Star Wars is a science fiction franchise set in a universe far far away.
Back in 2005, George Lucas brought his Prequel Trilogy to a close with the best of the bunch: Revenge of the Sith. This dark tale told the story of Anakin Skywalker's final fall to the Dark Side, and saw him locked in a fateful duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the volcanic world of Mustafar.
By Tom Bacon9 years ago in Futurism
We're only a month away from the theatrical release of The Last Jedi, and fan excitement really couldn't be higher. But Lucasfilm is looking far beyond this year's movie, and beyond even next year's Solo anthology film. Instead, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy recently revealed that they're working on the next decade's worth of movies.
Star Wars is back and bigger than ever. As any Star Wars fan will attest, there's a lot more to this beloved galaxy far, far away than just a series of blockbuster movies. For over 20 years, the franchise has included a popular range of New-York-Times-bestselling novels, and the latest books are considered just as much part of the canon as the films.
Back in July, Lucasfilm launched a whole new project — Star Wars Forces of Destiny! A unique series of animated short stories, these were released on YouTube to popular acclaim, so it comes as no surprise that a second run has now been commissioned too. Now, in a delightful trailer, Lucasfilm has revealed that this series will premiere on the Disney channel on October 1st. And it's going to feature some changes...
We all know the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Jedi Master who trained Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan blamed himself for his Apprentice's fall to the dark side. Ultimately, Kenobi wound up living the life of a hermit, isolated on the planet Tatooine. His task was to watch over Anakin's son from a distance, all the time wondering whether or not the Galaxy would ever be freed from the Sith.
The Force Awakens introduced us to a powerful new Force-sensitive character: Daisy Ridley's Rey. A mysterious and enigmatic figure, we first met Rey as a citizen of the junkyard world of Jakku, where she waited patiently for her parents. The film set up so many intriguing questions, not least the matter of just who Rey's parents actually are.
Back in 2012, the Star Wars galaxy was changed forever. In a private meeting with Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher, creator George Lucas revealed that he was about to step down in favor of his chosen successor, Kathleen Kennedy. The future was bright for the franchise, with Kennedy already planning to launch a new Sequel Trilogy that would continue the story of our beloved Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens left fans with more questions than answers, and so many of those questions circled around the mystery of Luke Skywalker. Why had the Jedi Master abandoned the galaxy and headed off to distant Ahch-To even as the shadow of the dark side fell once again? What could transform the wise Luke into a hermit, rather than a hero who would stand against the darkness?
Moviegoers will never forget the moment we first saw Darth Vader's menacing visage. The Dark Lord of the Sith cut a threatening figure, and his mask removed all trace of humanity. He was raw, imposing, and terrifying in his viciousness.
Ron Howard took over production of the as-yet-untitled Han Solo spinoff back in June, and since then he's been treating fans to a constant stream of set photos and enigmatic tweets. It's proved to be a smart move on Howard's part, encouraging fans to become more excited about the troubled spinoff, while ensuring chatter on social media remains positive.
The Force Awakens left the Galaxy reeling. The First Order had revealed itself to be a true threat on a galactic scale, launching a devastating attack that destroyed the capital of the New Republic. Thankfully, the Resistance had countered in an attack that destroyed Starkiller Base in turn, depriving the First Order of their most fearsome super-weapon. The Last Jedi will see the galaxy desperately attempt to organize itself against the First Order's relentless blitzkrieg, and in doing so, it will introduce us to a new character: Laura Dern's mysterious Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo.
Shared universes may be all the rage, but the Star Wars franchise is unique. Its canon was effectively rebooted after the Disney purchase back in 2012, and now Lucasfilm treat all media — from the movies to the novels, from the animated series to the comics — as equally canon. It's all supervised by the Lucasfilm Story Group, who do an excellent (if not perfect) job of ensuring the pieces all fit together.
