THE CLONE WARS: SPEEDY KILLER!

Recently mentioned in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the legendary female bounty hunter Aurra Sing shows her considerable skills as a speeder pilot against Ahsoka Tano, in the lively The Clone Wars Season Two finale: Lethal Trackdown.

One of the ever-excellent Dave Filoni sketches linked to potential future animated episodes of TCW.

With Aurra having been partnered previously with Cad Bane, let's hope the duo are reunited with a young Boba Fett (getting ever closer to the character we know and hate) for at least one of the thirteen episodes of the upcoming closure season of the hit animated series.

EPISODE VIII: A CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL!

Their escape transport fleet near perished, General Leia Organa, top pilot Poe Dameron and Threepio look on at the destructive legacy wrought against the First Order by the late Amilyn Holdo, whose bravery will never be forgotten by the Resistance as they head towards the lonely salt world of Crait. A solemn and darkly powerful moment from The Last Jedi.

On EPISODE IX:

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/08/28/star-wars-oscar-isaac-says-carrie-fishers-still-us-filming-episode-ix/1098291002/

http://www.jedinews.co.uk/film-music-tv/articles/oscar-isaac-claims-episode-ix-has-more-improvisation-than-previous-films/

http://epicstream.com/news/TinyDiapana/JJ-Abrams-Reportedly-Aiming-To-Turn-Episode-IX-Into-The-Longest-Star-Wars-Film

ROGUE ONE: THE 'OTHER' TARKIN...

The new/old Tarkin. Image by Jonathan Olley.

The mystery of whether Rogue One would feature an appearance from Grand Moff Tarkin himself was always kept under wraps for as long as possible by the film's production team. The top secret pressure must equally have been felt by actor Guy Henry, stepping into the late Peter Cushing's boots (or should that be his 1976 on-set slippers) to bring the evil, twisted character back to (past) life.

Guy Henry on set at Pinewood filming his Tarkin scenes

Full credit to the popular British actor for his painstaking visual/audio research and his inspired job at capturing the 'essence' of Tarkin and Cushing. Plus, of course, full kudos to ILM for their painstaking CGI face work, which was consistently excellent.

MONSTER DELIGHT! 'STAR WARS- ALIEN ARCHIVE' - OUT NOW IN THE UK

Ever since its genuinely interstellar debut in 1977, one of the most popular facets of the Star Wars saga created by George Lucas (and a tradition continued by his successors) must surely be the diverse and truly unique inhabitants populating its galaxies. They have been memorably fascinating, humorous, scary, thrilling, chilling, whilst some have even looked visually unlike anything we've ever seen before captured on sci-fi/fantasy celluloid. They've all had that feeling of reality and believability of sorts operating in their own galactic eco-systems and as part of the visual storytelling (all adding an important extra layer to Lucas's concept of a 'used universe' that would prove so pioneering and copied for years to come), in ways they have related to our main and supporting characters both working for good or evil.

The mystery and magic of Yoda and his species.

With the success of his gorgeous artistic Star Wars Atlas, artist Tim McDonagh builds on that special achievement, returning to a a galaxy far, far away for the gorgeous all-new beautiful tome that is the Star Wars Alien Archive, published by EGMONT UK, and another sure-fire hit on the publishing front. It's a visual tour de force (forgive the pun!) continuance, of which McDonagh brings a fresh and satisfying visual angle of detail and greater realism to a veritable creature confectionery emergent from both the entire film saga (including the recent Solo: A Star Wars Story), animated series, and its official Expanded Universe. Not only is the book a terrific encapsulation of these classic creations, it's also a fine tribute to the innovative artists, craftsmen, special effects geniuses and acting talents who continue to bring them to such glorious and unforgettable life.

A lovely showcase for the many distinctive beasts of the new saga films.

Charting creatures evolved from harsh 'Frozen Lands'.

Here's the book's press info:

Wookiees, wampas and Weequays; Biths, banthas and bogwings; porgs, puffer pigs and Pau’ans; this is the ultimate species guide for Star Wars fans aged 7 to 70! This comprehensive collection will tell you all you need to know about the aliens of the galaxy.

Deep in the stacks of the Graf Archive, an old traveller's journal has been discovered and restored for public viewing. A long time ago this unknown traveller documented his stories about the many creatures found in each destination he explored, and includes famous movie locations such as the Mos Eisley cantina on Tatooine, Maz's Castle and the holy city of Jedha.

The archivist restored this journal and added facts and stats about the cultures, legends and famous members of over 200 species, including famous characters such as Chewbacca, Ahsoka, Wicket and many more.

Alien Archive is beautifully illustrated with full colour artworks, sketches and diagrams by Tim McDonagh, illustrator of Galactic Atlas.

A look at the incredible Wookiees of Kashyyyk.

Truly a lovely Christmas gift that will be poured over and enjoyed for a long time to come, get Star Wars Alien Archive here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-Wars-Alien-Archive-Species/dp/1405288477/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539187652&sr=8-1&keywords=star+wars+alien+archive

'SOLO': HAN'S IN CHARGE!

It's the moment that Han's been waiting for all his adult life so far, though its currently not in the greatest of times, as he leaps into the pilot's seat of the Millennium Falcon and speeds it away from the dangers of the Kessel spice mines, in a great image from Solo: A Star Wars Story, out now on home entertainment release and doing very well indeed...

EPISODE VII: HER FIRST STEPS...

Newly arrived on the lost and mythic world of the original Jedi on Ahch-To, the bold yet nervous Rey prepares to ascend the main island's nearby monumental steps, so as to find the one man capable of helping her training and the Resistance fight back against the First Order- the self-exiled legend Luke Skywalker himself, in this great concept art by veteran Star Wars Prequel talent Ryan Church for The Force Awakens.

CLASSIC IMAGE: INFERNO DAY!

They've been evenly matched against each other from the start, though Obi-Wan Kenobi momentarily has the upper hand during this stage in this lightsaber duel against former pupil Anakin Skywalker. Meanwhile, the Mustafar control collection centre around them starts to disintegrate, in another striking image of fiery oblivion and conflict from EPISODE III.

BEHIND THE SCENES: BACK TO 'BLUE HARVEST'!

Image: via STAR WARS ARCHIVES site.

Near the end of their exciting and spectacular April 1982 location shoot for the short screen time but epic and complex Sail Barge battle being filmed in Yuma, Arizona, an ILM effects plate shot is about to be captured before the camera for Return of the Jedi, under its location filming secret cover name of 'Blue Harvest'.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A LEGACY FROM MANDALORE!

In the beginning there was a bounty hunter named Jango Fett, the man, the warrior draped in the glistening combat armour of a legendary race, who then became the template for a clone manufacture of near perfect soldiers seemingly loyal to the Republic of whom they were created to serve in war, but with a hidden agenda for murder buried deep within their DNA.

Then there was Jango's non life accelerated 'son' whom his Kaminoan paymasters gave him on special request: the boy with the cruel smile and callous laugh who'd become the most notorious and feared bounty hunter in the galaxy: Boba Fett.

The mystery of The Mandalorian begins...

And coming soon will be the next mythos-building iconic rogue (or anti-hero)wearing very familiar armour, travelling within the heady darker areas of the Star Wars galaxy, in an unsettled universe and timeline set between the events of EPISODEs VI and VIII: The Mandalorian.

https://www.starwars.com/news/the-mandalorian-revealed

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: BEWARE THE GROUND POUNDERS!

The battle to buy time for the Rebel evacuation is over, and now the cause's valiant survivors must retreat from intense enemy fire in this great and very early ILM animatic moment conceived in pre-production for The Empire Strikes Back.