Disney buys Lucasfilm, Episode VII in works

LucasfilmDisney announces the purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4,000,000,000, simultaneously announcing that work will commence on Star Wars Episode VII for a 2015 release. George Lucas, having already stepped down as Lucasfilm chairman earlier in the year, is suddenly even more of a billionaire than he already was, and Disney gets the keys to the Star Wars franchise with plans for new movies “every 2-3 years.”

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & ChromeThe first segment of the movie Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, a prequel to Ronald D. Moore’s re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica, premieres online at Machinima.com. Broken into ten segments, it is intended to pilot a series chronicling the early military career of William Adama, though after a 2013 airing on Syfy, no series is ordered.

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Doctor Who: The Great War

Doctor WhoBig Finish Productions releases the audio drama box set Doctor Who: Dark Eyes, featuring the episode The Great War. This set marks a new direction in the ongoing adventures of the eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann, including new cover designs featuring a new costume McGann helped design. Read more

Doctor Who: The Snowmen

Doctor WhoThe 792nd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 94th episode since the series’ revival). This is the series’ 2012 Christmas special, guest starring Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I) with a voice-over appearance by Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord Of The Rings trilogy). Read more

Arrow: Trust But Verify

ArrowThe 11th episode of Arrow, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ Green Arrow superhero starring Stephen Amell, airs on the CW. Ben Browder (Farscape) and John Barrowman (Torchwood, Doctor Who) guest star.

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Abrams to direct Star Wars Episode VII

Star WarsWord breaks across Hollywood that Disney has secured the services of J.J. Abrams, co-creator of Lost and director of the 2009 and 2013 movies set in a re-imagined Star Trek universe, to direct the much-anticipated Star Wars Episode VII, the first new movie in the series since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm at the end of 2012. With a locked-in release date in 2015, Abrams is expected to start work on Episode VII as soon as post-production and promotion for Star Trek Into Darkness are complete for that movie’s May 2013 release.

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Star Wars “character” movies in works

Han SoloDisney announces that it has an entire empire of Star Wars movies in mind, including two movies built around the early days of specific fan-favorite characters, with Han Solo and Boba Fett being the first two characters to have movies centered around them. The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders Of The Lost Ark screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan – obviously no stranger to the exploits of Han Solo – is among those developing the storylines for these spinoff movies.

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