The ForceCast: Star Wars News, Talk, Interviews, and More!

It's important to revisit iconic aspects of prior Star Wars films in the upcoming trilogy. But at what point do throwbacks become stale? This week we talk about finding that balance between honoring what's come before and creating something fresh. We also discuss title and casting rumors, news about Empire and Rebellion: Razor's Edge, and the status of our predictions for the upcoming films.

WARNING: This episode includes brief but MAJOR SPOILERS for Star Trek Into Darkness. // Erik Blythe is out this week, but special guest co-hosts Bonnie Burton and Christian Blauvelt join Eric Geller to discuss the latest and greatest rumors about Star Wars Episode VII. Could we see Benedict Cumberbatch make the jump from Star Trek to Star Wars? Would that be a good thing? Plus, Eric, Bonnie, and C...

Is The Clone Wars content coming exclusively to the Apple TV? Is Episode VII really being pushed to late 2015? Don't let these rumors get you down, because we have good news too! Lucasfilm Senior Events Lead Mary Franklin joins us to talk about Celebration, San Diego Comic Con, and much more!

This week's show is all about rumors and the fans who love (and hate) them. We discuss secrecy versus leaks in the Internet age, Star Wars blogging as a form of journalism, and how to manage expectations now that the next movie era is upon us. Plus, new Episode VII rumors, book news, and your Force ghost feedback.

Eric Geller is out this week, but Lou and Nate from The Sabacc Table fill in! They tackle some topics submitted by listeners, talk about the upcoming theme park changes, and give their take on the Episode VII release date. We've also got book news, a comic book trailer, DVD news, and more!

What if the films were released chronologically starting in 1977? What if Lucas created the series starting with The Phantom Menace? What if Luke suffers the same fate as Obi-Wan in Episode VII? This week, we take a look at how things could have been different, and we look at the possibilities of things to come. We also talk about Star Wars Celebration 2015, new DVD and Blu-ray releases, and more!

As Celebration Europe II winds down, we discuss the big panels and the news they brought us. From John Williams' return to Star Wars to the concept art and logo for Star Wars Rebels, we break it all down and put it in context. Plus, Disney promises Star Wars theme park teases at D23, Lucasfilm registers new domain names, and yet another Episode VII casting rumor appears.

This week we tackle the Special Edition changes, including a surprising argument over whether it's important that Han shoots first. And Erik reveals the only Star Wars scene he fast forwards through -- and it's not from the prequels! We also cover book news, debunk an Abrams rumor, talk about reveals from SDCC, and more!

This week, we tackle the important questions on every parent's mind: When should you introduce your kids to the Star Wars saga? In what order should you screen the movies? Should you include The Clone Wars, and if so, how so? Tune in to find out what we think about this big topic. Plus, we cover the latest theme park rumors, Celebration Europe II updates, book announcements, and more.

Join us for our fourth set of Celebration Europe II artist interviews. Once again ForceCast Clone Wars Roundtable co-host and Lucasfilm-licensed artist Spencer Brinkerhoff sits down with the art show participants and talks to them about their work, their experiences, and how they got to be contributors to the Star Wars universe. Today Spencer chats with JAKe, Matt Busch, and Paul Allan Ballard.

It may have been a slow news week, but the controversy brought on by a possible female lead in Episode VII continues! To further discuss gender representation in Star Wars, we brought in two bloggers who have written extensively on the subject: Bria from Tosche-Station.net and Tricia Barr from FANgirlBlog.com. After the discussion, stick around for updates on CEII, Disney's D23 plans, and more!

Join us for our third set of Celebration Europe II artist interviews. Once again ForceCast Clone Wars Roundtable co-host and Lucasfilm-licensed artist Spencer Brinkerhoff sits down with the art show participants and talks to them about their work, their experiences, and how they got to be contributors to the Star Wars universe. Today Spencer chats with Doug Cowan, Drew Baker, and Shea Standefer.

With no big stories to cover this week, Erik and Eric discuss their hopes for a "Star Wars land" at a Disney theme park. These may not be the most realistic ideas, but who knows what the House of Mouse is capable of? Plus, we've got book updates, Celebration Europe II news, and a trove of listener feedback.

Star Wars Celebrations are a unique opportunity for Star Wars fans, with film stars, book authors, costumers, prop builders, and artists all gathered in one place. As we prepare for Celebration Europe II, ForceCast Clone Wars Roundtable co-host and Lucasfilm-licensed artist Spencer Brinkerhoff sits down with the art show participants and talks to them about their work, their experiences, and how t...

We have an official casting call, but what does it mean? Does this fit the EU or does it nail that coffin shut? Will we have a female lead? And if we will, why is that so controversial? Join us this week as we discuss this, book news, CEII announcements, and more!

Star Wars Celebrations are a unique opportunity for Star Wars fans, with film stars, book authors, costumers, prop builders, and artists all gathered in one place. As we prepare for Celebration Europe II, ForceCast Clone Wars Roundtable co-host and Lucasfilm-licensed artist Spencer Brinkerhoff sits down with the art show participants and talks to them about their work, their experiences, and how t...

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg ruminate on the future of entertainment, The Clone Wars receives long-overdue industry recognition, and Disney moves ahead with a Star Wars area in Orlando. Plus, Celebration Europe updates, comments from George Lucas about J.J. Abrams, and listener feedback.

Spencer Brinkerhoff joins Eric to interview The Clone Wars music composer Kevin Kiner about his approach to scoring the animated series, his conversations with Dave Filoni, his ongoing work on the bonus content, and more. Plus, Erik and Eric cover big news on the gaming front as EA revives the Star Wars Battlefront name, big news on the book front as a bounty hunter tome is announced, and the rest...

This week, official Star Wars artist and ForceCast Clone Wars Roundtable co-host Spencer Brinkerhoff III joins Eric to talk about his print for Celebration Europe II and the series of artist interviews he is recording for The ForceCast. We also kick off that series this week by presenting Spencer's interview with artist Ken Lashley. Plus, the iPad gets an award-winning Star Wars game for its tenth...

Jedi Journals co-host Jay Shepard joins Eric Geller to discuss Star Wars Rebels from an Expanded Universe perspective. After another week of contemplating Lucasfilm's big TV announcement, we dig deeper into how it will affect the EU. Plus, we bring you the week's Star Wars news, from The Clone Wars award nominations to Celebration Europe II announcements.

Lucasfilm's announcement of the TV series Star Wars Rebels takes center stage this week, as friend of the show Kyle Newman joins us to break down what this show means for the franchise. Plus, more bonus content from The Clone Wars gets previewed, J.J. Abrams works the interview circuit, and we make a major announcement about The ForceCast network.

For many of us, Star Wars created a love of science fiction, though we've suffered an "us versus them" rivalry with Star Trek over the decades. With Abrams at the helm of both franchises, can we finally bury that hatchet? Also, will Abrams cause creative overlap between the two franchises, or will he be able to maintain a distinct vision for each? Christian Blauvelt from Hollywood.com joins us to...

Electronic Arts scores an exclusive partnership with Disney to publish Star Wars games. What does this mean for the franchise? Xbox MVP and EUCantina.net administrator William Devereux joins Erik and Eric to discuss the big announcement. Plus, The Clone Wars gets some much-deserved recognition, J.J. Abrams discusses balancing what fans want with what he wants, and a whole lot more.

Do you want to know secrets about Episode VII? Do you really want to know? At what point do secrets become spoilers, and at what point does your excitement for new Star Wars content cause you to give in to the Dark Side? Join us as we discuss the world of spoilers and how the environment of the new films will differ from the days of prequel spoilers. But don't worry—this episode is spoiler-free! A...

Disney swings the axe again at Lucasfilm, a mysterious (and probably fake) Star Wars TV show pitch surfaces, and Entertainment Weekly commits a journalistic no-no. All that and more on this week's episode of The ForceCast!