Star Wars 7x7: A Daily Bite-Sized Dose of Star Wars Joy

Thanks to some very polite notes from Sarah Hess, Andrew Keen, and Johnny Orme (as of press time), I'm sorry to say that there were errors in yesterday's episode of the show regarding the availability of The Mandalorian and Clone Wars season 7 on the Disney+ service. Today, a Department of Corrections episode, where I set the record straight, and hey - is it 10 episodes of The Mandalorian, or eight??? Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: In the video, I incorrectly state that the full season of The Mandalorian will be available on day 1 (only the first episode will be, as of what's known today), and Clone Wars Season 7 is a year 1 release, not a day 1 release (we don't have a specific date yet). My deep apologies for the errors. Just 109 days left until the launch of Disney+! What will be available on day 1? Let's run down the list, as well as what will be coming later in year one, further out in year two, and what probably will *never* be on there. Plus, a check-in on The Mandalorian post-production. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Since we're looking into what's going on with other Star Wars projects these days, let's check in on the Benioff and Weiss Star Wars movies, shall we? After all, there's only 1,240 days left until the scheduled debut of their first one, on December 16th, 2022. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Here's the thing: It's really hard to find *actual* news about Rian Johnson's Star Wars trilogy, amidst all the opinions about him and The Last Jedi. I'm not here to re-litigate any of that today - I'm here to update you on the facts about the trilogy (yes, it's still happening), to talk about how it may be affected by the Benioff & Weiss 2022 announcement, and speculate whether both could be affected by the progress on a certain other franchise now owned by Disney. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The set visit Kevin Smith made to Pinewood for The Rise of Skywalker resulted in a very different experience, as compared to his previous Star Wars set visits. Hear what he had to say in an interview with IGN, and then let's break down what it could tell us about the movie - no spoilers, of course. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Ahh, the mysterious Project Luminous. Nothing new was announced about it at San Diego Comic-Con, so let's take a look back at all the public pronouncements to date, and see what there is to learn about this massive Star Wars project set to debut next year. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Arguably the biggest Star Wars news to come out of San Diego Comic-Con this year came from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel. Even though they teased Project Luminous multiple times but said nothing about it other than the name itself, there was a lot of new information shared for other projects... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

As we discussed last week, Friday at SDCC was slated to have five major Star Wars panels. On today's show, we're talking about the reveals - or lack thereof - from four of those five panels, plus one other one that slipped under the radar. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Thanks to everyone tweeting their faces off at SDCC to share all the Star Wars news from Day 1 that's fit to tweet, with special kudos to Johnamarie Macias (@BlueJaigEyes on Twitter) and Annalise Ophelian (@Dr_Ophelian on Twitter), whose photos and videos I'm referencing in today's episode about the Star-Wars-related reveals from the first day of San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Wanna get inside the mind of Luke Skywalker? Well, hearing his inner monologue would be something previous Star Wars movies have never done, but thankfully we have another source of information - the comics! Here are all the choice Luke moments from the The Last Jedi adaptation. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

As opposed to the "faithful" adaptation of The Force Awakens, the comic adaptation for The Last Jedi adds more breadth and depth to the story, and makes you realize that the movie was not as "different," per se, as it might have seemed on first few viewings. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Yes, I know, you're really just cooling your heels waiting for the new news to come out of SDCC on Friday, right? So let's look back at other versions of the current crop of Star Wars movies and see what else we can learn about them. Today, we'll start with The Force Awakens. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The opening of Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim was just the first salvo in Star Wars' enormous new expansion at the Disney Parks. On today's show, let's talk about the rest of the important dates that have been announced, reports about park attendance, and what we know so far about the upcoming "Rise of the Resistance" ride. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The public green-lit announcement hasn't been made, but Jon Favreau is already writing and in pre-production for season 2 of The Mandalorian. Which makes sense, because he didn't wait to get a green light before starting to write season 1, either... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The biennial D23 Expo returns to the Anaheim Convention Center next month! They recently announced "all" of their Star-Wars-related events coming to the show, and here's the rundown for you. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

We're one week away from San Diego Comic-Con 2019! Today, here's your full preview of the big Star Wars-related panels taking place at the event - and one glaring omission. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Lucasfilm unveiled its plans for an SDCC costume exhibit, headlined by the rise of the Sith Trooper, the next Imperial/First Order evolution in the field. But wait - didn't Kylo Ren say he wanted the past to die? Here's three possibilities for why a Sith Trooper exists in The Rise of Skywalker. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Did you know that Darth Maul was loaded? That he liked to hunt big game - in packs? And that he liked to taunt Jedi before Sidious said the Sith were allowed to "reveal themselves"? That and more fun facts about Darth Maul's history today, courtesy of his 5-issue Marvel mini-series. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The Star Wars "Who's Who in the Galaxy Character Storybook" by Ella Patrick is a retelling of the eight Skywalker Saga stories to date, under the "Galaxy of Adventures" banner. And there's something about this lovely book that took me right back to the days when I first shared Star Wars stories with my kids, before they were old enough to watch the movies... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

When it comes to popular Star Wars characters, the tendency is to expand them from novels into books and comics - for example, Captain Phasma got one of each after her intriguing appearance in The Force Awakens. But what about it going the other way? How about getting popular characters introduced in comics and novels to make their way to bigger screens? Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

It's been an incredible five years, and so much has changed in the Star Wars universe since I launched this show on July 7, 2014! Today, a look back at the first five years, a look forward at the next five, and half - just half for now - of a special announcement. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

In our last episode covering the first novel in the Alphabet Squadron trilogy, we look ahead to the next novel - how Shadow Wing will recover, the fault lines between our hero characters, and the potential for more Star Wars Rebels connections. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Daisy Ridley is doing press for her new movie Ophelia, and you know what that means - it means everyone's going to ask her about The Rise of Skywalker! Today, excerpts from her interviews with USA today and the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

We knew she survived the events of Star Wars Rebels and the Battle of Scarif during Rogue One. We also know she showed up on Endor after the destruction of the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi. Now, we're learning more about Hera Syndulla's career in the New Republic, thanks to Alphabet Squadron. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Luke Skywalker's journey from galactic citizen to New Republic hero began with ideas very similar to those of Alphabet Squadron's Yrica Quell. How her journey diverges, the "What if?" of Luke's path, and comparisons to Iden Versio (another famous Imperial defector) are on tap in today's episode. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

In depicting a galaxy in turmoil on the macro scale, and a disparate band of pilots learning to bond as a squadron on the micro level, Alexander Freed has raised his game with his latest entry into the new Star Wars canon, Alphabet Squadron. My coverage this week starts with the non-spoiler review... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

During last month's E3 video game expo, Respawn Entertainment, in connection with EA and Lucasfilm, revealed a chunk of gameplay footage from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order to the world. They also privately shared a separate chunk of footage with the assembled media at E3. Well, that "secret" footage has finally been revealed publicly, and that's the topic for the show today. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

In our final look at Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith (a Star Wars comic series), I'm talking about the first-ever meeting between Rogue One's Orson Krennic and Darth Vader, and about Vader cashing in a favor from Tarkin, which involved using a bunch of bounty hunters in an attempt to kill Vader. In the midst of this, Tarkin learned things about Vader one could consider ... dangerous. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

There's a series of panels in the back half of the Fortress Vader story arc that gives you the Star Wars version of Michael Palin as the King of Swamp Castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. And it's priceless. It's also probably not the most *important* thing about that story arc, since it also involves Lord Momin resurrecting himself, a genocidal lava attack, and Vader finally piercing the veil of time and attempting to bring his beloved Padme back to life. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Luke wanted to go to Tosche Station to pick up some power converters! His dad, on the other hand, was focused on more serious things. But Vader did have a bit of a whiny "I want my OWN planet!" moment with Palpatine, once things got boring with the Jedi hunting business. The scoop revisited on today's episode... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

A rogue former Jedi survivor of Order 66 cons the Mon Cala into open hostilities with the Empire - and predicts the future role the species led by Admirals Ackbar and Raddus will play in the fight against the forces of evil, now and decades into the future... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Writer Kieron Gillen has said you can't give Vader an internal monologue, or you'll demystify him. And while I agree with that evaluation, writers are also finding ways around that situation. I'm talking about one way Marvel Comics is taking us inside his head, as well as detailing the first assassination plot against Vader - and how he finally gets the lightsaber hilt we all know and fear. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Yep, it happened - Jedi librarian Jocasta Nu took on Darth Vader, and in a way, you could say she got the better of him. I'll explain what I mean, and what this has to do with Luke Skywalker getting help in restoring the Jedi Order, too. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

After Palpatine rescued Vader from Mustafar, the Emperor sent Vader on a mission - to get a kyber crystal from a still-living Jedi. Not easy to find them after Order 66, but here's the story of how he did it - and why Palpatine sent Vader to Mustafar once that kyber crystal was acquired. Plus, the beginnings of the Inquisitorius... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

So, Mark Hamill gave another interview quote that's being used as a springboard to re-litigate The Last Jedi. I haven't weighed in on any of Hamill's previous comments (though I've been asked to on multiple occasions), but I finally hit the point where I feel like I need to be on the record about the subject. As a side note, he didn't exactly confirm an element of The Rise of Skywalker in his most recent interview, but certainly gave strong evidence in something we all probably assumed from the moment The Rise of Skywalker trailer debuted. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

There have been a lot of little Star Wars stories popping up over the last week or so - none that would drive a single episode by themselves, but together, well, that's another story. First up: sell-outs for Star Wars Celebration already, and possibly surpassing Chicago levels? Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Tickets go on sale at noon ET/9am PT for Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2020! What will the big headline events be at next year's four-day edition of the love fest for a galaxy far, far away? We already know enough to fill in some of the details... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The surprising history of Mustafar, and Vader's dark purpose for you as the player character in Vader Immortal, are revealed in the second half of the virtual reality experience's first episode. Learn all the secrets in today's episode... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Vader Immortal is only going to be available on the Oculus VR system - there's not going to be an "Expanded Edition" novelization. So if you can't wait to find out the scoop about it, I'll walk you through the story and flag the highlights for you. Today, Part 1 of this first VR episode. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

I've had the opportunity to experience the complete ride that is Episode I of Vader Immortal, and it's truly amazing. VR experiences are new to me (my kids are better versed thanks to friends who have headsets already), so I may not be the most critical judge. That said, let's talk about the experience on today's show... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Vader Immortal Episode I has been out for a few weeks now, but back at Celebration Chicago, they gave attendees a chance to get a glimpse of the story inside the standalone Oculus Quest VR headset. I'm very grateful to the PR team at ILMxLAB for letting me try it out there, and on today's episode, I'm sharing my initial reaction video - heart palpitations and unconsciously held breaths and all. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

It's Fathers Day in the United States, so I'm counting down the top 7 fathers in Star Wars. "Traditional" fathers don't appear a lot in these movies, so I'm bending the definition only as much as I need to for us to have seven fathers to talk about. But everyone listed on today's show has appeared in a Star Wars movie... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Maryann Brandon is an Emmy- and Oscar-nominated editor who's worked with J.J. Abrams for more than a decade. While being interviewed for UC Santa Barbara's "Script to Screen" series on the 10th anniversary of the Star Trek reboot, Brandon also shared a couple of stories from the set of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. A few outlet have reported on this already, but in today's episode, you'll get to hear those stories straight from Maryann herself. Punch it! And if you have even the slightest bit of interest in how movies are made in general or that Star Trek movie in particular, I highly recommend checking out the entire conversation between Brandon and the Script to Screen moderator, Matt Ryan, at https://www.carseywolf.ucsb.edu/pollock-events/star-trek-2009/. ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

It's been a while, so let's check in and do an update on the post-production status of The Rise of Skywalker! Naturally, there's been a very tight lid kept on the goings-on, but the John Williams Fan Network has been tracking the Maestro's Star-Wars-related activities of late, and a new report reveals that a certain TIE design pre-dates J.J. Abrams' time on Episode IX. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The trailer reveal for Jedi: Fallen Order at Celebration Chicago seemed to show a couple of similarities between its hero Cal Kestis and another Padawan who'd survived Order 66. Now that we've learned more about Cal thanks to recent reveals, let's compare and contrast Cal with Kanan Jarrus of Star Wars Rebels. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

What timing! In addition to the reveals from E3 these past few days, Game Informer magazine was given an extra level of access to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Today, an additional seven reveals about the game coming to consoles and computers in November. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

EA and Respawn Entertainment released gameplay footage of Jedi: Fallen Order over the weekend. But they showed even MORE footage to the assembled press behind closed doors - and many of them summarized what they saw online. I've read a bunch of those reports, and I'm summarizing them on today's episode - including a couple of new Force powers, and a funny story about something that's easy to do in movies but apparently very hard in video games... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Ahead of the big E3 video game conference, EA released 13 minutes of gameplay and cut-scene footage from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (the game itself will be available in November). And there are some big reveals in the footage, including a good look at Cal Kestus' Force abilities (which seem to go way beyond padawan levels) and the reveal of a character whose presence means we may encounter some interesting moral dilemmas in the storyline. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

BuzzFeed cites three unnamed sources saying Laeta Kalogridis is working on the first script in a trilogy of Knights of the Old Republic films. But rumors also say that KOTOR is the subject of Benioff and Weiss' movies. How do we resolve these conflicting rumors? Let's look at what we know today and figure it out... Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

100 days have gone by since March 1st, and on today's episode - #1800! - I'm looking back at what you and I have discussed over the last 100 days, which includes 107 episodes of the show, two countries, Episode IX, multiple books, 22 interviews, the death of a very special actor, new movie announcements, and so much more. Punch it! ***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***