Gareth Edwards' 'Star Wars' Film Targets Rooney Mara, Tatiana Maslany, and Felicity Jones

 So far we know even less about Gareth Edwards' Star Wars spinoff than we did throughout production on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It's been rumored to be a heist movie about bounty hunters and stolen Death Star plans, but right now nothing is for certain except that casting is now underway and three talented actresses are being sought for the female lead.

According to THR, Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's Rooney Mara are testing for the standalone film's female lead. Also on the Lucasfilm wishlist is The Theory of Everything's Oscar-nominated actress, Felicity Jones, although she may be too busy with The Da Vinci Code sequel Inferno to be a real contender. Who would any of these ladies be playing? Obviously that's still up in the air until we learn what the film is actually about.That could take awhile as a new writer is still being sought to replace Gary Whitta who stepped down some days ago. Apparently it won't be Simon Kinberg as previously rumored.

One thing we can take from this news is that Edwards' film is going to be led by a woman, and it looks like Lucasfilm is making an effort to have women play a key role in the Star Wars universe from here on out.

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Simon Kinberg Could Take Over as Writer of Gareth Edwards' 'Star Wars' Spinoff

A few days ago word broke that Gary Whitta was no longer writing Gareth Edwards' standalone Star Wars film, leaving the question open as to who would be replacing him. With production likely to get underway soon in order to hit the target 2016 release date, Slashfilm is now hearing that Whitta's replacement may be Simon Kinberg, who has a hand in just about every geek movie franchise in Hollywood.

There's no confirmation from Lucasfilm on this so right now it's just a rumor, but Kinberg taking over makes perfect sense. Kinberg's been a part of the Star Wars braintrust and is a consultant on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and is working on the standalone features as well. He was also the creator of the popular Disney XD animated series, Star Wars Rebels. Along with his work on 20th Century Fox's X-men and Fantastic Four franchises Kinberg is pretty much everywhere.

The priority at Lucasfilm has to be getting the screenplay finished quickly, and Kinberg is definitely the guy for that. It's rumored Edwards' film will center on bounty hunters attempting to steal Death Star plans, which could be an amazing story if done right. Production is expected to begin later this year at Pinewood Studios.

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'Star Wars' Details Possibly Revealed by Sony Leak

Sick and tired of all this Sony hacking stuff? Me too, and frankly I hope it all dries up and goes away real soon. The problem is that the stuff getting leaked would be news under any other circumstance, so distasteful thought it may be we're going to post about some of it, especially when the future of Star Wars gets drawn into it. Here come the spoilers, tiny though they may be.

Columbia Pictures' Mike De Luca, who already spilled some info on Warner Bros.' Aquaman movie, has probably drawn the ire of Lucasfilm by possibly revealing what's up with Star Wars. Here's what we think we know already: Rian Johnson is writing and directing Star Wars: Episode VIII and writing Episode IX, while Gareth Edwards and Josh Trank are working on the spinoffs. How much do we know about any of them? Precious little, but here's what De Luca has to say about them in an email with Sony's Amy Pascal...

De Luca: "Star Wars: Any studio would have lost Josh Trank and Rian Johnson to this, it's freaking ‘Star Wars.’ Your ‘After Earth’ writer Gary Whitta is writing Gareth Edwards stand alone Star Wars film. Simon Kinberg is writing Josh Tranks. No one knows what they're about but Boba Fett is rumored to be the subject of one. Rian Johnson as you know is doing the main ones, episodes 8 and 9 of the Luke and Leia story lines, after J.J. [Abrams.] Not sure anything is gained by looking at what Lucasfilm is doing except we are stalking all these people too, except Whitta whom I think blows.”

Points for the dig at Whitta because he is pretty terrible.

So wait, are Episode 8 and 9 about Luke and Leia? Probably not given the ages of Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. Besides, Hamill himself recently stated these movies are about the youngsters, not the original crew. When asked by Yahoo! why he wasn't in the teaser trailer, Hamill said this...

Hamill: “This is about the new generation of characters; I think that’s the most important thing. It’s the opening act of a whole new approach to the storytelling. “I rightly assumed that it wouldn’t be our story. Because we had a beginning, a middle, and an end. This must be our offspring and the current generation, with us there lending the kind of support that Peter Cushing and Alec Guinness did in the original.”

Keep in mind all of this is coming from a guy who doesn't have anything to do with Lucasfilm or Star Wars, so his info could be out of date or just plain wrong. Either way, this probably will get De Luca's name taken off Kathleen Kennedy's Christmas card list.  [TheDailyBeast]

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George Lucas hasn't Bothered to Watch 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Trailer

Fans have a kind of love/hate relationship with George Lucas. We love him for creating the Star Wars universe that we love so dearly and have watched grow over the decades, and at the same time he's hated for practically ruining it. He's in an interesting position now that Disney and J.J. Abrams have taken it over with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. At one point it seemed like Lucas would be a component in the film's creation, but clearly that has not been the case. In fact, Page Six is saying Lucas hasn't even bothered to watch the teaser trailer.

According to the gossip rag of questionable integrity (so judge all of this accordingly), when asked if he had seen the trailer yet Lucas responded with,  “I don’t know anything about it. I haven’t seen it yet." Okay, surely he's not too busy to watch an 88-second piece of footage, right? He added “Because it’s not in the movie theater. I like going to the movies and watching the whole thing there. I plan to see it when it’s released.”

That's not so bad, really. There are plenty of folks who don't dig watching this stuff until it's on the big screen. But the overall impression is that Lucas doesn't really care all that much, perhaps figuring it to be a good idea to steer clear and let Abrams do his thing without judgment. Probably a wise move.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens December 18th 2015. Lucas' next film is the animated fairy tale, Strange Magic, which opens January 23rd 2015. 

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The Official 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Title Revealed!

Filming wrapped on Star Wars: Episode VII, and in celebration Lucasfilm and Disney have revealed the film's official title, Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Set to open on December 18th 2015, the J.J. Abrams-directed film reunites Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher with newcomers Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and more.

So who's Force is getting awakened? We'll find out soon enough, but is it me or does this sound like a video game title?

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David Fincher Talks Meeting Disney Over 'Star Wars 7'; Oscar Isaac Dislikes Changes to Original Trilogy

How might Star Wars: Episode VII be different if David Fincher was directing it? Certainly, he's a very different filmmaker than J.J. Abrams, and for awhile there was at least the possibility of Fincher taking the job. Clearly that didn't happen, but the Gone Girl director opened up to Total Film about meeting with Disney, and his reasons for turning the job done. Basically it amounts to his ideas being very different from what Lucasfilm and Disney would want to do.

Fincher: "It's tricky. My favourite is The Empire Strikes Back. If I said, 'I want to do something more like that,' then I'm sure the people paying for it would be like, 'No! You can't do that! We want it like the other one with all the creatures!'

He goes on to add...

Fincher: "I always thought of 'Star Wars' as the story of two slaves [C-3PO and R2-D2] who go from owner to owner, witnessing their masters' folly, the ultimate folly of man... I thought it was an interesting idea in the first two, but it's kind of gone by 'Return Of The Jedi'."

To be fair, pretty much everything that worked in the first two movies is gone by Return of the Jedi, replaced by a bunch of Care Bears in camouflage. Fincher's not the only one who holds the original trilogy in high regard, of course. Oscar Isaac, who has a mystery role in Star Wars: Episode VII, told HuffPo that he wishes George Lucas had left his original trilogy alone rather than mucking with it digitally.

Isaac:  "As an artist, like, he made the shit, so why can’t he do whatever the heck he wants with it. There’s a part of me that appreciates that he doesn’t really care if people are upset about it. He decided to share it with all of it and he wants to go back and do stuff, whatever. But as a fan, I’d much rather go back and watch the old thing, because it’s a product of the time. It’s what did you do at the time with the things that you had. And that’s what made that movie so amazing. At that time with that technology he made this thing and it was fucking awesome. So, you know, to go back and kind of tweak it with new stuff, it doesn’t make it more interesting for me as a watcher. It makes it less interesting, but I can’t fault him for doing that."

Can't argue with that. Lucas isn't the first or last director to try and improve on an earlier work, and he meant well in the attempt. It just failed miserably and fans will always be resentful of the changes he made.

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An Obi-Wan Kenobi Spinoff Could be in the Works

When it comes to the Star Wars spinoffs we know practically nothing other than who will be directing them. Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) and Josh Trank (Chronicle) are on board for what are expected to be solo films expanding beyond Star Wars: Episode VII and the new trilogy. There have been rumors of Yoda, Han Solo, and even Boba Fett as the focus, but now a new report claims it could be Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The story has emerged at Making Star Wars, who have been dropping tons of Star Wars stuff lately, as you might expect for a site of that name. Here's what they have to say about Obi-Wan Kenobi getting his own solo movie....

"Obi-Wan Kenobi – I’ve heard from quite a few people now that an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie is in the works. For the spin-off movies they were initially going to stay away from any Jedi or Sith characters. But I’m hearing now that because of the popularity of Obi-Wan (fans recently voting for him on the official website etc) that an art team is now working with a writer on concepts for an Obi-Wan movie."

This has all come about because of the recent tournament poll that had fans choosing Kenobi as the most popular Star Wars character. While that may seem crazy with Han Solo, Darth Vader, and Boba Fett out there, Kenobi has a leg up on them as the centerpiece of two big screen trilogies plus the animated Clone Wars series. And since the film would likely be post-prequels (because they're terrible), Ewan McGregor could easily be brought back to the role, something he's expressed a desire to do in the recent past. Hopefully this story has more weight than the last Kenobi rumor that had him returning as a "Force ghost" or something.

None of this is confirmed, of course, but it would be pretty cool to see exactly what Kenobi was doing before 'A New Hope'. I'd much rather see that than a young Yoda hanging out in the Dagobah swamps or something.

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Is that a Stormtrooper getting Arrested for Stealing the Batmobile?

The last couple of days have been pretty exciting around the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice set, at least when it comes to the Batmobile. A couple of days ago some fans managed to snag photos of Bruce Wayne's ride, forcing Zack Snyder to go ahead and reveal an official image. That was followed by a big rumor hitting the mainstream outlets that the Batmobile had been stolen from the Detroit shoot. It proved to be a total lie, but Snyder has found a way to have some fun with it.

Continuing this back-and-forth between Snyder and J.J. Abrams where they tweet Star Wars/BvS mash-ups at one another, Snyder has posted this hilarious image of a Stormtrooper, looking like he may be the one responsible for the Batmobile's fictional theft. This being Gotham, those GCPD officers are probably used to their jails being full of costumed goons. Well, "cased closed."

Snyder's having so much fun with Star Wars one can only imagine what would happen if his hands got on the franchise.

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Zack Snyder Keeps Tweeting Star Wars/Batman v Superman Mash-Ups

Remember some time back when a rumor surfaced that Zack Snyder would be directing a Seven Samurai-influenced Star Wars film? Those stories were quickly shot down, by Snyder's camp anyway, but lately he's been doing everything possible to get them started again. Over the last few days Snyder has been tweeting photos merging the worlds of Star Wars and the DC Universe. One features Henry Cavill as Superman wielding a lightsaber, the other one with Batman (is that Bat-fleck?) trekking alongside R2-D2. What's up with all this, anyway?

#SuperJedi pic.twitter.com/PyNbELK8UZ
— ZackSnyder (@ZackSnyder) July 24, 2014

BATMAN & R2BIN @bad_robot pic.twitter.com/yWPmGPKJ3f
— ZackSnyder (@ZackSnyder) August 2, 2014

No, seriously, what's going on? Is he trying to tell us something? Or is he just having some fun? My guess is the latter, since he'll be so busy with Warner Bros. stuff for awhile. But if Gareth Edwards can juggle Godzilla and a Star Wars spinoff why can't Snyder handle two projects of similar scope?

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Is Doctor Who's Steven Moffat Involved in 'Star Wars: Episode IX'?

Sadly, Lucasfilm won't be dropping any Star Wars: Episode VII info or footage at Comic-Con this month (or will they???), but that's okay because the Internet will have more than enough rumors to keep the mill going. As things stand we have J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson directing the first two films in the trilogy but nobody on board to helm Episode IX. Jedi News, whose Star Wars cred is right in their name, are hearing that Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat could have some involvement, but just how much is unclear.

Their report says Moffat is "linked" to an upcoming Star Wars movie, but they don't know whether it's as a writer, producer or director. The logical assumption is this would be for Episode IX although there is just as much of a chance he has something to do with a future spinoff. Chances are it wouldn't be as director simply due to lack of experience in a film of Star Wars' scope. He's mostly known for his screenwriting and producing gifts, recently co-writing The Adventures of Tintin for Steven Spielberg.

This is all rumor for now, of course, but one that should have sci-fi geeks buzzing. Doctor Who meets Star Wars? How cool is that? Star Wars: Episode VII opens December 18th 2015. 

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Comic-Con: Lucasfilm's Plans Include 'Star Wars Rebels' but No 'Episode VII'

The slow drip of San Diego Comic-Con news continues before we get the full schedule later this week, and this time it's Lucasfilm that have revealed their plans for Star Wars. Unfortunately, it doesn't include anything from Star Wars: Episode VII or anything that will be presented in Hall H. But they will be presenting a sneak peek at the animated Star Wars Rebels on Thursday, July 25th. Friday is what they are dubbing Star Wars Day and has tons of Star Wars-related panels covering the novels, toys, and more. Check out the full announcement, and if you're one of our readers attending Comic-Con this year and want to cover some of this stuff, shoot me an email here.

Thursday, July 24
The Heroes of Star Wars Rebels: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Room 6BCF
The Empire. The Rebellion. The Beginning. Star Wars Rebels, Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated animated series detailing the start of the fight against the evil Empire, is coming this fall — but fans can get a big sneak peek at San Diego Comic-Con.

Lucasfilm’s special panel, The Heroes of Star Wars Rebels, will feature executive producer Dave Filoni, as well as the first panel appearance by executive producer Simon Kinberg and stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Steve Blum, Tiya Sircar, and Taylor Gray. They’ll discuss making the show and will reveal exclusive content from the upcoming series for fans in attendance.

Star Wars Rebels continues the epic tradition of the legendary Star Wars saga with all-new exciting, action-packed adventures. It is a dark time in the galaxy, as the evil Galactic Empire tightens its grip of power from world to world. As the series begins, Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet, ruling with an iron fist and ruining the lives of its people. The clever and motley crew of the starship Ghost is amongst a select few who are brave enough to stand against the Empire. Together, this ragtag group will face threatening new villains, encounter colorful adversaries, embark on thrilling adventures and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.

Scheduled to premiere in the fall as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, it will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.

With Star Wars: Episode VII creators deep in production in anticipation of the film’s December 18, 2015, release, Lucasfilm will not be featuring the movie at SDCC.

Friday, July 25, Star Wars Day
Star Wars Origami: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Room 7AB
Origami Master folder Chris Alexander (author of Star Wars Origami) demonstrates and teaches the master folding techniques to make Star Wars origami figures. Attendees will fold an exclusive Comic-Con model along with other art from the Star Wars universe. Materials included!

Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Room 7AB
For the first time, Lucasfilm has opened its Archives to present comprehensive storyboards for the original Star Wars trilogy — the world-changing A New Hope and its operatic sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi — as well as never-before-published art from early conceptual and deleted scenes, in a new book from Abrams: Star Wars Storyboards: The Original Trilogy. Former ILM art director Joe Johnston will discuss the newest addition to the Abrams Star Wars library, and the singular experience of creating the iconic trilogy’s storyboards with his stellar art dept team. Johnston won an Academy Award for Best Visual effects for his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark, and has directed Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, The Rocketeer, Jumanji, Jurassic Park III, Hidalgo, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Moderated by Lucasfilm editor J.W. Rinzler.

Hasbro: Star Wars: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Room 7AB
Join members of the Hasbro brand and design team including Jeff Labovitz (director, Global Brand Marketing, Hasbro), Bill Rawley (design manager, Hasbro), and more as they discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will also get a sneak peek of upcoming, never-before-seen action figures from the highly anticipated Star Wars Rebels animated series.

Star Wars: Collectibles Update: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00pm, Room 7AB
Join eFX, Gentle Giant Studios, Kotobukiya, and Sideshow Collectibles for product development insights and exclusive previews of the latest in Star Wars collectibles. Moderated by Anita Castellar of Lucas Licensing.

Star Wars: A New Dawn: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00p.m., Room 7AB
The new era of Star Wars storytelling begins in September with Star Wars: A New Dawn. Join New York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller, Shelly Shapiro (editor, Del Rey), Frank Parisi (editor, Del Rey), Jennifer Heddle (senior editor, Lucasfilm), Pablo Hidalgo (Lucasfilm Story Group), Vanessa Marshall (Hera in Star Wars Rebels), along with Dave Filoni (executive producer, Star Wars Rebels), as they discuss the planning and process of Star Wars: A New Dawn, and present the list of upcoming Star Wars novels from Del Rey.

Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Room 7AB
Ralph McQuarrie’s art for the original Star Wars trilogy is introduced to a new generation of young readers in Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight. Join New York Times bestselling author Tony DiTerlizzi as he talks about the conceptualization of this project and the process, challenges, and privileges of writing to the works of a legend. Moderated by J.W. Rinzler (executive editor, Lucasfilm).

Jeffrey Brown – Star Wars Insider: Booth #5537
The writer/artist of Vader’s Little Princess and other classic all-ages Star Wars books, Jeffrey Brown, will be signing copies of Star Wars Insider #151 for fans at the Titan Publishing booth. Brown created an original cover just for this issue!

Saturday, July 26:
Lucasfilm Portfolio Review: 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Room PR F
Troy Alders, now art director at Disney Consumer Products, is conducting portfolio reviews, providing critiques, and offering tips to graphic designers. Bring a portfolio selection of your best design work in and see if you have what it takes to create art for the ever-expanding Star Wars galaxy. Graphic Design degrees a plus.

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Rian Johnson to Direct 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' and Write Episode IX

If one were to do a fan poll asking which director they would most want to see directing a Star Wars film, at the top of that list would likely be Rian Johnson. Or at the least he'd be very close to it. While he's only directed three movies in his career, they all grew to be critical successes geared to different audiences. His debut, Brick, was a teen film noir that sparked Joseph Gordon-Levitt's career; his follow-up The Brothers Bloom (my favorite) was a fantasy/heist film; and last year he gave us one of the smartest sci-fi movies in years in Looper. And it's Looper that probably helped convince Lucasfilm and Disney they'd found their guy to direct Star Wars: Episode VIII.

In awesome news that's going to be pretty darn hard to top, Johnson has agreed to direct Star Wars: Episode VII, taking over from J.J. Abrams who will apparently only stick around for one movie. Johnson is also penning a treatment for Episode IX despite some earlier reports he would be directing that, as well.

The key thing about Johnson is that he's comfortable in any genre, an ability that should serve him well in Star Wars which is expected to have big action, intergalactic family squabbles, and certainly some comedy. He fits in perfectly with the other directors Disney has snagged. Gareth Edwards and Josh Trank are two other filmmakers who come in with a fresh, youthful perspective and fluid style, and the same can be said of Abrams.

The plan is to release a new film every year beginning with Star Wars: Episode VII on December 18th 2015, followed by a spinoff in 2016 and presumably Johnson's movie in 2017. [THR]

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Robert Pattinson Denies He's Replacing Harrison Ford in Everything

Save the "frail old man" jokes in regards to Harrison Ford's injury on the Star Wars: Episode VII set, he'll recover in time to finish up playing Han Solo, possibly for the last time. Although there's probably a good joke in there somewhere about him getting injured now when he skated through The Expendables 3 with no problem. Anyway, an unintended consequence of the injury is stirring up recent rumors Ford, who is now 71 years old, could be replaced by Robert Pattinson as Indiana Jones or Han Solo in a Star Wars spinoff.

Just how credible those rumors ever were is up for debate but that didn't stop Pattinson from getting asked about them by People while discussing his new film, The Rover. And as expected Pattinson not only denied the rumors, he sounds as if he's never heard of them. When asked about Indy, he said...

Pattinson: "I don't know why. Why is that coming out? I honestly don't understand what it's all about. Man, i wish." 

And it was much the same when questioned about Star Wars...

Pattinson: "I didn't even know there was a Han Solo spinoff coming out. Sounds like a cool spinoff. I'll watch it." 

What? You mean R-Patz isn't obsessed with every bit of Star Wars news like the rest of us? Now that I truly find hard to believe.  Pattinson has been steering clear of franchises ever since the Twilight nightmare ended, so it never really seemed likely he'd want to be part of the Disney machine. After press on The Rover is done he'll jump into Olivier Assayas' gangster film, Idol's Eye, which shoots this November.

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New 'Guardians of the Galaxy' TV Spot, Star Wars-Style Poster, and IMAX 3D Details

One way Marvel can get everyone to stop talking about Ant-Man is by way of distraction, and the next shiny object to be dangled is Guardians of the Galaxy. Actually, the two movies are related by way of their quirkiness and Marvel's reluctance to have two major projects with a similar tone. James Gunn is at the helm and penned the script for 'Guardians', which has taken on a new level of importance with recent revelations about its ties to The Avengers 3 plus the addition of Josh Brolin as the voice of lunatic villain, Thanos. But there will be other surprises in store for those who check out the film in IMAX 3D, as revealed by Gunn on his Facebook page...

As an EXTRA benefit for those who see the film in IMAX 3D, we will be changing aspect ratios throughout the film in a way that makes the experience even fuller and more encompassing. I've personally chosen all the places where the changes occur and, again, I love how it's coming along. The changing aspect ratios in this case are actually a part of the storytelling.

It'll be interesting to see when and why these shifts occur but it's just another thing to keep an eye out for while on the hunt for Easter Eggs. Gunn has also endorsed an awesome unofficial poster done in the style of the original Star Wars one-sheet, along with more done by the artist collective known as the Poster Posse. While the Star Wars one is my favorite, the Marvel Comics poster is great too. There are actually a lot more images than this, which you can find here. Do go and check them out, then demand they be made into t-shirts. 

Finally, a new TV spot has hit the screen that serves up more of Bradley Cooper's Rocket Raccoon and Glenn Close's ridiculous hair as the Nova Corps leader, Irani Rael. Guardians of the Galaxy opens August 1st.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - Official TV Spot 2 by itsartmag

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Josh Trank to Direct Future 'Star Wars' Spinoff

Disney clearly following a similar plan of attack with their Star Wars properties as they have with Marvel, hiring a big name director for the main franchise, while hiring fast-rising stars with huge potential for the satellite films. J.J. Abrams is the driving influence leading Star Wars: Episode VII, while red-hot Godzilla director Gareth Edwards is on the first spinoff set for 2016. And now you can add another rising star to the mix with the addition of Chronicle and Fantastic Four helmer, Josh Trank.

Trank has been tapped to direct a future standalone spinoff, and that's all we know right now. No release dates have been set and no details on which character will be at the center of it, but given his experience with movies centered on younger characters perhaps the rumored young Han Solo film is the plan?  Here is the official announcement:

In addition to the episodes of a new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney continue development of multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga. The newest director to come on board is Josh Trank.

"We're thrilled to welcome Josh into the family," says Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. "He is such an incredible talent and has a great imagination and sense of innovation. That makes him perfectly suited to Star Wars, and for this new slate of movies that reach beyond the core characters and storylines of Episodes I through IX."

Trank states, "The magic of the Star Wars Universe defined my entire childhood. The opportunity to expand on that experience for future generations is the most incredible dream of all time."

Trank captured imaginations worldwide with his critically lauded directorial debut Chronicle, a fresh and engaging take on the superhero genre. Trank is currently at work on The Fantastic Four for 20th Century Fox.

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Unlikely Rumor Has Robert Pattinson as Next Indiana Jones and in 'Star Wars'

This is a day of scurrilous rumors, apparently. So the Emily Blunt in 'Dawn of Justice' thing is almost certainly untrue, but it pales in comparison to the hokum that is The Daily Star's latest report. In it, the rag site claims Robert Pattinson, who has spent the last few months working with every auteur he can find, tops a shortlist to be the next Indiana Jones. Not only that, but he's "committed" to be in the new Star Wars movies.

At least the site gives us some quotes to chew on, although they sound like they rolled off the "Hollywoodspeak 2000"conveyor belt.

“They feel that the series has huge potential on many levels, starting with the films leading to other spin-offs like games which can generate more money than movies.

“Rob is top of the initial list because he has showed his acting stripes away from Twilight."

That last point is extremely debatable, and....well, yeah, Disney might want to do some Indiana Jones spinoffs or something. Nothing novel there. The story also notes that Harrison Ford is "wrinkly" and too old to play Indiana Jones anymore.

But if we're going to treat this with any level of seriousness, then let's not forget that Pattinson hated that whole Twilight experience and the chances of him doing another huge franchise, let alone two, is extremely slim and slim just went out to lunch. 

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Cinema Royale #63- 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

Cinema Royale's loyal listeners know host Travis Hopson as the ultimate X-men fanatic, so you know this episode will be ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST! Okay, not entirely, but you get the picture. We'll also take a look at the latest Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore comedy, Blended.

Plus, we'll be joined by director Jim Mickle, whose credits include the horrors We Are What We Are and Stakeland, to talk about his throwback revenge flick, Cold in July. The film was a smash at Sundance and stars Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson.

Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network and brings you movie reviews and news straight from the Nation's Capital! Go to www.cinemaroyaleshow.com and subscribe, and while there consider signing up for the premium service for more content and to be entered in our monthly prize drawing!

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Gareth Edwards to Direct First 'Star Wars' Spinoff Coming in 2016

And the meteoric rise of director Gareth Edwards has just gone up to another level. Having started off with the small-budget creature feature, Monsters, he jumped from that into Godzilla, which last week had one of the year's biggest openings and already totals more than $200M. While talk of a sequel has already begun, Edwards may be too busy heading to a galaxy far far away.

Lucasfilm has tapped Edwards to direct the first of their Star Wars spinoffs, now set for release on December 16th 2016. This fits with the overall plan of alternating between official trilogy films, with J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII arriving in December 2015, and spinoffs following other characters in the Star Wars universe. While we don't know the plot of Edwards' film, we do know that Gary Whitta will be writing the screenplay. Whitta wrote the critically-reviled, Razzie-nominated screenplay for Will Smith's After Earth, but he also wrote a solid script for The Book of Eli.  Han Solo, Boba Fett, and Yoda are all rumored to be getting their own solo films but we don't know if those are what Edwards has agreed to.

Edwards has shown he has a great eye for visual effects whether working on a tight budget or a large one, so this is pretty exciting news. Here's the full press release:


In addition to the episodes of a new Star Wars trilogy, Lucasfilm and Disney have begun development on multiple stand-alone movies that will offer new stories beyond the core Saga. Gareth Edwards will direct the first stand-alone film, with a screenplay by Gary Whitta. The film is due out December 16, 2016.

Gareth Edwards blazed into the filmmaking forefront with his acclaimed work on Monsters, a film he wrote, directed and served on as cinematographer and visual effects artist. The skill and vision readily apparent in Monsters earned him the high-profile spot directing this year’s smash hit Godzilla

“Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited & honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm, said Edwards.

Gary Whittas screenwriting credits include 2010s The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington. He is also well known as a journalist and editor in the video game industry, as well as part of the BAFTA award-winning team on Telltale Games adaptation of The Walking Dead.

Whitta states, “From the moment I first saw the original movie as a wide-eyed kid, Star Wars has been the single most profound inspiration to my imagination and to my career as a writer. It is deeply special to me,so to be given the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing legacy, especially in collaboration with a film-maker as talented as Gareth,is literally a dream come true. I’m still pinching myself.”

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"At Least Three" 'Star Wars' Spinoffs in the Works

It will come as no surprise that Disney is planning to expand their expensive Star Wars universe beyond the new trilogy. Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke at a quarterly earnings conference call and, since Star Wars will be a good chunk of their earnings, he briefly mentioned plans for "at least three" spinoffs to go into production.

These would presumably be the non-Saga origin stories that have been talked about before as part of the overall Star Wars plan to release one film per year, alternating between trilogy and non-trilogy. With Star Wars: Episode VII opening in December 2015, that would seem to indicate the first spinoff would be in 2016. Han Solo, Yoda, and Boba Fett are the characters that have been mentioned as possibly getting their own solo spinoff films but nothing is confirmed at this stage.

Simon Kinberg and Lawrence Kasdan are attached to these projects, and maybe we'll get more info on them at Comic-Con this summer.

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May the Fourth Be With You! EVERYTHING Star Wars On Sale Now!

If you woke up this morning with the Star Wars theme running through your mind, chances are you already know today is Star Wars Day. For fans of the galaxy George Lucas introduced us to in 1977, this day is pretty special and I know a few folks who will spend it watching all six movies. God bless them. But for others, and I count myself among these, the day will be spent scouring for deals because Star Wars items drop massively in price. Fortunately, shopping will be made easier this year because of Amazon's Star Wars Store, which has dropped prices on literally everything. Action figures, interactive R2-D2 droids (want!!!), video games, books....you can get them all right now at a massive discount. For instance, each season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is marked at more than 50% off right now, and that's just the start of it. It's only for today and I suggest you all take advantage right now by going here.

Not only will you be helping us out by supporting one of our biggest sponsors, but you'll be strengthening the Force.

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