Star Wars

First Look: Disney Parks Unveils the Star Wars-Inspired Land Model

Thu, July 13, 2017

Article by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Editorial Content Manager, Walt Disney World Resort

As we’ve previously shared, two Star Wars-inspired lands are currently under construction at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.

Tonight, we’re happy to pull back the curtain and give you the first detailed look at the model of this new land, which will be on display this weekend at the 2017 D23 Expo.

Both Star Wars-inspired lands will transport guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before Wild Space, where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life.

First Look: Sneak a Peek at Disney Park's Star Wars Land-Inspired Model

Here, guests will find themselves in the middle of the action at two signature attractions: one that lets guests take the controls of Millennium Falcon on a customized secret mission, and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.

First Look: Sneak a Peek at Disney Park's Star Wars Land-Inspired Model

Follow the Disney Parks Blog over the next few days for full coverage of all Walt Disney Parks & Resorts news and announcements coming out of the 2017 D23 Expo.

New Han Solo ‘Star Wars’ Story Begins Production

The adventure-filled past of the iconic scoundrel and everyone’s favorite Wookiee is going before cameras this month: principal photography on the untitled Han Solo Star Wars Story officially began February 20 at Pinewood Studios, London.The movie will explore the duo’s adventures before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, including their early encounters with that other card-playing rogue from a galaxy far, far away, Lando Calrissian. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are the directors co-piloting the movie, with a cast that includes Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Thandie Newton and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, with Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca.“Watching such inspired people from all over the world, with such unique voices, come together for the sole purpose of making art, is nothing short of miraculous,” Lord and Miller said. “We can’t think of anything funny to say, because we just feel really moved, and really lucky.”Written by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan, the film will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel and co-produced by Kiri Hart, Susan Towner and Will Allegra. Lawrence Kasdan and Jason McGatlin will executive produce.

Crewing the ship will be some of the industry’s top talent, including Director of Photography Bradford Young (Academy Award® nominee for his work on Arrival), Editor Chris Dickens, SFX Supervisor Dominic Tuohy, VFX Supervisor Rob Bredow and Action Designer Brad Allan.

They will be joining returning Star Wars veteran crew members Neal Scanlan (Creature & Droid FX creative supervisor), Neil Lamont (production designer), Dave Crossman and Glyn Dillon (co-costume designers), Jamie Wilkinson (prop master), Lisa Tomblin (hair), Amanda Knight (make-up) and Nina Gold (UK casting director).

The untitled Han Solo Star Wars Story is slated for release on May 25, 2018.

Donald Glover to Play Young Lando Calrissian in Upcoming Star Wars Stand-Alone Film

Lucasfilm announced Friday that Donald Glover—acclaimed actor, award-winning writer and Grammy^®-nominated artist—will be playing the part of Lando Calrissian in the still-untitled Han Solo Star Wars film, helmed by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Glover will join Alden Ehrenreich—previously cast as Han Solo—in bringing two iconic Star Wars characters back to the big screen, but at a time in their lives previously unexplored. This new film depicts Lando in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld—years before the events involving Han, Leia and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and his rise to Rebel hero in Return of the Jedi.“We’re so lucky to have an artist as talented as Donald join us,” said Lord and Miller. “These are big shoes to fill, and an even bigger cape, and this one fits him perfectly, which will save us money on alterations. Also, we’d like to publicly apologize to Donald for ruining Comic-Con for him forever.”

Glover is best known for creating and starring in the critically acclaimed FX series Atlanta(which had the highest premiere numbers for any basic cable comedy show since 2013), as well as for starring in four seasons of the show Community, and for his Grammy-nominated album Because the Internet, performed under the name Childish Gambino. In addition, Glover appeared in the Academy Award^®-nominated The Martian, and will be seen in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The untitled Han Solo movie is set for release in 2018.

Lucasfilm Teams Up with Five Major Brands in Support of ‘Rogue One’

Lucasfilm announced that they are teaming up with five of the world’s most well-known brands—Duracell, General Mills, Gillette, Nissan and Verizon—for the launch of an extensive global promotional campaign in support of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, opening on December 16.

“We are extremely pleased to be working with such a remarkable group of promotional partners for Rogue One,” said Lynwen Brennan, General Manager of Lucasfilm. “This first in a series of Star Wars standalone films represents an exciting new era for both Star Wars and Lucasfilm, and the partners joining us on this exciting journey have each designed a stellar campaign capturing the spirit and camaraderie of Rogue One.”

With their specific, custom-designed campaigns and innovative programs, the five internationally respected global brands are poised to complement the tempo and tone of the overall marketing campaign of this first-ever standalone Star Wars story.

The first of the Star Wars standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is an all-new epic adventure that focuses on a group of unlikely heroes who band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, with Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker. Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel are producing, with John Knoll and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters on December 16, 2016.

New Details Announced for Star Wars-Themed Lands for Disney Parks

Article by Thomas Smith, February 22, 2016

During the “Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60” special that aired last night on ABC-TV, we shared some exciting details about the Star Wars-themed lands planned for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.

New Details Announced for Star Wars-Themed Lands for Disney Parks

Walt Disney Imagineering has joined forces with the imagination of Lucasfilm to bring this galaxy to life, and the illustrations shared during the TV special show the epic scale of these new lands.

New Details Announced for Star Wars-Themed Lands for Disney Parks

Guests will be able to step aboard The Millennium Falcon and actually pilot the fastest ship in the galaxy, steering the vessel through space, firing the laser cannons, in complete control of the experience.

New Details Announced for Star Wars-Themed Lands for Disney Parks

And with the arrival of the First Order to the planet, visitors will find themselves in the middle of a tense battle between stormtroopers and Resistance fighters. At 14 acres each, these richly detailed lands promise to immerse you in the Star Wars galaxy as never before, allowing you to create your own adventure.

New Merchandise to Debut during Star Wars Weekends

Fresh News from the Disney Blog (Steven Miller)…

Super excited to announce that two new D-Tech Me figurines – a Jedi Knight and a TIE-Fighter pilot – are premiering at Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this year.

First introduced in May 2012, Star Wars – D-Tech Me is a 10-minute experience that uses the world’s highest-resolution, single-shot 3D face scanner created by Imagineering scientists with Disney Research labs. The captured image is later sent to a high resolution 3D printer to create the figurine. This year, the experience will be located inside Darth’s Mall, near Streets of America across from Studio Catering Company.

In addition to the new figurines, we will again offer the Carbon-Freeze Me figurine, Alderaan Princess figurine, and male and female options for Stormtrooper and X-Wing pilot figurines.

For children, the Carbon-Freeze Me and Alderaan Princess figurines will be available in more youthful appearances.

The Star Wars – D-Tech Me 7-inch figurines are $119.95 each, plus shipping and applicable sales tax. For 16-inch figurines, retail is $999.95 each, plus shipping and applicable sales tax. All participants will receive a specially designed button.

Completed figurines will arrive within 6-8 weeks after the experience if shipping domestically (it takes a little longer if shipping internationally).

Guests can book their experience by calling 407-WDW-TECH (407-939-8324) starting March 26. We will only offer the experience during Star Wars Weekends 2015 (May 15 – 17, May 22-24, May 29-31, June 5-7, and June 12-14). Guests attending the Galactic Gathering event on May 14 will be some of the first individuals to experience Star Wars – D-Tech Me this year.

Please note: Separate theme park admission required for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. No discounts apply unless otherwise noted. Guests must be at least three (3) years of age to participate in the Star Wars D-Tech Me experience. Children must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age or older during the entire experience. A valid accepted credit card number is required at time of booking. No-shows or reservation cancellations within 48 hours of scheduled experience will result in such credit card being charged a $25 cancellation fee. The experience, due to its personalized nature, is non-refundable and not eligible for an exchange. Certain restrictions may apply. All prices, components and information are subject to change without notice.

Key Licensees Announced for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm revealed at Nuremberg Toy Fair that Hasbro, The LEGO Group, Mattel, JAKKS Pacific and Rubies are some of the global licensees that will support the highly anticipated theatrical release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. A bespoke range of products will also be available at Disney Stores globally.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of the most anticipated movie events of all time. Our mission is to pay homage to the excitement of Star Wars fans around the world and bring the incredible storytelling from the movie to life through our products,” Josh Silverman, executive vice president, Global Licensing, Disney Consumer Products, said. “Our teams have designed product lines that will deliver incredible play experiences, while preserving the surprises filmmakers have in store for audiences in December.”

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens product line-up will be led by best-in-class licensees with an assortment of action figures, role-play items, play sets, diecast vehicles, costumes and more. Additionally, there will be exclusive offerings such as collectibles, diecast action figures, role-play and much more available at Disney Store and DisneyStore.com.

Stay tuned to StarWars.com for more information on Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

New Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: Episode VII Title Announced—Star Wars: The Force Awakens

November 6, 2014

This morning, the title of the next installment of Star Wars was revealed—Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, the highly anticipated film stars Star Wars veterans Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker alongside new recruits John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie. The film completed principal photography this week and arrives in theaters on December 18, 2015.

Check out StarWars.com for all Star Wars news.

‘Star Wars’ Fans Transported to a Galaxy Far, Far Away at Disney Parks

Article by Christi Erwin Donnan, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, May 20, 2014

As Star Wars excitement continues throughout the month of May, the Force is at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts with the return of Star Wars Weekends to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. With more than 60 characters from the Star Wars saga appearing in the theme park, celebrity appearances and special food and beverage offerings, guests can be part of the Star Wars action at every turn… every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through June 15.

For the first time in event history, Mark Hamill, the actor who brought Luke Skywalker to the silver screen in the Star Wars saga, will appear at Star Wars Weekends. Hamill will be one of the celebrity guests for Weekend IV, June 6–8, and fans can see him in the daily “Legends of the Force” Star Wars-themed motorcade and in a featured talk show.

New this year, guests can book a Star Wars-themed dining experience and interact with their favorite characters from the films. It all starts with the Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, featuring surprise visits from Star Wars characters and thrilling movie moments from the Star Wars films. Guests can also have dinner with their favorite Disney characters at Jedi Mickey’s Star Wars Dine at Hollywood & Vine. Dressed as their favorite Star Wars characters, Mickey and friends meet guests during a delectable dinner buffet featuring Star Wars-themed food, music and décor.

At the Star Wars – D-Tech Me experience inside Darth’s Mall, guests can imagine their own Star Wars backstories as they create figurines in their likeness with help from the world’s highest-resolution, single-shot 3-D face scanner and a high resolution 3-D printer.

In addition to this year’s Star Wars Weekend events, guests can continue to find Star Wars at Disney Parks around the world throughout the year. For more than 25 years, and together with Lucasfilm, we have brought the imaginative universe of Star Wars to life at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disney and Disneyland Paris Resorts, which all feature Star Tours attractions. Plus, special merchandise locations such as Star Traders in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Resort and Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris Resort also feature Star Wars theming and merchandise year-round!

Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announced

Released: 4/29/2014

The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Director J.J. Abrams says, “We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing and John Williams returns as the composer.

The movie will open worldwide December 18, 2015