Tobar

Ah, good call.

Rumors are starting to circulate about an extended cut being released to theaters toward the end of the month:
THE 192 MINUTE J.J. ABRAMS RISE OF SKYWALKER CUT IS COMING SOONER THAN YOU THINK

It breaks down to this:

• An extended version of The Rise of Skywalker will be announced in the coming week, releasing near the end of January, and including 3-5 additional sequences fit into the narrative. This should bring the cut up from 142 minutes to about 165 minutes.
• Rumored sequences to be included in this cut involve an extended Endor sequence that occurs before the final shot in the current film, Lobot and Lando in a sequence that predates the chase in the desert, and a slew of ghost Jedis returning alongside Luke and Leia and participating in the final sequence to unseat the Emperor.
• This new cut will be simply treated as an Extended Cut, and will include a post-credits sequence highlighting additional sequences that will be released with the official Blu Ray release of The Rise of Skywalker which will have a special J.J. Abrams Director’s Cut version of the film at 185 minutes.
• When The Rise of Skywalker enters the streaming window exclusively on Disney Plus it will include an additional 7 minutes of extra footage that didn’t get finished in post production as a part of its exclusive run on the streaming upstart.

Oof, losing the holochess would really hurt me. I’ve always been a huge stop motion fan and it’s such a delight to see it used again in a major motion picture.

In regards to that. Here’s a wild idea I just had about creating those kinds of reaction shots whole cloth. Using the DeepFake algorithm.

Say you need a surprised reaction shot from Kylo but there isn’t one to use. But you do have a shot that would work but it’s the wrong expression on his face. What if you were to take this shot, film yourself or someone else making the expression you want for Kylo. While making sure to match the angle of your/their face to that of Kylo in the shot you want to use. Use the DeepFake algorithm to generate Kylo making that expression and then compositing that back over his face in the original shot.

It would be pretty labor intensive but I think it could be done if someone really wanted a shot that badly.

Remember Luke had never heard of the Force in the original film. And Old Ben has to explain to him and the audience who and what the Jedi were.

The galaxy is a big place.

Wow! What a way to start the season!

Hal 9000 said:

• Maybe remove light speed skipping by ending as they jump the first time, removing TIEs jumping. Or let them jump and we just cut to the next scene. If the former, remove reference to light speed skipping later.

Yes PLEASE. Lightspeed skipping is literally universe breaking. It’s not how hyperspace works, it’s not how any of this works!

• Possibly remove the destruction of the planet, and the idea that the fleet each has a ‘gun that shoots Death Stars.’

Double yes! The threat of a massive invasion fleet is enough, we don’t need super planet killer re-re-re-re-redux.

• Work in the shot from the trailer of Leia holding Han’s medal. She holds it as she lays down, tying this into Ben remembering Han, and with the medal being given to Chewie later on.

Yes! I didn’t register that Leia had been holding Han’s medal and so it really came out of left field for Maz to just have Chewie’s medal that got lost in the mail for 40 years.

• I think one could successfully remove ‘Rey Palpatine,’ but it would be unusual for me to deviate from the lore to that degree. I don’t like it, but I think I’d be better off accepting it and maybe tweaking TFA and TLJ to fit in better. I expect I’ll play around with executing this idea, at least.

I say leave this plot point as is. Evidence suggests this is what Abrams had in mind all along. There’s evidence in TFA that supports this and it’s a theory I’ve heard going as far back as 2016.

Not liking it is fine. But it’s not universe shrinkage if it was always part of his lore from the beginning. It’s actually the opposite as it expanded our knowledge of the past.

Hal 9000 said:

• Reinstate Finn’s line about “miniaturized Death Star tech,” as it unfortunately ties into IX.

That’s the single worst line in the entirety of the ST. It really isn’t neccessary to help establish TROS.

ray_afraid said:

I’ve always hated the Mandalorians. More shrinkage. “Oh, he’s not really his own thing, there’s an entire army of Bobba Fetts!” Ugh.

They’ve been a part of Star Wars for as long as Boba Fett has:

The Empire Strikes Back novelization by Donald F. Glut:

…the notorious Boba Fett. A human bounty hunter, Fett was known for his extremely ruthless methods. He was dressed in a weapon-covered, armored spacesuit, the kind worn by a group of evil warriors defeated by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars.

I don’t mind the “Who talks first?” but his last bit about “all the apparatus” has always bugged me. Like a lot of Abrams, it goes just a step too far.

I’m quite partial to these covers by Wayne Barnes:

In the making of documentary they said they decided to do that as a tease for how tough the game gets later on. I guess keeping the hardcore gamer skeptic in mind. I think the thought process was that players that dared venture there would quickly realize they weren’t ready and then leave right away.

CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

27-disc 4K Skywalker Saga to street 3/31/2020.

(Includes very short, non-spoiler comments on Rise of Skywalker)

https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/121719-2000

27 discs?!?

Carol Wikarska Titelman, director of publications during the early days of Lucasfilm, died on Dec. 7 in her New York apartment. She was 73.

Titelman died following complications with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a statement released on her behalf.

Titelman began her career at Lucasfilm answering phones in the months before “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’s” release. She rose to head three key departments — art, publishing and creative services, including all photography and negotiations of book deals — in support of George Lucas’ original trilogy. In the late ’70s, she aided the creation of art-focused books, particularly with editorial work on “The Art of Star Wars.”

As Titleman’s most ambitious project, “The Art of Star Wars” was designed by Mike Salisbury and published by Ballantine in late 1979. The art book — which included the original “New Hope” script illustrated by Ralph McQuarrie — has since been reprinted in many formats and multiple languages, including the 1994 and 1997 expanded and special edition issues.

Titleman left Lucasfilm after Lucas decided to move the company to Northern California.

Titelman was born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1947. She graduated from UC Berkeley and became involved in the creative community of the Bay Area. Her circle included poet Michael Davidson, filmmaker Tom Luddy, performance artist Carolee Schneemann and Rolling Stone writer Jonathan Cott.

Titleman is survived by her husband, Russ Titelman.

Source

I’m very saddened by this news. I would always see her name pop up in those early '70s books about the franchise and wondered what she was like. Would have been wonderful to interview her. The Art of Star Wars especially is incredibly important to a lot of people. She will be missed.

Came to see if news had gotten to you. That’s pretty awesome that he has a copy of Despecialized. The no official OOT though is…sigh.

Matt the Radar Technician’s uniform is now canon. =P

RogueLeader said:

I could also see there being a fear of dynasty, whether that has to do with literal power regarding their bloodline, or just the consolidation of power under a family name and the attachment that comes with having power and a family. I could see their being an interesting Old Republic story that deals with the implications of a Jedi dynasty.

I haven’t played it yet but I think that’s the basis behind The Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion for SWTOR.

Four will end up being important because it was the introduction of Cara Dune who WILL return if not this season, it’s already confirmed she’s in the second season.

Similarly I think we’ll probably learn how or why Chapter Five is important later.

It did feel more like OOT Mos Eisley but they did include that tall SE building in the background.

And yeah, I really hope they bring back Ming-Na.

I love that they even nailed the antennas on top of the buildings. That’s a detail that gets missed a lot when depicting Tatooine.

The only little detail that they didn’t cover that would have sent me over the moon is if there had been a jerba wandering around.

Richard E. Grant’s reaction after seeing TROS for the first time.

Dek Rollins said:

Also the bat’leth is stupid. It’s one of the most impractical weapons I’ve ever seen. The knife from The Search For Spock is a much better melee weapon for Klingon warriors.

I’ll let the designer of the bat’leth speak for himself.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . .

Years after the events Star Wars Episode 6,
Luke Skywalker teaches a new generation
of Jedi as his Sister Leia leads the Resistance
against rising tyranny of the First Order.
Her son, Ben Solo, who trains with Luke,
is strong with the force; but as time passes
the Master senses darkness rising in the boy.
Afraid that he might follow in the footsteps
of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker desperately
tries to save his nephew from a terrible future. . . .

STAR WARS - TRAGEDY OF THE CHOSEN ONE

This was surprisingly well done. It really shows the potential Source Filmmaker has for these kinds of projects.

The Mandalorian has a coffee cup-style goof in episode 4