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The Skywalker trilogy was controversial for many reasons. Some fans liked it, but others were unhappy with the story, characters, and changes from earlier movies.

Some people didn’t like how the new characters were written. Others felt the old characters, like Luke Skywalker, didn’t act like themselves. Fans also argued about who Rey was and how powerful she became. The trilogy changed some things about the Force and Star Wars history, which upset long-time fans, but one of the most controversial things was the kiss between “Reylo,” Kylo Ren, and Rey Skywalker.

Rey and Kylo’s kiss happens at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. After they fight together and Kylo saves Rey’s life, they share a kiss just before he dies.

The moment was emotional, but it caused a lot of debate among fans. Some people loved it and saw it as a powerful,...

The Star Wars franchise has been nominated for a total of 37 Academy Awards throughout its unique history at the Oscars. Many of the nominations and wins have been centered around sound and visual effects. However, only two films have received nominations for film editing.

The original movie, A New Hope, received both the nomination and win in 1977. Paul Hirsch, Richard Chew, and Marcia Lucas, George Lucas's wife at the time, all took home the award. It was a film that broke a lot of ground in film editing techniques and was well received for its work in the category.

Marcia Lucas was also nominated for George Lucas' 1973 film, American Graffiti. Chew was nominated in 1976 for his film editing work on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Hirsch received a nomination for his work in 2004 for the Ray Charles biopic, Ray.

Hirsch spoke to Rogerebert.com about his work on A New Hope,...

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. It was a monumental movie not just for the franchise but pop culture as it broke the record for being the highest-grossing film in North American history.

It also reached new heights in filmmaking. When it was time for Academy Awards nominations, the film received five. It was the most for a Star Wars film since 1977 when A New Hope received 11. The nominations marked a turn for the franchise as it proved that Star Wars once again could be viewed as a cinematic and critical achievement as much as a box office smash.

The categories the film was nominated for were film editing, original score, sound mixing and editing, and special effects. The nomination for film editing was the first time a film in the franchise was honored in the category since A New Hope.

Anthony Daniels has been stirringly loyal to the "Star Wars" media empire ever since its inception in 1977. Daniels played the prissy, cowardly droid C-3Po, an automaton built to aid in translation and matters of diplomacy. Curiously, he was programmed to flee from danger, and frequently comments on how his carbon-based compatriots are reckless and foolhardy. He may have a point, as C-3Po is dismembered and reassembled several times throughout "Star Wars" history.

Daniels has appeared inside the droid costume, or at least provided the voice for C-3Po in 14 feature films, not all of them "Star Wars" related. He played the part in "The Lego Movie," for instance. He also voice the popular droid in "The Star Wars Holiday Special," appeared on both "The Muppet Show" and "Sesame Street," starred in the animated series "Droids," and acted in over a dozen "Star Wars" and "Lego Star Wars" video games.

The Academy picked the right year to give an Honorary Oscar to film editor Carol Littleton. They’re saluting a female editor at a time when three of the year’s major awards contenders —“Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Oppenheimer” and “Maestro” — are edited by Thelma Schoonmaker, Jennifer Lame and Michelle Tesoro, respectively, and when other women in the mix include Hilda Rasula for “American Fiction,” Victoria Boydell for “Saltburn,” Sarah Flack for “Priscilla” and co-editors Claire Simpson (with Sam Restivo) for “Napoleon” and Oona Flaherty (with Nick Moore) for “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.”

“The Editors Guild has about 2,900 picture editors, and 764 women,” said Littleton, a one-time president of that guild. “That’s about a fourth. So isn’t it interesting that these three big prestigious films, ‘Oppenheimer,’ and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and ‘Maestro,’ are edited by women?”

If all three are nominated for Oscars...

Synopsis

After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth…65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive. From the writers of A Quiet Place comes 65, a sci-fi thriller produced by Sam Raimi, Deborah Liebling, Zainab Azizi, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

Special Features

4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, Digital, And DVD

• Deleted & Extended Scenes

• Creating the world of 65

• Primordial Planet

• Final Showdown: Concepts to screen

• And more!

Cast And Crew

Written and Directed By: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods

Produced By: Sam Raimi, Deborah Liebling, Zainab Azizi, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Executive Producers: Maryann Brandon, Doug Merrifield, Jason Cloth, Aaron L. Gilbert

Cast: Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt

Specs

Run Time: Approx.

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods made quite the name for themselves when "A Quiet Place" hit theaters in 2018. As the writers of the film, they had a massive hit on their hands, and one that has gone on to spawn an entire franchise. But they've since moved on to directing as well, with their latest movie an equally ambitious sci-fi feature in the form of "65." Starring Adam Driver in the lead role, the duo finally gave modern audiences a big dinosaur movie that was divorced from the "Jurassic Park" franchise (read our review here). And for those who would like to see that action unfold on their TV from the comfort of home, we've got some good news for you.

The film in question is arriving on Digital this month, meaning it will be available in just a few clicks following its theatrical run. Additionally, the movie will be coming to Blu-ray,...

Adam Driver-starring sci-fi adventure film “65” has been approved for theatrical release in mainland China. It will hit cinemas on March 31, some three weeks after the film began to release in other international territories.

The film is branded as a Columbia Pictures title and will be released by the Sony label in most territories. In China, however, all revenue-sharing import titles are officially handled by a state-owned enterprise. The Hollywood studio’s Chinese office theoretically operates in an advisory capacity, though in practice it is likely to be involved in marketing strategy and p&a decisions.

The film has a survival-quest narrative. After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth some 65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain...

The latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Thor: Love and Thunder, also signifies the fourth stand-alone film for the character (the most for any character). While it proves wildly entertaining and engaging for most of its running time, the film finds itself caught a bit too much in the whimsical nature of its subject and ends up a little too light on the story side of the ledger.

In Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) embarks on an epic journey for inner peace. However, his retirement is halted when Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) arrives seeking to extinguish all of the gods from the universe. In an effort to defeat this new foe, Thor joins forces with King Valkryie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and his former flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now possesses the magical hammer Mjolnir.

Working from a script by himself and...

Pixar’s “Lightyear” (which is now playing exclusively in theaters) serves as the big screen sci-fi adventure that eventually led to the toy that Andy was gifted at the start of the first “Toy Story”. It expands the “Toy Story” universe in surprising and meaningful ways. And introduces us to an all-time Pixar sidekick in the form of his robotic cat pal Sox.

In “Lightyear,” Buzz (now voiced by Chris Evans) is an intrepid Space Ranger who, driven by ego and a truly righteous sense of self, accidentally maroons his fellow space travelers on a harsh world full of treacherous vines and creepy bug creatures. Determined to figure out a way off the planet, he attempts to crack lightspeed travel and finds himself in a strange loop – each time he makes a test flight, he returns to the planet a few minutes later but several years have passed. As a...

Last December’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was the divisive final entry in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, and it also marked the final entry in the 9-film Skywalker Saga that began way back in 1977. Though it may have left many feeling underwhelmed or disappointed by its overall arc, it nevertheless succeeded at closing decades’ worth of story threads while presenting fans with an open-ended reminder that there are still plenty of stories left to be told within the franchise’s massive universe.

More disappointing for some, however, was that the Blu-ray and DVD release of the film lacked commentary from director J.J. Abrams and contained no deleted scenes, something that clearly resulted from copious amounts of script rewrites and reshoots that plagued the production from the very beginning.

But that’s not to say that the film didn’t include plenty of cut content, though, as there...

Rian Johnson has revealed why he cut one of Luke Skywalker's lessons for Rey in The Last Jedi. The director shot and finished the CGI for the scene in question, but later decided to leave it out. Even two years after hitting theaters, Johnson is still either hailed for his take on the Star Wars franchise or hated. The movie took expectations and shattered them, offering up something new in return that many people were not ready for.

Luke Skywalker is a hermit on Ahch-To when we're reintroduced to him in The Last Jedi. Rey has come, along with Chewbacca and R2-D2 to convince the Jedi to come back and fight with the Resistance. This version of Luke is far from the one that was last saw in Return of the Jedi, but he reluctantly starts to provide Rey with the Jedi training that she needs. Two lessons made it into the movie,...

The outrage over Rian Johnson’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” just won’t go away. On a recent episode of the “Light the Fuse” podcast (via CinemaBlend), J.J. Abrams’ longtime editor Mary Jo Markey shared her belief that “The Last Jedi” made conscious storytelling decisions that undid the narrative setups made in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which Abrams directed and Markey co-edited with frequent collaborator Maryann Brandon. Abrams returned to direct last year’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” which Markey defended against claims it retcons Johnson’s “Last Jedi.” Markey did not edit “Rise of Skywalker,” but her career with Abrams also includes “Mission: Impossible III,” “Star Trek,” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.” Markey was Oscar nominated for her work on “The Force Awakens.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Markey said when the conversation turned to Johnson’s “Last Jedi” script “undoing” Abrams’ “Force Awakens” story. “It...

It’s really awe-inspiring to see that even with the world on fire, Star Wars: The Last Jedi continues to be a topic of hot debate among the fandom of the galaxy far, far away.

If The Rise of Skywalker manipulated our feelings through nostalgia and fan-service moments and ultimately turned out to be a mediocre finale to the Skywalker Saga, then The Last Jedi is the evil twin that backtracked from everything J.J. Abrams set up in The Force Awakens and centered the entirety of its plot around subverting expectations. Some would even argue that the producers decided to play it safe with Episode IX merely because Rian took the franchise in such a bold and controversial direction.

But regardless of what you believe or how you feel about these movies, it’s an undeniable fact that Disney’s Sequel Trilogy didn’t exactly turn out as one coherent...

Much like the current global situation, it feels like the debate surrounding director Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi has been going on forever. Whether the movie was the greatest thing to happen to the long-running franchise in years or the first sign of the apocalypse will no doubt be disputed long after humanity has become dust and the Earth is now inhabited by Star Wars discussing machines. Well, now two of the editors close to Disney's Star Wars trilogy have spoken out against Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, claiming that the 2017 movie was designed to "undo" the franchise's arc.

Editors Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey have been discussing The Last Jedi, communicating their feelings about the movie as gently as possible, but ultimately they both have some rather harsh things to say about Rian Johnson's approach. Brandon at least gives some credit to Johnson, however, their...

It’s been almost four months since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released, closing the book on Disney’s “Sequel Trilogy” that began in 2015, as well as the overarching “Skywalker Saga” that comprises nearly every Star Wars movie since 1977. To say that the results were divisive is an understatement. Despite grossing more than $1 billion, the film was met with a tepid critical reception and continued online fan discord that began with 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

So it shouldn’t be surprising that a new narrative is emerging around the Sequel Trilogy about what went wrong or who is to blame for a general dissatisfaction with the overall effect of the three movies. In this context, film editors Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey were put in the unenviable position of discussing their thoughts of The Last Jedi while appearing on the Mission: Impossible podcast, Light the Fuse.

This Star Wars article contains spoilers.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was polarizing, to say the least, and fans have pored and debated over its plot twists and script for the past few months. Revealing that Rey is a Palpatine in the tradition of Luke Skywalker’s reveal as Darth Vader’s son was just one of the strange and surprising elements. And it left more questions than answers in the end.

The novelization, marketed as an “Expanded Edition” of the movie’s story, elaborates on Emperor Palpatine’s plan and the movie’s central relationship. Carrie Fisher’s role in the movie was limited by her passing, but author Rae Carson had more flexibility than the filmmakers did with the character.

Here some of are the additions, explanations, and interpretations added in the novel that will expand what you already know about the movie:

Palpatine Is a Clone...

One of the most hotly discussed aspects of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker has to be the controversial kiss between Jedi hero Rey and former leader of the First Order, Ben Solo.

Taking place near the tail-end of the film, the two central protagonists manage to steal a cheeky smooch just seconds before Ben bites the dust in Rey’s loving arms. While it’s a touchingly poignant moment of downtime set against a backdrop of breakneck action spectacle, some fans have dismissed this “Reylo” romance due to the prickly and abusive nature at the heart of their fraught relationship.

Interestingly, during a recent interview with The Huffington Post, the pic’s editor, Maryann Brandon, was asked about the specific thought process behind the divisive kiss and funnily enough, it turns out that it wasn’t actually what the studio had planned from the beginning of development.

I always said,...

Just like every major blockbuster before it, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker circled back into production late in the game to film some reshoots and pick-ups.

Of the additional photography, it turns out three pretty significant scenes were added into Episode IX, as the film’s editor Maryann Brandon told Art of the Cut (h/t Collider). Brandon, who edited The Rise of Skywalker alongside Stefan Grube, confirmed that reshoots began in July 2019, where the cast and crew reunited for a couple of weeks.

During that time, Abrams and his team “added some dialogue” and a “couple of very small emotional moments” to help tie everything together. One such scene involved Luke and Rey on Ahch-To, though Brandon is quick to note that “nothing major” was changed, so we imagine this last-minute tinkering brought about some reworked dialogue, rather than a new scene entirely.

The scene on the island with Luke,...

We now know precisely what was added during the reshoots for The Rise of Skywalker. Editor Maryann Brandon has revealed three key scenes that were added relatively late in the process, which opens up some important questions about what the movie looked like before the reshoots took place. Whether or not the changes were for the better, we may never know.

Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rise of Skywalker. During a recent interview, Maryann Brandon was asked about the specifics of the reshoots. She revealed there were two weeks worth of additional filming that took place over the summer. Here's what she had to say about it.

"We added a couple of scenes. We had two weeks back in London in July and we added a couple of scenes and added some dialogue that we felt we needed, and there were a couple of very small emotional moments that J.

One of the most surprising moments in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker wasn’t when Kylo Ren redeemed himself and helped Rey defeat Emperor Palpatine – his grandpappy Vader did much the same thing at the end of the Original Trilogy – but rather when the heroine and the former villain locked lips after their victory. The “Reylo” kiss wasn’t always set in stone, however, and was almost left on the cutting room floor.

Editor Maryann Brandon recently spoke to Huffington Post for an in-depth interview on how Episode IX came together. And one thing she touches on was this romantic scene between Rey and Ben Solo, formally Kylo. Brandon explained that the kiss take nearly didn’t make it in but it was ultimately felt that the story needed this moment between the pair.

“I always said, ‘The movie will tell us whether they should kiss or not. We...

After an anonymous Reddit user posted this week alleging that the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” was subjected to significant studio meddling, fans ran with the conspiracy theory and urged Disney to #ReleaseTheJJCut in a bid to bring to light a director’s cut from J.J. Abrams.

Now, “Star Wars” actor Dominic Monaghan has indirectly added fuel to those rumors when he suggested in a recent interview “there was so much stuff” left on the cutting room floor (via The Hollywood Reporter). However, Monaghan, who plays Beaumont Kin, didn’t directly address the conspiracy in the wide-ranging THR interview published Friday.

“Like a lot of ‘Star Wars’ fans, I’m hoping there will be a director’s cut so we’ll get to see more and more of the stuff that was filmed,” he said. “I wasn’t there all the time, but...

It may have been released three weeks ago, but in case you hadn’t noticed, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is still generating plenty of discussion, debate and controversy. As would be expected from the ninth and final installment of one of the biggest and most beloved pop culture brands in history, that has a rabid and dedicated fanbase that stretches back over 40 years, not everyone was overly-enthusiastic about how The Rise of Skywalker turned out.

Director J.J. Abrams knew what he was getting himself into when he agreed to replace Colin Trevorrow and return to the Star Wars franchise, especially given the overwhelming backlash to previous chapter The Last Jedi, and even admitted in interviews leading up to the movie’s release that it wouldn’t please everyone.

That turned out to be an understatement, so much so that The Last Jedi is now being reappraised by fans...

After much speculation about the ins and outs of his return, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker didn’t actually provide many answers on how exactly Emperor Palpatine is alive again come the beginning of Episode IX. Darth Sidious is simply established to have come back somehow in the opening crawl, with the villain’s only tease at the method of his resurrection coming when he quotes himself from Revenge of the Sith.

So, why was Palpatine’s return left so ambiguous? This is what Huffington Post asked the movie’s editor Maryann Brandon and she explained that there was originally much more clarity on the matter before the exposition was continually cut down in order to avoid overloading the audience. In fact, Brandon admitted that Palpatine’s introductory scenes were “tricky” to crack, adding:

“It was kind of a delicate balance and went back and forth a lot about...

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ended up as a bit of a damp squib. Spooked by the reaction to The Last Jedi, Disney and Lucasfilm made the disastrous decision to walk back the major character and thematic elements of the previous movie. This resulted in a confusing, poorly plotted film that felt like it was going out of its way to pander to what they assumed fans want.

One of the biggest casualties in this was Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico. She was one of the major players in The Last Jedi, with a future romance with Finn heavily telegraphed. However, when our heroes invited her on the adventure, she explained that she had the space fantasy equivalent of homework to do, studying the plans of Star Destroyers. She then proceeded to practically vanish from the movie, only popping up for a couple of shots in the final battle.

One of the biggest things heading into The Rise of Skywalker was the return of Palpatine. The Sith Lord had been presumed dead ever since the end of Return of the Jedi. Yet, the figure was set to make his return as the big baddie to help round out the Skywalker saga. Now, thanks to the movie's editor Maryann Brandon, we know that even more Palpatine footage didn't make the cut, and it sounds like important information.

Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rise of Skywalker. Now that the movie has been in theaters for a couple of weeks, the filmmakers are making the rounds diving into more spoiler-heavy conversations. During a recent interview, Maryann Brandon, who edited the movie alongside director J.J. Abrams, explained that it was "tricky" when figuring out how to deal with Palpatine's backstory. Here's what she had to say.

"It was kind of a delicate balance...

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been in theaters for nearly three weeks now and with that comes behind the scenes stories from the filmmakers who made it. Some, like screenwriter Chris Terrio, should maybe stop talking, but one person from the production process who isn’t often heard from is the editor.

Possibly the most important job on any film, the editor takes all of the pieces given to them from the director and molds and shapes the movie to the director and studio’s vision. And perhaps no editor was under more pressure to deliver than Maryann Brandon.

Of course, a major aspect to the newest Star Wars trilogy was the friendship between Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac). What seemed like a platonic relationship at first quickly became something else to many fans. But in a recent interview, Brandon admits that she never really saw...

The return of Emperor Palpatine in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” has been met with a polarized response from fans and film critics. Anyone wondering how the villainous Sith lord stayed alive after being seemingly killed by Darth Vader in 1983’s “Return of the Jedi” does not get any answers in “Rise of Skywalker.” The film begins and it is openly accepted by nearly everyone in the galaxy that Palpatine is back. The opening crawl reads: “The dead speak! The galaxy has heard a mysterious broadcast, a threat of revenge in the sinister voice of the late Emperor Palpatine.” That’s about as much as J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio’s “Rise of Skywalker” script gives fans in terms of explaining the Sith Lord’s return.

In a new interview with HuffPost, “Rise of Skywalker” editor Maryann Brandon confirms that the explanation about how Palpatine survived and/or came...

Today’s challenge, find something new to say about Emperor Palpatine’s return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Tough, very tough. How many angles are left? After all, I’ve already covered the endless tit-for-tat over exactly who decided to bring him back, who didn’t want him back and who wouldn’t have brought him back. Some say it was J.J., some say it was Kathleen, and most say it definitely wasn’t George Lucas. All rather exhaustive.

Let’s leave the why out for a second, though. What was never substantially explained in the movie was how Emperor Palpatine made his surprising and rather arch Star Wars comeback. But Rise of Skywalker editor Maryann Brandon has now elaborated on that point.

In a new interview with The Huffington Post, Brandon explained that the production team had originally intended to flesh out the reasons for Papa...

The Rise of Skywalker editor Maryann Brandon will not fight back against fan service complaints. Brandon also spoke out about the rushed production schedule behind-the-scenes. The final installment in the Skywalker Saga is not a hit with critics, with many pointing out that it is disappointing. However, Star Wars fans, for the most part, seem to be perfectly fine with what J.J. Abrams and crew were able to pull off.

One of the more polarizing elements about The Rise of Skywalker is over the fact that the movie is overflowing with fan service. Editor Maryann Brandon admits to this and says it was pretty much inevitable. "Look, sure, it's fan service," the editor said, "[but] if you didn't service the fans, it would be, 'Oh, he didn't go along with the history of Star Wars and what it all means.'" Rian Johnson's lack of fan service in The Last...

Most critics agree that “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is a disappointing finale to the nine-film Skywalker saga, and many have been wondering since the film’s December 20 release whether or not it would have been stronger had the production been given more time to breathe. While appearing on “The Rough Cut” podcast (via The Playlist), “Rise of Skywalker” editor Maryann Brandon admitted the film’s production was rushed, which made for a challenging editing process. Brandon is “Rise of Skywalker” director J.J. Abrams’ longtime editor, having worked with him on TV’s “Alias,” plus “Mission: Impossible III,” “Star Trek,” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” among other projects.

“We were definitely still trying to figure out a lot of stuff,” Brandon said about the sped-up editing process. “It’s a struggle. It affected everything. About a third of the way through, [Lucasfilm president] Kathy [Kennedy] was like, ‘JJ...

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has provided a controversial conclusion to the Skywalker saga. Fans have scanned scenes for everything from symbolic showpieces to Easter eggs, and some have even begun to critique the editing of the film itself.

One specific scene involving Rey and Kylo Ren has given rise to inquisitive minds considering that the speed of some shots was reversed. The simple editing technique of reversing footage has been used in the making of previous Star Wars films and was frequently employed in the now-laughable sci-fi flicks of yesteryear like Lost in Space and even Star Trek: Tos. Despite this fan theory though, editor Maryann Brandon told ComicBook.com that the sequence under scrutiny does not use such an editing technique.

If you’ll recall, at one point we find Rey and Kylo Ren clashing with the Sith Lord Palpatine amid the movie’s most intense battle sequence.

Director J.J. Abrams has long had a diverse range of credits to his name. Prior to his glitzy blockbuster reboots of Star Trek and Star Wars he was perhaps best known for his work on TV. And one of those small screen projects, the Jennifer Garner-fronted action thriller Alias, has apparently been floated by Abrams for a potential reboot.

At least, that’s according to his collaborator and editor Maryann Brandon. Speaking with Awards Daily, Brandon was effusive about any prospective reboot for the series, confirming that she and Abrams have discussed the possibility:

“We’ve talked about it. I’ve often asked him about it, and he’ll say, ‘Yeah, maybe.’ I have no insight whatsoever other than that. I mean, I love Jennifer Garner. She’s extremely good at what she does and so I would be happy if they did reboot it.”

Hm. Not the cast-iron...

The interstellar, multi-generational saga of House Skywalker reaches its concluding and (hopefully) climatic chapter with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the ninth installment in the space opera that has captivated moviegoers since the Carter Administration. The mega-release from Disney’s Lucasfilm and director/producer/co-writer J.J. Abrams premieres tonight and the live-stream will be available above beginning at 5:30 p.m. Pt/ 8:30 p.m. Et.

The PG-13 fantasy film opens in U.S. theaters on Dec. 20. At tonight’s premiere Abrams will join Producers Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan, executive producers Callum Greene and Jason McGatlin at the splashy premiere. Also on hand: composer John Williams, co-writer Chris Terrio, director of photography Dan Mindel, production designer Rick Carter, costume designer Michael Kaplan and editors Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube.

The film’s cast members are expected to be on hand, including Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver,...

The World Premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is tonight in Hollywood. The highly anticipated conclusion of the Skywalker Saga is about to come to an end. The iconic story that has spanned four decades over nine episodes and spawned legions of fans worldwide has many wondering how it'll come to an end. What does J.J. Abrams have up his sleeve this time? We're all about to find out in a few days, but some lucky attendees are going to find out tonight.

The Rise of Skywalker red carpet event begins at 5:30 p.m. Pt / 8:30 p.m. Et this evening. Star Wars fans have been treated with a variety of different TV spots over the last few weeks, but J.J. Abrams assures that the movie has not been spoiled in the promotional material. With that being said, the Star Wars world premiere is tonight, so there will be leaks,...

The Rise of Skywalker is so close to being upon us you can almost hear the mixture of cheering and moaning that is sure to follow. With the film under so much pressure to bring the decade-spanning Skywalker saga to an end, one of the biggest challenges going into the movie was dealing with the death of the series' staple, Luke Skywalker.

Sacrificing himself at the end of director Rian Johnson's divisive The Last Jedi, the Academy Award-nominated editor, Maryann Brandon, has been discussing the problems that Luke's death caused, particularly when combined with the real-life tragic death of actress Carrie Fisher.

"All I can say about that is that The Last Jedi, I really enjoyed, but I will say it did present a lot of challenges in terms of where Episode IX had to go to finish the saga. In other words, unfortunately Carrie died... She's a character...

Few fandoms are as passionate as those who love “Star Wars” — a franchise that spans multiple media, including movies, books and theme parks. Editor Maryann Brandon, an Oscar nominee for her work on “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens,” returned to the galaxy once more for “Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker.” This time, she worked with co-editor Stefan Grube.

The movie presented a complex task for the team in balancing what audiences already know about the characters with what still needed explained.

“For instance, there’s the idea that [the characters are] always being chased by somebody,” says Brandon. “They know that. We all know that. You don’t have to say, ‘Let’s get out of here. So-and-so is after us.’”

Additionally, there’s also the danger of keeping unnecessary bits since audiences know the characters well. “Sometimes you can kill a scene if you put in too much,...

This Christmas we will witness the end of a saga as director J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker hits a jam-packed theater near you. And while it's still very much up in the air which questions this final movie will answer, star Daisy Ridley has just confirmed that Rise of Skywalker will 100% address Rey's mysterious parents, who were revealed in Rian Johnson's controversial Star Wars: The Last Jedi to be "nobodies."

Daisy Ridley confirms this.

"(Director J.J. Abrams) did say the question is answered. So at the end of the film, you do know what the dealio is."

Good to know! Ridley then went on to speak a bit about how J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker compares tone-wise with Abrams "fun" The Force Awakens and Rian Johnson's "darker, riskier" The Last Jedi. Ridley reveals this.

"Genre-wise, it's different from the other two, which will become...

J.J. Abrams was forced out of his comfort zone while shooting Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Editor Maryann Brandon says they had less time to work on this installment when compared to the previous two, so some timesaving tactics had to be utilized while production was underway. Lucasfilm parted ways with Colin Trevorrow in September 2017 after he worked for two years on the final installment of the Skywalker saga because he was reportedly the wrong fit behind the camera. This led to a pretty significant delay when Abrams stepped on board.

With Colin Trevorrow gone, Lucasfilm and J.J. Abrams had to scramble to get The Rise of Skywalker off of the ground and had to change the release date. Even with the release date delay, they were still up against the clock to get the movie ready for theaters. Maryann Brandon had to convince Abrams to let her...

In what amounts to a very deep cut into the production of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, editor Maryann Brandon spoke to Express and revealed that because the new Star Wars movie had a much tighter schedule than The Force Awakens, she convinced director J.J. Abrams to let her cut the film on set. Usually the editor isn’t on set and receives dailies that they begin assembling into a rough cut or an assembly cut. But because they had four fewer months to make The Rise of Skywalker, Brandon felt it would be best if she was …...

Maryann Brandon is the resident editor on the upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and after working on 2015’s The Force Awakens, she and J.J. Abrams had a new challenge in this film that caused them to make a bit of an adjustment that ended up being a welcome change for everyone.

In a recent report from the British site Express, Brandon spoke about the process of editing the film on a shorter schedule. It was revealed that they actually edited the film while the film was being shot on the set! Here’s what she had to say:

“I did this thing on cutting Rise of Skywalker - and we have a very short schedule.

“When we did The Force Awakens we started in May and we finished shooting in October, and we were out [the following] Christmas.

“For this film, we didn’t start until August, so we weren...

The Newport Beach Film Festival, which kicks off April 24 and continues through April 27, will honor five talented artists who will be on hand to accept their awards. The event kicks off opening night with the West Coast premiere of Sundance indie hit “Luce,” a provocative racial drama from director Julius Onah starring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth and rising star Kelvin Harrison Jr. The fest closes with the world premiere of “Part of Water,” a documentary about local lifeguard hero Ben Carlson who lost his life saving a drowning swimmer in 2014.

Between those bookends, Nbff screens the Ted Bundy crime drama “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” starring Zac Efron as the notorious serial killer; “Official Secrets,” Gavin Hood’s political thriller starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes; and the world premiere of “The Tony Alva Story,” which chronicles the life of the skateboarding legend.

The fest and Vans...

Roster includes feature directorial debut by Star Wars: Episode IX co-editor.

J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, whose World War Two horror Overlord debuted at number three in the North American charts last weekend, has bulked up its production slate with six projects from a crop of up-and-coming filmmakers.

The roster includes The Steps, which is based on an original idea by first-time director Stefan Grube and described as a twist on a possession story. Blair Butler will write the screenplay.

Grube is currently working as an editor alongside Maryann Brandon on Star Wars: Episode IX for Disney, Lucasfilm and Bad Robot,...

As filming begins in just a few days, Lucasfilm has announced the cast and crew for Star Wars: Episode IX including details on how they'll handle Princess Leia's return. Come inside to learn more!

The final installment in the Skywalker Saga begins filming, with Jj Abrams at the helm, on August 1st. Coming just ahead of production starting, Lfl has released a cast list for the new and returning members who will show up on the big screen next December.

Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Episode IX are Naomi Ackie, Keri Russell, and Richard E. Grant, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian.

Billy Dee Williams is officially back!

Star Wars 9 will begin filming at London's Pinewood Studios on August 1, 2018, Lucasfilm has announced. J.J. Abrams returns to direct what is being billed as the final installment of the Skywalker saga. He previously directed the very successful The Force Awakens and took over duties for Episode IX once Colin Trevorrow left the director's chair. Abrams co-wrote the screenplay for the final chapter in the new trilogy with Chris Terrio (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice).

Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Star Wars 9 are Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian. This confirms that Luke Skywalker will be back in some way, shape or form.

Star Wars 9 will begin filming at London's Pinewood Studios on August 1, 2018, Lucasfilm has announced. J.J. Abrams returns to direct what is being billed as the final installment of the Skywalker saga. He previously directed the very successful The Force Awakens and took over duties for Episode IX once Colin Trevorrow left the director's chair. Abrams co-wrote the screenplay for the final chapter in the new trilogy with Chris Terrio (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice).

Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Star Wars 9 are Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian. This confirms that Luke Skywalker will be back in some way, shape or form.

J.J. Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio currently face two big questions as they approach production on Star Wars: Episode IX.

For starters, how do they go about closing out Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Saga in a way that satisfies as much as it thrills? And perhaps most important of all: what do they do with the character of Luke, who met his end in the climax of The Last Jedi?

It’s no secret that Mark Hamill’s Jedi Master took his last breath soon after his Force projection deceived Kylo Ren on the salt plains of Crait, but the ambiguous nature of his ‘death’ has led many to believe that the galaxy’s most famous farm boy will be making a return come 2019 – Force ghost or not. After all, they can’t really close out the current trilogy without him, right?

Lucasfilm Drops More Than A Dozen Bts Star Wars Pics From The Last Jedi,...

Star Wars: Episode IX will begin filming at London’s Pinewood Studios on August 1, 2018. J.J. Abrams returns to direct the final installment of the Skywalker saga. Abrams co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Terrio.

Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Episode IX are Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian.

The role of Leia Organa will once again be played by Carrie Fisher, using previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” says Abrams. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character.

At this point, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ governors election looks more like a round-up than a race; more than 180 members have declared their interest in filling 17 contested spots on the 54-member Board of Governors.

Voting in the run-off round starts on Monday and ends May 18. That will narrow the present field to a maximum of four nominees per branch in the final round, which follows.

For now, there are on average about 11 candidates in the running for each slot. In the casting directors and costume design branches, only three members have declared for each slot. But not so in the actors branch, where 17 members — including Brie Larson, Jacki Weaver and Meg Ryan — are vying for the spot being vacated by termed-out Tom Hanks; or the producers, executives, and public relations branches, all of which have a bumper crop of candidates. Marvin Levy, currently a governor in the public relations branch,...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science’s Science and Technology Council has added seven new members to its roster, including Deadpool make-up artist and designer Bill Corso, Star Wars: The Force Awakens film editor Maryann Brandon, and cinematographer Steve Yedlin. The newcomers bring the Council's 2017–2018 membership roster to 25. The new members are: Nafees Bin Zafar, a technology development supervisor at Digital Domain who has worked in live-action visual…...