Phantom Menace Actor Teaching Lightsaber Classes

Photo credit: Camden New Journal

Andrew Lawden was Liam Neeson’s stand-in double in 1999 Star Wars film.

Mr Lawden has been travelling around the country (London) teaching children the art of the fictional power sword, and throughout August his Jedi Fight Academy will be running classes in Theatro Technis, Somers Town.

Ewan Mcgregor Knows Nothing About an Obi-Wan Kenobi Spinoff

Appearing on The View, Ewan McGregor claims there are no plans to do an Obi-Wan movie that he's aware of. Of course, this could be a case of the actor just trying to keep himself clean of spreading too much hope or gossip to fans who have been campaigning for such a film for many years. He seemed to be trying to clear the air on The View:

A Clone Army of Rose Ticos? Sounds Like a Great Idea!

Credit: Rebel Scum News

Here's something that should get all the uptight Rose haters blood boiling. Writer Jason Fry posted the image above with the following caption on his Twitter:

"BRB, proposing a story in which a Rose Tico clone army raids an old Imperial depot and then takes Otomok back from the First Order. Thanks for the idea, @rebelscumnews!"

Sign us up! We'd definitely read that!

Wrestler Zack Ryder Loves His Star Wars Black Series Figures

Pro Wrestler Zack Ryder opened up a delivery of the Star Wars Black Series figures and reviewed them for viewers. He was very excited in the video posted on the WWE's Twitter. You can check out the video after the jump.

It's Even #LeftHandersDay in a Galaxy Far, Far Away!

Rare $100,000 Cello Used to Record Star Wars Score Stolen

Principal cellist of the LA Opera Orchestra, John Walz, returned after dinner on Thursday night to find everything from his San Diego Hotel room gone, including his beloved instrument. Used in the scores for Star Wars films, the rare cello is worth $100,000. Walz took it around the world with him for various performances and gigs, which included work with composer John Williams on the soundtracks for the three most recent Star Wars films - Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Rogue One.

Read more at ABC News.

Happy National Smores Day!

Star Wars-Inspired Observatory Being Constructed

Planning permission to construct a futuristic observatory in the Troodos mountains is expected to be issued soon, according to CNA.

The Star Wars-inspired observatory will be built near the village of Agridia.

The location was selected for its excellent weather conditions that allow for optimal viewing while it is only a 45-minute drive from the capital Nicosia and Limassol.

The futuristic building is going to be in the shape of a spaceship, inspired by Sci-Fi films such as Star Wars.

Read more at Financial Mirror.

Happy #InternationalCatDay from ROT5!

How Did We Not Know Hera Was Pregnant in Star Wars Rebels: Season Four?

In a montage of the Ghost crew, revealing their fates after the Battle of Endor, we learned that Hera was still flying around the galaxy as ace pilot with Chopper at her side, but they weren't alone. Sitting in the co-pilot's seat was her young son, Jacen, who was clearly half-human. Hera and Kanan had a kid!

You probably began to wonder how Star Wars Rebels managed to keep Hera's pregnancy under wraps, given that she would have been pregnant during all the adventures of the finale arc.

Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni chatted with CinemaBlend about the series finale:

"There are little clues that I would talk to the animation supervisor and I would say, 'We'll do this and just have her put her hand here on her stomach at this certain moment,' or just little tiny things."

Read more at Cinema Blend.

Morgan Elementary Students Welcomed Back to School by Star Wars Cosplayers

The Force was strong with hundreds of Rialto Unified School District students Monday, Aug. 6.

Cosplayers dressed as “Star Wars” characters welcomed Morgan Elementary students back to school for what district officials hope is another year of growth.

Read and see more at The Sun.

Happy National Lighthouse Day!

I couldn't choose between these two, so I decided to post both.

You can actually buy a t-shirt of the Rebel Lighthouse right here.

It was designed by Andy Farrell.

Jon Favreau's Star Wars Show Expected to Cost $100 Million

According to a Sunday report from the New York Times, Disney's upcoming Star Wars TV show being developed by Jon Favreau is expected to cost roughly $100 million for 10 episodes.

To put that in perspective, Game of Thrones' first season reportedly cost $50 million to $60 million according to The Hollywood Reporter, and THR also reported that Westworld's first season had a $100 million budget.

Read more at CNet.

Even Rey Has to Use Public Transit at Times

She travels at light speed on the big screen but Star Wars heroine Daisy Ridley has a more down-to-earth mode of transport on evenings out with boyfriend Tom Bateman — the night bus.

The 26-year-old, who will reprise her role as Rey in the forthcoming Star Wars: Episode IX movie, and Tom were on their way home after a party.

She and 29-year-old Bateman had been at the Everyman Cinema in Muswell Hill with other actors and crew for a catch-up ahead of the start of filming of the new movie, directed by JJ Abrams.

Read and see more at Metro News.

Blu-ray Review: Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Four

Whenever a Star Wars fan tells me they haven't watched either The Clone Wars or Rebels animated series, it makes me sad for them. Both of these shows add so much to the mythos of a galaxy far, far away. The fourth season of Rebels was a real game changer and once again proved that some of the most creative and exciting storytelling and writing for the Star Wars universe is not happening for the silver screen, but rather for what many wrongly reduce to nothing more than a children's cartoon show.

As the Rebellion struggles against the might of the Empire, Ezra leads the Ghost crew back to his home world to defeat the oppressive forces under the command of cunning Grand Admiral Thrawn. Old friends are reunited and new alliances are forged in Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Four.

Star Wars: Rebels Complete Season Four wraps up the tale of Kanan, Ezra, and the rest of the Ghost crew quite nicely, although a bit tragically for some. There are things I really loved about this last hurrah and things I didn't. Probably my biggest issue with where Star Wars Rebels took the mythos was the portals in the world between worlds. Here we've been given a way to change the past, much like the Guardian of Forever in Star Trek. I don't want my Star Wars to be Star Trekked. 

The whole thing that sets Star Wars apart from other sci-fi franchises is that when something happens, there are consequences. There are no magical do-overs. Darth Vader is dead. There's no traveling back in time and saving him from his tragic life of evildoing and destruction.

Aside from that, Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Four is an exciting, passionate, and energetic close to an essential piece of George Lucas's space opera. The series has taken a lot of bold steps over its lifetime, and most are ones Lucas would be happy with I believe. That's what I love about anything Rebels creator Dave Filoni does with the Star Wars universe. He's not afraid to shake things up and take us in unexpected directions we're not always comfortable going in on our own.

Star Wars: Rebels Complete Season Four offers us some great bonus material. Three featurettes entitled "Ghosts of Legend," "Force of Rebellion," and Kevin Kiner: The Rebel Symphony" delve into the making and world-building of the series. Executive Producer Dave Filoni gives us insight through six audio commentaries that dig deeper into the world of Rebels. We also get eight installments of Rebels Recon which examine and dissect different episodes.

Jeremy Bulloch Retires from Convention Appearances

Jeremy Bulloch, who earned pop culture immortality playing the bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, announced this weekend that he is retiring from the comic convention circuit.

ROT5 Celebrates Farmworker Appreciation Day

Buy Han Solo's Empire Jacket for $1.3 Million

Han Solo’s navy blue jacket worn by Harrison Ford in The Empire Strikes Back will be up for auction in the United Kingdom, and the wardrobe item worn on screen is expected to snag $1.3 million.

Apparently, this is the only significant Han Solo costume piece from the original trilogy ever to come to public auction, and since the character is such an icon, it comes as no surprise that this is going to fetch a lot of money.

London Prop Store has the item in their auction lot, and it will go up for sale on September 20.

Read more at /Film.

Episode IX Will Also Feature Unused Carrie Fisher Footage from The Last Jedi

During an episode of Star Wars News Net’s The Resistance Broadcast, ABC News’ Clayton Sandell revealed that he had spoken recently with Fisher’s brother, Todd Fisher, about all of this. Per Sandell, Fisher confirmed that Abrams and company would be using unused Last Jedi footage as well:

“I talked to Todd Fisher today about all of this and he has been talking with J. J. Abrams about it. I asked him, because the press release only said The Force Awakens so I asked about The Last Jedi, and they are also using unused footage from The Last Jedi. I asked him how many minutes of footage they had from it and he said ‘I can’t tell you that!’”

Read more at /Film.

BREAKING: Here's the First Picture from the Episode IX Set!

Principal photography started today on Star Wars: Episode IX, and director JJ Abrams has posted the first picture from the set!

Star Wars Fan Walks His Way to Charity Fame

A STAR Wars fan who walked all the way from the Isle of Wight to Paris, kitted out in full Stormtrooper armour, has smashed his fundraising target.

Ben Allen, who had hoped to raise £4,000 in donations and sponsorship, ended up raising an incredible £8,149 for Isle of Wight charity Layla's Trust.

Read more at Isle of White County Press.

Happy National Spider-Man Day from ROT5!

Win a Copy of Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Four Right Here!

Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Four is out now on Blu-ray and DVD and available at all home entertainment outlets. However, ROT5 happens to have three copies sitting on our desk to give away to some lucky folks! Winners will be picked at random and must be in the United States. All you have to do is click right here to go to our Facebook giveaway post. Once there, LIKE our Facebook page and then comment on the post stating, "Enter me in the Rebels contest!" If you're already our friend on Facebook, then just post, "Enter me in the Rebels contest!"

May the Force Be with You!

Contest Ends Sunday, August 5th at Midnight!

Who's Ready for Jabbacado for National Avocado Day?

What better way to celebrate National Avocado Day than to have a Star Wars-themed snack that is both tasty (if you like avocados - yuck!) and awesome looking!

Jabbacado Toast

Ingredients:

1 piece of bread, toasted

½ avocado

2-3 tablespoons hummus

1 slice mango

4 black sesame seeds

½ teaspoon dark honey

Cayenne pepper

salt

Peel and pit the avocado. Slice and lay onto the toast to form Jabba’s outline. Cut out a slice for the peak of his head and his tail.

With a piping bag and a #10 tip, pipe the hummus onto the avocado.

Cut more avocado slices to form Jabba’s arms and place onto the hummus.

Cut small slivers of mango for his eyes, use the sesame seeds to form his pupils and his nostrils.

Use a toothpick to create the line for Jabba’s mouth, then add the honey for the slime.

Sprinkle Jabba’s body with cayenne and salt to taste. Serve immediately. A slimy piece of worm-ridden filth never tasted so good.

To see step-by-step pictures of the process, go here.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Finally Gives Star Wars Some Praise!

The Star Wars universe has earned some flack from the Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson for not being scientifically feasible over the years, but this weekend during the 2018 Cosmos: Possible Worlds panel at Comic-Con, the scientist explained that while Star Wars has gotten a lot wrong over the years, he feels that it is high time he gives Star Wars Episode IV a little bit of credit for getting one science concept right. Per Tyson:

"In the Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope the first of the series it was, Luke comes out and he sees a double sunset. That is the only scientifically accurate thing in all of Star Wars. No, in all seriousness more than half the stars you see in the night sky are double and multiple star systems and no one had thought to put a planet around any of them. So, the fact this was portrayed in Star Wars, I'll just give a shout-out to that exercise in bringing the rest of the star family into the storytelling that unfolded."

Read more at Cinema Blend.

Trumpeter Sounds Off to the Tunes of Star Wars at San Diego Comic-Con

What do you do when you’re a nerdy, classically trained trumpeter and don’t want to cosplay at Comic-Con International? You use your talents and play iconic scores from video game and film franchise for con-goers.

“I decided I would follow cosplayers around and play their theme songs,” said Mark Grisez of Miami Beach, Florida. The 25-year-old just wrapped up his second season for the New World Symphony in Miami and was previously the associate principal trumpet for the San Francisco Symphony.

On Thursday, he received thunderous applause as he played the “Throne Room March” from Star Wars as he descended one of the convention center escalators.

The trained musician then played the “Imperial March” for someone dressed as Darth Vader.

Read more at The Orange County Register.

#SDCCTrumpetGuy elevator #starwars at #SDCC2018 #sdcc @SD_Comic_Con @SpaceFrenchie pic.twitter.com/TRhe25rraM

— Jurosek (@jurosek) July 20, 2018

Snap Wexley Should Be Back for Episode IX!

While chatting about the new documentary From the Bridge, Greg Grunberg took a moment to kind of sort of basically confirm he'll be in the next installment of Star Wars!

Actor Greg Grunberg basically confirmed he'll be back as Snap Wexley in Star Wars: Episode IX in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment for the new documentary From the Bridge.

From The Bridge chronicles the journey of sci-fi, horror, and comic book fans from their humble start as an underground community into the multi billion dollar explosion of fandom now ruling the universe.

Check out the video interview ( which also features a laughing Nichelle "Lt. Uhura" Nichols) after the jump!

Celebrate National Cheesecake Day with Chewbacca

Check out this awesome Chewbacca Cheesecake from Red Rocket's Pizza Port in Disneyland. If you happen to be there today, go pick up a cheesecake to celebrate (if they still make them - this picture is from 2014)! Just don't get any hair caught in your throat!

Star Wars: Resistance Synopsis Released!

Not only does Star Wars: Resistance look rather anime in its appearance, a synopsis for the first episode entitled "The Recruit" released by the German Disney-XD channel makes it sound like something that will feature many familiar tropes of animated style and genre. A German Star Wars fan who calls himself JediFlorian helped us folks who don't speak the language interpret the synopsis of the 22-episode series for us. Here you go:

"Resistance fighter Poe Dameron tasks young pilot Kazuda "Kaz" Xiono with spying on the First Order. At the time, little was known about the secretive organization and its strength.

In order to fulfill his mission, Kaz travels to the space station Colossus, which is being used by many ships as a port to refuel and do repairs. However, there are also dangerous races taking place there. After Kaz bragged with his piloting skills at his arrival there, he is soon drawn into one of the races..."

Read more at Screen Rant.

Star Wars: Episode IX Cast Announced - Carrie Fisher Will Appear!

Lucasfilm has announced a start of production for Episode IX - and their cast announcement included a shocking reveal: Carrie Fisher will appear, thanks to unused footage from past films.

Anybody Want to Eat off Han in Carbonite?

Regal Robot does Star Wars as if you lived in a galaxy far, far away—as in using Han Solo in Carbonite for your coffee table and procuring Emperor Palpatine’s throne for your own kingdom.

What is really out of this world about this company is that you can request your own custom furniture, which they will then create as official Lucasfilm pieces for your starship. So if you’re less into Han and more into a Sarlacc Pit coffee table, you can actually make that happen.

Read more at SyFyWire.

Gary Whitta Shares Rogue One Script Originally Had Opening Crawl

Rogue One: A Star Wars story is one of the more divisive entries in the Star War movie saga - probably the most divisive, before a little film called The Last Jedi came along.

Rogue One co-writer Gary Whitta recently revealed that he had, at one time, included a traditional Star Wars opening crawl with Rogue One - and even managed to fit in a nice big Star Wars: A New Hope Easter egg into it.

Director Gareth Edwards and his writing team were accused multiple times of not "getting" Star Wars, and yet, time and time again, the filmmakers have revealed deep passion for the material - to the point that apparently Whitta spent time and effort sculpting an opening scrawl that had just the right word count!

"I did write a crawl, and I remember thinking it was neat that it was the same number of words as the one in A New Hope. This was before the (correct) decision not to have opening crawls for the standalones," stated Whitta via his Twitter.

Read more at ComicBook.com.

Peter Mayhew Recovering from Spinal Surgery

Peter Mayhew is on the mend after undergoing spinal surgery.

Mayhew, who is originally from England but now lives in north Texas, has had health issues related to his height over the years. In a tweet posted today, he apologized to fans for being out of touch recently, and explained why with a picture from his hospital room.

Star Wars Heroes Reimagined as Sith

Star Wars is filled with an abundance of fascinating heroes. Some artists have reimagined these classic characters as villains, and it's frightening!

Because of Star Wars’ popularity, there is a huge amount of fan art that depicts characters in a way we otherwise would never see them. Some have even used their artistic skills to show Jedi succumbing to the dark side.

Check out 20 artist depictions of our heroes going to the Dark Side at Screen Rant.

Rose Tico Fans Show Their Love at Comic-Con

When darkness rises in the Star Wars fandom, light rises to meet it, and this weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, the Force was strong with a group of cosplaying Rose Tico supporters, who showed up in costume to spread the love for [Kelly Marie] Tran’s character.

The meet-up, called the #RallyForRose, was organized by Nerds of Color, a website and fan community founded by Keith Chow and dedicated to fans who are less represented in media.

In addition to costumes, some fans wore t-shirts with Obama-style campaign logos featuring Rose’s face instead of the former president’s, and the word “Rose” instead of “hope.”

Read more at Nerdist.

Mark Hamill Cosplays at Comic-Con

Ever since Lucasfilm started making Star Wars movies once again, Mark Hamill has reaffirmed his position as an authority among geek circles to the point where he cannot even walk around Comic-Con without being swarmed by fans.

This is why Hamill partook in the celebrity trend of cosplaying on the Comic-Con floor and taking stealth photos with fans, only to reveal his costume later and make a few random fans feel like they won the lottery.

Read and see more at ComicBook.com.

Spooky Stories in a Galaxy Far, Far Away Celebrated in Tales from Vader’s Castle

Campfire Ghost Stories Get a Star Wars Adventures Spin in Weekly October Event

IDW Publishing invites readers of all ages to explore the creepiest corners of the Star Wars universe in Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader’s Castle, a thrilling five-part comic book event with new issues hitting stands every Wednesday in October. Fan-favorites Cavan Scott and Derek Charm team up with an incredible roster of guest artists for this special miniseries, just in time for Halloween.

Star Wars Action Figures to Be Auctioned off for Possible $360,000

An auction of the world's rarest and most highly sought-after Star Wars figures, including Darth Vader with an extending lightsaber, could fetch more than $360,000.

The large collection featuring many items that have never been available to the public before are going under the hammer with Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.

The prized piece is a prototype figure of a character named Bib Fortuna, the rarest of Star Wars figures with only five in existence.

Read more at Daily Mail.

The Clone Wars Returns with New Episodes - Watch the Trailer!

During today's "The Clone Wars" 10th Anniversary Panel at San Diego Comic Con, Dave Filoni and company dropped a bombshell - the landmark animated series would return for new episodes.

Darth Vader Actor Spencer Wilding Speaks Out Against Bullying

A famous "Star Wars" actor came to Topeka Wednesday to speak with kids and members of the military.

Spencer Wilding is most known for his role as Darth Vader in the movie "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."

He spoke to kids at the Boys & Girls Club of Topeka about bullying and signed autographs.

Read more at KSNT.

Solo: A Star Wars Story Flies Home Sept. 14th on Digital and Blu-ray Sept. 25th

EXPERIENCE THE FUN-FILLED GALACTIC HEIST “SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY” SEPT. 14 ON DIGITAL, AND ON BLU-RAY SEPT. 25

Extensive extras invite fans aboard the Millennium Falcon with Han, Chewie and Lando, and behind the scenes with the stellar cast and crew

Lucasfilm’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” directed by Academy Award®–winning filmmaker Ron Howard—the creator of unforgettable films, such as “A Beautiful Mind,” “Apollo 13,” “Parenthood” and “Splash”—took moviegoers on this summer’s wildest ride with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich). The action-packed journey explores Han’s first encounters with future friend and copilot Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and notorious gambler Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), as well as his adventure-filled past alongside fellow street thief Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) and career criminal Beckett (Woody Harrelson). Watch instantly on Sept. 14th as the Millennium Falcon sets course digitally in HD and 4K Ultra HD™ and on Movies Anywhere, and bring the adventure home on Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, DVD and On-Demand on Sept. 25.

Are There Star Wars Easter Eggs in Marvel's Phase Three Movies?

Reddit user KYLO733 has noticed that many movies in the third Phase of the MCU feature characters being hit by lightning, much like the Emperor’s iconic method of dealing with his enemies, first seen in Return of the Jedi. The handy graphic below points out all the times this has happened in films such as Thor: Ragnarok, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Here’s how the fan explained themselves in the comments section of their original post:

“As we know, Phase Two was confirmed to have an Empire Star Wars reference of characters losing their hands. So when Phase Three started, I noticed this but waited until Infinity War until I posted. It’s basically characters getting electrocuted/lightning struck, as Luke is in Return of the Jedi (3rd OT movie). I couldn’t find the Black Panther or Infinity War clips but will update with pics soon (the reference is in these movies though). [It] has also happened to an extent in some the TV shows but I would have to re-watch the others.”

Read more at We've Got This.

How Much Would It Cost to Travel to Every Star Wars Filming Location?

From the snowy hills of Hoth to the woods of Endor and the deserts of Jakku and Tatooine, the saga of the Skywalkers wouldn’t be the same without the stunning vistas and alien landscapes on which their story plays out.

And one of the great things about the Star Wars movies is that most of those alien planets are actually real places on planet Earth! If you wanted to really celebrate your Star Wars fandom, you could take a trip around the world to visit all of them.

Sounds awesome, right? But also expensive. And while the cost might be less than you think. It’s still a lot. The cost of traveling to the filming locations (excluding studio lots) for all nine existing Star Wars movies would be just a hair over $12,500. Woof. And that doesn’t even take into account the cost of food and lodging!

Read more and see a breakdown at Opp Loans.

Return of the Jedi Production Illustrator George Jenson Dies

George Jenson, the production illustrator on Return of the Jedi and many more of our favorite genre titles, has died at the age of 87.

According to Variety, Jenson died May 25 of melanoma cancer in Henderson, Nevada. Jenson worked in the film industry for over four decades before retiring in 2003. Most notably, he was the production illustrator for the third film in the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi, and in 1984 he received an Oscar nomination for visual effects for his work on 2010.

Read more at SyFy Wire.

React Robotics' DogBot Inspired by AT-ATs

Groceries and pizzas could soon appear at your front door strapped to an “intelligent” robot dog inspired by Star Wars and created in Surrey.

DogBot, made by React Robotics, took its first self-taught steps yesterday after five years’ work.

Slightly larger than an Alsatian, it ran free in the lab after its harness was removed.

React Robotics founder Greg Epps said: “My inspiration when designing the aesthetics was more Star Wars. The first one we built... it looks exactly like an AT-AT. When we sell this, it might be [for] delivering pizza or as an inspection robot with sensors. There’s lots of autonomous vehicles but they tend to have wheels. In an urban environment, you have scenarios like damaged pavements, steps and stairs."

Read more and see a video of the robot at Evening Standard. 

Amidala on a Mission to Disney's Star Wars Land Planet Batuu in New Thrawn Book

The world of Batuu is forming right before our eyes ahead of its 2019 opening Star Wars Land at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort, and this time, we have another new connection to the planet: Padmé Amidala.

In the follow-up novel to Timothy Zahn’s bestseller “Thrawn,” the former Queen of Naboo will make an appearance for a mission alongside Anakin and Thrawn in “Thrawn: Alliances,” out July 24.

You can read an excerpt of the new novel now on the official Star Wars website.

Read more at Attractions.

Postal Jeep Turned into Star Destroyer

A group of geniuses in Texas converted a Jeep DJ-5M Dispatcher mail Jeep into a Star Destroyer, and built a fleet of other Star Wars-themed vehicles to drive along with it. Just. Wow. 

Houstonian Patrick and his friends have been making art cars for Houston’s Art Car Parade for some time now, and for this year’s 31st annual show, their entry was a fleet of Star Wars-themed vehicles, including: a Star Destroyer Jeep, an X-Wing Fighter-themed scooter, a TIE Bomber-themed Polaris Ranger, and even a Star Wars-themed electric emperor’s chair.

Read and see more at Jalopnik.