Things may be quiet on the Star Wars front right now—don't expect too much until the start of next month, when Triple Force Friday fills the internet with new merchandise and speculation—but that doesn't mean there's no news about the world that Lucasfilm built. Thank the Bothans of the internet for what's to come.
The Source: Anonymous rumormongers talking to reputable fan sites
Probability of Accuracy: This feels like a trap. Shall we say 50/50 for now?
The Real Deal: With the opening of the final movie in the Skywalker Saga still a few months away, spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker are starting to get very specific. How specific? Well, the Making Star Wars site has two stories that go into an impressive amount of detail about what the opening sequence of the movie will be. After the opening crawl, the site reported, the film will begin with Luke and Leia, post-Return of the Jedi, sparring with lightsabers as she reveals she's pregnant. The scene then cuts to Rey's Jedi training. This suggestion feels very probable but also somewhat unlikely considering there have been promises that Carrie Fisher won't be given a CGI makeover in the film. For now, file this under "Wait and see," but it wouldn't be the most surprising way to begin the movie.
The Source: Mandalorian creator and Iron Man director Jon Favreau
Probability of Accuracy: As shocking as it may seem, it's legit.
The Real Deal: Here's a surprise: There's someone in the Disney Star Wars business who doesn't just like the Star Wars Holiday Special but wants to make a new one. Thank you, Jon Favreau. The Mandalorian creator and writer said in an interview, "I love the Holiday Special—certain sequences more than others—but I love the introduction of Boba Fett and that rifle that he had. That animated piece still holds up. It's pretty cool. I draw inspiration from that ... Maybe someday on Disney+ we'll do a holiday special, too. I gotta pitch that to them." If this means we get to see Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac team up with the modern-day equivalent of Bea Arthur to sing a couple of songs, we're on board. Hey, do you think Justin Timberlake could fill Bea's shoes?
The Source: The man behind one part of the future of the franchise
Probability of Accuracy: Can "You know, I don't know" be inaccurate?
The Real Deal: With Knives Out nearing release, it's no surprise to see Rian Johnson out there promoting the movie and having to deal with questions about his upcoming Star Wars trilogy. What might be more surprising, though, is his response to a question about when we can expect to see the first installment. "The truth is they're still figuring out their schedule, their game plan," Johnson said, before adding that the delay might be long enough for him to make another movie while he’s waiting: "If it's possible for me to squeeze in another film before or while working on that, I will." We know, already, that the first post-Rise of Skywalker movie isn't coming until 2022, and it'll be created by Game of Thrones showrunners D. B. Weiss and David Benioff, but beyond that, it's possible that Johnson may be as in the dark as everyone else right now.
The Source: The cast of Disney+'s first Star Wars show, in Entertainment Weekly
Probability of Accuracy: Opinions are about as accurate as opinions can be, right? They're just like elbows, or whatever the saying is.
The Real Deal: Here's a cute thing from the cast of The Mandalorian: Entertainment Weekly asked the main cast what their favorite movies in the franchise were and it's good news for fans of the original trilogy—as well as, perhaps, a reminder that the current Star Wars projects are all being made by people who grew up on the first three movies. What is going to happen when creators who spent time with the Original Trilogy as kids start taking control of the franchise, do you think? Chances are it'll be very good indeed.
- What happened to Urban Dictionary?
- Six reasons to ditch Chrome for the Vivaldi browser on Android
- College, calculus, and the problem with the SAT
- How tech firms like Uber hide behind the “platform defense”
- Uncertainty isn't always a problem—it can be the solution
- 👁 How do machines learn? Plus, read the latest news on artificial intelligence
- 💻 Upgrade your work game with our Gear team’s favorite laptops, keyboards, typing alternatives, and noise-canceling headphones
