John Williams to Score Episodes VII, VIII, and IX

Celebration Europe II is currently on, so we're receiving all sorts of exciting updates about the future of the Star Wars franchise. Perhaps the most exciting piece of news is the confirmation that John Williams will be returning to score Episode VII, VIII, and IX. You can see more details in the video below.

This is incredibly good news. Williams has scored every Star Wars film thus far, and his orchestral masterpieces are an integral part of the atmosphere and emotional resonance of the saga. I can't wait to see what he brings to the new trilogy!

The Hunt Is On - The Vintage Collection 3 3/4" Imperial Scanning Crew Special Action Figure Set

It's been well over a year since my last hunt, but the release of new Star Wars items in recent months has been limited, and no doubt will stay this way until the new films begin hitting cinemas in 2015 (be sure to check out my earlier post on this topic). Today, however, Rebelscum.com posted some information about an upcoming figure set that I will most definitely be on the hunt for - the Imperial Scanning Crew Special Action Figure Set.

(Image courtesy of starwars-figuren.com)

If you've taken a tour of the collection, you would've noticed I'm a sucker for anything Imperial. It isn't the figures which have me most interested in this set though - as cool as they might be (you can never have too many stormtroopers, and who on earth wouldn't get excited for an Imperial scanning specialist?) Instead, I'm primarily after that little blue box - the elusive Imperial scanner.

Back in 2009, Hasbro released an Imperial Scanning Crew figure in its Legacy Collection line. The figure came with the lower half of the Imperial scanner (i.e. the base and wheels) and Hasbro planned to make a running change to the figure, swapping out the head and including the top of the Imperial scanner. I picked up the first scanning crew figure in order to complete my build-a-droid HK-50, and didn't give him a lot of thought at the time. My fondness for him grew however, and I began to consider that he and his yet-to-be-released partner would make an excellent addition to an Imperial hangar display. Unfortunately, the running change was never made, and my Imperial Scanning Crew figure was left without an Imperial scanner.

Now, it's finally on it's way. It looks to be a K-Mart exclusive, which means it's likelihood of hitting New Zealand shores is slim. Fortunately, I should be state-side for the release of this set however. So begins the hunt!