The production team behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens is to be prosecuted by the UK's Health and Safety Executive following the accident at Pinewood Studios that left 73-year-old Han Solo actor Harrison Ford with a broken leg.

Foodles Production (UK) Ltd, is set to appear before High Wycombe Magistrates Court in May to face charges relating to the failure of heath and safety proceedures that should have been set in place to ensure the safety of the cast and crew. Following investigations HSE detirmined that there were four breaches of health and safety law that the company directors must answer to, stating that "employers must take reasonable steps to protect workers - this is as true on a film set as a factory floor".

The incident involved a hydraulic door, which was considered dangerous machinery for the purposes of the investigation, and will most likely leed to a fine for the company, which was set up in 2013 for the production of The Force Awakens.

Can you imagine Luke Skywalker teaming up with the Avengers? Well Stan Lee can.

In an interview with Big Issue the creator of many of Marvel's mightiest heroes appeared enthusiastic about the prospect of a crossover between the Star Wars and Marvel franchises. With Disney owning both universes it's not totally impossible, although it does seem an unlikely pairing.

"Can you imagine Spider-Man saying 'may the Force be with you?' It may come to that!" Lee says, explaining that if there was a demand for it then the studio would find a way to make it work.

Spider-Man recently rejoined his fellow Marvel characters under the Disney banner after previously being solely useable on the silver screen by Sony Pictures, and will appear in the upcoming movie Captain America: Civil War.

With the Lucasfilm Story Group keeping a tight leash on the direction of Star Wars canon it's unlikely we will see such a crossover any time soon, although Marvel and Star Wars characters can be found mixing freely in the Disney Infinity video game.

Hasbro have announced that they will reissue the latest version of Star Wars Monopoly after complaints that the board game featured no female characters.

The game, which was released in September 2015, currently features player tokens for Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker from the classic Star Wars trilogy, along with Kylo Ren and Finn from The Force Awakens. This lead to online outrage over the ommission of the main protogonist of the latest movie, Rey.

Hasbro initially stated that as the game was released several months before the release of The Force Awakens that the inclusion of Rey would have been a potential spoiler that they wished to avoid, although this doesn't explain the inclusion of Finn as a character fighting for the Resistance which is an equal spoiler in its own right.

Further to this, other Hasbro offerings have failed to include Rey, including a Millennium Falcon set that includes Chewbacca, Finn and BB-8 figurines. This lead to the hashtag #WheresRey trending worldwide, tracking Rey's absence from Star Wars merchandise in leading chain stores.

A new version of Star Wars Monopoly which includes Rey will be available later in 2016, although no release date has been confirmed so far.

The official list of most popular baby names in the United States has been revealed, and according to the SSA "Anakin" has joined the top 1000 names. Last year, 218 newborns were recorded with the name Anakin, making this the 957th most popular boys name for 2014 in the US. 

Hopefully these little Anakins won't follow in the footsteps of their namesake and turn to the dark side of the Force and terrorise the galaxy.

Leia also appears on the list, as the 509th most popular girls name, and while not unique to Star Wars, Luke has remained a popular name for boys with over 10,000 entries putting it near to the top of the list at 28th place.

CEO Bob Iger has finally put an end to months of rumor and speculation regarding Disney's plans for Star Wars theme parks by announcing that both Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and Disneyland in Anaheim will be host to fully themed Star Wars lands.

The announcement was made at Disney's D23 Expo and details ambitious plans for the two new areas, which would each be over 14-acres in size. Iger explained that they aim to push the boundaries of what is possible and that these new parks will take that aim to a new level, giving fans a whole galaxy to explore.

There will be two signature attractions, including a Millennium Falcon flight simulator and an epic adventure that promises to put guests in the midst of a climactic battle.

While fans wait for Star Wars land to become a reality, Disney will continue to update it's attractions, with a The Force Awakens update coming to the Star Tours ride later this year, and a new attraction called the Launch Bay which will allow fans to see Star Wars props and costumes and artwork.

Also, next year will see the first 'Season of the Force' at the Orlando and Anaheim parks with exclusive events, with Space Mountain becoming Hyperspace Mountain with Star Wars music, visual effects, and more.

It has yet to be announced whether these additions will also be replicated at Disney's international locations.

Tom Baker has casually let slip to fans that he has signed on for a voice-over role in an upcoming Star Wars project. 

Baker's best known role is as the fourth incarnation of The Doctor, the enigmatic and often eccentric focus of the long-running British television show, Doctor Who, and he has voiced numerous commercials and other shows, such as the comedy sketch show Little Britain, and his last on-screen appearance was in Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor.

“I’m going down to record some voices for this new character they’ve created for me,” he told fans as he signed autographs at a Doctor Who convention in Slough, UK, earlier this month.

There has been no hints as to the exact role Baker would be taking on, or which exact project he would be involved in. With The Force Awakens due for release within the next few months, it is more likely that Baker's role would be in a different production, such as the animated show, Star Wars: Rebels.

Lloyd - who gave his name as Jake Broadbent - was arrested on Wednesday 17 June in Charleston, South Carolina, after a police chase that saw him allegedly podracing at up to 120 mph. According to reports, Lloyd led police on a 25-mile chase which only ended after he ploughed into a tree. He was charged with reckless driving, failing to stop, driving without a licence, and resisting arrest. 

Lisa Lloyd, Jake's mother, has since revealed that her son suffered from schizophrenia and had attacked her in March this year whilst apparently off his medication. 

The actor who is now 26 was just 8 years old when he was cast in the role of a young Anakin Skywalker; a role which he later described as having "turned his life into a living hell". By the time he was 22 he had quit acting altogether.

According to reports, the legendary actor was admitted to Chelsea and Westminster hospital in London, after suffering respiratory problems and heart failure. He died on Sunday 7th June. 

Sir Christopher Lee was a truly inspirational figure in the world of show business, with a career spanning seven decades and various forms of media; from cinema to opera to heavy metal. In 2009 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama and charity, and in 2011 he was awarded a Bafta fellowship.

He was responsible for the portrayal of iconic characters in movie history, and his most notable work included roles in Hammer horror movies. His first role for Hammer Studios saw him portray the creature in 1957's The Curse of Frankenstein opposite Peter Cushing, who twenty years later would later play Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars. Lee and Cushing became lifelong friends, and often appeared alongside each other on screen including in 1958 when they again starred opposite eachother, with Lee as Dracula and Cushing as his arch enemy, Abraham van Helsing.

His distinctive deep voice and tall stature meant that he instantly dominated any scene, and he went on to star in cult classic The Wicker Man in 1973 and also played the titular villain, Scaramanga, in the 1974 James Bond outing The Man With the Golden Gun.

In the late 1970s Lee moved to the United States to break the cycle of being typecast in horror movies, and was guest host for popular comedy show Saturday Night Live. Nevertheless, he did often end up in the role of the villain, and in the 2000s was reintroduced to a new audience when he became the evil wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

In 2002 he joined the Star Wars universe as Count Dooku, a Jedi Master who had left the order and joined the Sith and become Darth Tyranus in Attack of the Clones, and he reprised the role for Revenge of the Sith in 2005. George Lucas has paid tribute to him, saying; "Christopher was a great British actor of the old school. A true link to cinema's past and a real gentleman. We will miss him."

"Making films has never just been a job to me, it is my life."
- Sir Chirstopher Lee, 1922 - 2015.

A pair of Star Wars fans from the UK have sent a model X-wing into space, in the hopes of securing tickets to the premiere of The Force Awakens.

The duo are an Essex group that use weather balloons to take photographs of the Earth from space, and to get the production teams attention they attached a model X-wing to one of their balloons and send it to the edge of space at a cost of around £1,200. They recorded the video and tweeted director JJ Abrams their plea for tickets.

As far back as 1988, George Lucas has sought planning approval for redevelopment of Grady Ranch at 2400 Lucas Valley Road in Marin County, California, near his most well known property, Skywalker Ranch. These proposals have included a plan for construction of a digital production center for Lucasfilm in 2012, and was heavily protested by other residents of the area.

Last week, Lucas struck back with a new proposal for a 224-unit affordable housing complex on the site, apparently footing the $150-million bill himself. The complex is said to consist of a mixture of residences along with a pool and community center.

The proposals have been met with backlash from residents of the area, concerned that crime rates will rise and property values will fall. According to his lawyer, Lucas has commented on the project which would take placer in an area with an average household income of over $90k as saying, "We've got enough millionaires here. What we need is some houses for regular working people."

This continues Lucas' trend of philanthropic gestures, following on from the $4-billion pledge to education from the proceeds of the sale of Lucasfilm, the formation of the educational foundation, Edutopia, and his Giving Pledge to will half of his fortune to charity.

Pinewood Studios, which has seen the filming of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and will also reportedly host the shooting of Star Wars Episode VIII, has revealed the expansion plans have been made possible due to major motion picture productions such as Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Skyfall.

The new development will include five new large stages, ten workshops, two production offices, as well as necessary infrastructure to support the facility, and is expected to create over 3,000 jobs once fully operational.

Chris Naisby, finance director of Pinewood Group, which runs the studios, said "For almost 80 years our studios have been home to some of the most iconic films and TV shows ever made. We are looking to remain at the forefront of the industry by expanding our facilities to meet demand."

The plans were initially put forward several years ago, but were rejected by the government in 2012. It was redrafted and submitted again in 2013 but was rejected by the local council, but Pinewood won an appeal to the planning committee and was given the green light last year.

Nick Hughes from Lloyds Bank’s strategic finance also added, “Pinewood is a truly international brand that drives investment into the UK, and this new development will only reinforce its importance as a global centre of production for the screen industries.”

Tunisian officials have assured the public that the sets used for locations on the desert planet of Tatooine are safe from Isis fighters. The original report from CNN stating that the sets had been taken over by terrorists entering Libya appear to have been inaccurate.

Tourism officials from the nearby city of Tozeur insisted that the information "does not reflect the reality", while Colonel Mokhtar Hammami of the National Guard said that “without a shadow of a doubt that all is normal", and added that they had in fact seen an increase of tourists who were being kept safe by 1,500 troops patrolling the area.

Tataouine, had exaggeratedly been dubbed a "terrorist way-station" after three men heading to Libya to join the terrorists were arrested there earlier in the year. Despite this, the actual sets are far from the town in an area that has so far not seen any trouble.

Tourists are being warned to stay away from popular Star Wars sites in Tunisia as the terrorist organisation known as Islamic State, commonly referred to as ISIS, has begun using the area as a waystation for recruitment.

Tataouine, which lent it's name to the home planet of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, is roughly 60 miles from the Libyan border and several reports have emerged detailing Jihadist activity in the area. ISIS have recently been in the news for the destruction of historically significant archaeological sites, such as the site of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, so it is unknown what the ultimate fate of the Tunisian Star Wars sets of locations like Mos Espa may be.

England Rugby has teamed up with Disney to deliver a new advertising campaign featuring Darth Vader and other Star Wars characters alongside members of the England Sevens squad.

The 30-second video spot will be accompanied by a print and social media campaign centred around the 2015 theme, which is 'galactic', in the run up to rugby's Marriott London Sevens, an annual event held at Twickenham Stadium in London. For the past few years, the Marriott London Sevens has also been the final part of the HSBC Seven World Series on 16 and 17 May.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1t9ktAQUSE

The 72 year old star was initially reported by the media to be in a critical condition, but it later emerged that he apparently walked away from the crash and went to hospital for treatment.

Ford was piloting a vintage 1940s aircraft instead of his usual YT-1300 freighter, and reported engine trouble shortly after take off from Santa Monica Airport. He attempted to return to the airport, but crashed in the nearby Penmar Golf Course.

Although initial reports described Ford as having serious head injuries, his son Ben, a Los Angeles chef, tweeted that he was "battered but OK", and fire department crew who attended the scene said he was in a fair to moderate condition after the crash.

SalesOne International has announced a new line of licensed stainless steel Star Wars jewellery which will be available to purchase at Celebration Anaheim in April, including two exclusive pieces that you won't be able to get anywhere else.

The company has also announced that it has another line in the works which will be based upon The Force Awakens.

If you aren't attending Celebration this year, don't worry as these fantastic products are also available at norselegion.com, the online store where you can also find jewellery from other franchises such as Marvel and DC Comics.

Head on over to Rebel Scum for more images of the line.

Yahoo Movies has revealed a sneak peak of several images from the new Star Wars Art: A Poster Collection art book. The book is the sixth book in the Star Wars Art series and features 20 removable large format crease-free prints which you can remove for framing.

15 prints are from the Lucasfilm vault, with a further five posters having been commissioned for the new book.

The book will be released on 3rd March 2015, and you can see six of the included posters over at Yahoo Movies.

Star Wars Celebration Anaheim kicks off on Thursday April 16th 2015, and this year they are starting big with JJ Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy taking some time out from supervising the finishing touches on The Force Awakens to open the show at 10am.

This year promises the biggest Celebration yet, and is the first of the four-day events to be held in the US following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney. An all new art show featuring over 30 artists, as well as displays of props from the Star Wars saga are among the attractions on offer this year.

Other guests include Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Steve Sansweet, Kenny Baker, and the cast of Rebels.

Tickets are on sale now at the official Celebration website.

For years, plastic toy lightsabers have been available, but Hasbro's new lightsaber system - Bladebuilders - due to launch later this year allows kids (or big kids!) to create a lightsaber of their own design. Different hilts, blades, and connecting parts are available to mix and match for a unique weapon from a more civilized age.

The starter pack is said to contain a lightsaber with light and sound, two daggers, an expansion hilt, and several connectors so that you can get started with your custom design right away.

Bladebuilders will be on display at the American International Toy Fair in New York this weekend.

The popular London tourist attraction is recreating several scenes from the Star Wars movies in a multi-million pound collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm.

In addition to a scene depicting Yoda on Dagobah, waxwork artists have spent several months recreating Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader's epic duel aboard the second Death Star, and a scene featuring Princess Leia and Jabba the Hutt - no prizes for guessing which costume Leia's waxwork will be wearing!

The full exhibit will feature 16 Star Wars characters from the the six movies released so far, and contain immersive walk-in scenes so you can enjoy a drink with Han Solo at the Mos Eisley Cantina, or take the Millennium Falcon for a spin with Chewbacca as your co-pilot.

Check out the announcement video from Madame Tussauds below.