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Author Archives: Thomas
Here are all the newly revealed Black Series figures from the Hasbro PulseCon livestream!
- Baylan Skoll
- Shin Hati
These are the only new figures revealed! Just two. But at least good ones.
Outside the US Hasbro will release a wave of archive figures for more casual fans, so these will not be sold in the US:
- X-Wing Luke
- Darth Vader
- Bo-Katan
- Stormtrooper
There will be two new premium roleplay items!
- Ezra’s/Sabine’s lightsaber
- Captain Rex’s helmet
And there were also some pipeline reveals!
- Darth Vader (A New Hope)
- The Mandalorian
- Phase I Clone Trooper
- Mandalorian Night Owl
The pipeline reveals are targeted at more casual collectors!
The new items will be available in spring 2024, pre-orders go live today at 4 pm ET for Pulse Premium members and 5 pm ET for the plebs!
The Ahsoka MVPs are coming to the Black Series!
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Nielsen have updated their weekly streaming charts today and it is the first time they include Ahsoka. As you remember Ahsoka dropped two episodes on the same night, and Disney even changed their release strategy for the series, releasing the episodes at 9 pm in the prime time slot, contrary to all of the previous shows where the episodes dropped in the middle of the night. So how did the show do? Not good. Not good at all actually. Click through for all the details!
Boom….
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“Far Far Away” is in some ways the best Star Wars Disney+ has to offer outside of Andor. Ahsoka was off to a really rough start but episode six is a huge improvement once again, and one reason may be that Ahsoka herself is completely absent from this episode, other than for the first two minutes. So the episode can instead focus on the interesting characters of Baylan, Sabine and Shin and we also get the entrance of Thrawn and the return of Ezra of course. It turns out “Far Far Away” even attempts to and succeeds in recreating some of the original Star Wars magic. And we learn why the Jedi should really die, something that many people didn’t like at all when Luke said it in The Last Jedi. But after this, and the previous episode, you may understand why this would actually be a good idea, when we talk about how the Jedi really were. So there is lots to talk about, click through to read my spoiler review and let’s discuss the latest Ahsoka episode!
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You may have faint memories of Kathleen Kennedy announcing a Lando series several years ago (it was the event at which she also claimed the Kenobi series has been fully written, before the writer was fired and they rewrote the entire show from scratch). Then we heard literally nothing for ages… and people were wondering if the series was just cancelled without ever acknowledging it. Then the person supposed to write the series gave an interview not too long ago and complained about how he had not heard from Lucasfilm in over a year and he wondered if he’s too gay or black for Lucasfilm (it’s the guy who wrote and directed the massive Haunted Mansion remake flop, so Lucasfilm ignoring him may have other reasons). Probably to spite him after these inane comments Lucasfilm announced literally on the next day or so that Lando has a new writing team: Donald Glover, who played Lando in Solo, and his brother Stephen.
And now Stephen said in a podcast yesterday that Lando is no longer intended to be a show, but a movie… and Variety later ran their own story with official confirmation from Lucasfilm – to which I can only say… REALLY NOW? Click through for more!
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The latest Ahsoka episode should delight any fan of The Clone Wars. And fans of Anakin Skywalker / Hayden Christensen will also get their fill this time, actually we get Hayden Christensen’s best scenes in Disney Star Wars yet, much better than what Obi-Wan Kenobi gave us, Hayden gets substantial screentime in this episode. But then there are also space whales… a lot of them! Either way there is much to talk about again, so please click through to read my spoiler review for Shadow Warrior and let’s discuss the grand return of Anakin Skywalker (again)!
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I am very busy with Starfield but I did set apart some time today for Ahsoka of course. Fallen Jedi is the Ahsoka episode that will get people talking. The episode was light on plot and favored action over dialogue this time, which absolutely is a positive in this case. Baylan finally gets more screentime too and we learn a few things about him or at least what his mindset is, but of course there’s the one big thing that has people talking… so click through to read my spoiler review so we can all talk about that big thing!
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It’s already been a full week since the Ahsoka premiere… on to episode 3 then! Which was extremely short, only 29 minutes excluding the recap and credits. Still, there are quite a few things to talk about. Including what could be the Star Wars version of “jumping the shark”. So click through for my review of Time to Fly and lets discuss the latest Ahsoka episode!
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Here are all the new reveals for the Black Series from today’s Hasbro livestream! And as expected it’s all about the brand new Ahsoka series!
- Chopper (repack)
- Huyang
- Ezra Bridger
- Morgan Elsbeth
- HK-87 (repaint)
- Marrock
- Sabine Wren roleplay helmet
The figures will all be available in fall 2023, pre-order starts tomorrow, August 30th, at 1pm ET. The Sabine helmet can also be pre-ordered tomorrow, but will only be released in fall of 2024!
Two pipeline figures were revealed as well, so coming to the Black Series at a later date will be:
- Momaw Nadon aka Hammerhead
- R5-D4 and three Pit Droids
Marrock is coming to the Black Series
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Dave Filoni’s first own live action series premiered last night! So how is Ahsoka, the series about Dave Filoni’s character he co-created with George Lucas all those many years ago? Also, does anyone who never watched a single Rebels episode even get what the series is all about? If you never liked Rebels, never cared for Rebels, or maybe watched a few episodes and hated it… chances are you may not want to bother with Ahsoka, it is a proper sequel to Rebels, even if you can watch Ahsoka without knowing too much about past events, you will only miss some context and background info and may not understand who this Ezra Bridger is and why everyone is searching for him.
And if you liked Rebels? Does Ahsoka deliver? Well…. how do I put it… we have to talk about a few things! So click through for my review of the first two episodes of Ahsoka!
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It’s that time of the year again when companies release their numbers for the 2nd quarter of the calendar year. Hasbro released their numbers a few days ago last week. Disney released their numbers just now. And the 2nd quarter of 2023 wasn’t exactly a great one for either of these two companies. Click through for the details!
Still no reason to smile
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The Black Series has its 10th anniversary in 2023, so the perfect opportunity to look at aftermarket ebay prices and to see which Black Series figures are the most valuable right now. In the past decade a couple hundred figures have been released in the line. Which ones are the winners and losers? While I think that modern mass produced action figures are not meant to be high value collectibles that will buy you a small island in the Caribbean once you retire, certain figures are of course sought after and will rise in value. So click through to find out which Black Series figures might at least buy you a nice meal at a fancy restaurant, but sadly, no island in the Caribbean, for that you’d need quite a few vinyl cape Jawas.
She may not look like much, but she’s valuable
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YouTube channel Nerdzoic, who also operates an online toystore, had a livestream earlier today and they had breaking news. According to them various old figures are returning to the Black Series! Click through for all the figures that are supposed to get released later this year (fall 2023)!
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That didn’t take very long, after launching the campaign on Friday the Ghost just reached the first target of 8,000 backers which unlocks the HasLab and means the Ghost will be made!
Congratulations to the Star Wars team who finally came up with a well thought out Star Wars HasLab after two failed campaigns that suffered from various issues. But this proves Star Wars collectors are absolutely willing to back a Star Wars HasLab if the HasLab is any good. Even if it’s pricey.
So now we will have to see how far this can go. At this point I am pretty confident this will reach 17,000 backers, which means all the tiers will be unlocked. As usual things will slow down a bit now, only to pick up speed again in the final week and especially last few days.
So to anyone who already backed the Ghost: you can look forward to receiving the ship in about a year from now! Now you can plan where to actually put it!
You can still back the Ghost on HasLab!
Success!
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Okay, for those of you who like rumors, here’s another trip into rumor land… and yes, it’s THAT rumor again. Only with new details and one additional new source reported by different people! So click through for more, if you want to know the latest Star Wars rumors!
Yes, THAT rumor…
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My Black Series Imperial Light Cruiser Luke Skywalker figure arrived a few weeks ago… and as I looked at the figure and examined it I was wondering how it can be that in 2023 we get a Luke Skywalker figure from Hasbro that looks even worse than previous efforts. This prompted me to look at all the past versions and to see if any of them are any good. So today I want you to join me for a retrospective of all the Black Series Luke Skywalker figures. And I will rate all of them. A “Luke” will be a figure that actually looks like Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker. A “Luuke” could be a brother or cousin. A “Luuuuuke” however would just be some random dude. And yes, it’s supposed to be fun! So click through for a little show of horrors!
Let me introduce you to Luuuuke
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The TVC Facebook Group had a chance to interview the Hasbro team at SDCC and they directly asked about the possibility to get a “Huttslayer” Leia in the future in light of recent releases like the new TVC Jabba and throne set. And brand manager Patrick gave a very clear answer: there is no ban on her and they could make her if they want to. But as usual he would not comment on yet unrevealed figures. You can click this link to directly jump to the question in the YouTube video!
So according to Patrick there is no Lucasfilm or Hasbro mandate not to make Slave Leia action figures or merchandise and she is not off the table. Now they only need to actually update the figure. And the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi would have been a good opportunity.
An option for TVC and TBS after all, according to Hasbro
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Numbers are quite abstract, so how big is the HasLab Ghost really? How does it compare with the Razor Crest? I created a comparison photo that compares the Ghost, Razor Crest and Khetanna with photos of Luke and Leia to give you an idea how bulky the ship is. Click through for the image!
UPDATE: I added the BMF to the comparison
UPDATE 2: more comparison images added that show you how big a true to scale 1/18 scale Ghost and a 1/12 scale Ghost would need to be!
So how big is that compared to a human being?
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Eagle eyed fans have already spotted it… the newly revealed Black Series figures of Hera Syndulla and Sabine, as well as Padawan Ahsoka, who is based on her Clone Wars look, have no thigh swivels. Is Hasbro trying to reduce costs by removing articulation, and thus number of parts and assembly costs? Click through for more!
No thigh swivel anymore
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It is surely no surprise to anyone anymore that Hasbro revealed the brand new The Vintage Collection HasLab at SDCC just now!
And it is… The Ghost! This is, according to Hasbro, the biggest TVC ship yet! It comes, out of the gate, with the Ghost of course, the Phantom II shuttle and a carded Hera Syndulla (based on the Ahsoka series, so Mary Elizabeth Winstead likeness) figure. Chopper will only be a mini-bust, i.e. his head, he can be inserted into the droid port on the Phantom II.
The ship has a fully detailed interior and a cockpit with four seats for the full crew.
Tiers have already been announced!
Tier 1: carded Ezra Bridger figure – exclusive HasLab version – 11k backers needed
Tier 2: carded Kanan Jarrus figure – exclusive HasLab version – 14k backers needed
Tier 3: carded Zeb Orrelios figure – 17k backers needed
Sabine Wren will be a mainline TVC release! So you have a chance to get the full crew!
Price is $499.99! 8k backers are required to unlock the Ghost. If the Ghost reaches 17k backers the final tier will be unlocked!
You can back the Ghost right now, on the HasLab page! Deadline is September 6th! There are currently 601 backers after just a few minutes.
UPDATE: I added a hands on video of the Ghost at the Hasbro SDCC booth where you can get a detailed look at an actual (3D printed and hand painted) model! To give you a better idea of the dimensions and look of the spaceship and figures!
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Here are the all the revealed new Black Series figures Hasbro showed off at their SDCC panel today!
- Holiday Edition Jawa with monkey
- Holiday Edition Ewok – Pulse/Shop Disney
- Holiday Edition Mandalorian Scout – Amazon
- Holiday Edition Purge Trooper – Fan Channel
- Holiday Edition KX Security Droid – Walmart
- Holiday Edition Snowman Trooper – Target
- Hera Syndulla (Ahsoka)
- Sabine Wren (Ahsoka)
- Ahsoka Tano (Ahsoka)
- Ahsoka Tano’s lightsabers (roleplay item)
- R2-D2 (all new sculpt and he comes in the traditional box with plastic window like all other new figures)
There were also three pipeline reveals!
- Fallen Order 3-pack with Cal Kestis, Purge Trooper and Second Sister – Amazon
- Droideka
- B2 Super Battle Droid and Geonosis C-3PO 2-pack – Hasbro Pulse
Most items are available in fall 2023. Pre-orders start tomorrow, July 22nd, at 5 pm ET! The Holiday figures will magically appear on shelves, there is no pre-order for them!
Ahsoka figures will be up for pre-order on August 10th at 1 PM Eastern.
Photos will be added later!
So what do you think of the Black Series reveals? Not too many really new things were shown, with Hera and Sabine being the highlights, in my opinion.
UPDATE: Photos added!
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The recently revealed The Vintage Collection Jabba and throne set has brought a question to the forefront again: where are modern and actually good looking 1/12 scale and 1/18 scale figures of Slave Leia or Oola? If you remember Return of the Jedi you will certainly recall that Jabba had Leia dressed in a metal bikini on a metal chain sitting (more like reclining) on his throne. The Black Series got a really horrible looking Slave Leia early on… and ever since then. Nothing. So let’s talk about that!
Carrie in that famous Rolling Stone beach photo shoot from 1983
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Welcome to the wonderful, entertaining and crazy world of Star Wars rumors! This time I want to talk about the latest rumors, and they are… well… judge for yourself! So click through to find out what is allegedly going on at Lucasfilm! Grab some Popcorn too!
Yeah… it’s that rumor again…
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Your most favorite CEO – Bob Iger – of your most favorite company – Disney – had his contract extended all the way through 2026, which, according to reports, was a unanimous decision by the board. Click through for the full story!
Whoever comes up with the funniest caption wins a prize*
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Some stories are so incredible, you have a hard time believing them when you first hear them. Actor Jim Caviezel, who you may have seen in things like The Passion of the Christ or the tv series Person of Interest, is the main star of the small indie movie Sound of Freedom (about a former US government agent who rescues children from sex traffickers in Colombia), produced by a studio few will know, Angel Studios, and the movie only cost $14,500,000 to make. In interviews (on podcasts etc) Caviezel complained bitterly about mainstream Hollywood and how they try to sabotage the movie, by convincing theaters not to pick the movie up etc. In the same interviews Caviezel also said that the movie is tracking better than Indiana Jones in the theaters that picked up the movie, something I found very hard to believe. But… in fact, Sound of Freedom only plays in 2,600 theaters in the US, compared to the 4,600 that show Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny.
And now the punchline: Sound of Freedom opened on July 4th and immediately climbed to the top of the US box office, beating the $300 million (plus marketing) behemoth Indiana Jones And the Dial Of Destiny with a box office of $14.2 million vs $11.7 million. And this even though Sound of Freedom only plays in the aforementioned 2,600 theaters, 2,000 less than Indiana Jones. Sound of Freedom made $5,407 per theater, Indiana Jones just $2,543. So Caviezel was 100% correct when he said the movie is tracking better in the theaters that show both movies. Certainly a triumph for Caviezel and a major embarrassment for Lucasfilm and mainstream Hollywood that a smalltime indie movie with a miniscule budget about a topic that may be hard to swallow for some is beating Indiana Jones which just released a few days ago and earns more than twice the money in the theaters that show both.
The #1 movie at the domestic box office, beating Indiana Jones on day 4 of its release
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The box office numbers for Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny are in, and the opening weekend is the expected disaster. Indiana Jones earned just 60 million USD at the domestic box office. And overseas markets added another $70 million. Now the numbers are still preliminary, the final numbers could be off by +/- 1 or 2 million. Tracking numbers released yesterday said the movie would earn just $58.5 million domestic. Either way, this is the lowest end of the early box office projections.
So what does that mean for Disney and Lucasfilm? Will it mean anything? Head over to Chuck’s article if you want to discuss the movie itself. Here I want to focus on its financial performance and especially if the movie should lead to any personnel changes at Lucasfilm. This is not about whether the movie is good or bad, this is purely about its expected massive financial loss and what results that could have. So click through for a discussion!
Indiana Jones and the Bottle of Booze
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