Rebel Force Radio: Star Wars Podcast

We're taking listener calls about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, breaking down one of the rumored Colin Trevorrow/Derek Connelly Episode IX scripts, talking about "Release The JJ Cut", and reviewing the present and past of Star Wars at The Oscars.

Two weeks after THE RISE OF SKYWALKER debut, we begin a deep exploration into the themes, character development, and impact of Episode IX on the whole Saga. This time, with no special guests or distractions, we're able to have a full discussion about what TROS means to us and how it ties up the Skywalker story. Where does it enhance previous episodes in this trilogy? How does it reinforce messages from prior films? Does it contradict any of the previous mythology? We consider our reactions and look at other responses from across the internet. And, we listen to that mysterious transmission from The Emperor in Fortnite, along with comments from J.J. Abrams and more theater audio from when we saw the movie on opening night.

S1 E8 "Redemption" Baby Yoda in the clutches of evil! The Mando, Cara Dune and Greef Carga pinned down by enemy fire! Kuill is dead! What happens next? We find out in THE MANDALORIAN season one finale "Redemption". We get a name for our protagonist and see his face for the first time during an epic battle against Moff Gideon and the Imperial Remnant, along with a sweet call back to THE CLONE WARS at the end. What's The Mandalorian's new mission and where does the series go after this? We talk about it all! Join us for live discussion of the season finale of THE MANDALORIAN with special guest Pete Nadel and taking your calls

Paul Bateman joins us for the full show to talk about anything and everything going on in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. We look closely at the chemistry between the "Big 3" characters in this trilogy - Rey, Finn, and Poe - along with a hard focus on the return of Emperor Palpatine and speculation about how his comeback was possible. We react to the appearances of fan favorites Lando Calrissian and Wedge Antilles, and throw down hard opinions about some heavy moments in the film, like the truth of Rey's evil lineage, The Spirit of Luke, the final destruction of The Sith, and the kiss that sealed the deal. Enhancing our conversation is audience reaction audio from the theater where we saw THE RISE OF SKYWALKER on opening night that puts you right in our row!

We gathered on opening day for STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, December 20th, in downtown Cleveland to commemorate the end of an era at Kennedys Cabaret in the famous Playhouse Square for a special live episode of RFR, featuring insights and analysis of the finale to the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Matt Lanter, the voice of Anakin Skywalker from THE CLONE WARS stops by to give us his TROS review and talk about his cameo on THE MANDALORIAN. And Puppet Lando pays us a visit to spread messages of holiday joy. Billy Mac is here too! Plus, audience participation with an open mic and we give away a pair of Bose: Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker Quiet Comfort 35 Wireless Headphones!

RFR gathered with listeners and friends in downtown Cleveland to see STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER on opening night. We gathered immediately following the first public screening to share our fresh and raw opinions, emotions, criticisms, reactions, and occasional confusion, with a live "studio audience". You've been listening to RFR talk about Star Wars for 14 years and it's been a long, strange trip! Join us for first thoughts of the final episode of the Skywalker Saga!

S1 E7 "The Reckoning" The Mandalorian gathers his allies to take on the Imperial Remant who still are in pursuit of him after he took off with the "asset". The penultimate episode of The Mandalorian season one ends with a cliffhanger leaving Baby Yoda in the clutches of evil. We break down the entire episode and take your calls.

The 2019 Holiday Season is upon us and we here at Rebel Force Radio love to celebrate Christmas, Star Wars-style. So, we've once again gathered an all new collection of songs for the season in a galaxy far, far away. From the North Pole to Hoth, we have you covered with a ton of fun songs and parodies for your listening pleasure as you put Artoo Detoo lights and Yoda ornaments on your tree. Look for RFR Stocking Stuffer Vol 1-3 at our website!

S1 E6 "The Prisoner" The Mandalorian returns to the service of a mercenary crew from his past to retrieve a prisoner held aboard a New Republic prison ship. It's a prison break in space featuring tons of cameos, cool new droids, and surprises. Joining us to break it all down is the legendary Big Honkin' Steve Glossen from Geek Out Loud and we're taking listener calls too!

In our last weekly show before the release of STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, we review the media hype surrounding it with audio highlights from cast and crew interviews, talk show appearances, and media junkets. We hear from J.J. Abrams, Chris Terrio, Daisy Ridley, and more. We discuss and debate the "End of the Skywalker Saga" marketing push, how the fallout from THE LAST JEDI will impact the finale, and the fragility of "The Chosen One" prophecy. Plus, Puppet Lando stops by to recreate some wild Billy Dee Williams quotes from recent print interviews. This is our final opportunity to discuss, speculate, and even vent a little, before the end of an era. Listen to hear what we have to say! Join RFR Live in Cleveland for Skywalker Rises in Ohio. Limited seating still available! Brought to you by Bose and the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Quiet Comfort 35 Headphones. Visit Bose.com/RebelForce to learn more.

S1 Chapter 5 "The Gunslinger" Seeking repairs for the Razor Crest, The Mandalorian lands on Mos Eisley and joins forces with a rookie bounty hunter to find Fennic Shand, hiding out somewhere across The Dune Sea. We're talking Chapter 5 of season one with special guests Billy Mac and Matt Rashid and taking live listener calls. Tatooine makes it's Mandalorian debut and we visit many familiar places along the way. Plus, we discuss the cameos from Amy Sedaris and Ming Na-Wen and what their characters bring to the episode.

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER has reached peak media marketing with the recent debut of several TV spots revealing a variety of fresh footage from Episode IX. We look at each commercial and try to pick up on all the hints and clues from "The final episode in the Skywalker Saga". Are the reveals in the marketing too revealing? Or are they just playing on our nostalgia? We tear it all apart and tell you what we think. John Boyega appeared on The Tonight Show to give us further details about the script stolen from underneath his bed, and the fallout. TMZ also grabbed Boyega on the streets of Manhattan for some further explanation. We have highlights and reactions! Plus, old footage of George Lucas admitting he may have gone too far with THE PHANTOM MENACE gives us a few laughs, and of course, ample Baby Yoda talk.

S1 Chapter 4: "The Sanctuary" The Mandalorian seeks refuge on a backwater planet where he teams up with a former Rebel trooper to train a small group of villagers to defend themselves against a group of vicious raiders. We're back for Chapter 4 of The Mandalorian with our discussion and analysis of the "The Sanctuary" with our guest, John Pyka. Plus, we're taking your calls to hear what you think!

Following the popularity of THE MANDALORIAN, we consider the upcoming onslaught of Baby Yoda merchandise and wonder why it wasn't ready to launch sooner. Was it to preserve the secret or was Disney/Lucasfilm caught off guard and unprepared for the overwhelming popular reaction to the new character? We discuss! In more spoiler-free Mandalorian conversation, we look at The Camtono and discover where the name for it may have originated. The first full clip from THE RISE OF SKYWALKER has been released and it's a sequence featuring flying stormtroopers, which leads to debate, argument, and even some insults! J.J. Abrams, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega appeared on ABC's Good Morning America this week to talk TROS and the case of a legit Episode IX script landing on Ebay courtesy due to some sloppiness by a cast member. Find out who it was! We dig deeper into some weird comments made by Kathleen Kennedy about STAR WARS source material and consider the "End of the Skywalker Saga" marketing campaign. Plus, Daisy Ridley reveals her true feelings for the Porgs and raps about The Wars on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Celebrate Thanksgiving with RFR, Star Wars-style!

We're back for Chapter 3 of The Mandalorian with our discussion and analysis of the "The Sin". Plus, we're taking your calls to hear what you think!

With less than a month until THE RISE OF SKYWALKER opens, we look at some of the latest Episode IX headlines including a review of the new "social media" trailer featuring new footage and excerpts from a recent Kathleen Kennedy Rolling Stone interview on the future of the franchise and her role within it. Plus, we look at the new Anthony Daniels book "I Am C-3PO" with audio highlights about his strained relationship with Kenny Baker, his insight into Mark Hamill's return to STAR WARS and a little information about shooting TROS.

S1 E2 "The Child" After acquiring "The Asset", The Mandalorian returns to his starship to find it being dismantled by Jawa scavengers, leading to a battle outside their Sandcrawler. Negotiation arbitrated by Kuiil places the bounty hunter into a perilous showdown with a wild mudhorn to obtain an object the Jawas desire. We're back for Chapter 2 of THE MANDALORIAN with our discussion and analysis of the "The Child" with special guest Billy Mac. Plus, we're taking your calls to hear what you think!

STAR WARS has entered a new era as a weekly series has finally become reality. With the launch of Disney+, we are talking about the first episode of THE MANDALORIAN and taking your calls live!

After years of speculation and anticipation, a live-action STAR WARS weekly series becomes reality when THE MANDALORIAN series debut happens next week. We look at the first footage of Nick Nolte's Ugnaught character Kuiil and Ming Na Wen's bounty hunter Fennic Shand with speculation about the teased big spoiler in the premiere episode. RFR broke the news last month, Denis Lawson will be returning to Star Wars in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER to reprise his role of Wedge Antilles. Kevin Liell joins us to share the inside scoop about how it all happened. And, a mystery guest joins us to provide a counterpoint to our "Star Wars Crybaby" criticism of Eric Butts's Star Wars trailer reaction video from last week's show. Plus, getting pumped up for RFR Live: Skywalker Rises In Ohio and more!

As we suspected in recent weeks, the Game Of Thrones producer duo of David Benioff & D.B. Weiss have officially dropped out of their commitments to create the next STAR WARS trilogy. What does this mean for the future of Star Wars films and the franchise in general? We provide our insight and observations. The Mandalorian debuts in just a couple of weeks and a new trailer dropped this week! We go through the entire thing shot-by-shot and analyze everything. And, we have audio highlights from Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni from a recent Mandalorian media junket for the upcoming Disney+ series. Swank's Halloween costume leads to a discussion about the legitimacy of Star Wars trailer reaction videos and all the tears shed over it. Plus, a little Trick or Treat talk for your post-Halloween enjoyment.

We give you our first reactions to the final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and take your calls live immediately following it's debut on Monday Night Football. Were there any "Oh My God!" moments, or was it more "Meh". We hear what you think while you hear what we think!

This week, we talk about when THE RISE OF SKYWALKER trailer may drop, George Lucas's hints about the direction he would have taken the sequel trilogy, and Matt George, co-author of "Engineering An Empire: The Creators of Kenners Star Wars Toys" joins us In The Cantina to talk about the personalities behind the vintage action figure line. Plus, we react to the cancel culture putting Star Wars Halloween costumes for kids in the cross-hairs and more.

Original Trilogy fan favorite Wedge Antilles actor Denis Lawson will be returning to Star Wars in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. We talk about the news and our role in breaking it on Twitter. Will J.J. Abrams attempt to undo THE LAST JEDI? We react to recent interview comments from the Episode IX director. Our analysis of Bob Iger's book and the Disney acquisition of STAR WARS continues. This episode, George Lucas tells his side of the story. We piece together evidence and comments gathered to represent what we know of George's reaction to the new direction of the Star Wars sequels, following the rejection of his original story ideas, and what those ideas may have been. Plus, Ian McDiarmid is added to additional episodes of STAR WARS REBELS and we lay down the details.

We continue our deep dive into the "Star Wars" chapter of Bob Iger's book, featuring behind-the-scenes revelations about the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm and George Lucas's desire to remain involved in the creation of the Sequel Trilogy. Was Lucas betrayed and who betrayed him? We once again spotlight excerpts from the books and piece together a timeline of events. As Triple Force Friday launches the merchandising push for THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, we consider many of the challenges STAR WARS collectors face during a time of change for the hobby. Star Wars In Pop Culture returns with a trip to STAR TOURS for THE GOLDBERGS, and Jon Favreau's THE CHEF SHOW pays a visit to Dave Filoni at Skywalker Ranch. Plus, Swank has a run-in with Ohio law enforcement. Here what happened and how Star Wars saved the day!

STAR WARS Behind-The-Scenes news dominates this week's episode of Rebel Force Radio. From the bombshells dropped in Bob Iger's new memoir regarding Disney's treatment of George Lucas, to the shocking news about Marvel's Kevin Feige joining the galaxy far, far away, this has been a memorable week. Be there with us when the Feige news broke and hear our first-blush reactions and predictions. What will this mean for the future of Star Wars, Kathleen Kennedy, and the projects announced for Benioff/Weiss and Rian Johnson? We try to connect-the-dots. We go through the STAR WARS chapter in "The Ride of a Lifetime" and analyze Bob Iger's account of the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm and missteps along the way, along with revelations and confirmations about how the sale when down. Plus, the lessons learned by Luke Skywalker, Star Wars collecting rants spill over from RFR Rush Hour and more!

RFR LIVE returned this week and we took your calls to hear what you think about The Rise Of Skywalker and the future of STAR WARS. The phone lines were open all night and you guys brought some amazing conversation. Bill Burr revealed he will be joining THE MANDALORIAN cast, and we have some audio highlights revealing his disconnect from the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Dan Spindle, morning news anchor from Salt Lake City NBC affiliate KSL, gives us a report from his recent encounter with Hayden Christensen and Ian McDiramid, The Yoda Questionnaire Returns, cool Snoke theories and more.

We're looking forward towards the launch of THE MANDALORIAN with new comments from Filoni and Favreau, along with action figure leaks. What is the Offworld Jawa? We try to figure it out! In STAR WARS news this week, Ian McDiarmid & Hayden Christensen were not allowed to participate in a convention panel due to a last-minute restriction by Disney. We look between the lines to decipher what this cancellation might mean for THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. We look back at the classic KENOBI novel by John Jackson Miller and discuss Gaffi Sticks, Krayt Dragons and Kenobi Keychains. And we're probably the only fans on the internet to acknowledge a mundane anniversary for the Droids/Ewoks Hour from the eighties.

We go back to the future this week on RFR! In our post-D23 review, we review THE MANDALORIAN trailer shot-by-shot and speculate about plot points and character motivation. We have interview highlights from the convention with the shows bad guy Moff Gideon, Giancarlo Espositio. Plus, more production updates from THE RISE OF SKYWALKER via comments from director J.J. Abrams and composer John Williams teases the end of Episode IX. Historian W.R. Miller joins us IN THE CANTINA to talk about his book THE STAR WARS HISTORICAL SOURCEBOOK, the first of a multi-volume collection preserving the history of Star Wars via an incredible collection of interview excerpts spanning the years in books, newspapers and magazines. Volume One is available now! Also this week, we take a sound effect from RETURN OF THE JEDI into the RFR Soundlab and compare it to audio heard in the TROS Sizzle Reel footage with surprising results. And, we have the latest Mr. Iger voicemail and its packed with exclusive info not revealed at D23.

FR went live this week to review the big STAR WARS news coming out of D23 Expo in Anaheim. In honor of the big event, we opened up our switchboard to hear what you think of THE MANDALORIAN trailer, the big KENOBI announcement, and the latest reveals from THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. And of course, the vision of a Rey with a reticulated red blade was nothing short of thrilling. Plus, panel and interview highlights from the event with cast and crew and more.

As D23 begins, we speculate about a KENOBI series for Disney+, we get pumped up for THE MANDALORIAN, and ramp up towards THE RISE OF SKYWALKER with new information about the John Williams soundtrack and new books. We go IN THE CANTINA with STAR WARS artist Otis Frampton to discuss his pitch for THE JAWA ADVENTURES. Plus, a little Star Wars collecting talk, a few laughs, and sand. It gets everywhere.

Some wild rumors erupted this week claiming George Lucas still owns the rights for STAR WARS characters he created and Disney is sending him checks to use them. We wade through the rumors and present a case that we hope determines whether or not these reports are valid. We got our first look at the second and final season of STAR WARS RESISTANCE in a new trailer that dropped this week. We discuss some of the highlights and info revealed. And is a well-known actor from ABC's THE GOLDBERGS appearing in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER? The answer is YES and we will tell you who it is! We look forward to STAR WARS announcements potentially coming next weekend at D23, including confirmation of a KENOBI series on Disney+ starring Ewan McGregor. Plus, more on the definition of Lucasian, a Rancho Obi-Wan update, and Jimmy Mac's Artoo vs BB-8 Facebook debate.

Earlier this week, Disney's Bob Iger addressed the reality of lowered attendance at Disneyland in the wake of opening STAR WARS: GALAXY'S EDGE during his third quarter shareholders conference call. We review Iger's comments and provide our own commentary with Jimmy Mac's perspective after recently visiting the park. We discuss what is Disney doing right and try to evaluate what they are doing wrong. On THE MANDALORIAN front, Jon Favreau talked about advice given to him by George Lucas and revealed some more hints about the show's plot in recent interviews. We have the highlights. Plus, a review of the Scum And Villainy Cantina in Hollywood, recent Kevin Smith comments about visiting the RISE OF SKYWALKER set, a shout-out for RFR in a venerable England magazine from a UK comedian, and we learn about THE JAWA ADVENTURES.

We take a deep dive into the new "Star Wars Land" at Disneyland as Jimmy Mac has returned from STAR WARS: GALAXY'S EDGE with a full report. From Oga's Cantina to Savi's Workshop to the cockpit of The Millennium Falcon, we cover it all with Billy Mac sitting in. What about the much-reported attendance numbers at the park? We get Jimmy's perspective on the crowds and wait times, along with in-depth reviews of the drinks, food, merch, sites, sounds and overall vibe. Plus, we follow up on our ongoing investigation: Is the STAR TOURS ride still featuring Lucas-Era content? All this plus Hyperspace Mountain and Swank on a beach!

Danny Bonaduce, best known from starring in the sit-com classic THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, also shared screentime with Mark Hamill in his first post-STAR WARS film, 1978s CORVETTE SUMMER. Danny joins Jimmy Mac IN THE CANTINA to share stories about his experiences with Mark Hamill, along with a wild story about the first time Danny saw Star Wars on it's opening night in 1977. You have to hear it to believe it. Plus, Star Wars in Pop Culture spotlights STRANGER THINGS season three, we explore the physics of The Lightsaber in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER based on recent comments by Daisy Ridley, rare audio from RETURN OF THE JEDI, and what are the possibilities Disney will someday remake THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY?

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is a hot topic as Daisy Ridley continues to drop hints during interviews and the Sith Trooper debuted this week. We have highlights of Daisy's latest comments, including clues about the Kylo Ren vs Rey duel, and commentary on the new Episode IX Red Stormtrooper. Mark Ramsey, host of the new eight-part audio dramatization INSIDE STAR WARS, joins us IN THE CANTINA to talk about his popular show and his own fandom. And of course, we run Mark through the famous Yoda Questionnaire. Is Disneyland beginning to suppress the Original Trilogy content at Star Tours now that Galaxy's Edge has opened? We open up a new RFR Investigative Report! Plus, Star Wars actors rapping and Puffer Pig gets a theme song.

Daisy Ridley is on the interview circuit and making some early comments about THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. What hints are Daisy dropping? Kevin Liell joins us with a report from the Peter Mayhew memorial that took place last weekend in Texas. Listener voicemail presents a question about Galaxy's Edge, Samuel L. Jackson again says he wants a Mace Windu comeback, and we hear an interesting version of the Star Wars Main Theme from an unlikely source.

He is a member of the Pop Culture Hall of Fame. He oversaw the Star Wars brand at Hasbro for a decade. And now, he's an author. Derryl DePriest joins us IN THE CANTINA to give us the lowdown about his new book STAR WARS THE VINTAGE COLLECTION ARCHIVE EDITION. It's a deep dive into one of the most popular and long-running STAR WARS 3 ¾ inch action figure lines, The Vintage Collection. Derryl takes us behind-the-scenes for the making of the book and, of course we wouldn't let him leave The Cantina without taking our famous Yoda Questionnaire. Billy Mac walks us through his first trip to Steve Sansweet's Rancho Obi-Wan, home to the Guinness Book of World Records' largest Star Wars collection. Puppet Lando also flew in for a tour! Plus, Mark Hamill dropped a big hint about his return in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER and we drop a juicy rumor.

Lucasfilm announced a new head of Live Action Development and Production, Michelle Rejwan. We look at what is known about Michelle and her career and try to follow her path to Star Wars. Is she the right person for the job? We discuss and debate. The big talk at E3 was fresh reveals of gameplay for STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER. We get up to speed with what's known about the game and discuss a cool ROGUE ONE character that makes an appearance. Will Darth Bane appear in a future Star Wars film? We speculate! Mark Hamill visited James Cordon and talked about his visit to STAR WARS: GALAXY'S EDGE. Mark had some funny observations to make about George Lucas's comments during the opening ceremony. We review the highlights! Plus, Listener feedback, Star Wars In Pop Culture goes to The Tony Awards and Gilligan's Island, and our Outrageous Unthinkable Story of the Week features the "relationship" between Natalie Portman and electronica musician Moby.

We are putting aside the typical RFR show rundown this week and spotlighting live listener calls for the whole show. We continue to discuss the experiences and collectibles from Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge, consider Emperor Palpatine's role in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, and define our expectations for THE MANDALORIAN. All callers this week are members of RFR on PATREON and they lit up our switchboard with tons of great conversation and commentary. Join today to get exclusive access to original programming, deep dives into the RFR archives, and other special features.

Stephen J. Sansweet, the acclaimed Star Wars author and owner of the Guinness Book of World Records Largest Star Wars collection at Rancho Obi-Wan, has been to the Galaxy's Edge and back. Steve joins us to give his first-ever review of the new Star Wars Land at Disneyland. Hear Steve's reviews of the Millennium Falcon ride "Smugglers Run", the lightsaber building experience in Savi's Workshop, and all the rest of the exclusive merch. For years, we've relied on Steve's authentic and expert assessment of all things in the Star Wars universe, and his review of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is not to be missed. Plus, we continue to analyze the Annie Leibovitz photographs from "The Rise of Skywalker" set, and listener tips on the best way to remove those ugly and pesky decals from Hasbro's new Star Wars "Retro Collection/Colección/Série" action figure line.

Disneyland's STAR WARS: GALAXY'S EDGE is now open and fans are buzzing about this immersive addition to the famous theme park. Tech expert "Mac Sparky" David Sparks, has already logged several hours in this new Star Wars Land and fills us in with a mind-blowing, detailed, spoiler-heavy review that virtually puts you in the park. Is a KOTOR film on the way? How does Palpatine fit into the events of the Sequel Trilogy? How will THE RISE OF SKYWALKER bring together all nine films of the saga? We don't know! But we talk about it all this week on RFR as we continue to pick apart the recently released EPISODE IX information, rumors about a KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC film, and the writer attached to the project. Also in news headlines, we have highlights of Harrison Ford's recent visit to The Tonight Show, and Jason's past desire to see Kate Mulgrew take over the role of General Leia was actually presented to the actress herself. Hear what Captain Janeway thinks about such an idea. In collecting news, we found some of those retro vintage Star Wars action figures that have been hitting Target shelves. Hear about our misadventures trying to remove the ugly decal on the cards and learn why Jimmy Mac is now known as "The Goo Gone Guy".

We look at all the cool new details and photos from THE RISE OF SKYWALKER and we let it fuel our speculation. Plus, how will Luke and Leia fit in to the final chapter of the Saga? And how does George Lucas's approach to creating Star Wars differ from Disney? We look back at 20 years of THE PHANTOM MENACE and share our memories, from the epic lightsaber duel, to the methods of the puppet master Senator Palpatine, and we debate over who is the true protagonist of the Episode I. Joining us for the whole episode, from The Big Honkin' Show, is the ebullient Steve Glosson, master of the GOLiverse.

More information about future STAR WARS films was revealed this week by Disney CEO Bob Iger, and RFR microphones were there. Billy Mac sits in this week as we review Bob's recent statements and pick apart what he said for clues. The RFR Listener Voice Mail Hotline is wide open this week for post-Star Wars Celebration feedback, speculation and rumors about THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, THE MANDALORIAN and the upcoming return of THE CLONE WARS. Plus, the hunt is on for Hasbro's new Retro Collection action figures, Puppet Lando brings us the latest tweets from the real Billy Dee Williams, and much more.

It's official. The future of the STAR WARS film franchise was made much more clear this week as Disney announced their release schedule going into next decade and beyond THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. We speculate about what this may mean for the already announced Benioff/Weiss film series and the Rian Johnson trilogy. Natalie Portman says criticisms of the Prequels were a "bummer". We believe the Prequels have aged well and we have opinions. What will be the future of Star Wars Celebration? We discuss, share rumors, and make predictions. Where were you the night CARAVAN OF COURAGE: AN EWOK ADVENTURE premiered on ABC in 1984? Jimmy Mac remembers! Plus, Mark Hamill pays tribute to Peter Mayhew, Werner Herzog talks THE MANDALORIAN, and we review CLONE WARS news and information to come out of Star Wars Celebration Chicago.

It's STAR WARS DAY! We are back in the studio for May the Fourth with tons of STAR WARS news, opinion and conversation. Marvel's AVENGERS ENDGAME is poised to become the all-time US box office champ, and will eventually claim the crown from STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Do we care? Jimmy Mac was there for the big Avengers opening weekend and he saw both the film and THE RISE OF SKYWALKER teaser trailer in IMAX. Mark Hamill came under heat on social media this week for posting a fan-made mashup photo of himself, Harrison, Carrie and Billy Dee in the cockpit of The Falcon. We give you our opinions of the fallout and feature audio highlights of a recent interview where Mark discusses his personal process of dealing with how Luke Skywalker has been portrayed in the Sequel Trilogy. Plus, we have John Boyega interview highlights about Episode IX at Star Wars Celebration Chicago, and we review "The Filoni Factor and The Ranch", the latest episode of Sheldon Norton's RFR documentary, WHEN THE GALAXY LISTENS.

We interrupt regular programming to mourn the loss of a truly legitimate Star Wars icon. The man behind the mask of the legendary Chewbacca, the great Peter Mayhew has passed away. We reflect on Peter's career, his relationship with the fanbase, and his love of Chewie. We share memories of times we shared with the man both on the airwaves, and off, and remember him for his contributions to the Star Wars galaxy. Plus, highlights of Peter's many appearances on our show over the years which will be sure to invoke fond thoughts of Peter's personality and life. The regular weekly RFR will launch over the weekend. But for now, take a moment with us to celebrate Peter Mayhew, a Star Wars legend.

Following day one of Star Wars Celebration Chicago, we got together with a couple hundred of our friends at Reggie's Music Joint in the South Loop for a sold out show. This live podcast event brought together Star Wars fans from everywhere to join us for an evening of music, laughs, family and friends. Relive this epic evening filled with many familiar names and voices from our entire podcasting career, plus the original Sandtrooper from Star Wars: A New Hope Anthony Forrest and more. And of course, we couldn't have a bash of this size without Puppet Lando!

Our Star Wars Celebration coverage continues with this breakdown of The Mandalorian panel featuring Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and the cast of the upcoming streaming series. Paul Bateman is back! We talk about everything that happened at the panel along with all the reveals, teases, clues and more. Plus, more Episode IX as we get the Bateman Breakdown of The Rise of Skywalker teaser trailer.

On day three of STAR WARS CELEBRATION CHICAGO, RFR Patreon members gathered on Chicago's South Side at Alulu Brewery for an exclusive live episode of Rebel Force Radio. Rancho Obi-Wan's legendary Stephen J. Sansweet stops by to talk about the history of Star Wars Celebration and the challenges he faced as a member of the Lucasfilm planning committee in charge of the first-ever event back in 1999. It's always a "celebration" of laugh and song when Steve joins us. Worlds collide! Puppet Lando shared the same space with the real Lando, Billy Dee Williams for a whirlwind photo-op. We provide a play-by-play recount of what was our most insane moment at Star Wars Celebration. Then, Puppet Lando himself joins us to read through the amazing Star Wars-inspired menu provided by Alulu Brewery. We review some hot new STAR WARS headlines including news that J.J. Abrams met with George Lucas while developing the script for THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. Plus, we react to the return of Emperor Palpatine in Episode IX and how it may affect the legacy of THE LAST JEDI. Bob Iger says that Star Wars films will be placed on a hiatus and we try to decipher what that really means. Star Wars artist/entrepreneur Kevin Liell joins us along with audience feedback about THE RISE OF SKYWALKER trailer. The blue milk was spiked by Greedo and flowing all night long at Alulu. Join us for the party! More Star Wars Celebration Chicago coverage is coming from us soon including RFR LIVE in CHICAGO from REGGIE'S.

RFR was at the Star Wars: Episode IX panel at Star Wars Celebration Chicago where we saw the first footage from THE RISE OF SKYWALKER in the teaser trailer. We talk about some of the surprises revealed during the panel and break down the trailer shot-by-shot.