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Over the past 40 plus years, the Star Wars universe has played host to some phenomenal talent. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford kicked off the franchise with A New Hope way back in 1977. Since then, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Samuel L. Jackson, and many more have all traveled to a galaxy far, far away for one of the various installments in the ever-expanding franchise. However, one actor you might have completely forgotten appeared in Star Wars is John Lithgow. Not only did the Third Rock From the Sun star become part of the Star Wars universe, he played none other than Master Yoda.

During an interview with Collider, Lithgow recalled his brief time playing Yoda in Star Wars. For those that don't know, Lithgow voiced Yoda in the radio dramatizations of The Empire Strikes Back. "I was acting in a play on Broadway directed by John Madden,...

Movies have countless areas of craft that require distinct talents which sadly more often than not fail to be recognized in the way they deserve to be. While directors and actors are the most prolific, there is an endless array of roles that most would argue are just as important. Aside from editors, writers, and lighting crews to name a few, sound design is perhaps one of the most important aspects of moviemaking, but is rarely given much attention to. Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt is such a special case for the art of sound design for movies as how his work has not only reached an iconic status, with the most significant work done in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, but his inventive instinct on display for how to achieve the sound effects that are known so well. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here.

Filmmaker George Lucas directed 1977’s Star Wars, which changed the face of this sci-fi genre with its critical and commercial success. The film launched the epic space opera franchise that has lasted well over five decades and continues to thrive even today. However, Lucas’ creation wasn’t the first sci-fi franchise to captive fans across the world.

George Lucas created the Star Wars franchise (Credit: HBO).

Almost a decade before Lucas took the world by storm, Gene Roddenberry dared to go where no man had gone before with the ambitious sci-fi television series Star Trek. Over the years, fans of both franchises have debated which is better. However, Lucas has himself admitted that Star Wars wouldn’t exist without Gene Roddenberry’s work on Star Trek, and here is what he had to say.

George Lucas credits Star Trek for the success of Star Wars

George Lucas is arguably one...

Lucasfilm is one of the most well-known production companies in the world with filmmaker George Lucas producing most of the Star Wars movies under the banner before selling it to Disney. Similarly, Hayao Miyazaki established Studio Ghibli, which is a powerhouse in terms of animation with the filmmaker, winning an Oscar for his most recent work.

George Lucas is the visionary filmmaker behind Lucasfilm (Credit: HBO).

The two powerhouses almost collaborated in the 1980s, when Lucas and Miyazaki were both arguably at the peak of their prowess. The two filmmakers almost worked on the now cult classic animated movie Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, which faced several issues in production. Here is what you need to know about their involvement with the film.

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland Almost Brought George Lucas and Hayao Miyazaki Together

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is a 1989 animated musical fantasy film based on Winsor McCay...

Producer Paul Maslansky, who came up with the premise for the first Police Academy movie and got help from three world-class directors to push the troubled cult classic Return to Oz past the finish line, has died. He was 91.

Maslansky died Monday of natural causes at a hospital in Los Robles, California, his partner of 16 years, Sally Emr, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The New Yorker made his producing debut in Italy on The Castle of the Living Dead (1964), starring Christopher Lee, and he filmed George Cukor’s penultimate feature, the Elizabeth Taylor-starring The Blue Bird (1976), and Fred Schepisi’s The Russia House (1990), starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer, in the Soviet Union.

Maslansky, who collaborated often with Oscar winner Alan Ladd Jr., also produced Larry Peerce’s Love Child (1982), starring Amy Madigan in the true story of a woman who is impregnated by a guard in prison and has...

We have sad news to report today. Robert Watts, the producer on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies as well as other beloved films has passed away. He died in his sleep at the age 86.

Watts was friends and worked for producer Gary Kurtz, which is how he started on Star Wars: A New Hope as a production manager. From there, he would step up as the associate producer for The Empire Strikes Back and then later was the co-producer for Return of the Jedi, via Deadline. From his work with the Star Wars trilogies, he would also join Steven Spielberg on his trilogy of films with Indiana Jones. He started as the associate producer for Raiders of the Lost Arc before becoming the producer for the other two films in the franchise.

Watts also made a small cameo in Return of the Jedi. Via Lucasfilm, who shared a...

Robert Watts, the British producer and production manager who collaborated with George Lucas on the first three Star Wars films and the first three Indiana Jones movies, has died. He was 86.

Watts died Monday in his sleep at his home in East Sussex, England, his rep, Julian Owen at Alliance Agents, told The Hollywood Reporter. “We were with him for a decade taking him to conventions all over the world, where he could connect with fans and talk about his career,” Owen said.

Watts also worked alongside Indiana Jones director Steven Spielberg on the Spielberg-produced Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991).

For the extremely challenging first Star Wars film, Watts served as production supervisor under production designer John Barry, and the two traveled to Morocco and Tunisia to scout locations. He then did some third-unit directing.

“We were under a great deal of pressure from 20th Century Fox,...

Almost everyone knows about Princess Leia Organa, one of the most iconic characters in Star Wars, but there are many facts and pieces of trivia about her character that even longtime fans may not be aware of. Initially presented as the princess who needed to be rescued in A New Hope, Leia quickly proved herself a determined fighter, a competent leader, and a woman unafraid to put a scoundrel like Han Solo in his place. She was also fiercely loyal to her friends, loved by those who knew her, and adored by generations of Star Wars fans.

However, Leia's story reaches far beyond the Star Wars movies into the realm of TV shows, books, comics, etc. Her character also changed quite a bit throughout the development of the original Star Wars trilogy, and her path diverged in different Star Wars timelines. These pieces of information add greater depth to Leia's...

George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise stands as a cornerstone of modern science fiction. Initially an ambitious space opera project, it has evolved into one of the most successful and beloved franchises in history. Spanning several decades, Star Wars has captivated multiple generations of fans and continues to be revered as one of the greatest fictional universes ever created.

Despite its cult classic status and millions of devoted followers, tales from the production of these films continue to intrigue us. Whether they pertain to the newer installments or the original trilogy, the report we have today hails from the latter.

This story centers around David Prowse, the actor who portrayed the body of Darth Vader in the original trilogy. While Prowse did not provide the voice or the unmasked face of Darth Vader, he embodied the physical presence of the character. This report aims to uncover the reasons behind this casting decision.

George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise is a pillar of modern science fiction. What started out as a relatively ambitious space opera project became one of the most lucrative and popular franchises in history. Being present for several decades now, Star Wars has raised multiple generations of fans and it still remains one of the best fictional universes ever created.

But, while the whole franchise is now a cult classic with millions of followers, there are still stories from the production of these films that intrigue us, regardless of whether they are from the production of the newer films, or the original trilogy. The report we have for you today is from the latter.

It involves the story of David Prowse, the actor who was the body of Darth Vader in the original trilogy; we know that Prowse was neither the voice nor the face of Darth Vader beneath the mask,...

Don't miss the chance to snag Leia's Huttslayer outfit or Din Djarin's Mandalorian helmet at this epic auction on July 25th and 26th! With over 500 items to choose from, including Carrie Fisher's handwritten resume and a George Lucas-signed petition, there's something for every Star Wars fan. Whether you're a fan of the original trilogy or newer series like The Mandalorian, these unique and iconic collectibles are a must-have for any collector.

Heritage Auctions is selling several incredible Star Wars items, from Princess Leia's Huttslayer outfit in Return of the Jedi to Din Djarin's Mandalorian helmet, during their Hollywood/Entertainment Signature Auction on July 25th and 26th. There are innumerable iconic props and outfits from Star Wars movies and TV shows, but the slave outfit that Princess Leia was forced to wear when she was the prisoner of Jabba the Hutt is one of the most well-known. In fact,...

George Lucas created the Star Wars universe with the 1977 original, which became an instant blockbuster. The filmmaker expanded the movie into a franchise, with the space opera saga continuing to captivate audiences across the globe even today. However, despite the franchise’s long-standing success, one founding father abandoned it very early on.

George Lucas worked closely with Gary Kurtz on the initial Star Wars movies (Credit: Star Wars | YouTube).

Gary Kurtz worked as a producer on the first two installments in Lucas’ original trilogy of Star Wars movies. However, the producer later stepped away from the space opera saga before Lucas could conclude the original trilogy. In an interview, Kurtz revealed why he stepped away from the franchise and the reason might surprise some fans.

Producer Gary Kurtz Reveals Why He Stepped Away From the George Lucas’ Star Wars Franchise

Gary Kurtz first collaborated with filmmaker George Lucas on the 1973 coming-of-age comedy-drama film American Graffiti,...

George Lucas established himself as a blockbuster filmmaker with 1977’s Star Wars, which has had an enduring legacy in cinema. However, before undertaking the epic space opera saga, Lucas was once considering directing a war drama film focusing on the Vietnam War, which Francis Ford Coppola eventually directed.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now was initially developed by George Lucas (Credit: United Artists).

The 1979 war drama Apocalypse Now was initially going to be helmed by Lucas, who was involved in the project since the writing stage. Moreover, Lucas and writer John Milius had an extremely outrageous idea for the film’s production as the duo intended to shoot on actual locations where the war was still taking place. Here is everything you need to know about what could’ve been George Lucas’ Apocalypse Now.

George Lucas Almost Directed Apocalypse Now Before Creating Star Wars

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Apocalypse Now...

Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford were major players in the original Star Wars trilogy as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. As part of the Resistance fighting to bring down the tyrannical Empire, the two played integral roles in bringing it down. While the first film set up the world and the overall rivalry between the two, the sequels go all out with their war against each other.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: A New Hope

The iconic lightsaber fight from Empire Strikes Back, and the twist, remain the most iconic moments in the franchise. Luke’s lightsaber was put on auction in 2017, a year before the passing of the franchise’s producer Gary Kurtz. The price of the lightsaber was less than Ford’s combined salary for the original trilogy.

Mark Hamill’s Lightsaber from Empire Strikes Back Was Auctioned At $450,000

Luke battles Darth Vader in Empire...

For all that fans have, and will ever continue to, argue about what is canon in the world of Doctor Who, the fact remains that it is a world of fuzzy edges, edges will only get fuzzier now that Russell T Davies has introduced “the Doctor-verse”.

The TV series itself is like a piece of grit in the oyster of fandom, and around that grit has formed a pearl made of Big Finish audios and novels and comic books and tabletop Rpgs and videogames. Then there are all the unofficial appearances that definitely still count. And beyond that? The vast expanse of fan-created content, most of it created for an audience of one, and yet it is not quite as distant from The Official Version as you might think.

After all, we now are at a point where multiple actors have spent more hours playing the Doctor in Big Finish...

Clockwise from top left: Darth Vader helmet (Photo: Mj Kim/Getty Images); James Bond’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5 (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images); Dorothy’s ruby slippers (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images); A model X-Wing fighter (Photo: John Phillips/Getty Images)Graphic: The A.V. Club

Sometimes, C-3Po just doesn’t understand human behavior.

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Thanks to the release of "Star Wars" in 1977 — before it had any episode number or subtitle — Harrison Ford was transformed from being a mostly unknown character actor into cinema's ultimate cool guy. He was the roguish hero who could approach everything with a wink and a smirk, putting forth the veneer of someone whose loyalties you question but ultimately know will do the right thing. Not only did it change the trajectory of the actor's career, helping to make him one of the biggest movie stars in the world for the next nearly 50 years, but it redefined a new template for a character that every adventure movie tried to replicate thereafter.

The thing that is important to remember, though, is that Harrison Ford isn't Han Solo. Nor is he Indiana Jones or Richard Kimball. He is Harrison Ford, a regular...

George Lucas' original "Star Wars" was, at the time, probably the most technologically complicated undertaking since Stanley Kubrick took a space-crazed populace for a tour of the galaxy in "2001: A Space Odyssey." The motion control camera pioneered by John Dykstra (which he dubbed the "Dykstraflex") allowed Lucas to pull off the Death Star trench run, which ended the film on a rousing note and changed the medium forever.

But before it became a global sensation, 20th Century Fox didn't get "Star Wars." According to Lucas, Alan Ladd Jr., who greenlit the movie, told the up-and-coming director, 'I don't understand this movie, I don't get it at all, but I think you're a talented guy and I want you to make it.'" His gut instinct was based on the box-office success of "American Graffiti," which was a grounded, night-in-the-life tale of teenagers on the cusp of adulthood. It was relatable.

The making of Apocalypse Now is the story of madness and disaster. As captured in the documentary Hearts of Darkness, the year plus filming saw every manner of bad luck, from conflicts with the Philippine government to massive storms to a constantly changing crew, to star Martin Sheen’s heart attack on set.

But the strangest behind the scenes tale of Apocalypse Now may actually be about the man who initially planned to direct it. The version of Apocalypse Now that hit theaters in 1979 matched the ambitions (and ego) of its director Francis Ford Coppola. But before Coppola took over, Apocalypse Now was actually the baby of the reserved and mild-mannered George Lucas.

Nirvana Now

Screenwriter John Milius wanted to go to war. One of the few conservatives within a group of lefty young filmmakers that included Martin Scorsese, Margot Kidder, and Paul Schrader, Milius had no interest in protesting the Vietnam War.

Imagine being a young actor and getting a role in a feature film. It's a sci-fi adventure, and you're going to be the lead. You get all packed up and get on a plane to London to shoot, but when you get there, no one seems to care very much that you're around. That was the case for Mark Hamill, who was heading to the United Kingdom to play Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope," which was simply "Star Wars" back then.

In the 2013 book "The Making of Star Wars: (Enhanced Edition)" by J.W. Rinzler (an upgraded version of the 2007 book of the same name), Hamill spoke about what it was like to head over there, all ready to go, and the odd situation he walked into that he didn't know anything about. That day was his first meeting with George Lucas and producer Gary Kurtz.

“Star Wars” is one of the biggest franchises of all time and has welcomed multiple generations to a galaxy far, far away for 45 years. George Lucas’ groundbreaking vision, which began all the way back in 1977 with “A New Hope,” changed the movie industry forever and, with that, made a mark on the Academy Awards that year with a Best Picture nomination. However, the relationship between “Star Wars” and the Oscars hasn’t always been as lovable as Han Solo and Chewie. In fact, there’s often been a touch of Vader-Luke in the conflicted dynamic between the two institutions. Here’s a breakdown of the history of every “Star Wars” movie at the Academy Awards, ranked in terms of Oscars success.

“A New Hope” (1977)

Dir: George Lucas

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness

“Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and...

George Lucas made one major mistake with the Star Wars prequel trilogy, ignoring a lesson from the original trilogy that he should not direct the movies himself. The Star Wars prequel trilogy initially received a mixed reception on its release, although its reputation has rightly improved over the years. Still, it remains valuable to look back and explore what factored into the disappointed response to the prequels.

Although Lucas insisted he was pursuing his own vision, even he had to take notice of fan reactions. This led to several pivots in the storytelling, for example; Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace introduced concepts such as midi-chlorians and the Chosen One prophecy, but Lucas chose to avoid focusing in on these, stating - in interviews in Paul Duncan's The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-iii 1999-2005 - that doing so would be "indulgent." But the narrative wasn't the only problem; in fact,...

Though "The Empire Strikes Back" is often regarded now as the best "Star Wars" film, the surprising runner-up in our poll two years ago was "Return of the Jedi," which is celebrating its 40th anniversary today. That "Jedi" should make such a strong showing was surprising if only because the film tends to take a slight critical drubbing in comparison to "Empire" and the first "Star Wars" movie, now known as "A New Hope."

With "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back," directors George Lucas and Irvin Kershner each carved out a distinct tone and vision for what the original "Star Wars" trilogy could be. Still, the contemporary love for "Empire" doesn't necessarily align with the immediate reaction audiences had to it back in the day. Last year, the Vice TV docuseries "Icons Unearthed: Star Wars" spliced in footage of one '80s fan exiting the theater, saying, "It could've been a better ending,...

As the story goes, George Lucas at one point planned to make a Skywalker family epic consisting of 12 movies across four trilogies, with Episode Xii serving as the true grand finale of the saga where our heroes would finally face the dreaded Emperor. But then he cut that outline down to nine films, with Luke’s sister (not originally Leia) joining the fray around Episode VIII, just in time for the final battle in Episode IX, according to Gary Kurtz, who produced the first two Star Wars films.

Then, in the early ’80s, Lucas decided to cut down the story further. He pushed up the final battle with the Dark Lord of the Sith to Episode VI, the initially titled Revenge of the Jedi, which would also reveal that Leia had been Luke’s long-lost sister all along (despite their famous smooch in The Empire Strikes Back). Lucas is something...

New Star Wars movies are finally on the way. Lucasfilm has recently announced a new Rey movie set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker, as well as a movie tracking the origin of the Jedi from James Mangold, and a Mandoverse event film from Dave Filoni. Plus, Taika Waititi is writing a Star Wars movie he might also star in, while Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy has signed up to do something in the galaxy far, far away, too. After years of waiting, fans have a whole slate of new Star Wars movies to look forward to, with the first said to be releasing as early as 2025.

But we’ve all been here before, haven’t we? It feels like only yesterday that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced a Rogue Squadron movie directed by Wonder Woman‘s Patty Jenkins for a 2023 release. And remember when a Disney exec said Kevin Feige...

Gary Kurtz in 1980 (left) and 2010. Photo: Fairfax Media Archives, Jim Steinfeldt Imagine Star Wars without merch. Or Ewoks. Or another Death Star, just two movies after the first. Imagine if Leia and Luke weren’t related, and might have become lovers. Imagine Han Solo dying in the third film rather than the seventh.

Mark Hamill, Gary Kurtz, and Billy D. Williams in 1980.Photo: Fairfax Media Archives (Getty Images)

Imagine Star Wars without merch. Or Ewoks. Or another Death Star, just two movies after the first. Imagine if Leia and Luke weren’t related, and might have become lovers. Imagine Han Solo dying in...

George Lucas' 1977 sci-fi film "Star Wars" was made on a budget of $11 million in 1976, which, in 2023 dollars shake out to about $58 million. That's a sizeable amount of money, of course, but given that the last theatrical "Star Wars" feature film, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" cost anywhere from $275 to $460 million to make, the original's budget seems like a drop in the bucket. Because Lucas was working with a mere mid-size budget (by today's standards), he was forced to change a great deal of his original "Star Wars" script, removing many fantastical elements and characters for more grounded, human, easier-to-film counterparts. From the looks of the original script, though, "Star Wars" might have come out looking as dense and as odd as Jodorowsky's failed "Dune" adaptation.

In 2020, details of Lucas' first draft were explored in detail on the Biography website. It seems the filmmaker's early visions for "Star Wars" were...

The Empire Strikes Back wasn’t called Star Wars 2 for a blunt, but effective reason. The Empire Strikes Back was the long-awaited follow-up to Star Wars, the 1977 film that launched the entire franchise. When Star Wars, later retitled A New Hope, was released, the producers at 20th Century Fox weren’t sure what to make of it, but quickly changed their tune when the movie made over $420 million at the box office by the time The Empire Strikes Back was set to debut. In today’s money, that equals over $2 billion, making the original Star Wars one of the most successful movies of all time.

Given the sheer influence of the Star Wars title, one would think that creator George Lucas, Star Wars' producers, and the distributors at 20th Century Fox would have been raring to use the power of familiarity to market the sequel. Star Wars 2, while perhaps not...

The majesty and mystery of the "Star Wars" universe can really be traced back to one character: Boba Fett. Although the infamous bounty hunter was first introduced in the much-maligned "Star Wars Holiday Special," everyone really remembers his original appearance alongside Ig-88, Dengar, Bossk, Zuckuss, and 4-lom in "The Empire Strikes Back." Who was this cool and calculated mercenary? What's his backstory? For dyed-in-the-wool fans of the original trilogy, Boba Fett should have remained an enigma, shrouded in secrecy. 

In the decades since he ushered Han Solo away to Jabba's Palace aboard Slave-1, Boba Fett has also come to represent everything that's wrong with the "Star Wars" universe. Fans now know his backstory and then some. He's an unaltered clone of his father, Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison), who re-emerges from the Sarlacc pit 5 years after "Return of the Jedi" to take over the criminal underworld on Tatooine. A young Fett...

Had George Lucas directed Apocalypse Now as planned, that could have changed both the course of his career And mainstream cinema itself. Contrasting Lucas' first two movies with his work on the Star Wars franchise, they almost appear to come from two different filmmakers. Thx 1138 is an austere, dystopian sci-fi movie based on Lucas' student short. While it was a box-office disappointment upon release in 1971, it's now considered a cult film. His coming-of-age comedy American Graffiti - starring Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford - was a big hit critically and commercially.

The success of the latter led to Star Wars being greenlit, and while the movie's production was famously stressful, it became a generation-defining hit. Lucas may have worked on many other films in the years that followed - including the Indiana Jones franchise and Willow - but his name will forever be linked to Star Wars.

When "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" was first released in theaters in 1980, fans were enraptured by the unique "look" of a certain background bounty hunter so much that he quickly elevated to fan favorite status. Not much was known about Boba Fett at the time — his backstory would later be colored by expanded universe material and a parentage established by the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy. His design, however, was still compelling enough to capture the imagination of the most curious-minded fans of George Lucas's fantasy/sci-fi galaxy.

It's the sleek and effortless cool of the T-shaped visor on the helmet, the various intricate shapes that make up his weaponry and toolset, a dark green and black color palette, and even a jetpack that transformed into every kid's most desired action figure. With all this in mind, it may come as a shock to know that the...

"Star Wars" was an all-in gamble for George Lucas in 1977. Even with the blockbuster success of 1973's "American Graffiti," the filmmaker was taking a massive risk by creating a sprawling, richly imagined sci-fi/fantasy saga from scratch. Just about every studio in Hollywood passed on the project. No one understood it. Alan Ladd, then the head of 20th Century Fox, didn't get it either, but he believed in Lucas enough to give him a budget in the neighborhood of 10 million. This translates to 52 million in 2022: not exorbitant, but big enough that Fox would feel a bit of financial pain if the film flopped.

It was impossible to predict just how emphatically moviegoers would connect with "Star Wars," and there was no road map for how to capitalize on its unprecedented success. Lucas and the VFX wizards at Industrial Light & Magic had pioneered new techniques to capture the thrilling intergalactic...

Commission

Warner Bros. Discovery U.K. is re-teaming with Optomen TV to produce a follow-up to “Johnny vs Amber,” a two-part documentary which explored Johnny Depp’s defamation trial in the U.K. High Court with explosive evidence, intimate personal archive and in-depth interviews from both legal teams. Following the success of that documentary, the follow up will be focused on the recent and very high-profile legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, this time in the U.S. The two-part Discovery+ documentary will again look at the extensive evidence and testimony of both Depp and Heard. Each episode will present one side of the argument through legal teams, friends, family and key witnesses.

In addition, Discovery+ has also greenlit two further ‘vs’ series: “Coleen vs Rebekah,” will examine the recent U.K. court battle between high profile footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy; and “Britney vs Jamie,...

Exclusive: Mvd Entertainment Group has acquired worldwide rights to the autobiographical coming-of-age comedy 5-25-77, from writer-director Patrick Read Johnson (Spaced Invaders), slating it for release in North American theaters this fall, with an unveiling on digital and VOD to follow.

The film’s title stems from the 1977 release date of George Lucas’ original Star Wars film—which today celebrates its 45th anniversary. It’s inspired by the true story of a nerdy, alienated, hopeful filmmaker named Pat Johnson (John Francis Daley) about growing up, falling in love, and becoming the very first fan of the movie that changed everything. Austin Pendleton (My Cousin Vinny), Colleen Camp (Die Hard with a Vengeance), Neil Flynn (Scrubs) and Justin Mentell (G-Force) also star.

Gary Kurtz, Fred Roos, and Leigh Jones produced, in collaboration with Film.io Originals, with 5-25-77 marking Kurtz’s final film before his passing in 2018. Mvd...

1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special is known for many things: continuing the adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewie; introducing fans to Life Day and Chewie’s son, Lumpy; and being an all-around terrible TV special. But it also marked the first onscreen appearance of one of the most iconic characters in Star Wars: Boba Fett.

In the animated portion of the special, the heroes first meet Boba as an ally, a mysterious man in imposing armor who offers to help Han and Chewie after they crash on a dangerous moon in the Panna system. But we soon learn of this Good Samaritan’s true allegiance — he’s working for Darth Vader and the Empire. It’s this backstory that would later inform Boba’s first live-action appearance in The Empire Strikes Back, in which he’s hired by Vader to track down the Millennium Falcon in order to set...

The divisiveness of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy remains powerful nearly two years after its conclusion. Yet, as topically wide-ranging—and, in some cases, strangely political—as debates over the Disney follow-ups to the sacred Original Trilogy became, the cold-hard metric of box office grosses confirms their status as Star Wars’ most lucrative mainline movies (excluding the anemic Solo). Now, the camp of sequel detractors has apparently gained a surprisingly authoritative ally in film editor Marcia Lucas, who, besides being the ex-wife of George Lucas, was a crucially grounding visionary in the franchise’s formation.

One of Star Wars’ early guiding forces, Marcia Lucas (born Marcia Lou Griffin), has offered some scathing criticism of Sequel Trilogy films The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), rife with the kind of adjectives that don’t beat around the bush. The stinging words stem from Howard Kazanjian: A Producer’s Life by J.

Los Angeles, March 9 (Ians) What makes Hollywood star Mark Hamill cringe? Every time he sees a still of the first time Luke Skywalker, his iconic character in the Star Wars universe, holds up the lightsaber and points it at his face!

The 69-year-old on Monday took to Twitter, to declare his stance on the meme that has been doing the rounds on social media for a while now.

"This makes me cringe every time I see it. I don't remember doing this in the movie. I think it's just an on-set production still, otherwise Obi-Wan (Kenobi) wouldn't look so remarkably unconcerned," he wrote on Twitter.

This is not the first time Hamill has given the fans of the franchise some behind-the-scenes trivia on social media. Last week he shared a set photo from the sets of the film, "Star Wars: A New Hope", featuring a birthday cake.

"While shooting on...

A popular meme of Luke Skywalker handling a lightsaber very dangerously makes Mark Hamill himself cringe every time he sees it. In the Star Wars meme, which chances are you've already seen shared a time or two on the internet, Luke looks directly into a lightsaber as Obi-Wan Kenobi watches on. The caption reads: "Handed the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy. Immediately point it at face."

On Twitter, one Star Wars fan posted the image while tagging Mark Hamill. "This makes me laugh every time I see it," the fan wrote. In response, Hamill tweeted that his reaction to the meme is far different, but he clarifies that the image is likely taken from behind the scenes as Luke Skywalker doesn't actually do that in the movie.

This makes me cringe every time I see it.

Mark Hamill made the day for Star Wars fans when explained on Tuesday the backstory to a behind-the-scenes picture from the set of A New Hope. A Twitter user asked the iconic sci-fi actor whose birthday a small group was celebrating on what appears to be the Mos Eisley location.

Hamill broke it all down for his 4.5 million followers.

“While shooting on location for the original #StarWars in Tunisia-North Africa, Gary Kurtz, George Lucas [and] I raised a styrofoam cup half-filled with warm champagne to toast Alec Guinness on his 62nd birthday. That was on Friday, April 2nd 1976. (I Googled ...

Mark Hamill made the day for Star Wars fans when he explained the backstory to a behind-the-scenes picture from the set of A New Hope.

On Tuesday, a Twitter user asked the iconic sci-fi actor whose birthday a small group was celebrating on what appears to be the Mos Eisley location. Hamill broke it all down for his 4.5 million followers.

“While shooting on location for the original #StarWars in Tunisia-North Africa, Gary Kurtz, George Lucas [and] I raised a styrofoam cup half-filled with warm champagne to toast Alec Guinness on his 62nd birthday. That was on Friday, April 2nd 1976. (I ...

Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmakers Podcast #207: How to make a Sky Original Feature with ‘To Olivia...

Blockbuster movies, as we think of them now, were defined in the ‘70s. Arguably, the first Hollywood blockbuster was Jaws, but the first blockbuster that was strategically planned was Star Wars.

Have you ever asked yourself why countless people lined up to see Star Wars in 1977 on the day it came out? There was no internet and TV advertising was expensive. George Lucas was not yet a multi-billionaire. How did they do it? How did Star Wars find its audience? More importantly, how did Star Wars find its audience before it became a massive hit?

The answer is the late Charles Lippincott. Lippincott, who died this week at the age of 80, was a publicist who worked for Lucasfilm in 1976. Most famously, he was also the guy who secured merchandising tie-in deals with Marvel Comics and Kenner toys. If you’ve ever read a Star Wars comic or played with a Star Wars toy,...

This week marks the 44th anniversary of A New Hope production start. Mark Hamill celebrated by posting some information on social media about his first day on set. According to some, the date was March 25th, 1976, but the official Star Wars website has it listed as March 22nd, 1976. Regardless, the anniversary just took place and not a whole lot of people took notice since there's so much else in the world going on. With that being said, fans were happy to see Hamill talk about the day.

1st day was in Tunisia, North Africa. Only cast there was Alec Guinness, Kenny Baker & Tony Daniels. Wouldn't meet Carrison & Harrie until we returned to UK. My 1st shot was me emerging from my home towards the Jawa droid sale-i had high hopes it would be a good movie. #TrueStoryhttps://t.co/7WvDnipkH7

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) March 26, 2020

Mark Hamill helps to keep the...

Updated with Academy statement: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has responded to complaints about the exclusion of some entertainment figures from its annual In Memoriam segment on Sunday’s Oscar telecast.

“The Academy receives hundreds of requests to include loved ones and industry colleagues in the Oscars In Memoriam segment,” the organization said in a statement obtained by Deadline. “An executive committee representing every branch considers the list and makes selections for the telecast based on limited available time. All of the submissions are included on Oscar.com and will remain on the site throughout the year.”

Previously: Kobe Bryant led off the Oscar telecast’s In Memoriam segment and Kirk Douglas was the last film personality it honored.

The annual portion late in the show, introduced this time by Steven Spielberg and accompanied by a rendition of “Yesterday” by Grammy winner Billie Eilish, appeared to avoid major controversy.

So, the Oscars are over for another year. In amongst the various awards, acceptance speeches and musical interludes, the ceremony reflects on those whom we have lost over the past year in the 'In Memoriam' montage that is sure to bring a few tears to your eyes. Sadly, every year what follows is the backlash, as the Oscars are chastised by fans for leaving out several prominent stars who tragically met their end. This year, they forgot to include several significant figures, including Luke Perry, Cameron Boyce, Sid Haig, Jan-Michael Vincent, Tim Conway, and Michael J. Pollard, all of them curiously left out of the proceedings.

Since then, a multitude of fans have taken to social media to air their anger and frustration at leaving them out, with the likes of Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce receiving a lot of support.

"No Luke Perry in the tribute to celebs we...

Michael Ahr Aug 30, 2019

The executive producers of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance talk about how Jim Henson’s vision comes alive in the Netflix prequel.

There’s something about The Dark Crystal’s artistry in presenting characters and creatures that are designed and fabricated as fantastical figures controlled by human hands rather than by computer that transcends whatever motion capture or sophisticated visual effects can accomplish. With The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Jim Henson’s darkest tale will return to a more vibrant time in the planet of Thra’s history, and the marriage of puppetry, practical effects, and CGI will be a wonder to behold when the series arrives on Netflix on August 30, 2019. Creators Will Matthews and Jeffrey Addiss along with executive producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach told us all about how the 1982 film made the journey to the small screen.

The original movie was anything but the end...

In a Comic-Con without a massive Star Wars panel or even a Joss Whedon lecture, those looking for any lightning in Hall H, could rely on Mark Hamill this afternoon.

A lot of these panels have the same wash-rinse-repeat formula: Actors talking passionately about their roles in projects we haven’t seen yet. Or worse, a great deal of backslapping among the cast about their favorite on set moments. Oh, and let’s not forget a trailer. But at Netflix’s panel for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Hamill took everyone back down memory lane, and it gave the whole 45 minute panel a greater sense of fanboy spiritual dept, especially for a prequel streaming series to a 37-year-old cult fantasy movie.

In fact, at the end of the panel discussion for the Netflix series, and before the first episode of Dark Crystal was shown to the Hall, Hamill was...

John Saavedra Dec 19, 2019

George Lucas was consulted about the story of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker before J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio wrote the script.

George Lucas was consulted about the story of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, according to director and co-writer J.J. Abrams in an interview with IGN.

“This movie had a very, very specific challenge, which was to take eight films and give an ending to three trilogies, and so we had to look at, what is the bigger story? We had conversations amongst ourselves, we met with George Lucas before writing the script,” Abrams said. “These were things that were in real, not debate, but looking at the vastness of the story and trying to figure out, what is the way to conclude this? But it has to work on its own as a movie, it has to be its own thing, it...

Updated with more info: Stanley Donen, the legendary director of classics like Singin’ in the Rain, whose death at age 94 was just confirmed a day and a half before the Oscars, was the most prominent omission of the annual “In Memoriam” reel in tonight’s telecast.

Other notables left out included Star Wars and American Graffiti producer Gary Kurtz, actress Carol Channing, experimental filmmaker Jonas Mekas and marketing and distribution executive Mark Urman. Despite a petition urging her inclusion, Stand and Deliver and ER actress Vanessa Marquez also did not make the cut. Also missing were actors Dick Miller, whose work included Gremlins and The Terminator, and Julie Adams, known for Creature from the Black Lagoon.

The Academy did post a more comprehensive photo gallery on its site tonight that included Donen and Channing. A total of 211 photos are included.

Donen was a renowned figure whose films spanned decades and...