Showing posts with label JONATHAN OLLEY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JONATHAN OLLEY. Show all posts

Saturday, 18 March 2023

'SOLO': CHEWIE'S WINTER BREAK!

Image: Jonathan Olley for Lucasfilm/Disney.

Even legendary Wookiees like the mighty Chewbacca (as personified by the amiable actor/sportsman Joonas Suotamo) need time for a break once in a while, as seen here during the original location filming in Italy for Solo: A Star Wars Story, during 2017. These BTS shots captured for media publicity mildly echo those of Peter Mayhew's filming as Chewbacca, enduring harsher cold and snow during Finse, Norway 1979, for The Empire Strikes Back.

Deleted scene moment of Han and Chewie having a brief snowball fight on Vandor, watched by Tobias Beckett. 

Joonas Suotamo in costume holds an umbrella to protect the Yak hair costume from the watery snow elements.

Saturday, 14 August 2021

ROGUE ONE: ENEMY FRIENDLIES?


Tensions rise at the Yavin IV Rebel base between General Draven and X-wing fighter squadron Blue Leader (General Antoc Merrick), in this possibly staged image from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. though all the official book releases linked to the film in 2016 talk about the uneasy relationship between the two men, with Blue Leader considering Draven to be too ready to sacrifice the brave U-wing pilots in their battles against the Empire. It's likely that this plot element between the two characters was filmed but ultimately deleted.

Posed publicity/merchandising shot of Alistair Petrie as Draven. Image by Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm.

Onscreen, Draven certainly came across as a pretty ruthless and stern military leader. Though in the originally filmed version of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, he was seemingly less cutthroat as a strategist leader, and it would be his character who'd commit the Rebel ships and fighters to the attack on Scarif. In the reshoots this was changed with the introduction of the Calamarian Admiral Raddus, who'd defy the Rebels' mandate with his cruiser and support Jyn's mission to steal the Death Star plans, spurring the others fractions on to assist them.

https://thefutureoftheforce.com/2018/11/22/alistair-petrie-it-takes-one-to-rogue-one-interview/

Tuesday, 14 April 2020

EPISODE IX: KICKING UP A (SAND)STORM!


The First Order's technological might knows no boundaries as one of their Stromtroopers efficiently rides a Treadspeeder across the Pasaana desert in pursuit of 'the Scavenger' and her friends, in this great image taken on location in Jordan by photographer Jonathan Olley for The Rise of Skywalker.


Saturday, 28 March 2020

EPISODE IX: DROID ADVENTURERS!


On the mountainous/desert realm of Pasaana, our iconic hero C-3PO may impart tourist advice at the wrong time to his human Resistance cohorts, but at least lovable BB-8 enjoys some fellow droid company, as seen in this lovely posed image taken by on set photographer Jonathan Olley, in Jordan, during location filming of The Rise of Skywalker. It's a shot that's likely done in tribute to the famous one of Threepio and Artoo together at the Lars Homestead, from back in 1976.

Anthony Daniels various:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvQ-ktdG5WE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FxVPvpK1xA&feature=emb_logo

Friday, 22 November 2019

EPISODE IX: OUT IN FORCE!

Image by Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm/Disney.

On the chilled, snow-clad streets of Kijimi, Kylo Ren's First Order Stormtroopers seek out Rebellion activity, in a military force moment from The Rise of Skywalker.

Wednesday, 17 October 2018

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 kept under wraps for as long as possible by the film's production team, but all the key creative players knew that the cruel Imperial leader had to be involved somewhere in the storytelling. 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.

Thursday, 15 February 2018

ROGUE ONE: FIGHTING DIRTY!


Right from the film's earliest promotion online and at one of the Star Wars Celebration events back in 2015, it was clear that Rogue One - A Star Wars Story was going to be a tough and gritty action-adventure lead-in to the original 1977 movie that started it all. And, from this early cast publicity shoot (by LUCASFILM UK's in-house Chief Photographer, Brit talent Jonathan Olley) taken at the filming location of Cardington Hangar, London, our main heroes (led by Felicity Jones ultimately noble Jyn Erso), minus the being kept under wraps K-2SO, were also going to look a lot grubbier from their resultant conflicts!









This image from the shoot would be held back until the film's release.

Intriguingly, no solo image of the character of Bodhi Rook, as played by the inimitable Riz Ahmed, seems to have been released from that early posed location shoot taken by Olley. Interestingly, the character of Bodhi Rook had a different name, character personality, background (including a family) and motivations leading up to the start of filming on Gareth Edward's vision of Rogue One. Things later changed considerably - the character becoming the newly christened 'Bodhi Rook' during the film's reshoots phase, of which Ahmed's role was further expanded and integrated within the plot (most notably linked to Jedha). The closest we can find image-wise to that original look for Ahmed's early character interpretation are these shots below (photographer/s unknown).



Friday, 2 December 2016

ROGUE ONE: ALAN TUDYK IS K-2SO!

Image: Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm/Disney.

"Mad, bad and dangerous know", that's the classic description from fiction past of romantic era poet Lord Byron. And comedienne/actor, now android inhabiter of ROGUE ONE, Alan Tudyk, could be all these things and more, too - though in the funnest and zaniest of ways, making the cult American star the perfect choice to play the drily functional, sarcastic, edgy and doesn't mince words former Imperial spy droid K-2SO, now reprogrammed by his servant Captain Cassian Andor to serve the Republic against the Empire- surely one of our band of heroes best tricks up their sleeves during their bold mission to steal the Death Star plans from heavy enemy opposition and formidable firepower at Scarif!

First ROGUE ONE clip: STAR WARS ROGUE ONE Clip & Trailer (2016) - YouTube

'Rogue One': Alan Tudyk on His 'Star Wars' Future | Hollywood Reporter
Alan Tudyk Talks Rogue One, Star Wars Sets & Practical Effects
Star Wars: See Rogue One Sneak Peak Live

Sunday, 9 October 2016

ROGUE ONE: JYN's SOLACE

Image: Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm/Disney.

In an isolated area of the Rebels' Massassi Temple base on Yavin IV, shackled prisoner Jyn Erso, no stranger to prior detention from the Imperials, sits quietly, expecting punishment, but soon finds herself uniquely qualified for an incredible mission to fight the Empire she hates, in ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY.

Latest ROGUE ONE news:

Star Wars' Felicity Jones was 'doing kung fu rehearsals on a daily basis' for Rogue One | GamesRadar+

Inferno star Felicity Jones: 'I felt totally embraced by Tom Hanks'

New Novel Synopsis Reveals the Relationship Between Jyn Erso, her Father and Director Krennic! | Star Wars News Net

NYCC 2016: Rogue One and Star Wars 40th Anniversary Publishing Programs Revealed | StarWars.com

Saturday, 3 September 2016

ROGUE ONE: OF EVIL AMBITIONS...


Flanked by intimidating, obsidian armoured Death troopers on his command and control Star Destroyer, Director Orson Krennic prepares to oversee an important weapons test related to the Death Star, in a destructive sequence from ROGUE ONE.

Beautifully mixing old with new, I love this shot (taken by Jonathan Olley) and applaud the production team's attention to detail, from the sideburned Imperial officers harkening back to 1977's STAR WARS, to the bridge layout combining design elements from EPISODEs V and VI.