'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Gets a Rating

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, hitting theaters Dec. 18, will be rated PG-13 for "sci-fi action violence," according to FilmRatings.com. This makes the seventh film in the franchise the second consecutive installment to receive this rating, following Revenge of the Sith in 2005.

This seems about right. PG-13 seems to be the standard for big-budget action films these days, so I'm not going to presume that this means The Force Awakens will be any "darker" than previous films in the series. Plus, the PG-13 rating didn't even debut until 1984, after PG-rated Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom horrified parents for their graphic content, so who's to say that The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi wouldn't have netted the the harsher rating if they were released later? It's not like amputations and accidental incest are "kid-friendly."

Why George Lucas Quit 'Star Wars'

With all the frenzy surrounding Star Wars: The Force Awakens, hitting theaters Dec. 18, franchise creator George Lucas might be feeling a tad left out. After Disney reportedly scrapped his plans for a continuation of the Star Wars saga when The Mouse purchased the Lucasfilm empire in 2012, Lucas is, for the first time, watching the world get excited about his galaxy from the sidelines. However, in an interview with Vanity Fair, the groundbreaking filmmaker reveals that the backlash from the much-maligned prequels made his departure from his creation all too necessary.

"You go to make a movie and all you do is get criticized,” Lucas said in explaining why he needed to step away from Star Wars. “And it’s not much fun. You can’t experiment."

So was it the most vocal, disappointed fans that created a rift between Lucas and his most beloved creation? If so, should those critics be blamed or applauded? Regardless of how you feel about the prequels, those were Lucas' movies through and through. They were exactly the films he wanted to make, and represented his vision for the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker. Having said that, it's unlikely that Star Wars would be where it is today if Disney hadn't revived the Star Wars brand and assured those innumerable prequel bashers that Jar Jar Binks and midi-chlorians were things of the past. As Luke, Han and Leia prepare for new adventures, it will be interesting to see if Lucas ever decides to return to that galaxy far, far away, and whether Star Wars warmly welcomes The Creator home.

Han Solo's 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Black Series Action Figure Revealed at NYCC

If your Star Wars: The Force Awakens Chewbacca action figure is getting lonely, some awesome news just came out of Hasbro's New York Comic Con press event. Amidst Black Series versions of new characters Captain Phasma, General Hux and Resistance fighter pilot Asty, the toymaker unveiled the six-inch version of an older Han Solo, as he appears in the forthcoming sequel.

The figure looks pretty much as you'd expect, with the grizzled smuggler sporting a smirk befitting a miniature version of a modern-day Harrison Ford. Jedi Insider was there, and you can check out their coverage below.

2015 NYCC: Star Wars: The Black Series 6" The Force Awakens Han Solo Figure Revealed http://jediinsider.com/index.php?catid=8&itemid=16908
Posted by ToyNewsi.com on Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Explore Jakku from 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' on Facebook

Who would have thought there'd be this much excited about yet another desert planet in a Star Wars movie?

Today, the official Star Wars Facebook page invited fans to tour Jakku, a new planet from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, through a 360-degree video experience. Visit the starship-strewn wasteland by checking out the video below.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits U.S. theaters on Dec. 18.

Speed across the Jakku desert from Star Wars: The Force Awakens with this immersive 360 experience created exclusively for Facebook.
Posted by Star Wars on Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Disney 'Star Wars' Land Construction to Begin in 2016

Hey guys, it's been a while! Between weddings, work and post-Force Friday toy hunting, blogging unfortunately hasn't been making its way onto the ol' calendar, but I've had a lot of pumpkin iced coffee today, and I think I'm up for some vigorous typing. And since I'm having a hard time concentrating that isn't somehow related to The Force Awakens, let's talk Star Wars!

We already knew that Disney was planning to bring Star Wars theme lands to its parks in California and Florida but Disney COO Tom Staggs revealed at a financial conference in Beverly Hills that construction on the park expansions will begin next year.

Staggs also noted that these are the biggest "single-theme" additions in the history of Disney parks, and that they'll include attractions that invite visitors to the Mos Eisley Cantina and inside the Millennium Falcon.
There's no word as to when these new lands will open to the public.

It's amazing how Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm has benefited the Star Wars brand, with the franchise practically engulfing popular culture months before the release of The Force Awakens. Heck, who doesn't want an interactive Sphero BB-8? If such people exist, I don't want to meet them.

For the full story, head over to The Hollywood Reporter by clicking here.

Finn Brandishes a Lightsaber in New 'The Force Awakens' Clip

There has been an awakening... #StarWars #TheForceAwakens

A video posted by Star Wars (@starwars) on Aug 27, 2015 at 10:00am PDT

Man, all it takes is a few seconds of new footage to get us Star Wars geeks all riled up like a nest of Gundarks. The official Star Wars Instagram account posted an all-too-brief The Force Awakens video showing Daisy Ridley's Rey in peril and John Boyega's Finn wielding a lightsaber, presumably to do battle with Adam Driver's Kylo Ren. It's the Finn tease that's fueled the most speculation, as it more or less confirms that Boyega's character is Force-sensitive. Is he Han Solo's child with his pre-Leia wife, Sana? Is he related to another character from the Star Wars canon? Or are his Force abilities somehow connected to that "awakening" we keep hearing about? More details are sure to come as we approach The Force Awakens' Dec. 18 release date.

‘Star Wars’ is Only Beginning to Take Over the Universe

Thanks to some big reveals at Disney’s D23 Expo last week, Star Wars has dominated the collective nerd consciousness months ahead of the December 18 release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. We got a dozen new images from the new movie, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. We’ve learned that Jurassic World helmer Colin Trevorrow will direct Episode VIII of the saga, picking up where J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson leave off and rounding out the third Star Wars trilogy. We caught our first glimpse at the cast of Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which includes Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, The Theory of Everything’s Felicity Jones, Firefly’s Alan Tudyk and Casino Royale’s Mads Mikkelsen. We found out that Disney is planning Star Wars-specific “lands” in its theme parks. We even got new details on the Star Wars-themed makeup from Cover Girl! Lipstick for Sullustans, you guys!

As more announcements and teases continue to make Force-hungry fans as giddy as Han Solo in a vest shop, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on the fact that we’re mere weeks away from the release of a brand-new Star Wars movie — something that seemed impossible a decade ago when the presumed “final” film in the series, Revenge of the Sith, hit theaters. Once “Force Friday” rolls around and we’re clamoring for Black Series Kylo Ren action figures and Jakku Micro Machines playsets, it’ll be a bit more of a sprint to opening night for a lot of us in the world of Star Wars fandom. But for now, let’s take quietly appreciate the fact that we’re about to take our first step into a larger world … and I have a good feeling about that.

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' SDCC Footage Might Make You Cry

If you're a lifelong Star Wars geek, it's hard not to get emotional when viewing the behind-the-scenes Star Wars: The Force Awakens footage that debuted at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Maybe it's the fact that J.J. Abrams and his crew clearly value practical effects above digital wizardry, or perhaps it's because it's proof positive that Disney really cares about fleshing out George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. Regardless, I love this footage, and December 18 can't come soon enough.

Jar Jar Binks Joins 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

Okay, so maybe that headline is a tad misleading, but haven't you ever wondered what would happen if Jar Jar Binks popped up in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens? No? Well, Michael Murdock of MichaelLovesMovies.com did, and he's unleashed his unimaginable horror upon us all. Dissen berry, berry bad.

Watch "The Binks Awakens" below.

Second 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Teaser Debuts

Oh, hey Han Solo and Chewbacca! Welcome back!

At Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, Calif., J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy debuted the second teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and if you thought you were excited about Episode VII before, just wait 'til you take in all of the visuals and hints in this footage. There's much to dissect, but for now, I'll just leave this here ...

'Return of the Jedi' Sequel Novel Announced

Do you want to find out what really happened after Return of the Jedi?

In addition to the previously announced Star Wars: Shattered Empire Marvel comic book event, Star Wars: Aftermath will kick off a new book trilogy bridging the gap between the Original Trilogy and The Force Awakens, which hits U.S. theaters Dec. 18.

The Del Rey novel, written by Chuck Wendig, is part of Disney's "Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens" program, and picks up shortly after The Battle of Endor and the destruction of the second Death Star. This is the first post-Jedi novel in Disney's new canon, so if you're a Star Wars geek, you might want to pick this up when it arrives on Sept. 4. If not, why the heck are you even here?

To pre-order Star Wars: Aftermath, click here.

George Lucas' 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Ideas Not Used By Disney

In a recent interview with Cinema Blend, Star Wars creator George Lucas revealed that he provided Disney with some ideas for Episode VII when he turned over the franchise to The House of Mouse back in 2012, but it looks like none of those concepts are making it into J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens.

"The [ideas] that I sold to Disney, they came up to the decision that they didn't really want to do those," Lucas told Cinema Blend. "So they made up their own. So it's not the ones that I originally wrote."

Do you hear that sound? It's prequel haters around the world rejoicing. Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters Dec. 18. Check out the teaser trailer below.

An Awkward 'Star Wars' Family Reunion

I'm even more obsessed with Star Wars than usual after the teaser for The Force Awakens broke the Internet for real (sorry, Kim), so I was inspired this evening to take a deep dive into one of the plastic bins housing a large chunk of my Star Wars collection.

Amidst the laughable assortment of Geonosian Warriors I amassed back in 2002 and no less than THREE different Jar Jar Binks figures because I needed those for some reason, I stumbled upon this gem: a toy based on Ralph McQuarrie's early concept for Chewbacca. It's a rad figure, and I definitely plan on finding a place to display this guy. 

Here he is alongside Star Wars Rebels' Zeb Orrelios, who owes much of his design to this proto-Wookiee. Uncanny resemblance, no?

Check back later this week for more unique finds from the collection!

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Teaser Now Online

"Have you felt it?"

Well, this morning brought me some major déjà vu as I sat on my bed frantically refreshing my Twitter feed awaiting the arrival of the promised teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens to arrive. As was the case with each Prequel film, I approached viewing this teaser with bizarre single-mindedness, determined to be among the first online to gaze upon J.J. Abrams' bold new vision for the Star Wars Saga.

When I saw Ralph McQuarrie-esque X-wing fighters skimming over water in formation, the Millennium Falcon gracefully soaring into battle against TIE fighters and (gasp!) actual location shots, I was immediately won over, watching the clip three more times in a row.

Although the teaser presents more questions than it answers (what's the deal with that droid and how does that new lightsaber work?), I'm ecstatic about Star Wars right now ... and judging by my aforementioned Twitter feed, so are many of you.

Check out the teaser below!

'Star Wars: Episode VII' Gets a Forceful Title

Star Wars: Episode VII has finished principal photography and it's going to be called The Force Awakens, a title that fits incredibly well with the Original Trilogy no matter what the naysayers are spouting out there in the Twitterverse. It's simple, it's classic and it doesn't induce groans like Attack of the Clones did when that title was announced 13 years ago. I also like that The Force is being featured in the title of a Star Wars movie for the first time. 

However, if the other two films in the new trilogy are called The Force Needs Coffee and Return of the Snooze Button, I might have some issues.

The latest chapter in the Star Wars saga opens in theaters Dec. 18, 2015. For more on The Force Awakens, head over to StarWars.com.