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FROM MTV.COM: While a Sarlacc may take over a thousand years to fully digest its prey, the pop-culture news cycle has proven once again to be the complete opposite — devouring and spitting out a new rumor about the "Star Wars" series in less than 24 hours this week. But what makes fans think there would be a new trilogy in the first place? And where should the most successful movie franchise of all time go from here?
The hijinks began Wednesday evening (October 21), when 3-D-movie-focused blog MarketSaw reported that it had an internal source who'd infiltrated the trusted circle of George Lucas like Princess Leia in a Boushh costume. According to the "absolutely connected" source, Lucas is making secret plans to create a new trilogy of films that will be shot in stereoscopic 3-D — and could be directed by such filmmakers as Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola. A mere four hours later, Ain't It Cool News had a Lucasfilm rep insisting "We do not have any Star Wars theatrical movies planned," and the ridicule began.
Today's look Around the Blogosphere is an unusual one, since it's pegged to news. Sort of. The rumor of a third, all-3D "Star Wars" trilogy was clearly going to be debunked, and quickly. Let's start at the beginning...
--"3D Motion Pictures Blog" MarketSaw posted yesterday that the folks at Lucasfilm have gotten it into their heads to do another "Star Wars" trilogy. Entirely in 3D. With franchise architect George Lucas stepping back into a production role. In short, a "Star Wars" junkie's happiest dream. All from a "trusted source." It's hard to swallow though, especially given MarketSaw's rumormill track record. (MarketSaw) Read more...
Okay, look. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" wasn't great. It's been out for more than a year, so let's be honest here. It had some good moments, but the shift from supernatural curios and relics to sci-fi alien overlords was not the right move. Star Harrison Ford clearly has some more Indy in him and Shia LaBeouf did a decent job of not fumbling the torch that Ford supposedly passed his way.
All that said, "Crystal Skull" fell short for a variety of reasons. Some might even argue that it's time to put Steven Spielberg's classic series to bed. Not me though. Indy is a great character, Ford is still an immensely likable actor and there are plenty of archeological ghost stories for him to pursue that have nothing to do with aliens. I'm not the only one who thinks so either. Read more...
Hong Kong action auteur John Woo (“Hard Boiled”) will remain in China for his next film, a WWII epic about the 1st American Volunteer Group (aka The Flying Tigers), according to a report on /Film. You’ve no doubt seen the group’s iconic aircraft, known for having teeth painted on their noses. Maybe a few of you have even seen the 1942 John Wayne movie “Flying Tigers,” a then-contemporary fictionalized story of the now-legendary airmen.
Woo’s picture, currently titled “Flying Tiger Heroes,” will ostensibly present us with the real history of the Volunteer Group. The Flying Tigers consisted of Americans recruited to aid the Chinese Air Force against Japan prior to America's entrance into World War II. Of course, the $160 million action flick will also wow us with what the filmmaker promises to be “the most spectacular aerial battle scenes ever seen in Chinese cinema.” Read more...
In two weeks, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's "Tetro" hits theaters. The "Godfather" director stopped by MTV's offices to chat with Josh Horowitz in advance of the release, and he had some enlightening opinions to share on his contemporaries, and his old pal George Lucas in particular.
"I knew him as an experimental filmmaker," Coppola told MTV. He first came to know Lucas in the early 1970s when he hired the then-young man as his assistant. When Lucas released his formative effort "American Graffiti" in 1973, it was Coppola who produced it.
I'm going to let this video speak for itself. Nothing against the unstoppable summer juggernaut that is J.J. Abrams'"Star Trek", but this is pure, golden goodness for fans of George Lucas and his "Star Wars" series. Just make sure you have your fanboy allegiances firmly in check before hitting play.
At the end of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” brave Indy had a wife and a kid. By that point he’d already survived a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator and escaped an inter-dimensional alien portal, so who could blame the grizzly archeologist for calling it quits? But the film did almost $790 million in worldwide business. No wonder there’s been talk from George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and others about taking a fifth run at the franchise.
When MTV News caught up with “Crystal Skull” scribe David Koepp recently, the screenwriter was certainly open to the idea of “Indy 5.” “I thought [‘Crystal Skull’] was a pretty good way to go out, but you never know,” he told us. “Somebody has a great idea -- it’s always worth doing.” Read more...
George Lucas is finally realizing his decades-long dream of producing a film about the Tuskegee Airmen, and the wildly unique cast includes Cuba Gooding Jr. and Method Man. The Anthony Hemingway-directed flick "Red Tails" has popped up from time to time for Lucas in interviews, but an announcement today indicates that he has his actors and they're ready to suit up and start production.
“I’ve been wanting to do 'Red Tails' for 20 years, and we’ve finally got the means to showcase the skill of the Tuskegee pilots,” Lucas said in the press release. “We’re working on techniques which will give us the first true look at the aerial dogfighting of the era. And our top-notch cast will really make this story special.” Read more...
A live-action TV series set in the “Star Wars” cosmos has been an elusive, tantalizing prospect for years. News of the potential production first surfaced in 2005 while George Lucas was promoting “Revenge of the Sith.” Work on the “Clones Wars” animated feature film and Cartoon Network series, though, took creative precedence. In late 2007, Lucas revealed that he and his team were about to begin writing scripts for the live-action show. Now MTV News has learned that casting for the series is currently underway.
During the junket for the Nicolas Cage thriller “Knowing,” star Rose Byrne let slip that Team Lucas is casting a wide net for actors to join the show. “A lot of my friends have been auditioning for it,” she said. Read more...
FROM MTV.COM: While a Sarlacc may take over a thousand years to fully digest its prey, the pop-culture news cycle has proven once again to be the complete opposite — devouring and spitting out a new rumor about the "Star Wars" series in less than 24 hours this week. But what makes fans think there would be a new trilogy in the first place? And where should the most successful movie franchise of all time go from here?
Today's look 
Okay, look. "
Hong Kong action auteur John Woo (“Hard Boiled”) 
At the end of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” brave Indy had a wife and a kid. By that point he’d already survived a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator and escaped an inter-dimensional alien portal, so who could blame the grizzly archeologist for calling it quits? But the film did almost $790 million in worldwide business. No wonder there’s been talk from George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and others about taking a fifth run at the franchise.
A live-action TV series set in the “Star Wars” cosmos has been an elusive, tantalizing prospect for years. News of the potential production first surfaced in 2005 while George Lucas was promoting “Revenge of the Sith.” Work on the “Clones Wars” animated feature film and Cartoon Network series, though, took creative precedence. In late 2007, Lucas revealed that he and his team were about to begin writing scripts for the live-action show. Now MTV News has learned that casting for the series is currently underway.
- Harrison Ford teases / threatens fans, says George Lucas is in "think-mode" for "Indy 5." (