CELEBRATION EUROPE: OF PAST AND FUTURE 'WARS'!

Image: PILOT UK.

The gorgeous showpiece art for the upcoming STAR WARS CELEBRATION EUROPE event in July, melding the character realms of the STAR WARS Sequel universe with that of the surely impressive standalone "Anthology" adventure, the eagerly awaited Rogue One.

Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 Key Art - First Look! | StarWars.com
The Story Behind Star Wars Celebration Artwork : Pilot - Brand Consulting
Kathleen Kennedy and Rogue One Director Gareth Edwards to Attend Star Wars Celebration Europe | StarWars.com

ROGUE ONE director Gareth Edwards.

Latest Rogue One news:

Donnie Yen Still Not Done with “Star Wars: Rogue One” | JayneStars.com
This one to be taken with a massive grain of salt: Star Wars Rogue One is 'so bad Disney chiefs ordered FOUR WEEKS of reshoots' | Daily Mail Online
Star Wars: Rogue One - official book gives new character info | Den of Geek



EPISODE VII related news:

Look Inside Marvel's New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Adaptation | StarWars.com
The Star Wars: The Force Awakens Soundtrack Comes to Vinyl...with Holograms | StarWars.com
Daisy Ridley Discusses Why 'Star Wars' Resonates With Audiences | The Star Wars Underworld
Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lawrence and More Audition for 'Star Wars' in New 'SNL' Video - Hollywood Reporter

Star Wars Celebration The Ultimate Fan Experience - Star Wars Celebration • July 15 - 17, 2016

CLASSIC IMAGE: CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE!

The battle between Jedi and Geonosians intensifies in the death arena, as Padme, using her blaster skills to the hilt, and a protective Anakin Skywalker continue to aid their friends, in this great image from EPISODE II.

NOW LAUNCHED AND ONLINE: STAR WARS AFICIONADO ARCHIVES - 'REVENGE OF THE JEDI'

With the recent wonderful find of what could be the very first trailer for REVENGE OF THE JEDI, STAR WARS AFICIONADO has decided to launch a spin-off site dedicated to the original version of EPISODE VI: part of a new idea called the STAR WARS AFICIONADO ARCHIVE.

Check it out: STAR WARS AFICIONADO ARCHIVE - 'REVENGE OF THE JEDI'

Unused poster concept art by Lawrence Noble.

Look out for regular updates/new material on the site as the months go by. The intention is to do something a little different to what's being done here. I hope you all like it.

With special thanks to Chris Baker for all his splendid continuing design work for STAR WARS AFICIONADO.

The rare REVENGE OF THE JEDI trailer discovery: Epicstream

BEHIND THE SCENES: THE TRACTOR BEAM TERMINAL

Danger at the Tractor Beam terminal, in this scene from the original STAR WARS.

Having finally found his way to one of the Tractor Beam power terminals within the Death Star, a sneaking in and out Obi-Wan Kenobi deactivates the power source that has previously ensnared the Millennium Falcon, in this posed image specially taken for publicity purposes. The two Stormtrooper guards seen in the film that block one side of the Tractor Beam bridge area would be transplanted to the higher level for reasons of dramatic license for the image capturing. This famous shot would appear in many publications of the day but by the nineties would also have an animated power beam added/airbrushed to it.

The Tractor Beam terminal lights are turned on. Note the misty special effect not seen in the film.

On an upper walkway, Kenobi discovers the Tractor Beam terminal, in this deleted moment.

Filming of the scene, as shown in The Making of Star Wars.

Graham Freeborn was Sir Alec Guinness's primary make-up artist on the film.

Great high-up angle showing the filming on the set, prior to post production matte overlay.

Just a few feet off the floor, Guinness prepares for filming as Clapper-boy Jamie Harcourt lines up the shot.

Rehearsing the moment when Kenobi distracts the Stormtrooper duo.

Filmed at Elstree Studios, the set was mostly a redress of the chasm area that Luke and Leia swung across. A prior scene of Obi-Wan Kenobi on the higher bridge walkway seeing the Tractor Beam level below was filmed but didn't make the final cut. According to Script Supervisor Ann Skinner's continuity script, having deactivated the beam and avoided the Trooper's gaze, Obi-Wan moved back into the corridor and walked briskly past a grey "dustbin droid".

Deleted scene in corridor footage: Ben Kenobi in Corridor - Sendvid

With thanks to Ann Skinner and the BFI

With thanks to Chris Baker

CLASSIC IMAGE: FIGHT-BACK!

In the Theed City hangar on Naboo, Queen Amidala's loyal troopers, and members of an established resistance cell, gather together to take the fight back to the Trade Federation, in this action scene from EPISODE I.

EPISODE VII: "CHEWIE, WE'RE HOME!"

June 11th, 2014- an amazing filming day for the STAR WARS saga.

It was the classic moment- "the money shot". The one that brought floods of tears to captivated fans at the American CELEBRATION convention of April 2015, and got everyone else worldwide joyfully enthused and enthusiastically ready for the return of the Classic Trilogy heroes Han Solo and Chewbacca with THE FORCE AWAKENS.

Han and Chewie check the Falcon.

Having been watched by over 150 people all cramming in and around the lovingly recreated Falcon interior set, the emotionally resonant scene, shot with different line deliveries by Ford and given an important full day to film (alongside special unit publicity photography), was "in the can", thankfully, before the frightening accident 24 hours later that saw the ship's hydraulic door fall on the icon and suspend his involvement on the production for several months whilst he recovered from very serious injuries. Originally, Han and Chewie entered the Falcon and moved forward, turning a corridor corner to see Rey and Finn having emerged from the darkened and inoperative cockpit. However, with Harrison temporarily out of the picture, and principal photography at Pinewood Studios now shut down for three weeks, it was decided by J.J. Abrams and his editors in this enforced downtime to reassess/rework the pivotal scene, partially re-filmed on Ford's return (the actor described by his colleagues as being like a "new man" with his ignited enthusiasm for the project) and beefed up dramatically- Rey, Finn and BB-8 now being discovered under the technical grill by the duo as they try to gas the "intruders".

First day's publicity shoot for the old and new icons.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE INVISIBLE OPPONENT!

Partaking in some later blue screen photography, Christopher Lee's venomous Count Dooku (aka Darth Tyranus) locks two lightsabers against his former master, a not yet digitally created Yoda, in a scene from their EPISODE II duel that didn't ultimately make it to the final cut.

STAR WARS AFICIONADO remembers Christopher Lee on what would have been his Birthday.

'AFTERMATH' - OUT NOW IN UK PAPERBACK

It should have been the war to end all wars and see-in long term peace and stability- instead, it sent out ripple aftershocks in its wake affecting worlds both Imperial and Rebel controlled for decades to come. Acclaimed novelist Chuck Wendig reveals the consequences of that infamous Battle of Endor: consequences not just for the band of fighters led by Princess Leia Organa but also an all-new band of heroes coming together on a far-off world that, at first glance, seemingly has no significance, yet bourns secrets soon threatening what peace has been established, as the best selling Aftermath, Book One of a briskly paced new trilogy linked to the all-new sequel universe, arrives on UK paperback courtesy of ARROW.

Here's AFICIONADO's earlier review: STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: AFICIONADO REVIEW: 'STAR WARS - AFTERMATH'

Get it here: Star Wars: Aftermath: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Amazon.co.uk: Chuck Wendig: 9781784750039: Books

And look out for Book Two: Life Debt, this Summer in UK hardback, from CENTURY PUBLISHING. 

CLASSIC ART: PRACTITIONER OF EVIL...

Smelling of "linen and lavender", rather than the "foul stench" of evil, was how Carrie Fisher affectionately remembered and described the kind and gentle acting legend Peter Cushing back during May 1976, when she enjoyably worked with the screen icon during Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin's memorable confrontation within the Death Star battle station. One of Britain's finest cinematic exports in the realms of horror and sci-fi, Cushing was a formidable and bankable star name presence as Tarkin in the original STAR WARS, alongside Sir Alec Guinness' heroic older Jedi in Obi-Wan Kenobi- both wonderful in roles completely at the other end of the spectrum.

Mike Mitchell has perfectly captured that presence of evil and cruelty that is Tarkin, and his defining portrayal by Cushing, in the excellent art above, now available here: STAR WARS: Grand Moff Tarkin & Bossk by Mike Mitchell Now Available! – Mondo

STAR WARS AFICIONADO remembers Peter Cushing on his Birthday today!

BEHIND THE SCENES: FILM HISTORY IN THE MAKING...

STAR WARS Fan Club art by Ralph McQuarrie.

Today is the 39th anniversary of the original STAR WARS, yet 2016 is also the 40th amazing anniversary year in which the film started filming, under (mostly) snobbishly ignorant gazes, little press attention or studio enthusiasm, at London's Elstree Studios, and transatlantically via George Lucas's in-development effects house ILM, at what many thought was a shoddy but now iconic building/garage located at Van Nuys, California.

Here's a taster of the amazing work being undertaken in that incredible and now history-making time- some great, very rare B/W images which previously appeared on mega-fan Kevin Burton's now seemingly defunct UK website: www.swrealprops.com, which once dealt in rare props and imagery selling.

R5-D4 gets a close inspection from Luke, in one of the first scenes filmed for the movie in Tunisia. March 1976.

Mardji the Elephant is costumed to become a Bantha for additional California filming in January 1977.

UK crewman Jim Marlowe dons a Threepio suit for costume assembly reference photography.

"I think we took a wrong turn!"

The original, ultimately unused shot of the Jawa Sandcrawler filmed on location in Tunisia, replaced by additional footage at Death Valley, and with a further matte painting enhancement.

A shot of the Tusken Raider view of the canyon soon traversed by Luke's Landspeeder.

The droids wait in an alcove of the Death Star Hangar.

"What a piece of junk!"

The classic Lars Homestead location, as the sunset occurs.

The Jawas acquire Artoo on location in Tunisia- March 1976.

A close-in look at Luke's Landspeeder.

The missing Artoo is found as filming continues at the now famous STAR WARS Canyon in Tunisia.

Anthony Daniels and Mark Hamill film their soon deleted Landspeeder scene against back projection at Elstree, near the end of the film's UK shooting.

Peter Cushing's Tarkin watches a graphic-less view screen on the Death Star overbridge.

Troopers at Tunisia prepare to see the to-be-added Falcon blast off from the spaceport.

Nice shot of a droid and human extras at Ajim, Tunisia, during April 1976.

More of the Tunisian extras for the Mos Eisley spaceport scene.

Sir Alec Guinness film the tractor beam scene, in this great above the studio image.

Another image- the Death Star elevator section -  that will be enhanced with a McQuarrie matte painting

Filming at the UK's Cardington Airbase hangar for the Massassi Temple arrival on Yavin.

Han Solo blasts a TIE fighter. Storyboard: Joe Johnston.

Blue Leader is ready. Note the lost of kills!

At the Death Star equator. Storyboard:

The Death Star is approaching...

Point of view within the Death Star trench.

"All wings report in." Storyboard: Joe Johnston.

Soon a classic image on film. Storyboard: Joe Johnston.

Y-wing commander Red (later Gold) Leader is killed.

X-wing fighters almost ready for paint detailing at ILM.

Closer shot of an X-wing.

Another closer shot.

Darth Vader's striking persoanl TIE fighter.

HAPPY THIRTY-NINTH BIRTHDAY TO THE ORIGINAL 'STAR WARS'!