WDW Daily News

The production of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII announced Sunday that it has added two more to its cast ahead of its two-week break to accommodate Harrison Ford’s leg injury: American actress Crystal Clarke and parkour pro Pip Andersen.

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Remember when Star Wars: Episode VII’s production schedule was running smoothly, and we started to get those genuinely good feelings that maybe, just maybe this was going to be the movie to turn the brand around?

Full Story – Cinema Blend

Rumours have been floating around, first posted by UK website Jedi News, that Harrison Ford’s injury is worse than first reported, to the extent that his return to the film could be six months, possibly a lot longer.

Full Story – Metro

Star Wars Land.  The long rumored area that many fans have clamored for years, might soon be coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Last week, it was announced that the American Idol Experience will be closing its doors for good in January 2015.  On the heels of that announcement have been reports that Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular will also end its run by January 2015 as well.

In between both of those attractions sits the ABC Sound Studio, which used to be home to the attraction ‘Sounds Dangerous’.  That building has opened seasonally with various shows/experiences during Star Wars Weekends and sneak peeks of Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ and beginning July 1, 2014 Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.  Other than those sporadic events, the building sits empty waiting for a new purpose.

As with most areas at Walt Disney World, there is an area for food and drink for its guests.  This location currently features the Backlot Exprress.  This counter service eatery has long been considered as the perfect spot for a re-purposed Mos Eisley’s Cantina.

While Disney has not confirmed the closure of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Show Spectacular, it certainly makes sense.  Take a look at the area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios that encompasses the American Idol Experience, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, ABC Sound Studio and the Backlot Express.  The area would be a perfect fit for a full Star Wars Land.

With an area this large, the real question is what type of attractions will take place in the potential Star Wars Land? A Cantina make over would be rather simple and quick as the eatery would simply need to be re-themed to fit the Star Wars era.  Would an expansion of the ever popular Star Wars: Jedi Training Academy stage be looked into or would it be popular enough to fill the existing Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular area?  What about a possible Star Wars Pod Race type of Roller coaster inside similar to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster?  Or would that be too similar to the scene in Star Tours 2.0?  Could some sort of slow moving attraction be above ground that takes guests through the Ewok Village of Star Wars Land, similar to Magic Kingdom’s People Mover?

Would a potential Star Wars Land be enough to counter the buzz at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley addition at Universal Orlando Resort?

Well, what do you think?  Let us know on Twitter whether you think Star Wars Land is a good idea and if so, what type of ride(s) would you like to see.

Disney Publishing Worldwide today re-defines the storytelling experience with the release of “Star Wars Scene Maker,“ a new line of creativity apps that gives kids and Star Wars fans of all ages the tools to create, control, customize, capture and share their own 3D animated Star Wars scenes. Utilizing simple, intuitive commands, the apps give fans an unrivaled user-generated storytelling experience that allows them to re-imagine and re-create iconic scenes from the Saga.

Featuring 3D models of characters, vehicles, and environments, “Scene Maker” allows fans to zoom in, pull back and explore each animated Star Wars scene. Users have the freedom to place characters and vehicles wherever they choose, and then customize them with a variety of weapons to create new storylines and dialogue.

Three movable cameras can be maneuvered and switched to different film modes, with options to rotate and adjust vertical heights to give scene makers complete creative control of how they film their scenes. Additionally, iconic music and dialogue deepen the scene making experience, while options to record original dialogue expand the level of customization. A save and share option provides opportunities for fans to socialize their content online.

“At Disney Publishing, we are committed to reaching today’s consumers in deeper, more engaging ways through innovative and immersive storytelling experiences,” said Andrew Sugerman, executive vice president, Disney Publishing Worldwide. “Star Wars Scene Maker allows us to put kids and fans of all ages in the director’s seat and provide them with ways to unleash their creativity and share their passion for the Star Wars brand in a new way.”

The first app in the “Scene Maker” series launches with iconic scenes from the original trilogy: “The Battle of Endor,” from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, “Cloud City Duel” from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and “Death Star Trench Run” from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. “The Battle of Endor” is free with download, and each additional content pack is $2.99, or $3.99 for both.

The “Scene Maker” apps will continue to feature content from the Star Wars Saga, with plans to expand to new content from the upcoming “Star Wars Rebels” animated series on Disney XD. Additional content packs will be released through app updates, and available through in-app purchase.

“Star Wars Scene Maker” is available now for free for iOS on the App Store. For additional Star Wars mobile apps updates and information, visit www.StarWars.com, www.DisneyStories.com, Facebook at Facebook.com/disneyreads and Twitter at @DisneyReads.

Disney knew Star Wars would be a merchandising machine for the company when it bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012. Little did it know that while action figures and apparel were big sellers, the most popular item for Star Wars fans is the lightsaber.

Full Story – Yahoo

An extended first look at “Star Wars Rebels” will debut immediately following the special. “Star Wars Rebels” is scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world. 

Reality TV celebrity Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi poses June 13, 2014 with Chewbacca, the famous Wookiee from “Star Wars,” during the “Star Wars Weekends” event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Snooki met the Wookiee during the final weekend of 2014 for the annual “Star Wars” event at the Walt Disney World Resort theme park. The event took place this year May 16-June 15, 2014. (David Roark, photographer)

Check out this cool collectible found inside Darth’s Maul of Fan Wraps featuring Star Wars Characters.  Which is your favorite?

Take a look at some photos from Ackbar’s Snack Bar inside Darth’s Mall at Disney’s Star Wars Weekends.