The BBC is reporting that Miltos Yerolemou has joined the cast for Episode VII in what appears to be a relatively minor role. One of Yerolemou's better known, recent roles is of the Braavosi swordsman Syrio Forel on Game of Thrones. Yerolemou's swordfighting abilities has led to speculation that he will have some sort of involvement with lightsabers, though nothing has been confirmed Yerolemou is actually the second Game of Thrones cast member to join the cast of Episode VII. Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) has previously been announced.

The comments came from CEO Bob Iger during an interview with Variety. He confirmed that Disney will significantly expand the presence of Star Wars in Disney parks, confirming rumors from last year about the theme park plans.

According to Iger, plans will be revealed next year and will also show Disney leveraging its collection of other properties such as Marvel and Pixar, pointing out that their attractions are always more successful when they are branded.

The much beloved author collapsed at VisionCon in Springfield, Missouri, with suspected heart failure.

Allston's friend and fellow Star Wars author Timothy Zahn, posted a tribute on Facebook:

Aaron was a wonderful author, a devastating punster, an erudite teacher, and -- most of all -- a wonderful friend. His humor in the midst of his pain and medical difficulties was an inspiration to everyone around him, and I will always remember the panels he and I (often with Mike Stackpole) did together. The Aaron, Mike, and Tim show, as we called it, has come to a sad close.

Aaron Allston was a Texas-born veteran of Star Wars, most well known to fans for his contributions to the X-Wing and New Jedi Order series. He also wrote for the Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi series. His last Star Wars novel was took him back to his roots with X-Wing: Mercy Kill.

His dedication to sci-fi and fantasy, and the unrivalled wit he poured into his writing will be sorely missed by fans.

Rest in peace Aaron Allston, 1960 - 2014.

In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Lieutenant Shann Childsen was immortalised with the words "Where are you taking this... thing?" as Han Solo and Luke Skywalker attempted to gain access to detention block AA-23 on board the Death Star.

Any contribution to Star Wars, no matter how small, is sure to resonate with fans around the world, and we are sad to report that Malcolm Tierney, who portrayed the character, has passed away aged 75. Tierney had many roles in British and international television and movies, and can also be seen in the 1986 Doctor Who serial Trial of a Time Lord, and on the big screen in Braveheart.

Rest in peace Malcolm Tierney, 25 February 1938 - 19 February 2014.

Auctioneers at Vectis Auctions got more than they bargained for when an original packaged 1980 Empire Strikes Back Palitoy action figure, FX-7 (Medical Droid), sold for £7,000 (US $11,662), over 100 times the asking price.

The seller was understandably delighted with the record breaking sale, which was one of several Star Wars figure lots up for sale that day. An Imperial Commander figure sold for £3,000 and Darth Vader was snapped up for a modest £2,250.

A representative of the auction house said that surprises like this were not all that uncommon, as all it takes is for an avid collector to need those few missing models to complete their collections.

When we first received the items we didn't expect them to do as well as they did. The Star Wars items made up the the first 50 lots and it just went through the roof. The room was pretty full, a couple of people were bidding it out against each other, the same person bought quite a few of the big lots.

According to a report from Jedi Temple Archives, Lucasfilm has informed Hasbro to stop making new expanded universe figures, or even re-releasing old ones. So far there are only a few exceptions to this instruction; rereleases of Bastila Shan, Darth Malgus, Republic Trooper, and Starkiller have all been given the go-ahead due to poor distribution on their original run.

Hasbro will instead be focusing on the new Star Wars: Rebels line and classic trilogy characters, and while the prequel era is not off-limits we can expect to see a decrease in activity there too.

It could be that this is just a precaution while the Lucasfilm Story Group consolidates canon into one cohesive continuity, but it does seem to back up earlier rumours that the Star Wars expanded universe as we know it has its days well and truly numbered.

In Star Wars you don't need to be a big character to make a big impression, and Malcolm did just that in his role as Rogue Two when he uttered the immortal lines "Echo Base, this is Rogue Two. I've found them. Repeat, I've found them."

Malcolm had an extensive career, from playing Brad Majors in the original Rocky Horror Picture Show stage production, to a role in Jim Henson and Lucasfilm production Labyrinth, and a recurring role as Saffy's father in UK sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.

Rest in peace Christopher Malcolm, 19 August 1946 - 15 February 2014.

With Star Wars Episode VII expected to begin shooting at Pinewood studios in May 2014, ILM are investing in their London facilities to work on these and other projects.

ILM president Lynwen Brennan announced that the new facility, north of Soho, would employ 200 people and will be a full-service studio, saying "we needed to expand, and London is a key place to find great talent. We also want to work with UK-based directors; there’s a lot of filmmaking going on in the UK. And, the government has invested in the industry there."

The Soho area is already home to several leading visual effects houses, and ILM intend to open later this year, with only a small presence at the Pinewood studio as needed. It has also been revealed that ILM London's first project will be Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron.

In October 2013 Lucasfilm announced that Revenge of the Sith's visual effects producer, Roger Guyett would be returning for Episode VII. Guyett previously worked with Abrams on his Star Trek movies.

The current system of Star Wars canon is based on a hierarchy with the movies at the top and other media having less importance, and being ignored when it contradicts anything above it in the pecking order.

The new Lucasfilm Story Group has been convened to sort out the inconsistencies in the current hierarchy system and create a single definitive version of canon. Leland Chee, long-time keeper of the Star Wars expanded universe holocron continuity database is part of this new team, along with Pablo Hidalgo.

Does this mean that reports of Episode VII ignoring the expanded universe are untrue? If Disney and Lucasfilm are hoping to create a single version of canon then the only other way to achieve this would mean scrapping huge swathes of the expanded universe altogether, a move which would be likely to anger fans.

This will probably come as no surprise, as we have already been told of Disney's plan to release a new Star Wars movie every year, starting with Star Wars Episode VII and alternating between a Star Wars episode and a spin-off movie.

We can also expect to see television series tie-ins and rumour has it that after a recent Marvel deal with Netflix, we could see another new Star Wars show head that way too.

What else can we expect from this strategy? With Marvel so far, Disney has introduced characters and threads in stand-alone movies and sequels, then tied all the ends up to form a mega movie a-la Avengers. It seems highly likely that characters and storylines introduced in the Star Wars spin-offs and television shows will find their way into future instalments of the Star Wars saga, and if done correctly it could work well.

But as with anything Star Wars, the potential for a fan backlash is always there if things go wrong!

Online auction house Invaluable is selling an original prop used by Harrison Ford in two Star Wars films. The weapon, which is non-firing, is based on a German Mauser C96 handgun and is one of several props made for use in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

According to auctioneers, this particular model of Han Solo's trademark DL-44 blaster is a lighter version which would have been used in action-filled wide shots. Notably, it was used for the scene in Empire Strikes back when Darth Vader grabs Solo's blaster with the Force on Cloud City, and in Return of the Jedi when he wrestles with a stormtrooper on Endor.

The prop was made is resin using a cast of the original DL-44 prop used in the original Star Wars movie, which itself has since been lost. Due to this fact it carries the same serial number as the original.

In 2008 a Luke Skywalker lightsaber prop used by Mark Hamill was sold by producer Gary Kurtz for $240,000.

If you have a spare $200,000 and would like the chance to own this piece of Star Wars history, you can find the auction here:

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/harrison-ford-han-solo-dl-44-blaster-from-star-379-c-44e307f3bc

Star Wars has moved further into social media to build hype for Episode 7 and Star Wars Rebels by opening an Instagram account. They've already posted five pictures, three of which are from behind the scenes of the original trilogy, as well as a picture of "Slave Leias" from SDCC 2010 and a selfie from none other than Darth Vader himself!

To follow Star Wars on Instagram, search for user Starwars, but don't expect any follows back!

It was originally reported that Tomorrowland would be transformed into a Star Wars attraction, complete with speeder bikes and a landing pad featuring a Millennium Falcon walk-through where you would be meet Chewbacca and other famous Star Wars characters.

Insiders cite a lack of funds as Disney spend their budget on other developmental areas, but with Star Wars Episode VII still in the pipeline it is surely only a matter of time before the Imagineers get to giving Star Wars that bit of Disney magic at their world famous resorts.

It's not every day a science fiction franchise reaches 50 years old, let alone still has it's original television series still in production (okay, so it had a hiatus in the 80s until 2005, but shush!) but Doctor Who defiantly continues onwards, despite what some of the more old school BBC bosses of the 1960s predicted.

For those not in the know, Doctor Who sees an enigmatic character known only as the Doctor travel the galaxy in his space-time machine, the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). The Doctor hails from the planet Galifrey, home of an ancient and advanced all-but-extinct race known as the Time Lords.

Tonight, sci-fi fans across the world will be glued to their screens as the Eleventh Doctor teams up with his previous incarnation to confront his darkest secret. Check out the fantastic trailer below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z6FMCqYrBo

The 50th anniversary special, Day of the Doctor, is being simulcast around the world, so be sure to check your TV guide for the broadcast time and channel in your area.

In related news, there is a rumor flying round that current Doctor Who star Matt Smith, who is set to leave the show at the end of the year, has recently been spotted auditioning for a role in Star Wars Episode VII. Watch this space!

Disney and Lucasfilm have announced the official release date for Epiosode 7 via Twitter and StarWars.com! The much anticipated date will be December 18, 2015

"We're very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture," said Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

Shooting is scheduled to begin spring of 2014 at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire.

Disney has posted details about an open casting call for two young characters (male and female) with vague background details, and will be holding auditions throughout the UK. The fact that J.J. Abrams is directing and the roles are vague is leading to speculation that this could be for Episode 7 (as the last time the director had a similar listing, he was secretly casting his film Super 8.) Studio has neither confirmed nor denied that these auditions are for Episode 7, and Star Wars has a history of casting relative unknowns for their movies, so the chances could be pretty good that this is indeed for the film.

The descriptions of the characters have people speculating how the film is going to involve the characters.

SEEKING YOUNG WOMAN TO PLAY 17-18 YEAR OLD. MUST BE BEAUTIFUL, SMART AND ATHLETIC. OPEN TO ALL ETHNICITIES (INCLUDING BI AND MULTI RACIAL). MUST BE OVER 16.

RACHEL - Was quite young when she lost her parents. With no other family, she was forced to make her way in a tough, dangerous town. Now 17, she has become street smart and strong. She is able to take care of herself using humor and guts to get by.

SEEKING YOUNG MAN TO PLAY 19-23 YEARS OLD. MUST BE HANDSOME, SMART AND ATHLETIC. MUST BE OVER 18.

Thomas - Has grown up without a fathers influence. Without the model of being a man, he doesn't have the strongest sense of himself, despite this he is smart, capable and shows courage when it is needed. He can appreciate the absurdities in life and understands you can't take life too seriously.

Theories have included a story that goes back and forth between the time after Return of the Jedi and the potential setting of Episode 7, or that these characters are going to be friends/supporting characters along with the children of previous characters, even calls for a possible "parental twist" have been tossed around as well.

If you're in the UK and interested in auditioning, sources have directed us here for more information.

Speaking to The Times newspaper he said, "I loved how Star Wars had that sense of a world far beyond the borders of what you can see and have been told – it's one of the things it did so brilliantly.

"If you watch the first movie, you don't actually know exactly what the Empire is trying to do. They're going to rule by fear – but you don't know what their end game is.

"The beauty of that movie was that it was an unfamiliar world, and yet you wanted to see it expand and to see where it went."

This echoes previous statements that suggest Abrams was trying to make Star Wars Episode VII more like the original movies, however there is still no solid confirmation of what form the story will take or even who has even been cast.

Disney plans to release a new Star Wars movie every year, including the main Star Wars saga and various spin-offs every other year, and it seems that Disney CEO Bob Iger does not plan on letting this grand scheme fall behind.

2015 is already packed full of big movies, with the final installment of Hunger Games, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the Batman and Superman movie, and Disney clearly wants a slice of the action.

Let's hope they can pull it off without having to rush Star Wars Episode VII.

Also surfacing in the past few days was a Laserdisc containing 30 minutes of raw behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of Return of the Jedi. The disc recently sold for $699 on ebay, and the winner plans on making footage available in digital format for everyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgLl0_mqLtc

Note: The video is silent the first 48 seconds. This is working as intended.

Buzzfeed has also already made gifs of some of the footage.

Thursday, Lucasfilm announced a big change-up in the screenwriters for the next film in the Star Wars series. Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) is being replaced by the team of director J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (who has previously been serving as a consultant for the film) in a surprise twist. For those unfamiliar with Kasdan, you may recognize his body of works: The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

"I am very excited about the story we have in place and thrilled to have Larry and J.J. working on the script," states Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. "There are very few people who fundamentally understand the way a Star Wars story works like Larry, and it is nothing short of incredible to have him even more deeply involved in its return to the big screen. J.J. of course is an incredible storyteller in his own right. Michael Arndt has done a terrific job bringing us to this point and we have an amazing filmmaking and design team in place already prepping for production."

Currently, the studio seems to be remaining mum on the topic of Arndt's departure. This does bring into question whether the original planned direction for the film will continue (Arndt had originally drafted a 40-50 page document), or if Abrams is going to push more towards something like his Star Trek reboots.