EPISODE IX: WHERE'S KLAUD?

J.J. Abrams inspects Nick Kellington inside the Klaud creature suit at Pinewood.

A brand new addition to both the Resistance and the Star Wars saga's creature collection, the alien technician known as Klaud, a member of the unique Trodatome species, was certainly a noticeable, and sizeable, figure in the early part of The Rise of Skywalker, helping Poe, Finn and Chewbacca keep the Millennium Falcon in continued service during its busy activities against the First Order.

Klaud would be inhabited by one of Neal Scanlan's regular creature operating team members, Nick Kellington, best known for so memorably playing 'Space Monkey' in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

On location with Greg Grunberg as Snap Wexley.

ROGUE ONE: WHEN MAN MET (SPACE) MONKEY!

He was a hit with Star Wars fans when first previewed at the 2016 STAR WARS CELEBRATION event in London, but his simian astronaut visual reality execution had already been given a prior welcome sign of approval by the cast and crew filming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story during 2015, especially by enthused director Gareth Edwards, here going through the various creature/ costume inhabitors with Neal Scanlon at Pinewood Studios.

Find out more about Rebel Alliance hero Bistan (played by Nick Kellington), and his quirky creation for the film, in the excellent The Moviemaking Magic of STAR WARS: Creatures & Aliens, written by Mark Salisbury and published by ABRAMS, out now in bookshops and online.

A preview on the book:
https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.com/2018/05/out-now-moviemaking-magic-of-star-wars.html

Get it here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moviemaking-Magic-Star-Wars-Creatures/dp/1419728199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1532089567&sr=8-1&keywords=the+moviemaking+magic+of+star+wars+creatures+%26+aliens

BEHIND THE SCENES: EVERYBODY, SAY... "MONSTER"!

With the near conclusion of filming of scenes set in Maz Kanata's waterhole on Takodana, J.J. Abrams, costume designer Michael Kaplan and creature supervisor Neal Scanlan pose for a group shot with the many bizarre aliens and droids created for The Force Awakens at Pinewood Studios.

EPISODE VIII: SPOT THE SCANLAN!

A happy Neal Scanlan, UK Creature and Special Make-ups Effects Creative Supervisor for The Last Jedi, enjoys the people and alien patrons of the Canto Bight casino (200 of which were created and costumed in all by Michael Kaplan), as seen in this fun image taken for VANITY FAIR's preview of the film from mid-2017, by acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Lens legend Annie Leibovitz directs the Canto Bight shoot for VANITY FAIR.

Mark Hamill makes a fun vocal cameo as a CGI alien with slot-machine interests in BB-8.

Find out more about the film's cameos and Easter Eggs here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p09c0MXDxto

Don't forget, The Last Jedi spin-off short story book Canto Bight is still available in hardback worldwide, and in the UK from Century Publishing.

Get it here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canto-Bight-Star-Ahmed-Saladin/dp/0525480366/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516032911&sr=1-1&keywords=star+wars+canto+bight

ROGUE ONE: NEWS AND FOOTAGE (DECEMBER - PART 2)

Jyn is ready for the Imperials, filmed by Gareth Edwards.

Great stuff coming in thick and fast...

Current clips: Rogue One A Star Wars Story Exclusive Scene - Jyn's Blaster (2016) - YouTube
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Movie Clip - Jyn's Rebellion Alliance (2016) Sci-Fi Action Movie HD - YouTube

NEW TV spots:

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY TV Spot #22 - Save The Rebellion (2016) Sci-Fi Movie HD - YouTube
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY TV Spot #23 - Surrender (2016) Sci-Fi Movie HD - YouTube

Neal Scanlan and new android buddy.

Behind the scenes:
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "Creature Featurette" - YouTube

Interviews:

STAR WARS ROGUE ONE interview with Director Gareth Edwards - YouTube
Interview with the director and cast of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" - YouTube
Rogue One: The Gareth Edwards Interview
Interview Gareth Edwards - Rogue One - A Star Wars Story - YouTube
STAR WARS ROGUE ONE interview w/ Ben Mendelsohn (³Krennic²) & Mads Mikkelsen (³Galen²) - YouTube
STAR WARS ROGUE ONE interview w/ Ben Mendelsohn (³Krennic²) & Mads Mikkelsen (³Galen²) - YouTube
Alan Tudyk & Riz Ahmed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Interview - YouTube
Donnie Yen (³Chirrut²)(IP Man) Interview for STAR WARS ROGUE ONE - YouTube
Alan Tudyk Gareth Edwards & Riz Ahmed Tour LucasArts - Rogue One LIVE Cast Twitter Q&A - YouTube

ROGUE ONE: WHEN WICKET MET 'SPACE MONKEY'!

Originally known as "Space Monkey" when created for ROGUE ONE by Neal Scanlan and his dedicated Creature Team workshop at Pinewood, the cheeky new/old Rebel hero, later give the name Bistan from the Iakaru race, soon became an instant sensation with fans worldwide during his larger than life debut (on stage performed by Nick Kellington) at the London CELEBRATION 2016 event, especially the fun moment when he picked up and chucked a Wicket figure back at host Warwick Davis!

No matter how long or short his ultimate contribution to the film is, we can't wait to see him in action for the finale air/ground battle on the Imperial held tropical world of Scarif.

The Creatures, Droids and Aliens of Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 - YouTube