News

How did Harrison Ford land the role as Han Solo?(Photo Credit –Wikimedia)

Harrison Ford as Han Solo? Iconic. But what if George Lucas had actually stuck to his original plan? Turns out, Ford wasn’t even supposed to be in the running.

When Star Wars was taking shape, Lucas had one strict rule – no actors from American Graffiti could be in his new sci-fi saga (via CheatSheet). And since Ford had played the cocky drag racer Bob Falfa in that film, he was out. At least, officially.

Ford wasn’t some rising Hollywood star at the time. The 82-year-old was a self-taught carpenter who took acting gigs whenever they came up. He had landed small roles in films like The Conversation (1974), but nothing had put him on the map. Then came Star Wars. Lucas needed actors to read lines opposite auditioning hopefuls for Han, Luke, and Leia. And who did he call?...

The Force is with Chewbacca!

Chewbacca’s bowcaster, used in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, has sold for $768,600. The item was one of 450 items for bidding by Propstore, a memorabilia company, at its Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction in Los Angeles.

According to the item’s official description, the photo-matched bowcaster prop was used in every film of the original “Star Wars” trilogy, with restored dressing components. It was estimated to fetch $300,000 to $600,000. Chewbacca’s signature bowcaster served as his primary weapon in “Star Wars: A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.”

Other items up for bidding included the ghost catcher and pedal from “Ghostbusters,” which sold for $327,600, while Conan’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Atlantean Sword from “Conan the Barbarian” — along with four behind-the-scenes photos — sold for $176,400.

Michael Keaton’s Batsuit, worn by the actor in “Batman Returns,” fetched $157,500. Notable costumes sold included John Travolta’s T-Birds...

This April, Andor finally returns for Season 2. While it hasn't moved streaming services, the show has a few changes, and fans will need to look out for the new release schedule. Here are all the important details to know before Andor Season 2 begins.

The Star Wars franchise has long been known for its lightsaber battles and space fights, but the series took a massive turn when Andor was released on Disney+. The show was much different from past Star Wars streaming shows like The Mandalorian and Kenobi, giving up action to delve deeper into the politics of the Star Wars universe and setting up the story in A New Hope.

How Many Episodes Are There in 'Andor' Season 2?

Season 2 of Andor will be streaming on Disney+ as well as Hulu for people with a Disney+ subscription. Ad-supported and premium tiers of Disney+ will both have the show. The...

Quick LinksAndor's Best Scene Should Convince Star Wars Fans to Give the Show a ChanceHow Luthen Rael's Monologue Highlights Andor's ThemesAndor Is What Star Wars Fans Have Been Asking For

Star Wars' best Disney+ series, Andor, is coming back for a second and final season, the first three episodes of which will be available to stream on April 22. The upcoming season will continue to follow Cassian Andor as he is drawn further into the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire. The series will leave Andor just before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which depicts his final mission to steal the Death Star plans that help the Rebel score its biggest victory against the Empire yet.

Even though Andor is primarily focused on Diego Luna's titular character, the series is bolstered by a revolving supporting cast of memorable characters. Chief among these is Stellan Skarsgård's Luthen Rael,...

Star Wars is a juggernaut in the industry that, in its initial days, showed audiences and creators how the art of filmmaking can push the envelope of storytelling. Turns out, the the film’s influence was bigger than what fans had expected.

Filmmakers often have checklists of the kind of films they want to do before they retire from the industry. This is partly due to how much revenue they bring in for a studio, and where they end up during awards season.

Star Wars: A New Hope || Credit: Lucasfilm

Ridley Scott wanted to do a film in space, but George Lucas beat him to it. However, this also ended up spawning one of the best films that the auteur would ever make, reinventing the horror genre, and giving it one of its most iconic monsters.

Ridley Scott did Alien inspired by Star Wars Ridley Scott || Credit: 20th Century Fox...

There's a school of screenwriting thought that holds you should always know your ending. If you know where you're headed narratively, you should be spared a lot of guesswork and time spent wandering in the forest looking for a way out. That's the rationale, at least.

Many times, however, you discover over the course of your writing that your characters want different things than you expected, which throws your perfect ending into doubt. Suddenly, you realize your story would be way more interesting and dramatically satisfying if they either didn't succeed or succeeded in a completely different manner than you'd initially planned. And sometimes it just makes more sense to leave things unresolved.

The "New Hollywood" cinema of the 1970s was famous for ambiguous endings (because everyone was bummed out by the Vietnam War and Nixon's corruption), but the triumphal finales of blockbusters like "Jaws," "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope...

Star Wars would not have been able to reach the status within pop culture that it has if not for its characters. The writers have a knack for creating heroes who are remarkably easy to root for, as they feel like ordinary people and inspire the viewers to go out and be the best versions of themselves. The side characters stand out in their own right and get some of the most memorable scenes in the movies.

It's with the villains, however, that Star Wars really shines. There is a wide variety of them, and each one appeals to a different thing audiences fear. Here are the ten most frightening bad guys in the history of the Star Wars franchise.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on March 27, 2025: The Star Wars franchise has delivered some of the most iconic villains in cinema history. From Sith Lords to Imperial officers, George Lucas...

We are under a month from the first episode of Season 2 of Andor, and as with many Star Wars projects, half the excitement is in the build-up. The show has confirmed the return of old villains like Director Krennic and Dedra Meero, while we look forward to paths crossing as the Alliance to Restore the Republic comes into formal being. While some details are still rumors, there is a strong case to be made that Darth Vader will not appear in Season 2.

What do we know about Andor Season 2 and the Sith?

Let's first say that the theory about Darth Vader being in Andor Season 2 didn't come out of nowhere.

Star Wars Holocron's Twitter shared a posted wondering if Dedra Meero is being Force choked in the latest trailer.

Is Dedra Meero being Force choked in this scene in Andor Season 2? pic.twitter.com/Ia18HZ1kwU

— Star Wars Holocron...

The original Jedi has arrived at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The official Star Wars X account posted a video of Luke Skywalker showing up at Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in California. While not quite to the same likeness as Mark Hamill, the actor portraying Luke Skywalker in Galaxy’s Edge does bear a resemblance to Hamill’s version of the character in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, the final installment in the original trilogy that sees Luke suit up in all black and use a green lightsaber. The Galaxy’s Edge Luke even wears the signature glove on his right hand. Star Wars also announced “Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga,” a projection story beginning at the park tonight that will pull back the curtain on more Star Wars history.

Mark Hamill was the first person to portray Luke Skywalker in 1977 in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope...

Star Wars can sometimes feel like a bit of a boys' club, with its creation being owed to George Lucas, its music coming from the mind of John Williams, and more. Even if you go into the more behind-the-scenes histories, it's easy to remember the concept art by Ralph McQuarrie and the sound design by Benjamin Burtt. We should remember female contributions all year round. Still, as Women's History Month comes to a close, I'd like to highlight five exceptional women who made Star Wars the awesome universe that it is today.

Here are 5 women who made Star Wars what it is today.1. Marcia Lucas, editor The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences Hosts Galactic Innovations: Star Wars And Rogue One | Frazer Harrison/GettyImages

If you want a great summary of the influence of George Lucas' ex-wife Marcia Lucas on Star Wars, I recommend Collider's 2023 tribute to Marcia,...

George Lucas had no time for a young Han Solo cameo in Revenge of the Sith, calling the idea outright stupid. At one point, Star Wars almost introduced a kid version of the galaxy’s most famous smuggler, but Lucas scrapped it before it could ruin the character’s legacy.

George Lucas | Left image by Kevin Payravi, licensed under Cc By-sa 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Turns out, even the mastermind behind the prequels knew when to say no to unnecessary fan service.

George Lucas dodged a Han Solo cameo in Revenge of the Sith and it was the right call Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo in A New Hope | Credits: Lucasfilm Ltd

Han Solo almost had a prequel cameo, but George Lucas wasn’t feeling it. While developing Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Lucas toyed with the idea of a young Han helping Yoda on Kashyyyk.

Star Wars fans, gear up. The wait is over, as Andor Season 2 is all set to drop the high-octane series on Disney+ on April 22, 20205. The first trailer of Andor Season 2 was dropped on March 24, unleashing Diego Luna in his epic fugitive turned revolutionary role, Cassian Andor. The Star Wars series is gearing up to culminate Andor’s journey, leading to the start of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Andor | Credit: Lucasfilm

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a 2016 film and the first spin-off in the Star Wars franchise. Unlike previous films, it moves away from the episodic structure and adopts a war-movie-style narrative with a darker and more grounded tone. The film connects the prequel trilogy with Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and the original trilogy while introducing new characters whose sacrifices significantly impact the galaxy’s future.

Andor Season 2 trailer brings Rogue One characters...

Quick LinksStar Wars Already Has Its Versions of What If…?What If…? Stories Would Cause More Backlash for a Fragile FranchiseProjects Like Star Wars: Visions Are Far More Interesting Anyway

In 2021, Marvel Studios launched its first animated series, What If...? on Disney+. The series borrowed the concept from Marvel Comics and put a twist on the lore by exploring alternate realities based on the events that have occurred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While some parts of What If...? soared, overall, the series left many disappointed. Despite What If...? being a hit-and-miss series, that has not kept some Star Wars fans from wanting to see the same concept played out in a galaxy far, far away.

On top of the desire from fans to see a What If...? version of Star Wars on Disney+, there have also been rumors to accompany it. Under the ownership of Disney, Lucasfilm has taken...

[Editor’s note: This article was first published in August 2022 and has been updated multiple times since.]

Movies might seem like magic, but Hollywood’s favorite actors, directors, producers, stunt performers, props masters, costumers, script coordinators, and cinematographers are still only human. Since before that child extra prematurely covered his ears for Eva Marie Saint shooting Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest,” audiences have delighted in finding the little moments that make their favorite films imperfect.

Like freckles on a human face, mistakes can make movies infinitely more special to the audiences that love them. Consider the clumsy stormtrooper of “A New Hope,” whose hilariously audible collision with an Imperial spaceship doorframe turned the extra’s true identity into an ongoing mystery for the Star Wars ages. Or, for “The Lord of the Rings” fans among us, there’s the anachronistic automobile appearing in “Fellowship of the Ring” right alongside Sam and Frodo. As for the Wizarding World, how about that bike seat on Harry’s broomstick?...

It seems like the further removed fans are from George Lucas selling the rights to Star Wars, the more criticism seems to be directed at Disney's "new" Star Wars universe. Even recently, there has been more information revealed about what George Lucas' underworld series would have looked like and the cost to make it. While Lucas certainly would have continued to entertain audiences if he had made more Star Wars content, it is hard to know whether he would have surpassed his prequel trilogy of films. When Lucas is more hands-on with some of Disney's content, the products do seem to be better. Star Wars: The Clone Wars and even The Mandalorian are the best examples of this. However, Disney has had a few Star Wars stories that live up to audience expectations. Disney is often persecuted for making Star Wars films and shows that either "aren't Star Wars enough...

The horror genre possibly harbors the most valuable props you can think of. Freddy's glove, Leatherface's chainsaw and, why not, the cup used by the lady in Get Out to hypnotize Chris. Most horror movies have a specific object that fans would like to own. And as it turns out, you can actually buy one of horror's most precious objects:Evil Dead's Necronomicon, a.k.a. the Book of the Dead, which is activated upon reciting some incantations to summon the visciously playful and wicked demons from Sam Raimi's franchise.

As reported by Bloody Disgusting, auction house Propstore is holding its annual event that focuses on memorabilia from your favorite movies. The event is officially titled "Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction: Los Angeles Spring 2025," and it will be held on March 26, 2025. You can already sign up and view some of the most important items to be auctioned, which...

Quick LinksDarth Vader Ruined Princess Leia's Life in Star WarsAnakin Skywalker Longed For His Daughter's ForgivenessLeia Was More Like Her Father Than She Wanted to Admit

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi was the culmination of Luke Skywalker's character arc in the original Star Wars trilogy, but it was also the conclusion of his father's story. Despite all the evil that Anakin Skywalker had done as Darth Vader, Luke believed that he could find redemption. After Luke surrendered himself to the Empire, he told Vader, "I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn't driven it from you fully. That was why you couldn't destroy me." Luke's words did little to sway his father at the time, but he did not give up. Even as they dueled onboard the second Death Star, Luke rejected the notion that his father was purely evil. When given a chance to kill Vader,...

Star Warshas at long last provided some context as to when Luke Skywalker's famed training remote from A New Hope was created, doing so in the children's show Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. Luke was famously seen training with this remote device on board the Millennium Falcon, and it has since reappeared in various places, including The Book of Boba Fett. Now, it's become a part of Young Jedi Adventure, though not without adding some key context to its origin.

In Young Jedi Adventures season 2, episode 12 "Unmasked," Kai Brightstar and his best friend, Prince Cyrus, train with the very same devices during the High Republic era, a few hundred years before A New Hope. During this lightsaber training, these remotes are specified as "new." This is important because, while the training remote has indeed been seen in other High Republic-era properties, this is the first time there's been an...

Harrison Ford is still charming fans onscreen at the ripe old age of 82. Hailed as one of the greatest movie stars of all time, the actor’s continued determination and dedication to his profession is inspirational, to say the least.

Harrison Ford in Shrinking | Credits: Apple TV+

However, his overwhelming domination of the industry even now, sparks an important question in the minds of many fans. Although it is a given fact that there will never be another Harrison Ford, what is happening to the current generation of Hollywood superstars?

Moreover, why can’t they provide the mass audience puller movies in the theaters? The answer to that, unfortunately, is quite complicated in nature.

Shrinking’s creator rightfully claimed that there will never be another Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford’s career spans longer than many of his younger generation of fans have been alive for. If his career is tracked...

Production is set to start in April on a new film that will feature two Star Warsfranchise veterans in starring roles. Per Deadline,Daisy Ridley and Alden Ehrenreich will star in The Last Resort, directed by Donald Petrie and written by Karen McCullah.

Ridley is widely known for her portrayal of Rey in the Star Wars sequels, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Ehrenreich played a young Han Solo in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, which was directed by Ron Howard.

Caught Between Love and Duty

In The Last Resort, Brooke, played by Ridley, is set on proving herself worthy of running the hotel empire owned by her father and travels to the Philippines to scout a location for a new resort. While there, she meets Ben, played by Ehrenreich,...

After quite a long hiatus, Andor Season 2 is almost here. The prequel series to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story surprised audiences with its mature, serious tone as it delved deep into Cassian Andor's backstory. In the process, it showed a new side of the galaxy far, far away and examined the moral nuances of the rebels who took on the Empire in the years leading up to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. It's no surprise that it has been praised as one of the best Star Wars series to date, but with such a long time between seasons, audiences might have forgotten some details from Season 1.

Audiences met Cassian in Rogue One, but Andor revealed just how little fans truly knew about the future rebel hero. The series also introduced viewers to some great new characters, like the man who recruited Cassian to the cause, Luthen Rael,...

Star Wars and Star Trek are considered the best of all the science fiction franchises in the entertainment industry. Throughout all these years, each franchise has transformed from its initial TV premiere and movie release in 1966 and 1977 into big establishments with fans across different generations.

The TV series of Star Trek evolved into a massive entertainment franchise, which now features various shows as well as films, books, comics, and merchandise series. The brand constructed its way from being dropped after three seasons to achieving its status as one of the most recognizable sci-fi properties.

Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope | Credit: Lucasfilm

As a creation of George Lucas, Star Wars grew into a movie-based multimillion-dollar powerhouse that changed the meaning of blockbusters and produced huge merchandising programs. Despite sharing elements of space themes and fan communities, the financial power of their productions differs significantly.

Make another tick in the awards column for a galaxy far, far away because Star Wars: Visions has won an Emmy! The official Star Wars Twitter account shared the news.

In the post, they wrote, “Congratulations to Cartoon Saloon’s Almu Redondo, art director of Star Wars: Visions ‘Screecher’s Reach’ for her Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Win for Production Design.”

Congratulations to @CartoonSaloon’s Almu Redondo, art director of #StarWarsVisions - Screecher’s Reach, for her Primetime Creative Arts Emmy® Win for Production Design. #Emmys. pic.twitter.com/4r9ehUqqY8

— Star Wars (@starwars) December 7, 2023

This is a huge accomplishment, as a jury chooses the Primetime Creative Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation category. Since there are no nominees like in the regular process, Redondo was specifically picked to be among the group, winning for Production Design. The other winners included Meybis Ruiz Cruz from Netflix’s Entergalatic,...

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Star Wars: Visions season 2.

The beauty of an anthology series like Visions is that every episode feels fresh. Every episode is a brand new story with new characters that is full of possibility. The range of stunning animation and diverse interpretations of Star Wars made each episode a joy to watch.

Of course, some episodes resonated more strongly than others. Every episode featured flawless and striking animation, meaning that these rankings will focus more so on the story and character development than the animation of each episode.

9. “Journey to the Dark Head”

A battle between dark and light.#StarWarsVisions Volume 2 available May 4 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/WIEj1f4vXF

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 28, 2023

A young Jedi and a mechanic teaming up to try and end a war by cutting off the head of a Sith statue is an intriguing premise. Unfortunately, the execution...

Among the most lauded trilogies in the history of filmmaking, the original trifecta of Star Wars movies has continually entertained fans with lovable characters, exciting stories and some jaw-dropping spectacle that produces several of the most engaging action scenes in cinema. Blending sci-fi and fantasy into an operatic marvel, the layered fight scenes within 1977’s Episode IV — A New Hope, 1980's Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back and 1983’s Episode VI — Return of the Jediare a well-executed display of movie magic.

Regardless of scale or length, these films know how to charm audiences with dynamic fights throughout each narrative. Having incorporated multiple film techniques to delight viewers during each fight sequence in the trilogy, audiences can gaze with pure joy at the craftsmanship at hand for the emotional and fun action set-pieces.

Luke Faces the Rancor With Quick Ingenuity Episode VI — Return of the Jedi

Propped up to display some fantastical technical work,...

Star Wars Celebration Japan is just weeks away, and we finally have the full schedule. We speculated before what we might see when we only knew about the four big panels. Now, let's dive into what to look out for at Star Wars' biggest party of the year, which is on April 18-20.

Let's break down Star Wars Celebration Japan's schedule.

Friday April 18

The big panel this day is The Mandalorian & Grogu panel which will feature Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. On StarWars.com, they specifically say there will be a sneak peek, so that's exciting to speculate on what it might be!

The other big one is the Lucasfilm Animation’s 20th Anniversary, which Filoni will sit with Vice President of Animation Production Athena Portillo to look back on two decades of Lucasfilm Animation. Most notable, StarWars.com specifically says they will be teasing what's coming in the future.

Tony Gilroy reveals his favorite scene in Andor. The critically acclaimed live-action Star Wars series, which takes place in the five years before Rogue One and A New Hope, is returning for its second and final season. Gilroy was brought on to help with rewrites and reshoots for Rogue One, which led to him being the showrunner of Andor. After a decade of working on Star Wars, Gilroy's work with the franchise culminates with the highly anticipated story of Andor season 2.

While discussing Andor with the official Star Wars YouTube channel, Gilroy revealed that his favorite scene is between Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) and Chief Inspector Hyne (Rupert Vansittart) in season 1, episode 1. The scene involves Syril reporting on the deaths of two peers, only for Hyne ordering him to cover it up.Gilroy says that the scene is where he "relaxes" when watching the show. He discusses how the scene...

Quick LinksStar Wars: Underworld Took Place During the Dark TimesThe Planned Star Wars Series Was Ahead of Its Time and Too ExpensiveElements of Star Wars: Underworld Have Appeared in Recent Projects

When the Star WarsSkywalker Saga seemingly ended 20 years ago with Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas still planned to keep the franchise alive in some capacity. In addition to the comic books and novels, the Clone Wars animated series was one project that would continue the space opera. However, like Emperor Palpatine, Lucas had much bigger plans. After Revenge of the Sith, Lucas focused on developing a live-action Star Wars series.

The series has become known as Star Wars: Underworld, a great behind-the-scenes legend since it never became a reality. Based on the concept, Star Wars: Underworld would've made it one of the most ambitious projects in the franchise and transformed television. While Lucas was unable to get a...

Before George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, he was working on a handful of new Star Wars projects. One of those projects was Star Wars: Underworld, a live-action TV series which would have been set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The series was axed when Disney took over the franchise, but a lot of work had already been done, including writing over 60 scripts.

However, Star Wars: Underworld wouldn’t have come cheap. While speaking on the Young Indy Chroniclers podcast, producer Rick McCallum said each episode would have cost $40 million. “I think we had over 60 scripts… like third draft scripts,” McCallum said. “These were dark [scripts]. They were sexy. They were violent. They were absolutely wonderful, complicated, challenging scripts. The problem was that each episode was bigger than the films, so the lowest I could get it down to with the each that...

George Lucas’ “Star Wars” producer Rick McCallum recently appeared on an episode of the “Young Indy Chronicles” podcast and teased what would’ve been “Star Wars: Underworld,” an ambitious television series that was one of the last “Star Wars” projects Lucas was working on before he sold the franchise to Disney in 2012 for $4.05 billion. The series was set between the events of “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope” and would’ve acted as a bridge between the original “Star Wars” trilogy and the prequel trilogy, the later of which McCallum produced.

“I think we had over 60 scripts… like third draft scripts,” McCallum said, noting they brought the “most wonderful writers in the world” to Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch to map out and pen the series. “These were dark [scripts]. They were sexy. They were violent. They were absolutely wonderful, complicated, challenging scripts.”

McCallum stopped short of providing plot details for...

Luke Skywalker’s medal from A New Hope is but one lot in a huge array of film memorabilia going up for auction this month.

Most of us don’t have tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars to spend on film memorabilia, but still: it’s nice to dream. This month will see Propstore auction off a quite mind-melting array of movie-related items, with costumes and props from major blockbusters to cult obscurities.

One of the big-ticket items is arguably Luke Skywalker’s medal, as seen at the end of 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope. It has a starting bid of $150,000, and is expected to fetch somewhere between $300,000 to $600,000.

According to Propstore’s listing, only two of these medals – made from resin and covered in gold leaf – were made for the production, and while Mark Hamill wore the one up for sale in A New Hope, Harrison Ford...

The first ever Star Wars lightsaber duel was the showdown between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi aboard the Death Star in Episode IV - A New Hope. After shutting down the Death Star's tractor beam so that the Millennium Falcon could escape, Obi-Wan encountered his former Padawan for the first time in years. They immediately ignited their lightsabers, and after this brief exchange of words, they began their battle to the death.

Once Obi-Wan saw Luke Skywalker and his companions making their way to the Millennium Falcon, he gave up on the duel. With a knowing smile, he assumed a defenseless position and allowed Vader to cut him down. As he died, his body vanished into thin air, leaving only his cloak and lightsaber behind. There were several reasons for Obi-Wan to let Vader win in A New Hope, and his choice ultimately inspired the Rebellion's victory over the Galactic Empire.

If no one has told you to watch "Andor" yet, then let me be the first (and certainly the loudest). Despite earning rave reviews during its first season and quickly establishing itself as the greatest "Star Wars" TV series to date, the sci-fi spy thriller and "Rogue One" prequel has flown a bit under the radar for more casual fans. Thankfully, it's now easier to watch than ever before.

In a bid to get more eyes on the series leading up to its season 2 premiere on April 22, 2025, Disney just put the first three episodes of season 1 up on YouTube for free. That's a complete arc of the show, and surely enough to get plenty of newcomers hooked. In addition, the entirety of season 1 is now streaming on Hulu, opening it up to a much wider audience that might have that streamer but not a Disney+ subscription. (Hulu will continue to...

Before George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, he almost launched Star Wars' first live-action series on ABC.

Via Inverse, producer Ron Moore says this series was so violent and dark that “Disney definitely would have never offered to buy Lucasfilm” had it been launched. This series was called Star Wars: Underworld, and fans may have heard of it already. ABC canceled it in 2012 due to its massive $40 million per episode budget.

Ron Moore admits that ABC had no issues with the show's violent themes, but the budget was out of control. The technology at the time wasn't sophisticated enough to create what Lucas wanted for each episode without breaking the bank. Regardless, even if the costs for each episode were cut in half, it would never have been enough, as “The problem was, each episode was bigger than the films." To put that into perspective, a season of The Mandalorian,...

Back in 2019, it was announced that Ben Wheatley would be writing, directing, and executive producing Generation Z, a “hilarious, frightening, and political” series that would consist of six hour-long episodes that would “mix flesh-eating zombies into a story that satirizes how Brexit has divided the UK.” That project didn’t make it into production when it was originally supposed to because of the pandemic shutdown… but after making Meg 2: The Trench (you can read our review at This Link and check out our interview with the filmmaker Here), Wheatley circled back around to Generation Z. The show started airing on Channel 4 last October… and now, it has been confirmed that it will not get a second season.

Deadline broke the news that Generation Z has been axed because, while the network was “understood to have had high hopes for the show and it was touted at the Edinburgh TV Festival,...

Before rewatching Star Wars Resistance with my daughter, I decided to rent the DVD Season 1 set from the library. There are many special features for Star Wars fans included in the audio commentary on four episodes of the series.

The commentary is done by voice actors Christopher Sean (Kazuda Xiono), Josh Brener (Neeku Vozo), Myrna Garcia Velasco (Torra Doza), and Scott Lawrence (Jarek Yeager). They did commentary on "The High Tower," "The Platform Classic," "Bibo," and the Season 1 finale, "No Escape: Part 2."

A lot of insight can be gained as you listen to their reactions and what they focused on involving the series. For example, Josh Brener said that he had to record and do several different takes and versions of Neeku's memorable laugh. He didn't know until he saw the show which one had been selected.

All four recalled that even though they recorded for the series, they would...

Westerns have always worked uncommonly well with ghost stories, which occupy a small part of their ethos and can be readily used to serve story needs. Crossovers aren't entirely common, but have produced some striking movies and TV shows. They run the gamut from bloody updates of traditional Westerns like Bone Tomahawk to wilder genre mash-ups like From Dusk Til Dawn, and while the best of them tend to be modern, the roots of Western horror stretch back to the pulp days.

It should come as no surprise that one of the best old-school examples of Western horror came with Rod Serling's classic seriesThe Twilight Zone. Cowboys were all the rage when the series first premiered, and multiple episodes used Western tropes as the jumping-off point for their various spooky premises. One of them -- Season 3, Episode 7, "The Grave" -- is as good as anything The Twilight Zone has ever produced.

The science fiction entertainment genre features two leading franchises that have ruled viewers’ popularity for many decades- Star Wars and Star Trek. Millions of space-adventure fans started to experience two different visions of interstellar adventures featuring distant planets and extraterrestrial cultures through futuristic space technologies.

The epic space opera feel of Star Wars draws its viewers into the trend of the mythic conflict between good and evil. Since George Lucas gifted the world with such grandness in 1977, the Force, lightsabers, and the fight against galactic oppression have become a cultural standard. Star Trek, on the other hand, is more optimistic and places scientific and diplomatic relations in the foreground.

William Shatner, Kathie Browne, and Jason Evers in Star Trek | Credit: Desilu Productions/Paramount Television/NBC

Despite sharing the ability to entertain scientists, writers, and dreamers, both franchises exist as fundamentally different structures with separate storytelling approaches, scientific values, and world-building.

Star Wars: Underworld was a planned live-action TV series set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. George Lucas announced it in 2005, and over 60 scripts were written. The show was supposed to be dark, action-packed, and focused on the criminal underworld of Coruscant. It would not follow the main Star Wars characters but could feature some familiar faces.

Lucas and his team worked hard to bring the series to life, but in 2010, it was put on hold because it was too expensive to make. The show was described as Deadwood in space and The Godfather of Star Wars. It would have explored bounty hunters, crime lords, and the rise of the Empire.

Although it was never made, Star Wars: Underworld remains one of the most exciting “what-ifs” in Star Wars history.

Related: Latest Rumor Claims Ryan Gosling’s ‘Star Wars’ Film Will Feature Him and a Young Male Padawan

Rick McCallum,...

Steve Jobs once said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” In the 1970s, George Lucas blew open the world of sci-fi with his first Star Wars flick, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The seeds he planted as a young filmmaker back in the day would later blossom into the multi-billion dollar franchise we adore today.

Star Wars | Credit: Lucasfilm

And his hunger for success would only go on to fuel his ambition. Among his future plans for the galaxy far, far away, included a television show of equally massive proportions. His vision would have birthed the most expensive TV show of its time, going head to head against already established franchises like Star Trek that were dominating the TV circuit.

However, the idea itself was deemed too big to fit in a tiny square frame...

Everyone has a favorite Star Wars movie -- even sometimes the actors who have starred in them. You might think Anthony Daniels, who has had the pleasure and privilege of appearing in every Star Wars film, plus TV shows, video games, and more, would have a hard time picking a favorite. But he actually has a solid reason for choosing one in particular.

Recently at FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention, as reported by Pop Verse, Daniels was asked if he even had a favorite at all. The actor, who has portrayed C-3Po in various mediums numerous times for nearly five decades, didn't hesitate to give his answer.

“My favorite was actually Episode IV, the very first film," he said. "The reason for that is it was a very simple story ... I understood it.”

In his memoir I Am C-3Po, Daniels tells multiple stories about what production...

Almost all of you reading this are likely aware that Star Wars mastermind George Lucas had a cameo role in 2005's Revenge of the Sith. The filmmaker played the blue-skinned Baron Papanoida but it turns out he debuted in the Galaxy Far, Far Away he created years earlier.

As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, Clayton Sandell recently sat down for a conversation with former Ilm matte painter Caroleen "Jett" Green and discovered that Lucas has a literal blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in Theed's Royal Palace on Naboo during The Phantom Menace's final act. However, unlike the Baron, he wasn't there in person for it.

Instead, Green painted his face into one of her backgrounds. When Queen Padmé and her guards run through a long hallway in the palace before being surrounded by the Trade Federation's Battle Droids, Lucas' face can be seen far in the background in an arch above a window.

Over the past 40 plus years, the Star Wars universe has played host to some phenomenal talent. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford kicked off the franchise with A New Hope way back in 1977. Since then, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Samuel L. Jackson, and many more have all traveled to a galaxy far, far away for one of the various installments in the ever-expanding franchise. However, one actor you might have completely forgotten appeared in Star Wars is John Lithgow. Not only did the Third Rock From the Sun star become part of the Star Wars universe, he played none other than Master Yoda.

During an interview with Collider, Lithgow recalled his brief time playing Yoda in Star Wars. For those that don't know, Lithgow voiced Yoda in the radio dramatizations of The Empire Strikes Back. "I was acting in a play on Broadway directed by John Madden,...

One of the longest-serving actors of the Star Wars franchise is also one that many casual fans of the space opera wouldn’t recognize if they passed him in the street. That would be Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3Po in various iterations since Star Wars hit cinemas back in 1977. The actor has appeared as his golden droid alter-ego in every Star Wars movie, except for Solo: A Star Wars Story – but he did appear as the character Tak in that movie – and has appeared in many TV shows, including making cameo appearances in Ahsoka and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now he has been revealing which movies in the saga are his favorites.

During a Q&a session at FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention, Daniels was asked to name his favorite Star Wars movie. Perhaps his answer to this question was not the most surprising, as he named the...

One of the longest-serving actors of the Star Wars franchise is also one that many casual fans of the space opera wouldn’t recognize if they passed him in the street. That would be Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3Po in various iterations since Star Wars hit cinemas back in 1977. The actor has appeared as his golden droid alter-ego in every Star Wars movie, except for Solo: A Star Wars Story – but he did appear as the character Tak in that movie – and has appeared in many TV shows, including making cameo appearances in Ahsoka and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now he has been revealing which movies in the saga are his favorites.

During a Q&a session at FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention, Daniels was asked to name his favorite Star Wars movie. Perhaps his answer to this question was not the most surprising, as he named the...

Andor Season 1 won widespread critical acclaim, leaving fans eager for more. Andor's second season will take place over the course of the four years that bridge the gap between the first season and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the movie that introduced Diego Luna's Cassian Andor. While Season 1 established Cassian's origins, as well as introducing a couple of Rogue One's minor characters, it only teased Cassian's entry to the Rebellion. Season 2 will see him becoming the established Rebel spy audiences first met in Rogue One.

Andor Season 2 is set to conclude with Cassian setting out on his fateful mission to the Ring of Kafrene, kicking off the events of Rogue One. However, there is still much about Cassian's journey to reach that point that is yet to be revealed. Andor has introduced new characters like Luthen Rael, Dedra Meero and Syril Karn, who do not appear...

The vast land of streaming has a treasure that we thought had been forgotten in a galaxy far, far away. For decades, fans of the Star Wars franchise have been begging for Disney+ to house the original theatrical cuts to be released in some form, but Disney and Lucasfilm haven't listened to these pleas. However, it appears someone has found a way, and the original cut of 1977's Star Wars has been added to a free platform's library.

Per the report by Men's Journal, 1977's unaltered cut of Star Wars is streaming on an app called Cinema Box, which you can access on Roku. This version of the first Star Wars movie is the theatrical cut that doesn't have any modifications made in later releases and Special Editions, after The Empire Strikes Back was released and 1977's Star Wars officially became Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

Related...

The Star Wars franchise has been nominated for a total of 37 Academy Awards throughout its unique history at the Oscars. Many of the nominations and wins have been centered around sound and visual effects. However, only two films have received nominations for film editing.

The original movie, A New Hope, received both the nomination and win in 1977. Paul Hirsch, Richard Chew, and Marcia Lucas, George Lucas's wife at the time, all took home the award. It was a film that broke a lot of ground in film editing techniques and was well received for its work in the category.

Marcia Lucas was also nominated for George Lucas' 1973 film, American Graffiti. Chew was nominated in 1976 for his film editing work on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Hirsch received a nomination for his work in 2004 for the Ray Charles biopic, Ray.

Hirsch spoke to Rogerebert.com about his work on A New Hope,...

If you're not familiar with filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, she wrote and directed The Substance, which was nominated for no fewer than five Academy Awards. The film tells the story of an aging actress called Elisabeth Sparkle (played by Demi Moore), who begins taking a mysterious drug to make herself appear younger, although she gradually begins to transform into a hideous monstrosity as a result. Fargeat received nominations in the Best Writing and Directing categories, with Moore being nominated for Best Leading Actress. The Substance also received a nomination for Best Picture, making it one of the few horror films to have been nominated for this particularly prestigious award.

It turns out that Fargeat is also a massive Star Wars fan, as she directed a Star Wars fan film called La Guerre des Étoiles, which is French for ‘Star Wars’. Fargeat made the film back in 1993, when she was just seventeen,...

Star Wars is gearing up to return to the big screen in a big way. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently opened up about the company's upcoming movie slate, which includes a new trilogy from Star Wars Rebels co-creator Simon Kinberg.

Speaking with Deadline, where she debunked reports about her impending retirement from Lucasfilm, Kennedy offered a development update on the trilogy of Star Wars films that will be written and produced by Kinberg. "We’re absolutely rolling fast and furiously. That has gone exceptionally well, and he’s literally going to script as we speak. We’ll see something probably around June," she revealed. "Simon, if you remember, he did some work with us years ago with the animated show, which was a really wonderful collaborative experience. And he then got very, very busy with X-Men and then recently became available again, and he segued into this space beautifully. We...