New Hasbro 'Star Wars' Figures Revealed at Fan Expo Canada

By: Dominic Jones

Today at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, members of the Hasbro Star Wars took the stage give fans a peak behind the scenes at the making of Star Wars action figures, as well as make some reveals of upcoming products.  The big reveals were that Captain Phasma will be coming to The Vintage Collection 3.75" scale line, and that Solo baddie Dryden Vos will be featured in 6" scale Black Series line.  You can see those two figures below,

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Hasbro's SDCC 'Star Wars' Exclusives Revealed

By: Dominic Jones

With San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) coming up next month, toy manufacturer and Star Wars liscensee, Hasbro has revealed the convention exclusive Star Wars figures they will be selling this year.  iO9 revealed today that the Hasbro exclusive will be a three pack featuring characters from the current line of Star Wars comic books from Marvel.  The characters Dr Aphra, BT-1, and 0-0-0, who were first introduced in the Darth Vader series which ran from 2015-2017 and are currently featured in the Doctor Aphra series, will all be available as a three-pack in the 3.75" scale.  The packaging for the figures is a throw-back to the Kenner three-packs that were available in the 70s and 80s.  Check out some pictures of the figures below,

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Video: 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' SPOILER FREE Review!

SWU Podcast hosts Dominic Jones and Ben Hart share their immediate reactions to Solo: A Star Wars Story while sitting under the CN Tower in Toronto after the film's Canadian premiere.  They share their thoughts on the portrayals of classic characters like Han and Lando, as well as new ones like Qi'Ra and Beckett.  They also compare how they feel about Solo to how they felt about The Last Jedi on opening night.  Check it out below,

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A Visit to the 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Toronto Exhibit

By: Kareem Dharsee

The Force is strong with Toronto! A special Pop-Up Exhibit for Star Wars: The Last Jedi is promoting the film downtown at the Bell Media campus at 277 Queen Street West near Osgoode Station. The Exhibit is open from 11am-7pm from Friday Dec-8 to Sunday Dec-17 but closes early at 3pm on Wednesday Dec-13.

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Fan Expo: 'Star Wars Rebels' Season Four Panel Recap

By: Dominic Jones

Today was a big day for Star Wars Rebels at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto!  Executive Producer Dave Filoni and stars Vanessa Marshal (Hera Syndulla) and Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger) took the stage to preview the fourth and final season of the animated series and screen the first episode for fans in attendance.  During the panel itself, the big news was the debut of a new trailer and the announcement that the season would premiere on October 16th, but there were many other smaller tibits that Filoni, Marshall, and Gray shared with the fans in Toronto about season four, the production of the show, and more.  I was at the panel and live tweeted what went down.  You can read about what I saw below,

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BREAKING: New Star Wars Rebels: Season Four Trailer Released

By: Benjamin Hart

Earlier today Star Wars Rebels made a huge splash at Fan Expo Canada with a stellar panel for the fourth and final season of the series. The panel, which included series co-creator Dave Filoni, along with Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla) and Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), revealed new details, photos, and an amazing new trailer.

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BREAKING: Season Four Of "Star Wars Rebels" To Premiere On October 16th

By: Benjamin Hart

The panel for the fourth season of Star Wars Rebels just concluded at Fan Expo Canada, and we were treated to a variety of exciting details about the show's final season.

The panel was hosted by BBC's Christian Blauvelt and included Rebels co-creator Dave Filoni, along with actors Vanessa Marhsall (Hera) and Taylot Gray (Ezra). While the panelists discussed many aspects of the upcoming season, one of the biggest bombshells was the release date. It has been confirmed that the season four will premiere on October 16th.

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Dave Filoni Is Bringing a 'Star Wars Rebels' Season Four Preview to Fan Expo Canada

By: Dominic Jones

The creative team behind Star Wars Rebels has been playing their hand very close to their chest after announcing at Star Wars Celebration in April that the upcoming fourth season would be the show's last.  But there's good news for fans looking to learn more about what's to come.  Executive Producer Dave Filoni is heading north for the annual Fan Expo Canada event where he host a special preview for the upcoming season.  The panel will take place on Saturday September 2nd at 11:30am in the John Basset theater, where Filoni will be joined by "special guests" to preview the upcoming season.

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Corus Entertainment Buys Exclusive TV Rights to the 'Star Wars' Films in Canada

By: Dominic Jones

Corus Entertainment and The Walt Disney Studios announced today that they had signed a multi year deal to give Corus the exclusive TV rights to the Star Wars films in Canada.  The deal includes 11 films, including The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and the upcoming films The Last Jedi, Episode IX, and the untitled young Han Solo film, as well as five of the six original films.  The one film not included in the deal with Disney is A New Hope, which 20th Century Fox still owns the distribution rights to.  However, Corus also announced that they had also reached a deal with Fox for the TV rights to A New Hope in Canada.

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Convention Report: Fan Expo Canada 2016

By: Dominic Jones

Fan Expo Canada was this past weekend in Toronto.  I was there to check out all the awesome Star Wars stuff the convention had to offer, not only Q&As with Mark Hamill and Alan Tudyk, and the Star Wars Rebels Season Three North American premiere, but also cosplays, product displays, and a giant ten-foot tall K-2SO built out of Lego.  Here's some of the highlights,

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Alan Tudyk Talks K-2SO and 'Rogue One' at Fan Expo Canada

By: Dominic Jones

Star Wars was well represented at this year's Fan Expo Canada.  Yesterday, Mark Hamill spoke to fans about the Original and Sequel Trilogy, and today Alan Tudyk took the stage in Toronto to speak about his career, and, of course the topic of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story came up.  Tudyk, who plays K-2SO in Rogue One, couldn't say much about the film but he did speak about the experience of portraying K-2SO through motion capture and what it's like to be in Star Wars.

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Highlights From Mark Hamill's Q&A at Fan Expo Canada

By: Dominic Jones

Luke Skywalker actor, Mark Hamill is making his first convention in Canada this weekend at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto.  Hamill took the stage earlier tonight for fan Q&A to discuss his career, including his work in Star Wars, Batman, The Flash, and more.  Mark was in fine form, monologuing about his life and career for the 40 minutes of 60 minute Q&A, without taking a single question!  Below, are some highlights from this event,

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Mark Hamill to Make First Canadian Convention Appearance at Fan Expo

By: Dominic Jones

Luke Skywalker actor, Mark Hamill will be making his first convention appearance north of the 49th parallel at the annual Fan Expo Canada this September in Toronto.  Hamill will be on hand to sign autographs for fans and take part in a Q&A about his career, including his work on the Star Wars films.  He will likely also be promoting his upcoming show on Comic Con HQ, Mark Hamill's Pop Culture Quest.  Hamill is also known to fans for playing the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series and many other Batman projects since then, including the upcoming animated feature The Killing Joke.

Other guest attending Fan Expo include Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee (making his final Canadian appearance), director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Yoga Hosers), William Shatner (Star Trek), and Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones).

Fan Expo takes place from September 1st-4th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  More details can be found here.

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Q&A With 'Star Wars' Producer Robert Watts Happening in Toronto on June 25th

By: Dominic Jones

Legendary film producer Robert Watts, who was producer on the Original Trilogy, will be taking part in a live Q&A about his career in Toronto, Canada on Saturday 25th.  Watts' other credits include the Indiana Jones trilogy and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.  He will be answering fan's questions about his films next Saturday at 2pm at The Royal Cinema on College Street.  In addition, Watts will be bringing rare behind the scenes photos from his career to share with the audience and announcing his next science fiction project during the event.  Tickets are available here. 

You can read the entire press release about the event below,

Film series such as the original Star Wars trilogy and Indiana Jones maintain their relevance even today and have become classics for future generations. English-born producer. Robert Watts, has been influential in the production of both, as well as other groundbreaking films, particularly in the sci-fi and adventure genres. 

On Saturday, June 25th, True Gravity Productions is proud to present, "A Conversation with Robert Watts", at The Royal Cinema. An event for all ages, super fans and cinema buffs will not want to miss out! This event will also help mark the 39th anniversary of the first Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, being released in Toronto. 

Attendees of this rare event (it will be Mr. Watts’ only speaking date in North America) will hear never before told stories about the first three historic Star Wars movies, the massively popular Indiana Jones film series and his work on other genre-defining films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Oscar award-winning Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 

Robert will tell you about his work on these films, reveal unpublished photos, and recount behind the scenes stories and secrets about the directors and actors, including George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and others.

There will also be a much-anticipated announcement about his next science fiction project. This event will be sure to not disappoint! 

General Admission tickets are $40, and VIP tickets at $80. VIP guests will receive reserved seating, an exclusive gift, and access to a meet & greet reception following the event. Tickets can be purchased in advanced here: https://www.universe.com/events/true-gravity-a-conversation-with-robert-watts-tickets-YK13T8  

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Convention Report: Toronto Comic Con 2016

By: Dominic Jones

Toronto Comic Con was held this past weekend at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  I was there to check out all the awesome Star Wars stuff the convention had to offer, from cosplays (covering all eras of Star Wars) to product displays to Millennium Falcon shaped chocolates.  Here's some of the highlights,

Many generations of troopers on patrol at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars @official501st

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 8:22am PDT

Rey & Kylo Ren at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 20, 2016 at 9:42am PDT

Luke, Kylo, R2, and some First Order troopers at the @official501st booth at #TorontoComicCon #TheForceAwakens #StarWars #KyloRen #LukeSkywalker #R2D2

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 1:31pm PDT

Royal Guards at the @official501st booth at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 20, 2016 at 9:15am PDT

Luke Skywalker vs. the Rancor diorama by Royal Selangor on display at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #ReturnOfTheJedi

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 8:45am PDT

#KyloRen takes the escalator at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 18, 2016 at 4:20pm PDT

Dengar, Old Ben, and a stormtrooper hanging out at the @official501st #TorontoComicCon booth #StarWars

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 2:05pm PDT

FN-2187 at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 20, 2016 at 8:32am PDT

#Lego #StarWars display at #TorontoComicCon

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 1:49pm PDT

ARC Trooper Commander Colt at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheCloneWars #SaveTheCloneWars

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 1:37pm PDT

Han in Carbonite display at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 18, 2016 at 4:04pm PDT

First Order stormtroopers at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens @official501st

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 9:43am PDT

Fantastic Rey cosplay at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens #BB8

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 12:12pm PDT

Traitor! #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 9:54am PDT

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 2:52pm PDT

#StarWars scarves at #TorontoComicCon #TheForceAwakens #BB8

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 9:35am PDT

#Rey #BB8 #Stormtrooper #R2D2 & #KyloRen at the @official501st booth at #TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 2:17pm PDT

#TorontoComicCon #StarWars #TheForceAwakens #BB8 #Rey #R2D2 #KyloRen

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 12:30pm PDT

Mario has joined the Empire! #StarWars #SuperMario #TorontoComicCon

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 18, 2016 at 3:24pm PDT

#StarWars #TorontoComicCon #Ewoks #Chewbacca #PrincessLeia #ScoutTroopers

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 1:09pm PDT

Chocolat Millennium Falcon from @cakes_cove #StarWars #TorontoComicCon

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 12:57pm PDT

#StarWars cosplay group at #TorontoComicCon

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Mar 19, 2016 at 10:27am PDT

Big thanks to the organizers for such a fun event! For more coverage of Conventions and so much more, be sure to follow us on Instagram (@TheSWU). We'll be hitting up many more conventions this year including Star Wars Celebration Europe, San Diego Comic Con, Fan Expo Canada, New York Comic Con, and more!

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Report From 'The Force Awakens' Toronto Exhibit

By: Dominic Jones

To celebrate the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (in just 3 days!) Lucasfilm and Disney opened a special pop up store exhibit in downtown Toronto, Canada.  The exhibit features replicas of the Kylo Ren, Rey, Captain Phasma, and First Order Stormtrooper, and a BB-8 prop.  They also had a free BB-8 photo op.  I went down to check it out today and here are some pictures from the exhibit.

Exterior of the #TheForceAwakens Toronto exhibit! #StarWars #TheForceAwakensTO

Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren, and First Order Stormtrooper costumes on display at #TheForceAwakensTO #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Dec 14, 2015 at 9:28am PST

Rey Costume and BB-8 prop on display at #TheForceAwakensTO exhibit #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Dec 14, 2015 at 9:30am PST

Close up of Kylo Ren's lightsaber at #TheForceAwakensTO exhibit #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Dec 14, 2015 at 9:32am PST

#TheForceAwakens character posters on display at the #TheForceAwakensTO exhibit! #StarWars

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Dec 14, 2015 at 9:35am PST

Captain Phasma close up at #TheForceAwakensTO exhibit! #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Dec 14, 2015 at 10:03am PST

Another angle of Rey and BB-8 at #TheForceAwakensTO #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Dec 14, 2015 at 10:04am PST

Captain Phasma graffiti outside the #TheForceAwakensTO exhibit #StarWars #TheForceAwakensTO

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Dec 14, 2015 at 10:12am PST

This year instead of getting a picture with Santa, I got a picture with BB-8! #TheForceAwakensTO #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A photo posted by The Star Wars Underworld (@theswu) on Dec 14, 2015 at 9:36am PST

You can visit the exhibit on 277 Queen Street West in Toronto.  The exhibit is open daily from 11am to 5pm until the film is released on December 18th and is free for everyone.

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Disney XD Canada Airing 'Star Wars Rebels' Marathon This Weekend!

By: Dominic Jones

Disney XD Canada is celebrating their return in a big way this weekend, with a Star Wars Rebels marathon.  The newly re-launched network will be be running a marathon of the entire Rebels series beginning at 10:00am ET/PT on December 1st and culminating with the Canadian premiere of the episodes "Blood Sisters" and "Stealth Strike" at 9:00pm ET/PT and 9:30pm ET/PT respectively.  That's 12 hours of non-stop Star Wars Rebels!  

One week later, on December 12th Disney XD Canada will air the Canadian premieres of he episodes "The Future of the Force" and "Legacy" at 9:00pm ET/PT and 9:30pm ET/PT respectively. 

Canadian fans can keep up with the new Disney XD Canada on Facebook, Instagram, and their website.

 

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'The Force Awakens' Will Only Stream on Netflix in Canada

By: Dominic Jones

Oh Canada!  Fans have been wondering for a while if Disney's relationship with Netflix would extend to Star Wars, specifically will we ever see the Star Wars films released on the streaming service.  Turns out Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens will stream on Netflix, but only in Canada!

Variety is reporting that Canada is the only territory where Netflix has picked up the rights to The Force Awakens.  In the U.S the film falls under Disney distribution deal with Starz, the premium cable channel which has exclusive rights to Disney's titles through the end of 2015, including The Force Awakens.  But it seems likely that Star Wars films released after The Force Awakens will make it onto U.S Netflix as Disney and Netflix reached a deal for Disney's films post-2016.  So I wouldn't be surprised if Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first of the Anthology films, makes its streaming debut on Netflix.

Netflix already has a relationship with Star Wars stemming from the sixth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars debuting on Netflix in 2014.  Disney has a worked with Netflix in the past to produce and release original series for Marvel and rumors have been circulating for a while that they will do the the same for Star Wars.

As a Canadian, I'm very excited about this news.  As for everyone else around the world, there's still plenty of time to make friends with a Canadian so you can watch the film on Netflix when you visit them.  It shouldn't be too hard, we're nice people!

Source: Variety

Thanks to SWU reader Evan G. for the heads up!

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Limited Edition 'The Force Awakens' Lunchbox Exclusive to be Available at Fan Expo Canada

By: Dominic Jones

This year's Fan Expo Canada, taking place in Toronto from September 3rd-6th, promises to be an exciting one for Star Wars fans.  This is due in part to the fact that "Force Friday," the day when the first wave of merchandise from Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens hits shelves, falls in the middle of the con.  To celebrate, Fan Expo has teamed up with Lucasfilm and Vandor Products to release a convention exclusive The Force Awakens lunchbox!

The lunchbox will be available on Friday September 4th, and fans who purchased a VIP ticket (sold out) or premium ticket (still available) are guaranteed to get one.  Fans with a single day pass will still have the opportunity to purchase a lunchbox from the Fan Expo merchandise booths.  Sadly, the image on the lunchbox will not be revealed until "Force Friday."

Fan Expo Canada takes place September 3rd to 6th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  Star Wars guests at this years show include Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Steve Blum (Zeb on Star Wars Rebels), Phil Lamar (Bail Organa on Rebels), and the duo behind the first arc of Marvel's Star Wars ongoing series Jason Aaron (writer) and John Cassaday (artist).  

Get your tickets here.

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'The Clone Wars' Star Jim Cummings to Attend 80s Toy Expo 2015

By: Dominic Jones

Jim Cummings, the voice of the fan favorite pirate Hondo Ohnaka on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will be attending a very cool event in Mississauga, Ontario (just outside Toronto) this weekend.   Cummings, along with WWE Hall of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, is headlining the 80's Toy Expo being held this Sunday, May 3rd, 2015 at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale (6750 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario).

Cummings first portrayed Hondo back in the Season One episode "Dooku Captured" and instantly became a fan favorite appearing in episodes in Seasons Two and Five.  Cummings is set to reprise the role in the upcoming second season of Star Wars Rebels which will debut on Disney XD this summer.

The show will be a great to meet Cummings and also fill some holes in your collection!

For more details on the 80s Toy Expo click here.

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