‘Star Wars’ movie granted
Raw video: New Hampshire Vietnam War veteran and avid ‘Star Wars‘ junkie Ron Villemaire receives private screening of ‘The Last Jedi.’
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The Mothership podcast: We break out the ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ spoilers
Now let’s really talk about Star Wars: The Last Jedi. On this week’s episode of The Mothership, USA TODAY’s geek culture podcast, we dive into everything about The Last Jedi, which hit theaters last week. There were several moments generating a stir among the Star Wars faithful. We break some of …
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LEGO Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon Set for $800
For its VIP Loyalty members, LEGO offers its LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collectors Series Millennium Falcon Set for $799.99 with free shipping. (You must sign in to see this price. Not a member? It’s free to join.) Although that’s list price, this set is otherwise hard to come by at major retailers.
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The Skywalker reunion in Star Wars may only be worth as much as the rebels in “Rogue One”
Luke and Leia’s long-awaited last moments together in The Last Jedi aren’t amounting to much more at the box office than the rag-tag band of rebels who sacrificed themselves for the rebellion in Rogue One, based on the movie’s current daily box-office pace. It is losing its hold on audiences faster than …
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A Star Wars game changer
Star Wars is a franchise steeped in tradition. Since the original trilogy, fans have held the series to a standard in a galaxy far, far above most others. One of the reasons the prequel trilogy (1999…
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Dying veteran’s wish to see ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ comes true
A dying veteran asked to see the newest “Star Wars” movie before he passed and he received his wish. Ron Villemaire, 69, of New Hampshire, has stage 4 colon cancer and is in hospice care in Bedford, NH. The U.S. Air Force and Vietnam War veteran asked to see “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” but could …
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The Last Jedi: A Force push against the backlash
There’s only one thing all Star Wars fans can agree on: there is imbalance in the Force. The Last Jedi was won overwhelming praise from critics and is stomping across the global box office like a rampaging AT-M6 gorilla walker, but it has also fiercely divided the community of admirers who make up the …
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi rejects The Force Awakens’ mysteries, and is better for it
When J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens hit theaters in 2015, it was no surprise that moviegoers came away with lots of questions. Abrams — known for series like Lost and Alias — is notoriously fond of mystery, which he calls “the catalyst for imagination.” In a 2007 TED Talk, he presented a …
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Star Wars toys: How Kenner conquered the market on a promise
It was an IOU from Kenner’s headquarters in Cincinnati –- printed half a million times over or so -– that once the company’s Star Wars toys were ready, a tiny, plastic Chewbacca, Luke, Princess Leia and a robot called “Artoo-Detoo” would arrive in your mailbox, before anybody else on the block.
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Rian Johnson Responds to Extreme ‘Last Jedi’ Backlash from ‘Star Wars’ Fans
Every Star Wars film incites passionate reactions from fans, but Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi is arguably tearing this fan base apart. Some fans dubbed it the best Star Wars since Empire Strikes Back, others signed a petition demanding the “travesty” be struck from the official canon and remade.
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Box Office: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Soaring to $650 Million Worldwide
Disney-Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is set to cross the $650 million mark at the worldwide box office on Friday, with $610.5 million already grossed in its first week. The tentpole took in $17.8 million domestically at 4,232 locations on Thursday, up 5% from Wednesday’s earnings. The North …
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Reviews: Can ‘Star Wars’ stay atop the box office with several new films opening this weekend, Dec …
The much-anticipated “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (see our review of the film here) opened to critical acclaim, despite the general audience being mostly split. Whether you liked or loathed Episode VIII, very few people stayed home, as in just five days “The Last Jedi” has already topped 260 million in …
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The Inspiration Behind the Porgs in ‘Star Wars’ Can Be Found on This Mysterious Island
Porgs aren’t just here to amp up “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” toy sales. Besides the fact that Porgs are devastatingly cute to the point that you want to squeeze them to the end of time (sorry, Ewoks), there was a practical — if accidental — reason that Porgs were even created in the Star Wars universe.
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Uh Oh, ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Is Only The 2nd-Fastest Grossing Movie Ever
Star Wars: The Last Jedi earned another $17.8 million on its seventh day of release. That brings its week-long domestic total to $296.5m. That’s the second-biggest seven-day domestic cume ever, between Jurassic World ($296.2m) and The Force Awakens ($390.8m). So, yeah, with all the handwringing …
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Of Course There Was A Secret In That Big ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Cameo
When it comes to “Star Wars” cameos, there is do or do not. There is no try. And “The Last Jedi” certainly did. In the film ― after Rey (Daisy Ridley) leaves Ahch-To to make contact with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) ― a frustrated Luke (Mark Hamill) decides it’s time to destroy the ancient Jedi texts and the tree …
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Irish national trust fears ‘re-branding’ from Star Wars film could put Skellig Michael’s heritage status …
Irish heritage conservationists fear that a rugged island off the country’s southwest coast could lose its prestigious Unesco listing because of a spike in visitor numbers, after scenes from Star Wars: The Last Jedi were shot there. An Taisce, Ireland’s national trust, is seeking government intervention over …
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Why Rian Johnson Doesn’t Mind Star Wars: The Last Jedi Criticisms
While Star Wars: The Last Jedi has started out with an incredible box office, once people see the film, they are having very different reactions to the material. Director Rian Johnson has a very honest take on those with such divisive views. Responding to a fan on Twitter who asked The Last Jedi director if …
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What Could The Last Jedi Backlash Mean for the Future of Star Wars
When critics left the first press screenings of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the buzz was deafening. Could this biggest of the franchise films be a genuine Oscar contender, a classic on the level of The Empire Strikes Back? By the time general audiences began seeing the film last Thursday, the conversation …
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Look inside The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The latest product from Abrams Books, The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is the first comprehensive look inside the creation of the most divisive science fiction movie in a generation. Available now on Amazon and at retailers around the country, it features a forward by director Rian Johnson as well as …
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Star Wars, from the perspective of C-3PO, is a relentless nightmare
Your master goes into a bar, where they refuse to serve you. Instead of leaving the bar in solidarity, he makes you wait outside. Then you wind up in a giant space station. Your master leaves you behind with your eccentric colleague, who turns out to be carrying Very Important Information. You have no …
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‘Star Wars’ fans will love these detailed drawings of the galaxy’s most iconic ship
The detail is incredible, down to the hyperdrive initiation lever. We spoke with Remillard on how the image came together (including how he gained access to Lucasfilm’s top-secret, 3D blueprints of the Falcon). You can see more concept art of the movie’s ships in Remillard’s book, “Star Wars: The Force …
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‘The Goal Is Never to Divide.’ Last Jedi Director Addresses Backlash From Star Wars Fans
While critics seemed to love The Last Jedi, scoring it at 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, hardcore Star Wars fans were more divided — Episode VIII has only a 53 percent audience rating on the site. However, director Rian Johnson has said that he believes the controversy surrounding the movie was an …
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‘Last Jedi’ Grosses Are Collapsing With The Worst Daily Holds Of All 9 Star Wars Movies
Now that the initial weekend flush is behind it, that hot period when pretty much anything that had the Star Wars name on it could have earned $500 million worldwide, audience fervor for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has cooled off like a chilly winter evening on planet Hoth. In North America, daily holds for …
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The Women Who Run the ‘Star Wars’ Universe
Princess Leia is tough, idealistic and frequently sardonic. Yet she is also quiet. Women in the original “Star Wars” trilogy spoke fewer than half as many words as their male colleagues did. Leia’s limited dialogue in “Star Wars” went unchallenged in 1977, but 40 years later, the lack of meaty roles for …
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Star Wars has responded to fan criticism over new hero Rose Tico
Star Wars has responded directly to its critics, after fans began a backlash against new character Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). Rose makes her debut in The Last Jedi, and soon becomes a vital part of the Rebel Alliance after being tasked with a mission that sees her travelling to casino city Canto Bight …
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