Solo demonstrates that the Star Wars expanded universe hasn’t been forgotten

Solo: A Star Wars Story debuted on May 24th, delivering an origin story for one of the franchise’s best-known heroes. The film has underperformed at the box office, setting off a wave of questions about the future of the film franchise. But fans might be interested in a different future entirely — the future of the now non-canon expanded universe, which lives on in a new form in Solo.

Some spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Story ahead.

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, the company made a controversial decision: it officially ended the long-running expanded universe, a complicated series of novels, comics, and video games that kept interest in the franchise running long after the first film trilogy ended in 1983. While those books and...

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14 of Rick and Morty's Most Excellent Season 4 Moments

In episode nine, “Childrick of Mort,” Rick fought a god when they both fell for the same woman. Er, planet. That moment doesn’t make our list, but it’s still a damn good one. Screenshot: Adult Swim It’s still hard to believe—after so many lengthy delays between previous seasons —that season five of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty is almost upon us. While we count down the moments until the Emmy-winning series returns on June 20, we thought we’d also look back on season four, highlighting 14 of our favorite and most memorable moments (in no particular order... though we do have one very top favorite, as you’ll see) involving mostly Rick and Morty—but also Summer, Beth, Jerry, and Rick and Morty ’s creatively deployed guest stars too. “Why can you talk?” Screenshot: Adult Swim The A-plot of episode four, “Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty,” follows the adventures of Rick, Morty, and Summer as they attempt to rescue Morty’s “slut dragon,” Balthromaw, from an evil wizard. ...

Loki: Chris Hemsworth Records New Lines for Throg Role

Chris Hemsworth is Thor Image: Marvel Believe it or not, Chris Hemsworth appears in the latest episode of Loki. Well, his voice does. The Kate Herron directed-episode titled Journey into Mystery , takes place in a location at the end of time created by the Time Variance Authority called The Void. It’s in this void that viewers see Throg (a version of Thor in Frog form from Earth-97161) trapped inside a bottle deep underground as he tries to break out to reach his Mjolnir. When Herron was on the ForAllNerds podcast last Friday, she revealed that Chris Hemsworth is the voice of Throg. You don’t hear the Frog say any dialogue, but the scream it lets out is by Hemsworth . Herron had him record new lines and sounds strictly for the show, and she kept it a well-hidden secret. “Throg, getting him in [was fun],” Herron said on the podcast. “We recorded Chris Hemsworth for that, by the way. I haven’t told anyone that yet, by the way, but we recorded him for that, so that’s a new record...

Studio Ghibli Park Unveils Its Wondrous Valley of Witches

Screenshot: Kyodo News/YouTube With the Valley of Witches set to open March 16, Ghibli Park will finally be complete. Since 2022, the attraction—nestled in the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park in Nagoya, Japan—has unlocked realms inspired by Studio Ghibli’s legacy of films . But it’s not to be mistaken for a modern theme park; Hayao Miyazaki himself mandated that the experiences offered at Ghibli Park should evoke being in a Ghibli movie without disturbing the natural surroundings. So it’s more of a throwback to nostalgic attractions and walkthroughs with a carnival ride flair. Inspired by films including My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away, the first phase of opening kicked off two years ago, with other areas opening as they were completed. With the Valley of Witches, which features attractions inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle and Kiki’s Delivery Service, among others, the theme park will finally be open in full beginning March 16. Media outlets such as Kyodo News were able...

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