Your 2021 Geek Movie & TV Calendar

 
Once again, the new year brings us closer to The Films and TV Shows You've Been Dying to See for, Like, Forever.  If you enjoy sci-fi, fantasy and comic book based entertainment as I do, you already have several must-see flicks and television programs in the pipeline for 2021.  With that in mind, I thought I'd go ahead and give a helpful chronological rundown of which geek movie and TV goodness arrives when.  Some of these TV shows and films will be worth the long wait, others you wouldn't watch even if they were on Disney+ or HBO Max, but each have their audiences and key target demographics.  Start planning your work vacation/sick/personal days accordingly.

Oh, and of course, most of these dates are subject to rescheduling due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.  Fingers crossed that your favorites are released as currently planned...

JANUARY

1 - Doctor Who: "Revolution of the Daleks" (TV)

3 - The Watch (TV)

10 - American Gods (TV)

15 - WandaVision (TV)

FEBRUARY

February 2021? - Last Week Tonight

8 - Black Lightning (TV)

11 - Clarice (TV)

23 - The Flash, Superman & Lois (TV)

28 - The Walking Dead (TV)

MARCH

March 2021? - Zack Snyder's Justice League (TV)

19 - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV), Morbius (Movie)

APRIL

April 2021? - Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, What We Do in the Shadows (TV)

2 - No Time to Die (Movie)

16 - Mortal Kombat (Movie)

MAY

May 2021? - Loki (TV)

7 - Black Widow (Movie)

21 - Free Guy, Godzilla vs. Kong (Movie)

JUNE

June 2021? - What If...? (TV)

11 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Movie)

25 - Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Movie)

JULY

9 - Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings (Movie)

16 - Space Jam: A New Legacy (Movie)

23 - The Tomorrow War (Movie)

AUGUST

6 - The Suicide Squad (Movie)

SEPTEMBER

September 2021? - Hawkeye, The Simpsons (TV)

OCTOBER

1 - Dune (Movie)

NOVEMBER

November 2021? - Ms. Marvel (TV)

5 - Eternals (Movie)

DECEMBER

December 2021? - The Book of Boba Fett (TV)

17 - Spider-Man: Untitled Home Film 3 (Movie)

22 - The Matrix 4 (Movie)

SOMETIME IN 2021 - Archer, The Boys, Doctor Who, Doom Patrol, Dune: The Sisterhood, Harley Quinn, Invincible, Jupiter's Legacy, Justice League Dark, Locke & Key, Lord of the Rings, Lucifer, The Sandman, Secret Invasion, Stargirl, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Strange Adventures, Stranger Things, Titans, The Umbrella Academy, Westworld, Wynonna Earp (TV)

WATCHMEN Leads 2020 Emmy Nominations with 26

Who watches the Watchmen?  Emmy nomination voters, apparently.

Variety has details on HBO's limited series Watchmen, based on the classic DC Comics maxi-series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, leading the nominations for the 2020 Emmy Awards with 26 total, including acting nominations for Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jean Smart, Louis Gossett Jr., and Jovan Adepo. 

The Disney Plus series The Mandalorian earned an impressive 15 nominations for its first season, while HBO's Westworld picked up 11 nominations.  Netflix's Stranger Things and the FX supernatural comedy What We Do in the Shadows both earned 8 nominations, while CBS All Access' Star Trek: Picard earned 5 nominations.

Other recognized geek-favorite shows include Amazon Prime's Carnival Row and The Boys, Fox's The Simpsons, Adult Swim's Rick and Morty, and Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Lost in Space and Mindhunter.

You can read the full list of nominations HERE, but this is the breakdown for the shows listed above...

WATCHMEN (26 Nominations)

Outstanding Limited Series

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie -- Jeremy Irons as Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie -- Regina King as Sister Night/Angela Abar

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie -- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Dr. Manhattan/Cal Abar

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie -- Jovan Adepo as Hooded Justice/Officer Will Reeves

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie -- Louis Gossett Jr. as William Reeves

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie -- Jean Smart as Laurie Blake

Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special -- "This Extraordinary Being" -- Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson

Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special -- "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" -- Nicole Kassell

Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special -- "Little Fear of Lightning" -- Steph Green

Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special -- "This Extraordinary Being" -- Stephen Williams

Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special

(Original Dramatic Score) -- "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" -- Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics -- "This Extraordinary Being" / Song Title: "The Way It Used To Be" by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Outstanding Music Supervision -- "This Extraordinary Being"

Outstanding Main Title Design

Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program (One Hour Or More) -- "An Almost Religious Awe"

Outstanding Casting For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special

Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited Series Or Movie -- "Little Fear of Lightning"

Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited Series Or Movie -- "This Extraordinary Being"

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes -- "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Limited Series Or Movie -- "A God Walks into Abar"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Limited Series Or Movie -- "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Limited Series Or Movie -- "This Extraordinary Being"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special -- "This Extraordinary Being"

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Limited Series Or Movie -- "This Extraordinary Being"

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "See How They Fly"

THE MANDALORIAN (15 Nominations)

Outstanding Drama Series

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series -- "Chapter 8: Redemption" -- Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance -- "Chapter 8: Redemption" -- Taika Waititi as IG-11

Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score) -- Ludwig Göransson

Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour) -- "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian"

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) -- "Chapter 7: The Reckoning"

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes -- "Chapter 3: The Sin"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series -- "Chapter 2: The Child"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series -- "Chapter 4: Sanctuary"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series -- "Chapter 8: Redemption"

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special -- "Chapter 6: The Prisoner"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And

Animation -- "Chapter 1: The Mandalorian"

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And

Animation -- "Chapter 2: The Child"

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "Chapter 2: The Child"

Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Limited Series Or Movie

WESTWORLD  (11 Nominations)

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series -- Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series -- Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay

Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program (One Hour Or More) -- "Parce Domine"

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour) -- "Parce Domine"

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes -- "Parce Domine"

Outstanding Main Title Design

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special -- "Crisis Theory"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "Parce Domine"

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "Parce Domine"

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "Crisis Theory"

Outstanding Interactive Extension Of A Linear Program -- "Free Will Is Not Free Interactive Experience"

STRANGER THINGS (8 Nominations)

Outstanding Drama Series

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series -- "Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt"

Outstanding Music Supervision -- "Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "Chapter Eight: the Battle of Starcourt"

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt"

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt"

Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Limited Series Or Movie

Outstanding Interactive Extension Of A Linear Program -- "Scoops Ahoy: Operation Scoop Snoop"

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (8 Nominations)

Outstanding Comedy Series

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series -- "Collaboration" -- Sam Johnson & Chris Marcil

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series -- "Ghosts" -- Paul Simms

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series -- "On the Run" -- Stefani Robinson

Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour) -- "Resurrection", "Collaboration", "Witches"

Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series -- "Resurrection"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And

Animation -- "The Return"

STAR TREK: PICARD (5 Nominations)

Outstanding Period And/Or Character Hairstyling -- "Stardust City Rag"

Outstanding Period And/Or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) -- "Stardust City Rag"

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special -- "Absolute Candor"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2"

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2:"

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: 1984 (4 Nominations)

Outstanding Period And/Or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) -- "The Lady in White"

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special -- "True Killers"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special -- "Camp Redwood"

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Limited Series Or Movie -- "Camp Redwood"

CARNIVAL ROW (3 Nominations)

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music -- Nathan Barr

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes -- "Aisling"

Outstanding Main Title Design

THE SIMPSONS (3 Nominations)

Outstanding Animated Program -- "Thanksgiving of Horror"

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance -- "Better Off Ned" -- Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, and Todd Flanders

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance -- "Frinkcoin" -- Hank Azaria as Professor Frink, Moe Syzslak, Chief Wiggum, Carl Carlson, Cletus Spuckler, Kirk Van Houten, and Sea Captain

BLACK MIRROR (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series -- "Smithereens" -- Andrew Scott as Chris Gillhaney

BOB'S BURGERS (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Animated Program -- "Pig Trouble in Little Tina"

THE BOYS (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "The Name of the Game"

 

THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Children's Program

DOCTOR WHO (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Derivative Interactive Program -- "The Runaway"

LOST IN SPACE (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "Ninety-Seven"

MINDHUNTER (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour) -- "Episode 6"

RICK AND MORTY (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Animated Program -- "The Vat of Acid Episode"

STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series

STAR WARS: RESISTANCE (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Children's Program

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards is scheduled to air Sunday, September 20th on ABC.

Taika Waititi to Direct & Co-Write New STAR WARS Film

Here's hoping he doesn't initiate self-destruct during production.

To help celebrate May the Fourth Be With You, Lucasfilm has announced that popular New Zealand actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi will direct and co-write a new Star Wars feature film planned for theatrical release.

Waititi, 44, recently served as the voice of the bounty-hunting droid IG-11 in the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian, and also directed the Season One finale, "Chapter 8: Redemption".  His films include the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: Love & Thunder, Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit, and the original What We Do in the Shadows, which he co-directed with Jemaine Clement.

His acting roles include the Marvel Comics character Korg in Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Ragnarok, Adolf Hitler in Jojo Rabbit, Thomas Kalmaku in Green Lantern, and Viago in both the What We Do in the Shadows film and FX TV series. 

Working with Waititi on the screenplay will be Academy Award nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who received a BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year on the three-time Oscar-winning film, 1917.  She was also a staff writer on the Showtime TV series Penny Dreadful.

In other Star Wars news, it was announced that Emmy-nominated writer Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, Bachelorette) is developing a new untitled Star Wars series for Disney+. Headland will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner for the series, which will join The Mandalorian and two other previously announced series.  One will be based on Cassian Andor’s life prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, while the other will follow the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and the original 1977 Star Wars film.

No release dates for either project were announced.

THE MANDALORIAN Casts Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano

Tell you what.  Rosario Dawson is ready to give you a merciful death.

Variety is confirming that the Disney+ series The Mandalorian has cast Rosario Dawson as popular Star Wars character Ahsoka Tano for the show's upcoming second season.

Dawson, 40, has considerable geek cred after playing Claire Temple on the Marvel TV series Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders, Gail in the movies Sin City and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Laura Vasquez in Men in Black II, Valerie Brown in Josie and the Pussycats, Abernathy Ross in Death Proof, Becky Scott in Clerks II, the voice of Batgirl/Barbara Gordon in The Lego Batman Movie, and the voice of Wonder Woman in the DC Animated Movie Universe films Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Justice League vs. Teen Titans, Justice League Dark, The Death of Superman, Wonder Woman: Bloodlines, and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.

Back in 2017, Dawson had been part of an internet campaign to have her play Ahsoka Tano in live-action.

Created in 2008, Ahsoka Tano first appeared in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars as as a 14-year-old padawan apprentice newly assigned to Anakin Skywalker.  Jedi Master Yoda assigned her to Anakin to teach him a greater sense of responsibility, and Anakin was initially frustrated by this decision.  Their early interactions were "playfully contentious", with Anakin calling her "Snips" for her "snippy" attitude and Ahsoka calling him "Skyguy" as a pun on his surname.  After earning Anakin's respect on a dangerous mission, Ahsoka joined him on a quest to rescue Jabba the Hutt's infant son.  Her impetuous nature both annoyed and endeared her to her master, and, by the end of the film, Anakin revealed a newfound affection for his padawan.

In the following Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated TV series, Ahsoka was a commander in the Republic army and continued to learn the ways of the Jedi as Anakin's apprentice.  The two developed a mutual fondness, at times taking great risks to protect or save one another. Some of Anakin's actions taken out of concern for Ahsoka exposed his darker tendencies, such as his torture of prisoners who may know her location when she goes missing.  Ahsoka also found mentorship from Captain Rex, a clone trooper with whom she and Anakin served throughout the war.  During the final arc of Season 5, Ahsoka was framed and imprisoned for a deadly explosion and a subsequent murder.  Although eventually exonerated, she became disillusioned with the Jedi Council and left the Jedi Order in the season finale.  Ahsoka will return in the revival of The Clone Wars on Disney+, which will explore the "unfinished business between Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and their exiled Jedi-in-training."

Dawson will be the first actress to portray Ahsoka Tano in live-action.  Previously, the character was voiced by Ashley Eckstein in the animated projects Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, and a vocal cameo in the live-action film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The Mandalorian is expected to return to Disney+ sometime in Fall 2020.

Your 2020 Geek Movie & TV Calendar

Once again, the new year brings us closer to The Films and TV Shows You've Been Dying to See for, Like, Forever.  If you enjoy sci-fi, fantasy and comic book based entertainment as I do, you already have several must-see flicks and television programs in the pipeline for 2020.  With that in mind, I thought I'd go ahead and give a helpful chronological rundown of which geek movie and TV goodness arrives when.  Some of these TV shows and films will be worth the long wait, others you wouldn't watch even if they were on Netflix, but each have their audiences and key target demographics.  Start planning your work vacation/sick/personal days accordingly.

JANUARY

1 - Doctor Who (TV)

9 - Star Trek Short Treks: Children of Mars (TV)

14 - Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow (Crisis on Infinite Earths Parts 4 & 5) (TV)

15 - The Magicians (TV)

19 - Batwoman, Supergirl (TV)

20 - Black Lightning (TV)

23 - Star Trek: Picard (TV)

24 - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV)

FEBRUARY

February 2020? - Last Week Tonight, The Umbrella Academy (TV)

4 - The Flash (TV)

7 - Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (Movie)

14 - Fantasy Island (Movie)

21 - Bloodshot (Movie)

23 - The Walking Dead (TV)

MARCH

March 2020? - American Gods, Stargirl, What We Do in the Shadows (TV)

27 - Mulan (Movie)

APRIL

April 2020? - Harley Quinn, Star Trek: Discovery, Westworld (TV)

3 - The New Mutants (Movie)

8 - No Time to Die (Movie), Twin Peaks 30th Anniversary

MAY

May 2020? - Dune: The SIsterhood, Lucifer (TV)

1 - Black Widow (Movie)

9 - Artemis Fowl (Movie)

JUNE

June 2020? - Doom Patrol, Wynonna Earp (TV)

5 - Wonder Woman 1984 (Movie)

JULY

July 2020? - Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Boys, Pennyworth (TV)
3 - Free Guy (Movie)
10 - Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Movie)
17 - Tenet (Movie)
31 - Morbius (Movie)

AUGUST

August 2020? - Mindhunter (TV)
21 - Bill and Ted Face the Music (Movie)

SEPTEMBER

September 2020? - The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Simpsons, Stranger Things, Titans (TV)
18 - The King's Man (Movie)

OCTOBER

October 2020? - Castle Rock, The Walking Dead (TV)
2 - Venom 2 (Movie)

NOVEMBER

November 2020? - The Mandalorian (TV)
6 - The Eternals (Movie)
20 - Godzilla vs. Kong (Movie)

23 - Doctor Who 57th Anniversary

DECEMBER

18 - Dune (Movie)
25 - The Tomorrow War (Movie)

SOMETIME IN 2020 - BizarroTV, Helstrom, Invincible, Jupiter's Legacy, The Sandman, Strange Adventures, WandaVision (TV)

DAMN Good Movies -- STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

It's time to take one last look...at our friends.

That's right, I'm back once again with another of my movie takes, this time on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the final film in the Star Wars Skywalker Saga.  As always, if you haven't seen the movie yet and you don't want it spoiled for you, then please step back from your computer or whatever electronic device you're reading this on and stop reading now.  If, however, you're wise enough to know that movie reviews with spoilers are always more interesting than the ones without them...well...the Force will be with you...always.

After Rian Johnson's successful but highly controversial previous installment, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, toxic Star Wars fandom was at an all-time high and behind-the-scenes production at Lucasfilm wasn't fairing much better.  Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow left the production in September 2017, with the go-to explanation "creative differences", after failing several attempts to deliver a satisfactory script to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.  J.J. Abrams, director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was quickly announced as Trevorrow's replacement, which many saw as an attempt to placate fans and get the final trilogy back on track after some of Johnson's unpopular creative choices.  Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio reportedly met with creator George Lucas, then rewrote the script while the film's release date was pushed back from May 2019 to December.

The Rise of Skywalker opens one year after The Last Jedi's Battle of Crait, which left the Resistance against the First Order at its lowest point.  Following a broadcast by the late Emperor Palpatine, suddenly not dead after being killed off in 1983's Return of the Jedi, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren obtains a Sith Wayfinder device on the planet Mustafar, leading him to the uncharted planet Exegol.  There, he finds Palpatine, who explains he literally created former Supreme Leader Snoke as a puppet to control the First Order and lure Kylo to the dark side of the Force.  Palpatine unveils his secret armada of Star Destroyers (Surprise!) and tells Kylo to find and kill his sort-of-creepy love interest Rey, who's continuing her Jedi training under Kylo's mom, General Leia Organa.  

From there, the film launches into a fast, albeit initially uneven pace as Finn and Poe Dameron deliver intel from a spy that Palpatine is on Exegol.  And after rescuing the ancient Jedi texts from Rian Johnson, Rey has learned that a Sith Wayfinder can lead them there.  Even better, Leia reveals that there's an ally on new planet Pasaana who may be able to help.  So off we go, with Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, BB-8, and C-3PO blasting off in the Millennium Falcon while poor R2-D2 stays behind going "Hey!  What about me?".

On Pasaana, the group encounters old smoothy and cape fetishist Lando Calrissian, who points them to the Wayfinder's last suspected location.  Using their creeptacular Force bond, Kylo learns where Rey is and heads there with his old crew, the Knights of Ren.  Rey and the others discover the remains of a Sith assassin named Ochi, his ship, his little wheely droid D-O, and a dagger inscribed with Sith text, which C-3PO's programming forbids him from interpreting even though hey, that's his primary function.  Sensing Kylo is nearby, Rey goes to confront him because the Reylo shippers demand it.  The First Order captures the Falcon, Chewbacca, and the dagger, while Rey, attempting to rescue Chewbacca, accidentally destroys a First Order transport with Force lightning.  D'oh!  The group escapes on Ochi's ship, understandably thinking that Chewbacca died in the explosion, and looks over at Rey in a very awkward moment.

It's around the second act that the film finds its footing, as Poe suggests traveling to another new planet, Kijimi, to have the Sith text extracted from C-3PO's memory with help from a tiny droidsmith named Babu Frik.  The process wipes C-3PO's memory, with the obvious comedic ramifications, but reveals coordinates to a Wayfinder on Kef Bir, an ocean moon of Endor (Yes, that Endor).  Rey eventually senses that Chewbacca is alive, so congrats on not killing one of Star Wars' most popular characters, and the group mounts a rescue mission.  While Kylo searches for Rey, the group infiltrates his Star Destroyer with the help of Zorii Bliss, a mysterious acquaintance of Poe and an even longer acquaintance of J.J. Abrams.  Rey recovers the dagger and has visions of her not-nobody parents being killed with it.  

Kylo decides to drop some long-awaited truth on Rey, informing her that she's not a Skywalker like many of us thought, but the granddaughter of (dun-dun-dun) Sheev Palpatine.  It turns out Grampa Palpy ordered Ochi to recover Rey as a child, but her parents hid her on Jakku to protect her, just as Obi-Wan did with Baby Luke on Tattooine.  And in a surprising-but-not-that-surprising sequence, General Hux saves Poe, Finn, and Chewbacca from execution, revealing himself as the spy that gave Finn and Poe intel.  He allows the group to escape on the Falcon, but then gets himself executed for treason.  (Insert Price Is Right fail horn here)

The group arrives on Kef Bir and meets Jannah, an ex-First Order stormtrooper and current Resistance sympathizer like Finn, who leads them to the remains of the second Death Star, where Rey locates the Wayfinder.  Kylo, having tracked the group to Kef Bir, destroys Rey's Wayfinder and asks her to help him take Palpatine off the board.  A climactic lightsaber duel follows, with Leia calling to Kylo through the Force and distracting him at a key moment, allowing Rey to impale him.  The effort causes Leia's death, however, but Rey heals Kylo and takes his ship to exile herself on Luke Skywalker's secret crib on Ahch-To.  After torching Kylo's ship, Rey is confronted by Luke's Force ghost, who encourages her to face Palpatine and gives her Leia's lightsaber and his X-wing from his time in the Rebellion.  Rey leaves for Exegol, using the Wayfinder from Kylo’s ship, while Kylo has an unexpected conversation with a memory of his father, Han Solo.  Kylo finally turns his back on the dark side, throwing away his lightsaber and reclaiming his identity as Ben Solo.

Heading into the final act of the Skywalker Saga, Palpatine, in a display of total dickishness, has a Star Destroyer obliterate Kijimi, while at the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss, R2-D2 restores C-3PO's memory with his most recent backup.  The Resistance follows Rey's coordinates to Exegol, where she confronts Sith Zombie Palpatine, who demands she kill him so he can transfer his spirit into her and presumably, admire himself in the mirror.  With Poe's plan to attack a crap-ton of Star Destroyers with a small fleet not being very well thought out, the Resistance fighters get pretty much owned until Lando shows up with a lot of reinforcements from across the galaxy.  Ben arrives to help Rey, overpowering his former frat bros in the Knights of Ren.  

Recognizing Rey and Ben as a rare Force dyad, Palpatine drains their power to rejuvenate himself without any need for botox.  He attacks the Resistance fleet with a huge surge of Force lightning and hurls Ben into a chasm so he knows how it feels.  Still weakened, Rey finally hears the voices of past Jedi, who lend her their strength.  Palpatine attacks her with his lightning, but Rey deflects it using Luke and Leia's lightsabers, disintegrating him and sacrificing herself in the process.  After climbing out of the chasm, Ben revives Rey by transferring his life force into her.  Rey wakes up and kisses him as the Reylo shippers squee with delight, but the effort costs Ben his life.  He dies, as both he and his mother Leia become one with the Force.

The Resistance destroys the remainder of Palpatine's Star Destroyer armada, then heads back to Ajan Kloss to celebrate.  Lots of hugging -- seriously, so much hugging -- follows, with some last looks at the surviving cast.  The Skywalker Saga closes with Rey, as she visits the abandoned Lars homestead on Tatooine, where Luke grew up.  Having built her own lightsaber, she buries Luke and Leia's lightsabers in the sand, the first tribute to her former masters.  In the second, she tells a passing old woman that her full name is Rey Skywalker, allowing the Skywalker legacy to continue.  Abrams' final shot, with John Williams' closing theme, brings the entire film saga full circle, as Rey and BB-8 stare off into the distance at Tattooine's binary sunset.  THE END.

So what about the performances from the cast and the characters they portrayed?  Well, as you might expect, I have a few thoughts...

REY SKYWALKER -- If this is the last we see of Daisy Ridley as Rey, at least she went out on a high note.  So much of this movie rides on her performance, which is easily her most physical, and Ridley definitely steps up when needed.  The revelation that Rey is the Emperor's granddaughter is obviously a big one, but it works better than the theory that she was Luke's daughter with or without a midichlorian immaculate conception.

KYLO REN/BEN SOLO -- Adam Driver finally got to play Ben Solo and we're all better for it.  Kylo Ren was the ultimate Darth Vader wannabe, right down to following his redemption arc, but it was Ben Solo's Force dyad connection to Rey that distinguished him.  As much as it would've been nice to see Kylo Ren pay for murdering his father Han Solo, Ben's redemption made Han and Leia's deaths more meaningful.

POE DAMERON -- As the Han Solo-esque Poe Dameron, Oscar Isaac gets to deliver more quippy one-liners than his previous outings, but it's his history with Zorri Bliss that interested me the most.  For once, we had a hero with an ex-girlfriend who didn't get back together with his ex by the movie's end.  On a completely different note, Isaac was able to give Poe some depth in a great scene as he questioned his own ability to lead the Resistance after Leia's passing.

FINN/FN-2187 -- If there's one character who felt incomplete at the end of this trilogy, it's probably John Boyega's Finn.  It sure seemed like Finn wanted to express his feelings for Rey on a couple of occasions, but he failed to do so before the clock ran out and the movie ended.  Meanwhile, his would-be romance with Rose Tico in The Last Jedi completely vanished, and suddenly, there's Jannah, an ex-stormtrooper exactly like him, who seemed like a solid match.  Time for a Disney+ spinoff series, maybe?

DARTH SIDIOUS/SHEEV PALPATINE -- In (presumably) his final outing as Palpatine, Ian McDiarmid's return made perfect sense, especially given his connection to Rey.  Palpatine was Big Bad of Return of the Jedi and later the prequels, so only now, at the end, do we truly understand.  

LANDO CALRISSIAN -- Billy Dee Williams' Lando was a character fans wanted to see return ever since The Force Awakens, so this was definitely a case of better late than never.  Still rocking his cape after all these years, Lando brought some Original Trilogy swagger to Rise of Skywalker and even got a big fist-pumping moment when he showed up with the Resistance allies in the nick of time.

GENERAL LEIA ORGANA -- Ever since Carrie Fisher's untimely death at the end of 2016, Star Wars fans have been dreading the moment when we would need to say goodbye to Leia as well.  Even with only having unused footage from The Force Awakens, Abrams and Terrio gave Leia a tasteful demise that mattered and was emotionally resonant.  We felt Leia's death, as did the characters, and it brought a true sense of closure for many of us.

LUKE SKYWALKER -- After being killed off in The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill's final appearance here as Force Ghost Luke Skywalker was a more fitting end.  Hamill gets to deliver a sly jab at Rian Johnson's treatment of Luke's lightsaber in the beginning of The Last Jedi, then has a wonderful sequence as he finally raises his X-wing fighter from the water, just as Yoda showed him was possible in The Empire Strikes Back.  And in a lovely moment as the film ends, we see Luke reunited with his sister Leia as Force ghosts, watching over Rey as she continues the Skywalker legacy.

CHEWBACCA -- You know a Star Wars film is emotional when even Chewie's tugging on your hearstrings.  Joonas Suotamo's Chewbacca had older fans gasping when we thought Rey had accidentally (and rather stupidly) killed him with Force lightning, but it was Chewie's powerful cry of loss that had everyone reaching for the napkins as he learned that Leia had died.  This has been a hard trilogy for Chewie, but like the Millennium Falcon, he's a survivor.

C-3PO -- Anthony Daniels, the only actor to appear in all nine Skywalker Saga films, delivers another solid and funny performance as everyone's favorite chatty protocol droid.  And in another heartstring-pulling moment, Threepio sacrifices his memory so that his fellow Resistance members can receive a Sith message forbidden to his programming.  Thankfully, his best friend and droid life partner R2-D2 is able to reload most of his memories.

R2-D2 -- Once again, Jimmy "Bannakaffalatta" Vee reprises Artoo, who gets to be the only one to actually watch Leia die in her final attempt to reach Ben.  In addition to restoring most of Threepio's memory, Artoo fills in for BB-8 in Poe's X-wing for the final assault.

BB-8 -- Surprisingly, BB-8 doesn't get to do all that much this time out.  After Rey accidentally drops a tree on him, he's primarily used to introduce D-O to the others.  He does, however, get to share the final scene with Rey on Tattooine.

ZORRI BLISS -- Keri Russell, one of J.J. Abrams' go-to actresses, plays new character Zorri Bliss, who looks and feels like someone who would be right at home on The Mandalorian.  Some of us wondered if Zorri was going to be revealed as Rey's mom, but instead, she turns out to be Poe's old spice runner girlfriend.  She was cool though, and I wouldn't say no if she landed her own Disney+ spinoff TV series.

JANNAH/TZ-1719 -- Naomi Ackie plays another new character, Jannah, who turns out to be a former stormtrooper like Finn.  She gets partnered up with Finn, primarily because Rey is off doing Jedi stuff and Poe is off doing Resistance stuff, but the two have a fun chemistry.  We don't get to learn that much about her, unfortunately, but Lando makes a kind gesture to help her do just that, so...Disney+ series?

BABU FRIK -- Baby Yoda's new competition for Cutest Star Wars Character Ever is Babu Frik, the tiny droidsmith who operates on C-3PO.  Voiced by Shirley Henderson, who played Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films (I know, right?), Babu Frik steals every Frikkin' scene he's in, even in the Battle of Exegol, where he suddenly turns up in Zorri Bliss' cockpit for no damn reason whatsoever.

D-O -- Voiced by J.J. Abrams himself, D-O is introduced as BB-8's new sidekick.  He doesn't do a whole lot apart from react to things, but he gets some nice scenes such as when Rey fixes his squeaky wheel.

GENERAL ARMITAGE HUX -- Finally, someone puts Domhnall Gleeson's Hux down once and for all.  The weaselly First Order general finally flips on the First Order, not because he's suddenly decided to become a good guy, but simply because he doesn't want Kylo Ren in charge.

ALLEGIANT GENERAL PRYDE -- Richard E. Grant is the guy we have to thank for taking Hux off the board.  As General Pryde, he's essentially a considerably more competent version of Hux, a character needed because Hux had become such a joke by this point.  A shame Richard E. Grant didn't have more screen time, he's a great actor.

ROSE TICO -- After being such a key character in The Last Jedi, Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico almost completely vanishes into the void here and it's a damn shame.  The Skywalker Saga's sole character of Asian descent is reduced to Resistance administrative support, showing up briefly here and there as Leia and other Resistance base characters react to things.  I knew the toxic Star Wars fans hated Rose, but I didn't think Abrams and Terrio did as well.

MAZ KANATA -- Lupita Nyong'o only had a quick cameo as Maz in The Last Jedi, but she's gets a little more to do here, as she explains Leia's actions and mourns for her upon her death.  She gets a very welcome scene, however, at the end celebration where she gives Chewbacca Han's old medal, a callback to the final scene of the original Star Wars film in which Luke and Han received medals and Chewbacca didn't for some inexplicable reason.

HAN SOLO CAMEO -- Speaking of Han, Harrison Ford makes a surprising appearance as the film's best cameo.  Presented as Kylo's "memory" of Han, Ford gets to urge Kylo Ren to finally do the right thing and come back to the light side.  There's a terrific nod to Han's death scene in The Force Awakens, where Kylo Ren recreates his line about knowing what he has to do but not being sure sure if he has the strength, while Han touches his face just as he did when he died.  This scene makes Han's death a little more meaningful, knowing that eventually, Han's son makes the right choice.

WEDGE ANTILLES CAMEO -- Denis Lawson reprises Wedge for a quick cameo after destroying the Supreme Star Destroyer.  People might confuse him for Anthony Daniels.

WICKET WIDGET WARRICK CAMEO -- Warwick Davis turns up in a quick moment on Endor at the film's end with his son Harrison Davis as Pommet Warrick.

JOHN WILLIAMS CAMEO -- The legendary Star Wars composer turns up as a Kijimi bartender named Oma Tres, an anagram of O Master.

VOCAL CAMEOS -- During the climatic showdown on Exegol, Star Wars fans will have lots of fun identifying the voices of Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke, James Earl Jones as Darth Vader, Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, Olivia d'Abo as Luminara Unduli, Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura, Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Ewan McGregor and Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Frank Oz as Yoda, Angelique Perrin as Adi Gallia, Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus, and Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn.

All in all, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the conclusion we needed to the Skywalker Saga.  It's not going to please everyone, because Star Wars fans now exist in three different generations with their own preferred trilogy and their own ideas of how Star Wars ought to be.  What the film does, well enough in my opinion, is bring a story that began in 1977 to a close -- the story of how George Lucas' sci-fi adventure film defined one generation and created an enduring legacy for the others that followed.  It took 42 years to tell, but was definitely worth it.

And for those who may be wondering, here's my personal ranking of the Star Wars films:

1. Star Wars (1977)
2. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
4. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
5. Return of the Jedi (1983)
6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
7. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
8. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
9. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
10. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
11. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Final STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Trailer Heralds the End of the Skywalker Saga

One last look...at our friends.

During last night's ESPN broadcast of Monday Night Football , Disney unveiled the final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the final episode in the nine-part Skywalker Saga.

The two-minute, 20-second trailer opens with Rey (Daisy Ridley) on a forest planet that looks a lot like the planet Endor from Return of the Jedi.  Rey drops a helmet, possibly one left behind by Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher), and charges on after activating her lightsaber.

We then hear a voiceover from Finn (John Boyega), who says, "It’s an instinct.  A feeling.  The Force brought us together."

The scene transitions to Rey landing in the ruins of what might be the second Death Star, now sunken partially into the sea.

As we cut to a gathering of the rebuilt Resistance, we hear another voiceover, this time by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), who remarks, "We’re not alone.  Good people will fight if we lead them."

We cut to Rey, now standing on top of what may be a chunk of Death Star in a raging sea.  "People keep telling me they know me," she says in a voiceover.  "No one does."

"But I do," says Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in a voiceover, as we see him emerge into view on the chunk of Death Star without his masked helmet and brandishing his cross-hilt lightsaber.

Next, we glimpse a large iceberg in space as a swarm of TIE fighters approaches.  It's hinted that Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) has been hiding out here.  We see an empty throne, then hear his sinister voice say in a voiceover, "Long have I waited.  And now, your coming together is your undoing."

We see an old Imperial Star Destroyer emerge from the ice, followed by the Millennium Falcon swooping down to lead a huge, ragtag fleet of Resistance ships into battle.  Inside the Falcon's cockpit, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and Rey are at the controls, with Finn and Poe sitting down behind them as C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) looks on.

We cut to a fleeting glimpse of Rey and Kylo Ren dueling with their lightsabers on the Death Star chunk, followed by what appears to be an unfinished X-wing fighter comprised of leftover parts.

The scene shifts to C-3PO, who is being operated on by a tiny alien technician named Babu Frik.  Poe, Rey, Finn, and new character Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell) look on, with Poe asking, "What, uh...What are you doing there, Threepio?"

Threepio replies in a sad, heartmoving tone, "Taking one last look, sir...at my friends."

As a powerful, uplifting version of the Star Wars theme begins to play, we see glimpses of Poe, Finn and Chewie blasting their way through a corridor full of First Order Stormtroopers, followed by a shot of Leia hugging Rey.

We hear a voiceover from Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) say, "Confronting fear is the destiny of the Jedi.  Your destiny."

Next, we see Finn, Poe, C-3PO and BB-8 rocketing through a canyon on some sort of flying sled, followed by Chewie in the Falcon cockpit with Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), and Finn and new character Jannah (Naomi Ackie) riding tusked alien horses called Orbaks on the surface of a Star Destroyer (!) as BB-8 rolls along beside them.

More fleeting glimpses tease Rey and Kylo Ren in the ruins of Palpatine's throne room on the second Death Star, Rey and Kylo swinging their lightsabers in unison through an unknown figure/statue that shatters, Finn and the other Orbak riders looking up at the fleet of Imperial Star Destroyers around them, and Rey staring up at what is presumably the restored Palpatine on his throne.

As we see a final image of Rey with her lightsaber, we hear Luke's voice say, "The Force will be with you," which is finished by Leia's voice saying, "Always."

If you'd like to check out the trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official Star Wars account on YouTube...




Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters on December 19, 2019.

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER D23 Special Look Teases Sith Lord Rey

Your Skywalker Saga journey nears its end.

Disney has released the special look footage of the upcoming film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which debuted this past weekend at the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, California.

After some brief highlight clips from the original Star Wars trilogy, the prequel trilogy and The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, the new footage begins around the 1:12 mark.

We see Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) come across a crowded alien village, followed by a quick glimpse of General Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher).

Next, we glimpse a group of remaining Rebel fighters and a large fleet of Star Destroyers above a planet having a thunderstorm.  Finn and new Resistance ally character Jannah (Naomi Ackie) stare at them from inside a ship.

C-3PO raises up, now sporting red eyes, which is followed by something offscreen firing a destructive energy weapon at a planet below.

In a forest, Rey seems upset about something and hurls her lightsaber, which spins around and cuts a nearby tree in half before it returns to her hand.

As we see Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) leaving his TIE silencer on Planet Thunderstorm and activating his lightsaber, we hear the voice of Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) begin saying "Your journey..."

We cut to Kylo Ren and Rey having another lightsaber fight (their last?) aboard some sort of freighter in the middle of a raging ocean, while Palpatine finishes saying, "...nears its end."

Finally, we hear of familiar breathing of Darth Vader and see Rey in a black hooded cloak and costume, looking very much like a Sith Lord.  She holds a two-pronged lightsaber with red energy blades, which she snaps into a dual-edged lightsaber similar to Darth Maul's from Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace.  

Has Rey succumbed to the Dark Side?  Is Palpatine's spirit possessing her body?  Or is this just some vision of what might happen if Rey isn't careful?

You can check out the D23 special look footage below, thanks to the official Star Wars account on YouTube...




Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 20, 2019.

Ewan McGregor in Talks to Reprise Obi-Wan Kenobi for Disney+ Series

In these negotiations, Ewan McGregor obviously has the high ground.

Deadline is confirming reports that actor Ewan McGregor is in talks to reprise his Star Wars character Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi in a new, untitled TV series for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service.  This will be the third live-action Star Wars series on Disney+, after The Mandalorian and a still-untitled series starring Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk, reprising their Rogue One: A Star Wars Story characters Cassian Andor and K-2SO.

According to the article, plans for a Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff film changed into the current plan for a big-budget TV series, similar to how the planned Boba Fett spinoff film turned into the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.  The original film plan was to release Kenobi: A Star Wars Story as part of the anthology film series that included Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story.  Stephen Daldry was slated to direct, and according to TMZ, the film reportedly would have taken place a few years after the fall of the Republic shown in Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith, with marauding Tusken Raiders and an evil warlord bringing Obi-Wan out of hiding to protect Luke Skywalker and some farmers on the planet Tatooine.

McGregor, 48, is a Scottish actor who previously played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the films Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith.  He'll be playing the villain Black Mask in the upcoming DC Extended Universe film Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), while his other films include Trainspotting, T2 Trainspotting, Doctor Sleep, Beauty and the Beast (2017), Christopher Robin, Mortdecai, Angels & Demons, Robots, Big Fish, Black Hawk Down, Moulin Rouge!, Emma, and Shallow Grave.  His television appearances include episodes of Fargo, ER, and Tales from the Crypt.

McGregor is the second actor to portray Obi-Wan Kenobi, after Sir Alec Guinness in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.  The character also appeared in the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), and Star Wars Rebels (voiced by Stephen Stanton).

GAME OF THRONES Leads 2019 Emmy Nominations with Record of 32

The Game is over, but the long night of the Emmy Awards remains.

Deadline has details on the final season of HBO's Game of Thrones setting a new record total of 32 nominations for the 2019 Emmy Awards, an increase of 10 from last year, including acting nominations for Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Alfie Allen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Gwendoline Christie, and Carice van Houten.

FX's American Horror Story: Apocalypse earned 5 nominations, while CBS All Access' Star Trek: Discovery beamed up 4 for its second season.  Two Amazon Prime Video series, Good Omens and The Man in the High Castle, followed with 3 each.

Other recognized geek-favorite shows include Netflix's The Umbrella Academy and Black Mirror, FX's What We Do in the Shadows, Disney XD's Star Wars Resistance, Fox's The Simpsons and The Orville, and CBS All Access' The Twilight Zone.

You can read the full list of nominations HERE, but this is the breakdown for the shows listed above...

GAME OF THRONES (32 Nominations)

Outstanding Drama Series

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series -- Kit Harington as Jon Snow

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series -- Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series -- Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series -- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jamie Lannister

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series -- Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series -- Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series -- Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series -- Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series -- Maisie Williams as Arya Stark

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series -- Carice van Houten as Melisandre -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series -- David Benioff & D.B. Weiss -- "The Iron Throne"

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series -- David Nutter -- "The Last of the Starks"

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series -- Miguel Sapochnik -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series -- David Benioff & D.B. Weiss -- "The Iron Throne"

Outstanding Main Title Design

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes -- "The Bells"

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "The Bells"
Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour) -- "The Iron Throne"

Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) -- "The Bells"

Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series -- "The Iron Throne"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series -- "Winterfell"

Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) -- Ramin Djawadi -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary Series Or Special

(Original Dramatic Score) -- Hannah Peel -- "Game of Thrones: The Last Watch"

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or a Special -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series -- "The Long Night"

Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie

Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within A Scripted

Program -- "Fight For The Living: Beyond The Wall Virtual Reality Experience"

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: APOCALYPSE (5 Nominations)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series -- Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon -- "Return to Murder House"
Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes -- "Forbidden Fruit"
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series -- "Forbidden Fruit"

Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) -- "Forbidden Fruit"

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special -- "Apocalypse Then"

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY (4 Nominations)

Outstanding Main Title Design

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2"

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or a Special -- "If Memory Serves"

GOOD OMENS (3 Nominations)

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes -- "Hard Times"

Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special

(Original Dramatic Score) -- David Arnold -- "In the Beginning"

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music -- David Arnold

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE (3 Nominations)

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour) -- "Jahr Null"

Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) -- "Now More Than Ever, We Care About You"

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "Jahr Null"

BLACK MIRROR (2 Nominations)

Outstanding Television Movie -- "Bandersnatch"

Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within A Scripted

Program -- "Bandersnatch"

THE SIMPSONS (2 Nominations)

Outstanding Animated Program -- "Mad About the Toy"

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance -- "From Russia Without Love" -- Hank Azaria as Moe Syzslak, Carl Carlson, Duffman, and Kirk Van Houten

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY (2 Nominations)

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "The White Violin"

Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Program (One

Hour Or More) -- "We Only See Each Other At Weddings And Funerals"

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2 Nominations)

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) -- "Manhattan Night Club"

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And

Animation -- "Werewolf Feud"

CASTLE ROCK (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music -- Thomas Newman

GOTHAM (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour) -- "Legend of the Dark Knight: I Am Bane"

THE ORVILLE (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Special Visual Effects -- "Identity Part II"

STAR WARS RESISTANCE (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Children's Program

TEEN TITANS GO! (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Short-Form Animated Program -- "Nostalgia Is Not a Substitute for an Actual Story"

THE TICK (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Comedy Series Or Variety Program

THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1 Nomination)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series -- Kumail Nanjiani as Samir Wassan -- "The Comedian"

The 71sr Primetime Emmy Awards is scheduled to air Sunday, September 22nd on FOX.

First STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Trailer Teases Lando & Emperor Palpatine

Begun the Episode IX hype machine has.

At the Lucasfilm expo Star Wars Celebration in Chicago's McCormick Place, Disney's Lucasfilm revealed the full title and first teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode IX, now officially known as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The two-minute teaser opens on the planet Jakku, not seen since Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2005.  We're reintroduced to Rey, (Daisy Ridley), who is breathing heavy on the desert planet.

We hear a voiceover from Rey's Jedi mentor, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who says, "We've passed on all we know.  A thousand generations live in you now...but this is your fight."

Rey readies her lightsaber and we hear the the sounds of Kylo Ren's TIE silencer in the distance.  Rey takes off running as the ship quickly approaches, and she does a huge backflip leap as it reaches her, presumably to attack it from the top.

Next, we see Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), the Supreme Leader of the First Order, cutting down someone with his lightsaber in a crimson forest, followed by someone with a very hairy hand welding Kylo Ren's shattered helmet back together.

Everyone's favorite bromance, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega) are shown somewhere on Jakku, then we see BB-8 alongside an ever smaller, one-wheeled droid.  

This is followed by a quick scene of Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) laughing while piloting the Millennium Falcon through hyperspace alongside Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo).

We glimpse Poe, Finn and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) taking fire while on Jakku, followed by General Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher) gently caressing the medal she gave to Han Solo at the end of the original Star Wars film.  Leia and Rey also share another tearful hug.

"We'll always be with you," Luke continues in a voiceover as we see Rey and the others staring out at the crashed ruins of what appears to be the second Death Star from Return of the Jedi, hinting that they may be on the forest moon of Endor.  "No one's ever really gone."

Suddenly, the screen goes back and we hear the familiar cackling laughter of Emperor Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), whom we thought was killed at the end of Return of the Jedi.  Ruh-roh!

If you'd like to check out the teaser trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official Star Wars account on YouTube...



Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 20, 2019.

Disney+ Announces Launch Date, Confirms New Marvel & Star Wars Series

Get ready to increase your streaming service budget.

Deadline reports that Disney has finally revealed the major details regarding its upcoming digital streaming service, Disney+.  During yesterday's presentation at Disney's Investors Day, the company released the full Disney+ programming slate, including premiere dates and estimates which you can read in full HERE.

Disney+ will launch in the U.S. on November 12, 2019 for $6.99 per month, along with an annual option of $70 that breaks down to $5.83 per month.  The service will be available on a wide range of mobile and connected devices, including gaming consoles, streaming media players, and smart TVs.

The streaming service will offer new original films, TV series and specials, along with dozens of library titles from TV and movies.  Disney+ will include content from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel Studios, National Geographic, and The Simpsons.

If you're a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Star Wars, here's what's being released over the first two years:

LIVE ACTION SERIES

The Mandalorian

The first ever live-action Star Wars series, is written and executive-produced by Emmy®-nominated producer and actor Jon Favreau, with Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) directing the first episode.  The highly anticipated series features an all-star cast including Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Omid Abtahi, Werner Herzog and Nick Nolte.  Set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order, the series follows a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic. Timing: Available at launch

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
Anthony Mackie will return as The Falcon and Sebastian Stan will reprise his role as the Winter Soldier in the new Marvel Studios series. Timing: Year One

Loki
Tom Hiddleston will reprise his role as Loki in the new Marvel Studios series. Timing: Year Two

Untitled Cassian Andor Series
Diego Luna will reprise his role of rebel spy Cassian Andor in this series set during the formative years of the Rebellion prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The rousing spy thriller will explore tales filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire. Alan Tudyk will also reprise his role as K-2SO with Stephen Schiff (The Americans) as showrunner and executive producer. Timing: Year Two

WandaVision
Elizabeth Olsen will return as Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, and Paul Bettany will reprise his role as The Vision in the new Marvel Studios series. Timing: Year Two

ANIMATED SERIES & SHORTS

Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The Emmy® award-winning animated series will be returning with twelve all-new episodes exclusively on Disney+. This will mark the return of classic characters Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, as well as fan-favorites Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex. Timing: Year One

Marvel’s What If…?
Marvel Studios’ first animated series, taking inspiration from the comic books of the same name. Each episode will explore a pivotal moment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turn it on its head, leading the audience into uncharted territory. Timing: Year One

DOCUMENTARY, UNSCRIPTED SERIES & LIVE SPECIALS

Marvel’s 616
An anthological documentary series from Marvel New Media in partnership with Supper Club that explores the intersection between Marvel’s rich legacy of stories, characters and creators and the world outside your window. Each documentary will dive into the rich historical, cultural and societal context that has become inseparable from stories of the Marvel Universe. Timing: Year One

RECENT RELEASES

Disney+ will serve as the exclusive streaming home of Walt Disney Studios films beginning in 2019 including:

Captain Marvel
Avengers: Endgame
Star Wars: Episode IX

LIBRARY HIGHLIGHTS

FILMS

Iron Man
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (animated series)
Thor: The Dark World

TELEVISION SERIES

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man
Star Wars Rebels
Star Wars: The Clone Wars