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Showing posts with label Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Show all posts

Thursday, May 11, 2017

On This Day: May 11, 2013

Posted by Ciaran on 5/11/2017 0 comments

By Ciaran Duggan,

Lucasfilm announced that Star Wars: The Force Awakens would be filmed in the United Kingdom on this day in 2013.

The seventh movie in the Saga film franchise was due to start production in 2014 before a cinematic release in December 2015.

On This Day: April 29, 2014

Posted by Ciaran on 4/29/2017 0 comments

By Ciaran Duggan,

The cast for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens was announced three years ago today.

The list of stars included then unknown John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, along with more well known stars Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow.

On This Day: April 5, 2016

Posted by Ciaran on 4/05/2017 0 comments

By Ciaran Duggan,

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released on DVD, Blu Ray and Digital HD less than five months after the film was screened in cinemas on December 18, 2015.

J.J. Abrams had been selected as the director to bring the Star Wars Saga back to the big screen after a ten year hiatus.

The film received raving reviews from film critics, many of whom understood the challenges of inventing a new film which also had those same beats as the beloved Original Trilogy.

Daisy Ridley Named 'Movie Breakout Star' At 2016 Teen Choice Awards

Posted by Ciaran on 7/31/2016 2 comments

By Ciaran Duggan,

In the last few minutes Daisy Ridley has been officially voted the Movie Breakout Star, for her breakthrough performance as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, at this year's Teen Choice Awards ceremony.

Your 2016 #ChoiceMovieBreakoutStar is #DaisyRidley for her rendition of Rey in @starwars! 🌟 #TeenChoice
— Teen Choice Awards (@TeenChoiceFOX) August 1, 2016

This accolade has been won by similar unknown actors and actresses prior to Daisy Ridley's nomination. Previously the award has been won by Cara Delvingne (Paper Towns) and Ansel Elgort (Divergent & Fault In The Stars). Ridley certainly deserves the awards that she has received over the past six months because her performance in the Force Awakens was outstanding. Some of her other accolades have included the same recognition at this year's MTV Movie Awards.

Source: Teen Choice Award

'Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Tops UK Sales Charts

Posted by Ben Hart on 7/04/2016 0 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

Last week saw the long awaited release of Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens on a variety of consoles(even mobile). Being that it's been over five years since the release of the last Lego Star Wars title, fans have been clamoring to get their hands on the latest installment in the series. The demand has been so powerful that the it has become the best selling game in England.

Gamespot is reporting that for it's debut week, which ended July 2nd, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens shot to the top of the United Kingdom's sale charts. The game overtopped other major titles such as FIFA 16, Overwatch and Doom. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is also reportedly the fourth largest Lego video game launch ever, falling just behind Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Marvel Superheroes and Lego Batman.

The full UK top ten list is below(digital sales not included):

Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
FIFA 16
Overwatch
Doom
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
Rocket League
Grand Theft Auto V
7 Days to Die
Tom Clancy's The Division

Source: Gamespot

Princess Leia Uses The Force In New Excerpt From 'Star Wars: Aftermath Life Debt'

Posted by Ciaran on 6/21/2016 0 comments

By Ciaran Duggan,

Earlier today, Star Wars Books posted a new excerpt from one of their new novels, Star Wars: Aftermath Life Debt, on their Facebook page.

The excerpt focuses on Princess Leia, as she makes a fascinating discovery about the Force, as she embarks on a journey to try to become a Jedi after 'Return of the Jedi'. The excerpt helps to answer a pressing question fans have had, which writer Chris Taylor highlights in his article:

"Given that Princess Leia was revealed in 'Jedi' to be a Force-sensitive Skywalker, how come we didn't see any of her abilities on display in 'Force Awakens'? Was she just too busy being a politician and general? Did she ever even 'try' to be a Jedi?

The book doesn't focus on the story of Princess Leia, but rather Han Solo nad Chewbacca. Han aids Chewie, in Chewie's mission to free the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyk. Chewbaccca goes missing however, and Rebel Pilot, Norra Wexley, is sent by Leia to find Chewbacca. Chris Taylor provides a succint synopsis of the extract:

"We get a window into Leia's fraught state of mind at the time - made worse by the fact that she's pregnant with the child we know will grow up to become Kylo Ren..."

To read the full extract, click the link down below:

Aftermatth: Life Debt Excerpt

Let us know your thoughts on the excerpt in the comment section below.

Source: Mashable

Video: 'Hearing Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

Posted by Ben Hart on 5/27/2016 0 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

While Star Wars has also been beloved for its stunning visuals, what we see on screen would not have near the impact if it wasn't for what we hear. Sound design is key in any film, but Star Wars takes it to a whole other level with incredibly iconic sounds such as the Lightsabers, blasters, Droids, aliens ships, and much more. Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt created many of those sounds during the production of A New Hope in the mid-1970's and subsequently went on to work on all six of the original Star Wars films.

Now, in the wake of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we have a whole new collection of sounds to enjoy, as well as some old favorites. Burtt returned to work on the seventh installment in the saga alongside supervising sound editors Matthew Wood and David Acord. The Force Awakens is full of interesting sounds, some you've heard before, like the the scream of TIE Fighters, the firing of Han Solo's DL-44 Blaster and Chewbacca roars. The film also introduced a plethora of new sounds, including BB-8's voice, the sizzle of Kylo Ren's Lightsaber, and the terrifying roars of the Rathtars.

A new supercut video created Zackery Ramos-Taylor brings attention the incredible sound design of The Force Awakens, quickly cycling through an assortment of sounds. Everything from Han Solo punching a Kanjiklub member to Starkiller base firing is in there. Be sure to watch, and listen, below:

Hearing Star Wars: The Force Awakens from Zackery Ramos-Taylor on Vimeo.

New 'Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Video Spotlights Poe Dameron

Posted by Ben Hart on 5/19/2016 0 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

Excitement is building(pun intended) for the next big Lego video game! Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set for release next month and the promotional campaign for it is starting to kick into high gear. Today, Lucasfilm and Lego unveiled a brand new character spotlight video for the game which focuses on beloved ace X-Wing pilot Poe Dameron. Poe will be a playable character in the game along with an assortment of others including Rey, Finn, Han Solo, Chewbacca and BB-8. You can check out the video below:

As you can hear in the video, it sounds like Oscar Isaac, who portrayed Poe in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, has returned to provide brand new dialogue for the game. If you want to see(and hear) more Poe Dameron Lego footage, you can watch eight minutes of gameplay footage below courtesy of IGN:

Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be hitting a variety of platforms on June 28th!

Source: Lego

Disney Releases Emoji Video Of The Force Awakens

Posted by Ciaran on 5/02/2016 2 comments

By Ciaran Duggan,

The Disney Facebook Page has released a new, cool version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Disney have recreated The Force Awakens in a three minute emoji video. It is as incredible as it sounds. The sentients, vehicles, characters and settings of the Force Awakens are remodelled in emoji form, as the story of the Force Awakens is played out. Take a look at this awesome video for yourselves in the link below:

Let us know your views on the emoji video in the comments below.

Source: Disney

UK Fanbase Outraged At Lack of Bonus Content On The Force Awakens DVD Release

Posted by Ciaran on 4/21/2016 4 comments

By Ciaran Duggan,

Less than a week has passed since Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released in the UK (April 18), and yet instead of celebrating the launch of Episode VII on multi media platforms, criticism has been levied against Disney and LucasFilm for the lack of bonus content accompanied with the DVD version of The Force Awakens.

According to the Independent, the DVD (which was priced at £9.99) included little more than the film. Whilst the Blu-Ray included both deleted scenes and a series of behind-the-scenes documentaries, and cost an extra £5.

One fan reported his view on the matter to The Mirror:

"I was really looking forward to this: I don't have a Blu-ray player, so was intending to use the digital download key to get the movie online. But there is no digital download with the UK version: the US version has this. Completely unacceptable and I can't think of a better way of driving people who WANT to buy a legitimate version to piracy sites. Idiots."

On Twitter and Amazon, some fans have expressed their fury at Disney for attempting to induce people to purchase the Blu-Ray. Their outcry also centres around the seeming misled promotion scandal, as many outlets have chosen not to overtly declare that the UK DVD release contains no documentaries or deleted scene content.

In an interview with The Guardian, a Disney spokesperson responded to the criticisms:

"As a company we are committed to seeking out the best ways to provide audiences with access to Disney content. Each territory is different, and we evaluate and enact distribution strategies on a market-by-market basis. In the UK this means we do not include extras across our DVD products. On Blu-ray and digital download offerings for 'The Force Awakens' are providing audiences with a wealth of extras including a special documentary, behind-the-scenes looks and much more that are now being enjoyed by thousands."

The frustration of fans is completely understandable, particularly when it feels like that market consumers are being pushed to spend more money by distributors. However, from a marketing standpoint, it makes sense for Disney to want to promote the more expensive version of The Force Awakens, which includes a better visualised and audio version of the film, and a monopoly in bonus content.

Source: The Independent

Game Informer Releases More 'Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Featurettes

Posted by Ben Hart on 2/11/2016 0 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

Last week, to the delight of Lego Star Wars fans everywhere, it was announced that a new Lego video game based around the newly released film The Force Awakens is coming very soon. Game Informer has already taken it upon themselves to cover the game in detail, previously revealing two covers for the upcoming issue of their magazine, as well as a behind the scenes featurette. Now they have released another duo of featurettes about the making of the game.

In the first video they speak with lead story designer Graham Goring and cutscene director Phil Gray about the comedy of the game and how they go about translating some of the emotionally heavy scenes from the film into the wacky Lego format:

The next one features an interview with TT Fusion's head of animation Matt Palmer in which he discusses the subtleties of animating the various minifigure characters in the game, everyone from Rey, Kylo Ren and BB-8 to Lugga Beasts and Rathtars. You can check that out by clicking here!

Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be available to play on a variety of platforms on June 28th!

Source: Game Informer

John Boyega Will Voice Finn In 'Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

Posted by Ben Hart on 2/02/2016 2 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

Way back in 2005 Lego Star Wars: The Video Game introduced us to the concept of a Lego video game and was a massive hit. Now, over a decade later, Lego is returning to a Galaxy far, far away with Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens which is slated to retell the new film in Lego's unique and funny way. In the first iteration of this classic series none of the characters actually spoke. Every scene, even such iconic moments as The Empire Strikes Back's "I am your father" scene, were mimed by the characters in hilarious fashion. In later games based on other franchises such as The Lord Of The Rings, and more recently, Jurassic World, voices were added into the cutscenes and gameplay. Now it appears this new Lego Star Wars game will be following suit because The Force Awakens actor John Boyega has confirmed that he will be voicing his character, Finn, in the game. Boyega tweeted the confirmation after the game was officially announced earlier today:

Out of all that I had foreseen or hoped this wasn't one of them! Had an amazing time reprising my role as Finn #LEGO pic.twitter.com/3xHzh5ZzCl
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) February 2, 2016

The game looks amazing on it's own, but it's especially exciting to hear the game will include dialogue from one of the original actors as well. Hopefully this means Daisy Ridley(Rey), Oscar Isaac(Poe Dameron) and others will be back as well to reprise their roles!

Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits a variety of consoles on June 28th!

Source: Twitter(John Boyega)

'The Force Awakens' Garners More Award Nominations For Sound & Visual Effects

Posted by Ben Hart on 1/12/2016 0 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

While Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens continues to take in millions at the box office all over the world, the film is also continuing to be honored with numerous award nominations for various aspects of its production. Most recently it was revealed that The Force Awakens had garnered a handful of nominations for visual effects and sound. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Force Awakens is leading the pack in the Visual Effects Society Awards after being nominated for seven awards. Behind Star Wars are a collection 2015 and 2016's biggest hits so far, including Furious 7, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Peanuts Movie and The Revenant.

The nominations with their respective scenes and artist are as follows:

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

Roger Guyett, Luke O'Byrne, Patrick Tubach, Paul Kavanagh, Chris Corbould

Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature

Falcon Chase / Graveyard

Yanick Dusseault, Mike Wood, Justin van der Lek, Quentin Marmier

Outstanding Animated Performance in a Photoreal Feature

Maz Kanata

Joel Bodin, Arslan Elver, Ian Comley, Stephen Cullingford

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project

Falcon Chase / Graveyard

Paul Kavanagh, Colin Benoit, Susumu Yukuhiro, Greg Salter

Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Feature

Jay Cooper, Marian Mavrovic, Jean Lapointe, Alex Prichard

Outstanding Models in a Photoreal or Animated Project

BB-8

Joshua Lee, Matthew Dentonm, Landis Fields, Cyrus Jam

Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature

Starkiller Base

Rick Hankins, Dan Bornstein, John Doublestein, Gary Wu

In addition, The Force Awakens has been nominated for a sound award by the Cinema Audio Society's 52nd annual awards for outstanding achievement in sound mixing. Fellow nominees include Bridge Of Spies, The Hateful Eight, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant. Below is the list of nominated artists for The Force Awakens:

Motion Picture — Live Action

Production Mixer — Stuart Wilson
Re-recording Mixer — Andy Nelson, CAS
Re-recording Mixer — Chris Scarabosio
Scoring Mixer — Shawn Murphy
ADR Mixer — Charleen Steeves
Foley Mixer — Chris Manning

The Force Awakens certainly looked and sounded amazing, so these nominations are well deserved! Congratulations and good look to the cast & crew of Episode VII!

Sources: THR, THR

New Scene Featuring the First Order in Korean TV Spot for The Force Awakens

Posted by Unknown on 8/10/2015 7 comments

By: Jake Damon

Making Star Wars.net has discovered a new TV spot for The Force Awakens on the YouTube channel, Star Wars Korea, which features almost completely the same footage we've seen from both officially released trailers already; except the very first scene. The one-second clip shows a different view of the First Order scene at Starkiller base from the second trailer, this time with a good look at whoever was on the large platform in the far distance. We see Captain Phasma, this time with a full black cloak rather than her shoulder cape we've seen previously, some First Order officers, a few snow troopers, and at the front, it appears to be General Hux, although we can't say for sure.

We also see a long line of the new white TIE fighters ready to take off, and what look like a new type of walker behind, consistent with concept art seen previously.

It definitely looks like the First Order means business. This shot gives off vibes of a Nazi or Roman Empire army at the height of their power. What are your thoughts on this new scene? You can see the full Korean TV spot below. Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters everywhere December 18, 2015.

Source: You Tube, makingstarwars.net

New 'The Force Awakens' Books Appear On Amazon

Posted by Ben Hart on 7/27/2015 2 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

Later this we'll be getting the next Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, and along with it a plethora of content and merchandise that will surely leave all of us broke before Christmas rolls around. An assortment of comics, novels and books, will be among the roster of things filling store shelves this Fall and Winter. Just recently a collection of listings for some The Force Awakens books appeared on Amazon.com, including a Visual Dictionary(written by Pablo Hidalgo), Incredible Cross Sections(written by Jason Fry & illustrated by Kemp Remillard) and an Ultimate Sticker Book by DK, as well as The Force Awakens novelization(by Alan Dean Foster) and a character Anthology novel for young readers. There are plenty of others to browse through, and all are available for pre-order, so be sure to head over and check them out on Amazon.com!

As someone who grew up reading DK's reference books on the original six films, among others, I am beyond excited to get my hands on these!

Source: Amazon.com

Report: Maz Kanata Concept Art From 'The Force Awakens' Revealed

Posted by Ben Hart on 7/02/2015 1 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

Concept art is always fascinating to look at, especially when the film it's from hasn't even come out yet. Our friends at Making Star Wars have uncovered a never before seen piece of concept art of Maz Kanata who will make her first appearance in The Force Awakens, played by Lupita Nyong'o(above). Of course, if you don't want to know anything about Episode VII, use caution when reading further. This is your official SPOILER WARNING.

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Making Star Wars had this to say about it:

"The checkmark on this piece means it was given approval and probably produced in some way. So far the pieces with checkmarks are the pieces I’ve seen in official photos for other aliens and such. Since I haven’t seen Maz in the finished film and I have seen several dozen different designs so far, I cannot say for sure if that is what Maz looks like. But upon looking at Maz in the teaser, I can see some slight design connections and think it is worth considering that the creature in the design above may be Maz."

They add that this piece dates back to when Maz was still codenamed "Rose", but it does look very similar to what little we see of Maz(or who we assume is Maz) in the latest teaser trailer:

San Diego Comic Con is coming up next week and there's a very good possibility we could get a better look at Maz Kanata at The Force Awakens panel there through a new trailer or clips(or both). The SWU will certainly keep you up to date on all future reveals, both official and unofficial.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th!

Source: Making Star Wars

Report: First Order Origins Hinted At On 'The Force Awakens' Merchandise

Posted by Ben Hart on 6/27/2015 3 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

One of the most intriguing aspects of The Force Awakens is the political make up of the Galaxy 30+ years after Return Of The Jedi. The good guys are called the "Resistance" and the bad guys are refereed to as the "First Order." What do these names mean exactly, and where did these factions originate? Details have been leaking out slowly as of late, and now we might have a bit of a better understanding of the First Order. Star Wars 7 News pointed us to a photo Eric Goldman from IGN tweeted recently which gives us a look at the side panel of the packaging for the Black Series First Order Stormtrooper action figure that will be available exclusively at San Diego Comic Con. The panel features text that describes a history of the Stormtrooper, from the Clone Troopers of the Clone Wars to the Troopers of the First Order. Check it out below:

#SDCC #TheForceAwakens Stormtrooper figure packaging confirms First Order are new on the scene in Episode 7 @starwars pic.twitter.com/YPSD45V2oV
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) June 27, 2015

Lets go over those last couple of lines again:

"...The Stormtroopers legions were scattered in the aftermath of the Empire's fall. Now, the rise of the First Order ushers in the next chapter in the Stormtrooper's legacy as a new era of ruthless brutality begins."

It's not much, but it certainly gives us something to speculate about. This seems to imply that the First Order is relatively new. Perhaps Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren are attempting to revive the Empire in their own way now after it has been officially defeated. Or could the First order be one of the "scattered" remnants of the Empire that is finally gaining it's dominance? Nevertheless, the First Order sounds just as dangerous, if not more so than the Empire. We can wait to see the "ruthless brutality" on the big screen when Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th!

So what do you think? Post your theories about the First Order in the comments down below, or in our discussion group Club SWU! -B-

Source: Twitter(Eric Goldman)
Via: Star Wars 7 News

Russian 'The Force Awakens' Promo Art Revealed (Updated!)

Posted by Ben Hart on 6/22/2015 1 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

We're less than six months out from the release of The Force Awakens, and it seems reveals from the film are becoming more frequent as of late, both officially and unofficially. The latest somewhat unofficial sneak peek at Episode VII comes to us from Russia. Our friends at Making Star Wars uncovered a very cool looking promotional poster for The Force Awakens which features an ominous Kylo Ren in the center flanked by Finn, Chewbacca, Rey, Captain Phasma and a First Order Flame Trooper. You may also notice the previously unseen blaster that Finn is holding, plus TIE Fighters to the right, and X-Wing to the left and what looks to be the Millennium Falcon in the bottom left corner.

Our good friend Dan Grievous has provided us with a translation of the text on the poster:

"The Force Awakens...

Star Wars The Force Awakens in theaters 17th of December

The Legendary Saga that captured the imagination/hearts of millions across the world.

New episode of the space saga "Star Wars" combines iconic characters for all generations with new heroes. It tells about new worlds and new adventures."

Source: Making Star Wars

Update: Star Wars 7 News has found a high quality version of the artwork:

Very cool!

Second 'The Force Awakens' Teaser Recognized By Guinness World Records

Posted by Ben Hart on 6/18/2015 0 comments

By: Benjamin Hart

It seems on top of blowing all our minds, both at Star Wars Celebation Anaheim and across the globe, the second teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has made history! Guinness World Records has recognized the teaser as the "Most viewed movie trailer on YouTube in 24 hours." They report that the 109 second teaser, which was released the morning of April 16th, garnered 30.65 million views in the short span of a single day. As a certain Sith Lord would say, "Impressive... most impressive!"

The very first Episode VII teaser also broke some records late last year, gaining 100 million views globally in a week, thus being named the fastest growing trailer ever.

I think it's safe to assume The Force Awakens will break even more records when it reaches theaters on December 18th!

Source: Guinness World Records

Covergirl Launching a Star Wars Makeup Line

Posted by Unknown on 6/16/2015 0 comments

By: Lillian Skye

Does your look take after the Light Side or the Dark Side?

Soon, you will be able to decide your own destiny by choosing from Star Wars: The Force Awakens makeup from Covergirl! The new Star Wars makeup products, reportedly scheduled to launch this fall, will include limited edition pieces such as mascara, nail polish, and lipgloss in Light Side or Dark Side options.

The items feature iconic quotes from Star Wars, such as "You're my only hope," and "Do or do not, there is no try," and newer sayings such as "There has been an awakening," "Immune to the Light," and "I will finish what you started." Could the last two be quotes or themes from The Force Awakens?

The images feature Dark Side looks such as "Dark Apprentice," and "Empress," and Light Side makeup tutorials such as "Droid," "Sage," and "Nomad." Each unique design was created by Covergirl's Pat McGrath.

Scroll down for more images of the new Star Wars makeup from Covergirl, and stay tuned for more updates!