First Look at Lando Calrissian in 'Star Wars Rebels' Voiced by Billy Dee Williams

The coolest guy in any solar system is about to make his return on Disney XD's Star Wars Rebels. Billy Dell Williams confirmed last year that he'd be voicing Lando Calrissian on the animated series, but now we have the first look at Calrissian in the episode, "Idiot's Array", which debuts on January 19th.

Here's the episode's official synopsis: "The crew is forced into transporting some unusual cargo after an issue with a new acquaintance."

There's more to the story, though, and it involves Zeb losing the android Chopper to Calrissian in a game of Sabaac. To get him back the crew will have to get involved in a scheme involving Calrissian and a bunch of gangsters.  

I haven't been too big on Star Wars Rebels yet but since coming back from hiatus it has been great. Bringing in Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz!) and Calrissian can only make things better. [StarWars7News]

 

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New 'Star Wars Rebels' Short Teases Ezra's Force Powers

With Disney and Lucasfilm's Star Wars Rebels now about a month away from premiering, the final of their series of short movies has been released. This one is titled "Not What You Think" and focuses on 14-year-old Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray), a con artist and thief who joins up with Jedi Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze) and the crew of the Ghost to battle the Empire. In this story, Ezra takes advantage of a hapless tie-fighter pilot while also flashing his Force powers. With the Jedi on the run and in hiding, those Force abilities will probably prove to be more dangerous than helpful.

My biggest complaint about this short and the others is they've all focused on making the Empire look like a bunch of clowns. I have zero interest in watching a kiddie version of Star Wars where the heroes are perfect and the bad guys not much of a threat.  If there are no stakes or consequences then what's the point of watching?

Go here for all of the other short films preceding this one. Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion airs on October 3rd on the Disney Channel, followed by the Star Wars Rebels series beginning October 13th on Disney XD.

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Zeb Embarasses the Empire in New 'Star Wars Rebels' Short "Entanglement"

Now that Lucasfilm has locked down a firm airing date for Star Wars Rebels on the Disney Channel and Disney XD, they've begun to introduce us to the series' characters in the form of brief movies. This one, titled "Entanglement" focuses on Zeb, a member of the Ghost's crew who is based on Ralph McQuarrie's original concept designs for Chewbacca.  Steve Blum voices the character, and in this short he humiliates a bunch of Imperial soldiers while running late for a meeting with Kanan.

Star Wars Rebels takes place five years before the Episode IV: A New Hope during a time when the Empire is tightening its grip on the galaxy. The motley crew of the starship Ghost are the only ones who dare to fight back and in the process become the spark needed to start the rebellion. Check out the Zeb short below, followed by the earlier films featuring the group's weapon specialist Sabine (Tiya Sircar), and the astromech droid, Chopper.

Disney Channel airs Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion on October 3rd at 9pm, followed by the series on October 13th on Disney XD.




Star Wars Rebels "Art Attack" Short by CGMeetup


Star Wars Rebels - The Machine in the Ghost by itsartmag

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Watch the First Seven Minutes of 'Star Wars Rebels' Here!

Those who were watching Disney XD's Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars special were given a look at the first seven minutes of the upcoming animated series, Star Wars Rebels. And now that extended preview has been brought online for you to check out.

The series takes place in the years prior to Episode IV: A New Hope, and will chronicle the origins of the Rebel Alliance. This is before Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo became leaders in the fight against the Empire, and at this point it's little more than a ragtag bunch. The footage introduces us to the show's main hero, Ezra Bridger, and we also get a brief look at his crew, including Kanan (voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.), a Jedi in hiding.

I've always had trouble getting into the style of animation and it still doesn't appeal to me here. But I'm going to give this one a shot and hope it leaves up to the incredibly high expectations Star Wars fans have for it. Star Wars Rebels debuts in October as a one-hour special.


Star Wars Rebels: Extended Preview by Stuff We Like

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New 'Star Wars Rebels' Extended Trailer Unleashes Before Comic-Con

Lucasfilm won't be showing off Star Wars: Episode VII at Comic-Con this year (or will they???) but Star Wars Rebels is expected to have a huge presence. The animated series will have its own panel and a very special screening held on Thursday night. But to further build up hype Lucasfilm has now released an extended trailer that promises a ton of action in a galaxy far far away.

The footage begins with Obi-Wan Kenobi delivering the sobering news that the Jedi have fallen to the Empire, and if the Republic is to survive a new band of rebel heroes will have to emerge. The series will attempt to fill the gap between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope, showing the rebel battle against the evil Inquisitor.

Featuring the voices of Freddie Prinze, Taylor Gray, Steve Blum, Tiya Sircar, Vanessa Marshall, Jason Isaacs, David Oyelowo and Billy Dee Williams, Star Wars Rebels will debut this fall in a one-hour special on Disney Channel before going to series on Disney XD.

Star Wars Rebels: Extended Trailer by itsartmag

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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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Lucasfilm Reveals First Full 'Star Wars Rebels' Trailer

It's an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan right now with the cast of J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII revealed (and more announcements coming, possibly today), the universe basically being rebooted with the exception of the core trilogies and a handful of other projects, and today just happens to be Star Wars Day! One of those projects that will be considered official Star Wars canon is Disney's animated series, Star Wars Rebels, and now we have the full trailer for it.

Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the series follows a ragtag group of rebels, led by renegade Jedi Kanan Jarus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), as they battle the Empire's tightening grip on the galaxy. Also appearing in the series, but not seen in this footage, will be Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it'll be his presence that could have the most dramatic impact on the franchise as a whole. How will his appearances in Rebels affect the way we perceive him in A New Hope?

Star Wars Rebels premieres as a one hour special this fall on Disney Channel, followed by the regular series on Disney XD.

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