Fisher gave us throughout her lengthy career, and the iconic status of General Leia Organa, LucasFilm paid tribute to the actress in a beautiful video.

It’s been a few months since the world lost Carrie Fisher, and while many would prefer to expand the conversation to her accomplishments outside of the Star Wars universe, plenty of people are anxiously wondering how her death might affect her character in the upcoming Star Wars sequels. For some, this can be viewed as a tacky approach to celebrity, but there’s a sweeter side to things as well. Leia Organa remains an icon for people around the world; finding an appropriate way to say goodbye to her character will be, in essence, the way many Star Wars fans say goodbye to Fisher herself.

Next week Star Wars Celebration returns to Orlando, and in addition to bringing the casts and crews of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the original trilogy, the prequel trilogy, Rogue One, Rebels and more, there are going to be a whole mess of new collectibles and items for you to splurge on to show off your fandom.