you beat me too it..lol..i would love to see this seven samurai style star wars film everyone keeps talking about.
Doug, these are not the posts you’re looking for
Rumor is now trending to a young Han and Boba Fett. I’ve always thought Boba had the most anticlimactic demise ever, so I’ve never really got into that character.
Feb 6 2013 12:57 PM ET
‘Star Wars’ spin-offs: A young Han Solo movie, and a Boba Fett film – EXCLUSIVE
by Anthony Breznican
Star Wars fans, admit it: you like scoundrels. And you’re about to get more of them in your life.
Yesterday, The Walt Disney Co. unveiled plans to make a number of spin-off movies set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away — in addition to the post-Return of the Jedi trilogy that had already been announced.
Entertainment Weekly has learned details on two of the spin-off projects: A young Han Solo saga, focusing on the wisecracking smuggler’s origin story, and a bounty hunter adventure with Boba Fett at the center of a rogue’s gallery of galactic scum.
Several sources close to the projects confirmed this was the direction the development was taking, although each cautioned it’s still very early in the process and, well, the deal could always be altered futher. Lucasfilm and Disney declined to comment on the information.
The Han Solo story would take place in the time period between Revenge of the Sith and the first Star Wars (now known as A New Hope), so although it’s possible Harrison Ford could appear as a framing device, the movie would require a new actor for the lead — one presumably much younger than even the 35-year-old Ford when he appeared in the 1977 original.
The Boba Fett film would take place either between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, or between Empire and Jedi, where the bounty hunter was last seen plunging unceremoniously into a sarlacc pit. Exactly who would play him isn’t much of a complication – in the original trilogy, he never took off his helmet. And in the prequels, we learned he was the son of the original stormtrooper clone, played by Temuera Morrison, who’s still the right age for the part if his services were required.
In addition to bringing back two fan-favorite characters as the leads of their own films, the Han Solo and Boba Fett projects would also allow Darth Vader, in full-on black death-metal gear, to return as a villain, since placing the spin-offs within the original trilogy would mean he is still alive and hissing. That timeline would also open the door for a return from visit with everyone’s favorite degenerate slug-like gangster, Jabba the Hutt.
Walt Disney Co. chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced the existence of spin-off plans yesterday as part of the company’s quarterly earnings report. He said the screenwriters working of the stand-alone films are Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sherlock Holmes) and Lawrence Kasdan (screenwriter of The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and the filmmaker behind The Big Chill.)
The pair are also involved in the drafting of the new trilogy, with Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) penning the first of the series, which J. J. Abrams has agreed to direct. That film is scheduled to hit theaters in 2015.
There is no indication who might direct the Boba Fett and Han Solo films if they end up coming to fruition. Joe Johnston, director of Captain America and The Rocketeer, originally designed the armor for Boba Fett and told Screenrant he would like to make a film based around the character. Recently, Robert Rodriguez told MTV he would jump at the chance to make a Han Solo film if it were offered to him — although that seemed more like casual interest than a serious proposal.
The recent novel Scoundrels, by sci-fi author Timothy Zahn, focused on the exploits of Solo in the period between A New Hope and Empire as he set up an Ocean’s 11-type heist of a gangster’s fortune. But sources said it was not the basis for any film currently in the works.
As for other spin-offs, Ain’t It Cool reported Monday that a Yoda-centric film may be in the works, and earlier last month Vulture reported Zack Snyder may create a Seven Samurai-inspired Star Wars spin-off, although the filmmaker later said that was untrue.
Lucasfilm has ramped up its development in recent months under the new leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, who stepped in as co-chair of the company as Star Wars creator George Lucas stepped back and sold the company to the Walt Disney Co.
Kennedy, who has her eighth nomination for the Best Picture Oscar this year as producer of Lincoln, has a long track record of making films that strike a nerve with the original Star Wars generation, among them E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and everything from Gremlins to The Goonies and the Back to the Future movies.
The question now: If these films do happen, who would you cast as a young Han Solo – or should they cast someone as relatively unknown as Ford once was?
That’s the thing about the Star Wars universe. There is SOO much material that can be drawn from besides just the main trilogy story line.
You could set it WAY back to the Jedi/Sith wars
You could do stand alone characters that are featured in the movies
You could create your own characters that surround events in the movies and books
this must be posted here
just for the pic along…
The week got off to a lively start with Ain’t It Cool News starting a rumor that Disney was working on a movie featuring Yoda. Then, in a surprise move, Disney confirmed that they were, in fact, working on stand-alone “Star Wars” movies featuring characters from the previous films. In fact, they additionally confirmed that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinsberg were working on them. Entertainment Weekly then added fuel to the rumor fire by stating that Disney was developing films based on Boba Fett and Han Solo.
My take? There’s probably some truth to all of the Han Solo, Boba Fett, and Yoda rumors. At this early stage, they’re probably all being discussed. It will be interesting to see which one ends up being the frontrunner. But the question remains - can any of these characters carry a movie themselves? Over the next few weeks I’ll be exploring that question. First up, let’s talk about the Yoda rumor.
The problem with doing a movie based on any of the existing characters is the same problem that you had with the prequels - you already know how it will end before it begins. Any movie starring Yoda (or young Han Solo or Boba Fett) is not going to end with them dying. There’s not a lot of suspense there since you know the character will not be in serious jeopardy. So how do you deal with that? The same way you deal with Batman or James Bond or Iron Man who also won’t die during their films. You go back to their origin, you throw them in situations that take them outside of their comfort zone, and you give them a great cast of supporting characters.
For a Yoda film, you would want to take him back to his early years. Show him when he’s young and not wrinkly. Show him before he’s mastered his power. Show Yoda as young and stupid and not the calm, wise, confident Grand Master that he is in the films. Show a bit of his mischievous side that we saw in “The Empire Strikes Back.” Have a “Yoda Begins” type of story. Now the interesting thing about this is the fact that while Lucasfilm has allowed the books and comics to cover the origins of pretty much every other character in the films, they have NOT allowed Yoda’s origin to be explored in depth. If you look at StarWars.com, Yoda’s species is labeled as “unknown.” If you look on the Star Wars Wiki page, there’s almost nothing about his origin (at least nothing that can’t be overwritten by a film). It’s very unusual to have a character’s background to be so thoroughly cordoned off in the Expanded Universe that it lends credibility to the idea that Lucas was saving it for something later on. But that hasn’t stopped fans from offering their own takes on what young Yoda was like.
Back in 1999, Aaron McGruder (creator of the comic Boondocks) submitted to TheForce.Net his own take on what a young Yoda might look like. It’s interesting to see a young, strong, elf-like Yoda rather than the elderly version we are so familiar with. Josh Diffey back in 2003 at TFN created a comic entitled Padawan Yoda. While the art isn’t quite as polished as you might like, the fan comic does demonstrate that it is possible to do a young Yoda story.
But if fan art and fan fiction isn’t enough to convince you that a Yoda story can work, then check out “Yoda - Dark Rendezvous” by Sean Stewart. I reviewed this novel set in the Clone Wars era for TFN Books a long time ago on a website far, far away. Here was my synopsis:
Six months before Revenge of the Sith, the Clone Wars continue to rage. As Dooku reflects on the carnage he has caused across the galaxy, he begins to have regrets about turning to the Dark Side. Old age and fear of Darth Sidious begin to catch up with him. Amid these doubts, he secretly contacts his old master Yoda for a rendezvous. Is there still a glimmer of light in Dooku or is this another trap?
Yoda receives the message and decides to accept Dooku’s invitation. But in order to keep their meeting private, he must have a good cover story for leaving the Jedi Temple. He recruits Jedi Masters Jai Maruk and Maks Leem to help sneak him out. Along with them are Padawans Tallisibeth Enwandung-Esterhazy, or Scout, and Whie. Scout is a young Padawan who isn’t as strong in the Force as her fellow students. However, perseverance, courage, and determination have kept her within the Temple. Whie is just the opposite. He’s strong in the Force, honorable, and highly skilled. But he also suffers from dreams and visions of the future. His latest vision shows him and Scout in the clutches of Asajj Ventress on the brink of death. Will their mission with Yoda end in disaster?
This book was really excellent and is a prime example of my point that you need a strong supporting cast behind your established Star Wars character. You need characters like Scout and Whie who play off of Yoda well and who, more importantly, are expendable. They are the characters in the story who are in jeopardy and who the audience becomes emotionally invested in. They are like Agent Coulson in “The Avengers” or Rachel Dawes in “The Dark Knight” or Vesper Lynd in “Casino Royal.” Their actions and possibly their deaths drive the lead characters to grow or change. I think with these ingredients, you have a workable Yoda movie.
So that’s what I’d love to see - a young Yoda movie that brings new characters to the table and is made by Pixar. Make it happen, Disney!
This pic is way cool !
Thanks. Glad you could see it.
It seems to be blinking in and out, so if others can’t see it, just follow the link above.
That picture IS awesome.
I wish I could find a scan of it online, my google-fu isn’t up to par, but in the Empire Strikes Back comic adaptation Marvel Comics did in 1980 there is a full page of the Jedi training montage… instead of Luke just doing a handstand, he’s doing One Finger Zen free standing.
They also happened to have colored his fatigues that were light grey in the movie orange, and his boots are white.
Leia
Q&A with Carrie Fisher
By Jennifer Pfaff
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Actress Carrie Fisher has had her share of meteoric rises and falls.
She skyrocketed to fame in her early 20s after portraying Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy of the 1970s and ’80s. Yet she also battled drug abuse during that time, an experience she recounted with a biting sense of humor in her 1987 semiautobiographical novel, Postcards from the Edge.
The book landed on The New York Times’ bestsellers list and was adapted into a movie. It also inspired her to write other books as well as screenplays, and she became a go-to script doctor in Hollywood. Since Star Wars, she has acted nearly every year but held only minor roles in movies and TV shows.
And throughout the years, she has remained wryly blunt about her constant fight with addictions and mental illnesses, becoming an outspoken advocate with a sharp wit. So ongoing are her struggles that Fisher has been recently hospitalized for bipolar disorder, canceling her upcoming appearance at the Center for Family Services’ fifteenth annual Old Bags Luncheon. Replacing her as keynote speaker for the event, held March 7 at The Breakers, will be her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, who also spoke at the benefit in 2007.
Before she stepped down, Fisher briefly updated Palm Beach Illustrated about her latest ventures, including why she wanted to speak at the luncheon in the first place:
“Because I am an old bag,” she says dryly.
What kind of projects are you working on?
I’ve outlined another book to write. I’m writing a series with a friend of mine for another friend of mine. And I’m working somewhat on a musical. … We were going to make a musical of Postcards from the Edge, and now we’re not. What we’re working on now are the songs. I have a lot of lyrics from many, thousands of years ago—and the intervening years—because I have a kind of obsessive-compulsive need to make things rhyme.
Disney is going to continue the Star Wars saga, producing movies set to hit theaters starting in 2015. Can you confirm whether you’ll reprise the role of Princess Leia?
Yes.
What do you think Princess Leia is like today?
Elderly. She’s in an intergalactic old folks’ home [laughs].
I just think she would be just like she was before, only slower and less inclined to be up for the big battle.
And still wearing the bagel buns?
The bagel buns and the bikini, because probably she has sundowners syndrome. At sundown, she thinks that she’s 20-something. And she puts it on and gets institutionalized.
You’ve overcome a lot of challenges in your life. Where do you draw strength or inspiration to move forward?
I have friends that have the same issues, so it’s best to talk about it. You’re only as sick as your secrets. If it is a secret—anything that makes you sort of shame-based—if you can claim it, it has a lot of less power over you. It is a lot easier for me [to do], because I am really open about what I’m going through. I’ve been in therapy since I was 15. … I have an ongoing condition, so I have to take my medication, and I have things that I do to keep abreast of that and not let that get away with me.
I hang around with other people that have similar issues. We can help each other. And I go to 12-step stuff, and I think that’s very, very effective.
What would you say your life motto is?
It would just be not to lie. It’s really to be honest about what you’re going through. And really, have as good a time as you can.
What other goals do you have, career or otherwise?
I want a really nice bedroom. I have a nice house, and I have the worse room in it.
Why is that?
Because I’m so giving [laughs]. I wanted my daughter to have [a nice room]. At this point, she entertains more than I do.
What do I still want to achieve? All the things I just said—finish what I start. I’d like to finish another book.
There are still other places I’d like to travel, [like] Tibet. I still haven’t seen the aurora borealis, which is extremely upsetting. I’d like to go to the sing-sings in New Guinea. Those are on my bucket list.
You mentioned you wanted a new bedroom. What would your dream bedroom be like?
This sounds filthy, but I entertain in my bedroom. So it would have to be pretty big—a lot bigger so that I can hide my elliptical somewhere.
This is an ambiguous confirmation because she might just be saying “I’ll do it if offered” which is probably true for everyone who is still alive from the original cast except for Ford.
well lucasfilms has said they want all three stars to return.. even thou the film will be focusing on a younger generation. and NO it will not be based on the books.
Never mind the books…
…will it be based on lego star wars?
George Lucas Says Hamill, Fisher and Ford are Pretty Much Signed for Star Wars
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
March 7, 2013
Bloomberg Businessweek has published a new feature on Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm which includes a few interesting bits!
George Lucas tells them that Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford were pretty much signed on for Star Wars: Episode VII before the Disney deal was even made.
“We had already signed Mark and Carrie and Harrison—or we were pretty much in final stages of negotiation,” Lucas said. “So I called them to say, ‘Look, this is what’s going on.’” He pauses. “Maybe I’m not supposed to say that. I think they want to announce that with some big whoop-de-do, but we were negotiating with them.” Then he adds: “I won’t say whether the negotiations were successful or not.”
As was previously announced, the studio is also developing standalone movies and Disney’s Bob Iger also said he’s looking to expand sales of “Star Wars” merchandise overseas and that ABC and Lucasfilm are discussing a live-action TV series.
You can read the full article by clicking here.
I must confess I’ve been catching a few episodes of Clone Wars lately. It’s amusing, if only to see some CGI light saber action. I like Ayala.
Not a reliable source…
…but I’d totally go to this.
Yes! A ‘Star Wars’ theme park could soon be a reality
When Disney bought LucasFilm last year for $700 gazillion, they were getting much more than just a wildly popular movie series. They were buying into a Star Wars universe rich in history; it was an investment into a cultural phenomenon. The first order of business for the House of Mouse was to announce Star Wars: Episode VIIs arrival in 2015 and now they are looking to exploit its marketing potential and develop a Star Wars theme park.
Selected Annual Pass holders for Disney parks have been asked to fill out a survey with the question How interested would you be in visiting a Star Wars themed land at the Disneyland Resort?, and although its by no means a confirmation that building work on the resort is about to begin, it does show that Disney is giving serious thought to the merits of such a park.
Check out these tweets of a couple of the survey questions:
My inner Star Wars fanboy just got very excited.
So what would Star Wars Land look like? Thats where you come in. Let me know what attractions you would like to see included and drop your suggestions in the comments section below. Id like to have some sort of Pod-race simulator and maybe a ride where you get thrown into a Sarlacc pit. Oh, and definitely an attraction where you get to shoot Jar-Jar Binks repeatedly in the face. That would be pretty satisfying.
Oh hell yeah! I’d go to this park. I’m not sure how many on this forum can say this but I saw the original Star Wars movie in the theater. I was a wee little kid but I’ve been a fan from the beginning.
[QUOTE=GoldenBrain;1221717]Oh hell yeah! I’d go to this park. I’m not sure how many on this forum can say this but I saw the original Star Wars movie in the theater. I was a wee little kid but I’ve been a fan from the beginning.[/QUOTE]
Ha! Got you beat x 4 or 5 times!!!
I think george lucas has kind of lost it a bit and having some fresh new young/middle age minds who are life long fans might be able to put out some nice continuations to the classics. we’ll see.
[QUOTE=Lucas;1221771]I think george lucas has kind of lost it a bit and having some fresh new young/middle age minds who are life long fans might be able to put out some nice continuations to the classics. we’ll see.[/QUOTE]
I am not sure he ever really had it. His main idea was great, the special effects were great, but lets face it, he has always mixed good actors with “B” actors and a “B” script that makes the movies difficult to watch. I never liked the whining of Luke and Anakin either!
Star Wars Rebels
Follow the link below to see the teaser vids
Star Wars Rebels Exclusive First Look: Meet Zeb
Stormtroopers beware!
by Eric Goldman FEBRUARY 18, 2014
Every team needs its muscle and for the group at the center of Star Wars Rebels, that’s Zeb. Need a strong, smart ally to help you crack some Stormtrooper skulls? Look no further.
Voiced by the ridiculously prolific Steve Blum – whose video game and animation credits are pretty much “everything” – Zeb is a tough, seasoned and very intelligent member of the Rebels crew. As for what Star Wars alien race Zeb is, you’ll learn more about that on the series, because Zeb comes from a never before seen species - though big Star Wars fans will recognize Zeb’s basic look. Star Wars Rebels executive producers Dave Filoni, Greg Weisman, Simon Kinberg and their collaborators are taking a major influence from the beloved work of Ralph McQuarrie on the original Star Wars trilogy, including tons of early concept art McQuarrie did for the films, and Zeb’s appearance is heavily influenced by McQuarrie’s initial ideas for what Chewbacca might look like. Though rest assured, Zeb had an attitude and demeanor all his own…
Take a look at IGN’s exclusive first look at what to expect from Zeb in the video below!
Blum – who’s voiced Wolverine, Spike Spiegel, Starscream, Professor Galvez and so many other notable characters – is incredibly excited to be a part of Star Wars, recalling, “I remember going to see Star Wars IV: A New Hope in Westwood, CA just before I graduated high school in May of 1977. I was a rebellious (pun intended) teenager who was pretty difficult to impress, but when the massive Imperial Star Destroyer rumbled across the screen, it felt like every nerve ending in my body fired simultaneously. From that point on, I was hooked. 20 years later, I booked my first role on a Star Wars video game project (I believe it was X-Wing vs Tie Fighter) - and have worked on about a dozen SW games since. Every time, even after all these years, I get that intense sensory rush that brings me back to that first moment.”
As for his thoughts on joining Rebels, Blum remarks, “I think I actually screamed when I was booked to play Zeb. It is literally a role of a lifetime. I’ve been lucky enough to play some major superhero roles in my career, but to be given the chance to play a new character in a Star Wars series? Brain explosion. As if working on a Star Wars series - in any capacity - wasn’t enough to cause a grown man to squee, Zeb challenges every acting skill in my arsenal and beyond. His character design is amazing. I get to vocally take on ape-like physical power and abilities, a wicked sense of humor, intelligence and integrity, and so much more that I can’t yet reveal. The attention to detail from the entire production team is inspiring. Every bit of minutia is carefully crafted to satisfy the most discerning fan of the franchise. I’m humbled and honored to be a part of the Rebels crew. I promise I will dig as deep as I’m allowed to give you guys the performance I would hope for as a fan. Get ready, guys. You’re in for one helluva ride.”
You can check out more on the characters revealed so far for Star Wars Rebels below.
Interesting salute.
parkour
…which begs the question - is parkour jedi or sith?
Star Wars Episode VII Adds Two Young Actors, Possibly Parkour
J.J. Abrams has cast Crystal Clarke and professional freerunner Pip Andersen in unspecified roles.
July 6th, 2014 William Bibbiani
The cast of Star Wars: Episode VII just keeps getting bigger.
LucasFilm announced this weekend (via ComingSoon) that newcomers Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen will be joining the cast in as-yet unspecified roles. Crystal Clarke is slated to make her big screen debut in the upcoming mermaid movie The Moon and the Sun, and Pip Andersen – now credited as “Pip Anderson” in the official press release – is a parkour expert previously featured in “MTV’s Ultimate Parkour Challenge.” So it stands to reason that Star Wars: Episode VII is probably going to have at least a little parkour in it.
The Star Wars franchise is no stranger to pop culture zeitgeists, of course. George Lucas cast the flashy wushu martial artist Ray Park as the villain Darth Maul in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, right at the time when kung fu movies (and Park in particular) were starting to have an enormous surge in popularity in America. So it comes as no surprise that Star Wars: Episode VII appears to be doing the same thing with parkour, the acrobatic freerunning that took the world by storm in District B13 and later popped in films like Casino Royale, Live Free or Die Hard and Step Up 3D.
Although if you think about it, using a lightsaber in parkour should probably count as cheating. Why would you run over or around something when you could just slice your way right through it?
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
Iko Iko!
I was figuring on parlaying the parkour reference into an excuse to get into the screener and write a review, but this (if true) seals the deal.
Then again, given the magnitude of this film, there might not be a press screener. I hope the force is with me on this one.
‘The Raid’ Action Trio Tapped For ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
by Jen Yamato
January 5, 2015 12:52pm
Principal photography wrapped before the holidays, but more secrets keep spilling out of JJ Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens shoot. The new year brings word that martial artist Iko Uwais, who kicked and sliced his way through Gareth Evans’ Indonesian action hits The Raid and The Raid 2, will appear in Star Wars alongside fellow Raid 2 performers Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman.
The Force Awakens, which is set for a December 18 opening, stars join John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, and Harrison Ford.
Uwais broke out on the international action scene in 2011’s The Raid as a Jakarta cop who fights his way out of a tenement filled with knife- and gun-wielding thugs using the bone-crunching martial art of pencak silat. He reprised the role in last year’s critically acclaimed sequel alongside Ruhian, whose turn in The Raid as a deadly fighter named Mad Dog was so popular Evans brought him back for The Raid 2 as a completely different character.
Silat fighter Rahman has a shorter history with the Raid franchise but made his mark as a baddie who matches Uwais’ Rama blow for blow in The Raid 2s brutal kitchen showdown. Evans’ Raid films have been a rich source for new action talent; Uwais and Ruhian also pulled double duty as stunt choreographers on the films and signed with Management 360 on the strength of those pictures. Uwais in particular is eyeing a crossover action career a la Jackie Chan and Jet Li, who made names for themselves in Hong Kong before unleashing their martial artist brands stateside and becoming international stars.
Disney and reps for Uwais and Ruhian declined to comment on the castings, which Twitch was first to report.
Star Wars land - or - is Mickey a Jedi?
Disney to Reveal ‘Ambitious’ Theme Park Plans for ‘Star Wars’
Most Anticipated Movies of 2015
February 3, 2015 | 04:34PM PT
Marc Graser
Senior Editor @marcgraser
The big tease of what Disney has planned for “Star Wars” inside its theme parks continues 11 months before “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” flies into theaters.
Disney chief Bob Iger told Wall Street analysts that there’s “a fair amount of design and development (taking place by the company’s Imagineers) to greatly increase ‘Star Wars” presence in multiple locations around the world,” shortly after the Mouse House announced another strong financial quarter. “The plans are ambitious, so it’s going to take some time for them to be built and opened.”
While Iger said specific plans would be announced “later in 2015,” the executive already had announced “significant” plans for the franchise for which it paid George Lucas $4 billion in 2012. He also has said whatever new attractions are announced, they will be based on future films in the series, as well as its spinoffs. Several Disney parks currently include an updated version of the “Star Tours” attraction.
In a separate interview with Bloomberg Television, Iger said, “Fairly soon, I’m sure we’ll be ready to go public with some specifics. But it’s safe to say that you’ll see a lot more ‘Star Wars’ at Disney and at Disney parks in the near future.”
Disney knows there’s anticipation for all-things “Star Wars.”
A teaser trailer released for J.J. Abrams’ “The Force Awakens” has been viewed more than 123 million times since November, Iger said on Tuesday.
And while that film won’t open until Dec. 18, various divisions at the company are likely to try to capitalize on that rabid fan interest.
Disney XD already has launched the animated “Star Wars Rebels” TV show. And an early wave of products is expected to hit store shelves that’s tied to “The Force Awakens.” Just how much it could boost sales for Disney’s consumer products arm is still in question.
“I don’t know if there will be a ramp-up to buying for ‘Star Wars,'” Iger said, with most merchandise tied to a film typically selling around its release. “We’re likely to see some buying in advance of the movie in consumer products.”
Either way, “Star Wars” will join 11 franchises that will generate $1 billion in retail sales this year, as they did last year, Disney said. That includes “Frozen,” which was a major moneymaker during the holidays.
“The consumer products business has a lot of breadth,” said Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo during the same call with analysts. “We’re only beginning to see this year what the overall Marvel franchises are going to deliver (with ‘The Avengers’ sequel and ‘Ant-Man’), and we will add ‘Star Wars’ to that pantheon in a very significant way.”
Disney already has a number of high-profile events happening this year — all prime platforms it could use to announce its ambitious “Star Wars” plans.
First up is “Star Wars Celebration,” which will take place April 16-19 inside the Anaheim Convention Center. There’s May 4, long embraced by the franchise’s fans as “Star Wars” Day. And Disney’s version of Comic-Con, the D23 Expo, is set for Aug. 14-16. It also will take place in Anaheim. Of course, there’s Dec. 18, when “The Force Awakens” bows in theaters, but it’s likely Disney will have announced its park plans for “Star Wars” by then.
There also are a number of theme parks where Disney is preparing to make room for new attractions.
The largest is Shanghai Disneyland, which will have its grand opening in spring 2016. After breaking ground, Disney committed another $800 million to significantly expand the size of that park with new rides and attractions.
Outside of “Star Wars,” Disney already is building an “Avatar”-themed land at its Animal Kingdom park in Orlando. That land is set to open in 2017.
It’s considering how to promote its other franchises inside the resorts.
“There is still a great opportunity to mine these franchises across Disney’s parks,” Iger said.
Disney has enjoyed a considerable uptick in attendance after the introduction of new rides and themed lands designed around its popular film properties. The “Cars”-themed land at California Adventure, which was part of a $1 billion overhaul of that park, has been a major draw since it opened; an expansion of Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom had guests lining up for hours to ride the “Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” ride in Orlando last year.
I gotta say I’ve really been enjoying Star Wars Rebels, much more than I liked Clone Wars, in fact.