Tag: Star Wars

Outside of the Mandolorian series, the Disney+ live action Star Wars series have been mostly hot garbage. Hopefully Lee Jung-jae doesn’t end up in a stinker of a series:

Top actor Lee Jung-jae is to join the new Disney+’s “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte,” helmed by Emmy-nominated creator Leslye Headland.

Lee will take a male lead in “The Acolyte,” according to the US online entertainment trade publication Deadline, but the detailed information about his character and role are yet to be revealed.

“There are many speculations about Lee’s role in ‘The Acolyte.’ We do not have any official statement to make at the moment. We hope to share the information, if things are decided in the near future,” Lee’s agency Artist Company official told The Korea Herald on Monday.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

In my opinion Adam Driver’s character is probably one of the biggest disappointments of an otherwise mostly good Star Wars movie.  Really did anyone expect a young Marilyn Manson when Kylo Ren took his helmet off?  To be fair though he is a much better actor than Hayden Christensen was in the prequels.  Of interest though is that before joining the Dark Side, Adam Driver was once a US Marine:

For a while, Adam Driver felt like he was doomed to a life of missed opportunities.

Of course, for an Emmy-nominated actor named one of GQ’s “Men of the Year,” that’s not true anymore — but ask him about his role in the new “Star Wars” film and it quickly becomes apparent that he does not want to screw this one up.

A misfit growing up in small town Mishawaka, Indiana, Driver was drawn to performing from an early age, landing regular roles in high school plays and singing in the choir at the church where his stepfather was pastor.

But mediocre grades kept him from getting accepted into acting school after graduating in 2001. With big talk to match his big dreams, he set off for Los Angeles to try to break into acting the old-fashioned way. Instead, his car broke down halfway there and, out of money, he was forced to retreat back home.

“It’s hard to come back after telling everyone ‘I’m outta here,’ ” he says.

A new hope

After stints selling vacuums door-to-door and other odd jobs, Driver was among the first to go see a Marine Corps recruiter after the Sept. 11 attacks, signing up for the infantry.  [Military Times]

You can read the rest at the link.

The domestic Korean movie “The Himalayas” must be pretty good considering it took on the new Star Wars movie this weekend and beat it in ticket sales:

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opened atop the box office all over the world, but it proved no match for “The Himalayas” in South Korea, where the homegrown survival tale snagged the No. 1 spot on Friday.

Based on a true story, “The Himalayas” made $1.6 million on Friday, while “The Force Awakens” came in second with $1.3 million. Friday was the opening day for both films.

Of course, the newest “Star Wars” installment is not hurting for box office returns. The J.J. Abrams-directed space epic has taken in $129 million from abroad since it began rolling out Wednesday, distributor Disney reported on Saturday.  [The Wrap via Reddit]

You can read the rest at the link, but I saw the new Star Wars movie this weekend and found it to be better than any of the prequels.  However, the plot played it safe and was pretty predictable. Also Kylo-Ren and the Golem on steroids has to be one of the worst movie villain duos ever.  However, the incredible special effects, likable lead characters and some unexpected humor made for an overall really good movie.

People dressed head-to-toe as Darth Vader and storm troopers, characters of the film “Star Wars,” pose for a photo during a publicity event, held by Japanese retailer Uniqlo, in Seoul on May 4, 2015. The “Star Wars Day” event originated from the English expression from the movie, “May the Force be with you,” which sounds like “May the Fourth.” (Yonhap)