Tag: Lucasfilm

Posted on in Television News

Lucasfilm Has Officially Terminated Gina Carano’s Employment Amid Antisemitic Post On Social Media

Yesterday, it was finally announced by Lucasfilm (owned by Disney) that they have severed the employment of The Mandalorian actress and former UFC fighter Gina Carano.

This comes after a massive online campaign with the hashtag #FireGinaCarano being sparked after an antisemitic post was revealed and circulated on Twitter. I guess comparing her social media backlash to the six million Jews who were persecuted and murdered in the Holocaust at the hands of the Nazis was apparently a step too far for Disney and Lucasfilm.

It’s worth noting that Jon Favreau, essentially her boss on the series, is Jewish.

Here is what a Lucasfilm spokesperson had to say via The Hollywood Reporter.

“Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.”

She’s also been dropped by her agency.

Carano has also been dropped as a client by UTA, an agency spokesperson confirms.

This late move is coming after the actress rightfully saw public backlash for posting similar antisemitic imagery, sharing/liking anti-vaxxer and anti-mask postings along with initially teasing the trans community for asking people to use pronouns in their bios as a form of support. Her co-star Pedro Pascal had only this week announced support for his sister Lux Pascal, who has come out as trans.

The public “backlash” led the actress to announce she would be joining the Alt-Right social media platform Parler.

It’s unknown at this time if Lucasfilm will recast the role of Cara Dune or stop using the character altogether because of Carano’s association. I had mused during the start of Season 2 airing on Disney+ that Lucasfilm might have opted to kill-off her character to end the relationship.

However, The Hollywood Reporter mentions they had scrapped plans to announce a spinoff series for her character Cara Dune during the December presentation after her November tweets sparked outrage and might have still considered adding her to Dave Filoni’s series Rangers of The New Republic before the final straw.

SOURCE: LUCASFILM VIA THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

‘Ready Player One’ Production Designer Adam Stockhausen Confirmed For ‘Indiana Jones 5’

The Ronin has been able to verify that production designer Adam Stockhausen has indeed joined the crew for Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones 5 which will star Harrison Ford as the titular hero one more time as the new film will be a continuation rather than a reboot, as reaffirmed by studio head Kathleen Kennedy back in 2020.

Adam is a frequent collaborator with directors Wes Anderson and Steven Spielberg as his credits include films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel, Ready Player One, Bridge of Spies, The French Dispatch, Isle of Dogs, Moonrise Kingdom, Widows, and West Side Story.

He earned an Oscar for his work on Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Logan and Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold last year took over for Steven Spielberg when the filmmaker exited the project and is also rewriting the script for the sequel. James recently hinted on Twitter that the fifth installment might take place in the 1960’s.

Concrete plot details for Indiana Jones 5 are being kept under lock-and-key.

One thing we can likely rely on is that Shia LaBeouf won’t be returning as Indy’s estranged son Mutt given the recent allegations of abuse made by an ex-girlfriend making the idea of having him return a PR nightmare for the studio and headache they can avoid.

Disney has given the untitled Indy film a release date of July 29th, 2022 and suggested back in December production could begin shooting in late spring.

Posted on in Television News

‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: Ewan McGregor Says Production Begins Late Spring In Los Angeles

Despite rumblings that Lucasfilm has started shooting Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Disney+ series star Ewan McGregor while chatting with comedian Eddie Izzard for a charity streaming event revealed that production won’t be taking place until “late spring” and that the production location is actually going to be Los Angeles, California and not the United Kingdom as previously rumored.

The chat taking place during Izzard’s marathon Run For Hope and the clip with Ewan was posted on Reddit.

MCGREGOR: “We start making it in the late spring and we’re going to be shooting it here in [Los Angeles].”

He also took some grabs at the inaccurate tabloid reporting on the upcoming production and were it would be taking place stating it had always been planned for a shoot in California, not Boston or the United Kingdom.

My former website Omega Underground actually had talked about Obi-Wan Kenobi possibly shooting in California back in 2017, when the project was still being considered as a feature film at Lucasfilm and we pointed out the state being a strong contender for it’s production for a multitude of reasons.

A late spring shoot would suggest they might not begin until around May-June, given that most projects are being delayed due to COVID-19 seeing them push back from a March start wouldn’t be all that shocking. According to Deadline, The Book of Boba Fett is currently shooting in the California facility which might also have something to do with it.

There is also an interesting production crew report from a South Korean site Cine21 (spotted by Star Wars News Net) that Oldboy cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung has been tapped for the series, however, this has yet to be confirmed by Disney/Lucasfilm. His other credits include IT, The Handmaiden, Uncharted, and Edgar Wright’s Last Night In Soho.

What we do know is that Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian) is directing with Hayden Christensen officially singed-on to reprise the role of Darth Vader. We should also expected to start hearing casting news in the very near future as we get closer to the Star Wars show’s production start.

SOURCE: EDDIE IZZARD/RUN FOR HOPE

Posted on in Television News

‘Willow’: Lucasfilm Hires ‘Power Rangers’ Director Jonathan Entwistle To Helm Disney+ Series

Lucasfilm has finally found their replacement for Jon M. Chu on their sequel series Willow on Disney+. This news from The Hollywood Reporter comes after the Crazy Rich Asians director announced his exit from the project citing an upcoming baby as the reasoning behind leaving directing duties on the fantasy show’s pilot.

The studio has now reportedly hired Jonathan Entwistle for the pilot but it’s unknown who else will be directing episodes.

Jonathan is likely best known for the series End of The F***ing World, and he was recently hired to tackle the latest feature film reboot of the Power Rangers as Hasbro has big plans for the franchise after acquiring the property. 

The cast includes Warwick Davis reprising the role of Willow Ufgood, Erin Kellyman (The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Green Knight) is said to be up for the role of Jade, Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Bad Times At The El Royale) playing Kit, English actress Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals) as Dove, and Tony Revolori in talks for a role.

According to Lucasfilm, production on Willow is set to begin this March in Wales.

WILLOW – Enter the world of Willow. Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side … to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Television News

‘Willow’: ‘Spider-Man 3’ Actor Tony Revolori In Talks To Join Lucasfilm’s Fantasy Series

Deadline is reporting that Spider-Man franchise actor Tony Revolori is now in talks with Lucasfilm to take an unknown role in their Disney+ series Willow. A direct sequel to the 1988 film directed by Ron Howard, who will executive produce the series and will see the return of Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood.

Tony is currently working Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 and will be seen next in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch.

Others starring in the series include Erin Kellyman (The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Green Knight) is said to be up for the role of Jade, Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Bad Times At The El Royale) playing Kit and English actress Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals) as Dove.

According to circulated casting information for the series, it revolves around a group on a mission to save a kidnapped prince. The members of the team include Dove (Bamber), whose backstory resembles that of Willow from the movie. Dove is an unassuming kitchen maid who proves that she is the “chosen one” as she embarks on the journey. She is joined by Kit (Spaeny), the princess whose twin brother was abducted. She is destined to be a leader and ultimately the queen. Kellyman plays Jade, a servant who is Kit’s best friend and moral compass. She is on her way to becoming the best young warrior in the kingdom. Also part of the group is a guy who echoes Val Kilmer’s character in the movie. A thief and liar, he joins the quest in exchange for getting out of prison.

Filming was supposed to begin this March in Wales before they lost director Jon M. Chu.

WILLOW – Enter the world of “Willow.” Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side … to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

‘Indiana Jones 5’: Director James Mangold Teasing A 1960’s Setting?

We keep forgetting that Indiana Jones 5 is still indeed a movie that Lucasfilm is making and keep promising is a continuation with Harrison Ford (almost 80 years old) in the role of Indy, rather than rebooting with a younger actor.

Details about the film are scarce but when the film take place might be something the film’s director has now hinted to on Twitter. A recent tweet from director and writer James Mangold could be confirming that the film is taking place in the 1960’s revealing “all” his movies are taking place in that decade. This would make sense given that Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull was set in 1957.

MANGOLD: “Im mentally living in 60’s NYC right now cause that’s where all the movies I’m working on take place.”

The director is also working on a movie about musician Bob Dylan titled Going Electric starring Timothee Chalamet for Searchlight Pictures and a NYPD thriller The Force starring Matt Damon for 20th Century Studios.

Lucasfilm revealed last month that they hope to get filming underway in late spring and are keeping the July 2022 release date.

Lucasfilm is currently in pre-production on the next installment of the Indiana Jones franchise. At the helm is James Mangold, director of the Academy Award-winning Ford v Ferrari, and Indy himself, Harrison Ford, will be back to continue his iconic character’s journey. Indy will begin shooting late spring of 2021 and will arrive July 2022.

James Mangold took over the writing of Indiana Jones 5’s script after David Koepp and Jonathan Kasdan tried their hand at reworking it. The script’s troubled development led to director Steven Spielberg exiting the hiring of James. It certainly sounds like Lucasfilm is trying to make sure the script is solid before moving forward since it’s production has had multiple delays as Steven first announced it would begin shooting back in April 2019 but didn’t due to development hiccups, we’re now coming up to three years later and it might finally get made.

I’m curious if they’ll continue to have the Soviet Union as the antagonists.

SOURCE: JAMES MANGOLD

Posted on in Television News

‘Star Wars’: Alan Tudyk Downplays Involvement As K-2SO In Season 1 of ‘Andor’

Despite being announced alongside Rogue One: A Star Wars Story co-star Diego Luna for the prequel Disney+ series Andor, a new quote from K-2S0 actor Alan Tudyk suggests he might not be as involved with the series as previously thought or originally promoted by Lucasfilm.

Alan was speaking with Collider and revealed that while Andor is filming at the moment he hasn’t shoot any scenes giving the impression he might not be showing up in future seasons. The actor revealing he’s not in Season 1, but that seems odd for a multitude of reasons.

TUDYK: “They’re shooting it right now, I’m not in it. But, if it stays on the air, stories keep getting told, I’ll end up in there.”

“I’m going to be in the show. It’s just that the story that Tony [Gilroy] is telling doesn’t involve K-2SO until later on… I can’t be too specific, but I can definitely say that I’m not going to be in the first season.”

It’s a little perplexing since Alan was on stage with Luna for the series announcement giving us the impression his role was likely minimized during the show’s rewrites. The show takes place five years before the events of Rogue One and maybe they wanted to explore Cassian Andor’s origins before pairing him with the surly droid.

Alan’s name was missing in a recent press release announcing new cast members on the official website, a possible first clue that he wasn’t going to be showing up after a potential retooling.

Star Diego Luna will be joined by Genevieve O’Reilly, who will reprise her role as Mon Mothma (Rogue One, Tin Can), as well as newly-announced co-stars Stellan Skarsgard (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Good Will Hunting), Denise Gough (Collett, Angels in America) and Kyle Soller (Anna Karenina, The Titan).

Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One, will write, direct and serve as showrunner for the series, which takes place five years before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Additional writers on the series include Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler), Beau Willimon (House of Cards), and Stephen Schiff (The Americans).

Filming is underway and is expected to drop sometime in 2022 on Disney+.

SOURCE: COLLDIER

Posted on in Television News

‘Star Wars’: Jason Isaacs Open To Playing Live-Action Version of The Grand Inquisitor With Some Conditions

After Katee Sackhoff reprised the role of Bo-Katan in The Mandalorian, there has been some speculation that other voice actors from the animation side of Star Wars might make the jump to playing live-action incarnations of their characters.

Collider recently spoke with fellow Star Wars: Rebels voice actor Jason Isaacs about the possibility of him playing The Grand Inquisitor in undisclosed live-actions projects for Lucasfilm and he sounds open to idea. It sounds like the quality of the script and the limited amount of prosthetics would be conditions for Jason to do it.

ISAACS: “I think it was because of his lightsaber. I’d like to use that spinning red lightsaber. I have the coolest wand in the Harry Potter world and I have the cool lightsaber in the Star Wars world.”

“I’m open to anything. It’s always about the script. I don’t want to just turn up so that I can take some photographs and go to conventions. I’d like to play parts. The Inquisitor was a great part when I played it and if the Inquisitor was a great part again, I’d be up for it. I’m not sure I’ve got the patience of Doug Jones who plays Saru in Discovery, who was the creature in The Shape of Water and stuff. I don’t now how many hours I’d like to spend in prosthetics. But yeah, Katee had a very good time. I know Katee and I’ll say, I’ve loved being part of the Star Wars world. They’ve invited me in although I’ve only ever been an animated character before.”

“It’s always the script and what you get to do. I know that for other people they go, ‘I’d love to see you in this,’ or, ‘I’d love to see you in that.’ Mostly it’s people would like to see me do something they’ve seen me do before. They go, ‘There’s a character just like that in this. Wouldn’t you like to be in Outlander playing so and so?’ And I go, ‘Well, not really because you’re just saying I should bring that character over from The Patriot,’ or whatever.”

However, given his character’s death in Star Wars: Rebels, he’d likely have to appear in things that take place before those events such as the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series starring Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. Considering Darth Vader is confirmed for the Disney+ show, having a version of The Inquisitors appearing is a strong possibility given that they’d still be hunting down Jedi at this point in the timeline.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Posted on in Television News

‘Willow’: Director Jon M. Chu Announces His Exit From Lucasfilm’s Fantasy Series For Disney+

The Willow series was about to begin shooting soon in Wales as it’s director Jon M. Chu has taken to Twitter to announce because the pandemic and the pregnancy of his wife he’ll be stepping down to focus on his family.

You can read Chu’s own words below explaining his departure from Willow.

According to Lucasfilm’s press release for the Disney Investor Day, they had planned on starting production in March and release the series on Disney+ sometime in 2022.

Willow, coming to Disney+, will be set decades after Ron Howard’s 1988 movie, continuing the spirit of adventure, heroics, and humor of the original film. Warwick Davis will return in the role of the great sorcerer, Willow Ufgood. Willow begins shooting next March in Wales and will debut on Disney+ in 2022.

They had been in the middle of casting the fantasy series with reports that actresses were in the mix for lead roles. Those names included Erin Kellyman (The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Green Knight) for the role of Jade, Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Bad Times At The El Royale) playing Kit and English actress Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals) as Dove.

The original film was directed by Ron Howard, who is a executive producer on the new Disney+ series which is said to be a continuation of the the 1988 film rather than a reboot.

WILLOW – Enter the world of Willow. Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side … to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears.

SOURCE: JON M. CHU

Posted on in Film News

Kevin Feige’s ‘Star Wars’ Movie Reportedly Adds ‘Loki’ & ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Screenwriter Michael Waldron

Another big update concerning the Star Wars franchise as Deadline reports that the Kevin Feige-produced project has hired screenwriter Michael Waldron (Rick & Morty) to pen a script. Waldron recently working with Feige at Marvel Studios on both Loki and Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness

Feige is the head of Marvel Studios and Marvel’s chief creative officer, which would make this his first non-MCU project as producer since leading the studio. Lucasfilm hasn’t revealed any details about the new film or even what era within the timeline it will take place.

I’m sure people are curious if this means that Kevin will attempt to produce more films within the Star Wars Universe alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It had been previously announced that the next feature film will be Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars: Rogue Squadron coming out on December 22nd, 2023. Taika Waititi is also developing another film which could go into production once he finishes Thor: Love & Thunder for Marvel and Rian Johnson had been announced to be working on an original trilogy for the studio.

There is a wave of Disney+ shows on the way with Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Season 3 of The Mandalorian, Rangers of The New Republic, Ahsoka, Lando, and The High Republic era series The Acolyte.

SOURCE: DEADLINE