Star Wars Episode 7, Rebels & Spinoff Bits and Pieces . . .

First up, Bob Iger Strikes Back with a new deal. Pray he doesn’t alter it further . . . er, actually pray he does.


Disney Chief Bog Iger announced on Wednesday, during a second quarter earnings call, that the number of planned Star Wars spinoff movies now stands at THREE! 

Here’s a Tweet from Marc Graser of Variety:


Since the D-Day announcement of the Lucasfilm Ltd. sale to Disney in 2012 the spinoff films were numbered at two. Early rumors and speculation had it that Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Boba Fett, Jabba the Hutt and even Yoda were the likely candidates to receive spinoffs, although Iger also said that these movies would NOT be about characters in the main storyline. From Collider back in February of 2013:

“I can confirm to you today that in fact we are working on a few standalone films, Larry Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are both working on films derived from great Star Wars characters that are not part of the overall saga.”

So, if these characters are not part of the main storyline then who will the movies be about?

Secondly, you may or may not have heard about a new casting call for extras. Screen Rant posted an article about the extras casting by Casting Collective. Upon further review the casting was false as it did not pertain to any Star Wars movie. HOWEVER, Jedi News posted an interesting set of Tweets from an actor named Sean O’Neil inquiring the casting website Pop as to whether or not extras casting for AVCO was still active:

So if you’re a serious actor or a wannabe and you live in the U.K. you may want to register with Pop in order to be ready for any extras casting calls for AVCO, a.k.a Star Wars Episode VII!!!

Next Up, we have an article (or essay rather) from Entertainment Weekly that confirms that George Lucas had the Big 3 signed BEFORE the sale to Disney: 

“But the involvement of all three was considered so vital, George Lucas himself met with them — including Ford — before the Disney sale to recruit their participation. And he got it, along with vows to keep that hush-hush until the appropriate time (less successful in Fisher’s case.)”

Recall that George revealed this himself back in march of 2013:

“We had already signed Mark and Carrie and Harrison—or we were pretty much in final stages of negotiation,” reveals Lucas. “So I called them to say, ‘Look, this is what’s going on.’ Maybe I’m not supposed to say that. I think they want to announce that with some big whoop-de-do, but we were negotiating with them.”

Lando’s back in Rebels?
The peeps at Making Star Wars discovered a cool bit of info on the Star Wars Insider Facebook page:

The Star Wars Rebels IMDB even has Billy Dee Williams listed as Lando! And this comes on the heels of last week’s accidental revelation that Obi-Wan Kenobi will be appearing in Rebels as well!


Lastly, but certainly NOT least, we have a bit of info regarding the official cast announcement from last week. It was announced that Kenny Baker — R2-D2 himself — was coming back to the droid. However, according to moviecricket that seems highly unlikely given his poor health:

“Movie Cricket asked Dave Prowse, ‘So, what do you make of the returning characters in Star Wars: Episode VII? We understand you are friends with Kenny Baker who is billed to be in the film. Dave Prowse replied, ‘There are lots of the older people coming back in. I mean, there is some talk about R2D2 coming back, Kenny Baker coming back…Well, Kenny Baker is really ill. However he is going to reprise his role I do not know.'”

The news that Baker was returning was one of the bigger surprises of the casting announcement since it was revealed a while ago that super-fans and R2 builders Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples will be handling R2 duties for the Sequel Trilogy.


For everyone here at Star Wars Episode 7 News we truly hope that Mr. Baker can recover and return himself to good health!
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40 thoughts on “Star Wars Episode 7, Rebels & Spinoff Bits and Pieces . . .

  • May 9, 2014 at 12:24 am
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    The rebels that gave their lives for the Tydirium shuttle and the clearance codes.

  • May 9, 2014 at 12:29 am
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    So after all the talks about recasting and “gut-feelings”, The big 3 were cast before the Disney sale. Typical, some people believe anything they read on the internet.

    • May 9, 2014 at 1:30 am
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      The recast will eventually happen. Starting with the Han Solo spinoff. Eventually, there will be recast Episodes which pick up right after ROTJ. EP 7 is just to reset the foundation for SW on the big screen.

    • May 9, 2014 at 1:33 am
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      Anything could have happened in the meantime. Carrie could have been busted for buying Marijuana, heaven forfend! Harrison could have over dosed on Marijuana. And Mark could have eaten Carls Jr out of business. Luckily it all panned out 2 years later. Nothing wrong with a healthy dose of Skepticism.

    • May 9, 2014 at 4:45 pm
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      Or even die….

  • May 9, 2014 at 1:32 am
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    From an inside source, Yaddle will be in the sequel trilogy. Recall Yaddle was in o lay Episode I and then disappeared. She died in the comics, but since the EU has been flushed, she’ll be back. Yoda was a hit, but they can’t bring him back. Plus this is Disney’s way of increasing the female count.

    • May 9, 2014 at 1:36 am
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      So Yaddle is an actual character? That kid on the playground was not bullshitting me 30 years ago?

    • May 9, 2014 at 3:10 am
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      The Clone Wars show, correct. Not the comics.

    • May 9, 2014 at 5:27 am
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      I don’t think women will relate to a two foot tall frog gremlin just because shes female.

    • May 9, 2014 at 7:33 am
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      Maybe if she was given dialogue a good story and an interesting personality, women could relate to her. Were males unable to relate to Chewy, Yoda or the two droids because they weren’t human?

    • May 9, 2014 at 12:50 pm
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      i would love for YADDLE to come back, greyhaired (maybe) older & wiser, closing in on Yoda´s knowledge of the force (maybe she has been in hiding meditating & biding her time somewhere even more remote than dagobah) & just to hear her speak for the first time, we have no idea how she sounds like & if she also talks backwards as Yoda did… GREAT IDEA if it is true 🙂

    • May 9, 2014 at 6:24 pm
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      Yaddle? No thanks.

    • May 9, 2014 at 8:44 pm
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      Yaddle’s only 400 years old. She wouldn’t have a cane (or hover chair). Can walk upright and normal speed.

  • May 9, 2014 at 1:36 am
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    If the Big 3 all have fatal heart attacks the night before principal photography begins, would they recast? Or would they shut down the whole production until the story and script can be rewritten?

    • May 9, 2014 at 1:39 am
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      They would rewrite it. Don’t worry, WB, they can all survive the next 6 months. It’s EP 9 you gotta worry about.

    • May 9, 2014 at 7:02 am
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      They will do a 3d print and make the puppets play for them.

  • May 9, 2014 at 3:39 am
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    So, you guys wanna get a drink or something/

  • May 9, 2014 at 4:19 am
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    “So, if these characters are not part of the main storyline then who will the movies be about?”

    Please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan…

    • May 9, 2014 at 4:47 am
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      Please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, Please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, Please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, Please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan, please be Revan,

    • May 9, 2014 at 5:13 am
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      You know they won’t do the game justice and we would have been better off without it, right?

    • May 9, 2014 at 5:55 am
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      Maybe a Jar Jar binks spinoff ( U know Disney)

      Cartoons, movies, spinoff movies, books, and U name it. Do we realy need all those Star Wars

    • May 9, 2014 at 2:42 pm
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      Hey Regan fan….. You’re annoying…

  • May 9, 2014 at 4:23 am
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    Yeah when big daddy George calls you sign your ass to star wars ! including Ford who got his fame from George Lucas.So y it was smarg George got them onboard before the sale as it would make casting later waay more easy.

  • May 9, 2014 at 5:16 am
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    perhaps Yoda has siblings or extended family lol his species comes from somewhere?
    Yoda’s world? As far as live action movie or tv spinoff’s are concerned, these ideas have been circulating for many years now hmmm! to have them come into fruition, I have to confess, kicks ass for the lord! exciting stuff really lol Star Wars! will keep us busy for some time. I recall at the time, the tv type spinoff, will have the Star Wars feel, think Bounty Hunters. In the time period leading up too ‘ A new Hope’ Jabba referred to Solo as his best, it was clear the characters had a long time relationship,
    also Bobba Fett being in the mix too. This could mean exploring a whole new Galaxy of Star Wars, falling outside of canon. This could mean Solo, Chewbacca, Jabba, Fett and even the likes of Aurra Sing. Another spinoff, could explore from the Empire’s perspective, also in the time period BC Hope, seeing a return of the Emperor and Vader, as the Empire evolves into existence, Grand Moff Tarken, The Death Star (still in construction) The hunting down of the Jedi, the connection here being, Vader was good at using Bounty Hunters and take the credit lol
    Think ‘Bounty Hunter! hey, i could be a thousand star systems away although, the ideas of something like this coming into realization, sounds awesomely exciting hahaha A mention of Lando in the mix? not always the administrator of Cloud City,
    I think the time line in which to have spinoffs BC A New Hope would be absolutely perfect! Todd 49 New Zealand

    • May 9, 2014 at 2:28 pm
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      W/e you’re drinking quit now.

  • May 9, 2014 at 5:45 am
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    and there are other characters that can also be re-introduced into this timeline, thanks to the Clone Wars (which is canon) Ventress, Ahsoka Tano, Darth Maul even and of course, Kenobi is in there too… After the events of ROTS, i would imagine it was some time before Kenobi settled on Tatooine, the twins were hidden and in safe hands.

  • May 9, 2014 at 5:59 am
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    and as far as episode V11 The Ancient Fear’
    Flashback!
    Luke: There’s more. It won’t be easy for you to hear it, but you must.
    If i don’t make it back, you’re the only hope for the Alliance.
    Leia: Luke, don’t talk that way. You have a power I…I don’t understand
    and could never have.
    Luke: Your wrong, Leia. You have that power too. In TIME, you’ll learn
    to use it as I have.
    It would be awesome to see Leia having honed her Jedi skills over 30 years
    lol and kicking ass with a light sabre. Imagine that! Whoooooo haaaaaaa!
    Todd 49 New Zealand

    • May 9, 2014 at 6:46 am
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      Well Bigelow was also rumored for Episode 7 by some fans on Facebook. Sounds like another fan campaign. Can’t find any article.

  • May 9, 2014 at 6:59 am
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    Han and chewie will be in rebels. The life debt story will be told. I can feel it in the force…

    • May 9, 2014 at 8:16 am
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      Anthony Ingruber would fit in nice as the voice of Han Solo. But the younger years of Han Solo would make a great movie.

  • May 9, 2014 at 7:53 am
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    Wooooooooooo JAR JAR SPINOFFS!!!

  • May 9, 2014 at 8:52 am
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    Interesting, Lando in Rebels….

    Perhaps we will see the battle of Taanab? 🙂

  • May 9, 2014 at 1:25 pm
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    spin off movie = caravan of courage prequel

  • May 9, 2014 at 2:25 pm
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    Sad to hear about Kenny Baker. Here’s hoping he gets better soon!

  • May 20, 2014 at 9:50 am
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    I heard they were going to recast the original trio with 3 Chinese dudes speaking Mandarin. But that wasn’t true probably.

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