I just wanted to drop a reminder for all the Star Wars faithful who frequent Big Shiny Robot! that tonight is the first of the three episodes of The Yoda Chronicles on Cartoon Network.

I’ll catch it as quickly as I can and offer a review, but all of the past LEGO Star Wars specials have been top notch, and I love what they do inside the prequel era.

Here’s the official press release:

LEGO® Star Wars™ returns in epic style with The Yoda Chronicles, an exciting, funny and actionpacked new LEGO Star Wars story told in three animated TV specials. “The Phantom Clone” will premiere on Wednesday, May 29 at 8:00 p.m. (ET, PT) on Cartoon Network with specials two and three airing later this year. In the first of three specials, a brand new character, Jek 14 will enter the Star Wars universe. Created by the LEGO Group, Jek 14 is a clone who has been ‘enhanced’ by the Force.

Set in the prequel Star Wars era, The Yoda Chronicles features the one and only Yoda — the Jedi Master who has seen it all, done it all and taught generations of Jedi Knights. With help from a fresh class of Padawans, Yoda leads the Jedi in a desperate fight to stop Darth Sidious and his minions from creating a new super-weapon that could crush the Republic and win the war for the forces of evil.

In “The Phantom Clone,” under the orders of Darth Sidious, Count Dooku sets out to create the new ultimate weapon for the Sith. It is now up to Yoda and the Padawans to prevent Dooku from carrying out his plan but will they be too late? Tune-in on Wednesday, May 29 at 8:00 p.m. (ET, PT) for action, suspense and comedy in this all-new LEGO Star Wars special.

The LEGO Star Wars specials have quickly become fan favorites on Cartoon Network. Last year’s The Empire Strikes Out premiered as the #1 telecast of the week among boys 9-14, and the #1 telecast of the day among kids 6-11 and key boy demos, according to Nielsen Media Research.

LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles is written by Michael Price (The Simpsons) and produced by Wil Film. This special marks the first time entirely new Star Wars characters and vehicles have been created specifically for LEGO Star Wars. Building sets related to The Yoda Chronicles and featuring Jek 14 will be available in August.

Lucasfilm and Disney announced today the new animated series they cancelled The Clone Wars for, a new series called Rebels, set during the dark times between Episode III and Episode IV, it presumably will offer us a window to the formation of the rebellion.

I love the idea that this is basically a Ralph McQuarrie looking show coming to us. It’s also great to see guys like Filoni, Killian Plunkett, and Joel Aron involved. They’re part of the heart and soul of what made The Clone Wars incredible and I have no doubt they will work wonders with this show.

Here’s the official press release:

Production has begun on Star Wars Rebels, an exciting, all-new animated television series based on one of the greatest entertainment franchises of all time.  Scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, it will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.

Leading the development of the series is a creative team of exceptional talent. Screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) is an executive producer on Star Wars Rebels and will write the premiere episode. He is joined by Dave Filoni as executive producer, who served as supervising director of the ®Emmy nominated Star Wars: The Clone Wars since 2008. Executive producer Greg Weisman brings with him a wealth of animation experience with credits such as Young Justice, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles.

Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, “The entire team at Lucasfilm has provided extraordinary creativity and innovation for over three decades, and we’re thrilled to be bringing the expansive and imaginative world of Star Wars to Disney XD’s viewers.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to explore new corners of the Star Wars universe,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president, Lucasfilm. “I think Star Wars Rebels will capture the look, feel and fun that both kids and their parents love about Star Wars.”

The action-filled series is set between the events of Episode III and IV – an era spanning almost two decades never-before explored on-screen. Star Wars Rebels takes place in a time where the Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking shape. Details about the show are a closely guarded secret at this point.

Star Wars Rebels will be produced by Lucasfilm Animation, featuring many of the key talents that made Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Fans attending Star Wars Celebration Europe (http://www.starwarscelebration.eu/) will be the first to get an exclusive look at the new series. Casting will be announced at a later date. More information about this developing project will be found on www.StarWars.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/starwarsrebels.

Of course this raises many questions. This was the area of time the long in development live action show was to occupy. Does this mean that series is completely scrapped? Or is it being adapted into this in any capacity?

I’m told we might not get much more information about this show until after Celebration Europe.

Until then, you know where you can get the most up to date news, and it’s right here.

Star Wars: Reclamation.

Could this be the title of an in-development Star Wars cartoon?

If you trust an anonymous user on IMDb with a doubly anonymous imgur account, this could be very real. If you’re skeptical, then it could be the name of anything in the world.

Personally, I think it sounds like a Seth Green Star Wars show revolving around Imperial Sanitation Workers.

But that’s neither here nor there.

What we have here are a number of pages of an alleged pitch for a new Star Wars show that, according to this anonymous leaker, was in development at Lucas Animation, got the greenlight in January, but was put on hold just before the layoffs.

Then the layoffs happen.

You can read the pages for yourself:

Is it possible they were planning on creating a show set between Return of the Jedi and Episode VII? Yes. Is it possible that it was this show? Yes.

Do I find it likely? No.

It has the hallmarks of being legit, or an incredibly well-researched fan effort. Personally, I like the idea of a Bonteri being involved. A descendant of Ahsoka and Lux perhaps? And a kid Calrissian, a female no-less, is something I’d love to see. But this Shade character seems too obvious… Many are saying Luke, but if this was really Filoni and crew, don’t you think Ahsoka might be more likely? Luke would be too busy re-establishing the Jedi order.

Who knows.

It’s fun to look at and think about in either case.

And besides, if it were real, it wouldn’t have been on the Internet as long as it has been. We’d have all received cease and desists by now. Or at least polite letters asking us to take it down.

Be sure to listen to Full of Sith on Monday for the panels speculation on the Reclamation issue.

In what many of us have assumed to be the case, Dave Filoni revealed on Rebel Force Radio in his first interview since the cancellation of The Clone Wars that he is working to develop a new show in the Star Wars universe.

The interview, slated to go live tomorrow, was given to Eric Goldman of IGN who reports Filoni as saying:

“At this point, I am involved in some early production discussions and exploration of what we’ll be doing with Star Wars animation in the future, which is really exciting for me and I have some friendly faces around me, of course, that are helping me on the project. So it’s a transition time, as I’ve said before, and I think it will lead to an exciting time and hopefully I’ll see things grow again.”

Rumours have been swirling that this has been the case and it’s nice to get an official confirmation, and for that I’m grateful to the guys at Rebel Force Radio.

There’s no word if Filoni mentioned much about the upcoming bonus content we’ve been teased with for the end of the The Clone Wars series.

Having interviewed Filoni many times myself (you can listen to one of my conversations with him on Full of Sith), you can tell that he exudes a love of Star Wars and the fact that he’s still involved is the most promising silver lining we’ve had in these days of cancellations and layoffs.

For reasons I’m not entirely sure of, I somehow managed to miss Wreck-It Ralph’s theatrical run. Seeing it now on Blu-ray, I realize how much of a colossal mistake that was.

Wreck-It Ralph tells the tale of a 1980s video arcade game bad guy who has grown weary of being treated like a bad guy because he’s not really a bad guy. His job just happens to require untold amounts of property destruction. He goes on a quest to win a medal and be a good guy and finds himself in other games, learning about himself, his world, and others around him through a series of exhilarating adventures.

As a kid who grew up playing video games of the 80s and 90s, this movie was nothing short of perfect. From the cameos of various characters of franchises I love (from Zangief and Bowser to Doctor Robotnik and M. Bison) and kept me smiling the whole way through.

I had to check the cover repeatedly to make sure this wasn’t actually a Pixar film. And maybe that’s the best news we’ve had from the entire Disney/Pixar merger. If the boys at Pixar have been able to infuse this much creativity back into Disney’s animation department, we’re all going to benefit. Let’s hope they apply the same vigor to their 2D animation as well.

On Blu-ray, these modern 3D animated films are indeed stunning. The quality is sharp, and the visual motifs between the 8bit games and the stand up arcade machines was nothing short of breathtaking. The way they incorporated the different styles, established the world, and the rules of that world with cinematic storytelling was gleeful. It was apparent the makers of this film were having a fun time and it comes across with every frame of animation.

And I can’t say enough about John C. Reilly. I’ve long been a fan of his work. His turns in P.T. Anderson films and many, many others, have instilled me with a confidence about him that adds a layer of likability to any movie he’s a part of. Hopefully the rest of the world will catch up with that thinking, because I think he’s absolutely charming. He’s not handsome in a Hollywood way, but he is a fantastic actor with a flawless understanding of craft and is incredibly fun to watch (or listen to, in this case.) His voice is so perfect for the role, but you’d never have thought of it before, much the same way I reacted to hearing Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible.

Overall, my only complaint about this Blu-ray disc was the intermission screen. The way it is now, Chris Hardwicke hosts a variety of video game and movie trivia and visual gags. I’d have much preferred something a little more traditional and involving the characters of the movie since it wears thin fast.

Aside from that one complaint, which is minor, I would put this disc in the “MUST OWN” category. It’s available on Amazon and at fine retail stores everywhere.

Croissant de Triomphe on Disney Video

Even though I’m feeling a little upset with Disney, there’s no way I can remain that way. If this short is any indication of the creativity flowing out of that company that we’ll be seeing on a regular basis, consider me a happy camper.

Also, I’m a nerd for shorts like this. I’ve long felt we needed a return to them and this is an amazing leap forward in that direction. Well played, Disney. Well played.

Lucasfilm, via the official Star Wars website, announced a new direction for Lucasfilm Animation. There are many answered questions, but many more left unanswered.

First, and perhaps most important, is that The Clone Wars television series is ceasing production. They’ll finish work on episodes and arcs in the pipeline, but there is no indication where or how we’ll see them. “Season Six” is not mentioned anywhere at all in the release or the accompanying video (featuring a very classy and stoic Dave Filoni), and we’re told that we’ll be seeing some of the outstanding arcs as “bonus content.” That seems to say that we shouldn’t expect a traditional release. Will it just come out on a double-sized Season 5 Blu-ray set with as much “bonus content” as real content? There are no answers. Filoni did tease a clip from the Order 66 arc that Matt Lanter and Dee Bradley Baker talked about on Full of Sith, Episode IX, and it looks incredible.

There is no timeline for any of these.

The next bit of news is that Star Wars: Detours is on hold indefinitely. They may or may not release it in the future. Their official sentence about it: “Detours was conceived and produced before we decided to move forward with the new Star Wars trilogy, and in the wake of that decision, Lucasfilm has reconsidered whether launching an animated comedy prior to the launch of Episode VII makes sense. As a result, we’ve decided to postpone the release of Detours until a later date.”

And finally, the best bit of news in the announcement, was that there will be a new series, in an untouched area of the Star Wars universe. A good speculative guess would be that it’s in the sequel trilogy era, further wiping out Expanded Universe continuity.

Head over to StarWars.Com for the video.

I’ll be honest. The news wasn’t as bad as I was bracing for. Sure, The Clone Wars is done and certainly before its time, but we’re getting what’s left.

And a new series. I hope Filoni is in charge of that new series as well, and much of the same talent is involved.

“Then our worst fears have been realized…” –Mace Windu

It seems a sad fact that The Clone Wars is likely not returning to any television screens in the next year. I’ve heard rumblings to this effect from people in the know for a while now, but never on the record, and with them always encouraging us to show support for the show. Over the weekend, though, it seems as though The Clone Wars has met its demise.

Jedi News UK is reporting from “several sources” that The Clone Wars is done. There has been no official announcement, though I’ve heard one will be forthcoming, perhaps as early as tomorrow. There’s no good reason for this, but I said back in January that the plug could be pulled for the same shortsighted reasons as the 3D re-releases of the other films.

None of my sources has any reason to lie to me, but I was holding out talking about this until an official announcement was made, in hopes that it was all an elaborate bluff. Perhaps it will all turn out to be an elaborate bluff anyway and the announcement will be good news. We’ll see Season Six and all of the rest of the material in production finished and released to us to tide us over until the Sequel Trilogy.

But it doesn’t seem likely.

I’ll be angry and saddened by the “official” loss of The Clone Wars. I’ll be doubly angry if the completed episodes don’t air or appear on Netflix or iTunes, especially with the cliffhangers of the last two arcs of Season 5. But, as Master Yoda said, we must rejoice for those around us who transform into the force. The Clone Wars has given us five seasons of Star Wars that have blown us away. In the initial press releases, we were only getting 100 episodes over four seasons. With more than 100 over five seasons, perhaps we were living on borrowed time anyway.

You can still send messages of support for The Clone Wars to Disney and Lucasfilm. If nothing else, at least they’ll know how much the show means to all of us and that we’d love to see it continue.

• Bob Iger – Disney Studios, 500 S Buena Vista St, Burbank, CA 91521
• Kathleen Kennedy – Lucasfilm, P.O. Box 29901, San Francisco, CA 94129-0901

We had the distinct pleasure of doing an interview with Ashley Eckstein this week. For those who don’t know, she’s the voice of Anakin Skywalker’s padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano, who was given an incredible arc of episodes to cap of the fifth season of The Clone Wars.

Ashley isn’t just a voice on The Clone Wars, though. She is the creator of Her Universe, which is a line of clothes and accessories for female fans of science fiction. I’ve bought plenty of her merchandise and T-shirts for the girls in my life and the stuff she designs is simply the best.

But Ashley isn’t just a purveyor of fine geeky goods, either. She is using Her Universe as a community gathering spot for fan girls everywhere, which is why she launched the “Fan Girl of the Day” on the Her Universe website. I urge you to nominate the fan girls in your life for the honor, and help Ashley build a community of female fans that are role models.

Myself and the rest of the Full of Sith crew were able to interview her this week about all of these things, as well as her connection to Star Wars and fandom in general. It’s a conversation you’re going to just have to listen to.

After you listen to the interview, you’ll need to be sure to visit the official Star Wars blog and read the email correspondence between Ashley and Dave Filoni, as we discussed on the show.

Here’s the official show notes for this episode of Full of Sith:

Ashley Eckstein joins Mike, Consetta, and Bryan to discuss the fate of Ahsoka Tano on the Clone Wars season finale and Ashley’s future on the show. But, before they delve into that conversation, they talk about the importance of female role-models in Star Wars, the success of Her Universe, and excitement of the new “Fan Girl of the Day” feature on the Her Universe website.

If you like the show, please leave us an iTunes review and share us with your friends and family! We’d greatly appreciate it.

To listen to the episode, head over to the Full of Sith website. Or click here for a direct link to the mp3 of this special episode.

To keep up with the latest, be sure to follow the Full of Sith twitter and Facebook pages, too.

This first appeared on The Huffington Post.

I have been given the go ahead by Lucasfilm to reveal here exclusively that Tim Curry has joined the cast of Star Wars: The Clone Wars in the role of Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious. Tim Curry might be best known for his roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Clue, has been doing more than his fair share of excellent work over the last few decades, and can now add “Future Emperor” to his resume.

Just over a year ago, Star Wars fans were saddened to learn of the passing of Ian Abercrombie, the voice of Emperor Palpatine on The Clone Wars. He’d recorded many yet to be aired episodes before the time of his death, and the question of who would resume so vital a role was chief among many questions about the future of The Clone Wars.

Over the weekend, a small screening event was held for the season finale at the Presidio headquarters of Lucasfilm and I was asked to be there in attendance. There, at the screening, during the final episode of the arc, Tim Curry made his debut in the Star Wars galaxy. You can see an exclusive clip of him in the role on Saturday’s season finale:

I was able to talk to the show’s Supervising Director, Dave Filoni about the casting choice, “We had an extensive search to find a new voice for Palpatine. It wasn’t just a matter of finding an actor who could to recreate lines from the films. We needed someone to deliver a performance that could stand alongside what Ian McDiarmid and Ian Abercrombie created as this legendary Star Wars character. At the end of the day, there is little question that bringing in an actor of Tim’s caliber was perfect for Chancellor Palpatine.”

Filoni continued, “I think fans will find that he delivers the eloquence needed for the Chancellor. His growling, evil, Sidious voice is a delight, because Tim can definitely tap into the dark side when needed. We are fortunate to have him.”

For those who haven’t been watching the show, you’re missing out. I’ve written other articles about it for Huffington Post, but the short version is this: this is one of the most mature, well-written, produced, and executed shows on television. It belongs on your best-of lists with Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. This season’s finale is no exception. It’s one of the most emotional half-hours I’ve ever seen in a TV format and plays out beautifully as a major piece of Ahsoka Tano’s fate is decided. (For those who don’t know, Ahsoka served as Anakin’s padawan during the Clone Wars.)

If you’re interested in a more complete, spoiler free review of the incredibly well done finale episode, read my piece here. And if you’re interested in spoilers, be sure to subscribe to the Full of Sith podcast and wait for the upcoming episode.

You can tune into the finale episode on Cartoon Network this Saturday morning to watch all of Tim Curry’s debut and the emotional end to a fantastic season of Star Wars on television.

Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss it.

Bryan Young is an author and the editor in chief of the geek news and review site Big Shiny Robot!