🚀 A New 'Starfighter' Villain!

Good Morning, Youtinians. It’s a week full of our favorite things: we always love to hear about future Star Wars movies, and the most recent news is a gem! And since Youtini got its start focusing on Star Wars books, we’re happy to dive into the latest release!

— JG Carse, Emmi Conner, and Doc B

Starfighter Has Another Villain!

Incredibly, the hype for May 28, 2027, is already building as we hear more and more about the highly anticipated new movie Star Wars: Starfighter. The latest news has had the Youtini team and community buzzing!

The latest news: According to Deadline, the highly anticipated 2027 film will feature Matt Smith as a main antagonist.

• Matt Smith is a bona fide star, having snared lead roles in franchises such as the global hit House of Dragons and the English favorite Doctor Who.

• It's not his first connection with Star Wars, either. Rumors for The Rise of Skywalker initially had him in a lead role, but the character reportedly was cut before production.

What we know so far: Lucasfilm has confirmed the film is a standalone journey in the Star Wars galaxy with no direct connections to the Skywalker Saga.

• It takes place five years after the events of Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. 

• Jonathan Tropper will write the screenplay. His previous credits include Banshee, Warrior, and Your Friends and Neighbors, all directed by Gavin O’Connor and all dealing with characters battling the intense personal conflict of shifting loyalties, betrayal, and moral righteousness. Perfect for a Star Wars classic, wouldn’t you agree?

• In June, we learned that Mia Goth will also play a lead villain, which created massive excitement. Now, there are two of them!

• Principal photography will begin in Fall 2025.

Tokyo Revisited: Cast your minds back to Star Wars Celebration Japan, which seems SO long ago now! Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni were on stage, and the revelations came fast:

• After director Shawn Levy's introduction, the crowd (and internet!) went bonkers to see Ryan Gosling's introduction as the lead star!

• That's also when we learned the film's title, Star Wars: Starfighter, and planned release date of May 28, 2027.

We’re all fine here now — how are you? Our hearts pump faster with every announcement! We love hearing about this next film and imagining these big names joining the Star Wars universe. We'll keep you up to date as we learn more, so stay tuned to the Youtini Show for all the latest and join us in Discord to share your thoughts!

Tech Returns!

Thank Mortis, with the release of Star Wars: Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel, our favorite techie in clone trooper armor is back and ready for action!

Yes, thankfully, author Lamar Giles has time-warped back to before The Bad Batch Season 3 finale episodes that, without spoiling too much, are CRUSHING, to allow us to read Tech’s story and hear his voice in our heads again.

The Story: Tech and friends find themselves on Pabu, looking for a safe haven after some of the chaos we saw in Season 2 and finding the locals in need of help.

• Giles blends fast-paced action with deep conversation and character moments that help us appreciate the Bad Batch even more than we already did.

• The story introduces all-new adversaries whom Giles successfully makes every bit as menacing as any of the foes encountered on-screen!

• The story is brilliantly paced, with a succession of scenes that take us on a journey that sets up a satisfying ending.

• For more, be sure to see Eric's review!

A Little Teaser: Sanctuary: A Bad Batch Novel is out now, and available wherever you buy your books!

• Inkstone has a special edition with sprayed edges featuring the crew's helmets and a depiction of their ship, the Maurader, on the back. Pre-orders are sold out, but you can join a waiting list for extra copies.

• If you're still waiting for your copy to arrive (or for a chance to visit your bookstore), Kobo has an exclusive excerpt available to get you started!

We’re all fine here now — how are you? Look for a new episode of Youitni's Canon Book Club podcast with a roundtable discussing the book soon! Meanwhile, jump on Discord and let us know how much you love it!

🛰️ In the Youtiniverse

🎙️ In the latest episode of The Youtini Show, hear an exciting announcement about a new partnership, Eric's Vegas adventure, and all the Star Wars news from San Diego Comic-Con.

🎙️ Eric joins Hannah, JG, and Emmi on the Canon Book Club to look back on The High Republic Initiative as a whole.

🎙️ On last week's Cosmic Force, follow Kylo Ren on a quest to chase down a mysterious Order 66 survivor in Legacy of Vader #7.

🎙️ This week, the Cosmic Force dives into Jedi Knights #6, featuring Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu, and Ayla Secura investigating a puzzling murder.

✏️ Read Oz's review of Legacy of Vader #7, in which Kylo's latest quest proves a unique challenge!

✏️ At Fan Expo Boston, John Boyega shared some fascinating insight into his original thoughts on Rey and Finn's arc, and Eric has all the details.

✏️ Jacob reviews Jedi Knights #6 and unpacks the murder mystery Qui-Gon Jinn, Mace Windu, and Ayala Secura have to solve.

🧭 Smuggler’s Finds

Fresh Star Wars treasures, hand-picked by the Youtini crew.

• Outfit your reading chair (or dorm room if you're finally off to the Academy this year!) with this feather-knit, fluffy throw blanket. As fall weather nears, you'll love curling up with this blanket to read your favorite Star Wars books ... or study the ancient Jedi texts.

• Recreate Cassian Andor's iconic ride with this LEGO U-Wing Starfighter. The 594-piece set includes minifigures for Cassian, K-2SO, Dedra Meero, and an Imperial tactical agent. The built model features pivoting wings so you can make the jump to hyperspace (even if K-2 hasn't finished the calculations).

• Freshen up your wardrobe with this Boba Fett floral print shirt. The 100% cotton shirt is available in several sizes and features a sharp-looking Hawaiian-style print on a black background. You'll be almost as stylish as Legends Lookback's own Freddy C!

📆 Releasing This Week

• August 13

  • Jedi Knights #6 by Marc Guggenheim

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