'INDY V': LATEST NEWS (MID-MAY 2023)

Movie poster art by Tony Stella.

Officially the longest running movie of the series (clocking-in at a whip-cracking 2 hrs 24 mins, no less!), Indy V will soon be debuting at this year's glossy and elitist Cannes Film Festival (out of competition), and we look forward to hearing early reviews, which we're sure will be most positive.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Harrison Ford attend Indiana Jones premiere at Cannes | Daily Mail Online

Harrison Ford Presented With Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes – The Hollywood Reporter

Phoebe Waller-Bridge joins Harrison Ford at Indiana Jones photocall at the Cannes Film Festival | Daily Mail Online

Ford and the main cast, with James Mangold, at Cannes on 18/5/23.

Latest news in the release build-up...

Harrison Ford made an iconic entrance onto the Indiana Jones 5 set | The Digital Fix

Indiana Jones movies confirm Disney+ release ahead of Dial of Destiny

Mads Mikkelsen previews his Indiana Jones villain Voller | EW.com

Indiana Jones 5 Writers Did What They Could to Terrify Harrison Ford

For 'Indiana Jones 5,' John Williams Scored 90 Minutes of Music - Variety

Steven Spielberg Praises Indiana Jones 5 as 'Really Good' - Variety

James Mangold talks de-aging Indiana Jones for a 25-minute Dial of Destiny opening sequence | GamesRadar+

Harrison Ford returns in these exclusive Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny images | GamesRadar+

ROGUE ONE: TECHNOLOGICAL TERROR!

The once peaceful shores of Scarif are soon disrupted by the heavy technological machine onslaught that are a squadron of Imperial AT-AT Walkers, intent on finding and destroying any potential Rebel incursions directed towards their secret installations, in this great concept painting for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Thom Tenery.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE LUCAS!

On location in Tunisia for Episode I - 1997.

Seventy-nine years young today and still blessed with more talent, imagination and pioneering insight than many of today's modern directors could ever hope to gain, George Lucas remains the original, the ultimate 'Father of Star Wars'.

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE ERAVANA INCIDENT!

The joy of being reunited with his beloved Millennium Falcon has been temporarily put on hold for Han Solo and Chewbacca as they discover that old enemies have docked onto their Eravana freighter seeking debt payments, with further complications potentially added linked to the duo's smuggling of rare and highly dangerous Rathtars, in another memorable scene from The Force Awakens.

Behind the scenes of the filming.

BEHIND THE SCENES: DARKNESS ON THE BRIDGE!

On the bridge of the Emperor's (Ian McDiarmid) former Republic Cruiser, the Sith Lord's loyal enforcer Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) joins him and Captain Tarkin (Wayne Pygram) to monitor the progress of the Death Star prototype's construction, in a partially built set at the Fox Studios, Australia for the memorable near-closing moments to Episode III.

'JEDI' AT 40: AT THE PALACE GATES!

"We'd better knock, I suppose..."

Now arrived at Jabba's Palace main shield door entrance, Threepio's attempts to escape their upcoming visitation predicament come to now avail. After communicating with a strange droid communications probe, the two are soon given access to the interior, with the bold Artoo Detoo striding into the unknown first...

Threepio talks Huttese to the palace gate keeper!

The sequence would be filmed around the 12th and 13th January, 1982 at Elstree Studios (of which the set was constructed directly in the middle of Stage 6), supervised and directed by Richard Marquand. Only the remote controlled Artoo would be used during this filming.

The droids on set at Elstree Studios.

Knocking on the door, watched by the crew.

Principal Threepio Costume/Prop Assistant Toby Lofthouse helps Anthony Daniels on set as filming continues, captured in continuity polaroid.

"We'd better go!" Too late for Threepio, the stronghold door is already ascending...

Artoo takes the initiative.

Wide shot enhancement with ILM matte painting. Image via Ben Ageros Collection.

The scene as captured in the MARVEL Comics adaptation of 1983. Art by Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon.

'ATTACK' AT 20: THE NEXT RESCUE!

The Republic rescue force arrives for battle. Art by Ryan Church.

The calvary comes to the rescue, in this case Master Yoda and a huge shock force of accompanying Clone Troopers, direct from Kamino, now arriving within the Geonosian Death Arena and providing expert cover fire for all the remaining Jedi and friends to escape and join their comrades in battle against the assembled mass enemy forces out on the desert plains...

"Look!"

Republic gun ship attack!

Creating a defensive perimeter to recover their friends.

Yoda and the new Clone Troopers.

Going into action.

Padme and Anakin continue providing attack and cover fire for themselves and their comrades during the Republic arrival.

The Clones and the Jedi prepare to depart the chaos.

Our main heroic trio escape onto a gunship.

Heading out of the area, the Republic forces prepare for new combat.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Various Jedi in between filming on the Republic gunship about to escape the arena.

Lucas and Samuel L. Jackson clown around with the reference dummy Yoda on set in Australia.

ILM CGI reference image of a Clone Trooper.

Production painting art by Doug Chiang.

BEHIND THE SCENES: A FORD IN PLAIN SIGHT?

We know that on the busy, newly built Star Wars Stage back during Summer, 1979, the impressive site comprising the Rebel hangar base on Hoth had a lot of visitors eager to see The Empire Strikes Back's stars at work in front of and behind the camera. Some of these visitors were journalists, some were studio 'suits' eager to find out what was going on with the over schedule and budget first sequel, whilst others were friends and colleagues to the main stars. Carrie Fisher had numerous pals see her during filming on the Rebel Base set, including fellow actor Treat Williams, the pair making a brief cameo together as barely noticeable on screen Rebel soldiers rushing out of the hangar bay and onto the snowy surface. It was clearly a lot of fun for the duo, mixed in with lots of background artists playing Rebel ground soldiers, but is it also possible that Harrison Ford was eager to get in on the act too in playing a background crowd officer?. It certainly looks like it could be Ford seen in these screen captures, wearing the blight brown gilay, soon raising his hand with the exciting news (via tannoy provided in one version of the film by Mark Hamill himself) that his Rebel colleagues have scored a victory with the escaping first transport? 

If anyone can confirm this is Ford, please get in touch...

'MAY THE FOURTH' BE WITH CARRIE FISHER!

Image: Variety/Instagram.

It's the accolade she really should have received when she was alive, when her vibrance, charm, goofiness, spirit, articulate, intelligent self was with us in its fullest glory. Nonetheless the late, much-missed Carrie Fisher (always and forever our Princess Leia) was today finally given the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star she deserved, the honour (on the perfectly timed 'May the Fourth') being celebrated and hosted by Mark Hamill (as much a brother to her off screen over the years as he was onscreen as Luke Skywalker) and Carrie's equally talented and shining bright daughter, Billie Lourd. 

Image: Chris Argyropoulos/Twitter.

All in all, it was a fine tribute to a lady we'll always treasure and whom we all miss every day since her sad and untimely passing in 2016. 

May the Force be with You, Carrie... forever!

Mark Hamill Reads Note He Wrote After Carrie Fisher's Death - Variety

CLASSIC IMAGE: THE BUILD-UP TO WAR!

On the green grass plains of Naboo, two enemy forces - one of Trade Federation metal, the other of humanoid Gungan flesh and bone- square up to one another, as the battle for control of the planet and its freedom reaches its zenith point, in this great shot of expectant action from EPISODE I. 

A 'War and Peace' moment that George Lucas would describe to an enthused Steven Spielberg during the film's pre-production in London, 1997.