The Disney Store is running a promotion through 8/29/24 at 11:59 pm PT that offers $20 off a future purchase plus free shipping on your current order when when you spend $75+ and use the code PIXIEPERK at checkout. A code for the discount will be emailed to you around 9/6/24, and it can be used on a single order placed on The Disney Store website between 9/6/24-9/15/24 11:59 pm PT. All of the items at The Disney Store are eligible, but it certainly sweetens the deal on limited edition Star Wars items like these lightsaber replicas.

Below you'll find a breakdown of Star Wars D23 2024 exclusives, You can check out some additional D23 exclusives right here via our master list.

Star Wars D23 2024 Exclusives

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Electronic Lightsaber Hilt Set ($550 / Limited to 3000 units) - See at The Disney Store: Includes replicas of the hilts carried by Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker. Presented in a wooden box featuring art depicting the three Jedi with their names spelled out in Aurebesh lettering. Works with their lightsaber blades, which are sold separately.

Star Tours StarSpeeder 3000 Vehicle Playset ($300 / Limited to 3000 units) - See at The Disney Store: This detailed replica includes an LCD screen with authentic attraction content and features interior and exterior lighting, scale seats with seat belts, opening doors, blasters with sound effects and reversible light-up display stand. Also includes RX-24 and R2-D2 Droid Factory figures. The full feature list is as follows:

• Created especially for Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort
• Limited Edition of 3,000
• Includes collectible RX-24 and R2-D2 Droid Factory figures
• 4 3/4'' LCD screen with authentic attraction content
• Button activated attraction content, display sequences and Captain RX-24 character phrases
• Button activated authentic door opening with chime
• Removable side panels, rooftop carrier and roof panel
• Immersive interior lighting sequenced to media
• Extending and retracting landing gear that locks
• Authentic exterior light effects
• Includes 25 3.75'' scale seats with elastic clip in seat belts
• Authentic premium decoration and details
• Includes reversible light-up display stand
• Light-up cannons and headlights
• Light-up rear thrusters
• Includes decal sheet for customization
• Some assembly required
• Inspired by the Star Wars Star Tours attraction at Walt Disney World and Disneyland

Blade of Ochi of Bestoon - Galactic Archive Series ($79.99) - See at the Disney Store: The infamous dagger is named for the notorious assassin and Sith relic hunter, Ochi of Bestoon, and holds the key to unlocking mysteries of the past. This screen-accurate dagger is equipped with a retractable finder and is etched with Sith runes that light up with the touch of a button.

Kylo Ren Reforged Helmet - Galactic Archive Series ($119.99) - See at the Disney Store: This Kylo Ren Reforged Helmet recreates the iconic helmet after it was rebuilt, complete with the scars that recall Kylo's dark side. Part of the Star Wars: Galactic Archive Series, this collector-grade mask features realistic light and sound effects including character phrases, voice-changing capabilities and cracks that light up.

• Star Wars Dark Side Loungefly Ear Headband for Adults ($44.99) - See at the Disney Store: Left front ear features Darth Vader and Stormtroopers screen art Right front and backs of ears feature Stormtroopers screen art. Features metallic red simulated leather ears and headband as well as a removable bow. Designed by Alex Riegert-Waters.
• Star Wars Dark Side Spirit Jersey for Adults ($79.99) - See at the Disney Store: Features Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Darth Maul and Stormtroopers in a pullover sweatshirt style with dropped shoulders and puffy ink art. Designed by Alex Riegert-Waters.

Star Wars Outlaws from developer Massive Entertainment and publisher Ubisoft is set to release this week via PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. Before this, reviews for the Star Wars game have begun to be published, which in turn has revealed an early Metacritic score for the title. And so far, it is not looking great for Ubisoft.

Star Wars Outlaws is a big AAA Star Wars game that no doubt cost Ubisoft lots of money. The licensing alone is quite expensive. As a result, Ubisoft is going to need to ship quite a few copies to breakeven. To achieve this, strong reviews would have gone a long way, but right now the games various Metacritic scores are in the 70s.

At the moment of writing this, the Xbox Series X|S version is sitting at a 76, while the PC version and PS5 version are both at 77. 77 is close to a strong score, but as more reviews are posted online, it is likely to dip, or at least this is what typically happens.

What is also noteworthy is how all over the place reviews are. There are some near perfect scores and then some five out of tens. Why there is such a wide range, we don't know, but this is increasingly common with video game reviews.

About the Game + Trailer

"Experience the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi," reads an official blurb about the game." Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy's crime syndicates as you join the galaxy's most wanted. If you're willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity."

For more Star Wars Outlaws coverage -- including all of the latest Star Wars Outlaws news, all of the latest Star Wars Outlaws rumors, and all of the latest Star Wars Outlaws deals -- click here.

The ComicBook Nation crew previews the Fall TV and Movie schedules and share their hype levels for some of the most highly anticipated releases! There's also a review and discussion of The Crow reboot starring Bill Skarsg?rd!

PLUS: Deep-dive discussion about the status of Star Wars after The Acolyte's cancelation, and a debate about Marvel's Blade reboot and what kind of film it should be.

The Crow Reboot Review

This is what ComicBook Nation host Kofi Outlaw had to say in his 2-star review of The Crow:

Under the direction of Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) and the genuine effort made by stars Bill Skarsg?rd and FKA Twigs, The Crow isn't a total failure - but it is a messy mismatch of high-art aspirations and bloody, brutal, B-movie action-horror. It's both vibrantly alive with creative spark and passion - and a listless, muddled attempt at telling a cinematic story.

...It's not impossible that, despite its flaws, The Crow will follow the path of the original and grow into a cult hit in years to come. If nothing else, it's one of the biggest showcases yet of Bill Skarsg?rd's potential as a leading man (and not just the lineup of odd creatures and/or creeps he's played). But, after more than a decade of trying to get this reboot off the ground - and all the creative talent that's been attached to it along the way - it's almost amusing that middling effort is the end result.

FALL PREVIEW

MOVIES

• BEETLEJUICE 2 (9/6)
• TRANSFORMERS ONE (9/13)
• THE WILD ROBOT (9/20)
• JOKER 2 (10/4)
• VENOM 3 (10/25)
• RED ONE (11/15)
• GLADIATOR 2 (11/22)
• MOANA 2 (11/27)
• WICKED PT. 1 (11/27)

TV

• RINGS OF POWER S2 (8/29 - Prime Video)
• TERMINATOR: ZERO (8/29 - NETFLIX)
• PENGUIN (9/19 - HBO)
• AGATHA ALL ALONG (9/18 - Disney+)
• ZACK SNYDER's TWILIGHT OF THE GODS (9/19 - Netflix)
• CITADEL: DIANA (10/10 - Prime Video)
• CITADEL: HONEY BUNNY (11/7 - Prime Video)
• SILO SEASON 2 (11/15 - Apple TV+)
• JAMES WAN'S TEACUP (10/10 - Peacock)
• LIKE A DRAGON: YAKUZA (10/24 - Prime Video)
• STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW (12/3 - Disney+)
• KOFI: ST. DENIS MEDICAL - IMAGE
• MATT: MATLOCK - IMAGE

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After a lukewarm reception from the masses, Lucasfilm opted to cancel The Acolyte after a single season on Disney+. The series featured an ensemble cast, including Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) as the enigmatic Jedi Master Sol. As it turns out, Lee may have not been Lucasfilm's first choice for the role--a new report from one Hollywood insider suggests the production house initially tried to get Keanu Reeves for the role.

"While I'm told that contrary to that report, Reeves never filmed a scene for The Acolyte, he had been in talks for the role ultimately played by Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae, whose character was killed off at the end of Season 1," Jeff Sneider said in his latest newsletter.

As the insider explains, Lionsgate wouldn't allow Reeves to adjust his shooting schedule on Ballerina, the highly anticipated John Wick spinoff, the flagship franchise of the studio.

"While studio insiders have countered that Reeves was never formally offered the role, I'm told he was very interested in doing the show, which wound up casting his Matrix co-star Carrie-Anne Moss -- another selling point for him," Sneider explained. "In fact, don't be surprised if Reeves finds his way into the Star Wars franchise down the line, as Lucasfilm remains high on the actor, whose interest has been noted internally."

Sneider also noted Lucasfilm chose to cancel The Acolyte due to low viewership numbers, rather than the direct result of review bombing or fan reaction.

What Is Star Wars: The Acolyte About?

Set during The High Republic, Star Wars: The Acolyte delivers an investigation into a mysterious string of crimes, which pits a Jedi master against his former apprentice in a race to uncover the truth. The more that the pair learn about the situation, the darker their journey becomes, as they confront things that darker than either of them could have imagined.

The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Star Wars: The Acolyte premiered on Disney+ on June 4th.

If you're looking forward to Star Wars Outlaws and don't want to have anything spoiled before you're able to play it yourself, it might be time to take a break from social media for the next couple of days, or at least mute some terms. That's because Star Wars Outlaws gameplay has apparently leaked online via some early streams that weren't supposed to be taking place from people who've gotten ahold of copies of the game ahead of schedule. Those streams have since been removed from the places that they were originally hosted, but that doesn't mean the details and gameplay shown within them are gone from the Internet.

People first began noticing early copies of the game being streamed on Kick through one or two different accounts that seem to have been newly made for this exact purpose. The streams showed gameplay and cinematics from Star Wars Outlaws that could be considered spoiler-y for those who want an experience unfettered by any kinds of early looks at the game.

As others have already pointed out, it's likely that Kick was used to stream the games since it has a history of acting slower when it comes to streaming content that shouldn't even be streamed at all.

"At least we can say these streams of leaked early copies of games, is the 1 good thing to come from Kick and its lack of enforcing anything," proposed one player in a subreddit discussing these early streams.

Those streams have since been removed from the accounts in question, and looking at their "Videos" tab, there's nothing there to indicate that they ever streamed the game, so it seems some actions have been taken even if the accounts themselves are still live. Whatever was being streamed would've likely only been early portions of the game, so there's probably not much cause for concern about spoilers from what's out there now, but those people obviously still have the game, so spoilers could get worse in the coming days if the accounts stay active.

Star Wars Outlaws releases on August 30th, but the early access obtained through the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition will allow you to play the game three days earlier, so expect to be people sharing much more about the game early next week.

Star Wars: The Acolyte isn't coming back for Season 2 and Lee Jung-jae has addressed the news. Entertainment Weekly caught up with the Master Sol actor to ask about the show getting canceled. Needless to say, Lee was taken aback by the announcement like everyone else. He said, "To hear the news, I was quite surprised personally as well." The Internet has reacted to these developments in absolutely predictable fashion. Star Wars: The Acolyte fans are rallying around the show and showing love to the actors who helped bring The High Republic into live-action. While people who never liked The Acolyte are taking a victory lap while everyone wonders what led to this decision. In any case, Lee remains hopeful that maybe we might get to see more down the road.

"As you know, my character had died already in the first season. So I wouldn't have appeared in the second season if there was one anyway," Lee told the outlet. "But personally speaking, I really loved Leslye's writing. I thought that she was a great writer and director who was very talented in the storytelling, as well as creating characters and creating meaningful structures within the story. So I was actually personally really looking forward to watching a Season 2 with her at the helm."

"Honestly, I am hoping that maybe there could be changes in the future," Lee added. "Because you never know what's going to happen. So on a personal level, I really hope we could get to see further stories of Leslye's second season."

A Weird End For Star Wars: The Acolyte

In the weeks leading up to this announcement, showrunner Leslye Headland said that she hadn't heard anything about Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 2. Talking to EW a few weeks ago, the writer said she was taking a break to keep herself fresh in case the announcement came through. It's clear that fans of the show were really looking forward to seeing where this tale would go in Season 2. Now, they're hoping for a change of course, but who knows if that could even happen.

"You have to take a break," the showrunner explained. "Especially after something like this. I don't even know how many years my brain has been going, 'Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars, Acolyte, Acolyte, Acolyte' - just constantly solving problems, constantly thinking about it. It is very weird to now be in a place where I don't need to do that. I always say to budding writers, 'The most important thing that you can do is sit around and do nothing. Because the second you start to manufacture a story, you're going to get stressed out and the story can't start that way.'"

Do you think that Lee's future ideas could happen? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

The sad news broke earlier this week that Disney+ had opted not to renew Star Wars: The Acolyte for a second season. The show had outspoken haters who were so hellbent on helping it fail that they started review-bombing the wrong Acolyte on Rotten Tomatoes. While the show also had many vocal fans, the outpour of positivity clearly wasn't enough to keep the show going. Many people have taken to social media to express their unhappiness with the decision, but most folks from the series have not addressed the cancellation publically. However, that changed today when Manny Jacinto (Qimir/The Stranger) shared a simple yet heartbreaking post on Instagram.

Jacinto shared a shot of him and Amandla Stenberg (Osha) from the finale of The Acolyte and captioned it with a heart emoji. You can check out the post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Manny Jacinto (@mannyjacinto)

Manny Jacinto Wanted an Oshamir Romance in Season 2:

There are many reasons to be bummed about The Acolyte's cancellation, and a big one is not knowing where Qimir and Osha's story could go next. At the end of the season finale, "The Acolyte," Osha goes off to train with Qimir, and in their final moment of the episode, he takes her hand as they stare out into the ocean of the unnamed planet. The "Oshamir" shippers felt pretty validated by the episode, and Jacinto was down to explore that relationship further.

"In the fan art I've seen, there's a good amount that implies... something between Osha and the Stranger," Jacinto told GQ. "That's something that people, I think, have been yearning for in this genre, or at least in this IP, and I love that people are honing in on it and encouraging it. So I think people can look forward to more of that, possibly. If people want it, we can explore that in a subsequent season."

During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stenberg addressed the potential romance between Osha and Qimir.

"That was Manny's idea," Stenberg said of the hand-hold moment. "We pitched a lot of different things, and now we're getting tons of shippers, of course, on Twitter and Tumblr and people who are now calling it Oshamir. And they really wanted to see some romantic arc take place with Qimir and Osha, which totally get it. And that was the original vision."

"But as we arrived to that point in filming, again, we returned to Osha's choices and this sense of it feeling autonomous, and we just came to the decision that we didn't feel like a romantic resolution was quite earned yet. And we also wanted Osha's journey to be autonomous from that arc. And so we decided, 'Okay, you know what? Let's table it for now,'" she added.

"We also just felt like there was a lot of weight and significance in the political alignment that's happening between those two characters, and Osha internally reaching this place that Qimir has been pushing her towards. We wanted to keep the focus on that, and we were like, 'What's some sort of symbol that we can utilize that connotes a political alignment between them and this union?' But also there's a lot of intimacy in that sort of shared vision and power, and Manny came up with instead of holding hands, they're going to hold the lightsaber together, which we just thought was awesome."

"He would pitch things like that all the time. Whenever there is intimacy or physical representations of their intimacy, a lot of it was Manny's idea, and we just leaned in," she explained.

"Yeah, totally," Stenberg added when EW brought up the fact that there's never been a full Dark Side romance in live-action before. "And I think that's just also Leslye's [Headland] sensibilities. [Laughs] Leslye is a Sith and I'm a Scorpio, and so I think that appeals to both of us. Also, because of where we exist in the timeline, it makes it more interesting to explore that kind of intimate connection because the Sith exists in the underbelly of the universe, and so they are not the dominating forces of the universe at that point, which I think is kind of more fodder for what is an underdog relationship like at this point in the timeline."

The Acolyte is now streaming on Disney+.

D23 took place in Anaheim, California earlier this month, and it featured a lot of exciting announcements about all things Disney ranging from movies and parks to Marvel and Star Wars. The next Star Wars project on the horizon is Skeleton Crew, which is set five years after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and is expected to follow a ragtag group of lost kids trying to find their way home. The project stars Jude Law, who made an appearance at D23 to help introduce a new Skeleton Crew teaser. This week, the official Instagram account for Star Wars shared a video of Law reflecting on his time at D23.

"Jude Law loves Star Wars fans' enthusiasm and can't wait for them to watch," Star Wars captioned the video. "I don't think anything ever gets you ready for an event like this," Law explains. "And feeling and heading the fans' reaction." You can watch the video below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Star Wars (@starwars)

"If you look carefully, [we] got some Star Wars tech that dates right back, I believe, to the original film," Law said earlier this year. "They do [easter eggs] so well. That's one of the joys I think of this universe for those who know there are these little details always hidden away or easter eggs that people can find and link up."

What Is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew About?

You can read the official synopsis for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew here: "When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined."

The series was inspired by coming-of-age Amblin movies like The Goonies, and it's "a story about a group of kids, about 10 years old, from a tiny little planet who accidentally get lost in the Star Wars galaxy," Watts previously explained, add that "the story of their journey trying to find their way home."

Jude Law (Captain Marvel, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) plays the human Jedi Jod Na Nawood, the adult leader of a motley crew of galaxy-faring kids that includes Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), KB (Kyriana Kratter), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). During their journey, they'll meet the new Nick Frost-voiced droid SM 33, described by Watts as "a rusty old, cranky droid that sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way."

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew debuts on Disney+ on Tuesday, December 3rd.

Star Wars Outlaws is about one week away from release, and Ubisoft is building hype for it with a new launch trailer. The video gives viewers a glimpse at several sequences from the game, and some background about the narrative. For those that might not have been following the game closely since it was first announced, this is a nice way of finding out some details about protagonist Kay Vess, and some of the familiar Star Wars faces that will be appearing. Of course, those that have been eagerly awaiting it since day one should also find plenty to enjoy!

The launch trailer for Star Wars Outlaws can be found below.

One thing that is not addressed in the launch trailer is the game's setting; Star Wars Outlaws takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. That setting means that players can expect to see some of the great antagonists from the franchise, including Jabba the Hutt's crime syndicate and the Empire. Fans of Solo: A Star Wars Story can also expect to see Qi'ra. At the end of that film, Qi'ra joined Crimson Dawn, and by the time this game takes place, she has taken control of the criminal organization. Both Jabba and Qi'ra can be seen in today's launch trailer.

Following launch, players can expect to see content centered around two other familiar Star Wars characters. Story Pack 1 will focus on Lando Calrissian, while Story Pack 2 will feature Hondo Ohnaka. Ohnaka first appeared in the Clone Wars and Rebels cartoons, and might be familiar to those that have ridden the Smuggler's Run attraction in Galaxy's Edge. Given the time period, it's possible we could see other familiar faces like Luke, Leia, and Boba Fett, but nothing has been announced at this time.

It remains to be seen how critics and audiences will react to this new Star Wars game. There's a lot of interest in Star Wars Outlaws, as it's technically the franchise's first open-world game. There are a lot of highly-regarded games based on Star Wars, and it will be interesting to see if Star Wars Outlaws can rank with the best of them. Thankfully, fans don't have to wait much longer to find out, as the game will be released on August 30th.

How do you feel about this new launch trailer? Are you looking forward to Star Wars Outlaws? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Star Wars: The Acolyte being canceled after one season doesn't seem to be enough for Disney and Lucasfilm: Fans are now noticing that the entire line of merchandising for The Acolyte has been pulled from the Disney Store, following the cancelation. A fan on Reddit posted an image of a Disney Store search for The Acolyte, which quickly went viral as people speculated (or simply jumped to conclusions) about what it meant. However, like so many things in business, it may not be the nefarious cutthroat move some fans want to see it as.

All merchandise for 'THE ACOLYTE' has been removed from Disney's online store
by u/Aileos in StarWars

According to the receipts, some commenters are dropping, The Acolyte merch that was offered exclusively through the Disney Store was limited-release material, only. That means that it wouldn't be out of left field for Disney to pull the material after the show's run when demand for the merchandise would go through a natural drop-off. It's also worthy of note that these Acolyte merchandising materials are no longer available in the Disney Store - but are certainly obtainable elsewhere. Case in point: The helmet worn by dark side warrior "The Stranger" (aka Manny Jacinto's character Qimir) is probably THE most iconic thing to come out of The Acolyte - and it is certainly still available for fans to purchase from places like Amazon and Entertainment Earth.

There's a fair reason that Star Wars fans are feeling paranoid about how Disney is handling The Acolyte. The announcement that the series has been canceled was a rare public drubbing from Lucasfilm, which has been typically closed-mouthed about the futures of Disney+ series like The Book of Boba Fett or Obi-Wan. Fans pretty much know that those series are probably not coming back - but there's been no official confirmation of it. So for Lucasfilm to outright tell us that Acolyte is done can be read as the studio is not only pulling investment in the series but almost distancing the franchise from it. It smells similar to what Lucasfilm did after seeing the response to Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi; the studio did an almost 180? turn with the next film, J.J. Abrams' Rise of Skywalker, which almost went out of its way to invalidate everything that Johnson's film tried to do with the franchise lore.

Star Wars has never been able to bridge the divide that was created between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker - or restore faith that Lucasfilm has enough confidence in its material to weather any kind of blowback from fans. With The Acolyte's cancelation, Lucasfilm isn't doing anything to reverse that negative perception.

You can still stream Star Wars: The Acolyte on Disney+, and order items of merchandise online from various sellers (just not Disney).

Star Wars fans have been wondering for months what the future of the galaxy far, far away will be when it comes to Marvel Comics, as it was announced that series like Star Wars and Star Wars: Darth Vader would be coming to an end, with Marvel announcing today the all-new series Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege. The current era of Star Wars comics falls between the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, this is only the latest announcement of a series that will follow Return of the Jedi and seemingly pave the way for the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #1 hits shelves on November 20th.

"It's an unbelievable honor to be able to tell this lost story of Star Wars history, alongside so many amazing artists, in the pages of the three Battle of Jakku limited series," writer Alex Segura said. "Our story will be epic in scope -- involving all the major characters you love, plus some new, exciting additions to the mythos. We'll not only give readers a front-row seat to the final battle of the Galactic Civil War -- we'll reframe the aftermath of the Battle of Endor and introduce a new, menacing threat that will keep our heroes guessing. The goal for all of us is to turn up the volume and make sure this adventure stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the other stories of the era. As the Empire collapses, a new darkness arises!"

"This series is definitely something fans don't want to miss," editor Mark Paniccia added. "Within the chaos and destruction of all three series, there are elements that hint to what comes next."

Per press release, "Last month, it was revealed that Marvel's Star Wars comic line would conclude its post-The Empire Strikes Back storytelling and enter a new post-Return of the Jedi era beginning in October. Three limited series will tell the story of the Battle of Jakku, the epic final battle of the Galactic Civil War and the saga that is one of the key events set between the Original Trilogy and the Sequel Trilogy. Following the debut series, Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Insurgency Rising in October, the events continue this November in the second installment, Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege, which fans can see the covers and story details for today!"

"Written by acclaimed, award-winning author Alex Segura (Star Wars: Poe Dameron - Free Fall, Edge of Spider-Verse) and drawn by a trio of superstar artistic talent -- Leonard Kirk, Stefano Raffaele, and Jethro Morales -- the Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku event will center around the never-before-told final moments of the Galactic Civil War. First introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as Rey scavenged amongst its wreckage, the Battle of Jakku was a pivotal turning point for the galaxy. On the sandy dunes of Jakku, the remnants of the Empire made their desperate last stand after their secret base was discovered by the Rebellion, who were determined to destroy them once and for all so that the New Republic can thrive! Now, fans will witness this pivotal moment in Star Wars canon for the first time ever!"

Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #1

• Written by ALEX SEGURA
• Art by STEFANO RAFFAELE & JETHRO MORALES
• STILL REELING FROM THE EVENTS OF INSURGENCY RISES, LUKE MUST SEEK OUT A RELIC THAT COULD HOLD CLUES TO THE FUTURE OF THE JEDI ORDER!
• Luke Skywalker and a new friend find themselves cornered! Can two Imperial powerhouses find common ground against the nascent New Republic? Where are Han and Chewbacca? The heroes find themselves saved in the nick of time - by a fan-favorite guest star and ally!

Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #2

• Written by ALEX SEGURA
• Art by STEFANO RAFFAELE
• LUKE AND DOCTOR APHRA JOIN FORCES TO FIGHT OFF A SURPRISE ATTACK AS THE REMAINING IMPERIALS PLOT THEIR NEXT ATTACK!
• Luke Skywalker must battle his way through a gang of Force-focused zealots! A faction of Imperial survivors plot to return the Empire to its past glory - and hint at a huge struggle to come! Can Luke survive against a giant...swamp rat?! As the defiant Imperial consolidates his power and allegiances - he discovers a traitor!
  

Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #1 hits shelves on November 20th, followed by Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku -- Republic Under Siege #2 on November 27th.

Are you looking forward to the new series? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

The Star Wars universe was dealt a surprising blow on Monday, with reports indicating that Star Wars: The Acolyte has been cancelled after only one season. The eight-episode Disney+ series brought the saga's High Republic Era of storytelling into live-action, while also easily being one of the franchise's most female-fronted, diverse productions both in front of and behind the camera. This has made the news of The Acolyte's demise all the more heartbreaking -- and illustrated that, in the modern television landscape, it deserved a much better fate than it ultimately got.

In one of her very first interviews about The Acolyte, series creator Leslye Headland compared the series to a "tent revival" in the "religion" of Star Wars, indicating that it would find ways to challenge fans' expectations of what the franchise could offer. Heck, the show even made headlines prior to its debut for staffing a writer who hasn't never seen Star Wars, in order to ensure that the series was still impactful without an encyclopedic knowledge of franchise lore.

Your personal mileage on the end product of The Acolyte, and the way that its flashback-oriented murder mystery unfolded, may have varied. But it is undeniable that the series offered a lot -- characters who instantly became fan favorites, ambitious fight sequences, a much-needed dose of romantic and sexual tension, and new ways of framing concepts from the larger franchise. (The fact that those elements are immediately getting book and comic spinoffs proves that there is more to explore, even if it's -- unfortunately -- not in the series itself.) Unfortunately, you might not know that from the conversation that surrounded The Acolyte, both prior to and while new episodes debuted on Disney+. In addition to review bombing about the series' diverse elements, some viewers held the show to increasingly-higher -- and sometimes bordering on nonsensical -- standards regarding the Star Wars canon. A blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance from a younger version of lesser-known established Jedi Ki-Adi Mundi in The Acolyte's fourth episode led to an avalanche of vitriol and death threats in the name of "defending canon", even though nothing about the cameo thematically counteracted his role in the Prequel Era.

The Acolyte's season (and now series) finale was also dominated with chatter about popular characters who barely had anything to do with prior episodes of the show. Some of these reveals had potential for Season 2 and for the larger franchise, like the twist that the infamous Sith Lord Darth Plagueis has seemingly been the secret master of Qimir (Manny Jacinto). The series' very last scene, of Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) confiding in Yoda, could have potentially led to a Season 2 story arc exploring the iconic character's earlier days as a flawed politician and Jedi as well. Headland confirmed that she deliberately wanted these cameos in the finale, but it is still disappointing, in hindsight, that the show had to balance the arcs of its own characters with future arcs that ultimately never came to pass. Sure, The Acolyte is far from the first or last show of the modern streaming era to have such a fate, but the show occupied a different space between the extremes of ongoing adventures like Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Ahsoka and miniseries like Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett.

The cancellation of The Acolyte also begs the question of what kind of stories will be told in the Star Wars galaxy in the near future. The modern Star Wars franchise has already been criticized for retreading too many moments in the franchise's canon, whether in the form of showing yet another character's POV during the Prequel Trilogy's Order 66, or in the cramped timeline of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and the forthcoming Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Outside of James Mangold's in-development movie about the origins of the Jedi, the movies that have been recently confirmed by Lucasfilm fall into a similar pattern, either directly continuing the "Mandoverse" story or delivering an arguably-too-early follow-up to the Sequel Trilogy. Along the way, an ever-growing number of announced Star Wars projects, which could have begun to better diversify the timeline of the stories sold, have ultimately fallen apart due to creative differences along the way.

It has not been confirmed that the High Republic Era will be further explored in another live-action series or potential movie, and any adaptation of the fan-favorite Old Republic Era has been languishing in development for at least half a decade. We know that, in one way or another, more Star Wars movies and shows will inevitably be on the horizon, as the franchise remains a bonafide crown jewel in the Disney portfolio. It would be a shame if The Acolyte's fate creates an apprehension to set those future installments in eras that audiences haven't fully explored yet, and instead leads to more of the same. The tapestry of Star Wars has become expansive enough to earn a "tent revival" or two -- here's hoping The Acolyte won't be the last one.

The first season of Star Wars: The Acolyte is available to stream exclusively on Disney+.

The Acolyte is no more. New trade reports suggest Lucasfilm isn't moving forward with a second season of Star Wars: The Acolyte after the series ended up as one of the franchise's most divisive releases. Although the series ended up with a relatively positive 78-percent Certified Fresh rating with critics, Rotten Tomatoes' Audience Meter for the show stands at an abysmal 18-percent Rotten.

The first live-action series set in the Star Wars franchise's High Republic era, The Acolyte stars Amandla Stenberg as twin characters that find themselves on opposite sides of the Force. Head writer Leslye Headland was surprisingly candid earlier this year when she was asked if she'd heard anything regarding a second outing for the show.

"Nothing," Headland replied when asked if she's heard anything about another season of The Acolyte. She even used both hands to make a big zero to emphasize her answer. "You have to take a break," she continued. "Especially after something like this. I don't even know how many years my brain has been going, 'Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars, Acolyte, Acolyte, Acolyte' - just constantly solving problems, constantly thinking about it. It is very weird to now be in a place where I don't need to do that. I always say to budding writers, 'The most important thing that you can do is sit around and do nothing. Because the second you start to manufacture a story, you're going to get stressed out and the story can't start that way.'"

"My brain is still doing it," she added with a laugh. "It's almost like if you're running, you can't just stop, can't shut off."

What Is Star Wars: The Acolyte About?

Set during The High Republic, Star Wars: The Acolyte delivers an investigation into a mysterious string of crimes, which pits a Jedi master against his former apprentice in a race to uncover the truth. The more that the pair learn about the situation, the darker their journey becomes, as they confront things that darker than either of them could have imagined.

The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Star Wars: The Acolyte premiered on Disney+ on June 4th.

How much dedication do Star Wars actors have to the franchise? We can't speak for all of them, but we can say there's one who stands out from the rest, after getting a prison-style Star Wars tattoo, while on set!

Star Wars: Andor actress Adria Arjona (who plays Cassian Andor's old friend and Rebel ally Bix Caleen) recently did an interview where she made the pretty startling (legally questionable?) admittance that she spent some of the time on set filming Andor Season 2 by getting a "stick-and-poke" tattoo while on a lunch break from filming.

"I got a Bix tattoo! By the way, you're the first person I've told about this, press wise," Arjona said while revealing arm the tattoo to a THR reporter. "It's a little tiny x for Bix, and I got it ... Can I say it? Disney can't fire me. I already shot it. It's in the can. I got it while I was on set. My makeup artist did a stick-and-poke [tattoo] in the middle of a lunch break."

The "stick-and-poke" method of tattooing is something you're more likely to see in the cells of a prison, rather than on the set of premium franchise TV show - but here we are. Arjona was so hardcore with her inkwork that none of her other Andor co-stars wanted a piece of the action:

"No, I think everyone was too scared," Arjona explained. "They were like, 'A stick-and-poke at lunch? Can we get fired?' And I was like, 'It's too late!'"

Bix Caleen became a fan-favorite character in Andor Season 1 - especially in the final arc of the seasonal story, where Bix was taken to a really dark place (literally). Bix was captured by Imperial forces and tortured by meticulous ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), who was obsessively trying to track down Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) on the planet Ferrix. the sequences of Bix's torture made Arjona shed all glamor to look filthy, battered, bloodied, and injured - but never broken. Bix Caleen became a proud symbol of the cunning and fortitude needed to turn a regular person into a Rebel operative - and maintain that moral outlook even under the worst kinds of duress.

Adria Arjona is smart to make Bix a part of herself in the literal sense - her role in Andor has certainly helped push her career forward. Since Andor (and to a lesser extent Morbius) was released in 2022, Arjona has landed roles in Richard Linklater's Netflix film HIt Man (opposite Twisters star Glen Powell), and she's out doing press right now for her new thriller Blink Twice, alongside Channing Tatum and has the big ensemble crime-drama series Criminal in the works. Andor Season 2 will arrive next year to keep the momentum going - and there's talk she could be part of a spinoff series after the show ends with Season 2.

Arjona has hinted that her tattoo is more than just memorabilia - it's a statement of commitment:

When asked by Variety about Bix getting a spinoff, Arjona said, "I feel like a big spinoff could be later in my career. I'm trying to give job security to myself in the future. I'm trying to elongate it. I got a tattoo for Bix. My makeup artist from the show did it in my trailer."

Star Wars: Andor is streaming on Disney+.

Star Wars knows no boundaries. From live-action blockbusters to animated hits, the star-fairing IP has done it all. Disney and Lucasfilm have taken the franchise far beyond the boundaries set decades ago, and the IP is only growing. This year, the franchise will bring Star Wars Outlaws to life, and the creator of Afro Samurai is now hyping the game's release with a special sketch.

The artwork, as you can see below, comes courtesy of Takashi Okazaki. The artist behind Afro Samurai was tasked with inking the Star Wars tribute for Weekly Famitsu. Of course, this promo comes ahead of the game's actual launch both in the United States and Japan. Star Wars Outlaws is slated to hit PlayStation and Xbox on August 30 as well as PC.

"Afro Samurai" creator Takashi Okazaki illustrated a "Star Wars Outlaws" Cover for upcoming Weekly Famitsu to celebrate its release.

The Open World Star Wars Gane by Ubisoft will release on August 30, 2024. pic.twitter.com/qNFbOs3DoH

-- Manga Mogura RE (Manga & Anime News) (@MangaMoguraRE) August 19, 2024

Clearly, Okazaki put some serious attention into this Star Wars tribute. It is not every day the IP dives into the anime industry, but Okazaki happens to be a pro with the shift. The artist is known best for creating Afro Samurai, of course, but Okazaki also worked on Star Wars: Visions season one. He was the artistic director for "The Duel" which is one of the standout episodes of the anthology series. So naturally, Okazaki was a perfect fit for this Star Wars Outlaws promo.

Most recently, Okazaki has been busy with an original IP, and we have Ninja Kamui to thank. The artist was tasked with doing character designs for the hit Warner Bros. Discovery anime. Airing on Max, Ninja Kamui came to life under E&H Production and Sola Entertainment with help from director Sunghoo Park. The anime was a reported hit for Max as netizens are already begging for season two. So hopefully, Okazaki will be able to revisit Ninja Kamui before long.

As for Afro Samurai, the 1998 historical drama is still considered a classic within the fandom. Not only did the manga sweep the Internet back in the '00s, but Studio Gonzo adapted Afro Samurai into an award-winning anime. If you want to check out Okazaki's work firsthand, Titan Comics oversees the release of Afro Samurai in English. So for more info on the series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"In a feudal, futuristic Japan, samurai battle to become No.1 and rule the world, but when his father, who holds the coveted position, is challenged and killed, the young Afro Samurai vows vengeance. Relentlessly pursued by murderous assassins, will he stay alive long enough to keep his promise?"

What do you make of Star Wars' latest dip into manga? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Star Wars: Andor Season 2 is in the works, and the cast and crew of the show have been confidently boasting that this second season is going to be even better than the groundbreaking first one. That's really saying something: Andor Season 1 continues to see its reputation grow as more Star Wars fans and mainstream fans alike are pulled in through word of mouth and the awards acclaim. Andor Season 1 received 8 Emmy Award nominations (including "Outstanding Drama Series"), and has since become many fans top-ranked Star Wars Disney+ series, by far.

Andor Season 2 has a much more challenging task ahead of it: This next season has much closer ties to established Star Wars canon - specifically the series of events that set Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) on the hunt for the Empire's secret super-weapon (the Death Star), and eventually leads him toward the scientist behind the Death Star's superweapon, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) and his daughter Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In fact Andor Season 2 has already been teased as having a finale that will lead right into Cassian's first scenes in Rogue One - which is quite a runway to land on, given how Andor Season 1 was largely successful by cutting so many ties to the Star Wars canon.

Well, Andor star Adria Arjona (who plays Cassian's ally/friend/sometimes-lover Bix Caleen) says that she knew Andor Season 1 was something special when she first read the scripts; she's now teasing an even bigger reaction to reading the Season 2 scripts:

"Oh man, when I read season one, I pinched myself, and when I started reading season two, I was like, '[Tony Gilroy] can't outdo [season one].' I was again like, 'It's not going to be as good.' But it's f*cking better. It's so much better. It is," Arjona told THR in no uncertain terms. "What he has crafted and created is mind-blowing, and I can't believe I got to be a part of it. He's so talented, and he really outdid himself for season two."

Andor cut away the more fantastical parts of Star Wars lore in order to examine a more grounded question: how does something as nefarious as fascism take root and spread - and what choices must everyday people make in the face of that oppressive force? It made the Empire into something comparable to real-world socio-political events, instead of sci-fi archvillains. It also gave Star Wars fans a much-needed palette cleanser from the usual kind of nostalgia-bait we've gotten from the Star Wars Disney+ series. If Adria Arjona is telling things right, Season could end up being the best of both approaches.

There's already talk of Andor also getting a spinoff series, so this Star Wars spinoff series roll may not end with Season 2...

Star Wars: Andor streams on Disney+.

At Star Wars Celebration in 2023, Lucasfilm announced that Dave Filoni was developing a movie that would connect the events of all the Star Wars series that took place in The New Republic era, which included The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett, and Star Wars: Ahsoka. Before that, director Jon Favreau is developing the movie The Mandalorian & Grogu, with Boba Fett actor Temuera Morrison seemingly shooting down the idea that it will be a major crossover event, as he claimed that he hasn't yet been contacted about the production. Whether he's playing coy or is waiting for Filoni's film to return to the galaxy far, far away is yet to be seen. The Mandalorian & Grogu is set to hit theaters on May 22, 2026.

"I'm still waiting for a phone call to be quite honest," Morrison shared during a panel at FAN EXPO Chicago, per Screen Rant. "I think we're just put on the shelf for a little bit. Maybe we come off the shelf later."

After debuting in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, Morrison reprised the role of the iconic bounty hunter in his own spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett, which was billed as being a limited series. Despite seemingly being a limited series, fans have wondered if we could get more installments of the adventure, though this is only the latest instance of Morrison expressing his lack of insight into what Lucasfilm might be planning.

"No word yet. I don't even know if there is going to be a Season 2," Morrison shared with Newshub back in December of 2023. "I don't know what's going on. We're coming out of this downtime period so I think everyone is settling back in and it all goes back to budgets and what they want to do and how much everything costs. I really don't know. Judging by the fans I've met, they all want a Season 2 of Boba Fett, but I don't know what's going to happen."

With Filoni developing a Season 2 of Ahsoka, there's no confirmed timeline for when his New Republic movie could be moving forward, but given that it has already been billed as a major crossover event, it seems inevitable that Morrison would reprise his role as Fett in some capacity.

Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Star Wars franchise.

Are you disappointed Fett won't be in the upcoming movie? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Star Wars: Andor might be getting a surprising theatrical release with Rogue One. Entertainment Weekly caught up with Diego Luna ahead of Andor Season 2. As a second salvo of the Lucasfilm Disney+ series nears, he thinks that theaters might get a taste of a unique Marathon. Anyone down for Andor Season 2 leading right into Rogue One? Luna thinks the probability of that is pretty good, "It's high.... It's very high." The movie is seen another day in the sun on social media this week. So, it wouldn't be that weird to see a crowd turn up to see that entry again in theaters. Here's what Luna had to add:

The Andor star mused, "I'm sure someone from Lucasfilm and Disney will give us the opportunity to watch Season 2 and then go straight to watch the film on a big screen with tons of popcorn and friends around."

"I think people watching Rogue One, after watching season 2, are going to see a different film. Everything will be signified differently knowing what had to happen for K-2 to be there," Luna added. "It's going to make you witness the journey of Rogue One in a different way, I think. And not just with K-2, but with many other characters. I think it'll be really cool."

What To Expect From Andor Season 2?

For fans wondering what Season 2 of Star Wars: Andor will bring, rest assured the tone will not be shifting. Showrunner Tony Gilroy talked to /Film about the upcoming number of episodes. When asked if things were going to be just as dire as Season 1 was, the creative was able to put a lot of the fan base at ease.

"Well, it's going to be the same tone," Gilroy told the site. "It's going to be hopefully the same quality, the same attention to detail, and all the rest of the things that people got used to. But there's two things that are very distinctively different. One is that this is a show about [Cassian] becoming a revolutionary. His commitment to the cause is not going to be that much in doubt over the next four years."

"That's the second difference. We're going to be covering four years. Every time we do three episodes in the second half, we jump ahead a year. When we come back to the show for part two, it'll be a year later. We'll do three episodes, and then we'll jump a year," he added. "Then we'll do three episodes, and then we'll jump a year on that. That last year will be the year that takes us into Rogue [One]. We have some pretty interesting storytelling opportunities. I'd be curious if anybody else has ever done it before. We can't think of a [show] where someone did that."

Would you go see this? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Star Wars: Andor has let Rogue One: A Star Wars Story fans spend more time with Diego Luna's Cassian Andor, seeing the traumatic experiences he went through to offer insight into his perspectives, but the actor himself now claims Season 2 of the series will change how you watch Rogue One. Given that the first season of Andor has already shed unique insight into Cassian and impacted how we view the character, the actor's remarks imply that his character won't be the only component of Rogue One that audiences will appreciate in a new light. Star Wars: Andor Season 2 is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2025.

"I think people watching Rogue One, after watching Season 2, are going to see a different film," Luna shared with Entertainment Weekly. "Everything will be signified differently knowing what had to happen for [Alan Tudyk's K-2SO] to be there. It's going to make you witness the journey of Rogue One in a different way, I think. And not just with K-2, but with many other characters. I think it'll be really cool."

At the start of Rogue One, Cassian seems to be willing to sacrifice anyone and anything for the sake of pushing the agenda of the Rebellion, which includes killing Jyn Erso's father, despite Gaten Erso's reluctance to be working for the Galactic Empire. By the film's conclusion, we see heroic glimpses of Cassian's personality, while still showcasing his willingness to even sacrifice his own life to free the galaxy.

Another key component of Rogue One was Cassian's relationship with K-2SO, who is confirmed to be showing up in Season 2.

"It was delicious to get to work with Alan again and be on the same set with him," Luna confirmed. "It just helps fulfill the full circle."

He continued, "You're going to see why K-2 is so important in Rogue One ... and how does he get to be such an important character for the Rebellion."

Tudyk isn't the only Rogue One star returning for Season 2, as Ben Mendelsohn as Director Orson Krennic is also expected to appear in some capacity.

Given the ways the new season might recontextualize Rogue One, Luna already anticipates his movie returning to theaters, teasing, "I'm sure someone from Lucasfilm and Disney will give us the opportunity to watch Season 2 and then go straight to watch the film on a big screen with tons of popcorn and friends around."

Star Wars: Andor Season 2 is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2025.

Are you looking forward to Season 2? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

When Star Wars Outlaws releases later this month, players that subscribe to Disney+ will be able to get a special in-game item. The item in question is the Nix Tail Wrappings, which provides a unique blue wrapping that appears on the tail of Kay Vess' in-game companion. All in all, it's kind of a minor freebie, but it's hard to disagree with the price point! The Nix Tail Wrappings item is available to claim now by going to Ubisoft's official website right here. The offer will only be available through November 15th at 23:59 p.m. PT.

An image of Nix with the Tail Wrappings can be found below.

It will be interesting to see if Nix gets more customization options in the game. There's obviously an opportunity for Ubisoft to get creative with those Tail Wrappings, releasing different color combinations, or even special designs inspired by various parts of the Star Wars canon.

Nix seems to play a pretty big role in Star Wars Outlaws, helping Kay out in various ways throughout the game. Nix can be sent to activate switches or grab items that are out of reach. While that should help with the game's environmental puzzles, Nix can also be sent to attack enemies. The Merqaal creature is brought to life in the game by actor Dee Bradley Baker, who provides the character's various squeaks and sounds. Speaking to ComicBook earlier this month, Baker discussed voicing Nix and Jabba the Hutt in the game, stating that "neither Jabba nor Nix are particularly difficult on the voice, unless Nix is fighting a lot - then it gets a little rougher."

In the lead up to the release of Star Wars Outlaws, Nix has quickly become something of a mascot for the game, much in the same way that Grogu has for The Mandalorian. It remains to be seen whether Nix will be nearly as embraced by the Star Wars community, but the character does have kind of an endearing quality to him, while also having some practicality. Gamers can find out for themselves when Star Wars Outlaws releases on August 30th.

Are you excited to check out Star Wars Outlaws later this month? What do you think of this freebie through Disney+? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

After dominating streaming charts on Disney+ for three seasons, Star Wars: The Mandalorian is making the move to the big screen in 2026. The Mandalorian & Grogu is set to be the first live-action Star Wars movie to arrive in theaters since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, and it will be relying on characters that fans of the franchise already know and love. Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin will be leading a feature film alongside the lovable Force-user known as Grogu, but there are still questions as to who else from that Mandalorian series will appear in the movie.

Katee Sackhoff's Bo Katan has become one of the faces of The Mandalorian over the last couple of years, and it would feel surprising if The Mandalorian & Grogu didn't include the character. To this point, however, Sackhoff has not been confirmed as part of the cast. No stranger to these big franchises, Sackhoff has no trouble keeping information on lockdown until it's officially announced by Lucasfilm or Disney.

While speaking to Sackhoff about her role in DC's upcoming Watchmen animated film, ComicBook asked the actress about potentially showing up in The Mandalorian & Grogu.

"Number one, if I knew I wouldn't tell you," Sackhoff told us. "And if I did tell you, they'd probably kill me."

There will still be plenty of secrets surrounding the next Star Wars movie until it hits theaters in a couple of years, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of excitement about the film, both from fans and the people making it.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is being directed by Jon Favreau, who has been shepherding this new era of Star Wars storytelling alongside Dave Filoni. When it was originally announced at Star Wars Celebration, Favreau opened up about his excitement for bringing the stories of The Mandalorian to the big screen.

"I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created," Favreau shared in a statement. "The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting."

"Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen," Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, added.

For now, the only thing we know about The Mandalorian & Grogu is that Pedro Pascal will be starring as Din Djarin, and that the film will be hitting theaters on May 22, 2026.

Star Wars: Andor will be returning to Disney+ with a second season...someday. Even with D23 happening this past weekend we still don't have a release date, but thanks to footage shown at the event we know that Alan Tudyk will return in his role as K-2SO from Rogue One. Hasbro is all over this news with new Black Series and Vintage Collection figures, which will be joined by a new Darth Maul figure inspired by The Phantom Menace.

Look for pre-orders to open up starting on August 13th at at 10am PT / 1pm ET here at Entertainment Earth (free U.S. shipping on orders $59+). Direct links will be added to the list below after the launch. Stay tuned. UPDATE: Dedra Meero and Cassian Andor added.

• STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES K-2SO / $24.99 - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• STAR WARS: THE VINTAGE COLLECTION K-2SO / $16.99 - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES DARTH MAUL / $24.99 - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon: Includes a double-bladed Lightsaber accessory that can be taken apart
• STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES DEDRA MEERO / $24.99 - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES CASSIAN ANDOR / $24.99 - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
  

What Is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew About?

While the second season of Andor doesn't have a release date, we do know that it will come at some point in 2025. So the next Star Wars series on the Disney+ timeline will be Skeleton Crew, which debuts on December 3rd. You can read the official synopsis for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew here: "When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined."

The series was inspired by coming-of-age Amblin movies like The Goonies, and it's "a story about a group of kids, about 10 years old, from a tiny little planet who accidentally get lost in the Star Wars galaxy," Watts previously explained, add that "the story of their journey trying to find their way home."

Jude Law (Captain Marvel, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) plays the human Jedi Jod Na Nawood, the adult leader of a motley crew of galaxy-faring kids that includes Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), KB (Kyriana Kratter), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). During their journey, they'll meet the new Nick Frost-voiced droid SM 33, described by Watts as "a rusty old, cranky droid that sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way."

Disney+ has released the full trailer for LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - which you can watch below!

The new four-part LEGO Star Wars TV series features the story of a young hero named Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo), who inadvertently messes with the "cornerstone" (read: shiny glowing piece) of the LEGO Star Wars Universe, causing a complete universal collapse and subsequent rebuild. That event changes everything about the traditional Star Wars Universe characters and lore we thought we knew, leaving Sig and his ally "Jedi Bob" on a quest to (literally and figuratively) rebuild the galaxy.

This trailer is a great mix of the Star Wars and LEGO franchises. The trailer features plenty of deep-cut Star Wars lore and fan-service moments, including the infamous "Darth Jar Jar" version of the Prequel Trilogy character, and Mark Hamill voicing a variant version of Luke Skywalker who is flabbergasted by hearing his character arc in the main Star Wars Universe. It also captures the unique humor and workings of a world built from LEGO pieces - namely the entire "rebuild" concept - with some of the current multiversal subject matter that's all the rage these days. All of it is done with the meta-humor fans have come to expect from The LEGO Movie and all its spinoffs, which satirize franchises and genres better than just about anyone.

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Cast & Story Info

The entire Star Wars Galaxy gets completely mixed up when an ordinary nerf-herder, Sig Greebling, unearths a powerful artifact from a hidden Jedi temple. He finds himself thrust into adventure in a new, wondrously wild, and twisted version of the galaxy where good guys are bad, bad guys are good, and the fate of all depends on Sig becoming the hero who can put all the pieces back together.

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy stars Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things), Bobby Moynihan (SNL), Tony Revolori (Spider-Man Trilogy), Marsai Martin (Black-ish), Michael Cusack (Smiling Friends), with Ahmed Best (The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan) as Darth Jar Jar, and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

"It's hard to believe that it's been 25 years since the ground-breaking collaboration between Lucasfilm and The LEGO Group began," executive producer James Waugh shared in a statement. "In that time, LEGO Star Wars has given our fans the unique power to unlock their imaginations and play with the galaxy's elements in any way they can conceive... and build. It's with that playful spirit in mind that we set out to 'Rebuild the Galaxy' like never before. Tapping into the comedic genius of Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, two of the most talented comedy writers I've had the fortune of working with, we've mixed and matched LEGO sets to snap together Imperial X-fighters, Rebel TIE-wings, and yes, even Darth Jar Jar. This four-piece special is a celebration of all things Star Wars, LEGO, and the incredible explorations that can only happen when these two amazing brands come together."

The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy is getting an upgrade. Disney announced during D23 that The Mandalorian and Grogu are boarding the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride, a motion simulator attraction that lets guests step into the cockpit of the famed Corellian light freighter at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. With The Mandalorian and Grogu movie set to make the jump from Disney+ to the big screen in 2026, the Pedro Pascal-voiced bounty hunter and his foundling will be featured in a "brand-new story" that can only be experienced at both the California and Florida versions of the Star Wars-themed parks.

"The intersection of storytelling and innovation has always been central to Lucasfilm, and we're excited to see where this collaboration will take us next," Star Wars creative executive Dave Filoni said on stage with Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro on stage at D23 2024. "Just imagine it: you'll be able to fly alongside Mando and Grogu on thrilling, and dangerous, missions."

Epic's Unreal Engine, which creates some of the virtual sets for The Mandalorian television show, is also being used to develop the updated version of the ride's computer-animated show scenes as part of Disney's partnership with Epic Games.

Since it opened at Disneyland park and Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2019, the ride's story has featured space pirate Hondo Ohnaka, who dispatches riders on an interactive smuggling mission aboard the formerly Han Solo-piloted ship.

The Mandalorian and Grogu were added to the land as roaming characters in 2022 and have been part of Star Tours - The Adventures Continue simulator ride since 2024, when Disney Experiences updated that attraction with characters and locations from The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Andor.

Jon Favreau, creator and showrunner of the first live-action Star Wars series, is writing and directing the theatrical Mandalorian movie and serves as producer with Filoni and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Plot details are being kept under the helmet, but a just-released teaser trailer at D23 showed the Mandalorian and his apprentice piloting an AT-ST Walker as they evaded blaster fire from AT-ATs, an encounter with the rebel Zeb, and Grogu in a pod with tiny Anzellans as seen in 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The Mandalorian and Grogu will join Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run around the time the movie hits theaters in May 2026. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for the latest news out of D23 2024.

The D23 Expo is now underway, celebrating all things tied to the world of Disney. On Friday night, Disney took over the Honda Center for a massive preview of their upcoming movies, television shows, and more. From Marvel to Star Wars to Pixar to Disney itself, plenty of new reveals and surprising footage. Here's what you need to know from Disney's Entertainment Showcase at D23 2024.

Host Yvette Nicole Brown arrives onstage. A sizzle reel plays of footage of past Disney properties, with new looks at Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, Snow White, and more interspersed in. Bob Iger takes the stage, this is the first time in five years that he's at D23. He talks about wanting to entertain and delight audiences first and foremost. He talks about Disney's global impact, and the responsibility to do right by that. He teases that Disney has a big weekend in store for fans. He says Disney's different brands fuel and complement each other in major ways.

Dancers and drummers take the stage to introduce Moana 2. Auil'i Cravalho performs the first new song from the film, "Who We're Meant to Be." Dwayne Johnson takes the stage and does a Polynesian dance. Johnson gets the crowd to chant a Polynesian phrase, and brags that this is the biggest crowd D23 has ever had for its showcase. Cravalho says Moana is now the leader of land and sea and a big sister, who spends her free time searching for evidence of more people beyond the islands. Johnson teases Maui is singing "in keys that don't exist." Johnson highlights the film's impact, and message about believing in more and going for more. Johnson teases the villains are even worse than from the first film. A new trailer plays, showing Moana and her baby sister, the new quest, Moana being struck by lightning that guides her on her journey, a reluctant team up with Maui again, and the return of the coconut people. Johnson introduces Alan Bergman, who has been working with him for decades. They also tease their next project together: a Monster Jam movie. It will be a live action cinematic experience from the point of view of the monster trucks. Bergman hypes the larger Disney portfolio. He talks about Avatar initially being "the one that got away" from Disney, and how happy he is to have it back in the portfolio.

James Cameron takes the stage to introduce Avatar 3. He says getting new footage from the VFX artists every day feels like Christmas morning. He says Avatar 3 has really high emotional stakes and a challenging territory, and a new character fans will love to hate. It's "not what you expect, but definitely what you want." Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington take the stage. It's too soon to show footage, but there is new concept art and an official title. We see the fire Navi, giant hot air balloons, tons of flight. Title is Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Brown returns onstage to introduce the Pixar portion. Pete Docter takes the stage, as his Inside Out emotions react to the jokes he makes. He thanks the audience for making Inside Out 2 the number one animated film of all time. A new Inside Out Disney+ series is announced: Dream Productions. It's set between both films and will premiere in 2025, is set in the studio where Riley's dreams are made. Footage is shown, a lot of madcap behind-the-scenes Hollywood fare. Pixar's first long-form series, Win or Lose, hits Disney+ on December 6th, an exclusive watch party will be held tomorrow. It shows the baseball team and their different POVs of the story, utilizing a ton of different animation styles. Toy Story 5 arrives in the summer of 2026. Andrew Stanton is writing and directing. It will be "toy meets tech", both with cell phones and an army of rogue Buzz Lightyear toys. A brand-new film is announced for spring 2026: Hoppers, a movie about humans hopping brains with animals. Mabel, an anime-esque protagonist played by Piper Curda who swaps with King George, the king of the beavers, played by Bobby Moynihan. The villain is Mayor Jerry, played by Jon Hamm. An alien from Elio scans the crowd to find Elio himself, making jokes about Disney and the audience in the process. Elio will be released on June 13, 2025. Yonas Kibreab, who voices Elio, takes the stage. Zoe Saldana is joining the cast as Elio's aunt. They tease Elio's unique hero's journey as he is accidentally chosen to be a cosmic leader. A new teaser plays talking about space exploration. Elio is an alien obsessed kid who is accidentally beamed up. Gorgeous alien designs. An alien traps Elio, and a translator reveals that he isn't going to eat him, just swaddle him because he seemed scared. The Incredibles 3 is announced. Brad Bird is currently developing it.

Zootopia 2 kicks off Disney Animation Studios with a bunch of animal puns. Ginnifer Goodwin takes the stage to talk about the film. Reptiles will be introduced in the sequel; they have a shady reputation in Zootopia. One, a scary snake named Gary, is voiced by Ke Huy Quan. New footage shows Marsh Market, where the semi-aquatic animals live, as the duo questions a giant seal who only speaks in "bubs. "Frozen III director Jennifer Lee hints at a top-secret original film for 2026. She teases that there are a lot of questions still left to answer in the franchise, so much so that it will take two films to answer them. The first piece of concept art for Frozen III is shown, showing Anna, Olaf, and Elsa riding horses with a horned figure in the shadows behind them. A filmed version of Frozen on Broadway will hit Disney+ in 2025. A stage adaptation of Hercules is coming. James Monroe Iglehart performs from Aladdin. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is performed from Lion King. "Beauty and the Beast" is performed. "Go the Distance" and "Zero to Hero" are performed by Hercules. Samantha Barks performs "Let It Go" from Frozen as snow confetti falls.

A group of singers perform from the newly announced, in-development The Greatest Showman: The Musical.

Star Wars time. Jude Law takes the stage to introduce the first trailer for Skeleton Crew. It's inspired by Amblin coming-of-age films, the four young protagonists are accidentally lost in space and need to find their way home. It arrives on Disney+ in December. The first trailer plays. Diego Luna takes the stage for Andor Season 2. He has lived with the character of Cassian for close to a decade. He teases Season 2 will heighten the stakes as Cassian finds his true purpose. The first footage for Andor Season 2 plays, mixed with behind-the-scenes details: intense rebel uprisings, K2 and Cassian meeting for the first time, Krennec. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni take the stage to talk about The Mandalorian and Grogu movie. Filoni knew since watching Iron Man that Favreau would make a good Star Wars movie. The movie began filming a few weeks ago. A sizzle reel of old footage plays, plus new: Zeb from Rebels, Mando and Grogu running away from AT-ATs, Grogu in a pod with Anzellans.

Marvel time. Ryan Reynolds sends a video message thanking everyone for going to see Deadpool and Wolverine. Feige takes the stage. Captain America: Brave New World is up first. Anthony Mackie takes the stage, talks about how heavy the shield is. New footage plays: it's the same footage from SDCC. Fantastic Four: the cast records a video message around the dinner table. Johnny is in his costume. The same sizzle reel from SDCC plays. Ironheart: Ryan Coogler introduces the cast. A trailer plays, beginning with Wakanda Forever footage. Back in Chicago, Riri is stuck without her suit and failing at MIT. She gets expelled. Ramos' character, The Hood, enlists Ruri in illegal jobs to get money to make her suit. She flies through the streets of Chicago. Daredevil: Born Again cast takes the stage. Jon Bernthal is honored to return to Frank Castle. They start working on Season 2 very soon. Footage plays. People are going missing. Matt is White Tiger's lawyer; he has become a dangerous vigilante. People get thrown in front of trains. Kamala Khan's dad is taken hostage in court. Bullseye is back. Multiple Daredevil cowls. Sex. Matt and Fisk threaten each other over coffee at a diner: Fisk asks if the threats are from Matt or Daredevil. A montage of both Matt and Daredevil brutalizing people, lots of broken bones. Kamala's dad asks what kind of lawyer Matt is, "a really good one." New Agatha All Along trailer plays. Agatha assembles her coven. They sing. They enter the Witches Road where they face a bunch of tribunals. Wizard of Oz. 70s. 80s teen movie. "Last one to the end of Witches Road is a good person." The cast, led by Kathryn Hahn, sing the Witches Road song from the trailer. Hahn shouts out the Lopezes for writing their songs, brings them out onstage.

Percy Jackson cast and crew take the stage. They thank the audience for making the show such a hit. Percy's half-brother will be in Season 2. Sea of Monsters confirmed for Season 2. They're only a week into production. A sizzle reel plays of Season 1 footage, and then we see a shot of Percy in armor. Rita Ora thanks everyone for watching Descendants: The Rise of Red, announces the Descendants/Zombies Worlds Collide concert tour. A medley of songs from Descendants is performed. A trailer for David Blaine's new National Geographic show, David Blaine: Do Not Attempt, plays. Blaine takes the stage, says the series is two years in the making. He leads the audience in a mass interactive card trick.

Disney live action. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan introduce Freaky Friday 2: fully titled Freakier Friday. Anna is a mom. Pink Slip is back. Footage from live action Lilo and Stitch "crashes" the event. First look at live action Stitch. Arrives in theaters summer 2025.Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot arrive to talk Snow White. Zegler talks about how surreal it was to play the original Disney Princess. Gadot says it was fun to play bad. First footage plays: "Whistle While You Work" with Snow White and the CGI dwarves. The first teaser trailer plays. Jeff Bridges comes out to talk Tron: Ares. He talks about the longevity of the franchise, and says technology and AI make this new movie more prescient. Greta Lee, Evan Peters, and Jared Leto arrive. Peters plays Julian Dillinger. Lee plays a human character named Eve Kim, a brilliant programmer whose work leads to Ares entering our world. Leto jokes he never signed his NDA, he plays Ares, a program looking to attack the real world. Rough footage plays: Dillinger addresses an audience about AI entering our world. Snowy mountains. Ares walks among a damaged world. Lightcycles and other Tron tech attack the real world. Lee's character and a group of humans try to stop it. Bridges' character greets Ares. Lasers cut into the screen and reveal that Nine Inch Nails are composing the music for Tron: Ares. A choir performs Circle of Life to introduce Mufasa. Barry Jenkins takes the stage. He confirms Lin Manuel Miranda is doing the music, brings him out onstage for his first D23. A clip plays showing the dynamic between young Mufasa and Skar, who goes by Taka. They sing about their brotherhood as they race through the plains. The cast is introduced. A new trailer plays. Another musical performance closes the show, as confetti falls to the ground.

You can see the trailer below.

Besides Jude Law, the talent behind Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is pretty impressive across the board; fan-favorite Star Wars veteran Bryce Dallas Howard will direct an episode, Shaun of the Dead star Nick Frost will make an appearance, and Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts will serve as showrunner. Watts recently also unveiled a first look at Wolfs, his new movie with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. That movie got a sequel greenlit before it has even premiered, so it's been a good week to be Jon Watts.

"If you look carefully, [we] got some Star Wars tech that dates right back, I believe, to the original film," Law said earlier this year. "They do [easter eggs] so well. That's one of the joys I think of this universe for those who know there are these little details always hidden away or easter eggs that people can find and link up."

\Watts also confirmed the show will feature "a lot of easter eggs." He added, "I can't wait ... I mean, even in the first episode, there's a couple really, really great references that certain fans will immediately recognize."

"You don't have to know everything about Star Wars to enjoy the show," Watts explained. "You can come into it completely fresh and enjoy the story. But if you do happen to be a Star Wars super fan, there's a lot for you."

Per the official synopsis, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home -- and meeting unlikely allies and enemies -- will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

Stay tuned for updates on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew before it premieres on December 3rd.

Star Wars fans only recently got our first looks at the upcoming TV series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew with official photos last week, but according to the Instagram account of one of the show's young stars, the first teaser will be released on Friday. As compared to movies, which will sometimes release a teaser in theaters before it lands online, with this being a Disney+ series, we can likely expect the new teaser to debut on social media and YouTube. The release of the trailer will coincide with this weekend's D23 Expo, the in-person celebration of all corners of the Disney brand. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew currently has a release date of December 3rd.

The official Instagram account of star Robert Timothy Smith, which is run by his parents, shared photos from the new series in a post and added the caption, "First look at Star Wars: Skeleton Crew! The show will air on December 3rd on Disney+. Robert's character is called Neel, and he is one of the four kid leads. We're over the moon excited for everyone to finally see this show that has been two years in the making. Also, a teaser trailer will premiere on Friday."

Even though last month's San Diego Comic-Con featured a number of exciting teases and reveals about some of the biggest franchises in pop culture, Star Wars was largely absent from official announcements. Luckily, with D23 being the in-house event run by Disney, it marks a great way to spread the word about some of their most iconic franchises.

Friday night at 7 p.m. PT is the start of the "Disney Entertainment Showcase," a two-hour event celebrating all the latest news for the whole Disney family. While it's possible the teaser could arrive online earlier in the day, fans in attendance will likely get to see the teaser up on the big screen.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home -- and meeting unlikely allies and enemies -- will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

Stay tuned or updates on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew before it premieres on December 3rd.

Are you looking forward to the new series? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Funko is adding to their Star Wars Dark Side collection with a Pop figure that's inspired by Anakin Skywalker riding a droid over the lava river on Mustafar during his duel with Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith. They're calling it "Darth Vader First Appearance", but is it? Was it the moment that Palpatine names him as Darth Vader? When got the yellow Sith eyes? Discuss.

At any rate, it's a cool-looking Star Wars Funko Pop with a controversial title, which makes it a must-have for your collection. Pre-orders will officially be available starting today, August 7th at 9am PT / 12pm ET, though they went live early here on Amazon and should be available here on Entertainment Earth (free U.S. shipping on orders $59+) at launch time. Previously released Pop figures in the Dark Side collection can be found below. You can check out more Funko Pop releases for this week right here.

Funko's first wave of Dark Side Funko Pop includes a glow-in-the-dark Darth Maul Hologram Specialty Series exclusive. But that's not all! There are bronzed figures, Deluxe Pops like Kylo Ren with Darth Vader's helmet and Darth Vader on the throne, and more.

• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops - Darth Maul Hologram (Glow): Specialty Series Exclusive
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops - Darth Maul (Bronzed): Funko Exclusive
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops -Kylo Ren (Bronzed): Target Exclusive
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops - Darth Vader on Throne: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops - Darth Vader in TIE Fighter: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops -Kylo Ren With Darth Vader's Helmet: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops - Emperor Palpetine: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops - Emperor Palpetine (Jumbo): See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
  
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops - Darth Maul: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Star Wars Dark Side Funko Pops - Count Dooku: See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon

What Is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew About?

You can read the official synopsis for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew here: "When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined."

The series was inspired by coming-of-age Amblin movies like The Goonies, and it's "a story about a group of kids, about 10 years old, from a tiny little planet who accidentally get lost in the Star Wars galaxy," Watts previously explained, add that "the story of their journey trying to find their way home."

Jude Law (Captain Marvel, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) plays the human Jedi Jod Na Nawood, the adult leader of a motley crew of galaxy-faring kids that includes Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), KB (Kyriana Kratter), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). During their journey, they'll meet the new Nick Frost-voiced droid SM 33, described by Watts as "a rusty old, cranky droid that sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way."

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew debuts on Disney+ on Tuesday, December 3rd.

With any new story being told in the galaxy far, far away, Star Wars fans wonder how it might be connected to other corners of the franchise, but for the upcoming movie Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy is developing, he hopes the experience can exist on its own terms. While previous standalone stories Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story didn't directly rely on members of the Skywalker family, they had to fit within the confines of the events of the prequel and original trilogy, and while he denied offering concrete details about the movie, his remarks imply something entirely disconnected from the intergalactic family.

When asked by the Happy Sad Confused podcast what Star Wars meant to him, Levy detailed, "I'll say that the experience of crafting this story has forced me to think about that question. Because there's only so many times that Star Wars movies can revisit the same section of the timeline, and so it's really forced me -- because I don't want to do a Star Wars movie that is redundant to others, nor am I interested in doing one that has to serve another movie."

He added, "I really wanted to craft something that felt organic to me, both in tone and characters, so I think that there is certainly the Force and a connection to something bigger than our individual selves. And the way that that can make us powerful, those themes, combined with visual delight and wish fulfillment, that's Star Wars to me."

At last year's Star War Celebration, Lucasfilm confirmed that three new movies were on the way. Dave Filoni would develop a film set during The New Republic, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy would develop a movie featuring Rey Skywalker establishing a New Jedi Order, and James Mangold would direct a film focusing on the Dawn of the Jedi. The first two films are both dependent on established elements of franchise lore, while Mangold's was far enough from the Skywalker saga to feel like an entirely original experience.

Jon Favreau is developing the movie The Mandalorian & Grogu, which takes place after Season 3 of The Mandalorian. It's been nearly five years since a Star Wars movie was released, with Lucasfilm instead focusing on TV series for Disney+. Of all the series released up to this point, only Star Wars: The Acolyte, which took place during The High Republic, focused on all-new characters, yet even still had cameos from figures like Yoda and Darth Plagueis.

Stay tuned for updates on Shawn Levy's Star Wars movie.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley has revealed that she's been diagnosed with Graves' Disease, an autoimmune disorder characterized by disruption in the thyroid. Speaking with Women's Health, Ridley revealed her diagnosis and how she realized something was wrong. After filming an upcoming movie, Ridley spoke with an endocrinologist about the symptoms she was feeling which included fatigue, weight loss, hand tremors, and more, which prompted them to consider that those symptoms matched Graves' Disease. Reflecting on learning about the disease, Ridley said, "It was funny, I was like, 'Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,' but turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can't chill out."

This interview marked the first time that Ridley has revealed her diagnosis publicly. "It's the first time I've shared that [Graves']," she shared. "It was funny, I was like, 'Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,' but turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can't chill out."

Ridledy continued, "We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed and sort of coming to terms with saying, 'I really, actually don't feel good' and not going, 'I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine.' It's just normalized to not feel good."

"In the grand scheme of things, it's much less severe than what a lot of people go through," the actress offered. "Even if you can deal with it, you shouldn't have to. If there's a problem, you shouldn't have to just [suffer through it]."

What Is Young Woman And The Sea About?

Here's how Disney describes the emotional tale: "Young Woman and the Sea tells the story of Gertrude Ederle, the accomplished swimmer who was born to immigrant parents in New York City in 1905. Through the steadfast support of her older sister and supportive trainers, she overcame adversity and the animosity of a patriarchal society to rise through the ranks of the Olympic swimming team and complete the staggering achievement - a 21-mile trek from France to England.

"Young Woman and the Sea is directed by Joachim R?nning, with a script from Jeff Nathanson. The film is produced by Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who acquired the rights to Stout's book back in 2015. In addition to Ridley, the cast of Young Woman and the Sea includes Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Christopher Eccleston, and Glenn Fleshler."

Are you surprised to learn this about Ridley? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is finally set to come to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in a little more than a month. Not long after the second entry in the Star Wars Jedi series released this past year for current-gen platforms, EA and developer Respawn Entertainment announced that a port for last-gen consoles was also in the works. Since that time, news on the PS4 and Xbox One iterations of Jedi: Survivor has been pretty quiet, which led some to wonder if these releases were even still happening. Now, it has been confirmed that the PS4 and Xbox One editions are still on their way and they'll be launching in September.

Detailed in a press release, EA revealed that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will arrive on September 17th for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Compared to the current-gen versions, these last-gen ports will only retail for $49.99 upon their arrival. Pre-orders for Jedi: Survivor on these platforms are live as of today and those who purchase the title in advance will earn the Hermit Cosmetic, Hermit Lightsaber Set, and Combustion Blaster Set.

As for the differences in this iteration of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, EA says that the game has a "variety of optimizations aimed at maximizing the hardware capabilities of the consoles." Additionally, the PC version of Jedi: Survivor will be receiving a new update at some point soon that will incorporate a number of improvements to the game's performance, controls, and other features.

"Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a strong sequel that improves on nearly every core element seen in Fallen Order," reads our own review from 2023. "Even in spite of some pacing troubles with its story, Cal Kestis is an even more compelling protagonist this time around and continues to be one of the best new Star Wars characters that has come about in the Disney era. With a little more polish and some trimmed fat, Jedi: Survivor could have been a home run, but Respawn still has a bit more room for growth in a third installment for this potential trilogy."

Speaking of a third installment, Respawn and EA have confirmed that another game in the Star Wars Jedi series is on its way. Given that Jedi: Survivor is barely one year old, though, this new entry is likely still many years down the road.

There's a pretty insane buy one, get one free deal happening right now at GameStop on nearly 400 collectibles that cover a wide range of fandoms. However, the fact that several Hasbro Black Series Star Wars electronic helmets are eligible for the deal is surprising. At the time of writing, the lineup includes the options listed below. Just keep in mind that the helmets probably won't last long, and you can mix and match any item from GameStop's sale to get your freebie.

• The Black Series The Mandalorian Death Watch helmet - See at GameStop
• The Black Series The Mandalorian Axe Woves helmet - See at GameStop
• The Black Series Artillery Stormtrooper helmet - See at GameStop
• See more Star Wars items in GameStop's B1G1 free sale

In other Star Wars The Black Series news, Hasbro recently released an electronic helmet inspired by The Acolyte character that fans have dubbed 'Dark Teeth", though Disney appears to be officially calling him 'The Stranger' for the purposes of spoiler-free merchandising.

The helmet is available to pre-order here at Entertainment Earth (free US shipping on orders $79+) priced at $99.99, and you can get a $20 credit toward a future purchase on orders $100 or more through August 13th. As always, the helmet is fully wearable. You can also flip the helmet upside down to view illuminating interior lights and press and hold the side button for 3 seconds to start an hour-long collector display mode. Below you'll find additional details on the helmet along with previously released Black Series figures in The Acolyte lineup.

STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES THE STRANGER ELECTRONIC HELMET ($99.99): "Reimagine iconic scenes from the Star Wars saga -- and create your own -- with Star Wars helmet and Lightsaber adult roleplay items! This officially licensed roleplay item is based on The Stranger's helmet from the Star Wars: The Acolyte live-action series on Disney+. Featuring highly detailed sculpt and padding for an adjustable fit for most head sizes, fans and collectors can wear the helmet inspired by the mysterious character from the series."

Star Wars Outlaws is still a few weeks away from release, but Ubisoft has already announced plans for after launch. Today, the publisher revealed a roadmap for the game, which offers a broad idea of what to expect. This fall, Story Pack 1 will be released, which is titled Wild Card. Players can also expect two cosmetic bundles: Hunter's Legacy and Cartel Ronin. In spring 2025, Story Pack 2 will be released, which is A Pirate's Fortune. The two expansions will be offered to those with the game's Season Pass, but they will also be available for purchase separately.

The roadmap for Star Wars Outlaws can be found below.

As the name implies, Wild Card will center around a "high-stakes Sabacc tournament." Main character Kay Vess has been hired by someone to infiltrate the tournament, where she'll run into Lando Calrissian! Star Wars Outlaws takes place between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, at a critical point for Lando. Following the events at Cloud City, Lando has joined the Rebellion, but as the Star Wars comics from Marvel have shown, it wasn't a smooth transition! It will be interesting to see how Lando's role in Star Wars Outlaws lines up with his recently wrapped storyline, and how he interacts with Kay Vess.

Lando is not the only familiar face that will be appearing in post-launch content. A Pirate's Fortune will see Kay Vess crossing paths with Hondo Ohnaka. Hondo first appeared in The Clone Wars, but is probably most recognizable to those familiar with the Smuggler's Run attraction at Galaxy's Edge. In A Pirate's Fortune, the Weequay will run into Kay Vess as he's "looking to settle old scores with a ruthless gang of pirates."

Star Wars Outlaws isn't set to release until August 30th, so It remains to be seen whether the game will have players eager to revisit its universe. However, both of these story expansions sound promising! Unfortunately, details are still pretty slim about what to expect right now, but it's likely Ubisoft will have a lot more information as their release draws closer.

Do you plan on checking out the season pass for Star Wars Outlaws? Are you happy to see how Lando and Hondo fit into the storyline? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Former Lando showrunner Justin Simien is still "grieving" his canceled Star Wars Disney+ series. The Haunted Mansion director spoke to Collider about the process of moving on and his Hollywood Black documentary series. It's clear Simien is broken up about how Lando got scuttled and he was replaced by Donald Glover. "It was pretty developed. Yeah, there was a Bible, there was concept art, there were scripts, but it just wasn't meant to be," he revealed. "I get over it. I'm in therapy a lot." So, the filmmaker is working through the rough news in his own way. Simien was supposed to be handling a big Lando Calrissian Disney+ show. It's even more heartbreaking to know that so much work had already been done on the project, and now it may never see the light of day.

"For me, the answer is that you have to really face it. It is true grief. I've never had a child, I've never lost a child, but it's what I imagine that pain might be like," Simien shared. "You pour so much of your heart and soul into something, but ultimately, you don't have control over whether it lives or dies, and it is a true grieving process."

"For me, it has to be done pretty straight on like, 'I am in grief. I do not feel good.' I have to let myself feel those feelings," Simien added. "There's so much that I experience that I get to keep forever and take into the next project. I can't obviously take the storyline or the IP or the characters, but there's so much more that I got, as a maker, and that's mine. Sorry, it's too late, you can't take that part back."

Lando Was In Limbo For A While

Adding to this rough moment is the fact that Simien says that he found out about his departure through the same reports in the media that the fans saw. Lando had been announced ages ago. But, when the news and updates stopped coming through, some fans had begun suspecting that something wasn't right. The director was interviewed by TheWrap. He told them that he was a bit blindsided by the chain of events. He still loves Star Wars and is on good terms with Donald Glover. He was just a bit surprised.

"It was the first time I had gotten any official confirmation at all about what was happening with [Lando]," Simien explained when asked about the timeline. "You'd certainly, like, hear rumors. It's a small town. Donald Glover and I have a lot of mutual friends. So I had some idea of possibilities of what might be happening and why we haven't heard from anybody."

He added, "The good news is that I'm a huge fan -- truly, genuinely of Donald Glover, and particularly the work that him and his brother do. So I'm also happy to just be a fan and watch it, and sort of get to experience it the way an audience would, because it's certainly what I wanted to see when I said yes to the project."

Do you think he should have gotten a shot at this property? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

The D23 Expo is kicking off next week to celebrate all corners of The Walt Disney Company's impressive roster of franchises, which includes multiple opportunities for fans to learn more about Star Wars and Lucasfilm. While last month's San Diego Comic-Con saw thousands of fans honoring the galaxy far, far away, there wasn't a substantial presence at the event that offered insight into the franchise's future, though with D23 being an event orchestrated specifically by Disney, we can likely get more promising updates in the world of movies, TV, and more. Check out the schedule of Star Wars and Lucasfilm events below before D23 Expo kicks off on August 9th.

StarWars.com shares of the event, "During the three-day event this year, you'll also have the chance to learn more about your favorite Star Wars series, and celebrate a trio of Star Wars legends: the maestro John Williams, Han Solo actor Harrison Ford, and Frank Oz, the voice and puppeteer behind Yoda. And while we can't wait to report back on everything we learn at the Disney Entertainment Showcase, where there is sure to be a segment devoted to forthcoming Lucasfilm titles, there is so much to see and do on the show floor before and after the panel event!"

Friday, August 9th

ILM Stagecraft: A Galaxy of Innovation - 10 a.m. PT at the Lucasfilm Booth

• Learn all about ILM's Stagecraft through a firsthand experience at the Volume.
  

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - 12 p.m. PT at the Lucasfilm Booth

• Learn more about the next LEGO Star Wars special, LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, from Dan Hernandez (showrunner, writer, executive producer), Benji Samit (showrunner, writer, executive producer), and James Waugh (executive producer and Lucasfilm senior vice president, Franchise Content & Strategy).
  

Creatures & Droids with Legacy Effects - 2 p.m. PT at the Lucasfilm Booth

• The creative studio that brought The Mandalorian's Grogu and Ahsoka's Murley the Loth-cat to life talks about the craft of making lifelike aliens, creatures, and droids.
  

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures - Nubs Meet & Greet - 4 p.m. PT at the Lucasfilm Booth

• Younglings and younglings at heart can meet and hug Nubs, the Pooba star of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures.
  

Disney Entertainment Showcase - 7 p.m. PT - 9 p.m. PT at the Honda Center

• NOTE: Evening shows at the Honda Center are for D23 Ultimate Fan Pass ticket holders only. There are no reservations or stand-by queues available for the Honda Center.
• Enjoy the magic of Disney Entertainment in a star-studded showcase featuring exclusive looks at the movies, series, and stage shows you love, and a glimpse into what you can look forward to. Join some of your favorite stars as they give you a peek behind the curtain at upcoming projects, never-before-seen footage, surprise announcements, and special guests, musical performances, and exclusive new content coming to the big screen, your small screens, and stages worldwide.

Saturday, August 10th

ILM Stagecraft: A Galaxy of Innovation - 10 a.m. PT at the Lucasfilm Booth

• Learn all about ILM's Stagecraft through a firsthand experience of the Volume.
  

Doug Chiang: Designing with Stagecraft - 12 p.m. PT at the Lucasfilm Booth

• Lucasfilm's senior vice president and executive design director Doug Chiang takes us back to the drawing board for an in-depth look at how Star Wars designs are incorporated using Stagecraft technology.
  

• The creative studio that brought The Mandalorian's Grogu and Ahsoka's Murley the Loth-cat to life talks about the craft of making lifelike aliens, creatures, and droids.
  

A Lookback at Star Wars: The Acolyte with Manny Jacinto - 4 p.m. PT at the Lucasfilm Booth

• Join The Acolyte's Manny Jacinto as he reflects on the first season of the series and reveals new insights on the Stranger.
  

Sunday, August 11th

A Conversation with Lucasfilm Animation - 12 p.m. PT at the Lucasfilm Booth

• Athena Portillo (vice president, Animation Production) and Vanessa Marshall (voice of Hera Syndulla in Star Wars Rebels) reflect on favorite moments from nearly two decades of Lucasfilm Animation's critically acclaimed storytelling.
  

• Younglings and younglings at heart can meet and hug Nubs, the Pooba star of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures.
  

Disney Legends Awards Ceremony - 5 pm PT - 7 p.m. PT at the Honda Center

• NOTE: Evening shows at the Honda Center are for D23 Ultimate Fan Pass ticket holders only. There are no reservations or stand-by queues available for the Honda Center.
• Since 1987, the Disney Legends Awards program has honored gifted individuals for the significant impact they've had on the Disney legacy. We'll be honoring the 2024 class of Disney Legends -- including John Williams, Harrison Ford, and Frank Oz -- on Sunday, August 11th, at 5 p.m. PT at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

Stay tuned for updates on D23 Expo before it kicks off on August 9th.

Are you looking forward to the event? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

LEGO has launched a huge wave of new sets for August 2024, and it includes plenty of new items for Star Wars fans. Some of the most interesting are inspired by the LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy four-part animated series that's set to premiere on Disney+ on September 13th. Indeed, LEGO is bringing some of the Star Wars mashup designs featured in the show into the real world. How about a Dark Side version of the Millennium Falcon or a mashup between a Tie Fighter and an X-Wing? Darth Jar Jar perhaps? With these two new LEGO sets, you can make these crazy concepts a reality.

Details about each of these sets can be found below, along with the full lineup of new Star Wars LEGO sets for August 2024. Note that the Micro Rocket Launchpad set will come free with orders of $200 or more through 8/7 (or while supplies last).

The Dark Falcon (75389 / 1579 pieces / $179.99):See at LEGO: "This LEGO Star Wars brick-built starship toy has flip-up panels for easy access to the detailed interior, including Darth Jar Jar's throne, the command center, hyperdrive, entertainment area and jail cell. Spring-loaded shooters, rotating cannons and a removable gunner post add to the action-play possibilities. Minfigures include Darth Jar Jar, Bounty Hunter C-3PO, Darth Dev, Darth Rey, Beach Luke and Jedi Vader, plus accessories including lightsabers and a blue milk carton." You can check out our review of this set right here.

TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up (75393 / 1063 pieces / $109.99): See at LEGO "The set features a 'TIE-wing' and 'X-fighter', each with an opening cockpit for a LEGO minifigure and 2 spring-loaded shooters. Simply remove the locking pins to detach the wings from the hull of each buildable vehicle toy and rebuild to create the familiar, iconic TIE fighter and X-wing. The wings of the 'TIE-wing'/X-fighter are adjustable for flight and attack modes and, once rebuilt as the X-wing, the retractable landing gear can be used. Minifigures include a Rebel Pilot and a TIE Pilot, each with blaster pistols, Yesi Scala with a gaffi stick, and Sig Greebling, plus an L3-G0 droid LEGO figure."

LEGO Star Wars / August 2024

• The Dark Falcon / 75389 / $179.99 - See at LEGO
• Imperial Star Destroyer / 75394 / $159.99 - See at LEGO
• The Onyx Cinder / 75374 / $139.99 - See at LEGO
• C-3PO / 75398 / $139.99 - See at LEGO
• TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up / 75393 / $109.99 - See at LEGO
• Creative Play Droid Builder / 75392 / $99.99 - See at LEGO
• Desert Skiff & Sarlacc Pit / 75396 / $79.99 - See at LEGO
• Ahsoka Tano's Duel on Peridea / 75385 / $54.99 - See at LEGO
• Jedi Bob's Starfighter / 75388 / $39.99 - See at LEGO

"In LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, the entire Star Wars Galaxy gets completely mixed up when an ordinary nerf-herder, Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo), unearths a powerful artifact from a hidden Jedi temple. He finds himself thrust into adventure in a new, wondrously wild, and twisted version of the galaxy where good guys are bad, bad guys are good, and the fate of all depends on Sig becoming the hero who can put all the pieces back together."

"It's hard to believe that it's been 25 years since the ground-breaking collaboration between Lucasfilm and The LEGO Group began," executive producer James Waugh shared in a statement. "In that time, LEGO Star Wars has given our fans the unique power to unlock their imaginations and play with the galaxy's elements in any way they can conceive... and build. It's with that playful spirit in mind that we set out to 'Rebuild the Galaxy' like never before. Tapping into the comedic genius of Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, two of the most talented comedy writers I've had the fortune of working with, we've mixed and matched LEGO sets to snap together Imperial X-fighters, Rebel TIE-wings, and yes, even Darth Jar Jar. This four-piece special is a celebration of all things Star Wars, LEGO, and the incredible explorations that can only happen when these two amazing brands come together."

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy premieres on Disney+ on September 13th.

The first season of Star Wars: The Acolyte has come to an end, but it's not the only live-action Star Wars project to look out for this year. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is set to star Jude Law and Kerry Condon, and it's scheduled to debut on Disney+ in December. The show is expected to follow a ragtag group of lost kids trying to find their way home, and it is set five years after Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Recently, Law told People that the show will have plenty of Star Wars easter eggs.

"If you look carefully, [we] got some Star Wars tech that dates right back, I believe, to the original film," Law shared. "They do [easter eggs] so well. That's one of the joys I think of this universe for those who know there are these little details always hidden away or easter eggs that people can find and link up."

Showrunner Jon Watts also confirmed the show will feature "a lot of easter eggs." He added, "I can't wait ... I mean, even in the first episode, there's a couple really, really great references that certain fans will immediately recognize."

"You don't have to know everything about Star Wars to enjoy the show," Watts explained. "You can come into it completely fresh and enjoy the story. But if you do happen to be a Star Wars super fan, there's a lot for you."

What Is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew About?

You can read the official synopsis for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew here: "When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined."

The series was inspired by coming-of-age Amblin movies like The Goonies, and it's "a story about a group of kids, about 10 years old, from a tiny little planet who accidentally get lost in the Star Wars galaxy," Watts previously explained, add that "the story of their journey trying to find their way home."

Jude Law (Captain Marvel, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) plays the human Jedi Jod Na Nawood, the adult leader of a motley crew of galaxy-faring kids that includes Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), KB (Kyriana Kratter), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). During their journey, they'll meet the new Nick Frost-voiced droid SM 33, described by Watts as "a rusty old, cranky droid that sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way."

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew debuts on Disney+ on Tuesday, December 3rd.

When Star Wars Outlaws releases next month, the game will offer players an option that makes things a little less easy. As revealed by PC Gamer, Explorer Mode is a new option in Star Wars Outlaws that will remove highlighted hints from the game's world. Sick of seeing the "yellow paint" that reveals every interactive element in a game's world? Explorer Mode will remove the "guiding color on core navigational elements." Basically, if you feel like games offer too much guidance in the modern era, you can turn off guiding colors and figure things out for yourself!

It remains to be seen how this will work in the actual game, but from the description, it sounds like this is the kind of option that will make a lot of people happy. For those that prefer to play with guidance on, nothing changes at all. However, for purists that want a little more challenge, the option is there. Over the last few years, developers have been making an effort to create games that are more welcoming. This inclusiveness is important, but making it so that there's still a challenge for those that want it is equally important. It sounds like Ubisoft might have found a perfect middle ground, and that bodes well for the game.

The use of "yellow paint" in video games has been a topic of heated debate over the last few years. Developers have used the color yellow as a designation to players that something can be interacted with. On one hand, the design choice has been helpful for some players, but many have argued that things have gotten out of control. For players that cherish the sense of accomplishment they get from video games, "yellow paint" has been an irritation to say the least. At this time, we don't know if Explorer Mode will be featured in Ubisoft games like Assassin's Creed Shadows, but hopefully the option becomes standard in the publisher's future games.

Players will get a chance to test out Explorer Mode for themselves on August 30th, when Star Wars Outlaws is released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Are you planning to try Explorer Mode in Star Wars Outlaws? Do you get frustrated by the "yellow paint" in video games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

Strap yourselves in, because Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is jumping to lightspeed. After The Acolyte took place in the long-ago High Republic era of the Star Wars timeline, Skeleton Crew returns to the New Republic timeframe of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. The live-action Star Wars series -- which is executive produced by Mando-verse overseers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni -- had been slotted for a December 2024 release on Disney+, but now Skeleton Crew has an official premiere date: Tuesday, December 3rd.

Along with the date, PEOPLE revealed new intel and the first official images from the series created by Jon Watts (the Tom Holland-fronted Spider-Man trilogy) and writer Christopher Ford (Spider-Man: Homecoming). Since Lucasfilm first announced Skeleton Crew at Star Wars Celebration 2022, few details have come out about the kid-centric series: it's set post-Return of the Jedi, it's inspired by coming-of-age Amblin movies like The Goonies, and it's "a story about a group of kids, about 10 years old, from a tiny little planet who accidentally get lost in the Star Wars galaxy," according to Watts, adding Skeleton Crew is "the story of their journey trying to find their way home."

Jude Law (Captain Marvel, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) plays the human Jedi Jod Na Nawood, the adult leader of a motley crew of galaxy-faring kids that includes Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), KB (Kyriana Kratter), Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), and Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). During their journey, they'll meet the new Nick Frost-voiced droid SM 33, described by Watts as "a rusty old, cranky droid that sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way."

The official synopsis states, "When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined."

"It is a fun place to be, the universe of Star Wars," Law told PEOPLE. "And there are great references to old films and recent episodes and series. There's a lot of originality and I hope that will bring the feeling of fun to those who watch it."

While there are "a lot of easter eggs" throughout the eight-episode first season, Watts said, "You don't have to know everything about Star Wars to enjoy the show. You can come into it completely fresh and enjoy the story. But if you do happen to be a Star Wars super fan, there's a lot for you."

Watts and Ford co-wrote the series, which features a stable of directors that includes Bryce Dallas Howard (Star Wars: The Mandalorian), Jake Schreier (Marvel's Thunderbolts*), Lee Isaac Chung (Twisters), David Lowery (Disney's Peter Pan & Wendy), and Everything Everywhere All at Once Oscar winners Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew premieres Dec. 3rd only on Disney+.

The upcoming Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will be honoring a number of components of the galaxy far, far away, with PEOPLE confirming today that the series will pay respects to the time-honored tradition of charismatic, mechanical companions by having Nick Frost voice the droid SM 33. The name of this droid will look familiar to Peter Pan fans, with the droid potentially taking on the personality of Captain Hook's first mate Mr. Smee. While SM 33's role is to help the young protagonists of the series, star Jude Law confirmed that his connection to Mr. Smee goes a bit further than just the name. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will premiere on Disney+ on December 3rd.

"He's like a rusty old, cranky droid that sort of reluctantly helps the kids along the way," Law confirmed to the outlet. "The other thing about him is that he's the first mate of a mysterious ship."

We shouldn't anticipate SM 33 to be a direct reflection of Mr. Smee, however, as that character was far more nefarious than Frost's droid sounds.

Frost is most known for his collaborations with filmmaker Edgar Wright and actor Simon Pegg in films like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End, with Pegg himself previously playing the otherworldly Unkar Plutt in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Law also went on to describe the practical ways in which the droids came to life while filming, impressing the actor with how realistic they feel to act alongside.

"Of course, you were expecting to work with droids and alien species, but you forget that they're brought to life in front of you by these extraordinary people who have skills, whether it's puppets or as animatronic experts," the actor detailed. "You're surrounded by them because they're as much a part of the cast as those who are flesh and blood."

He added that Frost's performance of SM 33 is "fun" and "absolutely perfect," and that his puppet collaborators were "an inspiration to work with."

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home -- and meeting unlikely allies and enemies -- will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will premiere on Disney+ on December 3rd.

Are you excited for the new series? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has released the first look at the Disney+ series. People Magazine sat down with Jude Law to talk about the show and the crew of young adventurers he finds himself out there with. Law plays Jod Na Nawood and he's joined by young performers including Ravi Cabot-Conyers (known as Wim in this show), Kyriana Kratter (plays KB), Robert Timothy Smith (a character by the name of Neel) and Ryan Kiera Armstrong (is also along as Fern.) Their veteran teammate told People that joy really guides this series.

"It is a fun place to be, the universe of Star Wars," Law smirked. "And there are great references to old films and recent episodes and series. There's a lot of originality and I hope that will bring the feeling of fun to those who watch it."

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew plays in contrast with the previous Star Wars series on Disney+, The Acolyte. Law says that he and his younger cast members are, "all in constant state of confusion and jeopardy and challenge." The star would continue, "very much a piece about working together and overcoming fears and overcoming...perhaps [one's] opinion of oneself or one's own weaknesses in order to succeed."

"I had a wonderful time making this with everyone involved," Law complimented his child co-star. "Those four in particular who worked with me very closely were just great fun and incredibly professional, and I'm immensely proud to be a part of their crew."

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Teases Tone

A lot has been made about the tone of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Not too long ago, EW spoke to Chris Ford about his collaboration with Jon Watts. Like Law said up above, this is very much a family adventure. "Skeleton Crew's tone is an adventure," Ford explained. "We wanted it to be a lot of fun. But of course, along with adventure comes the downside of it, which is danger. And when the kids are in danger, it's extra fraught. So we played with that, but overall we wanted it to be just a fun adventure."

Here's how Lucasfilm describes the upcoming series: "When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined."

Does this series sound amazing? Check out all the pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Ever since audiences first laid eyes on it in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope, Han Solo's Millennium Falcon has been a seminal ship in sci-fi cinema, not only due to its importance in the galaxy far, far away, but also for its signature shape. Over the past 40+ years, young fans have done their best to approximate the ship in LEGO form, with LEGO also releasing a number of different builds in a variety of sizes to pay respects to the vessel. Later this year, however, the Disney+ animated special LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy is going to put a massive spin on everything audiences know about the franchise, which includes remixing the Millennium Falcon as The Dark Falcon.

In LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, the entire Star Wars Galaxy gets completely mixed up when an ordinary nerf-herder, Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo), unearths a powerful artifact from a hidden Jedi temple. He finds himself thrust into adventure in a new, wondrously wild, and twisted version of the galaxy where good guys are bad, bad guys are good, and the fate of all depends on Sig becoming the hero who can put all the pieces back together.

To celebrate the release of the upcoming event, LEGO has released a The Dark Falcon set -- as well as an X-Wing and TIE Fighter mashup set -- that manages to offer a familiar experience to a Millennium Falcon set, though with plenty of twists.

While some other LEGO sets can be constructed in a more modular fashion, moving from one clear-cut section to another and having multiple instructional guides for each section, The Dark Falcon's instructions are one thick book that will challenge any LEGO fan to find a natural point to take a break. It's both a blessing and a curse that once you start The Dark Falcon, you'll have a hard time stopping. Based on the look of the ship, it might seem like a given that there are a lot of black pieces, though it's worth offering the recommendation of building this set on a light-colored surface, as it's easy to lose sight of the black pieces on a darker surface.

The set comes in 17 bags containing the 1,579 pieces and takes roughly seven hours to build, with the first six bags crafting the recognizable footprint of the ship, as well as builds the familiar rear engines. It's not really until these first six bags are completed that the ship starts to resemble any version of the Falcon, and the first five bags are absent of any minifigs. If this is a family project, we'd recommend an adult getting a headstart on these sections, as the more playful elements start getting introduced in bag 6.

The first minifig you'll find in the set is Darth Vader, but with this being a Vader found in Rebuild the Galaxy, he's adorned in a stark white outfit as opposed to his ominous black. It really is quite shocking to see the villain as interpreted in a completely different color scheme, as the white not only makes him pop against the dark interiors of The Dark Falcon, but also because he has nearly five decades of history in black armor.

The look of the ship is understandably familiar, but it's in bags 7 through 9 that fans will really start to see unique details of The Dark Falcon that set it apart from the Millennium Falcon. With Rebuild the Galaxy not premiering on Disney+ until September, we have some time on our hands before we know the significance of these changes, but these details spark excitement about the special. One of the notable unique elements of the build is a small enclosure made up of translucent red pieces that is meant to contain the all-white Vader. It's merely conjecture, but we won't be surprised to learn that this is some type of prison cell for the figure, and seeing the contrast of the white Vader against the black interiors through translucent red pieces is quite eye-catching.

Bags 10 and 11 not only complete the exterior shape of The Dark Falcon and deliver more story details into the ship's interior, but they also bring out Darth Jar Jar and Bounty Hunter C-3PO. Longtime fans know that Darth Jar Jar is a theory that ignited in the wake of the prequel trilogy that teased a dark path for the Gungan, so seeing that figure manifested in the real world is a delight for fans. Additionally, with how rigid LEGO bricks are known to be, crafting the smoothness of the curves and how they come together with various static pieces showcases just how well the LEGO team has mastered their design skills, making the most impossible shapes come together in ways that seem effortless and obvious.

Bag 12 adds the legs and laser cannon turrets, with the legs both literally and figuratively elevating the set to give it a more stable footprint. The laser cannons both look screen-accurate to the original Millennium Falcon but also come with an impressive range of motion, making it easy to imagine that lasers can be fired in any direction and will excite younger LEGO fans who play with this version of the Falcon. Even though Star Wars fans have been perplexed by the physics of the cannons being found on the top and bottom of the ship and how they are operated, this set comes with a chamber that can be slid out of the ship to seat minifigs to get them into the appropriate battle stations.

The remainder of the bags bring together the final stages of the ship's exterior, as well as construct the roof of the Falcon, which easily hinges open and closed to allow easy access to the more playful components of the interior. Much like the curves and hard angles of the shape of the Falcon, even if crafting the roof can feel somewhat repetitive, it's still quite satisfying to see how all these shapes come together, especially thanks to the bright red highlights of select features. Unlike some other Star Wars sets, The Dark Falcon is just as engaging as a complete vehicle and also as an environment with lots of features for the minifigs to interact with.

For longtime fans who might have already built a previous version of the Millennium Falcon, it's hard to say that this Dark Falcon is a necessary addition to your collection. While it might not be an exact replica of similar models, it's similar enough that the build might not be entirely enticing, nor will the alternate color scheme ignite interest. Once LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy debuts, however, it will explain and recontextualize everything about this The Dark Falcon set to make for a more thrilling build. Between the interior's additions of a video gaming system and minifigs honoring Jedi Vader, Beach Luke, and Darth Rey, we're more excited than ever to check out the new animated series. Still, even if this build is familiar, no one can ever get tired of any version of the Falcon, so if you don't already have the signature ship in your armada, The Dark Falcon is a unique spin on the seminal starship that is nearly as striking as the original iteration.

A review copy of LEGO's Star Wars: The Dark Falcon set was provided by the manufacturer. The set will be launch here at LEGO.com on August 1st priced at $179.99.