Last weekend, Anaheim played host to Disney's annual D23 Expo. With the next Star Wars film only a few months away, the saga was always going to play a large role at the event. First up was another Force Awakens panel with J.J. Abrams, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, and Harrison Ford. (It seems the latter is becoming a fan of the convention circuit!) Unfortunately, the panel contained nothing quite as revelatory as at Celebration or SDCC. In fact, no new images or footage from the film were shown, Fans were, however, treated to a copy of a stunning Force Awakens poster by veteran Star Wars artist Drew Struzan. While at the convention, attendees could also get up close and personal with a variety of costumes from the film, including the previously undisplayed armour of Captain Phasma.
Perhaps the juiciest Star Wars reveal at D23 was our first look at the cast from the upcoming anthology film Rogue One.
Lucasfilm has now confirmed an ensemble cast consisting of Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Diego Luna (Elysium), Ben Mendelsohn, (Bloodline), Donnie Yen (Blade II), Jiang Wen (Let the Bullets Fly), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Mads Mikkelsen, (Casino Royale), Alan Tudyk (Firefly), and Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler). Elsewhere in Star Wars film news, Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed and Jurassic World) was confirmed as the director for Episode IX, joining J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson to round out the sequel trilogy.
Disney also used this year's D23 to confirm a long-running rumour that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to both Disneyland in Anaheim, California and Disney World in Orlando Florida. These expansions will be over 14 acres each and will involve:
Sadly, there was no news for Star Wars collectors, but gaming fans were treated to an announcement of new limited edition Battlefront and Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars bundles containing containing a customised Darth Vader Playstation 4.
What were your highlights of this year's D23? Be sure to email them to me at relicsoftheforce@gmail.com, or send me a tweet at @Archon_Revuge!
Perhaps the juiciest Star Wars reveal at D23 was our first look at the cast from the upcoming anthology film Rogue One.
Rogue One actors Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen. (Image courtesy of StarWars.com)
Disney also used this year's D23 to confirm a long-running rumour that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to both Disneyland in Anaheim, California and Disney World in Orlando Florida. These expansions will be over 14 acres each and will involve:
"transporting 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... These authentic lands will have two signature attractions, including the ability to take the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, on a customized secret mission, and an epic Star Wars adventure that puts guests in the middle of a climactic battle."As of now, there's no specific timeline on when these attractions will open - but comments by Disney representatives seem to suggest a completion date of 2017.
Sadly, there was no news for Star Wars collectors, but gaming fans were treated to an announcement of new limited edition Battlefront and Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars bundles containing containing a customised Darth Vader Playstation 4.
What were your highlights of this year's D23? Be sure to email them to me at relicsoftheforce@gmail.com, or send me a tweet at @Archon_Revuge!
