Sigourney Weaver’s in talks for ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’.
Her role is a mystery for now.
Jon Favreau is directing the movie.
With ‘Star Wars’ seemingly ready to put that galaxy far, far away back on the big screen via a variety of movies in development, the big one leading the charge comes from the small screen: Jon Favreau’s ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’.
While much of the movie remains shrouded in secrecy, we do know –– via The InSneider –– that sci-fi stalwart Sigourney Weaver is in talks for a role.
The actor, a veteran of genre movies such as the ‘Alien’ franchise, ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Avatar’ looks set to add ‘Star Wars’ to the list.
The big announcement of the movie offered up no details on what the plot will be, but you have to figure it’ll continue the story of the characters’ journey from the show –– including Mando’s ongoing struggle with his cultural legacy and Grogu’s increasing Force powers.
Plus there are plenty of dangling plot threads just waiting to be expanded or tied up in a big screen outing.
We don’t yet know who else is behind the movie, but surely Dave Filoni –– Favreau’s creative partner in all things ‘Star Wars’ –– has had a hand in the script.
Jon Favreau attends the panel for “The Mandalorian” series at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California on May 28, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney).
Here’s Favreau’s statement on the new movie:
“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created. The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”
“Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into ‘Star Wars’ two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen.”
What else is in development for big screen ‘Star Wars’?
(L to R) Dave Filoni, Daisy Ridley and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
While it appears the Mando movie is flying into first position, we do know that Dave Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is on the way from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and writer Steven Knight, due in 2027.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
We’d guess that while Filoni (who was recently promoted to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka’, which may well lead to his big screen outing.
When will ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ be in theaters?
Lucasfilm has yet to confirm a release date, but a 2024 shoot points to a potential return for ‘Star Wars’ Christmas premieres in 2025.
‘The Mandalorian’ season 3 starring Pedro Pascal premieres March 1st on Disney+.
‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is official at Disney and Lucasfilm.
Jon Favreau is in the director’s chair.
The movie has yet to announce a release date.
For the past few years, ‘Star Wars’ has lived on the small screen much more than cinemas thanks to the success of ‘The Mandalorian’. But while there has been talk of a film set in the same universe from Dave Filoni, Disney and Lucasfilm have now announced that its Jon Favreau who is heading up the shows’ transition from TV to theater.
The big announcement of the movie offered up no details on what the plot will be, but you have to figure it’ll continue the story of the characters’ journey from the show –– including Mando’s ongoing struggle with his cultural legacy and Grogu’s increasing Force powers.
Plus there are plenty of dangling plot threads just waiting to be expanded or tied up in a big screen outing.
We don’t yet know who else is behind the movie, but surely Filoni –– Favreau’s creative partner in all things ‘Star Wars’ –– has had a hand in the script.
What has been said about the new movie?
Jon Favreau attends the panel for “The Mandalorian” series at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California on May 28, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney).
Here’s Favreau’s statement on the new movie:
“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created. The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”
What else is in development for big screen ‘Star Wars’?
(L to R) Dave Filoni, Daisy Ridley and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
While it appears the Mando movie is flying into first position, we do know that Dave Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is on the way from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and writer Steven Knight, due in 2027.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
We’d guess that while Filoni (who was recently promoted to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka’, which may well lead to his big screen outing.
When will ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ be in theaters?
Lucasfilm has yet to confirm a release date, but a 2024 shoot points to a potential return for ‘Star Wars’ Christmas premieres in 2025.
The cast and crew of ‘The Mandalorian’ season 3 at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Quite a finale for ‘Ahsoka’, the latest ‘Star Wars’ spin-off series, eh? The show, which wrapped its first (and so far only; there has been no announcement of a second yet) season on Tuesday has already generated plenty of debate between those who found the ending a fun wrap up to the story (albeit with a tantalizing cliffhanger) and others who feel it left much to be desired.
But what if you were left mostly confused about certain elements –– what, for example, is Grand Admiral Thrawn’s (Lars Mikkelsen) plan now he has reached the planet Dathomir? What is that giant statue that Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) was standing on at the end? Where does Ahsoka go from here?
You have questions. We have… well, perhaps not answers, but certainly some compelling theories. Take a read!
What is Thrawn’s plan at the end of ‘Ahsoka’ Season 1?
Grand Admiral Thrawn managed to complete his plan and escape the planet Peridea with his Star Destroyer, his legions of Night Troopers, the Great Mothers of the witchy Nightsisters and… a whole lot of something in his cargo hold.
Exactly what is in those cargo containers remains to be seen, but unless Thrawn is particularly fond of Blue Milk or really needed lots of power converters to sell at Toshi Station, our best guess at this point is that it contains Nightsisters, either dead or in suspended animation.
After all, he’s back in the regular ‘Star Wars’ galaxy, (at the sisters’ home planet of Dathomir, no less) and if he hopes to crush the New Republic, he’s going to need troops and/or weapons. What better than powerful witches to help his crusade? Even if he’s ultimately doomed to fail.
Through the later episodes of the show, it became clear that former Jedi, now mercenary Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson, often one of the best things in the series) had his own plans once transported to the planet Peridea. He essentially ditched his apprentice, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) and went off to find a giant statue.
It’s one of three statues that depict the Ones, a family of Force gods who dwell on the planet Mortis. As seen in a pivotal story arc on ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’, these characters serve as living embodiments of the Force itself.
The Son (Sam Witwer) is the Dark Side. The Daughter (Adrienne Wilkinson) is the Light Side. The Father (Lloyd Sherr) represents the balance between the two.
Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan encountered these three beings when they traveled to Mortis, and Anakin was given a brief glimpse of the monster he later became.
And if you’re wondering, Skoll is standing on the statue of The Father. It’s all, apparently in aid of his idea to end the constant conflict between the Jedi and the Sith (though knowing what happens in the sequel trilogy, it doesn’t appear he’s successful.)
The most heartbreaking aspect of the Skoll story, of course, is the fact that Stevenson won’t be the one to continue it. The Northern Irish actor died in May, so assuming Dave Filoni and co. had a future plan in mind for Baylan other than looking like he’s exploring Middle-earth, the role will need to be re-cast.
Shin, meanwhile, who was also left on Peridea, appears to have ambitions as a warlord, gathering support from others on the planet. It seems assured that she and Sabine will meet –– and clash –– again.
Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Jedi training droid Huyang (voiced by David Tennant) are left stranded on Peridea at the end of Season 1. So, what happens next?
Right now, that question can only be answered by show boss Dave Filoni and whoever he has discussed it with.
But there are several possibilities –– we could well see a second season of ‘Ahsoka’, which has been a buzzy success for Disney+ ordered before too long.
Ahsoka’s story could be picked up in ‘The Mandalorian’, though that series is already carrying several plotlines of its own.
Filoni and Jon Favreau might be building to some connected big series that weaves the various shows’ plot strands together (after all, who doesn’t want to see Ahsoka Tano hanging out with Grogu again?)
And then there’s the movie that Filoni is developing, as originally confirmed at Star Wars Celebration this past April. Leaving Ahsoka, Sabine and Huyang stranded on Peridea opens up potential new storylines (albeit risky to have a movie kick off with characters that many fans may not be familiar with.
He may opt to have Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) freshly reunited with his other old ‘Star Wars Rebels’ comrade Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) force Thrawn back to Peridea where we could catch up with Ahsoka and co.
Because, cute as they are, a season of our heroes hanging around with the crab-meet-Ewok-like Noti doesn’t exactly hold the same appeal as a big space adventure full of thrilling battles, daring do and giant space whales (depending, of course, on how many of the poor Purrgil creatures are left after their unfortunate run-in with an Imperial mine field.)
Right now, we’re in a holding pattern until Disney and Lucasfilm choose to confirm the future plans for these characters on screens big or small. We were surprised no announcements were made about a new season or anything else but given the sheer number of projects either rumored or announced that have not come to pass, we’re not entirely shocked.
And that’s without the delays likely from the strikes. As Yoda might put it, “clouded this story’s future is…” But hopefully not for too long.
(Left) Director Guillermo del Toro for ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.’ (Right) Jabba the Hutt in ‘Return of the Jedi.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
Guillermo del Toro is one of those filmmakers with a list of exciting yet unmade projects that could fill a To Do list for seven directors.
There are his famous examples –– a third ‘Hellboy’ movie, Lovecraft adaptation ‘At the Mountains of Madness’ –– but those are just the tip of his probable project iceberg.
And while he’s talked up a potential ‘Star Wars’ project before (a galaxy where there are plenty of movies either in development or hovering in limbo at any one time), we now have confirmation from writer (and ‘Foundation’ showrunner) David S. Goyer that the idea of a del Toro ‘Star Wars’ movie came closer than anyone has imagined.
David S. Goyer talks his unmade Guillermo del Toro ‘Star Wars’ script.
‘Foundation’ season 2 showrunner and executive producer David S. Goyer.
Goyer stopped by the Happy Sad Confused podcast to discuss the latest season of ‘Foundation’ and more, and dropped word about the ‘Star Wars’ script he wrote with del Toro looking to direct.
Here’s what Goyer had to say:
“I wrote an unproduced ‘Star Wars’ movie that Guillermo del Toro was going to direct. It was about four years ago. It’s a cool script.”
Goyer did not go into details about what the movie might have been, but del Toro took to social media to confirm his story and to heavily hint that it would have featured Jabba the Hutt.
True. Can't say much. Maybe two letters "J" and "BB" is that three letters? https://t.co/qpGaSD3y7F
Guillermo del Toro poses backstage with the Oscar® for Animated Feature Film during the live ABC telecast of the 95th Oscars® at Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
That makes sense, since back in 2015, del Toro told Yahoo Movies that his ideal ‘Star Wars’ project would focus on the earlier days of the bulbous, sluglike gangster.
Here’s del Toro on the topic:
“This is not real; this is me as a fat geek just geeking out and talking about it. I would do the sort of ‘Godfather’ saga that Jabba the Hutt had to go through to gain control. One, because it’s the character that looks the most like me, and I like him. I love the idea of a Hutt type of mafia, a very complex coup. I just love the character.”
In other interviews, del Toro has confirmed that he pitched Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy on ideas for ‘Star Wars’ movies, but obviously his busy schedule or their plans didn’t let it come to pass. At least, not yet…
Goyer wasn’t done dropping hints about ‘Star Wars’ projects he worked on… And it sounds like the other is much closer to reality.
This is what Goyer said:
“I also wrote an unproduced… I have a ‘scriptment’ for an origins of the Jedi movie, also for ‘Star Wars,’ that I wrote, that took place 25,000 years before the first ‘Star Wars’ film.”
(L to R) Director James Mangold, and Dave Filoni at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Mangold later told Empire this about the planned movie:
“It takes place 25,000 years before Episode IV, and it’s about the discovery of the Force. I told Kathy [Kennedy] I wanted to make a kind of Bible movie, a kind of ‘Ten Commandments’ of ‘Star Wars’ –– kind of a Cecil B. DeMille film about the arrival of the Force, and that’s what I’ve been pecking away at between press events. That’s the idea.”
With luck, this one should make it to screens, but we may still have a wait ahead of us…
(Center) Jabba the Hutt in ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story.’ Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm.
While the small-screen ‘Star Wars’ universe is enjoying a positive resurgence thanks to ‘Ahsoka’ (which recently released its fifth episode), it appears that there are changes afoot for one of the future shows in development.
While we learned back in July that Donald Glover –– who, of course, played the younger Lando Calrissian in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ –– and brother/creative partner Stephen were taking over the writing of the ‘Lando’ series.
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The show (as it was at the time) was to chronicle the further adventures of the gambler and rogue years before he starts running Cloud City (and is played in the movies by Billy Dee Williams).
Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story.’ Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm.
While we hadn’t heard much about the Glover siblings’ plan for Lando (obviously they were not able to kick off writing scripts because of the ongoing writers’ strike), it does appear that things have now changed.
“It’s not even a show… The idea right now is to do a movie. Right now, because of the strike, it’s kind of like telephone, all of the information.”
That’s all he could say –– Lucasfilm and Disney really don’t like much information on future projects getting out there before they can officially announce.
But despite no official word yet from either company, trade publications such as Variety and Deadline did get them to confirm the new development.
Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story.’ Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm.
Donald Glover has previously said he would want to reprise the ‘Solo’ role, admitting to GQ (via Deadline) in April that he enjoyed playing him and is looking to continue so:
“I would love to play Lando again. It’s a fun time, being him. It just has to be the right way to do it. Time is precious. The past couple of years, this pandemic shit, it really had people experience time… People realize their time is valuable. You only get so much. I’m not interested in doing anything that’s going to be a waste of my time or just a paycheck. I’d much rather spend time with people that I enjoy. It just has to be the right thing, and I think it could be. Lando is definitely somebody I like to hang out with,”
So, that’s one less series headed our way from the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy and one more movie.
But it’s not like we’ll all be starved for Jedis, Sith and Grogu. With ‘Ahsoka’ still to run for a few more weeks, we’ll then see ‘Skeleton Crew’ from director Jon Watts, starring Jude Law and ‘The Acolyte’ (from ‘Russian Doll’ co-creator Leslye Headland.
Plus, there are new seasons of ‘Andor’, ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Bad Batch’ at various stages of development along with new animated TV Movie ‘A Droid Story’.
(L to R) Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the voice of L3-37 and Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story.’ Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm.
Iconic ‘Star Wars’ bounty hunter Boba Fett made a big return to our screens with ‘The Mandalorian’ and linked series ‘The Book of Boba Fett’. But if director James Mangold had had his way, the character would have relaunched into the pop cultural consciousness via a movie.
Except… it didn’t quite work out that way. Though it was never officially announced, reports surfaced back in 2018 about Mangold’s attachment to a movie about the character originally introduced in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and who had appeared to meet an ignominious end in the belly of the Sarlacc creature in ‘Return of the Jedi’.
Yet later that year, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy said later that year that it wouldn’t come to fruition.
Two big factors contributed to the end of the Boba Fett film. First, ‘The Mandalorian’ was in development, and had its own take on the character. And, as we all know, it became a huge sensation, a jolt of nostalgia that also charted new stories and introduced the cute merchandising factory that is Baby Y… Sorry, Grogu… into the world.
Secondly, as it turns out. Mangold was going for a mature approach to the character, which is perhaps not all that shocking given his work on ‘Logan’, which did something similar with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. And that was an issue for Lucasfilm, which was looking for family friendlier offerings…
“At the point I was doing it I was probably scaring the s**t out of everyone. I was making much more of a borderline R-rated, single planet spaghetti Western. They probably would never be able to embrace Baby Yoda if I had made that. It didn’t really belong in the world I was kind of envisioning.”
And Mangold went further into the contrast between his ideas and the Lucasfilm regime’s:
“In a moment of corporate realignment or whatever happened with the Han Solo movie, they just suddenly decided they weren’t making pictures like that, and the opportunities in streaming presented themselves. I was just listening to [spaghetti Western composer] Ennio Morricone all day, all night, and typing away. I’m not sure it ever would have happened. I’m not sure it was in anyone’s plans, what I was thinking.”
(L to R) Director James Mangold, and Dave Filoni at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
No-one needs to feel bad for Mangold, though. He was instead handed the chance to direct ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ for Lucasfilm, which has just arrived in theaters.
And the company is clearly happy with what he did on that movie because Mangold will be getting a second shot at ‘Star Wars’ with a new movie set many years before the Skywalker saga that explores the early days of Force users.
“When I mentioned to [Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy] the idea that I had about going backward –– really far backward –– I was surprised that it excited her and the other wonderful people she works with at Lucasfilm. For me, it’s about, I want to be part of the saga, but I also don’t want to be holding so much lore in the air that you can hardly tell a story. And what I really wanted to do, what I told her, was just can we make a kind of the ‘Ten Commandments’ of the Force, you know? A kind of origin story of how the Force came to be known, understood, wielded, and harnessed.”
Oscar® nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay, James Mangold arrives on the red carpet of The 90th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 4, 2018. Photo: Ross Costanza Photography.
Indiana Jones is one of the most beloved characters in cinematic history!
Ever since the character, created by George Lucas and played by Harrison Ford, was first introduction in the unforgettable opening sequence of 1981’s ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ which was directed by Steven Spielberg, Indiana Jones has become a staple in pop-culture.
In honor of Indy’s new and possibly final adventure, ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,’ which was directed by James Mangold and opens in theaters on June 28th, Moviefone is ranking every Indiana Jones movie ever made, including the latest.
(L to R) Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams, Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood in ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.’
Set during the Cold War, the Soviets, led by sword-wielding Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), are in search of a crystal skull which has supernatural powers related to a mystical Lost City of Gold. Indy (Harrison Ford) is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young man (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend, and Indy’s colleague, Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull’s whereabouts.
Finding himself in a new era, approaching retirement, Indy (Harrison Ford) wrestles with fitting into a world that seems to have outgrown him. But as the tentacles of an all-too-familiar evil return in the form of an old rival (Mads Mikkelsen), Indy must don his hat and pick up his whip once more to make sure an ancient and powerful artifact doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
(L to R) Kate Capshaw as Wilhelmina “Willie” Scott, Ke Huy Quan as Short Round and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.’
After arriving in India, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees – and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace.
(L to R) Sean Connery as Henry Jones, Sr. and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.’
In 1938, an art collector appeals to eminent archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to embark on a search for the Holy Grail. Indy learns that a medieval historian has vanished while searching for it, and the missing man is his own father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery). He sets out to rescue his father by following clues in the old man’s notebook, which his father had mailed to him before he went missing. Indy arrives in Venice, where he enlists the help of a beautiful academic, Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody), along with Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies). Together they must stop the Nazis from recovering the power of eternal life and taking over the world!
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’
When Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime.
What is the plot of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’?
In 1944, American archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) helps colleague Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) against Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a Nazi, from obtaining a mysterious dial known as the Antikythera. Twenty-five years later, Jones is uneasy over the fact that the U.S. government has recruited former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the competition to make it to space. He is about to be forced into retirement when, surprisingly, his goddaughter, Basil’s daughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), accompanies him on his journey for the Dial. Meanwhile, Voller, now a NASA member and ex-Nazi involved with the Apollo Moon-landing program, is also after the dial, and wishes to use it to make the world into a better place as he sees fit.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny?’
‘Dial of Destiny’ is an improvement from ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,’ but still not a great ending for Indiana Jones’ story. The screenplay is confusing and convoluted, while the pacing is slow at times. Director James Mangold does an efficient job but the “Indiana Jones” magic is still missing from this installment. Harrison Ford gives a strong and emotional performance, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge breathes some fresh air into the franchise, but ultimately the film feels like an epilogue rather than a definitive final chapter.
The movie begins in 1944 at the end of World War II with an excellent sequence that takes place on a moving train. Ford is de-aged for the scenes, and while the VFX don’t entirely work, Mangold shoots the actor as sparingly as possible, as a little bit goes a long way. The sequence is classic Indiana Jones and one of the best set pieces in the film. But once the story cuts to present day, it drags to the next action sequence. Many of the characters’ motivations are unclear, as is the true power of the dial, this film’s McGuffin. And without giving away the ending, that seemed to come out of nowhere, like Indy meeting aliens in the last movie.
James Mangold is a very accomplished director, having made such films as ‘3:10 to Yuma,’ ‘Logan,’ and ‘Ford v Ferrari,’ and does a good job with the action sequences and the drama, but the pacing and the tone never seems quite right. This is the first film in the franchise not directed by Steven Spielberg, and while I certainly did not like ‘Crystal Skull,’ I have to wonder if the “magic” missing from this movie isn’t him? Mangold leans heavy on the nostalgia, which serves the film well with several cameos and callbacks. The director stages some impressive action scenes including the opening, a parade chase through the streets of New York, and a final mind-bending sequence.
Overall, the movie feels more dramatic than necessary and lacks the fun of the first three films. The 1969 setting of the movie is refreshing and contrasts Ford’s age and the flashback sequences well. Using the idea of Nazis working with NASA on the space race was a clever idea, but not really explored enough. Nor is the true power of the dial, which is problematic because they’ve been chasing after it for the entire movie and we don’t really understand what it is capable of until the end.
Harrison Ford will always be Indiana Jones! The actor returns to the role a little more gruff, but it suits the character well. Ford gives a great performance, but it is more dramatic than I expected. As an actor, Ford is excellent, but I question taking the character in this direction, as it sucks some of the fun out of the movie. Indiana lost his son Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) in Vietnam, his wife Marion (Karen Allen) has since left him, he is being forced into retirement, and he seems to have a drinking problem. It’s a different way of looking at Indy, and while it’s not my idea of a fun time, Ford brings a lot of sincere emotion to his beloved role. And it is nice to see him wear the Fedora and crack the whip one more time.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge gives a wonderful and cheeky performance as Indy’s goddaughter Helena. It’s a fun character and Waller-Bridge breathes fresh life into the film with her role. However, I do question the way the character was written, as her motivations are unclear at times and seem to change on a whim. That said, she is a good foil for Indy, and has lovely chemistry with Ford.
Several new characters are introduced, but most of them have limited roles. Toby Jones plays Helena’s father and Indy’s friend Basil Shaw. He’s only seen in flashbacks, but is good in his scenes with Ford, especially in the beginning. Antonio Banderas is introduced as an old friend of Indy’s, and while his presence was more than welcomed, we don’t spend enough time with the character to really get to know him. But the most confusing addition was Ethann Isidore as Teddy, an ally of Helena. No offense to the young actor, who was fine in the role, but the character seemed unnecessary and his relationship to Helena was vague and never really explained.
Again, in a far too limited role, John Rhys-Davies returns as Sallah, who first appeared in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and last in ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.’ He has only a few scenes but they are all with Ford, and it’s great seeing the two together again. Davies also has one of the best lines in the movie, but I wish the character could have been more involved with Indy’s journey.
Is Marion Ravenwood in Dial of Destiny?
Yes. Karen Allen returns as Marion Ravenwood, but like Davies, she really only has a cameo. However, the character plays a pivotal role in the film and is the reason for most of Indy’s actions and motivations.
Mads Mikkelsen plays a strong Indiana Jones villain with his performance as Nazi turned NASA scientist Jurgen Voller. The actor plays the role surprisingly differently than you might expect, and is a worthy adversary for our hero. While the actor never hides the characters motivations or true intentions, the story fails him at times when it becomes too convoluted. Voller’s role with the CIA is also confusing, working with agent Mason (Shaunette Renee Wilson), who seems unclear on why she’s helping him. And Boyd Holbrook basically plays the same role he did in Mangold’s ‘Logan,’ as Voller’s lead henchman.
Without giving away the end of the movie, we eventually learn that the Dial’s power has to do with time. This leads to an absolutely preposterous ending, that again, I won’t spoil. But it feels like something someone would write in fan-fiction and not a proper ending to Indiana Jones’ journey. In fact, the ending is so ridiculous its laughable and took me out of the film completely. That being said, it’s not as bad as Indy meeting aliens, but I do wonder if the franchise wouldn’t have been better off ending with ‘The Last Crusade,’ which was pretty much a perfect movie and the best in the franchise next to ‘Raiders.’ Still, it is fun seeing Ford as Indy one more time, and I do appreciate his thoughtful and emotional performance.
In the end, ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ just didn’t work for me. Mangold fills the movie with great action, and lots of nostalgia and dramatic emotion, but the story is all over the place, along with the tone and pacing. The returning characters that you want to see more of are limited, and too much time is spent on ancillary characters. Both Waller-Bridge and Mikkelsen give fresh and fun performances, but just like Indy, Harrison Ford swoops in and saves the movie. If for nothing else, the film is worth seeing just to get a glimpse of Ford as his signature character one more time.
‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars
Though it was part of the big TV panel on day 1 of Star Wars Celebration, ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ is clearly important enough to Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau and the Lucasfilm team that they dedicated a whole panel to it alone on day 2 –– and held over some casting nuggets and other information to justify the special attention.
The series, which focuses on rebellious and headstrong Jedi warrior Ahsoka Tano (introduced in animated form in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and played in live-action on ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ by Rosario Dawson, will follow the title character as she looks to track down evidence that the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn (voiced by Lars Mikkelsen in the animated ‘Star Wars Rebels’ show that also saw Ahsoka appear) will return to be a big threat for her and her friends.
Grand Admiral Thrawn, as seen in ‘Star Wars: Rebels.’
Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?
Thrawn was originally created by author Timothy Zahn as part of a series of Star Wars novels released in the 1990s that covered the time period after ‘Return of the Jedi.’ He was a cunning and ruthless Grand Admiral in the Empire who takes control of what’s left of the Imperial fleet and mounts a counter-offensive to take down the New Republic.
But after Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, Zahn’s novels –– and Thrawn with them –– were removed from Star Wars canon and rebranded as “Star Wars Legends,” in order to make room for the sequel film trilogy starting with ‘The Force Awakens.’
Still, Filoni was able to bring him back for ‘Rebels’ and is now making him the primary antagonist in ‘Ahsoka’.
Dawson was on stage for the panel (along with a physical version of ‘Rebels’ droid Chopper, who will also appear in the new show, and brought up the danger of Thrawn.
Here’s what Dawson had to say,
“That guy… Ahsoka really is driven by trying to do good. I think she recognises a threat that other people aren’t necessarily seeing. He is formidable, and not someone to take lightly. She has sensed that there is something, that these foes are not easily dismissed.”
While fans both in attendance and online had been treated to the ‘Ahsoka’ trailer yesterday, a new version ran during the panel, revealing that Mikkelsen will be crossing over from ‘Rebels’ to play Thrawn in live-action. He was brought up on stage and revealed how thrilled he was to be playing the role again.
He’ll be joined by Diana Lee Inosanto, who debuted the character of Morgan Elsbeth in ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 and returns as a thorn in Ahsoka’s side here.
Here’s Inosanto on Morgan,
“She absolutely is very loyal to Grand Admiral Thrawn. But we also know she’s a hard worker. You’re gonna learn more about her background, I’m really excited about that.”
We also learned that Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno are playing villainous characters called Baylon and Shin in the series, but while we know they’ll be collaborating with Morgan and Thrawn, Filoni and the rest aren’t revealing anything else.
And Thrawn/Morgan aren’t the only holdovers planned for the show, as Filoni also revealed that David Tennant is lending his voice to the live-action take on Jedi tutor droid Huyang from ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’. “You have to have him,” Filoni said. “He makes it work.”
Behind the scenes, we also now know that Filoni has directed episodes of the show, with episodes from Steph Green, Peter Ramsey, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Patel and Rick Famuyiwa, while Kevin Kiner, who wrote Ahsoka’s theme, and composed the music for most of the animated series, is back to score ‘Ahsoka’.
To date, Disney and Lucasfilm will only confirm that ‘Ahsoka’ will start on Disney+ this coming August.
In related ‘Star Wars’ news, Variety interviewed Kennedy about some of the big film and TV developments as announced yesterday –– including asking about some of the titles and filmmakers that were conspicuous by their absence from the panels.
We learned, for example, that one of the big three new ‘Star Wars’ movies planned by Lucasfilm will see the return of Daisy Ridley’s Rey. Set 15 years beyond ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ the movie, to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, is set in an era described as the New Jedi Order and see Rey establishing a bountiful new age of Force-users in the wake of the Skywalker Saga.
Kennedy said this about informing Ridley she’d be back holding a lightsaber again,
“It was a pretty straightforward phone call. I started out by just saying, ‘Hey, I think we’re getting near being ready.’ We’ve been talking a lot about what we’re doing in the movie space and I think we’re getting close to being ready. How would you like to go to Celebration?’ That was really the beginning of it. She was out of her mind excited.”
(L to R) Daisy Ridley and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Someone who didn’t take the stage yesterday was ‘The Last Jedi’ director Rian Johnson, who is reportedly interested in returning to ‘Star Wars’ but is currently engaged elsewhere. Should we suspect foul play? Apparently not.
Kennedy had this to say,
“Rian and I talk all the time. He is unbelievably busy. So we’re not actively involved in anything at the moment because he’s doing another one of the ‘Glass Onion’ movies and then God knows what else. But he really wants to step back into the space. It’s a big commitment of time, so that’s really on him.”
Someone who is more actively looking to be part of the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy is ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ director Taika Waititi, who has been writing a screenplay.
Of the director, Kennedy said this,
“Taika is still working away. He’s writing the script himself. He doesn’t really want to bring others into that process and I don’t blame him. He has a very, very unique voice. So we want to protect that and that’s what he’s doing. But we’re going to make that one day.”
‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Poster Courtesy of Disney+
And finally, to bring it all back to TV, Kennedy admitted that Lucasfilm currently has no plans for a second season of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’.
Here’s Kennedy on the show,
“That is not an active development. But I never say never, because there’s always the possibility. That show was so well-received and director Deborah Chow did such a spectacular job. Ewan McGregor really wants to do another. Everybody’s all hands on deck with what we’re doing right now, as you can see by what we showed everybody at the Celebration. We’ll turn our attention to that again maybe down the road.”
President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
(Left) President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige, and (Right) ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins.
Even as ‘The Mandalorian’ has returned to our screens and a variety of other ‘Star Wars’ TV series get set to roll out in the coming months, it would seem as though the development on big screen adventures set in that galaxy far, far away is moving about as fast as a Jawa sandcrawler.
And now Variety brings word that there have been movements on a few of the movies –– and not in a positive direction.
According to the trade magazine, the ‘Star Wars’ movies being shepherded by ‘Wonder Woman’ director Patty Jenkins and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige are no longer in active development at Lucasfilm.
That’s a blow, particularly as Disney had saved a release date slot in 2025 for a new ‘Star Wars’ title, but we’ll have to wait and see which of the potentials –– if any –– fills it.
Oscar Isaac in Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’
What’s the story of Patty Jenkins’ film?
Though Patty Jenkins movie, ‘Rogue Squadron’, about Rebel X-Wing pilots, was announced with much fanfare at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, it has suffered from a lack of real news updates in the time since.
While leaving the ‘Squadron’ on the development backburner, Jenkins had switched to focus her efforts on a third ‘Wonder Woman’ movie. But when DC bosses shut that down in favor of the new DC Universe, she appeared to return to the ‘Star Wars’ fold. “I am still on it and that project has been in active development ever since,” she said last December. “I don’t know if it will happen or not. We never do until the development process is complete, but I look forward to its potential ahead.”
There’s potentially better news for the ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ director’s in-development movie, as he’s still at work on a script. And according to Variety’s report, he may also star in it in some capacity (and no, we doubt it’ll focus on his ‘Mandalorian’ droid IG-11).
Elsewhere, Rian Johnson still says he wants to make more movies in the ‘Star Wars’ universe, but his focus for now is split between another movie featuring Daniel Craig’s mystery-solving Benoit Blanc and the second season of TV series ‘Poker Face’.
And while neither Lucasfilm nor Disney has refused to confirm anything, a film is still in development from ‘Ms. Marvel’ director and documentarian Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, with a script from Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson.
The Star Wars Celebration event happens in London the weekend of April 7th, and we can expect announcements about any chosen new film then –– along with updates on the various shows.
The cast of Lucasfilm’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ which was directed by J.J. Abrams.
