Week In Review – ‘Acolyte’ Cast News, ‘Light And Magic’ Review, ‘Andor’ TV Spot, and More
We’re getting closer to the debut of Andor, with the first TV spot dropping to continue feeding the hype machine for the series.
But that’s not all—we have our first official cast confirmation for The Acolyte, a great note from Ashley Eckstein returning to voice Ahsoka in Tales of the Jedi, more The Mandalorian season 3 updates, a great review of Light & Magic (the six-part documentary series that takes you deep inside the creation and people of ILM), multiple comic reviews, a special The Resistance Broadcast featuring comedian, actor, and impressionist Josh Robert Thompson, and more!
Explore our recap guide below and catch up on all the Star Wars news, reviews, and updates you might have missed this week.
TV/FILM
July 22 – ‘The Acolyte’: Amandla Stenberg Confirms Role in Upcoming Disney Plus ‘Star Wars’ Series
Seven months after The Illuminerdi and Variety reported that Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games, Sleepy Hollow) would be joining the upcoming series The Acolyte, the actor confirmed the news on Instagram. Read the report!
July 21 – ‘Andor’ Costumes and New Story Details on Display at San Diego Comic-Con
Star Wars doesn’t have a major presence at San Diego Comic Con this year, but they still brought some goodies for us to dig into. A number of official costumes have made their way onto the Lucasfilm Pavilion, including some from Andor. Explore them now.
July 21 – Rick Famuyiwa Directed at Least Two Episodes of ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3
In an interview from Star Wars Celebration that was recently released, The Mandalorian star and director Carl Weathers confirmed that Rick Famuyiwa, who has directed three episodes from the first two seasons, directed at least two episodes of the new season. Read the report.
While John Boyega doesn’t currently have any future appearances as Finn lined up, he’s engaged in Star Wars by keeping up with the Disney Plus series. Boyega recently said was very impressed with the limited series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Explore the interview now!
July 20 – ‘The Mandalorian’ Still the Most Popular ‘Star Wars’ Series on Disney Plus
New data analysis from The Wrap concludes that The Mandalorian remains the most popular Star Wars series on Disney Plus, beating Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is based on studying and comparing several sources that track online demand for the four live-action seasons of shows that have been released so far (both seasons of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi). Read the full report.
July 20 – Ashley Eckstein Shares Her Enthusiasm About Voicing Ahsoka Again in ‘Tales of the Jedi’
In upcoming limited animated series Tales of the Jedi, Ahsoka will play a major role in, with Ashley Eckstein returning to voice the character. Speaking to SFF Gazette, Eckstein shared her enthusiasm about coming back to voice Ahsoka in a new animated project. Check it out.
July 19 – First ‘Andor’ TV Spot Features New Footage; New Photo Also Released
The first TV spot for the Disney Plus series Andor has arrived, featuring new footage of the prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Watch the TV spot now!
July 19 – Dominic Monaghan Reflects on His ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ Experience
Dominic Monaghan had a small part in The Rise of Skywalker as Beaumont Kin, a scholar with an interest in the ways of the Force, turned Resistance soldier. Talking to Sci-Fi Fantasy Gazette, the actor discussed his time working on the ninth and final film in the “Skywalker Saga.” Explore the interview here.
July 19 – Live-Action ‘Star Wars’ Disney Plus Series ‘Skeleton Crew’ Will Have $136 Million Budget
A new story by The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the new Star Wars series Skeleton Crew will have a budget of $136MM for its first season, which reportedly started shooting a few weeks ago. Check out our full update!
PODCASTS
We’re joined by Josh Robert Thompson, a comedian, actor, and impressionist who Star Wars fans might know as the best George Lucas impressionist in the world. We talk to Josh about his viral deepfake George Lucas videos, his time with the Late Late Show as Geoff the Robot, working with the Howard Stern Show, pranking national news shows as fake Arnold, and more, including his love for Star Wars. We also explore some “What If?” situations like, what if Morgan Freeman played Palpatine? Be prepared to laugh and have fun! Watch it now!
July 18 – The Resistance Broadcast – What Is Happening to Star Wars Toys and Collectibles?
Star Wars set the bar for movie action figures and collectibles in the early 1980s, and that carried through the 2000s during the special editions and prequels. Times have changed, and between empty toy shelves, retailer exclusives, price gouging Ebay resellers, and failing fan-funded campaigns, it feels like Star Wars toys might have lost their way. We discuss that but also get into a lot of other topics in an open chat on this episode, including Stranger Things! Watch now.
COMICS/TOYS/GAMES/BOOKS
July 23 – Lucasfilm Publishing Panel Delivers Exciting First Looks and More
It’s San Diego Comic-Con week and with it came a Lucasfilm Publishing panel! The panel featured prominent Star Wars authors: Kristin Baver, Cecil Castellucci, Cavan Scott, Claudia Grey, George Mann, Kiersten White, and Beth Revis. The panelists gave us an inside look at many of their upcoming projects as well as a few new announcements. Let’s get started with this guide!
July 23 – Hasbro Reveals Figures From ‘Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’, ‘The Mandalorian’, and More
It wouldn’t be a major convention without new toys! Hasbro has come to play again, bringing a bunch of new Star Wars figures to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. They include figures from The Mandalorian season 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and much more. Explore all the figures here!
July 22 – Review: ‘Star Wars’ #25 Takes a Break to Show Stories Across The Skywalker Saga
With the Commander Zahra arc wrapped up, the mainline Star Wars comic has taken a short break this month to celebrate Charles Soule’s 100th Star Wars script. Issue 25 is an anthology instead, comprising four short stories spanning the prequel trilogy and the sequel trilogy. Check it out!
July 21 – Review: ‘Darth Vader’ #25 Meanders as Vader Pursues His Target
Darth Vader #25 felt like it only covered about half the action it needed to. As Vader pursues Governor Tauntaza on Gabredor III, the action gets prolonged in an effort to extend it to #26, meaning this issue meanders as Tauntaza immediately overstays her welcome. Read our review!
July 20 -Young Obi-Wan Kenobi Novel ‘Star Wars: Padawan’ Arrives July 26th
Disney Lucasfilm Press will be releasing Star Wars: Padawan, the new novel by New York Times best-selling author Kiersten White next week, July 26th. The book will follow the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi on his journey to becoming the faithful Jedi fans have come to know and love. Read the official synopsis for the book.
Star Wars storytelling continues to come in massive waves! This last week, we were given a sneak peek at an upcoming slate of October comics. Not only will we be continuing with stories we have been seeped in for a while, the opportunity for adventures with new characters will be granted as well. Check out our roundup of upcoming comics!
July 18 – ‘Star Wars: Hunters’ Worldwide Launch Officially Delayed to 2023
Some sad news to pass along right away this week. Star Wars: Hunters has received yet another delay, this time sees the worldwide launch pushed back until 2023. The news was announced by Zynga on social media. Check out the report.
SPECIAL FEATURES
“Star Wars changed the landscape of motion pictures and cinema forever, forged by the uncompromising rebellious spirit and ingenuity of its creator, George Lucas. That same spirit bled into Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), the company Lucas created in order to make Star Wars possible. This is my review of Light & Magic, the six-part documentary series that takes you deep inside the creation and people of ILM, directed by the legendary Lawrence Kasdan…” Read the full review now!
Tony Gorick is a self-proclaimed candy connoisseur with a passion for Star Wars and roller coasters. Whether he's working at his friend's arcade or watching classic Saturday morning cartoons, he does so with unsettling enthusiasm.
