Taika Waititi may soon be helming his own Star Wars project, if the latest rumours are to be believed. According to Hollywood Reporter, the Thor: Ragnarok director is in early talks with Lucasfilm regarding a future Star Wars movie.

Waititi has already made an impression on Star Wars with his portrayal of bounty hunting assassin droid IG-11 in the Disney+ Star Wars television series The Mandalorian, as well as directing the final episode of the first season, overseen by executive producer and fellow Marvel alumnus Jon Favreau.

It is unknown what project Waititi may be being sought for, but with Star Wars movies scheduled for 2022, 2024, and 2026, and no directors confirmed after the exist of Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss, Disney and Lucasfilm are sure to be on the hunt for talent to keep these projects on track (or not too severely delayed, at least).

It is also a possibility that this could be related to the Kevin Feige Star Wars movie that was confirmed to be in early stages of development last year, or if this would be an entirely new project. Feige's successes with the Marvel Cinematic Universe singled him out as a suitable candidate for the interconnected canon of Star Wars, and it seems only natural that other directors he has worked with would also come on board.

Although clearly popular with the decision makers at Disney and Lucasfilm, Waititi is in high demand; with a live action adaptation of the anime Akira, and Thor: Love and Thunder already lined up, it's unclear when a large project in the Star Wars universe could fit in to his schedule.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is up for three Oscars at this year's Academy Awards.

The event, which is the highlight of the movie world is the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, and will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 9 February 2020.

Which awards is The Rise of Skywalker nominated for?

Best Original Score

John Williams
Other nominees: Joker (Hildur Guðnadóttir), Little Women (Alexandre Desplat), Marriage Story (Randy Newman), 1917 (Thomas Newman).

Best Sound Editing

Matthew Wood and David Acord
Other nominees: Ford v Ferrari, Joker, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Best Visual Effects

Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach , and Dominic Tuohy
Other nominees: Avengers: Endgame, The Irishman, The Lion King, 1917.

What are the chances of The Rise of Skywalker winning an Oscar?

Well, put it this way: To say Star Wars has a chequered history with the Oscars would be an understatement. Rise of Skywalker received a middling reception from critics, but the audience reaction has been generally positive. This clearly doesn't always translate into awards, however.

Classic Trilogy, 1977-1983

In 1977, the original Star Wars movie was a sensation, and swept the 50th Academy Awards with seven wins. The Empire Strikes Back, despite being widely regarded as the best of the Star Wars saga and one of the greatest sequels of all time, only managed one competitive win for Best Sound along with a special award for Visual Effects. 1983's Return of the Jedi again picked up a special award for visual effects, but failed to garner any of the competitive awards it was nominated for.

Prequel Trilogy, 1999-2005

Although the prequel trilogy was nominated for several awards, none of them were ever won. The Phantom Menace was up against stiff competition from The Matrix, which scooped up every award Star Wars was nominated for that year. Attack of the Clones was only nominated for Best Visual Effects, an award which went to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers; and Revenge of the Sith also only managed one nomination, this time for Best Makeup.

Sequel Trilogy and Spin-offs, 2015-present

The Force Awakens, Disney's first foray into the Star Wars Saga was nominated five times but sadly didn't take anything home, while a year later the first spin-off movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, also went home empty handed after two nominations. Another year later, and The Last Jedi also failed to pick up any awards, despite being nominated for four Oscars. Solo: A Star Wars Story was only nominated for, and failed to secure, the award for Best Visual Effects, which brings us back to where we are in 2020.

There is also an interesting sidenote for this era of Star Wars: Alexandre Desplat scored Rogue One in 2016, which was big news at the time as it was the first feature length live-action Star Wars movie not scored by John Williams. Desplat wasn't nominated for at the Academy Awards for Rogue One, but the following year he won the Oscar for Best Score (for The Shape of Water) when he was up against Williams's score for The Last Jedi. This year, Desplat and Williams are facing off once more; very likely for the last time, as Williams head back into a well-earned retirement.

Could the final episode of the Skywalker Saga break the cycle?

The 2020 Disney Investor's Day call has showered us with gifts galore; some projects we already knew, some that had been hinted at, and others that have come out of nowhere. My mind has been blown by so much new information, but I've gathered up the pieces as best as I could and slotted them into this article to make sure it's up to date.

So whether you are looking forward to seeing a new Star Wars spin-off movie at the cinema, a new live-action Star Wars show, or the latest Star Wars animated adventure on Disney+, we've got your back!

Last updated: December 2020.

Disney+ Star Wars shows coming soon

At time of writing there is just one episode of the second season of The Mandalorian left to air, but there are plenty of upcoming shows to get excited for, as Disney and Lucasfilm ramp up their Disney+ offerings.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Coming 2021

The Bad Batch is an animated series following the Bad Batch of clones introduced in season 7 of The Clone Wars as they take on the role of mercenaries in the aftermath of the the Clone Wars. The series was announced in July 2020 and will see many returning producers and crew members from various other Star Wars television projects, including Dave Filoni, Athena Portillo, Brad Rau, Jennifer Corbett, Carrie Beck, and Josh Rime. The trailer was revealed during the investors call in December 2020.

The Book of Boba Fett - December 2021

The existence of a Boba Fett spinoff from hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian was heavily rumoured throughout the show's run, but confirmation of such a series was notably absent from the Disney Investor's Day announcements. At the end of the second season finale of The Mandalorian we were teased by a title card for The Book of Boba Fett and given a date of December 2021. It was confirmed to be a new series a few days later.

The Mandalorian season 3 - 25 December 2021

Since launching along with Disney+ The Mandalorian has been a huge success, and a third season was given the green light almost immediately. According to Phil Szostak, the Lucasfilm art department were producing concepts before the first season had even aired. The release date of 25 December 2021 was confirmed during the investor's call in December 2020.

Star Wars: Andor - Coming 2022

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was the first of the Star Wars spin-off, or "anthology" movies, and it proved to be a hit with fans in 2016. The film told the story of a band of rebels who stole the plans for the first Death Star. The series was announced in November 2018 will serve as a prequel to Rogue One and is said to be a "spy thriller" following the exploits of the titular shady rebel and his sidekick K-2SO before that fateful mission. Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk will return as their respective characters from Rogue One. The official title and sizzle reel was revealed during the Disney investor's call in December 2020.

Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi - Coming 2022

This limited series was either the best kept secret or the worst kept secret in Star Wars, depending on your point of view. For years rumours circulated that Ewan McGregor would reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi, but it wasn't until October 2019 that anything was officially confirmed. McGregor has said that we can expect to see how the former Jedi Master copes with the destruction of the Jedi Order and the betrayal of his closest friend, and in December 2020 it was revealed that the series takes place in 9 BBY and that Hayden Christensen would reprise his role as Darth Vader for the series. 

Star Wars: The Acolyte

On Star Wars Day 2020 it was confirmed that Leslye Headland will be showrunning a new Star Wars series, and in December 2020 the show's title and general premise was revealed. The Acolyte will take place in roughly 100 BBY and will focus on an emerging dark side threat in the final years of the High Republic era. No release date has been confirmed yet.

Star Wars: Ahsoka

Announced on 10 December 2020, shortly after Rosario Dawson's debut as fan favourite former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, the new series will again star Dawson and be written by Dave Filoni, who will also executive produce the show with Jon Favreau. Ahsoka will be a limited series set in 9 ABY that culminates in a crossover with The Mandalorian and upcoming series Rangers of the New Republic. 

Star Wars: Rangers of the New Republic

Announced on 10 December 2020 along with Ahsoka, the series will be executive produced by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. It is set in 9 ABY and will crossover with Ahsoka and The Mandalorian. 

Star Wars: Visions

Announced in December 2020, Star Wars: Visions will be an anthology series that will "celebrate Star Wars through the lens of the world's best anime creators".

Star Wars: A Droid Story

A Droid Story is an animated TV movie featuring R2-D2 and C-3PO. It was announced in December 2020.

Star Wars: Lando

Lando has been touted as "an event series" and the story will be developed by Justin Simien. It was announced in December 2020 but nothing else has been revealed.

Confirmed Star Wars movie releases

In April 2019 Disney confirmed the release dates for three new Star Wars movies, although no further details were given at the time. In April 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting production schedules all three movies were pushed back by one year.

Rogue Squadron - 22 Dec 2023

In December 2020 it was revealed that the next Star Wars movie would be based on Rogue Squadron and would be directed by Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins. The film was originally due to be helmed by Game of Thrones producers David Benioff & DB Weiss before they withdrew from the project citing other contractual obligations, but it is unknown if Rogue Squadron was always the plan for their movie. Disney CEO Bob Iger has stated that he wanted this movie to be more accessible to general audiences. 

Untitled Star Wars movie from Taika Waititi

On Star Wars Day 2020, it was revealed that Taika Waititi will co-write and direct a Star Wars feature film and will co-write the film with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. It is still unclear whether this is one of the already announced movies below, or in addition to them.

Untitled Star Wars movie - 19 Dec 2025

Nothing is known about this project yet, so stay tuned and we'll update this article as we discover more information. Disney's updated release schedule in April 2020 did not include this film, but it has also not been confirmed as cancelled. It was originally scheduled for a 20 Dec 2024 release but was pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Untitled Star Wars movie - 17 Dec 2027

Again, no details have been released for this project yet. Disney's updated release schedule in April 2020 did not include this film, but it has also not been confirmed as cancelled. It was originally scheduled for a 19 Dec 2026 release but was pushed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other unknown projects

In 2017 it was announced that The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson would be heading up his own Star Wars trilogy. While this plan does seem to have been shelved following concerns over Star Wars fatigue at the box office and the mixed reception to Johnson's own contribution to the Skywalker Saga, it has never explicitly been cancelled. Until Disney and Lucasfilm stop being so tight-lipped about what happened to the trilogy we'll include it here for the sake of completion.

In September 2019 it was widely reported that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige was on board for a Star Wars project, but no further details have been announced so it is unclear where this fits in with what we already know.

The newest edition for Lego Star Wars Ultimate Collector's Series, 75252 Imperial Star Destroyer is prepped for launch, and this one is the largest Star Wars set so far. The new set may have a small brick-count than the UCS Millennium Falcon, but it makes up for it in sheer length, with it's 4,784 pieces combining to make a model that is just over a metre long.

As with the previous UCS Imperial Star Destroyer, the set includes a same-scale miniature of the Tantive IV, perfect for re-enacting the opening sequence of A New Hope. It also comes with a stand (trust me, you'll need it), plaque, and two Lego mini-figures: an Imperial Officer and an Imperial Crew Member.

It will be available for Lego VIP members on 18 September, and for everybody else on 1 October. If you want to recreate the Star Destroyer fleet scene from the The Rise of Skywalker trailer then you might want to start saving: One of these bad boys will set you back around US$699.99, CA$849.99, £649.99, or €699.99, depending on your region.

This is the fifth version of an Imperial Star Destroyer that Lego have released so far. 2007 saw a 1,367 piece set as well as the previous UCS set which clocked-in at 3,096 pieces. A Midi-scale set with 423 pieces was released in 2010 saw a Midi-scale set with just 423 pieces, and a 1,359 piece version was released in 2014. With 4,784 bricks, the new Lego UCS Imperial Star Destroyer is the largest and most detailed version yet.

Disney have revealed some details about a new Star Wars themed hotel currently under construction at Walt Disney World, Florida. The hotel will be an immersive experience titled Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser; and, as the name suggests, guests staying in the hotel will feel like they are taking a voyage on a star cruiser.

In-universe the star cruise is called Halcyon, and is operated by Chandrila Star Line. The starcruiser has 32 cabins available to guests, with a mix of standard and first-class cabins catering for up to five people.

Fans may recognise Chandrila as one of the worlds of the Core Worlds which served as an interim capital of the New Republic following the defeat of the Empire, and is also the homeworld of Loyalist Committee member and Alliance leader Mon Mothma. Chandrila is also the homeworld of Ben Solo.

The hotel will tie-in to the Black Spire Outpost Star Wars themed area of the Disney resort, and guests will be able interact with Disney cast members who will remain in character allowing you to explore their stories during your voyage. Guests will also reportedly be given a backstory for their character while staying at the hotel.

Prining and opening date details have not yet been released, but Disney have released some concept art, below:

Lucasfilm has appointed Michelle Rejwan to the post of Senior Vice President of Live Action Development & Production, to oversee the future ofof Star Wars live action TV and film projects.

Rejwan has worked with JJ Abrams on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the upcoming final installment of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Her other film credits with Abrams include Star Trek Into Darkness and Super 8.

The Mandalorian and the untitled Cassian Andor series are currently under production for Disney+, and more Star Wars films are in the pipeline, so Rejwan will undoubtedly have input into these projects as she undertakes her new role within Lucasfilm.

Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2020 has been announced! The world's biggest celebration of all things Star Wars will return to the Anaheim Convention Center in California on 27 - 30 August 2020, with tickets available for purchase from 21 June 2019 at 9am PT.

Star Wars Celebration will be hosted by Lucasfilm and ReedPOP, and as is now a firmly established tradition the convention will take a retrospective look at Star Wars past as well as looking to the future of the franchise. 

Details of the exclusive panels and events as well as the special guests including cast and crew members have not yet been revealed, but are sure to be announced over the coming year on the official Celebration website at StarWarsCelebration.com.

Peter Mayhew, who portrayed Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, has passed away at the age of 74. According to a statement released by his family, he died at his home in Texas with his family at his side on 30th April.

Mayhew was born in London, and was selected for the role of Chewbacca purely for his height (7ft 2in). While casting for Star Wars George Lucas has initially earmarked David Prowse to portray Chewbacca but Prowse opted to play Darth Vader instead, leaving the wookiee suit open. He would portray Han Solo's co-pilot in the original trilogy, and returned for Revenge of the Sith. In 2015's The Force Awakens he shared the role with Joonas Suotamo, for subsequent films he remained in a consultant role.

A fan favourite at conventions, Mayhew was often described as a gentle giant, and his family said that "the Star Wars family meant so much more to him than a role in a film". He was also much-loved by his fellow cast members, and tributes have been flooding in.

We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him. He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the Star Wars audience.

Harrison Ford

What was so remarkable about him was his spirit and his kindness and his gentleness was so close to what a Wookiee is. He just radiated happiness and warmth. He was always up for a laugh and we just hit it off immediately and stayed friends for over 40 years.

Mark Hamill

He was an absolutely one-of-kind gentleman and a legend of unrivalled class and I will miss him. Rest assured his legacy will live on and the spirit that he gave the character when he first donned the suit will never be forgotten.

Joonas Suotamo

Peter was a wonderful man. He was the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee: big heart, gentle nature - and I learned to always let him win. He was a good friend, and I'm saddened by his passing.

George Lucas

Peter's iconic portrayal of the loyal, lovable Chewbacca has been absolutely integral to the character's success, and to the Star Wars saga itself. When I first met Peter during The Force Awakens, I was immediately impressed by his kind and gentle nature.
Peter was brilliantly able to express his personality through his skilful use of gesture, posture, and eyes. We all love Chewie, and have Peter to thank for that enduring memory.

Kathleen Kennedy

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Peter Mayhew. He was our beloved companion in a galaxy far, far, away. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and fans. The force will be with you always, Peter.

San Diego Comic-Con

A private memorial service for friends and family will be held in June, with a memorial service for fans planned for December.

Rest in peace, Peter Mayhew, 1944 - 2019.

If you're intending to travel to the outer rim world of Batuu this summer, then you'll be pleased to know that reservations are now open for entry into the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge park at Disneyland, California.

Reservations will be required if you want to visit Galaxy's Edge 31 May and 23 June. There is a catch, however, as reservations are currently only open to those booking rooms at Disneyland Resort hotels. For those not staying in the resort, reservations will open on 2 May, with further details to be posted on the Disney Parks Blog that morning.

Thankfully there are no additional fees to reserve your entry, but spaces are subject to availability, presumeably in an effort to avoid overcrowding.

Galaxy's Edge promises an authentic Star Wars experience, with the production team going to whole new levels to ensure visitors are fully emmersed in a galaxy far far away.

Are you planning to visit Galaxy's Edge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Kathleen Kennedy has appeared to confirm during an interview with MTV that a project set in the Old Republic era is in development. 

When prompted by MTV that a lot of fans would like to see something related to Knights of the Old Republic, Kennedy smiled and confirmed that this was something had been spoken about a lot and that something was in development right now. Planning seems to be in early stages right now, as she was keen to avoid giving any sort of hints as to what the story might entail, and went on to reiterate the plans to have a longer gap between movies going forwards. 

Star Wars News Net has previously posted a rumour, that had apparently come from a reliable source, stating that the project being worked on by Game of Thrones TV adaptation creators David Benioff and DB Weiss was set in the distant past of the Star Wars canon. Rian Johnson has already denied that his Star Wars trilogy will be set during the Old Republic era, and it is widely thought that he would be picking up from threads he wove into The Last Jedi.

On a personal level, I would hope that a Knights of the Old Republic project would draw inspiration from the Dark Horse Comics Tales of the Jedi series rather than the more recent video games that followed. As Darth Bane has already been confirmed as existing in the new canon, it is possible that we may see some of his story come into play.

You can check out MTV's interview with Kathleen Kennedy via Twitter.

Star Wars Celebration gets under way this Thursday in Chicago, and we are eagerly awaiting an end to the information drought that has prevailed for what seems like forever.

With several big projects in the works, and several trailers highly anticipated, we break down the schedule of panels at this year's Celebration to pick out the top panels we think are most likely to reveal the juiciest details about the future of Star Wars

Star Wars Episode IX

When: Friday, 12 April 2019 at 11am
Where: Celebration Stage

We are counting down the months to Star Wars Episode IX, and we still don't even know what the official title of the final episode of the saga us. We fully expect a the title to become apparent during this panel and we are sure to see the first Episode IX teaser trailer, which will undoubtedly drop onto YouTube shortly afterwards. President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy and director JJ Abrams will be on stage to present the promised "plenty of surprises and special guests".

The Galaxy-Wide Premier of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

When: Saturday, 13 April 2019 at 1.30pm
Where: Celebration Stage

Vince Zampella and Stig Asmussen, the head of Respawn Entertainment, and Jedi: Fallen Order Game Director, respectively will finally dish out the details on the much anticipated single-player action adventure game. Again, surprises have been promised, so we're hoping for a trailer or gameplay footage and some more information about how the character fits in to the lore of the Jedi Knights, post-Order 66.

Books & Comics panels

Lucasfilm Publishing Panel

When: Friday, 12 April 2019 at 4.45pm
Where: Twin Suns Stage

Lucasfilm's Michael Siglain hosts a discussion about new and upcoming Star Wars stories with sneak peeks and announcements about future publications. Appearances are expected by Jeffrey Brown, Zorida Cordova, Delilah Dawson, Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, EK Johnston, Cavan Scott, Timothy Zahn, and more.

Del Rey Books - Behind the Scenes

When: Saturday, 13 April 2019 at 12.45pm
Where: Twin Suns Stage

Authors Claudia Gray, Timothy Zahn, Alexander Freed, Delilah S Dawson, and Cavan Scott join Star Wars audiobook narrator Marc Thompson to discuss current projects and preview other books on the publishing horizon.

Marvel Comics Presents Star Wars

When: Saturday 13 April at 2.30pm
Where: Twin Suns Stage

Writers Greg Pak and Ethan Sacks join other guests from Marvel Comics to explore fan favourite comics of the past, with a look at their more recent work and a glimpse of things to come.

Television panels

The Mandalorian

When: Sunday, 14 April 2019 at 11am
Where: Celebration Stage

Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni host a special panel dedicated to the upcoming Disney+ series The Mandalorian. With a release set for September this year, we are eager for some more information and behind the scenes footage; and dare we ask for a trailer? 

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Sneak Peek

When: Sunday, 14 April 2019 at 3.30pm
Where: Celebration Stage

Dave Filoni brings special guests with him to celebrate the return of the much-loved animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and gives us a look at things to come.

Star Wars Resistance Season Two Sneak Peek

When: Monday, 15 April 2019 at 1.30pm
Where: Galaxy Stage

The Executive Producers of Star Wars Resistance, Justin Ridge, Athena Portillo, and Brandon Auman, bring special guests to take a look back at the first season of the show including it's shocking finale, and bring you a preview of second series of the animated show.

Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series

When: Friday, 12 April 2019 at 1.30pm
Where: Celebration Stage

For those who don't know, Vader Immortal is an upcoming series of VR experiences that will see you venture into Darth Vader's fortress on Mustafar. The team from ILMxLAB and Oculus will be on hand to tell you more about this first foray into a new way to tell stories in a galaxy far far away.

A long time ago, SuperShadow was a dirty word around these parts. The fake news and rumours he would post on his website would often get reported as potential facts by unsuspecting fans eager to learn and share new information about the then upcoming Star Wars prequels.

YouTube channel HelloGreedo has posted a new documentary that chronicles the two decades that SuperShadow spent trolling Star Wars fans with his claims of having inside information. He also claimed to be a close personal friend of George Lucas, even going as far as posting fake conversations between him and Lucas including reporting back with answers to user submitted questions about the Star Wars saga.

SuperShadow stopped posting some time before The Force Awakens was released, with many of the "leaks" being replaced by an apology for his deception.

You can check out the documentary on YouTube below.

As Disney prepare to open the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge theme park at their California and Florida resorts, new details have emerged from press previews of what promises to be the most immersive Star Wars experience by far.

The park is themed around the outer rim planet Batuu, with roleplaying experiences and missions to be discovered. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run is sure to be a big hit with fans, as they pilot the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, and in "Rise of the Resistance" visitors will be captured by the First Order and taken aboard a Star Destroyer.

Retail stores will allow you to customise your own droid and build your own lightsaber, while restaurants will showcase food from around the galaxy including Ronto Wraps, Endorian Tip-Yip, and of course, Blue Milk.

Galaxy's Edge opens in Disneyland California this summer, and in Disney World Florida in Fall 2019.

For more pictures and information, check out the official Star Wars site.

Force Friday 2019 is so big, Disney have renamed it Triple Force Friday, and it will be bigger than ever.

This October Disney will celebrate the forthcoming release of Star Wars Episode IX with the traditional range of collectable merchandise, but will also release merch to tie in with two other anticipated releases.

Jedi: Fallen Order (the Respawn Entertainment game which we still don't know anything about) will see new products hit the shelves, as will new TV show The Mandalorian.

Force Friday falls on 4th October this year, and Disney clearly intends to dominate the market.

More details are expected to become known following Star Wars Celebration Chicago in April.

Tickets for Star Wars Celebration 2017 in Orlando are on sale to today from Noon Pacific, 3pm Eastern, 8pm UK time.

Single day tickets start from $65 for adults with 4-day passes priced at $150 if purchased online.

Star Wars Celebration Orlando takes place at the Orange County Convention Centre on 13 - 16 April 2017 and celebrates the 39th anniversary of the original Star Wars movie.

Full prices can be found on the Star Wars Celebration website.

Meanwhile, Star Wars Celebration Europe will be held in London this summer from 15 - 17 July.

Erik Bauersfeld, the voice actor that brought to life some of Return of the Jedi's most memorable characters, has died aged 93.

When he joined Star Wars, Bauersfeld already had an extensive career in voice work in his role at a San Francisco radio station, before working with Lucasfilm on a radio drama where he got the chance to audition for the voice of Yoda, a role that went to Frank Oz.

"It's a trap!" became a pop culture catchphrase after Bauersfeld's performance as the voice of Alliance commander, Admiral Ackbar. He also provided the voice for Jabba the Hutt's aide, the Twi'lek Bib Fortuna. 

Bauersfeld returned to voice Admiral Ackbar in several other projects, including Star Wars: X-Wing in 1993 and more recently returned as a cameo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Drewe Henley, known for his role as the Red Leader, Garven Dreis, in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, has passed away at the age of 75.

The British actor had several film and television roles in the 1960s and 70s but retired from acting due to depression, making Star Wars his last appearance on screen. Although the original cut of the film only included Henley's scenes in the cockpit of his X-wing starfighter, the special editions added a previously deleted pre-battle scene with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Biggs Darklighter (Garrick Hagon).

As leader of Red Squadron in the Battle of Yavin, Henley's small role was a pivotal one that has left an indelible stamp on the Star Wars saga.

Professor Tony Dyson, the man who built the original R2-D2 has died aged 68.

He was found in his home on the Maltese island of Gozo after neighbours grew concerned after he had not been seen for a few days and called the police. A post-mortem is being carried out, and is expected to find that he died of natural causes.

Dyson was commissioned to create eight R2-D2 props for use in the film series, based on the concept created by Ralph McQuarrie. Four of these were remote control units, two manually controlled units with space for Kenny Baker to be seated inside, and a further two 'throwaway' units, such as the one thrown across the Dagobah swamp in The Empire Strikes Back.

He was also responsible for creating numerous robots for electronics firms such as Sony and Toshiba, along with props for other films, such as James Bond film Moonraker, Superman II, and the robot dragon used in Dragon Slayer. 

Professor Dyson moved to Malta in the 1990s, and had been known to appear at island's comic conventions 

Disney has revealed concept art for the upcoming Star Wars Land theme park to views of Disneyland's diamond celebration television special, The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60.

A Star Wars theme park has been rumored ever since Disney picked up the franchise from George Lucas, and was finally confirmed by chairman Bob Iger during Disney's D23 Expo in August 2015.

The show featured some artwork we already saw from D23, but also revealed new information about the 14 acre park which will feature a Millennium Falcon ride and an interactive experience of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance. Other areas shown in the previews include a restaurant, cantina, and a walkthrough street bazaar.

The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60 is available to watch on ABC’s official site.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has picked up a BAFTA win for Best Special Visual Effects at the 69th British Academy Film Awards. The event, held at London's Royal Opera House on 14 February 2016, saw The Force Awakens nominated in several categories.

Also, actor John Boyega, who portrays Finn, secured the EE Rising Star Award which is awarded by public vote. Boyega beat off rivals Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey), Brie Larson (Trainwreck), and Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl).

The Force Awakens had been nominated for several other categories, but fell short of victory to the following productions:

• John William's score was nominated for Best Original Music, but lost out to Ennio Morricone soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight.
• The award for Best Sound went to the team behind The Revenant.
• Mad Max: Fury Road picked up the Best Production Design award.

This may serve to predict what may happen at the Oscars later this month, although things don't always work that way.