On This Day: July 31, 2001

By Ciaran Duggan,

Del Rey's second novel of the Edge of Victory duology, written by Greg Keyes, was published on this day in 2001.

The book is set in the era of New Republic and Jedi Order, headed by Luke Skywalker, and follows several different stories of characters such as Anakin Solo, Leia Organa Solo and Han.

Read more...

On This Day: July 30, 2015

By Ciaran Duggan,

The annual Star Wars Rebels reference book was published by Egmont UK Ltd on this day back in 2015.

Star Wars Rebels Annual 2016 is a reference book in the Star Wars Rebels series and takes readers on a journey with Ezra, Hera, Kanan, Zeb, Sabine and Chopper.

Read more...

The IPC Podcast LIVE #155 | War For The Planet Of The Apes

On this episode, Zac and Ben are joined by Zac's sister Gabriella to continue the "Apes" arc by discussing War For The Planet Of The Apes. They break down the epic third act of Caesar's story, exploring the parallels between it and the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, it's biblical themes, the unexpected twists, and more. Plus, listen as they try to find better titles for the new Apes films, and later review Chick-Fil-A's newest sandwich for #BBQWatch. All that and much more!

Read more...

On This Day: July 29, 2015

By Ciaran Duggan,

The seventh comic book issue of Marvel's Star Wars, written by Jason Aaron, was published on this day back in 2015.

Star Wars 7: From the Journals of Old Ben Kenobi: The Last of His Breed is a one-off adventure story featuring Obi-Wan Kenobi during his exile on Tatooine, as excerpted from his journal that was discovered by Luke Skywalker.

It is set 11 years before Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope and is classed as a part of the new official canon.

Read more...

Emilia Clarke, Ron Howard Share New Photos & Video From The 'Han Solo' Set

By: Benjamin Hart

Ron Howard is at it again with the Han Solo set teases, and this time he has help! The director of the upcoming film has been surprisingly open on social media recently, sharing various glimpses at the production.

Read more...

On This Day: July 28, 2013

By Ciaran Duggan,

The Star Wars fan convention, Star Wars: Celebration Europe II, came to an end on this day back in 2013. 

The convention served as a followup to Celebration Europe, the first European official Star Wars convention, which was held in London in July 2007.

Read more...

The SWU Podcast LIVE | 28/07/17

On this episode, Chris, Ben, and Dominic break down the latest batch of leaked promotional images from Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  They delve into the reveals at San Diego Comic Con, focusing on Hasbro and publishing.  Then, Dominic chats with Steve and Joe from Hasbro about the behind the scenes of making Star Wars action figures.  Plus, the Thrawn novel is getting a comics adaptation, John Powell is the composer for the Han Solo movie, and some Galaxy's Edge updates.  All this and much more!

Right click here and select save link as to Download MP3.  
Support The SWU on Patreon
Buy an SWU T-shirt
Website:  www.starwarsunderworld.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/swunderworld
Twitter: @TheSWU
Subscribe and Review on iTunes
Email: swunderworld@gmail.com
Voicemail: 1-410-989-1138
Listen live Thursdays at 9pm EST on Channel 1138

Read more...

New Images 'The Last Jedi' Characters Surface

By: Benjamin Hart

The closer we get to the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the more information and images continue to leak out. Today, a brand new batch of photos appeared online that offer some intriguing new looks at the film.

The photos surfaced on Imgur and show a collection of behind the scenes images of characters from The Last Jedi, including Rey(Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren(Adam Driver), Luke Skywalker(Mark Hamill), and Finn(John Boyega) all in new costumes. We also get new shots of of Captain Phasma(Gwendoline Christie) with a new weapon, the elite Praetorian Guards, and a headshot of Supreme Leader Snoke(Andy Serkis), offering our best look yet at the mysterious character. Of course, some of these images could be considered spoilers, so if you don't want to know anything about The Last Jedi, stop reading now. This is your official SPOILER alert.

Read more...

On This Day: July 27, 1963

By Ciaran Duggan,

Donnie Yen, who played Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, was born on this day back in 1963.

The Hong Kong action star appeared in the stand-alone film as one of the principal hero characters alongside Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whittaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Jiang Wen, Riz Ahmed and Alan Tudyk.

Read more...

New Aerial Photos Of Disney's 'Galaxy's Edge' Emerge

By: Benjamin Hart

Earlier this month at D23 we were treated to a series of big announcements, some of which pertained to the upcoming Star Wars themed land "Galaxy's Edge" at Disney Parks. Construction has been in full swing for many months now, and will continue until both versions of the attraction at Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in Anaheim are ready to be opened.

Read more...

BREAKING: John Powell To Score The Han Solo Film

By: Benjamin Hart

The untitled Han Solo has been the center of a ton of news recently, much of which has had to do with Ron Howard taking over directing duties on the project. Today we have been treated to a piece of breaking news that has to do with the music of the film!

Read more...

Report: A New Star Wars Store Is Coming To Disney Springs In Orlando

By: Benjamin Hart

Fans in the market for exclusive Star Wars merchandise from Disney theme Parks will find this announcement exciting. According to a report by WDW Magic, a Star Wars retail store is on its way to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Read more...

On This Day: July 26, 2013

By Ciaran Duggan,

The first day of Star Wars: Celebration Europe II commenced in Essen, Germany, four years ago today. 

The Star Wars fan convention was held from July 26 to July 28 and served as a follow up to Celebration Europe, the first European official Star Wars convention (which was held in London in July 2007).

More than 20,000 Star Wars fans were in attendance to celebrate the first Disney-led Celebration, which was hosted by Warwick Davis. The English actor portrayed the Ewok Wicket in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi.

The show floor at Star Wars: Celebration Europe II

Read more...

On This Day: July, 25, 1969

By Ciaran Duggan,

James Arnold Taylor, the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, was born on this day in 1969.

The 48-year-old voice actor is the only actor (voice or otherwise) to have portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi more than four times in various Star Wars media.

He has even been considered an official "audio double" for Ewan McGregor, who played the Jedi Master in the Prequel Trilogy.

James Arnold Taylor voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas' Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Read more...

Hot Toys Reveals New Collection Of Star Wars Figures At SDCC

By: Benjamin Hart

Last week it was hard to wrap our minds around all of the amazing news coming out of San Diego Comic Con. If you're a Star Wars fan, and especially a Star Wars collector, you were no doubt overjoyed by many of the big reveals that happened at the convention.

One merchandisers that converged on San Diego was Hot Toys, who is well know for their incredibly detailed display pieces, included scale figures. At this year's SDCC Hot Toys brought to bear a collection of their new products, unveiling a collection of previously unseen 1:6 scale figures. Included were some stunning Star Wars pieces from the Prequel, Original, and Sequel Trilogy. You can check them all out below with photos provided by Hot Toys and Rebelscum.

Read more...

On This Day: July 24, 2012

By Ciaran Duggan,

Star Wars Insider released their 135th issue which celebrated 30 years of Star Wars video games from The Empire Strikes Back to The Old Republic.

The article Game On! was written by Tony Rowe and detailed video games from The Empires Strikes Back arcade game all the way to The Old Republic MMORPG.

Read more...

On This Day: July 23, 1961

By Ciaran Duggan,

Woody Harrelson, who set to star as Beckett in the upcoming untitled Han Solo film, was born on this day in 1961.

The American actor has described his role in the film as a "mentor to Han Solo" and "a bit of a criminal."

Read more...

The IPC Podcast LIVE #154 | Spider-Man: Homecoming

On this episode, Ben and Zac take a break from "Apes" to break down the latest installment in the Marvel saga, Spider-Man: Homecoming. After a brief non-spoiler discussion off the top, the guys dive deep into the thrills and twists of the web-slinger's latest big screen outing. They reveal their favorite and least favorite characters, discussing everyone from Tom Holland's Peter Parker, to Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes. They also touch on MCU timeline confusion, the "MJ" reveal, and what the future holds for this new Spider-Man. Listen for all that and much, much more!

Read more...

Huge Slate Of Star Wars Books & Comics Revealed SDCC

By: Benjamin Hart

Despite not having a big panel for Star Wars: The Last Jedi at this year's San Diego Comic Con, that hasn't stopped a ton of Star Wars news from pouring out of the convention. Yesterday we were treated to the Star Wars publishing panel and the Hasbro panel, both of which featured a number of intriguing announcements.

Read more...

Dave Filoni Shares Another "Untold" Scene From 'Star Wars Rebels'

By: Benjamin Hart

While everyone is excited about the future of Star Wars on the big screen, lest we forget there's plenty to be excited about when it comes to Star Wars on the small screen. Star Wars Rebels returns this Fall with its final season, and executive producer Dave Filoni is doing his best to make the wait more interesting.

Read more...

On This Day: July 22, 1938

By Ciaran Duggan,

Terence Stamp, who plays Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, was born on this day in 1938.

The British actor is known for his work in a number of iconic films such as Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), Wall Street (1987), The Real McCoy (1993) and The Haunted Mansion (2003).

Read more...

'The Last Jedi' Novelization To Be Written By Jason Fry

By: Dominic Jones

Lucasfilm announced today that veteran Star Wars author, Jason Fry will be writing the novelization of the upcoming film Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The announcement was made as part of the Lucasfilm Publishing panel at San Diego Comic Con today by creative director of Lucasfilm publishing Michael Siglain. Fry, whose previous Star Wars credits include the Servants of the Empire series, will adapt the film based on the script by writer/director Rian Johnson. The book is slated to hit shelves on December 15th (same day as the film hits theaters).

Read more...

SDCC 2017: Hasbro Panel Reveals & Recap

By Ciaran Duggan and Dominic Jones

Hasbro have announced a new range of  Star Wars toys that are set to be released in the not too distant future, including black series figures of General Organa and Maz Kanata, and Rey's Force FX lightsaber.  SWU Head Writer Dominic Jones was in attendance and here's what he saw!

In addition, a vintage collection of super articulated 3.75" figures will be released in Spring 2018. this will include figures of classic characters as well as new ones from new projects such as a Rey, Kylo, Dr Aphra, Jyn, Cassian, a Death Trooper and First Order stormtrooper.

Read more...

SDCC 2017 Star Wars Publishing Panel Recap

By: Benjamin Hart

The Star Wars publishing panel just happened at San Diego Comic Con and we were treated to a number of exciting announcements and intriguing new information. The upcoming 'Thrawn' comic adaption was one of the big announcements at the panel, but that wasn't everything. SWU head writer Dominic Jones was among the attendees of the panel and live-tweeted everything he saw and heard. Check out his full report:

Read more...

BREAKING: Marvel To Adapt 'Thrawn' Novel Into Comic Book Mini-Series

By: Benjamin Hart

Just announced at the Star Wars publishing panel as San Diego Comic Con: Marvel comics will finally be bringing the infamous Grand Admiral Thrawn to Star Wars canon comics!

Read more...

On This Day: July 21, 1972

By Ciaran Duggan,

Gary Whitta, who was the screenwriter for the first draft of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, was born on this day in 1972.

The British screenwriter made a cameo appearance in the film and was also responsible for coining the film's title. 

Read more...

The SWU Podcast LIVE | 21/07/17

On this episode, Chris, Ben are joined by Zac from IPC to talk San Diego Comic Con, D23, new Han Solo set photos, and The Last Jedi news. Dominic also calls in to give a report from the floor of SDCC. Listen to hear the guys break down the Galaxy's Edge reveal and The Last Jedi behind the scenes reel.  All this and much more!

Read more...

Pablo Hidalgo Offers New Details On The Porgs In 'The Last Jedi'

By: Benjamin Hart

While you were watching the new behind the scenes reel for Star Wars: The Last Jedi that was unveiled at D23, you may have noticed a certain cute and cuddly creature mixed in amongst a plethora of amazing visuals. The bird-like creatures are actually called "Porgs" and they will apparently have a part to play in The Last Jedi.

Read more...

Hasbro Reveals New Sequel Trilogy Figures At SDCC

By: Benjamin Hart

San Diego Comic Con is now in full swing, and one of the bigger draws to the convention is collecting. For Star Wars fans especially, the prospect of getting a glimpse at the next wave of action figures is always exciting. As always, Hasbro had a big showing this year, both during preview night on the showfloor, as well as the annual Hasbro breakfast. While many of the toys on display were previously revealed, some are brand new. Check out our rundown of them below!

Read more...

Lucasfilm Offers New Insight Into 'The Last Jedi' Tie-In Books

By: Dominic Jones

In the lead up to a new Star Wars film, part of the fun is to read the tie-in books and comics in search of clues about the new film and The Last Jedi will be no different.  Today, Lucasfilm and Disney executives spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the Journey to The Last Jedi publishing wave coming later this year.  The focus is mainly on the two Young Adult novels, The Legend of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu and Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray (Lost Stars, Bloodline), as well as the adult novel Star Wars: Phasma by Deliah S. Dawson.

Read more...

Radio Flyer Introduces Drivable Luke's Landspeeder At SDCC

By: Benjamin Hart

Last night was preview night at San Diego Comic Con and we were treated to looks at lots of amazing new Star Wars collectibles. One of the companies that were there showing off their products was Radio Flyer, who revealed one of the most impressive toys of the night.

Read more...

On This Day: July 20, 2010

By Ciaran Duggan,

The Del Rey novel Star Wars: The Old Republic - Fatal Alliance was published on this day seven years ago.

Sean William's book was based on the video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, which would be released a year later. 

The eight main characters in the novel were based upon the eight character classes in the 2011 Old Republic video game.

Read more...

SDCC 2017: The Lucasfilm Pavilion & Other 'Star Wars' Displays (Updated!)

By: Dominic Jones

San Diego Comic Con kicked off today with the annual preview night where attendees can get their first look at the displays and exclusives available over the next four days.  While there will be no major preview panel for Star Wars: The Last Jedi (there was behind the scenes reel released last weekend at the D23 Expo), there is still plenty for fans to enjoy on the convention floor.  I had a look around the floor today in search of some of the best Star Wars displays and here's what I found.

Read more...

'The Star Wars Show' Unveils Kylo Ren's TIE Fighter In 'The Last Jedi'

By: Benjamin Hart

As we've seen in the teaser trailer and the newly released behind the scenes reel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is going to introduce an assortment of new characters, vehicles, and creatures. One particular ship we've been hearing(and sometimes seeing) a lot about in recent leaks and rumors has finally been officially revealed.

Read more...

A Life-Size Lego Statue Of Luke Skywalker Is Coming To SDCC

By: Benjamin Hart

While Star Wars: The Last Jedi isn't slated to have a presence at San Diego Comic Con this weekend, the last Jedi himself, Luke Skywalker, will be making an appearance... He just has to be built first.

Read more...

On This Day: July 19, 2011

By Ciaran Duggan,

Timothy Zahn's novel Star Wars: Choices of One was first published on this day back on July 19, 2011. 

The book is set before the events in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and follows the journey of Luke Skywalker following the end of A New Hope.

The iconic Legends character Mara Jade - the Emperor's Hand - makes an appearance in the novel, along with a young Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa.

Read more...

Video: Interviews With The Cast Of 'The Last Jedi' At D23

By: Benjamin Hart

Last week Disney's D23 Expo took place in Anaheim and it included an assortment of amazing events and reveals. One of the most exciting things to happen at the convention was the appearance of the cast and director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on stage, who were there to introduce a stunning behind the scenes reel from the film. Of course, while the group was there they participated in a number of interviews with various sources, including Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, Extra, Jimmy Kimmel, and more.

Read more...

Sideshow To Debut Life-Size K-2SO At SDCC

By: Benjamin Hart

One of the standout, fan favorite characters in last year's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was the reprogrammed Imperial enforcer Droid K-2SO, played by Alan Tudyk. Now, have you ever dreamed of having your very own Kaytoo to take home? The folks at Sideshow Collectibles are making that dream a reality.

Read more...

Ron Howard Shares A Look Inside The Millennium Falcon On The 'Han Solo' Set

By: Benjamin Hart

Ron Howard is quickly becoming one of the most open Star Wars directors in recent memory. Since taking over the director's chair for the untitled Han Solo film, Howard has used his presence on social media to share a plethora of teases from the set.

Read more...

Rian Johnson Talks Writing The Crawl For 'The Last Jedi'

By: Benjamin Hart

Arguably one of the most iconic aspects of the Star Wars films is the opening crawl. Each live action film(minus Rogue One) has included a crawl thus far, which has done the job of catching the audience up on what's been happening in that Galaxy far, far away. For the next film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it will be a be different considering this installment will begin right where it's predecessor, The Force Awakens, left off. That still doesn't halt fans curiosity of what the content of the crawl will be.

Read more...

Report: SDCC Exclusive Black Series 'The Last Jedi' Luke & Rey Figures Revealed

By: Benjamin Hart

Ever since we saw Luke Skywalker at the very end of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, fans have been begging the powers that be at Hasbro and Lucasfilm to make a new Luke action figure. Now with Star Wars: The Last Jedi coming to theaters in a matter of months, which will feature Luke in a much more substantial role, it appears we're now ready for a proper figure.

Read more...

On This Day: July 18, 2017

The canon reference title Star Wars: On the Front Lines, written by Daniel Wallace, has been published today.

The book, comprised of 128 pages, was originally slated for release in the fall of 2016 by publishing company becker&mayer.

However the book was yet to be completed by Wallace and it was decided to postpone the book's publication until the summer of 2017.

Read more...

Ron Howard Shares Photo Of Chewbacca On The 'Han Solo' Set

By: Benjamin Hart

While many of us have been hyped about The Last Jedi and everything that was revealed at D23 last week, production on the untitled Han Solo film has continued at Pinewood Studios in London. Director Ron Howard has been surprisingly open with fans online since taking on the job last month. He has posted numerous photos on his Twitter and Instagram, some of which have caused quite in the fan community.

Read more...

On This Day: July 17, 1992

By Ciaran Duggan,

Billie Lourd, who portrayed Kaydel Ko Coninix in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, was born on this day in 1992.

The 25-year-old American film actress is the daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, who portrayed Leia Organa in the original trilogy and Episodes VII and VIII.

Carrie's daughter is set to reprise her role as Kaydel in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.

Read more...

On This Day: July 16, 1945

By Ciaran Duggan,

Richard LeParmentier, who played Conan Antonio Motti in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, was born on this day in 1946.

The British actor portrayed the character later credited as "General Motti" in the first installment of George Lucas' Star Wars film franchise. 

General Motti was the Chief of the Imperial Navy who held the rank of admiral aboard the Death Star during the Galactic Civil War. 

The character was bold and arrogant enough to openly question the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, for his failure to discover the location of the Rebellion's secret base during a meeting on the Death Star.

Read more...

The IPC Podcast LIVE #153 | Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

In this episode Zac and Ben continue their journey through the Planet Of The Apes saga by taking a look back at "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes", in preparation for "War". They discuss the state of Earth in the film and what has transpired since "Dawn" ended. They break down Caesar's struggle for peace, Koba's thirst for vengeance, the Humans quest for survival, and what it means for this troubled world. They also touch on some recent news that reveals that fate of some of the Human characters. Later on, Zac gives a shoutout to a like BBQ Joint on #BBQWatch. All that and much more!

Read more...

A Star Wars-Themed Resort Is Coming To Walt Disney World

By: Benjamin Hart

Lots of amazing Star Wars news has been dropping today from the D23 Expo, and much of it has been related to the Disney Parks. Of course, the announcement of "Galaxy's Edge" was an exciting one, but that wasn't the only big thing Disney had up their sleeves.

Read more...

Disney's Star Wars Lands Officially Named "Galaxy's Edge"

By: Benjamin Hart

Earlier today at the D23 Expo, Disney finally gave some solid details on the Star Wars themed lands that are currently under construction at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.

Read more...