Accompaniment

One of the most important parts of Star Wars, or any movie actually, is the score. Created by John Williams, Star Wars’ score has given the pop culture landscape a number of classic melodies, some of which are still in use by the franchise today. And by that, we mean in the way of both movies… and video games.

Bringing that auditory flavor to SDCC will be EA and Lucasfilm, who’ve got a special panel in the works to celebrate it. Moderated by one Chandler Poling (White Bear PR), and with the support of ASCAP and BMI, The Star Wars Musical Universe with Lucasfilm & EA Games will welcome in Star Wars: Jedi Survivor’s co-composers Gordy Haab & Stephen Barton, plus Respawn Entertainment’s audio director, Nick Laviers.

The trio will be delving into the audio design of the recently released title, and taking a look at how the game makes use of music in its campaign.

There is hardly a more iconic musical landscape than what the Star Wars franchise has brought to the world. This panel will explore the creative forces that went into making the original music heard within the recent video game release of Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. From the sweeping score to the infectious beats of the in-world songs, the game utilizes music on a whole new level.

EA press release

As you can see, the show takes place on Friday, July 21st, in room 7AB at the San Diego Convention Center. Friday is officially “Star Wars Day” at the Con too, so this should provide a nice kickoff for that as well. Just don’t forget to get there nice and early if you want in, because this is probably going to fill up fast. May the Force be with you.

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The what now?

Can’t say I’m crazy about that title… But if you’re an Indiana Jones fan, strap in, because the first real look at Disney’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is here. While the fresh trailer for the film is light on exposition, it does have a few high points.

Maybe the biggest of those is a glimpse of a scene that has the title hero looking like he’s traveling though warped space (or something). If you’ve been paying attention to that aforementioned rumor mill, well you may or may not have a good idea of what that is.

As you can see above, there’s going to be plenty more coming on Indy 5, as the movie heads towards theaters for a June 30th, 2023 launch.

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The classic returns

It’s been a pretty good year for Knights of the Old Republic fans. The iconic Star Wars RPG has seen a full-on remake announced, but now there’s also news that the original version is coming back too.

Announced as a part of yesterday’s Nintendo Direct, Publisher Aspyr and Lucasfilm Games will bring the full, original KotR experience to the Switch for a little portable galaxy hopping.

Key Features:

• Journey through a Star Wars classic set in an era before the rise of the Empire, filled with unique characters, creatures, vehicles and planets.
• Experience a deep RPG with customizable characters and meaningful choices that impact your experiences with the story and your squad.
• Harness the power of the Force with over 40 different abilities and wield your own lightsaber.
• Adventure through eight enormous and iconic Star Wars worlds, including Tatooine and Kashyyyk, in your own starship, the Ebon Hawk.
• Choose your party from and build everlasting bonds with nine unique crewmates, including Twi’leks, droids and Wookiees.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is set to arrive on the Switch on November 11th.

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A galactic mystery

It wasn’t long ago that Disney and Lucasfilm revealed The High Republic. The new canon of the Star Wars galaxy’s distant past, The High Republic won’t have a movie behind it, instead taking a multimedia-style approach.

If you’re old enough to remember Shadows of the Empire, then you know what I mean. Though this is a much larger push than that was. If Shadows was the equivalent of a movie, High Republic is more like a whole trilogy.

To that end, there’s a bunch more THR-branded stuff coming, but it’s set to continue this October with this book. Marvel’s second comic featuring the era, Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows will see a mystery play out, one that’ll tie into books yet to come.

The noir-style mystery will unfold after the shocking events of the Republic Fair and introduce new key HIGH REPUBLIC players such as Sian Holt and Jedi Emerick Caphtor, two detectives tasked with uncovering the source of a strange new threat that could bring darkness to the Jedi Order’s golden age. The story will directly tie into the events of other HIGH REPUBLIC sagas, including the upcoming new Cavan Scott novel The Rising Storm.

Marvel Comics

Star Wars: The High Republic: Trail of Shadows #1 hits stands this October.

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Clone Wars redux

Even if you’re not a fan of the prequels, you have to admit that The Clone Wars was a great show. It basically took the ideas from those three films and expanded upon them, forming a narrative that truly did justice to the Star Wars name.

To see that Disney is bringing the show back for more is a very cool thing indeed. Dave Filoni, who ran the show when it originally aired, will even be back to do so again, and I assume most of the voice talent will as well. Of course, there is that one little catch. You’ll need to subscribe to Disney’s new streaming service if you actually want to watch these new adventures.

Locking this up as an exclusive is a brilliant move. The mouse house pretty much instantly gets a decent sized install base out of it, since I can’t imagine Star Wars not buying in just to watch this. Remember that, since 2013, there’s actually been a fan-based campaign to bring this toon back. And I’m pretty sure those devotees will be signing up to see the continued adventures of Captain Rex and crew.

Continue to stay tuned though, since we don’t really have any details as of yet. Pricing for the service itself, and a release date for The Clone Wars, are still mysteries.

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Not exactly solo for Solo

What did you think?

I actually liked it. I liked the first trailer a lot as well, maybe a little more honestly, since it focused more on the title character than anyone else. This one though, gives a more complete look at what Han’s world will hold for his first headlining film. And pretty much all of it seems pretty cool.

Actor Donald Glover’s Lando comes off really well, and nicely in line with Billy Dee Williams’ version of the character from the original films. I’m digging the supporting cast as well, particularly Woody Harrelson’s outlaw. The only thing I didn’t care for was the droid and that’s just because I’m sort of done with smarmy robots. Does there need to be one in every Star Wars movie (I guess so)?

Overall though, I’m excited for Solo: A Star Wars Story. Between this and Rogue One, I’m getting the feeling that I’m going to dig the “Star Wars Stories” a lot more than the “saga” films under Disney.

The movie opens in theaters on May 25th.

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Solo

Honestly, that looks pretty great. Which’d be two in a row as far as this fan is concerned. And no, I don’t mean The Last Jedi. That’s because I haven’t liked the new era all that much, but I loved Rogue One. So I don’t know, the whole “Disney Star Wars movie mega-push” has been hit and miss for me, I guess.

Solo seems like it hits a lot of hight points though. Actor Alden Ehrenreich as Han looks pretty cool, and fits for a young Harrison Ford a lot better than I thought he would. Donald Glover as Lando I’m sure will be solid, and the movie seems to have a much more serious tone overall than I expected. Seems to.

This is just the first trailer of course, so who knows what the movie itself will offer at this point. This trailer though, does look great and I’m down to check it out. Actually, Solo is pretty much the film I’m most looking forward to this Spring, and that wasn’t the case… well yesterday actually. So that’s gotta count for something.

Get ready for the jump to light speed, Solo: A Star Wars Story lands in theaters on May 25th.

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An ending, or a beginning?

So as you might expect, that early look at this year’s The Last Jedi is more than a little cryptic. The end of the Jedi order? Rey in training with Luke Skywalker? And is Finn using the Force or dead?! While we won’t know the answers to the questions for a while yet, we can certainly guess.

I’m betting that the stuff with Luke is out of sequence here, and that it takes more than a little convincing to get him to return. Rey is definitely the chosen heir though, but that was obvious. I do have to wonder about Finn though, and whether or not he’ll turn out to be a Force-wielder as well. Could Luke (or maybe even Rey) assemble a new order to battle against the First Order? Could be.

Actually, that’d be pretty awesome, and maybe even a return of sorts to the big Jedi fights in the prequels. Hey come on, I know they weren’t the most popular of movies, but those battle sequences were pretty much all solid.

Expect Star Wars: The Last Jedi to hit theaters on December 15th.

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Comic

How’d you like Rogue One? Chances are, that if you’re any sort of fan, that you liked it quite a lot. The film cleaned up at the box office and gave fans a good old fashioned Star Wars tale. How can you miss when you’ve got Stormtroopers, the Death Star, a badass Darth Vader scene, and even freaking Grand Moff Tarkin! It kinda hit all the high notes.

Oddly missing though, was a Marvel Comics adaptation. But since the publisher is owned by Lucasfilm owner Disney, you had to know that was coming. And… here we are.

Marvel has announced that a six issue mini-series is coming, which will retell the story of Rogue One, will hit stores courtesy of writer Jody Houser and artist Emilio Laiso. And if you’re thinking that there’s no reason to really read the series if you saw the film, well, think again. Apparently, there’ll be a fair bit more than what you saw on screen.

“[Director] Gareth Edwards and Lucasfilm had a number of ideas for moments that didn’t fit in the film that I’m working with,” says writer Jody Houser in an interview with Marvel.com. “There are also some amazing moments in the novelization I want to incorporate. So it’s really a mix of material from existing versions of the story, as well as new scenes.”

Ready to go Rogue once again? Rogue One: A Star Wars Story #1 (of 6) hits stores and digital storefronts this April.

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On the Xbox One, Gold Members will be able to download Super Dungeon Brothers starting on November 1^st  and for the Xbox 360 backward compatibility title, there is Monkey Island: Special Edition. Super Dungeon Brothers is an epic four-player coop adventure. Play as the heavy metal heroes Axl, Lars, Freddie and Ozzie as they search for loot, hordes of evil monsters and fabled rock legends.

Monkey Island: Special Edition is a bit on the slower side. This point and click adventure follows the tale of Guybrush Threepwood as he explores the secrets of Monkey Island. This journey is chock-full of pirates, jokes and exploration.

Solve murders and fight techno-T-rexes starting November 16

The beginning of the month is full of lighter games, but that is all going to change on November 16^th with Murdered: Soul Suspect and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

For the Xbox One players will receive Murdered: Soul Suspect. Detective Ronan O’Connor is having the worst day of his life. He works at the Salem Police department and the hardest case has just landed in his lap, his own murder. Players must work as Ronan in the afterlife to solve who murdered him.

Break out the leg warmers and boom boxes because there are going to be plenty of lasers when Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is released on November 16. Available on the Xbox One via the backward compatibility program. Nuclear war has nearly destroyed the planet and things are looking bleak. There is only one man who can stop the wickedness and restore hope. That man is Rex Power Colt.

November’s Games with Gold will provide $64 dollars in free games with 2600 available gamer points. These games look fun and exciting and provide a nice variety of games to play. Make sure to check them out starting November 1^st.

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