Experience the next great chapters of the Star Wars universe

George Lucas, who appeared on G4 as part of the promotion of the Star Tours II ride, talked about the live action Star Wars TV Show and it’s not good news for the fans.

The Star Wars creator says that they have 50 hours of script written for the show, but the pages play out just like a regular feature film. And this means that in order to create the effects and stage the production of such a show, it would require a huge budget, and it’s not something television networks can afford at this point. The only way, Lucas reckons, is to figure out a way to make movies cheaper and thus bring the cost level down to something practical. He says that once that process is figured out, that it will change how movies are made and then it will be time for the TV show to get a second look.

Hopefully now with Star Tours out of the way and the process finalized for 3D conversion of the films that Industrial Light and Magic can get to the task of where to cut enough corners...

Let’s start by wishing Star Wars: A New Hope a happy birthday. It was this day back in 1977 that the movie premiered to audiences everywhere. A space western at its core, few had dreamed that it would be the success it has been to this date, and would bring George Lucas to incredible fame, along with his band of characters. I remember being 12 when I first saw the movie. It was one of my first actually going to a theater by myself and I loved every minute of the adventure. Seeing the ships disappear in light speed on a full screen really was memorable for me. And after that, I had bought or gotten for Christmas, a whole lot of Star Wars games that I wanted. And even to this day, with all the other movies and TV shows out, I’m still fascinated. And I do think Lucas has earned his place among the greats like Walt Disney and Jim Henson as one of the most creative minds in the Universe.

Speaking of Disney, George Lucas was there to do the proverbial ribbon...

While all of the attention was on Star Tours II, it seems that it is not the only attraction being considered at Disney, although it unclear what park the ride patent is for or if it was just a blue sky endeavor, but given the recent date, this could be something coming to one of the foreign parks, which will hopefully trickle back here in the US.

While not much is known about this new park if there is such a thing, one thing that was very specific in the patent was some drawings that were posted at a Disney site that are thought to be real patent requests for a roller coaster based on the Death Star battle. In this case, X-Wings would be against Tie Fighters on opposite tracks, going toward each other at various points. Now the interesting thing about that is that the schematic of the ride vehicle specifies a gun that can be fired by the rider apparently at the enemy, which would make for a very unique ride mechanic for a coaster. Our guess is that you get a...

Wow is the only word that comes to mind after flying down to Orlando over the weekend to see the new attraction and I have to say I was impressed. Having rode the original Star Tours many times, this just gives so much new life to the attraction, while keeping the spirit of the old.

The show starts out in the redesigned queue line where what used to look more like a Star Speeder garage is now a very busy spaceport with a large screen that tells of the many different destinations available throughout the galaxy with R2D2 and C3PO in charge, with their usual banter. As you progress through the line, you come to another room that has various droids doing different tasks in order to get the flights ready like customs and such. We also see various characters on screens going by as they try to manage their luggage, but only in silhouettes which makes it fun to figure out which ones they are while you are waiting. But perhaps the funniest gag of all is the parody...

Just thought we would do an update on the Star Wars Weekends at Disney Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida since tomorrow (May 20th) is the start. There are a lot of cool events going on.

Star Tours II: The Adventures Continue will be making it’s official debut with a galactic sized opening ceremony including as we’ve said Anthony Daniels (C3PO) and if rumor is true, George Lucas. There will no doubt also be dignitaries and executives from both Disney and LucasArts on hand, as well as costumed characters that will bring out the pageantry. The spectacle will be broadcast live over Disney Park’s YouTube Channel and the official Facebook page at 10am ET on May 20th.

Other events that will be each day of the weekends are not being simulcasted, but will no doubt wind up on YouTube. These include the Hyperspace Hoopla, a dance competition for Star Wars characters like Darth Vader, Princess Leia and others old and new, the Padawan Mind Challenge and...

We haven’t talked much lately about the Star Wars MMO set to premier late this year, but Bioware has caught our attention once again with the description of the Sith Inquisitor Class in the Old Republic. It seems like the introduction of this particular faction of the game has brought new light into what was shaping up to be a Star Wars version of World of Warcraft, something that the company is trying desperately to avoid.

The Sith Inquisitors are masters of the dark side of the force and yield what they consider to be the ultimate power, but what makes them particular dangerous is that they are treacherous. They don’t worry about what is right and wrong, which can be fun to play. But what makes this class interesting is the choice the player will have in whether or not their character becomes a Sorceror or an Assassin. The former will use their knowledge of the secrets of the Force to destroy their enemies, while the latter will use their powers by...

George Lucas, who was present when Star Tours first opened back in 1987, will be returning to Walt Disney World’s Disney Hollywood Studios for the ceremony to open Star Tours II: The Adventures Continue. The opening of the new version of the attraction is scheduled for May 20, 2011, which is the first of the Star Wars Weekends at the park. At 10am, there will be an opening ceremony which will include many different characters, dignitaries, actors such as Anthony Daniels who reprises his role as C3PO in the ride, and now Lucas.

The ride is being created for Disneyland and Walt Disney World at the same time, and while Lucas has not had a preview of the Florida version, he did get to ride the clone in California in February of this year and liked what he saw. No word on whether he’ll go on the Florida one or not while he is there.

The opening date for the Disneyland version is June 3, 2011, which is two weeks later. The reason for the delay is no doubt so...

If you have seen recent pictures of Carrie Fisher, who played the strong willed princess of legend in the original Star Wars saga, you have seen where she gained a lot of weight to the point where people on the internet started talking about her as if she was closer to Jabba than Leia. That criticism may have been unfair, but in the end it was helpful, because it pushed Fisher to realize that her weight gain was getting out of control and she needed to set her mind to taking it back off.

In just 18 weeks on the Jenny Craig diet and with exercise, she was able to lose 30 pounds, which really has come off well, returning her to being quite recognizable as the woman that we all fell in love with back in the movies. And although she has aged a bit, she is looking very good in her newest pictures. Of course with Jenny Craig, they have meal plans that complement the exercise routine that has helped so many, including Dancing with the Stars Kirstie Alley, Valerie...

In a comment that is sure to start a war between traditionalists and CGI enthusiasts, Harrison Ford said that CGI is relied on too heavily in the modern action and fantasy films, to the point where the humanity of the film is lost to what amounts to a video game, which he called a soulless enterprise. The filmmakers alienate the viewers by adding too much visual stimulus that doesn’t need to be there. His example was the difference between six men and thousands of men. The six men represent an army that can be taken down by the hero, but thousands just seems impossible and even if they do make it, it seemed improbable. Scale is important in a film that the humanity has to be shown above the effects around the people. Ironically he stated his criticism at a movie that is filled with special effects called Cowboys and Aliens, which he is currently starring in. The film is set to be released soon.

While that one hasn’t been released to judge, I agree that...

There have been hundreds of books that have been published by various authors that take place in the Star Wars Universe, mostly printed by Random House under license. In the 30 years since the initial volume hit the shelves, these books never seem to fade in the mind of readers, like many do, and have managed to stay in print all this time. It’s the legacy of Lucas and his ability to keep Star Wars in the mindset of generation after generation that these books remain this popular after that many years. Everybody wants to know what happened to our favorite characters besides what could be shown in the 20 hours or so of the six film episodes.

So Random House is now releasing the volumes of Star Wars fiction as electronic books (e-books). There have been a couple dozen already released, but the publisher plans to release all of them (106 different titles) by June 28th of this year. The ones that are available right now are on e-book sellers like Amazon and...

We’ve been reporting off and on about Star Tours II: The Adventures Continue coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World this summer. The old ride used to feature a trip to Endor that went awry when the robotic pilot had a little problem with his navigational programming, never really making it to the destination promised. In the new version, the destination is truly unknown as there are now 54 different experiences that travelers will get when on board. The film that accompanied the motion based simulator (similar to those used in flight training) was in 2D, but the new one will be in 3D where guests will no doubt feel like they are actually there. The attraction opens at Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida on May 20th, the same weekend as Star Wars Weekends 2011 debuts, and June 3, 2011 at Disneyland California.

However, due to the popularity, Disney wants to extend a contest to Star Wars fans by allowing people this weekend to sign up on their site for a...

Not sure if you knew this or not, but today is actually an unofficial holiday for Star Wars. The date chosen by a rather clever pun on the series’ most popular phrase, “May the Fourth Be With You.” While there are no specific plans for LucasFilms to celebrate the day, Lucas did release a statement that said that they are thrilled that people still enjoy the movies and have picked a day to express that enjoyment. After all, there aren’t many films that have a specific day named after them, even if you won’t find it in most calendars.

But besides the pun, why the fourth of May? Well it was actually a mistake by German TV when they translated an interview with George Lucas. They were quoting “May the Force Be With You” and actually misinterpreted the line as “We are with you on May 4th” or in German, “Am 4. Mai sind wir bei thnen” And the first Star Wars Day was born.

The date has given some local venues a chance to celebrate with some Star Wars fun. Since...