🚀'Starfighter' Starts Production!

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Good Morning Youtinians.  How lucky are we that Star Wars news keeps coming? Both Andor and The High Republic wrapped up months ago, yet there's still something new to talk about every week! That hasn't always been the case, so let's jump right into the latest updates from a galaxy far, far away...

— JG Carse, Emmi Conner, and Doc B

Starfighter News Jumps to Lightspeed

Oh my, oh my, how we are loving this period of Star Wars fandom. Not only will our newest favorite duo hit the big screen next year, but Shawn Levy's Star Wars: Star Fighter was confirmed to have STARTED FILMING! Yeah baby!

• The production, starring Ken Ryan Gosling, recently started filming in London.

• Gosling also serves as executive producer alongside Hollywood veterans Dan Levine, Josh McLaglen, and Mary McLaglen.

• Director Shawn Levy shares producer credits with Kathleen Kennedy.

• With Jonathan Tropper as screenwriter, the film will take place in a previously unexplored part of the Star Wars timeline. Cool! 

The Latest Casting News:

• As Youtini reported last week, Lucasfilm has announced the full cast!

• In addition to Gosling, Starfighter's cast includes Academy Award nominee Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth, and Flynn Gray (Wednesday, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2).

Behind the Camera:

• This week, Levy also confirmed that Claudio Miranda will serve as cinematographer.

• Miranda previously worked on Tron: Legacy, F1, and Top Gun: Maverick. The perfect resume for a starfighter-based flick!

• He's earned an Academy Award for Life of Pi (2012) and a Visionary Achievement Award at Cine Gear Expo for his contributions to advancing his field, particularly in digital technology and LED lighting integration.

We’re all fine here now — how are you? Levy and Gosling already looked like a partnership primed to rule the galaxy! Now with award-winning cinematographer Miranda, Starfighter seems set to be absolutely mind-blowing! Be sure to join us in Discord to share the excitement!

Disney Partnership with WEBTOON to Include Star Wars

In a recent announcement, we learned about a new multiyear collaboration between Disney and WEBTOON!

What is WEBTOON? Launched in 2004 in South Korea, WEBTOON is a popular platform for digital comics.

• WEBTOON presents graphic storytelling in a mobile device-friendly vertical scroll format.

• It has grown into a global service for millions of creators and readers worldwide.

What's the Deal?

• The deal covers Star Wars, Marvel, 20th Century Studios, and Disney.

• Fans will be able to access classic comic series, graphic novels, and all-new original series.

• Original series will include new adventures for familiar characters.

• Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man (2022) will be the launch title later this month, with Jason Aaron's Star Wars (2015) as the first title from our favorite universe.

We’re all fine here now — how are you? It hasn't always been easy to follow comics on mobile devices, so a partnership that brings epic Star Wars storytelling to a handy vertical-scrolling format is exciting news! We can expect to learn more during New York Comic Con in early October. 

Forbes on Star Wars Villains

Business magazine Forbes — curator of the annual Billionaires List, The Forbes 400 list of richest Americans, and the list of the World's Most Powerful People — recently turned its high-powered spotlight onto a couple of villains from the Star Wars universe.

Iconic Villainy: In a recent list of the 30 most memorable villains in cinematic history, Forbes covers 94 years of film.

• The list is a who's who of evil that includes Dr. Evil himself and Bond villains, Velociraptors, Heath Ledger's iconic portrayal of the Joker, and even an animated Disney baddie.

• Perhaps no surprise to us, the baddest of the bad is none other than Darth Vader.

• Noting that his arc spans six films ("choosing just one film for Darth Vader slightly undersells the character"), the list specifically cites David Prowse's physical presence and James Earl Jones's legendary vocal performance.

The Stranger: Forbes also revisited The Acolyte a year after its release. Writer Paul Tassi doesn't flinch from the financial realities that likely contributed to the show's cancellation, nor the "absolutely insane hate the show, its star, and its showrunner got."

At the same time, he gives Manny Jacinto's Qmir well-deserved props!

• Tassi argues that "Manny Jacinto’s The Stranger, in particular, was one of the best original villains we’ve seen appear in Star Wars in the entire Disney era..."

• He states that Episode 5 features "a top 3 lightsaber fight in the history of Star Wars."

We’re all fine here now — how are you? It's no surprise to us that Darth Vader tops the list of most memorable movie villains! But it's even more heartening as Star Wars fans to see Forbes recognize Qmir's epic evilness. Where do you think The Stranger ranks among Star Wars villains? Where would you put Darth Vader among all the bad guys and gals in cinematic history? Join the conversation in Discord!

🛰️ In the Youtiniverse

🎙️ You don't want to miss the guys from The Cosmic Force covering Aphra's reunion with Han Solo!

🎙️ Join Legends Lookback for an end-of-summer road trip with a twist! Jared, Emily, Rick, and Freddy take you on a tour of the darkest, most twisted corners of a galaxy far, far away.

✏️ Eric wraps up all the exciting Star Wars: Starfighter casting and production updates.

✏️ The Dispatch's own Doc has the definitive list of the best Darth Maul merch for your Star Wars collection!

✏️ Fantasy Flight Games has announced its sixth set for Star Wars: Underworld, and Youtini has all the details.

🧭 Smuggler’s Finds

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

• Toast the creed with this set of four Mandalorian-themed glasses. The set features the helmets of Paz Vizsla, Bo-Katan, The Armorer, and Din Djarin with matching colored bases.

• If you couldn't make the trip to Japan in April, fear not! With this pullover hoodie, you can still rock this beautiful design, based on traditional Japanese art! The sweatshirt features Darth Vader from Celebration 2025's key art on the back and TIE fighters, X-Wings, and an Imperial walker with Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms with a rising sun design on the front.

• Head back to school in old-school style with this graphic T-shirt. Featuring the Millennium Falcon and a retro-style logo designed to give a vintage vibe. Tell everyone you've been in this since you were six years old without saying a word!

📆 Releasing This Week

• September 3

  • Han Solo — Hunt for the Falcon #1 by Rodney Barnes

  • Legacy of Vader #8 by Charles Soule

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