Your Morning Linc: Disney/Lucasfilm To Partner With EA, Mark Hamill At ROTJ Screening,

Well, now that I'm caught up on my reviews, I'm in a very Star Warsy mood...so let's start the blog off with:

1. Disney/Lucasfilm To Partner With EA

Following the recent shutdown of LucasArts, many fans thought we'd never see Star Wars on our consoles again. But Disney and Lucasfilm announced yesterday that they will be teaming up with Electronic Arts for a "multi-year, multi-title exclusive licensing agreement...for the creation of new high quality Star Wars games" that will span both genres and platforms, with Disney Interactive creating games for mobile and tablets.

Here's a quote from the release from EA Labels President Frank Gibeau:

"Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe," 

"Three of our top studios will fulfill that dream, crafting epic adventures for Star Wars fans. The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay."

According to the release, those studios will be DICE (Battlefield series) and Visceral (Dead Space series) which will team up with BioWare (Mass Effect series, Star Wars: The Old Republic). Now, of course, fanboys are hitting the internet hard blasting EA as the choice to continue the Star Wars franchise in the gaming world. But I wouldn't pay attention to them, since we haven't even seen a screenshot of one game yet. There is so much potential for new, exciting, and mind-blowing games. And while I hope we see the resurrection of Star Wars 1313 and Battlefront III, I look forward to more Star Wars on more platforms and in more ways than ever before!

2. Mark Hamill At Return of the Jedi Screening in LA

On May the 4th, fans at Entertainment Weekly's CapeTown festival in LA had the chance to talk with the returning Jedi himself, Mark Hamill. Here's a clip of him discussing the Sequel Trilogy and more.



You can read more about his appearance and thoughts on ROTJ, the OT, and the Sequels on the official Star Wars blog.

3. Synopsis for Kenobi by John Jackson Miller:

Need I say more?

The Republic has fallen.
Sith Lords rule the galaxy.
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has lost everything . . . 
Everything but hope.

Tatooine—a harsh desert world where farmers toil in the heat of two suns while trying to protect themselves and their loved ones from the marauding Tusken Raiders. A backwater planet on the edge of civilized space. And an unlikely place to find a Jedi Master in hiding, or an orphaned infant boy on whose tiny shoulders rests the future of a galaxy.

Known to locals only as “Ben,” the bearded and robed offworlder is an enigmatic stranger who keeps to himself, shares nothing of his past, and goes to great pains to remain an outsider. But as tensions escalate between the farmers and a tribe of Sand People led by a ruthless war chief, Ben finds himself drawn into the fight, endangering the very mission that brought him to Tatooine.

Ben—Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, hero of the Clone Wars, traitor to the Empire, and protector of the galaxy’s last hope—can no more turn his back on evil than he can reject his Jedi training. And when blood is unjustly spilled, innocent lives threatened, and a ruthless opponent unmasked, Ben has no choice but to call on the wisdom of the Jedi—and the formidable power of the Force—in his never-ending fight for justice.


Wow, I really can't wait to see what's in store on the video game, movie, and print fronts! Despite all the shake-ups, this is still an immensely exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. And I will be chronicling all of it for you, right here at the Missing Linc!

MTFBWY,

- Joe

Your Morning Linc: Star Wars Reclamation, Boba Fett Mythos, Hunger Games Trailer, House of Cards Season 2

Good morning, everyone. I have to begin by remembering the attack in Boston yesterday, the people who lost their lives, and the many who are still injured. I was in high school in NYC on September 11, 2001, and I can remember the fear and anxiety as if it were yesterday. But I also remember the brave men and women who did everything they could to help, and that's exactly what was on display yesterday. It takes one person to do something bad, but the response are hundreds and hundreds of people banding together to do good. From what I know of the running world, it is a community just like any fandom. There is solidarity and support in these types of communities, and that is what being a fan is all about: Embracing total strangers because they share a similar interest. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Boston today and always.

So in the spirit of fandom as a means of healing, let's take a look at some of what the web has to offer:

1. Star Wars Reclamation

Breaking news this week from TheForce.Net: We might have our first look at the story ideas for the new Star Wars animated series. Now, take this with an ocean's worth of salt, but a former Lucasfilm employee has leaked the first few pages detailing the plot and characters of what is being called "Star Wars: Reclamation". It will apparently take place before Episode VII, during a time where Imperial loyalists are causing trouble for the newly re-established Republic. The show will reportedly follow the adventures of Padawan Sky Bonteri, his master Evyn Aoka, and include a character called "The Shade" which sounds a lot like a prominent Jedi Master. Check out the screenshots here:

2. Boba Fett Mythos Figure is EPIC!

The Sideshow Collectibles Mythos series has produced some amazing pieces of art, including an exiled Obi-Wan Kenobi, a menacing Darth Maul, and a fearsome Darth Vader. The latest in this series is none other than the galaxy's best and deadliest bounty hunter, Boba Fett.

Warning: Sarlacc Choking Hazard

Fett, looking like a gunslinger out of the Wild West, stands ready with an impressive array of weapons and technology designed to pursue and capture anyone and anything in the galaxy. You can purchase the statue here for $324.99.

3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Sneak Peak!

First shown at this year's MTV Movie Awards, here is the first look at the second installment in the Hunger Games Trilogy: Catching Fire.

Catching Fire was my absolute favorite book of the series. It was dark, suspenseful, action-packed, and full of great characters. We witness the full extent of the Capital's control on the districts and the entire book gave a sense that no one, and nothing, is ever truly safe. We will see the true evil of President Snow, an amazing new arena for the Quarter Quell, and an ending so exhilarating that I held my breath as I raced through the pages.

Catching Fire is due out November 22, 2013.

4. Get Ready For More Fourth-Wall Breaking: House of Cards Season 2 To Start Filming in Two Weeks

According to a tweet by Constance Zimmer, who plays Janine Skorsky, the second season of the incredible Netflix drama "House of Cards" is set to begin shooting in two weeks. The revolutionary series, of which all 13 episodes were released at once by Netflix, follows Congressman Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) as he ruthlessly climbs his way to the top rungs of power in Washington, D.C. The entire cast, especially his wife Claire played by the stunning Robin Wright and reporter Zoe Barnes played by Kata Mara, deliver hour after hour of intense, bold, and intriguing episodes. No word yet if Netflix will release Season 2 all together as well, but I know if they do that I am blocking off that particular weekend!

5. Richard LeParmentier Has Passed Away

My thoughts are in Boston today but I wanted to note the passing of Richard LeParmentier, who played Admiral Motti in A New Hope. Mr. LeParmentier was 67 years old. We can credit him with showing us the proper way to be Force choked. A friend to the fans and a gifted actor, he will be missed. May the Force Be With You, Admiral.

Big Shiny Robot writer Bryan Young has written a very lovely piece about LeParmentier, whom he knew personally.

Please hug and kiss your friends and family today. And take solace in the fact that we are all bound together by our fandom, our faith, our friendships, and our love.

- Joe

Linc for Your Commute: Yoda Wins Star Wars Madness, Dark Horse's Future, Doctor Who News, and S.H.I.E.L.D

Good morning, one and all! It seems like Spring has finally sprung in the Big Apple. And there's plenty of buzz in the air about this morning's geek-related news.

1. Yoda Wins Star Wars Madness, Does Several Hundred Backflips in a Row

Size matters not....punk.

Everyone's favorite Jedi Master turned swamp-dweller is the winner of this year's first Star Wars Madness! He handily beat Darth Vader by a margin of 60%-40%, a whooping decades in the making. And so, for the next 365 days, His Greenness has been declared the most popular Star Wars character. Check out the full bracket and stats, as well as Vader's lament, over at StarWars.com

2. Dark Horse Comics Founder and Editor Talk "The Star Wars" and the Fate of the Franchise At Dark Horse

With the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney, many have been wondering whether or not future Star Wars comic titles will continue to be published by Dark Horse Comics, or return to their ancestral homeland of Marvel. Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson and editor Randy Stradley recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss that as well as the latest (and yet oldest) outing into the GFFA. In terms of future titles, Richardson had this to say:

"We have it for the foreseeable future, though, so we’re just going about business as usual. It is what it is. Look, from day-one we always knew it was a possibility that someday we might not have the license. We’re prepared for it. We have other franchises to move into that space, but we got involved with publishing in part because we loved Star Wars and so sure it’ll be disappointing on a business level, but probably more disappointing on a personal level."

And while a decision seems to be a bit of a ways off (Stradley says they'll hear by next year), we know that this summer we will see a comic book adaptation of George Lucas' original draft of "The Star Wars". 

The Starkiller Family

The story is familiar yet different all at the same time. We'll see an older General Luke Skywalker, the hero Annikin Starkiller, the planet Utapau, a decidedly un-Sithly Darth Vader, a lizard-like alien named Han Solo, and the epic struggle between the Jedi Bendu and the Knights of Sith. I read the original script a while back and it really took hold of my imagination, but it was a little hard to follow simply on the page. I can't wait to read this come September.

3. Doctor Who 50th News and "Cold War" Trailer

New cast members keep cropping up for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. Jemma Redgrave will reprise her role as Kate Stewart, the daughter of longtime ally Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (played by the late, incomparable Nicholas Courtney), and current head of UNIT. Also cast as a UNIT scientist (and apparent in-universe fan), Ingrid Oliver will be playing a character called Osgood (any link to Oswald?). Here she is walking with the Doctor wearing a pretty familiar-looking scarf:

Tom Baker's looking good these days

More pictures from the set show Matt Smith hanging on for dear life to the underside of the TARDIS as Jenna-Louise Coleman looks on. UNIT forces have converged by the Tower of London (apparently their new base of operations)...but are they there to help or arrest the Doctor?

It stinks when you can't have fun at work...

"Heyyy guys....what's up?"

You can also check out a behind the scenes video of Jemma, Ingrid, and Jenna-Louise and some impressive Tower guards on location here:



And one more video for you to feast your eyes upon. Check out the latest trailer for this Saturday's episode "Cold War". The Doctor seems to have overshot Las Vegas and landed on a nuclear submarine that is being attacked by an Ice Warrior (or, more politically correctly, a native Martian).



 In the classic series they spoke in creepy whispers, but this one seems to be imitating Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget. "I'll get you next time Doctor, next time!"

4. Joss Whedon's S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series Gets New Title and Description

The self-proclaimed Tom Hagen of the Marvel Universe, Joss Whedon, has been pretty busy as of late. His latest project, a TV series following the adventures of Agent Coulson (Clak Gregg) and his team has a new name and description. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has yet to be picked up by ABC, but it seems extremely likely that the deal will be done in the near future. Here is the new synopsis:

"Joss Whedon shows us not all heroes are super with “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

Fresh from his role in the summer’s box office smash, Marvel’s The Avengers, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) returns to the worldwide law enforcement organization S.H.I.E.L.D. He puts together a small, highly trained, team of Agents to tackle the cases that haven’t been classified yet, the new, the strange and the unknown. That team consists of straight arrow Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), an expert in combat and espionage; pilot and martial artist Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen); and brilliant if socially awkward scientists Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). They’ll be joined by civilian new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). 

Prepare for an epic adventure that showcases the hope and wonder of the human spirit. This is a world of Super Heroes, aliens and the unusual – of action, spectacle and world spanning stories. The show will speak to the human condition through the lens of our very human, non-powered S.H.I.E.L.D agents – that together we are greater than we are apart, and that we can make a difference in the world.
Executive Produced and co-written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”), Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”) and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville,” “Lost,” “Heroes”) comes Marvel’s first live-action TV series, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

As reported in an earlier post, Coulson has gotten a full-on resurrection and I can't wait to see how the sharp-tongued world-policing agent will use his second chance at life.

Just lots and lots of sass. 

And that's it for now, friends. Hope you all have a safe trip home!

-Joe

Your Morning Linc: Disney To Shut Down LucasArts? Plus, I Join A Podcast and Discover A New Fandom

Good morning one and all! Got some late breaking news last night that needs to be shared:

1. Disney To Shut Down LucasArts?

In the wake of the cancellation of the Clone Wars and the disbanding of the Lucasfilm Animation team, rumors are quickly spreading that the next division on the chopping block is none other than LucasArts. Games Industry International is reporting that hiring has been frozen and the slate of games has been reduced solely to Star Wars 1313, though the fate of that game (like that of the rumored First Assault) is in question.

"Legend says they dropped The Clone Wars team down there..."

LucasArts brought in $150 million in revenue (with operating income of $90 million) in 2012 due to titles such The Old Republic MMORPG and Lego Star Wars III and division heads have adamantly denied the claim. But an ex-employee has been quoted as stating that the company suffers from "no stomach for a truly original product and a slender means to produce their previous cash cows - Indy and Star Wars".

More on this as it develops. I remind everyone to be patient and wait for official confirmation of anything before storming the castles at the Disney theme parks.

2. The Missing Linc On the Positively Nerdy Podcast Panel

A podcast 2 + Years in the Making

So someone thought it was a good idea to let me speak on a podcast. Last night I was invited by my friend Ryan Porter onto his podcast, Positively Nerdy, to discuss a very interesting topic: At what point does Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader? Joining me was Star Wars artist Joe Hogan and Hughes the Force producer Ruark Dreher. Joe and I met both Ruark and Ryan at Celebration V in Orlando way back in 2010. Being able to debate about Anakin's turn to the dark side felt like we were back at Miller's Ale House on International Drive. When the podcast is released you can bet that I will post it here. I'm looking forward to many more Star Wars chats to come!

3. The BBC Might Just Control My Life: I Finally Discover Sherlock

Well, it was inevitable. Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat and writer Mark Gatiss teamed up in 2010 to give their take on the famous resident of 221B Baker Street. The result was Sherlock, and it is marvelous.

Much like Holmes' fashion sense.

Benedict Cumberbatch (possibly the most British name ever?) does a phenomenal job playing the great detective. He can rattle off deductions with impressive speed and keeps the character mysterious and intriguing. He is, as always, supported by his friend Dr. John Watson played by Martin Freeman, a former army doctor who does his best to keep up with Holmes and remind him to be human every so often.

And not a dwarf song to be heard.

The interplay between the two is great, as one definitely relies on the other throughout the series. Supporting characters such as Holmes' brother Mycroft (Gatiss), who is a high-ranking intelligence official, the doting landlady Mrs. Hudson (Linda Jean), the masterfully played Moriarty (Andrew Scott), and the seductive Irene Adler (Lara Pulver) quickly become favorites as well.

On Netflix, each episode is about an hour and half long (three episodes per season, so far), but they fly by. Holmes uses modern day technology to unravel the clues, sometimes even sending Watson off to a crime scene only to Skype back the details. And a really cool part of the show is watching Holmes deduce something from seemingly mundane pieces of information. Words and symbols literally appear to the viewer and you can begin to see the inner-workings of the mind of a genius like Sherlock. Check out the trailer for Season 1 below (with Muse's "Uprising" playing in the background!)

The show is definitely worth a look for anyone who enjoys mystery and suspense with some great characters and humor thrown in. 

Update: Benedict Cumberbatch also did the voice and motion capture for Smaug and the Necromancer in his pal Martin Freeman's movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and will reprise both roles in the sequel. He will also portray John Harrison, the main antagonist in Star Trek: Into Darkness

Enjoy the rest of your day, guys!

-Joe

Star Wars Episode VII News: Lucas Confirms Hamill, FIsher, and Ford. Iger Talks Disney Plans

Big news from the source himself! (Although, here, take this grain of salt...) George Lucas, in an extensive article on Star Wars in BusinessWeek has unofficially confirmed that we will see Luke, Han, and Leia back on the big screen. According to Lucas, contracts for Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford have all but been finalized. I can't wait to see how they will feature in the Sequel Trilogy!

Chewie is still holding out for his medal.

Quote The Maker:

"We had already signed Mark and Carrie and Harrison - or we were pretty much in final stages of negotiation." He then quickly added: "Maybe I'm not supposed to say that. I think they want to announce that with some big whoop-de-do, but we were negotiating with them."

Also, Disney chief Bob Iger talks about his plans for the future of Star Wars attractions, merchandise, and movies:

"Iger is busy readying the machinery that will crank out Star Wars-related toys and theme park attractions and whatever Disney deems as appropriate franchise exploitation. He says he's looking to expand sales of Star Wars merchandise overseas and that ABC and Lucasfilm are discussing a live-action TV series. At the same time, Iger says he doesn't want to do anything that might detract from the upcoming movies. 'I don't want to overcommercialize or overhype this,' he says, 'It's my job to prevent that.' "

I'd watch this.

I am more confident than ever that Star Wars is in good hands with Disney. What do you think? What are you looking forward to seeing in the coming years? One thing's for sure...there's never been a more exciting time to be a Star Wars fan!

MTFBWY,

-Joe