Don't hit send, not yet
Patience plus a Star Wars Celebration recap by Riley Blanton
I love to hit send. Like, a lot. Sitting on something is hard for me to do, and at times it can be to my detriment. You ever send that text, email, or Slack message too soon? Maybe you should have let it sit for a while. I’m like this on art and creative work. I make stuff and throw it out there. Proofreading be damned! I’ve been like this for a long time on making music, doing graphic design, writing, and video editing. It’s not that I don’t care, but I get so excited about stuff. Sometimes that means sending stuff out that isn’t ready.
If you are like this, you can’t indulge it. Today, I am so impressed by my favorite band, Linkin Park, who released 89 tracks onto Spotify after two decades of waiting, in celebration of their album Meteora turning 20 years old. That was my favorite record for several years growing up. 13 tracks. It’s over too soon, but you want more. Linkin Park, like many bands, didn’t only write 13 songs, they had a hundred. But only 13 made the cut. On this 20th anniversary edition, you can delve into the dozens of songs that never made it to completion, but also the ones that did. There are fantastic completed songs. Why leave them out?
I would have hit send years ago if I were Linkin Park. But they didn’t. 20 years later those 3 or 4 completed songs are so craved by fans that they’re spending hundreds of dollars to get them on vinyl. Hundreds. It wasn’t about the money though. It was about quality control. It’s more than the expression “you have to kill your darlings”…it’s that if every song is precious than none of them really are. You have to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. You have to be able to see clearly what is ready to be sent.
I’m nervous even writing about this because shortly I will hit send and land in your inbox. I hope it’s a valuable reminder to you as a professional, a creator or just as a human being. Wait. Think. Let things sit. Count to ten. Then send.
I have a lot more to say on this subject, but I am going to keep it short and shift gears. We promised you daily updates on announcements from Star Wars Celebration Europe, so here they are!
has the skinny on what’s coming next in Star Wars. We’re calling this Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF), for a military communications acronym about getting to the point.Bottom Line Up Front: Star Wars Celebration 2023
Presented by This is the Way & fueled by loads of coffee in Korea
Riley Blanton: In 2015, The Force Awakens brought us a new hero, Rey…..last-name-to-be-determined. AKA Rey Kenobi in Riley’s headcanon. Honestly, I love remembering the simpler time of 2015 Star Wars fandom with the pure joy of new movies coming to theaters…Before the dark times…
Anywho, back to Rey. Rey's hero’s journey in the film was indeed a classic (if slightly paint-by-numbers) Joseph Campbell story arc. What made Rey stand out was her search for meaning, her search for a place in a world of mythic heroes, and her search for family. She was abandoned as a child and had been waiting for her family to return for years. Her simple conversation with her new bestie, BB-8, gave us a peek into her life on Jakku….
"I know all about waiting"
That line resonated with me personally thinking of all the times I felt like life was put on hold. We’ve all been there, we’ve all felt stuck. Rey’s search for meaning was a powerful theme that would come to define the character.
Her journey speaks to the idea of forging your own path and forming an identity. Despite Rey’s difficult upbringing and lack of a family, she refuses to be defined by her circumstances. She takes control of her own destiny and becomes a powerful force for good in the galaxy.
I for one am ready for the Return of Rey. The Rise of Rey. The Revenge of Rey? I’m here for it.
Everything Announced at Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase
Key Takeaway: After a long hiatus since 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the galaxy far, far away is set to grace the big screen once again. We learned of three upcoming films helmed by renowned directors James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. The Logan director, James Mangold, will take us back to the dawn of the Jedi in his creation.
Mando-verse (are we really calling it that?) is coming to the big screen: Dave Filoni, the Star Wars mastermind, and creator of The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Ahsoka, is set to direct his first-ever live-action film. Filoni's upcoming project will revolve around the New Republic, adding a fresh twist to the ‘Wars’. As an executive producer, episodic director, and writer on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, I can't wait to see Filoni's storytelling unfold on the big screen.
Rey of Hope: (See what I did there?) Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's upcoming Star Wars film is definitely the most out-of-left-field announcement, as the Academy and Emmy Award-winning director behind Ms. Marvel and Saving Face has been tapped to helm a project set 15 years after the events of Rise of Skywalker. Did I mention that Daisy Ridley is set to reprise her role as Rey in the film?? I did, didn’t I? The only tidbit: Rey will be seen building a new Jedi Order. TBD if the Yuuzhan Vong return.
Ahsoka coming in August 2023: The much-anticipated series Star Wars: Ahsoka will finally be available on Disney+. The trailer for the show was released and did not disappoint. The action-packed trailer featured the return of Star Wars: Rebels characters including Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren, along with (the rather ornery) Chopper. Fans were also excited to catch a glimpse of the live-action Grand Admiral Thrawn. Rosario Dawson on stage: "If this does well, maybe we'll get a second season."
Crazy things happen when you write Star Wars with an ending already planned: Tony Gilroy announced that Andor season 2 is on track for an August 2024 premiere on Disney+. While an exact date was not provided, Gilroy expressed how knowing that the show will end with Season 2 has been a blessing for the team, allowing them to plan out the story with a clear destination in mind…..
"If you know you're ending, it really helps," he said. "We know where we're going. It's kind of like the escape from prison: you know where you're going."
In the category of —- I’m not sure how I feel about this: Star Wars: The Acolyte, the upcoming Disney+ series set during the end of the High Republic era, is set to debut on Disney+ in 2024. The cast and crew of the show shared some intriguing details. Creator Leslye Headland expressed her excitement for "telling the story of this entire world that I loved so much from the perspective of the bad guys." She described her pitch to Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy as "Frozen meets Kill Bill," (hoo boy) and revealed that the show takes place during an exciting part of the timeline when the bad guys are outnumbered and are the underdogs. Headland also mentioned that this will be the furthest back in time the franchise has been in live-action and that there will be lots of Jedi, including a Wookiee played by Chewbacca actor Joonas Suotamo.
May the Truffle Shuffle be with you: Coming to Disney+ in 2023 is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, a new series that promises to be a fun-filled adventure. Although an exact release date has not been announced, fans were treated to the first trailer. Starring Jude Law and featuring a young cast of characters, the trailer revealed that the show draws inspiration from The Goonies. With a few scenes of kids in class, traversing residential areas, running through forests, and more, it looks like this show will be a light-hearted adventure… I hope
About the Jar Jar “Redemption” arc: This has been an ongoing discussion at This is the Way, but The Mandalorian showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni discussed their decision to cast Ahmed Best as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq in The Mandalorian and have him save Grogu from the events of Order 66. “Ahmed walked out on stage [at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago in 2019] and just the outpouring of appreciation," said Favreau. "The opportunity for this role came up, and we knew we had to have someone – who was gonna be the one who rescues Baby Grogu? We were talking about that process of, who would it be and who should it be?” The duo agreed that Best was the perfect choice for the role.
Star Wars Celebration isn't just about Star Wars
It's also a time for LucasFilm to showcase its other franchises, such as Indiana Jones. At this year's event, the studio revealed a new trailer for the highly anticipated Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, set to hit theaters soon. While we don't know much about the plot, the trailer promises plenty of action, adventure, and Harrison Ford as the iconic archeologist.
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