The Forcecast: Star Wars News, Talk, Interviews, And More!

With several rumors pointing to big changes in Star Wars canon, Erik and Eric break down the latest news and speculation, and then address the question of an evolving continuity in the discussion segment. What could Lucasfilm do to streamline the universe? What changes are likely in the months ahead? We break it down for you on The ForceCast.

Might Kasdan's spin-off rewrite Boba Fett's origin? This week TheForce.Net's own Justin Bolger joins us to discuss this rumor, as well as Jesse Plemons, Episode VII's production start date, possible script changes, your feedback on Obi-Wan's possible granddaughter, and the possibility of a Pixar Star Wars film! All that and more, on this week's ForceCast!

Erik and Eric dissect a veritable feast of Episode VII rumors on this week's show, from casting reports to an alleged explanation for the departure of screenwriter Michael Arndt. What do we think of Jesse Plemons playing Luke Skywalker's son, Obi-Wan having a daughter, and hologram Jedi cameos? Tune in to find out!

The new year began with big news as Disney announced that Marvel would acquire the Star Wars comics license from Dark Horse in 2015. Erik and Eric discuss the license transfer, one of Dark Horse's last big comic projects, Disneyland Star Wars park rumors, The Clone Wars bonus content, a possible Star Wars Rebels character leak, and more. 2014 is off to a fast start and you'll find coverage of all of it here on The ForceCast!

We wrap up 2013 with news on Episode VII, an upcoming video game, a no-longer-upcoming book, and an introduction from one of Star Wars Rebels' executive producers. We then reflect back on the most memorable Star Wars moments of the year. From cancellations and closures to new beginnings, it was a big year for the franchise.

We wrap up our holiday gift guide this week by talking Star Wars collectibles with uber-collector and Rancho Obi-Wan president Steve Sansweet and with prolific Star Wars blogger and friend of the show Amy Ratcliffe. In addition to our collectible recommendations, we talk about Rancho Obi-Wan's recent World Record Night party, and Steve reveals some truly unusual items that he recently acquired. All that, plus the news of the week and your feedback, on this episode of The ForceCast!

The most iconic starship in Star Wars may now exist as a full-scale interior and exterior set! We also have a new perspective on the Disney theme park delays and an introduction to the executive producer of the upcoming Star Wars Rebels series. In our second gift guide segment, we're joined by Jay Shepard (Jedi Journals) and Aaron X (Star Wars Bookworms, Bad Wolf Radio) to talk books and comics.

Disney may have put its Star Wars theme park plans on hold, EA may be working on an open-world Star Wars game, and The Clone Wars may rediscover its "lost missions" next year on Disney XD. We discuss these rumors, a new J.J. Abrams interview, and the chances of seeing EU characters in the background of Episode VII. Plus, we're joined by Lou Secki from The Sabacc Table as we kick off our holiday gift guide mini-series with a segment on Star Wars games.

Ian McKellen...Shia LaBeouf...Joel McHale...No, they aren't being cast for Episode VII. Rather, they're a small sample of our casting considerations for an Original Trilogy reboot! We take a lighter approach to our discussion this week and look at who we would (or wouldn't) want to see cast if Disney were to remake the first three Star Wars movies. We also talk about the first confirmed casting for Episode VII, an interesting statement from EA's CFO, cover art for some upcoming books, and more!

Erik Blythe is out this week, but Christian Blauvelt from the BBC and Teresa Delgado from the new podcast Fangirls Going Rogue join Eric Geller to discuss Star Wars Episode VII's open audition process and the December release date that Lucasfilm announced last Thursday. Then, we step back from the day-to-day buzz around the first sequel film and discuss all the ways, big and small, that Disney could mine the Star Wars franchise for new material. From spinoff films to new EU publishing strategies to Disney merchandising tie-ins, we explore the opportunities that the galaxy far, far away presents to the House of Mouse.

We have an official release date! We also have news about casting calls we believe may be for Episode VII. Eric and Erik read the audition piece for "Thomas and Rachel," discuss what the character descriptions mean (if anything at all), and discuss a new actor rumored to be considered for an unnamed role. We’ve got all this and more in this week’s ForceCast!

This week, we cover the big Episode VII screenwriter shakeup. Arndt is out and Kasdan and Abrams are in. What does this mean for the story and the key players? We also discuss a rumor that Harrison Ford is onboard, celebrate the one-year anniversary of Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, and read your emails.

This week we have the honor of interviewing someone who has over 300 hours of experience as the voice of Star Wars, voice actor and audiobook narrator Marc Thompson. We also discuss a leaked Star Wars licensing roadmap, talk bonus content from the "Making of" eBooks, and respond to your questions and comments!

What are heroes without villains? This week, we discuss the Star Wars Rebels panel at New York Comic Con, where Lucasfilm revealed that the main villain in Rebels will be an Imperial Inquisitor. There's also news about The Clone Wars bonus content and a rumor about Episode VII working titles. Plus, we speak to Star Wars author Dan Wallace about his work on the Essential Guides and his upcoming book The Bounty Hunter Code. It's a potpourri of Star Wars goodness, and we're covering it all, because this is The ForceCast!

What can we take away from the Star Wars Rebels teaser? We couldn't be more excited, but the teaser raised some interesting questions for our Discussion segment. We also take a look at the latest Disneyland rumors, some interesting comments from Jett Lucas, and more!

It's Star Wars Reads Day Eve here at The ForceCast. Pablo Hidalgo and Leland Chee join us from Lucasfilm to discuss their work answering Star Wars questions for a living. Then, we talk to two of the biggest names in the Expanded Universe author community, Timothy Zahn and Aaron Allston. On top of all that, we cover an exciting slate of stories about Episode VII, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: 1313, and much more.

This week we've got casting rumors for both Rebels and Episode VII! Also, LucasBooks Senior Editor Jennifer Heddle joins us to discuss the Empire and Rebellion books, the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and more. We also talk about Star Wars Detours and get to some great listener feedback.

It's a shorter show this week, but we cover the latest Star Wars news, rumors, and releases all the same. Disney's CFO calls the spinoff films "origin stories," J.J. Abrams reportedly expands his California headquarters, and Star Wars Rebels heads to New York Comic Con. Oh yeah, and there might be a young Han Solo movie in the works too.

It's important to revisit iconic aspects of prior Star Wars films in the upcoming trilogy. But at what point do throwbacks become stale? This week we talk about finding that balance between honoring what's come before and creating something fresh. We also discuss title and casting rumors, news about Empire and Rebellion: Razor's Edge, and the status of our predictions for the upcoming films.

WARNING: This episode includes brief but MAJOR SPOILERS for Star Trek Into Darkness. // Erik Blythe is out this week, but special guest co-hosts Bonnie Burton and Christian Blauvelt join Eric Geller to discuss the latest and greatest rumors about Star Wars Episode VII. Could we see Benedict Cumberbatch make the jump from Star Trek to Star Wars? Would that be a good thing? Plus, Eric, Bonnie, and Christian discuss the role of nostalgia, with its promises and pitfalls, in the sequel trilogy era.