The Queen's Crown Estate Wouldn't Let 'Star Wars' Film On Their Land

By: Dominic Jones

The power of Queen Amidala and Princess Leia apparently couldn't sway the Queen of England, at least when it comes to filming on land she owns.  "Our head isn't turned by star names or star films," Nick Day, the Crown Estate's head of commercial operations, told the BBC.  Day was speaking in relation to a request that had been made by Lucasfilm to shoot scenes from a Star Wars film on land that was own by Queen Elizabeth II.  Apparently, the filmmakers made the request "a few of years ago" to shoot at Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, but Day turned them down.

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A Couple of Quick Behind the Scenes Shots From 'The Last Jedi' Released in BFI Video

By: Dominic Jones

A new video from the British Film Institute has revealed a couple of quick behind the scenes shots from Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.  The video focuses on Lucasfilm's initiatives to hire BFI trainees from diverse backgrounds to work on Star Wars projects.  The video features several of the trainees from the upcoming untitled Han Solo A Star Wars Story film talking about their experience on the job (including one trainee's experience working alongside acclaimed cinematographer Bradford Young).  Towards the end of the video we see a couple of quick behind the scenes looks at shots from The Last Jedi trailer, specifically Rey running on Ahch-To and Phasma with First Order stormtroopers marching through the flames.  Check out the video below,

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Report: Star Wars: 'The Last Jedi' UK Release Date Changed

By Ciaran Duggan,

Reports suggest that Star Wars: 'The Last Jedi' will now be released in the UK on Thursday December 14, 2017.

This means the film will come out a day earlier than the date initially set  by Lucasfilm and Disney - Friday December 15. 

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On This Day: May 11, 2013

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.

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Northern Ireland Hosts Star Wars Convention

By Ciaran Duggan,

Last weekend fans in Northern Ireland were treated to a Star Wars film convention at the Eikon Complex in Co Antrim.

Thousands of fans visited the convention over the course of the weekend.

Fans were able to see life-sized replica props, along with sets and iconic characters - such as stormtroopers and Darth Vader on the set.

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Star Wars Fan In Court Following Alleged Attack After 'Rogue One' Screening

By Ciaran Duggan,

A Star Wars fan in the UK has reportedly assaulted another man outside a cinema after watching 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'.

The incident allegedly took place outside the first night showing of Rogue One at Vue Cinema in the capital city of Wales, Cardiff, in the early hours of December 16 last year.

The defendant pleaded 'not guilty' to charges of assault by 'beating and assault with intent to commit robbery'.

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UK University Launches Star Wars Philosophy Course

By Ciaran Duggan,

A new Star Wars-based philosophy course is being offered to students at a renowned UK university.

You heard it right! The force is strong with the University of Glasgow as they are now offering a day-long open access course for students who want to study a course entitled: Star Wars and Philosophy: Destiny, Justice and the Metaphysics of the Force.

The course will be led by a life long Star Wars fan and philosophy teacher named John Donaldson.  

Dr. Donaldson  has said that the purpose of the course is to introduce concepts of free will and moral responsibility by exploring the deeper meanings of George Lucas' Star Wars franchise. 

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'Rogue One' Tickets Go On Sale In The UK and The Netherlands Tomorrow

 By Ciaran Duggan,

Lucasfilm has revealed that tickets for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will go on sale tomorrow in the United Kingdom and The Netherlands.  Fans across the world have been waiting for some time to purchase tickets for the upcoming blockbuster hit and it seems Britons and the Dutch will get the first opportunity to do so.

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Empire Magazine Unveils 'Rogue One' Subscriber Cover

By: Benjamin Hart

Star Wars is everywhere these days as we rapidly approach the highly anticipated release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Empire Magazine just revealed the subscribers exclusive cover for one of their latest issues, and it's Rogue One themed.

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'Rogue One' To Open in UK Theatres on December 15th

By Dominic Jones

Star Wars fans in the UK rejoice!  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will hit theaters in the United Kingdom a day before it opens in the US.  The official Star Wars UK Twitter account confirmed what many had already suspected today, tweeting, "Stay on target! #RogueOne blasts into UK cinemas on December 15. All wings report in...".  This happened last year as well with The Force Awakens, and is normal for most films as are released on Thursdays, rather than Fridays, in the UK. 

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

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):

1. Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2. FIFA 16
3. Overwatch
4. Doom
5. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
6. Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
7. Rocket League
8. Grand Theft Auto V
9. 7 Days to Die
10. Tom Clancy's The Division

Source: Gamespot

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Dancing Stormtroopers Get the Golden Buzzer on 'Britain's Got Talent'

By: Dominic Jones

This past week, a group of dancing Stormtroopers so impressed the judges, particularly Simon Cowell, on Britain's Got Talent that they were given the "Golden Buzzer" treatment (meaning that they advanced to the semi-finals).  The group auditioned in front of the four judges, Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and David Williams, performing a dance routine to several popular songs as well as John Williams' iconic The Imperial March.  Cowell was so impressed by the group, saying, "I literally said 'If we could find Stormtroopers who could dance' - seriously, I said that - 'this show is going to go into a different league'. My dream has come true. Thank you."  Check out the video below,

Source: Britain's Got Talent (YouTube)

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'Star Wars' Themed Pop Up Restaurant Opening in London for Six Days This June

By: Dominic Jones

If Star Wars Episode VIII shooting at Pinewood Studios right now and Star Wars Celebration coming in July weren't already enough to make London the epicenter of Star Wars this year, this announcement just might.  Barrel & Forks announced today that they would be opening a Star Wars themed Pop-up restaurant for eight days in June.  The location of the pop-up restaurant, which is name "The Fork Awakens" (groan), will remain a secret until two days before it opens and prospective diners must sign-up in advance to have a meal there.

"The Fork Awakens" will be open from June 22nd.  The restaurant is described as,

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…

It is a period of culinary abundance: rebel spies have managed to steal secret recipes to the empire's canteen and Aunt Beru, and take them to the Death star, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.

Set in Darth Vader’s kingdom, the fork awakens will take Foodtroopers into an immersive journey through time and space, with many familiar encounters and interactive adventures along the way.

Get your Jedi lightsaber drink in the canteen, tuck in some pretty amazing Hutt dogs and special spacefood, meet galactic explorers and interact with the rebels. Beware that the canteen has “strong drinks, hot tunes, and occasional outbreaks of shocking violence.”

Register online, and you will be given a unique id as member of the fork alliance. You will then receive the ID home one month before the event so this will give you access to the galaxy culinary adventure. Address to the venue will be disclosed only 48 hours before the event takes place: you will get an email with directions.

May the food force be with you.

ticket includes: welcome cocktail, 4 course interactive meal, set design and entertainment

They also tweeted the menu,

Ladies and gents, the menu for #theforkawakens is ready. To find out more visit https://t.co/69YIxuXEO7 #StarWars pic.twitter.com/C9L7hAprhQ

— Barrel & Forks (@BarrelandForks) April 19, 2016

Get your tickets to eat at "The Fork Awakens" here.

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Report: 'The Force Awakens' UK Blu-ray Release Coming April 18th

By: Dominic Jones

Looks like fans in the UK will have to wait a little bit longer to get their hands on the blu-ray release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  The release date for the US blu-ray has long been rumored to be April 5th (with the digital release coming March 15th, though both dates remain unconfirmed).   Jedi News spotted a new The Force Awakens themed ad for Duracell batteries, which states that the release date for the film on blu-ray in the UK is April 18th. 

U.K. #bluray #dvd 18th April #starwars #theforceawakens thanks to #garyMckenna #starwarsvii spotted in @tescofood Northern Ireland #duracell

A photo posted by JediNews.co.uk (@jedinewsuk) on Mar 1, 2016 at 11:10am PST

It's always possible that the April 5th date we've been hearing for the last month or so is wrong and the film will come out the same day everywhere.  However, it's not unheard of for films to have different release dates depending on the country.   Hopefully we'll get an official announcement about the home media releases for The Force Awakens soon.

Source: Jedi News

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Rumor: 'The Force Awakens' Rating & Runtime Revealed

By: Benjamin Hart

Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens is due out in theaters in 66 days(and even sooner in some parts of the world). While we await the film, two major questions about it still linger among fans; how long will it be, and what will it be rated? Our friends at Following The Nerd are reporting that they have learned from reliable sources the UK rating and runtime for The Force Awakens. Here's what they had to say:

"...The movie will be rated 12A (we know it says TBC but we reckon it’s a safe bet) and will run for 136mins."

This definitely appears to fit with the runtimes of the previous six films which are all a little over two hours. A New Hope has the shortest runtime of 121 minutes and Attack Of  The Clones is the longest with 142 minutes.

In addition, Yakface noticed that the listing for The Force Awakens on the AMC Theatres mobile app shows it to have a US rating of PG-13:

I would be willing to believe the app a bit more if it didn't also claim that The Force Awakens will have a runtime of 3 hours and 45 minutes. That seems very much unrealistic. But on the contrary, the PG-13 rating sounds right and matches the UK rating. All of the previous Star Wars films have been rated PG, except one; Revenge Of The Sith, which was the last live action Star Wars film in theaters.

PG-13 films have been dominating the box office recently. Just this year PG-13 rated films have accounted for 52% of the overall box office gross, while PG films have only garnered 16%. The possibility of The Force Awakens getting a PG-13 seems more reflective of the times and how movies are rated nowadays rather than the actual content in the film. Put simply; don't expect Episode VII to be any more intense than the previous six films. Times have changed and the rating system reflects that.

Of course, all of this is speculation and rumors and should be taken as much until we get an official announcement!

Sources: Following The Nerd, Yakface

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Royal Mail Unveils Star Wars Stamp Collection

By: Benjamin Hart

The closer we get to the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens the more obvious it is that Star Wars is everywhere now. Take for example this recent announcement from the United Kingdom's Royal Mail, which has revealed a stunning collection of Star Wars stamps that will soon be released to celebrate The Force Awakens as well as the rest of the Saga. The collection includes 12 stamps which feature artwork of several Star Wars characters, such as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Emperor Palpatine and Boba Fett, along with Rey and Finn from The Force Awakens. The full set can be purchased in three different ways, one being a framed version which you can seen below.

In addition, Royal Mail is offering a Star Wars stamp sheet, which includes six stamps that feature some classic vehicles, and even appears to also include an X-Wing, TIE Fighter and the Millenium Falcon from The Force Awakens. Is also is available for purchase by itself or framed.

Be sure to visit their official web site to get a closer look at all the stamps and pre-order your very own set now!

Source: RoyalMail.com/StarWars

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens To Be Released In UK On December 17th

By Ciaran Duggan,

Today, a new announcement was released by LucasFilm. The Star Wars UK Facebook Page proclaimed that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be unveiled on December 17th 2015, a day earlier than the scheduled released date of December 18th.

A seven second clip accompanied the post, reminding UK audiences that they would be able to view the next installment of the Star Wars film franchise in just 100 days. You can watch the teaser for yourself down below:

The Force Awakens will be released in the UK on December 17th. The 100 day countdown starts today!
Posted by Star Wars on Monday, 7 September 2015

The UK fan base, myself included, are no doubt overjoyed by this latest announcement by LucasFilm. Is it December 2015 yet?

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Rumor: More 'Rogue One' Set Photos

By: Benjamin Hart

Back at Disney's D23 Expo the cast of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was officially revealed, and along with it, a confirmation that filming is in full swing. And just like with it's predecessor The Force Awakens, we're already being treated to some leaks from the set. Trevor Monk has shared some new photos of the Cardington Sheds in Bedfordshire, England where he believes filming for Rogue One is taking place. Monk has been keeping an eye on the Sheds for some time now, you may remember some photos he revealed last month from the same location. He has been documenting the activity at the Carrington sheds extensively on his Facebook and Twitter.

Of course, if you don't want to know anything about Rogue One, you may want to stop reading now. Some minor SPOILERS will follow.

In the first few photos(above and below) you can see a stone facade has been built on the front of one of the sheds, which looks similar to the stone structure that the cast of Rogue One appear to be inside in the official photo that was released. To the left of the stone work you will notice something covered in a tarp. If you look closely, that object appears to be the landing craft set that we saw in another batch of set photos that leaked.

Compare those to this:

Additionally, at some point a few other set pieces were spotted outside the sheds which were shaped like a classic Star Wars ship. This could be our confirmation(as if there was any doubt) that X-Wings will be making an appearance in Rogue One:

This appears to be a look at the opposite side of some flat, wooden cut outs of X-Wings rather than actual life sized ships. These could be used in the background of a shot to portray actual X-Wings. We saw similar techniques being used on the Greenham Commons set for The Force Awakens.

Putting all the pieces together, I think we're now safe to say that the Carington Sheds are a filming location for Rogue One. Still, we're filing this one as a "rumor" until we get an official reveal from Lucasfilm.

Source: Trevor Monk(Twitter)
Via: Making Star Wars

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3-Day Adult Tickets Are Sold Out For Celebration Europe 2016!

By Ciaran Duggan,

A mere three months has lapsed since the phenomenal Star Wars: Celebration Anaheim took place. On the final day of the Anaheim Convention, it was announced that London would host Star Wars: Europe Celebration in 2016.

The reported attendance at Celebration:Anaheim was approximately 70,000 fans. The large presence of fans has certainly set the tone for future Star Wars Celebrations, based on today's breaking news. Today, the Twitter Handle - @SW_Celebration - revealed that 3 day tickets for Celebration London have sold out.

"@SW_Celebration:  Star Wars Celebration 3-Day Adult Tickets are SOLD OUT! Buy Single Day Tickets #SWCE"

So best advice would be to order your single day tickets in the next few weeks, as it seems London will be a massive hit!

Source: @SW_Celebration

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Report: Another 'The Force Awakens' Filming Location Revealed

By: Benjamin Hart

Even though filming for The Force Awakens has long been done, that hasn't stopped details about the various filming locations from continuing to turn up. This latest bit of info comes from the local British news site Cumbria Live. They are reporting that one of the scenes seen in the newest teaser trailer for Episode VII was filmed on a local lake in the UK. They claim that nearby Derwentwater lake is the site where a film crew visited to shoot footage for The Force Awakens which would be used for scenes in both trailers where Poe Dameron and his X-Wing wingmates can be seen flying over water on a still unknown planet. A local newspaper was the first to blow the film crew's cover when they spoke  to the manager of a hotel in the nearby town of Barrowdale who confirmed they had stayed there and had been using a Helicopter to film aerial shots of the area.

Cumbria Live also had this to say about the footage:

"The Cumbrian lake is being used to create a new alien landscape for the franchise which has also incorporated planets covered in forest, swamps and lava.... The footage of the X Wing fighters uses a mixture of CGI and practical effects to create the effect of the ships flying over the water’s surface."

They also mention their hopes that the trailers and the film will bring attention to Cumbria and will encourage tourism to the area. With Star Wars Celebration headed to London next year, many Star Wars fans may make the trek to the lake to see where the X-Wings flew in person.

Check out both trailers below to see the scenes discussed above:




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

Source: Cumbria Live
Via: Star Wars 7 News

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