British-born actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca the Wookiee, the loyal, furry companion of space buccaneer Han Solo in five of the "Star Wars" movies, has died at age 74, his family said on Thursday. 
 
Mayhew, whose face was never seen in the 'Star Wars'&nbsp;films - his entire body was always clothed in his Wookiee costume - died at his north Texas home on Tuesday, according to the family`s statement on Twitter. No cause of death was given. 
 
The lanky performer made his first appearance as the beloved, bleating Chewbacca character in the landmark 1977 sci-fi action-thriller 'Star Wars,' and went on to co-star in four more films in the blockbuster series - 'The Empire Strikes Back,'&nbsp;'Return of the Jedi,'&nbsp;'Revenge of the Sith'&nbsp;and 'The Force Awakens.' 
 
He retired from playing Chewbacca for health reasons, although his family recalled that for Mayhew`s final turn as the heroic Wookiee in 'The Force Awakens,'&nbsp;he had "fought his way back from being wheelchair-bound to stand tall" for his signature role in that 2015 film. 
 
He also served as an off-camera consultant on the final 2017 film in the series, 'The Last Jedi,'&nbsp;helping to tutor his successor in the Chewbacca role, Joonas Suotamo, on the ways of convincingly playing a Wookiee. 
 
Mark Hamill, who starred as Luke Skywalker in the 'Star Wars'&nbsp;franchise, called Mayhew “the gentlest of giants.” 
 
“A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile &amp; a loyal friend who I loved dearly,” Hamill wrote on Twitter. “I`m grateful for the memories we shared &amp; I`m a better man for just having known him.”

In his own statement, Suotamo saluted Mayhew as "an absolutely one-of-kind gentleman and a legend of unrivaled class.” 
 
Chewbacca, tall, shaggy and clothed only in a bandoleer, was introduced to movie audiences in the original 'Star Wars'&nbsp;film as co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, the spacecraft captained by his best friend, Solo, played by Harrison Ford. Solo affectionately referred to him as Chewie. 
 
The character of Princess Leia, played by the late Carrie Fisher, was more dismissive of Chewbacca at first, memorably snapping: "Will someone get this big, walking carpet out of my way," early in the first 'Star Wars'&nbsp;picture. 
 
`INVESTED HIS SOUL` 
 
A trusty sidekick who spoke in a language of dog-like growls and bellowing moans understood by his compatriots, Chewbacca was the most notable member of the fictional humanoid Wookiee species of his heavily forested home planet. Another actor supplied sounds for the character`s "voice." 
 
Mayhew, who stood 7 feet, 4 inches (2.24 m) tall, was discovered while working as a hospital orderly in London. A photograph of him published in a local paper caught the eye of film producers, and he was cast as a Minoton in the 1977 film "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger," co-starring Jane Seymour, according to his official Facebook page. 
 
About a year later, after returning to his job at King`s College Hospital, Mayhew was called by filmmaker George Lucas to audition for the role of Chewbacca, a role he not only created for the original "Star Wars" film and reprised in four others but inhabited in various television and personal appearances over the years. 
 
"He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the `Star Wars` audience," Ford said in a statement paying tribute to his co-star. "Chewbacca was an important part of the success of the films we made together. ... I and millions of others will never forget Peter and what he gave us all."

British-born actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca the Wookiee, the loyal, furry companion of space buccaneer Han Solo in five of the "Star Wars" movies, has died at age 74, his family said on Thursday.

British-born actor Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca the Wookiee, the loyal, furry companion of space buccaneer Han Solo in five of the "Star Wars" movies, has died at age 74, his family said on Thursday. Mayhew, whose face was never seen in the 'Star Wars' films - his entire body was always clothed in his Wookiee costume - died at his north Texas home on Tuesday, according to the family`s statement on Twitter. No cause of death was given. The lanky performer made his first appearance as the beloved, bleating Chewbacca character in the landmark 1977 sci-fi action-thriller 'Star Wars,' and went on to co-star in four more films in the blockbuster series - 'The Empire Strikes Back,' 'Return of the Jedi,' 'Revenge of the Sith' and 'The Force Awakens.' He retired from playing Chewbacca for health reasons, although his family recalled that for Mayhew`s final turn as the heroic Wookiee in 'The Force Awakens,' he had "fought his way back from being wheelchair-bound to stand tall" for his signature role in that 2015 film. He also served as an off-camera consultant on the final 2017 film in the series, 'The Last Jedi,' helping to tutor his successor in the Chewbacca role, Joonas Suotamo, on the ways of convincingly playing a Wookiee. Mark Hamill, who starred as Luke Skywalker in the 'Star Wars' franchise, called Mayhew “the gentlest of giants.” “A big man with an even bigger heart who never failed to make me smile & a loyal friend who I loved dearly,” Hamill wrote on Twitter. “I`m grateful for the memories we shared & I`m a better man for just having known him.” In his own statement, Suotamo saluted Mayhew as "an absolutely one-of-kind gentleman and a legend of unrivaled class.” Chewbacca, tall, shaggy and clothed only in a bandoleer, was introduced to movie audiences in the original 'Star Wars' film as co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, the spacecraft captained by his best friend, Solo, played by Harrison Ford. Solo affectionately referred to him as Chewie. The character of Princess Leia, played by the late Carrie Fisher, was more dismissive of Chewbacca at first, memorably snapping: "Will someone get this big, walking carpet out of my way," early in the first 'Star Wars' picture. `INVESTED HIS SOUL` A trusty sidekick who spoke in a language of dog-like growls and bellowing moans understood by his compatriots, Chewbacca was the most notable member of the fictional humanoid Wookiee species of his heavily forested home planet. Another actor supplied sounds for the character`s "voice." Mayhew, who stood 7 feet, 4 inches (2.24 m) tall, was discovered while working as a hospital orderly in London. A photograph of him published in a local paper caught the eye of film producers, and he was cast as a Minoton in the 1977 film "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger," co-starring Jane Seymour, according to his official Facebook page. About a year later, after returning to his job at King`s College Hospital, Mayhew was called by filmmaker George Lucas to audition for the role of Chewbacca, a role he not only created for the original "Star Wars" film and reprised in four others but inhabited in various television and personal appearances over the years. "He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the `Star Wars` audience," Ford said in a statement paying tribute to his co-star. "Chewbacca was an important part of the success of the films we made together. ... I and millions of others will never forget Peter and what he gave us all."

Peter Mayhew, actor who played Chewbacca in 'Star Wars' movies, dies

Disney's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/ahead-of-disneys-streaming-platform-launch-netflix-drops-marvels-daredevil-180413">video streaming service </a>will launch in the US in November, spotlighting its blockbuster-making studios as it takes on powerhouse Netflix.

Disney said that after launching in the US on November 12 at a starting price of $6.99 monthly, Disney+ will gradually expand internationally with a start in Europe.

Disney's service will offer its films and TV shows, along with the library it acquired from Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox. That includes the "Star Wars" and Marvel superhero franchises and ABC television content.

Details about Disney+ were shared by executives at an annual investor day, where chief executive Bob Iger said the streaming service would combine strengths of Disney and the assets acquired from Fox.

"The Disney+ platform is being built on that foundation; one that no other content or technology company can rival," Iger said.

"We knew the best approach to the market was to create great content and distribute it in innovative ways. It is that simple."

Disney+ will combine offerings from powerhouse brands including Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars with content from Hulu and sports network ESPN.

Disney stressed plans to use its coveted content, and original creations to come, to differentiate itself in the increasingly competitive streaming television market.

"I strongly believe Disney will not become a threat to Netflix whatsoever," said an analyst and Transpire Ventures partner John Meyer.

"Netflix now knows what people want more than anybody."

Some of the biggest names in media and tech world are gearing up to move into streaming, in what could be a major challenge to market leader Netflix.

With Hollywood stars galore, Apple last month unveiled its streaming video plans along with news and game subscription offerings as part of an effort to shift its focus to digital content and services to break free of its reliance on iPhone sales.

The Apple TV+ service, an on-demand, ad-free subscription service, will launch this year in 100 countries, the company said.

"We believe deeply in the power of creativity," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said.

"Great stories can change the world. We feel we can contribute something important to our culture and to our society through great storytelling."

This year is expected to see the launch of a streaming television service from WarnerMedia, the newly acquired media-entertainment division of AT&amp;T.

The new entrants, with more expected, could launch a formidable challenge to Netflix, which has some 140 million paid subscribers in 190 markets, and to other services such as Amazon and Hulu.

Netflix is likely to feel pain, not only from the new rivals, but also from the loss of content from the big libraries of Disney and Time Warner.

Disney's video streaming service will launch in the US in November, spotlighting its blockbuster-making studios as it takes on powerhouse Netflix. Disney said that after launching in the US on November 12 at a starting price of $6.

Disney's video streaming service will launch in the US in November, spotlighting its blockbuster-making studios as it takes on powerhouse Netflix. Disney said that after launching in the US on November 12 at a starting price of $6.99 monthly, Disney+ will gradually expand internationally with a start in Europe. Disney's service will offer its films and TV shows, along with the library it acquired from Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox. That includes the "Star Wars" and Marvel superhero franchises and ABC television content. Details about Disney+ were shared by executives at an annual investor day, where chief executive Bob Iger said the streaming service would combine strengths of Disney and the assets acquired from Fox. "The Disney+ platform is being built on that foundation; one that no other content or technology company can rival," Iger said. "We knew the best approach to the market was to create great content and distribute it in innovative ways. It is that simple." Disney+ will combine offerings from powerhouse brands including Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars with content from Hulu and sports network ESPN. Disney stressed plans to use its coveted content, and original creations to come, to differentiate itself in the increasingly competitive streaming television market. "I strongly believe Disney will not become a threat to Netflix whatsoever," said an analyst and Transpire Ventures partner John Meyer. "Netflix now knows what people want more than anybody." Some of the biggest names in media and tech world are gearing up to move into streaming, in what could be a major challenge to market leader Netflix. With Hollywood stars galore, Apple last month unveiled its streaming video plans along with news and game subscription offerings as part of an effort to shift its focus to digital content and services to break free of its reliance on iPhone sales. The Apple TV+ service, an on-demand, ad-free subscription service, will launch this year in 100 countries, the company said. "We believe deeply in the power of creativity," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said. "Great stories can change the world. We feel we can contribute something important to our culture and to our society through great storytelling." This year is expected to see the launch of a streaming television service from WarnerMedia, the newly acquired media-entertainment division of AT&T. The new entrants, with more expected, could launch a formidable challenge to Netflix, which has some 140 million paid subscribers in 190 markets, and to other services such as Amazon and Hulu. Netflix is likely to feel pain, not only from the new rivals, but also from the loss of content from the big libraries of Disney and Time Warner.

Disney+ streaming service sets November launch

A sketchbook revealing early costume designs for Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and other 'Star Wars'&nbsp;characters is expected to sell for more than 100,000 pounds ($130,000) at auction in London next week.&nbsp;

The coloured pencil sketches, drawn by Oscar-winning costume designer John Mollo between 1975 and 1976, closely resemble the final designs used in the original 1977 sci-fi film 'Star Wars: A New Hope'&nbsp;by director George Lucas that kicked off lucrative movie and television franchises.

"It is very rare to see anything (like this) come up at auction," Katherine Schofield from Bonhams auction house told Reuters at a preview on Thursday.

"To have something of this magnitude, of this scale, from the estate of somebody who worked on the film and was so important to the film that he won an Academy Award for it, is really exciting."

Props and costumes from the multi-billion dollar 'Star Wars'&nbsp;movie franchise frequently prove popular at auction. A complete R2-D2 droid used in the 1977 movie sold for $2.76 million last year.

The sketchbook is one of four that Mollo`s family are putting up for auction on Tuesday following his death last year.

Another featuring his designs for the 'Star Wars'&nbsp;sequel 'The Empire Strikes Back'&nbsp;and also including drawings for films 'Alien'&nbsp;and 'Zulu Dawn'&nbsp;is expected to fetch more than 80,000 pounds.

The two other books featuring designs for his other works, including 'Gandhi', for which he won a second Academy Award, are expected to fetch around 20,000 pounds each.&nbsp;

A sketchbook revealing early costume designs for Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and other 'Star Wars' characters is expected to sell for more than 100,000 pounds ($130,000) at auction in London next week.

A sketchbook revealing early costume designs for Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and other 'Star Wars' characters is expected to sell for more than 100,000 pounds ($130,000) at auction in London next week. The coloured pencil sketches, drawn by Oscar-winning costume designer John Mollo between 1975 and 1976, closely resemble the final designs used in the original 1977 sci-fi film 'Star Wars: A New Hope' by director George Lucas that kicked off lucrative movie and television franchises. "It is very rare to see anything (like this) come up at auction," Katherine Schofield from Bonhams auction house told Reuters at a preview on Thursday. "To have something of this magnitude, of this scale, from the estate of somebody who worked on the film and was so important to the film that he won an Academy Award for it, is really exciting." Props and costumes from the multi-billion dollar 'Star Wars' movie franchise frequently prove popular at auction. A complete R2-D2 droid used in the 1977 movie sold for $2.76 million last year. The sketchbook is one of four that Mollo`s family are putting up for auction on Tuesday following his death last year. Another featuring his designs for the 'Star Wars' sequel 'The Empire Strikes Back' and also including drawings for films 'Alien' and 'Zulu Dawn' is expected to fetch more than 80,000 pounds. The two other books featuring designs for his other works, including 'Gandhi', for which he won a second Academy Award, are expected to fetch around 20,000 pounds each.

'Star Wars' costumes sketchbooks seen fetching large sums at auction

Luke Skywalker`s lightsaber from the first 'Star Wars'&nbsp;film - one of the most iconic movie weapons - is going up for auction in Los Angeles next week and could fetch up to $200,000.

Auctioneers Profiles in History said on Monday it also is selling some 25 other 'Star Wars' items, including an original black TIE-fighter pilot helmet from the first, 1977 movie that could fetch even more money - up to $300,000.&nbsp;

'Star Wars'&nbsp;movies have made billions of dollars at the box office worldwide and props and costumes from the sci-fi saga can fetch sky-high prices at auction.

A complete R2-D2 droid used in the first, 1977 movie sold for $2.76 million in 2017, and a different lightsaber used by Skywalker fetched $450,000 last year.

Profiles in History called next week`s offering unprecedented for 'Star Wars'&nbsp;memorabilia.

The lightsaber up for auction was used by actor Mark Hamill`s young Skywalker character in 'Star Wars: A New Hope'&nbsp;and was designed by Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian.

In a letter accompanying the sale, Christian describes how the hand made the lightsaber, one of about five used in the first film, "using whatever I could lay my hands on at the time."&nbsp;

Profiles in History said the estimate was conservative and the sale price could easily go higher given the 2017 sale.

The 'Star Wars'&nbsp;items will be sold during the Profiles in History Hollywood auction from Dec 11-14 in Los Angeles.

Other lots include a high-speed visual effects camera designed by director George Lucas`s Industrial Light and Magic company that was used on 'The Empire Strikes Back,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'E.T.,'&nbsp;and other Hollywood blockbusters. The camera is expected to fetch up to $150,000.

A pair of droid C-3PO`s hands used in 'Return of the Jedi'&nbsp;carries a pre-sale estimate of $40,000 - $60,000, while a Stormtrooper helmet used in the 2015 movie 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'&nbsp;and signed by the main cast members carries an estimate of $80,000 - $120,000.

Luke Skywalker`s lightsaber from the first 'Star Wars' film - one of the most iconic movie weapons - is going up for auction in Los Angeles next week and could fetch up to $200,000.

Luke Skywalker`s lightsaber from the first 'Star Wars' film - one of the most iconic movie weapons - is going up for auction in Los Angeles next week and could fetch up to $200,000. Auctioneers Profiles in History said on Monday it also is selling some 25 other 'Star Wars' items, including an original black TIE-fighter pilot helmet from the first, 1977 movie that could fetch even more money - up to $300,000. 'Star Wars' movies have made billions of dollars at the box office worldwide and props and costumes from the sci-fi saga can fetch sky-high prices at auction. A complete R2-D2 droid used in the first, 1977 movie sold for $2.76 million in 2017, and a different lightsaber used by Skywalker fetched $450,000 last year. Profiles in History called next week`s offering unprecedented for 'Star Wars' memorabilia. The lightsaber up for auction was used by actor Mark Hamill`s young Skywalker character in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' and was designed by Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian. In a letter accompanying the sale, Christian describes how the hand made the lightsaber, one of about five used in the first film, "using whatever I could lay my hands on at the time." Profiles in History said the estimate was conservative and the sale price could easily go higher given the 2017 sale. The 'Star Wars' items will be sold during the Profiles in History Hollywood auction from Dec 11-14 in Los Angeles. Other lots include a high-speed visual effects camera designed by director George Lucas`s Industrial Light and Magic company that was used on 'The Empire Strikes Back,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'E.T.,' and other Hollywood blockbusters. The camera is expected to fetch up to $150,000. A pair of droid C-3PO`s hands used in 'Return of the Jedi' carries a pre-sale estimate of $40,000 - $60,000, while a Stormtrooper helmet used in the 2015 movie 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' and signed by the main cast members carries an estimate of $80,000 - $120,000.

Luke Skywalker's lightsaber to light up 'Star Wars' props auction

How much did movie fans hate "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"?

Perhaps not as fiercely as social media might suggest, according to a US&nbsp;academic study which found that half of negative tweets about the 2017 movie came from bots, trolls or political activists, some of whom may be Russian.

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which focused on ageing Jedi Luke Skywalker's reluctance to be drawn back into the battle against the dark side in the sci-fi saga, prompted criticism online after its December 2017 release.

Many lashed out at key roles given to women and actors of colour in the movie, while others were dismayed at the apparent death of Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill.

The Disney movie took $1.3 billion at the global box-office, compared to $2 billion for 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

A study by University of Southern California (USC) research fellow Morten Bay, released on Monday, analysed the language, Twitter handles and IP addresses of more than 1,200 tweets sent to "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson's Twitter handle in the seven months after the film's release.

"Overall, 50.9 per cent of those tweeting negatively was likely politically motivated or not even human," Bay wrote. He said they appeared to be using the debate around "The Last Jedi"

"to propagate political messages supporting extreme right-wing causes and the discrimination of gender, race or sexuality."

"A number of these users appear to be Russian trolls," Bay added in the paper, called "Weaponizing the Haters: The Last Jedi and the strategic politicization of pop culture through social media manipulation."

Disney did not respond to a request for comment on the research but Johnson said on Twitter that the overall findings were "consistent with my experience online."

"This is not about fans liking or not liking the movie - I've had tons of great talks with great fans online and off who liked and disliked stuff, that's what fandom is all about. This is specifically about a virulent strain of online harassment," Johnson tweeted on Tuesday.

Bay compared his findings to other studies around attempts to influence Americans through social media platforms.

Bay said the likely objective was to increase "media coverage of the fandom conflict, thereby adding to and further propagating a narrative of widespread discord and dysfunction in American society."

A US Senate panel has been examining reported Russian efforts to influence US political public opinion before and after the 2016 election of President Donald Trump.

How much did movie fans hate "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"? Perhaps not as fiercely as social media might suggest, according to a US academic study which found that half of negative tweets about the 2017 movie came from bots, trolls or political activists, some of whom may be Russian.

How much did movie fans hate "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"? Perhaps not as fiercely as social media might suggest, according to a US academic study which found that half of negative tweets about the 2017 movie came from bots, trolls or political activists, some of whom may be Russian. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which focused on ageing Jedi Luke Skywalker's reluctance to be drawn back into the battle against the dark side in the sci-fi saga, prompted criticism online after its December 2017 release. Many lashed out at key roles given to women and actors of colour in the movie, while others were dismayed at the apparent death of Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill. The Disney movie took $1.3 billion at the global box-office, compared to $2 billion for 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." A study by University of Southern California (USC) research fellow Morten Bay, released on Monday, analysed the language, Twitter handles and IP addresses of more than 1,200 tweets sent to "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson's Twitter handle in the seven months after the film's release. "Overall, 50.9 per cent of those tweeting negatively was likely politically motivated or not even human," Bay wrote. He said they appeared to be using the debate around "The Last Jedi" "to propagate political messages supporting extreme right-wing causes and the discrimination of gender, race or sexuality." "A number of these users appear to be Russian trolls," Bay added in the paper, called "Weaponizing the Haters: The Last Jedi and the strategic politicization of pop culture through social media manipulation." Disney did not respond to a request for comment on the research but Johnson said on Twitter that the overall findings were "consistent with my experience online." "This is not about fans liking or not liking the movie - I've had tons of great talks with great fans online and off who liked and disliked stuff, that's what fandom is all about. This is specifically about a virulent strain of online harassment," Johnson tweeted on Tuesday. Bay compared his findings to other studies around attempts to influence Americans through social media platforms. Bay said the likely objective was to increase "media coverage of the fandom conflict, thereby adding to and further propagating a narrative of widespread discord and dysfunction in American society." A US Senate panel has been examining reported Russian efforts to influence US political public opinion before and after the 2016 election of President Donald Trump.

Half of 'Last Jedi' haters were bots, trolls, activists: Study

Facebook on Wednesday unveiled an upgraded Oculus virtual reality headset with power to handle the intensive graphics of digital worlds in a wire-free experience.

The new Oculus Quest headset showcased at the Facebook unit's developer conference is being aimed at gamers seeking immersion in virtual worlds, with other potential applications likely in the future.

"This is the wireless virtual reality experience we have been waiting for," Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said as he unveiled the new hardware and reaffirmed Facebook's commitment to virtual reality.&nbsp;

The standalone VR headset boasting the same quality experiences as the Oculus Rift but without wires will hit the market early next year at a price of $399.

Oculus vice president Hugo Barra said Quest combined the capabilities of Rift and the portability of Go, the current headgear in the company's lineup, with a strong focus on games.

Rift was the first VR gear released by Facebook-owned Oculus, but needs to be plugged into computers powerful enough to handle the graphics rich, immersive nature of digital worlds.

Go is a lightweight portable headset for virtual reality.

Step into 'Star Wars'&nbsp;

Oculus promised 50 game titles available at launch, including "Vader Immortal," which will let Quest users play through the opening episode of a new virtual reality experience set in a castle of infamous "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader.

The "Star Wars" virtual reality experience was described as a combination game and immersive film.

In a self-deprecating moment on stage, Zuckerberg recalled setting a goal of getting a billion people into virtual reality after buying Oculus some four years ago in a deal valued then at $2 billion.

He chuckled along with the audience as he shared a graph showing they were a scant one percent of the way to that goal.

"This isn't a question of whether we are going to get there, it is how," Zuckerberg said, while acknowledging the path may be longer than first expected.

He said a speed bump on the road to adoption that Quest was intended to solve was making VR more convenient and portable.

A second challenge, he said, was creating a vast, enticing ecosystem of games, films, meeting spaces and other experiences in virtual reality.

The two-day Connect conference was intended to inspire software makers to help create that ecosystem.

"We are going to make some big leaps in both technology and content," Zuckerberg told the gathering.

"This is all still early, but this is the basic road map."

Virtual visits&nbsp;

Anshel Sag, analyst at Moor Insights &amp; Strategy, said the Quest could make it easier to get into virtual reality gaming at a reasonable price.

"I think this brings console quality gaming and experiences to a price point that previously wasn't possible," Sag said.

"It makes it easier to get into virtual reality without spending a lot of money."

Despite technology advances in recent years, virtual reality gear remains the stuff of early-adopters like video game lovers and hasn't gone mainstream with consumers.

Facebook's vision of virtual reality goes far beyond games to a time when members of the leading online social network can virtually visit one another with the help of avatars.

"There is &nbsp;simply no substitute for being there," vice president of augmented and virtual reality Andrew Bosworth told the gathering.

"Tools we are building in AR and VR have the opportunity to answer the question of what it would be like to be transported." 
&nbsp;

Facebook on Wednesday unveiled an upgraded Oculus virtual reality headset with power to handle the intensive graphics of digital worlds in a wire-free experience.

Facebook on Wednesday unveiled an upgraded Oculus virtual reality headset with power to handle the intensive graphics of digital worlds in a wire-free experience. The new Oculus Quest headset showcased at the Facebook unit's developer conference is being aimed at gamers seeking immersion in virtual worlds, with other potential applications likely in the future. "This is the wireless virtual reality experience we have been waiting for," Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said as he unveiled the new hardware and reaffirmed Facebook's commitment to virtual reality. The standalone VR headset boasting the same quality experiences as the Oculus Rift but without wires will hit the market early next year at a price of $399. Oculus vice president Hugo Barra said Quest combined the capabilities of Rift and the portability of Go, the current headgear in the company's lineup, with a strong focus on games. Rift was the first VR gear released by Facebook-owned Oculus, but needs to be plugged into computers powerful enough to handle the graphics rich, immersive nature of digital worlds. Go is a lightweight portable headset for virtual reality. Step into 'Star Wars' Oculus promised 50 game titles available at launch, including "Vader Immortal," which will let Quest users play through the opening episode of a new virtual reality experience set in a castle of infamous "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader. The "Star Wars" virtual reality experience was described as a combination game and immersive film. In a self-deprecating moment on stage, Zuckerberg recalled setting a goal of getting a billion people into virtual reality after buying Oculus some four years ago in a deal valued then at $2 billion. He chuckled along with the audience as he shared a graph showing they were a scant one percent of the way to that goal. "This isn't a question of whether we are going to get there, it is how," Zuckerberg said, while acknowledging the path may be longer than first expected. He said a speed bump on the road to adoption that Quest was intended to solve was making VR more convenient and portable. A second challenge, he said, was creating a vast, enticing ecosystem of games, films, meeting spaces and other experiences in virtual reality. The two-day Connect conference was intended to inspire software makers to help create that ecosystem. "We are going to make some big leaps in both technology and content," Zuckerberg told the gathering. "This is all still early, but this is the basic road map." Virtual visits Anshel Sag, analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said the Quest could make it easier to get into virtual reality gaming at a reasonable price. "I think this brings console quality gaming and experiences to a price point that previously wasn't possible," Sag said. "It makes it easier to get into virtual reality without spending a lot of money." Despite technology advances in recent years, virtual reality gear remains the stuff of early-adopters like video game lovers and hasn't gone mainstream with consumers. Facebook's vision of virtual reality goes far beyond games to a time when members of the leading online social network can virtually visit one another with the help of avatars. "There is simply no substitute for being there," vice president of augmented and virtual reality Andrew Bosworth told the gathering. "Tools we are building in AR and VR have the opportunity to answer the question of what it would be like to be transported."

Facebook unveils upgraded wireless Oculus headset in VR push

Director Ron Howard has opened up about the low box office numbers of his latest film "Solo: A Star Wars Story".

The 64-year-old director, who came aboard the project after the exit of Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, said he feels "badly" for the people who did not watch the film on the big screen.

"I'm proud of 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' and the cast and crew worked hard to give fans a fun new addition," Howard wrote on Twitter.

"As a director, I feel badly when people who I believe (and exit polls show) will very likely enjoy a movie... Don't see it on a big screen with great sound," he added.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
I’m proud of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoloAStarWarsStory?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoloAStarWarsStory</a> and the cast & crew worked hard to give fans a fun new addition. As a director I feel badly when people who I believe (& exit polls show) will very likely enjoy a movie... don’t see it on a big screen w/great sound. <a href="https://t.co/KADHwqU8so">https://t.co/KADHwqU8so</a>
— Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealRonHoward/status/1005721169553551361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">10 June 2018</a></blockquote>
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The "Inferno" director was responding to a tweet by a fan who attributed the low numbers to Rian Johnson-directed "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", that had miffed many die-hard franchise fans with its storyline.

The performance of Howard's "Solo" at the box office has been underwhelming ever since its debut and according to many reports, the film might also become the lowest grosser in the franchise.

The 'Inferno' director was responding to a tweet by a fan who attributed the low numbers to Rian Johnson-directed 'Star Wars'

Director Ron Howard has opened up about the low box office numbers of his latest film "Solo: A Star Wars Story". The 64-year-old director, who came aboard the project after the exit of Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, said he feels "badly" for the people who did not watch the film on the big screen. "I'm proud of 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' and the cast and crew worked hard to give fans a fun new addition," Howard wrote on Twitter. "As a director, I feel badly when people who I believe (and exit polls show) will very likely enjoy a movie... Don't see it on a big screen with great sound," he added. I’m proud of #SoloAStarWarsStory and the cast & crew worked hard to give fans a fun new addition. As a director I feel badly when people who I believe (& exit polls show) will very likely enjoy a movie... don’t see it on a big screen w/great sound. https://t.co/KADHwqU8so — Ron Howard (@RealRonHoward) 10 June 2018 × The "Inferno" director was responding to a tweet by a fan who attributed the low numbers to Rian Johnson-directed "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", that had miffed many die-hard franchise fans with its storyline. The performance of Howard's "Solo" at the box office has been underwhelming ever since its debut and according to many reports, the film might also become the lowest grosser in the franchise.

Ron Howard addresses the low performance of 'Solo'

'Jurassic World'&nbsp;director Colin Trevorrow has opened up about his exit from the 'Star Wars'&nbsp;franchise.

The 41-year-old director was scheduled to direct Episode IX, which follows Rian Johnson's 'Last Jedi', but he left the project over creative differences with Lucasfilm. His exit from the franchise was also attributed to the poor response to his film 'The Book of Henry'.

He has been since replaced by JJ Abrams who directed 'The Force Awakens', the seventh film in the franchise and the first part of a new trilogy.

Now, in an interview with Empire magazine, Trevorrow said he had presented his ideas to George Lucas and Mark Hamill (who plays Luke Skywalker) and will cherish the experience of working in the franchise.

"I don't want to talk too much about it because I don't want to affect the way that fans get to see these films. When we were kids, these movies came to us from far away. They were a gift. And the more we talk about how they're made, the more it reveals that they're just movies. But they're not just movies, they're more than that," Trevorrow said.

"Beyond that, I got the opportunity to tell a story that is a celebration of everything I believe in, I got to tell it to George Lucas and I got to tell it to Luke Skywalker, and those are experiences I will cherish for the rest of my life," he added.

The yet-untitled Episode IX has a release date of December 20, 2019.&nbsp;

The 41-year-old director was scheduled to direct Episode IX

'Jurassic World' director Colin Trevorrow has opened up about his exit from the 'Star Wars' franchise. The 41-year-old director was scheduled to direct Episode IX, which follows Rian Johnson's 'Last Jedi', but he left the project over creative differences with Lucasfilm. His exit from the franchise was also attributed to the poor response to his film 'The Book of Henry'. He has been since replaced by JJ Abrams who directed 'The Force Awakens', the seventh film in the franchise and the first part of a new trilogy. Now, in an interview with Empire magazine, Trevorrow said he had presented his ideas to George Lucas and Mark Hamill (who plays Luke Skywalker) and will cherish the experience of working in the franchise. "I don't want to talk too much about it because I don't want to affect the way that fans get to see these films. When we were kids, these movies came to us from far away. They were a gift. And the more we talk about how they're made, the more it reveals that they're just movies. But they're not just movies, they're more than that," Trevorrow said. "Beyond that, I got the opportunity to tell a story that is a celebration of everything I believe in, I got to tell it to George Lucas and I got to tell it to Luke Skywalker, and those are experiences I will cherish for the rest of my life," he added. The yet-untitled Episode IX has a release date of December 20, 2019.

Colin Trevorrow talks about his departure from 'Star Wars' franchise

The new “Star Wars” film failed to impress its fans as the first weekend since the release was lacklustre in the domestic and worldwide box office. Such poor performance for the latest film “Solo: A Star Wars Story” brought down the average sale recorded for every “Star Wars” film from the franchise, especially in the United States and Canada -- two major markets for the epic-fantasy sci-fi movies.&nbsp;

“Solo” recorded an $83.3 million collection in the United States and Canada during the first three days of the US Memorial Day weekend, Disney/ComScore Inc. estimated in an email.&nbsp;

As the film failed to pick up, Disney slashed its estimates for the film’s debut weekend from $150 million to $105 million to $115 million through Monday’s holiday total.&nbsp;

The film failed to sizzle even though it faced no new competition, however, “Deadpool 2” and “Avengers: Infinity War” continued to rake in good numbers.&nbsp;

In “Solo: A Star Wars Story” Alden Ehrenreich stars as a young Han Solo, the iconic “Star Wars” pilot and smuggler played by Harrison Ford. On a mission to rescue his first love, he teams up with Lando Calrissian, played by Donald Glover and finds the Millennium Falcon spaceship and a band of space outlaws. The film also reveals how Solo meets his furry co-pilot, Chewbacca.

Next film from the franchise will come out in December 2019 -- final episode of Disney’s “Star Wars” trilogy. To keep the “Star Wars” story going after that, Disney has commissioned another trilogy from Rian Johnson, director of “The Last Jedi.”

It recorded an $83.3 million collection in the United States and Canada during the first three days of the US Memorial Day weekend

The new “Star Wars” film failed to impress its fans as the first weekend since the release was lacklustre in the domestic and worldwide box office. Such poor performance for the latest film “Solo: A Star Wars Story” brought down the average sale recorded for every “Star Wars” film from the franchise, especially in the United States and Canada -- two major markets for the epic-fantasy sci-fi movies. “Solo” recorded an $83.3 million collection in the United States and Canada during the first three days of the US Memorial Day weekend, Disney/ComScore Inc. estimated in an email. As the film failed to pick up, Disney slashed its estimates for the film’s debut weekend from $150 million to $105 million to $115 million through Monday’s holiday total. The film failed to sizzle even though it faced no new competition, however, “Deadpool 2” and “Avengers: Infinity War” continued to rake in good numbers. In “Solo: A Star Wars Story” Alden Ehrenreich stars as a young Han Solo, the iconic “Star Wars” pilot and smuggler played by Harrison Ford. On a mission to rescue his first love, he teams up with Lando Calrissian, played by Donald Glover and finds the Millennium Falcon spaceship and a band of space outlaws. The film also reveals how Solo meets his furry co-pilot, Chewbacca. Next film from the franchise will come out in December 2019 -- final episode of Disney’s “Star Wars” trilogy. To keep the “Star Wars” story going after that, Disney has commissioned another trilogy from Rian Johnson, director of “The Last Jedi.”

'Solo: A Star Wars Story' records worst opening weekend in recent franchise history

The feature film centered on Boba Fett, the feared bounty hunter and much-loved character from the `Star Wars` universe, will be written and directed by James Mangold of `The Wolverine` fame.

The news was broken by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday. The news came on the release day of another Star Wars flick, `Solo: A Star Wars Story`.

Incidentally, Disney-owned Lucasfilm is currently working on films based on specific characters of the universe, including Obi-Wa Kenobi.

Initially, it was speculated that Simon Kinberg of `X-Men` franchise will be working on the Boba Fett movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Kinberg and Mangold have earlier worked together on `Logan` which earned them high praises, however, no confirmation for any such collaboration has been made yet.

The character of Boba Fett was introduced in 1980 through a film, `Empire Strikes Back`.Further details about the storyline and actors are awaited.

The character Boba Fett from the `Star Wars` universe, will be written and directed by James Mangold

The feature film centered on Boba Fett, the feared bounty hunter and much-loved character from the `Star Wars` universe, will be written and directed by James Mangold of `The Wolverine` fame. The news was broken by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday. The news came on the release day of another Star Wars flick, `Solo: A Star Wars Story`. Incidentally, Disney-owned Lucasfilm is currently working on films based on specific characters of the universe, including Obi-Wa Kenobi. Initially, it was speculated that Simon Kinberg of `X-Men` franchise will be working on the Boba Fett movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Kinberg and Mangold have earlier worked together on `Logan` which earned them high praises, however, no confirmation for any such collaboration has been made yet. The character of Boba Fett was introduced in 1980 through a film, `Empire Strikes Back`.Further details about the storyline and actors are awaited.

James Mangold will work on Boba Fett movie

Netflix Inc&nbsp;said on Wednesday it was totally pulling out of the Cannes Film Festival next month after organizers banned the streaming platform`s films from competition for its refusal to release them in cinemas.Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos told Hollywood trade publication Variety in an interview it was pointless to show at Cannes after the festival rule change. 
 
Cannes festival director Thierry Fremaux said last month that Netflix had refused to give its movies theatrical distribution in France and would, therefore, be banned from competition at the 12-day festival. However, Thierry said Netflix could show movies outside competition. 
 
Netflix will not participate as a non-competitor, Sarandos told Variety. "I don`t think there would be any reason to go out of the competition. The rule was implicitly about Netflix, and Thierry made it explicitly about Netflix when he announced the rule." 
"We want our films to be on the fairground with every other filmmaker," Sarandos added. "There`s a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival. They`ve set the tone. I don`t think it would be good for us to be there." 
 
Netflix plans to release 80 original films in 2018 to its 109 million streaming customers around the world. 
 
The company has released a few films, like fantasy thriller 'Bright,' starring Will Smith, in a small number of theatres. But most major chains have refused to show Netflix movies because it releases them at the same time online. Movies from traditional studios typically run exclusively in cinemas for about three months.

<img alt="bright.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/bright.jpg" width="770" /> 
 
Sarandos said he personally would not attend the May 8-19 festival in the French Riviera, but said Netflix executives would be there looking at films to acquire. Netflix said it had nothing to add to Sarandos` comments to Variety. 
 
The annual festival, which began as an art house showcase more than 70 years ago, has increasingly attracted more commercial movies and top celebrities to its red carpets. Cannes organizers announced last week that the latest 'Star Wars' movie 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' would get its world premiere at the festival on May 15 ahead of its worldwide rollout on May 23. 
 
"Film festivals are to help films get discovered so they can get distribution," Sarandos told Variety. "Under those rules, we could not release our films day-and-date to the world like we`ve released nearly 100 films over the last couple of years." Netflix won five Oscar nominations earlier this year for its period racial drama 'Mudbound,' while its film 'Icarus' about Russian sports doping won the best documentary.&nbsp;

Cannes festival director Thierry Fremaux said that Netflix had refused to give its movies theatrical distribution in France so it would be banned for competitions

Netflix Inc said on Wednesday it was totally pulling out of the Cannes Film Festival next month after organizers banned the streaming platform`s films from competition for its refusal to release them in cinemas.Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos told Hollywood trade publication Variety in an interview it was pointless to show at Cannes after the festival rule change. Cannes festival director Thierry Fremaux said last month that Netflix had refused to give its movies theatrical distribution in France and would, therefore, be banned from competition at the 12-day festival. However, Thierry said Netflix could show movies outside competition. Netflix will not participate as a non-competitor, Sarandos told Variety. "I don`t think there would be any reason to go out of the competition. The rule was implicitly about Netflix, and Thierry made it explicitly about Netflix when he announced the rule." "We want our films to be on the fairground with every other filmmaker," Sarandos added. "There`s a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival. They`ve set the tone. I don`t think it would be good for us to be there." Netflix plans to release 80 original films in 2018 to its 109 million streaming customers around the world. The company has released a few films, like fantasy thriller 'Bright,' starring Will Smith, in a small number of theatres. But most major chains have refused to show Netflix movies because it releases them at the same time online. Movies from traditional studios typically run exclusively in cinemas for about three months. Sarandos said he personally would not attend the May 8-19 festival in the French Riviera, but said Netflix executives would be there looking at films to acquire. Netflix said it had nothing to add to Sarandos` comments to Variety. The annual festival, which began as an art house showcase more than 70 years ago, has increasingly attracted more commercial movies and top celebrities to its red carpets. Cannes organizers announced last week that the latest 'Star Wars' movie 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' would get its world premiere at the festival on May 15 ahead of its worldwide rollout on May 23. "Film festivals are to help films get discovered so they can get distribution," Sarandos told Variety. "Under those rules, we could not release our films day-and-date to the world like we`ve released nearly 100 films over the last couple of years." Netflix won five Oscar nominations earlier this year for its period racial drama 'Mudbound,' while its film 'Icarus' about Russian sports doping won the best documentary.

Netflix to pull out all movies from Cannes film festival

A new, probably final trailer for upcoming <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/star-wars-the-last-jedi-tops-1-billion-worldwide-28220">Star Wars</a> movie is out and you must watch it.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-new-star-wars-films-on-way-from-tvs-game-of-thrones-creators-32074">Also Read:&nbsp;New 'Star Wars' films on way from TV's 'Game of Thrones' creators</a>

As the date of the movie release comes closer, the trailer release seems a bit late for fans. This happened as there was a director swap last year when Ron Howard took over the reigns in June last year after the film was almost four months into production.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-aamir-khans-secret-superstar-soars-in-china-beats-star-wars-the-last-jedi-at-the-box-office-31081">Also Read:&nbsp;Aamir Khan's 'Secret Superstar' soars in China, beats 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' at the box office</a>

The previous directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who also directed films like The Lego Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and 21 Jump Street) were taken off the project.&nbsp;

Watch the trailer here:&nbsp;

 
<iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jPEYpryMp2s" width="970"></iframe>&nbsp;

A new, probably final trailer for upcoming Star Wars movie is out and you must watch it. Also Read: New 'Star Wars' films on way from TV's 'Game of Thrones' creators As the date of the movie release comes closer, the trailer release seems a bit late for fans. This happened as there was a director swap last year when Ron Howard took over the reigns in June last year after the film was almost four months into production. Also Read: Aamir Khan's 'Secret Superstar' soars in China, beats 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' at the box office The previous directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who also directed films like The Lego Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and 21 Jump Street) were taken off the project. Watch the trailer here:

Watch the latest trailer for ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’

Disney on Tuesday announced it was expanding its &ldquo;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/star-wars-the-last-jedi-tops-1-billion-worldwide-28220" target="_blank">Star Wars</a>&rdquo; universe, hiring the creators behind HBO&rsquo;s massive TV hit &ldquo;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-game-of-thrones-finale-is-unbelievable-reveals-former-cast-member-jason-momoa-25567" target="_blank">Game of Thrones</a>&rdquo; to write a new series of films set in the galaxy far, far away.

The Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) said in a statement that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss would write and produce the new series, which will be separate from both the episodic Skywalker saga and the recently announced trilogy being developed by director Rian Johnson.

No release dates or plot details were given.

Shares in Disney, which also reported a quarterly profit that topped forecasts on Tuesday, rose nearly 3 percent in after-hours trading.

Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said in a statement that Benioff and Weiss&rsquo;s &ldquo;command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push &lsquo;Star Wars&rsquo; in ways I find incredibly exciting.&rdquo;

Disney is also developing &ldquo;a few&rdquo; &ldquo;Star Wars&rdquo; television series for an upcoming streaming service from the company, Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a conference call.

In November, Disney had announced that Johnson, director of &ldquo;Star Wars: The Last Jedi,&rdquo; would write and direct the first of a new trilogy of films in the sci-fi franchise that would bring new characters and worlds not yet explored on screen.

&ldquo;The Last Jedi,&rdquo; released in December 2017, has earned more than $1.3 billion at the global box office.

Disney had previously committed to making three standalone &ldquo;Star Wars&rdquo; films outside of the Skywalker saga. They include 2016&rsquo;s &ldquo;Rogue One,&rdquo; and May 2018 release &ldquo;Solo: A Star Wars Story,&rdquo; which follows the origins of the roguish smuggler Han Solo, made famous by Harrison Ford in the original 1977 movie.

Fantasy &ldquo;Game of Thrones&rdquo;, based on novels by author George R.R. Martin, is a huge hit internationally for HBO (TWX.N) and has won multiple awards. The seventh season last year was watched by some 30 million viewers in the United States alone.

The final season is due to be broadcast in 2019, bringing to a close the saga of the warring families in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and their multi-generational struggle for control of the Iron Throne.

Benioff and Weiss said on Tuesday they had long been &ldquo;Star Wars&rdquo; fans.

&ldquo;In the summer of 1977 we travelled to a galaxy far, far away, and we&rsquo;ve been dreaming of it ever since,&rdquo; they said in a statement. &ldquo;We are honoured by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of Game of Thrones is complete.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

Disney announced that creators behind HBO’s massive hit “Game of Thrones” have been roped to write a new series of films set in the galaxy

Disney on Tuesday announced it was expanding its “Star Wars” universe, hiring the creators behind HBO’s massive TV hit “Game of Thrones” to write a new series of films set in the galaxy far, far away. The Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) said in a statement that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss would write and produce the new series, which will be separate from both the episodic Skywalker saga and the recently announced trilogy being developed by director Rian Johnson. No release dates or plot details were given. Shares in Disney, which also reported a quarterly profit that topped forecasts on Tuesday, rose nearly 3 percent in after-hours trading. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, said in a statement that Benioff and Weiss’s “command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push ‘Star Wars’ in ways I find incredibly exciting.” Disney is also developing “a few” “Star Wars” television series for an upcoming streaming service from the company, Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a conference call. In November, Disney had announced that Johnson, director of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” would write and direct the first of a new trilogy of films in the sci-fi franchise that would bring new characters and worlds not yet explored on screen. “The Last Jedi,” released in December 2017, has earned more than $1.3 billion at the global box office. Disney had previously committed to making three standalone “Star Wars” films outside of the Skywalker saga. They include 2016’s “Rogue One,” and May 2018 release “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which follows the origins of the roguish smuggler Han Solo, made famous by Harrison Ford in the original 1977 movie. Fantasy “Game of Thrones”, based on novels by author George R.R. Martin, is a huge hit internationally for HBO (TWX.N) and has won multiple awards. The seventh season last year was watched by some 30 million viewers in the United States alone. The final season is due to be broadcast in 2019, bringing to a close the saga of the warring families in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and their multi-generational struggle for control of the Iron Throne. Benioff and Weiss said on Tuesday they had long been “Star Wars” fans. “In the summer of 1977 we travelled to a galaxy far, far away, and we’ve been dreaming of it ever since,” they said in a statement. “We are honoured by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of Game of Thrones is complete.”

New 'Star Wars' films on way from TV's 'Game of Thrones' creators

Disney-Lucasfilm&#39;s &quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; has cleared the $1 billion milestone in worldwide grosses in less than three weeks.

&quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; pulled in $120.4 million globally on the New Year&#39;s Eve weekend with $52.4 million at 4,232 domestic venues and $68 million internationally during the Friday-Sunday period.

&quot;The Last Jedi&quot; is now the eighth highest-grossing domestic movie of all time with $517.1 million -- only $15 million behind last year&#39;s &quot;Rogue One: A Star Wars Story&quot; in the seventh spot. On the worldwide chart, it&#39;s now 24th with $1.04 billion, edging Universal-Illumination&#39;s &quot;Despicable Me 3.&quot; The tentpole&#39;s international total, currently at $523.2 million, will see a significant jolt when it opens on January 5 in China, its final market.

&quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; has also topped Disney&#39;s &quot;Beauty and the Beast,&quot; which grossed $504 million in North America, for the top spot among 2017 releases domestically. It&#39;s the fourth 2017 title to go past $1 billion worldwide, along with &quot;Beauty and the Beast&quot; at $1.26 billion, &quot;The Fate of the Furious&quot; at $1.24 billion and &quot;Despicable Me 3&quot; at $1.03 billion.

&quot;The Last Jedi&quot; is also winning the domestic weekend box office crown for the third time with $52.4 million, edging Sony&#39;s &quot;Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,&quot; which took in $50.6 million at 3,765 locations for the Friday-Sunday. However, Sony&#39;s projection showed the &quot;Jumanji&quot; sequel grossing $16.5 million on New Year&#39;s Day on Monday -- well above Disney&#39;s forecast of $13.2 million for &quot;The Last Jedi.&quot; Should those numbers hold, &quot;Jumanji&quot; would edge &quot;Jedi&quot; over the four-day period with $67 million, winning by $1.4 million.

&quot;Jumanji&quot; has been &quot;The Last Jedi&#39;s&quot; biggest competitor by far since it opened on December 20. The action-comedy should wind up with an 11-day domestic total of $186.3 million by the end of Monday. The action-comedy, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, has a $90 million budget. It&#39;s also performed impressively in international markets with $107 million through December 28.

&quot;Jedi&quot; and &quot;Jumanji&quot; helped lift the entire domestic box office for 2017 to $11.12 billion, down 2.3% from last year&#39;s $11.38 billion and off slightly from 2015&#39;s $11.14 billion, according to comScore. The gap for 2017 had been more than 6% at the end of the worst summer in a decade but performances by &quot;It,&quot; &quot;Thor: Ragnarok,&quot; &quot;Justice League,&quot; &quot;Jedi&quot; and &quot;Jumanji&quot; closed most of that margin.

&quot;With another $11 billion-plus year on the books, the industry looks ahead to awards season and a 2018 packed with blockbuster titles and a hope for a year slightly less volatile than 2017,&quot; said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with comScore. Universal&#39;s &quot;Pitch Perfect 3&quot; led the rest of weekend&#39;s domestic pack with a projected $22.7 million at 3,468 locations for Friday-Monday, lifting its 11-day total to $69.2 million. The comedy threequel, starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, took in $13.1 million this weekend from 34 international markets for a foreign total of $28.6 million.

Hugh Jackman&#39;s musical drama &quot;The Greatest Showman&quot; is finishing a close fourth with $20.3 million at 3,316 theaters forecasted for the four days. The Fox-Chernin Entertainment title showed the biggest gain in the top 10 movies from the Christmas Eve weekend with an impressive 73% surge. The domestic total should hit $53.8 million through Monday.

Fox&#39;s second weekend of &quot;Ferdinand&quot; -- the only film to open on the same weekend as &quot;The Last Jedi&quot; -- followed in fifth with $15.1 million at 3,337 North American venues, giving the animated comedy $57.3 million in 18 days. Disney-Pixar&#39;s seventh weekend of &quot;Coco&quot; finished sixth with a projected $8.8 million at 2,845 sites for a domestic total of $181.1 million and $539 million worldwide.

Sony&#39;s &quot;All the Money in the World&quot; and Focus Features&#39; &quot;The Darkest Hour&quot; were in a battle for seventh place at about $7.2 million for the four days. &quot;All the Money&quot; opened on Christmas Day as the final wide release of the year at 2,074 locations after director Ridley Scott excised Kevin Spacey&#39;s scenes and reshot them with Christopher Plummer as J&nbsp;Paul Getty, following the early November sexual abuse allegations against Spacey. Its eight-day total will be around $14.4 million.

Awards contender &quot;Darkest Hour,&quot; starring Gary Oldman as the 1940 version of Winston Churchill, expanded to 943 venues in its sixth weekend and will have taken in $19.8 million by the end of the weekend. Focus reported strong performance in Washington, DC/Maryland, Phoenix, Boston, Salt Lake City, and Florida markets.

&quot;&#39;Darkest Hour&#39; is taking America by storm,&quot; said distribution chief Lisa Bunnell. &quot;We&#39;re seeing audiences coming out in big numbers. It&#39;s a movie they found inspiring over the holiday break and the word of mouth gives us a strong outlook for the upcoming weeks.&quot;

Matt Damon&#39;s comedy-drama &quot;Downsizing&quot; finished ninth with a projected $6 million at 2,664 sites for the four days for Paramount. The 11-day total for &quot;Downsizing,&quot; which carries a $65 million budget and was directed by Alexander Payne, should come in around $18.5 million.

Warner Bros-Alcon Entertainment&#39;s second weekend of R-rated comedy &quot;Father Figures&quot; rounded out the top 10 with a projected $5.5 million at 2,902 locations. The 11-day total for the Owen Wilson-Ed Helms vehicle, which has a $25 million price tag, should hit about $14 million. 
&nbsp;

The Disney-Lucasfilm's movie has cleared the $1 billion milestone in worldwide grosses in less than three weeks

Disney-Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has cleared the $1 billion milestone in worldwide grosses in less than three weeks. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" pulled in $120.4 million globally on the New Year's Eve weekend with $52.4 million at 4,232 domestic venues and $68 million internationally during the Friday-Sunday period. "The Last Jedi" is now the eighth highest-grossing domestic movie of all time with $517.1 million -- only $15 million behind last year's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" in the seventh spot. On the worldwide chart, it's now 24th with $1.04 billion, edging Universal-Illumination's "Despicable Me 3." The tentpole's international total, currently at $523.2 million, will see a significant jolt when it opens on January 5 in China, its final market. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has also topped Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," which grossed $504 million in North America, for the top spot among 2017 releases domestically. It's the fourth 2017 title to go past $1 billion worldwide, along with "Beauty and the Beast" at $1.26 billion, "The Fate of the Furious" at $1.24 billion and "Despicable Me 3" at $1.03 billion. "The Last Jedi" is also winning the domestic weekend box office crown for the third time with $52.4 million, edging Sony's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," which took in $50.6 million at 3,765 locations for the Friday-Sunday. However, Sony's projection showed the "Jumanji" sequel grossing $16.5 million on New Year's Day on Monday -- well above Disney's forecast of $13.2 million for "The Last Jedi." Should those numbers hold, "Jumanji" would edge "Jedi" over the four-day period with $67 million, winning by $1.4 million. "Jumanji" has been "The Last Jedi's" biggest competitor by far since it opened on December 20. The action-comedy should wind up with an 11-day domestic total of $186.3 million by the end of Monday. The action-comedy, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, has a $90 million budget. It's also performed impressively in international markets with $107 million through December 28. "Jedi" and "Jumanji" helped lift the entire domestic box office for 2017 to $11.12 billion, down 2.3% from last year's $11.38 billion and off slightly from 2015's $11.14 billion, according to comScore. The gap for 2017 had been more than 6% at the end of the worst summer in a decade but performances by "It," "Thor: Ragnarok," "Justice League," "Jedi" and "Jumanji" closed most of that margin. "With another $11 billion-plus year on the books, the industry looks ahead to awards season and a 2018 packed with blockbuster titles and a hope for a year slightly less volatile than 2017," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with comScore. Universal's "Pitch Perfect 3" led the rest of weekend's domestic pack with a projected $22.7 million at 3,468 locations for Friday-Monday, lifting its 11-day total to $69.2 million. The comedy threequel, starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, took in $13.1 million this weekend from 34 international markets for a foreign total of $28.6 million. Hugh Jackman's musical drama "The Greatest Showman" is finishing a close fourth with $20.3 million at 3,316 theaters forecasted for the four days. The Fox-Chernin Entertainment title showed the biggest gain in the top 10 movies from the Christmas Eve weekend with an impressive 73% surge. The domestic total should hit $53.8 million through Monday. Fox's second weekend of "Ferdinand" -- the only film to open on the same weekend as "The Last Jedi" -- followed in fifth with $15.1 million at 3,337 North American venues, giving the animated comedy $57.3 million in 18 days. Disney-Pixar's seventh weekend of "Coco" finished sixth with a projected $8.8 million at 2,845 sites for a domestic total of $181.1 million and $539 million worldwide. Sony's "All the Money in the World" and Focus Features' "The Darkest Hour" were in a battle for seventh place at about $7.2 million for the four days. "All the Money" opened on Christmas Day as the final wide release of the year at 2,074 locations after director Ridley Scott excised Kevin Spacey's scenes and reshot them with Christopher Plummer as J Paul Getty, following the early November sexual abuse allegations against Spacey. Its eight-day total will be around $14.4 million. Awards contender "Darkest Hour," starring Gary Oldman as the 1940 version of Winston Churchill, expanded to 943 venues in its sixth weekend and will have taken in $19.8 million by the end of the weekend. Focus reported strong performance in Washington, DC/Maryland, Phoenix, Boston, Salt Lake City, and Florida markets. "'Darkest Hour' is taking America by storm," said distribution chief Lisa Bunnell. "We're seeing audiences coming out in big numbers. It's a movie they found inspiring over the holiday break and the word of mouth gives us a strong outlook for the upcoming weeks." Matt Damon's comedy-drama "Downsizing" finished ninth with a projected $6 million at 2,664 sites for the four days for Paramount. The 11-day total for "Downsizing," which carries a $65 million budget and was directed by Alexander Payne, should come in around $18.5 million. Warner Bros-Alcon Entertainment's second weekend of R-rated comedy "Father Figures" rounded out the top 10 with a projected $5.5 million at 2,902 locations. The 11-day total for the Owen Wilson-Ed Helms vehicle, which has a $25 million price tag, should hit about $14 million.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' tops $1 billion worldwide

&nbsp;

With Hollywood performing lower than what was expected, 2017 still had some movies which entertained us to the core. From intense War for the Planet of the Apes&nbsp;to terrifying IT, the outgoing year had something for everyone. 
While, there were many big budget films like The Mummy&nbsp;reboot, King Arthur, Ghost in the Shell&nbsp;and Life&nbsp;which bombed on the box office, small budget movies like Logan Lucky, Split&nbsp;and Baby Driver&nbsp;ruled the hearts of the audiences and critics too.

With that being said, here are nine Hollywood`s Top Movies of 2017 
 
9) Logan Lucky:

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aPzvKH8AVf0" width="560"></iframe>

One of the most unexpected hits of 2017, Logan Lucky&nbsp;proves why Hollywood should give more and more chances to independent filmmakers to get into the industry.Set in North Carolina, two brothers Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race.The Logan brothers aren`t doing too well, and after a Logan brother with a bad leg yells the code word `cauliflower` to another Logan brother with one arm, a brassy Logan sister is brought on board to hatch a highly complicated plan to rob money from right under a racetrack.The movie becomes super-crazy when Joe Bang (Daniel Criag) shows up.The characters in this film are worthy of spinoffs; they deserve to be thought about instead of merely being laughed at.High-octane fun that`s smartly assembled, Logan Lucky is a welcome end to Steven Soderbergh`s retirement -- and proves he hasn`t lost his ability to entertain.All the moving parts are truly moving and makes this flick a crazy yet emotional ride. 
 
8) IT:

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hAUTdjf9rko" width="560"></iframe>

One of Stephen King`s most iconic adaptation which made its way to the big-screen in 2017, IT&nbsp;became a sensation in the minds of the people since the time of its inception.The Dark Tower, this year`s first adaptation of King`s iconic novels, bombed at the box-office which made the audiences worried for the horror classic. But, when you have a scary clown in the movie, what could go wrong? IT, the novel, is a brick of a book that at 1,300 pages long would be just as useful a murder weapon as it is a source of thrills.The story focuses Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, who are about to face their worst nightmare -- an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town`s children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.Despite how truly frightening Pennywise is - every time he appears on screen, and it`s just the right amount of time, the audience watching the movie grew visibly uncomfortable.The movie, lives and dies with the Losers; their carefully fleshed out stories, the bullying they endure, and the firm friendship that helps them survive. Unlike most horror films, IT is a drama first and which to be honest is quite refreshing. It`s a terrific set-up to what is going to be a restlessly-anticipated Chapter 2.Watch the movie and YOU`LL FLOAT TOO! 
 
7) Split:

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/84TouqfIsiI" width="560"></iframe>

After a string of flops in his kitty, Split&nbsp;became the most triumphant movie for director M Night Shyamalan. Triumphant in two ways - Firstly, the movie ended his search for a hit and secondly, the critics and audiences got to know that Shyamalan still has the `firepower` to make good movies.McAvoy plays Kevin, a victim of child abuse who has slipped into a deep state of dissociative identity disorder in which, as a coping mechanism, he has created 23 distinct personalities, some of which are more sinister than the others. And in the opening scene of the film, one of his particularly menacing avatars kidnaps three young girls and locks them up in an underground cellar.McAvoy`s performance here is nothing short of extraordinary. Though we don`t get to see each of the 23 personalities, but Shyamalan wisely chooses to develop only a handful of them.Shyamalan movies are known for its twist-in-the-end type of conclusions and no wonder he has given an incredible twist in this one too.Split may not be of everyone`s taste, but the story, craftsmanship, and excellent performances will haunt you for quite a while. As will some beastly bits. 
 
6) Star Wars: The Last Jedi:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q0CbN8sfihY" width="560"></iframe>

The moment you hear Star Wars, goosebumps start to take place all over your body. The eighth installment in the epic sci-fi franchise, titled The Last Jedi, has taken the world by storm and is in no mood to stop. Directed by Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi&nbsp;is a rewarding experience for anyone who has stuck with this series through thick and thin.The Last Jedi&nbsp;picks up right where the Force Awakens&nbsp;(2015) left off. Luke Skywalker`s peaceful and solitary existence gets upended when he encounters Rey, a young woman who shows strong signs of the Force. Her desire to learn the ways of the Jedi forces Luke to make a decision that changes their lives forever. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren and General Hux lead the First Order in an all-out assault against Leia and the Resistance for supremacy of the galaxy.The movie probably does the best job of any Star Wars film of capturing the allure of the Dark Side and the spiritual turmoil that would lead to-and also result from-its embrace. Director Rian Johnson delivered the best, most spiritual Star Wars&nbsp;film since the Empire Strikes Back. It is one of the finest blockbusters of the year.So just breathe and see the movie. THE FORCE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU! 
 
5) Blade Runner 2049:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gCcx85zbxz4" width="560"></iframe>

If there is one movie that should have got some love from the audience this year, then it is Denis Villeneuve`s sci-fi epic Blade Runner 2049. The movie is a lot like the original film, and depending on your stance on that sci-fi classic, this could either be the best news you could`ve hoped for, or the worst. The movie is a story of Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what`s left of society into chaos.His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who`s been missing for 30 years.This might be the best Harrison Ford movie in recent years; he keeps on getting better and better with each film. Meanwhile, Gosling cements his place as one of the great actors of this generation.Visually stunning and narratively satisfying, Blade Runner 2049&nbsp;deepens and expands its predecessor`s story while standing as an impressive filmmaking achievement in its own right.The flick is bold, challenging cinema, an almost Biblical success; like Terence Malick`s The Tree of Life, Martin Scorsese`s Silence, and Nolan`s Interstellar, it positively demands multiple viewings. 
 
4) War for the Planet of the Apes:

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qxjPjPzQ1iU" width="560"></iframe>

Apes have never been better and meaner. Matt Reeves` Planet of the Apes&nbsp;trilogy had it all. It all started with Emotions, Action and most importantly the tension of apes sharing a world with the humans and War for the Planet of the Apes` gives a befitting end the trilogy. War for the Planet of the Apes&nbsp;is the rare blockbuster that arrives once every year.In the movie, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet.The flick is poetic blockbuster storytelling, the kind we don`t see enough of anymore. Director Matt Reeves continues to excel handling delicate subject material. Crafted by many immensely talented people, sculpted around a flawless central performance by Andy Serkis. And while no one is talking about it, but he surely deserves a nod for Academy Award for his performance.The film combines breathtaking special effects and a powerful, poignant narrative to conclude this rebooted trilogy on a powerful and truly blockbuster note.With this third movie, Reeves` Planet of the Apes&nbsp;just got a step ahead of Nolan`s The Dark Knight Trilogy, when it comes the Best of Trilogies&nbsp;in Hollywood. 
 
3) Wonder Woman:

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Q8fG0TtVAY" width="560"></iframe>

A movie that changed the landscape of superhero movies in 2017. Director Patty Jenkins gave the fans what they needed, a superheroine who does not use any gadgets or manipulation as a superpower, her biggest strength lies in her pure heart. Wonder Woman&nbsp;is like an old-school superhero movie, just like the Christopher Reeve` Superman.Patty Jenkins, who many thought was a `gamble` for the franchise, rises above the immense pressure piled on her. She delivers a film which proves that even in a genre as repetitive as this one, correct answers can still be found despite sticking to the formula, when you get each variable right. The stunt choreography is one of the finest you would have witnessed.While everyone got really angry when Gal Gadot was initially casted as the Princess of Themyscira, she exactly knew how to make them mum and she did exactly that. She delivered a performance which not just had good acting skills but also had a heart. Her acting, the brilliant action sequences and the innocence she shows when she first encounters the world of men, is what makes her performance so special.It is without a doubt, the best superhero movie of 2017. 
 
2) Baby Driver:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z2z857RSfhk" width="560"></iframe>

If you thought that `Fast and the Furious is the most stylish action movie you have ever seen, think again friends, Edgar Wright`s Baby Driver&nbsp;leaves F &amp; F&nbsp;movies biting the dust.This Edgar Wright movie the best action movie since Mad Max: Fury Road&nbsp;and also, in a fun twist, the best musical since La La Land. The movie revolves around getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. After meeting the woman (Lily James) of his dreams, he sees a chance to ditch his shady lifestyle and make a clean break. Coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), Baby must face the music as a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.With thrilling action scenes, interesting characters, a killer soundtrack and an exceptional editing that follows the beat of the music as if the music is a character itself, Baby Driver&nbsp;delivers a hell lot of style and substance.This is one ride you would not want to miss! 
 
1) Dunkirk:

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F-eMt3SrfFU" width="560"></iframe>

What do you need to make a perfect blockbuster? A real story, some likable characters, tense situations, war and a masked Tom Hardy. And who can combine all of them and make something epic for the viewers, none other than Christopher Nolan. Dunkirk, a film about men, created by men, is a force of nature - an elemental beast of a movie about finding the meaning of life surrounded by the meaninglessness of war.The story revolves around the evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, between May 26- June 04, 1940, during Battle of France in World War II.Christopher Nolan, who is a master in taking the viewers on a ride that is both exhilarating and emotional too. The best thing he does with Dunkirk&nbsp;is that all the powerful moments in the movie are because of the story and the visuals that he presented on the screen and not from the characters. With that being said, all the characters in the movie have done a superb job in giving fans a picture how would anyone feel when you are stuck on a beach with no roof, with no place to hide and the enemies are bombarding you from air.Those air shots in WWII planes, which Nolan used in the movie, is nothing short of a miracle. The camera isn`t shaky and give us enthralling visuals.In short, this two-hour movie serves up an&nbsp;emotionally satisfying spectacle, delivered by a writer-director in full command of his craft and brought to life by a gifted ensemble cast that honours the fact-based story.

Honourable Mentions - Logan, Coco, Okja&nbsp;and Wonder.

With Hollywood performing lower than what was expected, 2017 still had some movies which entertained us to the core.

With Hollywood performing lower than what was expected, 2017 still had some movies which entertained us to the core. From intense War for the Planet of the Apes to terrifying IT, the outgoing year had something for everyone. While, there were many big budget films like The Mummy reboot, King Arthur, Ghost in the Shell and Life which bombed on the box office, small budget movies like Logan Lucky, Split and Baby Driver ruled the hearts of the audiences and critics too. With that being said, here are nine Hollywood`s Top Movies of 2017 9) Logan Lucky: One of the most unexpected hits of 2017, Logan Lucky proves why Hollywood should give more and more chances to independent filmmakers to get into the industry.Set in North Carolina, two brothers Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) and Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race.The Logan brothers aren`t doing too well, and after a Logan brother with a bad leg yells the code word `cauliflower` to another Logan brother with one arm, a brassy Logan sister is brought on board to hatch a highly complicated plan to rob money from right under a racetrack.The movie becomes super-crazy when Joe Bang (Daniel Criag) shows up.The characters in this film are worthy of spinoffs; they deserve to be thought about instead of merely being laughed at.High-octane fun that`s smartly assembled, Logan Lucky is a welcome end to Steven Soderbergh`s retirement -- and proves he hasn`t lost his ability to entertain.All the moving parts are truly moving and makes this flick a crazy yet emotional ride. 8) IT: One of Stephen King`s most iconic adaptation which made its way to the big-screen in 2017, IT became a sensation in the minds of the people since the time of its inception.The Dark Tower, this year`s first adaptation of King`s iconic novels, bombed at the box-office which made the audiences worried for the horror classic. But, when you have a scary clown in the movie, what could go wrong? IT, the novel, is a brick of a book that at 1,300 pages long would be just as useful a murder weapon as it is a source of thrills.The story focuses Seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, who are about to face their worst nightmare -- an ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town`s children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.Despite how truly frightening Pennywise is - every time he appears on screen, and it`s just the right amount of time, the audience watching the movie grew visibly uncomfortable.The movie, lives and dies with the Losers; their carefully fleshed out stories, the bullying they endure, and the firm friendship that helps them survive. Unlike most horror films, IT is a drama first and which to be honest is quite refreshing. It`s a terrific set-up to what is going to be a restlessly-anticipated Chapter 2.Watch the movie and YOU`LL FLOAT TOO! 7) Split: After a string of flops in his kitty, Split became the most triumphant movie for director M Night Shyamalan. Triumphant in two ways - Firstly, the movie ended his search for a hit and secondly, the critics and audiences got to know that Shyamalan still has the `firepower` to make good movies.McAvoy plays Kevin, a victim of child abuse who has slipped into a deep state of dissociative identity disorder in which, as a coping mechanism, he has created 23 distinct personalities, some of which are more sinister than the others. And in the opening scene of the film, one of his particularly menacing avatars kidnaps three young girls and locks them up in an underground cellar.McAvoy`s performance here is nothing short of extraordinary. Though we don`t get to see each of the 23 personalities, but Shyamalan wisely chooses to develop only a handful of them.Shyamalan movies are known for its twist-in-the-end type of conclusions and no wonder he has given an incredible twist in this one too.Split may not be of everyone`s taste, but the story, craftsmanship, and excellent performances will haunt you for quite a while. As will some beastly bits. 6) Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The moment you hear Star Wars, goosebumps start to take place all over your body. The eighth installment in the epic sci-fi franchise, titled The Last Jedi, has taken the world by storm and is in no mood to stop. Directed by Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi is a rewarding experience for anyone who has stuck with this series through thick and thin.The Last Jedi picks up right where the Force Awakens (2015) left off. Luke Skywalker`s peaceful and solitary existence gets upended when he encounters Rey, a young woman who shows strong signs of the Force. Her desire to learn the ways of the Jedi forces Luke to make a decision that changes their lives forever. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren and General Hux lead the First Order in an all-out assault against Leia and the Resistance for supremacy of the galaxy.The movie probably does the best job of any Star Wars film of capturing the allure of the Dark Side and the spiritual turmoil that would lead to-and also result from-its embrace. Director Rian Johnson delivered the best, most spiritual Star Wars film since the Empire Strikes Back. It is one of the finest blockbusters of the year.So just breathe and see the movie. THE FORCE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU! 5) Blade Runner 2049: If there is one movie that should have got some love from the audience this year, then it is Denis Villeneuve`s sci-fi epic Blade Runner 2049. The movie is a lot like the original film, and depending on your stance on that sci-fi classic, this could either be the best news you could`ve hoped for, or the worst. The movie is a story of Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what`s left of society into chaos.His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who`s been missing for 30 years.This might be the best Harrison Ford movie in recent years; he keeps on getting better and better with each film. Meanwhile, Gosling cements his place as one of the great actors of this generation.Visually stunning and narratively satisfying, Blade Runner 2049 deepens and expands its predecessor`s story while standing as an impressive filmmaking achievement in its own right.The flick is bold, challenging cinema, an almost Biblical success; like Terence Malick`s The Tree of Life, Martin Scorsese`s Silence, and Nolan`s Interstellar, it positively demands multiple viewings. 4) War for the Planet of the Apes: Apes have never been better and meaner. Matt Reeves` Planet of the Apes trilogy had it all. It all started with Emotions, Action and most importantly the tension of apes sharing a world with the humans and War for the Planet of the Apes` gives a befitting end the trilogy. War for the Planet of the Apes is the rare blockbuster that arrives once every year.In the movie, Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet.The flick is poetic blockbuster storytelling, the kind we don`t see enough of anymore. Director Matt Reeves continues to excel handling delicate subject material. Crafted by many immensely talented people, sculpted around a flawless central performance by Andy Serkis. And while no one is talking about it, but he surely deserves a nod for Academy Award for his performance.The film combines breathtaking special effects and a powerful, poignant narrative to conclude this rebooted trilogy on a powerful and truly blockbuster note.With this third movie, Reeves` Planet of the Apes just got a step ahead of Nolan`s The Dark Knight Trilogy, when it comes the Best of Trilogies in Hollywood. 3) Wonder Woman: A movie that changed the landscape of superhero movies in 2017. Director Patty Jenkins gave the fans what they needed, a superheroine who does not use any gadgets or manipulation as a superpower, her biggest strength lies in her pure heart. Wonder Woman is like an old-school superhero movie, just like the Christopher Reeve` Superman.Patty Jenkins, who many thought was a `gamble` for the franchise, rises above the immense pressure piled on her. She delivers a film which proves that even in a genre as repetitive as this one, correct answers can still be found despite sticking to the formula, when you get each variable right. The stunt choreography is one of the finest you would have witnessed.While everyone got really angry when Gal Gadot was initially casted as the Princess of Themyscira, she exactly knew how to make them mum and she did exactly that. She delivered a performance which not just had good acting skills but also had a heart. Her acting, the brilliant action sequences and the innocence she shows when she first encounters the world of men, is what makes her performance so special.It is without a doubt, the best superhero movie of 2017. 2) Baby Driver: If you thought that `Fast and the Furious is the most stylish action movie you have ever seen, think again friends, Edgar Wright`s Baby Driver leaves F & F movies biting the dust.This Edgar Wright movie the best action movie since Mad Max: Fury Road and also, in a fun twist, the best musical since La La Land. The movie revolves around getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. After meeting the woman (Lily James) of his dreams, he sees a chance to ditch his shady lifestyle and make a clean break. Coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), Baby must face the music as a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.With thrilling action scenes, interesting characters, a killer soundtrack and an exceptional editing that follows the beat of the music as if the music is a character itself, Baby Driver delivers a hell lot of style and substance.This is one ride you would not want to miss! 1) Dunkirk: What do you need to make a perfect blockbuster? A real story, some likable characters, tense situations, war and a masked Tom Hardy. And who can combine all of them and make something epic for the viewers, none other than Christopher Nolan. Dunkirk, a film about men, created by men, is a force of nature - an elemental beast of a movie about finding the meaning of life surrounded by the meaninglessness of war.The story revolves around the evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, between May 26- June 04, 1940, during Battle of France in World War II.Christopher Nolan, who is a master in taking the viewers on a ride that is both exhilarating and emotional too. The best thing he does with Dunkirk is that all the powerful moments in the movie are because of the story and the visuals that he presented on the screen and not from the characters. With that being said, all the characters in the movie have done a superb job in giving fans a picture how would anyone feel when you are stuck on a beach with no roof, with no place to hide and the enemies are bombarding you from air.Those air shots in WWII planes, which Nolan used in the movie, is nothing short of a miracle. The camera isn`t shaky and give us enthralling visuals.In short, this two-hour movie serves up an emotionally satisfying spectacle, delivered by a writer-director in full command of his craft and brought to life by a gifted ensemble cast that honours the fact-based story. Honourable Mentions - Logan, Coco, Okja and Wonder.

From 'Dunkirk' to 'IT': The Top 9 Hollywood movies of 2017

Disney-Lucasfilm`s Star Wars: The Last Jedi&nbsp;is showing plenty of force at mulitplexes worldwide with $745.4 million globally as of Sunday. 
 
The North American take has hit $365 million in its first 10 days as of Sunday with the studio projecting another $32 million on Christmas Day on Monday - making it the third highest domestic release in 2017 following Beauty and the Beast&nbsp;with $504 million and Wonder Woman&nbsp;at $412 million.

Stars Wars: The Last Jedi&nbsp;has totaled $380.3 million in the international box office. It is already the top-grossing film of 2017 in both Denmark and Sweden and the fourth highest grosser in the overall European market. The U.K. is the top market with $67.4 million, followed by Germany with $40 million, France with $29.3 million and Australia with $26.9 million. 
 
The Last Jedi,&nbsp;which picks up following the events of 2015`s Star Wars: The Force Awakens,&nbsp;is so far the 87th highest worldwide grosser of all time, trailing 2016`s Suicide Squad&nbsp;by $1.4 million. Rian Johnson directed with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong`o and Domhnall Gleeson reprising their roles. It`s the final screen role for Fisher, who died a year ago. 
 
Sony`s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle&nbsp;and Universal`s Pitch Perfect 3&nbsp;have also opened solidly while Fox`s The Greatest Showman&nbsp;is drawing respectably at the domestic box office. But moviegoers are showing little interest in Paramount`s Downsizing&nbsp;and Warner Bros.-Alcon`s Father Figures. 
 
Star Wars: The Last Jedi&nbsp;opened with the second-largest North American launch ever in its first weekend with $220 million. It faced competition for the first time on Dec. 20, with Sony`s action comedy Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,&nbsp;which is leading the rest of the pack with $34 million at 3,765 sites for Friday-Sunday and a six-day total of around $64 million. 
 
Josh Greenstein, Sony`s president of worldwide marketing and distribution, pointed to the A- CinemaScore as an indication that Jumanji&nbsp;is attracting all demographics. &quot;We have incredible momentum as we go into the biggest moviegoing week of the year,&quot; he added. 
 
Jumanji&nbsp;also opened solidly with $49.5 million in 53 international markets, finishing ahead of Star Wars: The Last Jedi&nbsp;in 28 territories. Its top performance came in the U.K. with a second-place finish at $10.1 million including previews. 
 
Universal`s Pitch Perfect 3&nbsp;took in $20.5 million at 3,447 theaters and is on track for $27 million by the end of the four-day period. The threequel brought back the Bellas singing group with Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp and Hana Mae Lee reprising their roles. Pitch Perfect 3&nbsp;also opened with $9.8 million in 14 international markets. 
 
Hugh Jackman`s The Greatest Showman,&nbsp;a musical take on circus founder P.T. Barnum, grossed $8.6 million at 3,006 venues during Friday-Sunday. The movie, produced by Chernin Entertainment, opened on Dec. 20 and is on track to take in about $18 million in its first six days. 
 
Downsizing&nbsp;took in a quiet $4.6 million at 2,558 theaters in its Friday-Sunday debut and should finish four-day frame with $6.2 million. Paramount paid $65 million for the near-future comedy in which Matt Damon agrees to be shrunk to five inches in exchange for a better life. Audiences were unimpressed, giving the film a C CinemaScore. 
 
Father Figures&nbsp;grossed a tepid $3.2 million at 3,902 theaters during Friday-Sunday and should add about $1 million on Monday. The film follows brothers - played by Owen Wilson and Ed Helms - who set out to find their biological father. 
 
The Post,&nbsp;directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, dazzled with $495,000 at nine sites for Friday-Sunday. Fox will go wide with the journalism drama on Jan. 12.

Disney-Lucasfilm`s 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is showing plenty of force at mulitplexes worldwide

Disney-Lucasfilm`s Star Wars: The Last Jedi is showing plenty of force at mulitplexes worldwide with $745.4 million globally as of Sunday. The North American take has hit $365 million in its first 10 days as of Sunday with the studio projecting another $32 million on Christmas Day on Monday - making it the third highest domestic release in 2017 following Beauty and the Beast with $504 million and Wonder Woman at $412 million. Stars Wars: The Last Jedi has totaled $380.3 million in the international box office. It is already the top-grossing film of 2017 in both Denmark and Sweden and the fourth highest grosser in the overall European market. The U.K. is the top market with $67.4 million, followed by Germany with $40 million, France with $29.3 million and Australia with $26.9 million. The Last Jedi, which picks up following the events of 2015`s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is so far the 87th highest worldwide grosser of all time, trailing 2016`s Suicide Squad by $1.4 million. Rian Johnson directed with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong`o and Domhnall Gleeson reprising their roles. It`s the final screen role for Fisher, who died a year ago. Sony`s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Universal`s Pitch Perfect 3 have also opened solidly while Fox`s The Greatest Showman is drawing respectably at the domestic box office. But moviegoers are showing little interest in Paramount`s Downsizing and Warner Bros.-Alcon`s Father Figures. Star Wars: The Last Jedi opened with the second-largest North American launch ever in its first weekend with $220 million. It faced competition for the first time on Dec. 20, with Sony`s action comedy Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which is leading the rest of the pack with $34 million at 3,765 sites for Friday-Sunday and a six-day total of around $64 million. Josh Greenstein, Sony`s president of worldwide marketing and distribution, pointed to the A- CinemaScore as an indication that Jumanji is attracting all demographics. "We have incredible momentum as we go into the biggest moviegoing week of the year," he added. Jumanji also opened solidly with $49.5 million in 53 international markets, finishing ahead of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 28 territories. Its top performance came in the U.K. with a second-place finish at $10.1 million including previews. Universal`s Pitch Perfect 3 took in $20.5 million at 3,447 theaters and is on track for $27 million by the end of the four-day period. The threequel brought back the Bellas singing group with Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp and Hana Mae Lee reprising their roles. Pitch Perfect 3 also opened with $9.8 million in 14 international markets. Hugh Jackman`s The Greatest Showman, a musical take on circus founder P.T. Barnum, grossed $8.6 million at 3,006 venues during Friday-Sunday. The movie, produced by Chernin Entertainment, opened on Dec. 20 and is on track to take in about $18 million in its first six days. Downsizing took in a quiet $4.6 million at 2,558 theaters in its Friday-Sunday debut and should finish four-day frame with $6.2 million. Paramount paid $65 million for the near-future comedy in which Matt Damon agrees to be shrunk to five inches in exchange for a better life. Audiences were unimpressed, giving the film a C CinemaScore. Father Figures grossed a tepid $3.2 million at 3,902 theaters during Friday-Sunday and should add about $1 million on Monday. The film follows brothers - played by Owen Wilson and Ed Helms - who set out to find their biological father. The Post, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, dazzled with $495,000 at nine sites for Friday-Sunday. Fox will go wide with the journalism drama on Jan. 12.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' soars to 745 million USD worldwide

Disney-Lucasfilm&#39;s &#39;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-star-wars-the-last-jedi-review-a-fitting-homage-to-skywalkers-legacy-26826">Star Wars: The Last Jedi</a>&#39;&nbsp;is showing plenty of force at multiplexes worldwide with $745.4 million globally as of Sunday.

The North American take has hit $365 million in its first 10 days as of Sunday with the studio projecting another $32 million on Christmas Day on Monday - making it the third highest domestic release in 2017 following &quot;Beauty and the Beast&quot; with $504 million and &quot;Wonder Woman&quot; at $412 million.

&quot;Stars Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; has totalled $380.3 million in the international box office. It is already the top-grossing film of 2017 in both Denmark and Sweden and the fourth highest grosser in the overall European market.

The UK&nbsp;is the top market with $67.4 million, followed by Germany with $40 million, France with $29.3 million and Australia with $26.9 million.

&quot;The Last Jedi,&quot; which picks up following the events of 2015&#39;s &quot;Star Wars: The Force Awakens,&quot; is so far the 87th highest worldwide grosser of all time, trailing 2016&#39;s &quot;Suicide Squad&quot; by $1.4 million.

Rian Johnson directed with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong&#39;o and Domhnall Gleeson reprising their roles. It&#39;s the final screen role for Fisher, who died a year ago.

Sony&#39;s &quot;Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle&quot; and Universal&#39;s &quot;Pitch Perfect 3&quot; have also opened solidly while Fox&#39;s &quot;The Greatest Showman&quot; is drawing respectably at the domestic box office.

But moviegoers are showing little interest in Paramount&#39;s &quot;Downsizing&quot; and Warner Bros.-Alcon&#39;s &quot;Father Figures.&quot;

&quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; opened with the second-largest North American launch ever in its first weekend with $220 million.

It faced competition for the first time on December 20, with Sony&#39;s action comedy &quot;Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,&quot; which is leading the rest of the pack with $34 million at 3,765 sites for Friday-Sunday and a six-day total of around $64 million.

Josh Greenstein, Sony&#39;s president of worldwide marketing and distribution, pointed to the A- CinemaScore as an indication that &quot;Jumanji&quot; is attracting all demographics.

&quot;We have incredible momentum as we go into the biggest moviegoing week of the year,&quot; he added.

&quot;Jumanji&quot; also opened solidly with $49.5 million in 53 international markets, finishing ahead of &quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; in 28 territories. Its top performance came in the UK&nbsp;with a second-place finish at $10.1 million including previews.

Universal&#39;s &quot;Pitch Perfect 3&quot; took in $20.5 million at 3,447 theatres and is on track for $27 million by the end of the four-day period. The threequel brought back the Bellas singing group with Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp and Hana Mae Lee reprising their roles.

&quot;Pitch Perfect 3&quot; also opened with $9.8 million in 14 international markets.

Hugh Jackman&#39;s &quot;The Greatest Showman,&quot; a musical take on circus founder P.T. Barnum, grossed $8.6 million at 3,006 venues during Friday-Sunday. The movie, produced by Chernin Entertainment, opened on Dec. 20 and is on track to take in about $18 million in its first six days.

&quot;Downsizing&quot; took in a quiet $4.6 million at 2,558 theatres in its Friday-Sunday debut and should finish four-day frame with $6.2 million. Paramount paid $65 million for the near-future comedy in which Matt Damon agrees to be shrunk to five inches in exchange for a better life.

Audiences were unimpressed, giving the film a C CinemaScore.

&quot;Father Figures&quot; grossed a tepid $3.2 million at 3,902 theatres during Friday-Sunday and should add about $1 million on Monday. The film follows brothers - played by Owen Wilson and Ed Helms - who set out to find their biological father.

&quot;The Post,&quot; directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, dazzled with $495,000 at nine sites for Friday-Sunday. Fox will go wide with the journalism drama on January 12.

The North American take has hit $365 million in its first 10 days as of Sunday

Disney-Lucasfilm's 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' is showing plenty of force at multiplexes worldwide with $745.4 million globally as of Sunday. The North American take has hit $365 million in its first 10 days as of Sunday with the studio projecting another $32 million on Christmas Day on Monday - making it the third highest domestic release in 2017 following "Beauty and the Beast" with $504 million and "Wonder Woman" at $412 million. "Stars Wars: The Last Jedi" has totalled $380.3 million in the international box office. It is already the top-grossing film of 2017 in both Denmark and Sweden and the fourth highest grosser in the overall European market. The UK is the top market with $67.4 million, followed by Germany with $40 million, France with $29.3 million and Australia with $26.9 million. "The Last Jedi," which picks up following the events of 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," is so far the 87th highest worldwide grosser of all time, trailing 2016's "Suicide Squad" by $1.4 million. Rian Johnson directed with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o and Domhnall Gleeson reprising their roles. It's the final screen role for Fisher, who died a year ago. Sony's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" and Universal's "Pitch Perfect 3" have also opened solidly while Fox's "The Greatest Showman" is drawing respectably at the domestic box office. But moviegoers are showing little interest in Paramount's "Downsizing" and Warner Bros.-Alcon's "Father Figures." "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" opened with the second-largest North American launch ever in its first weekend with $220 million. It faced competition for the first time on December 20, with Sony's action comedy "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," which is leading the rest of the pack with $34 million at 3,765 sites for Friday-Sunday and a six-day total of around $64 million. Josh Greenstein, Sony's president of worldwide marketing and distribution, pointed to the A- CinemaScore as an indication that "Jumanji" is attracting all demographics. "We have incredible momentum as we go into the biggest moviegoing week of the year," he added. "Jumanji" also opened solidly with $49.5 million in 53 international markets, finishing ahead of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" in 28 territories. Its top performance came in the UK with a second-place finish at $10.1 million including previews. Universal's "Pitch Perfect 3" took in $20.5 million at 3,447 theatres and is on track for $27 million by the end of the four-day period. The threequel brought back the Bellas singing group with Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp and Hana Mae Lee reprising their roles. "Pitch Perfect 3" also opened with $9.8 million in 14 international markets. Hugh Jackman's "The Greatest Showman," a musical take on circus founder P.T. Barnum, grossed $8.6 million at 3,006 venues during Friday-Sunday. The movie, produced by Chernin Entertainment, opened on Dec. 20 and is on track to take in about $18 million in its first six days. "Downsizing" took in a quiet $4.6 million at 2,558 theatres in its Friday-Sunday debut and should finish four-day frame with $6.2 million. Paramount paid $65 million for the near-future comedy in which Matt Damon agrees to be shrunk to five inches in exchange for a better life. Audiences were unimpressed, giving the film a C CinemaScore. "Father Figures" grossed a tepid $3.2 million at 3,902 theatres during Friday-Sunday and should add about $1 million on Monday. The film follows brothers - played by Owen Wilson and Ed Helms - who set out to find their biological father. "The Post," directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, dazzled with $495,000 at nine sites for Friday-Sunday. Fox will go wide with the journalism drama on January 12.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' soars to $745 million worldwide

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-star-wars-the-last-jedi-review-a-fitting-homage-to-skywalkers-legacy-26826" target="_blank">Star Wars: The Last Jedi</a>, the new film in the beloved space saga, opened with massive ticket sales that put it on track to ring up around $200 million at domestic theatres over the weekend, distributor Walt Disney Co said on Friday.

The movie brought in $45 million in the United States and Canada on Thursday night, second only to the $57 million from 2015&#39;s &#39;Star Wars: The Force Awakens.&#39; That film went on to generate more than $2 billion worldwide.&nbsp;

&#39;Last Jedi&#39;&nbsp;is the eighth movie in the saga created by George Lucas in 1977. It picks up from the end of &#39;Force Awakens&#39;&nbsp;with the scavenger Rey asking Luke Skywalker to come out of seclusion to help fight the evil First Order.&nbsp;

The new film features actress Carrie Fisher&#39;s final performance as Leia, the famous princess who has become general leading resistance forces. Fisher died of a heart attack in December 2016.&nbsp;

Fans&#39;&nbsp;love for the franchise is expected to drive heavy ticket sales for &#39;Last Jedi&#39;&nbsp;over the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, according to box office analysts.&nbsp;

&#39;Last Jedi&#39;&nbsp;began rolling out on Wednesday in international markets, where it has brought in $60.8 million in its first two days, Disney said.&nbsp;

The movie brought in $45 million in the United States and Canada on Thursday night

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the new film in the beloved space saga, opened with massive ticket sales that put it on track to ring up around $200 million at domestic theatres over the weekend, distributor Walt Disney Co said on Friday. The movie brought in $45 million in the United States and Canada on Thursday night, second only to the $57 million from 2015's 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens.' That film went on to generate more than $2 billion worldwide. 'Last Jedi' is the eighth movie in the saga created by George Lucas in 1977. It picks up from the end of 'Force Awakens' with the scavenger Rey asking Luke Skywalker to come out of seclusion to help fight the evil First Order. The new film features actress Carrie Fisher's final performance as Leia, the famous princess who has become general leading resistance forces. Fisher died of a heart attack in December 2016. Fans' love for the franchise is expected to drive heavy ticket sales for 'Last Jedi' over the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays, according to box office analysts. 'Last Jedi' began rolling out on Wednesday in international markets, where it has brought in $60.8 million in its first two days, Disney said.

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' cruises toward $200 million domestic debut

Rian Johnson, the director of the latest Star Wars film The Last Jedi, believes it is high time a woman or a person of colour directed a film in the beloved franchise. 
 
Johnson, who has made his Star Wars directing debut with the new film, is the third white man to direct a film from the popular sci-fi series after creator George Lucas and JJ Abrams. 
 
&quot;There are so many incredibly talented female directors, directors of colour out there, and so many that I would love to see play in this universe. So hell yes, please, I&#39;d love it to happen,&quot; he said in an interview with the Guardian. 
Abrams, who directed The Force Awakens&quot;, is returning as a director for the ninth chapter in the series.

Disney recently announced that Johnson would be writing and directing the first in a brand new Star Wars trilogy. It is yet to announce the name of the directors for the other two movies.

Johnson, who has made his Star Wars directing debut with the new film, is the third white man to direct a film from the popular sci-fi series

Rian Johnson, the director of the latest Star Wars film The Last Jedi, believes it is high time a woman or a person of colour directed a film in the beloved franchise. Johnson, who has made his Star Wars directing debut with the new film, is the third white man to direct a film from the popular sci-fi series after creator George Lucas and JJ Abrams. "There are so many incredibly talented female directors, directors of colour out there, and so many that I would love to see play in this universe. So hell yes, please, I'd love it to happen," he said in an interview with the Guardian. Abrams, who directed The Force Awakens", is returning as a director for the ninth chapter in the series. Disney recently announced that Johnson would be writing and directing the first in a brand new Star Wars trilogy. It is yet to announce the name of the directors for the other two movies.

Rian Johnson all for a woman as 'Star Wars' director

Fans and loyalists of the Star Wars series have another reason to rejoice! The upcoming release of the latest in the franchise, Star Wars: The Last Jedi will also coincide with the release of the exclusive <a href="http://www.wionews.com/topic/oneplus" target="_blank">OnePlus</a> 5T Star Wars Limited Edition phone in India.&nbsp;

OnePlus&#39;s flagship handset OnePlus 5T was previously launched only in black colour after which it was also released in attractive &#39;Lava Red&#39; for Chinese users last week. The launch of Star Wars Limited Edition handsets is another move for the company to spur sales of its flagship device of the year. The handset will sport an all-white back and black exteriors on the front. A fingerprint sensor is located at the back, right above the standard OnePlus logo.&nbsp;

OnePlus 5T launched in India a month back with specifications like 6.01-inch full optic AMOLED display with full-HD+ (1080 x 2160) resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Star Wars Edition will retain all specifications similar to the standard version, it will runs on 2.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC and shall come in two variants -- 6GB RAM/64GB of internal storage and 8GB RAM/128GB storage. The handset also boasts of a rear-facing fingerprint scanner and a pre-installed Face Unlock feature.

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9II-OyakdxE" width="560"></iframe>

It is not known if the Limited Edition smartphone will be exclusive to India. There is no word on the pricing of the feature phone as well. Amazon India has been chosen by the Chinese smartphone making giant make the Star Wars handset available in the country, besides this, the phone will also be available on oneplustsore.in and select experience stores.&nbsp;

The official website states that the phone will be launched at 7 pm on December 14 at Carnival Cinemas Wadala - Mumbai. Ticket sale for the official launch event will start on the official website on December 7th, 10 am. Customers attending the event will get free popcorn and soft drinks on the house; an official Star Wars T-shirt (worth Rs.999) and a OnePlus Star Wars Laptop bag (worth Rs.1999) at the launch venue.

OnePlus 5T was launched in India along with its international release on November 16.

The phone will be launched at 7 pm on December 14

Fans and loyalists of the Star Wars series have another reason to rejoice! The upcoming release of the latest in the franchise, Star Wars: The Last Jedi will also coincide with the release of the exclusive OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition phone in India. OnePlus's flagship handset OnePlus 5T was previously launched only in black colour after which it was also released in attractive 'Lava Red' for Chinese users last week. The launch of Star Wars Limited Edition handsets is another move for the company to spur sales of its flagship device of the year. The handset will sport an all-white back and black exteriors on the front. A fingerprint sensor is located at the back, right above the standard OnePlus logo. OnePlus 5T launched in India a month back with specifications like 6.01-inch full optic AMOLED display with full-HD+ (1080 x 2160) resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Star Wars Edition will retain all specifications similar to the standard version, it will runs on 2.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC and shall come in two variants -- 6GB RAM/64GB of internal storage and 8GB RAM/128GB storage. The handset also boasts of a rear-facing fingerprint scanner and a pre-installed Face Unlock feature. It is not known if the Limited Edition smartphone will be exclusive to India. There is no word on the pricing of the feature phone as well. Amazon India has been chosen by the Chinese smartphone making giant make the Star Wars handset available in the country, besides this, the phone will also be available on oneplustsore.in and select experience stores. The official website states that the phone will be launched at 7 pm on December 14 at Carnival Cinemas Wadala - Mumbai. Ticket sale for the official launch event will start on the official website on December 7th, 10 am. Customers attending the event will get free popcorn and soft drinks on the house; an official Star Wars T-shirt (worth Rs.999) and a OnePlus Star Wars Laptop bag (worth Rs.1999) at the launch venue. OnePlus 5T was launched in India along with its international release on November 16.

Ready for the Limited Edition OnePlus 5T Star Wars device? Amazon to make it available in India

Disney on Thursday announced plans for a new Star Wars film trilogy and a live-action TV series as it builds on the beloved and profitable science fiction franchise.

&quot;We have big ambitions for the Star Wars franchise,&quot; Disney chief executive Robert Iger said during a quarterly earnings call.

Disney just closed a deal with Rian Johnson, director of the upcoming film &quot;The Last Jedi,&quot; to develop a brand new trilogy, according to Iger.

&quot;We&#39;re also planning to produce a number of original series for the new service and are already developing a Star Wars live-action series,&quot; Iger said of a planned direct-to-consumer pay service offering television and film content.

While there have previously been animated Star Wars series, this will be the franchise&#39;s first live-action show for the small screen.

The Star Wars franchise has been &quot;exceeding expectations&quot; since Disney acquired Lucasfilm five years ago, according to Iger.

Disney touted the box office success of two new Star Wars films and expressed confidence that &quot;The Last Jedi,&quot; set to debut in theaters next month, would be a hit.

&quot;The excitement will only intensify as we get closer to the release date,&quot; Iger said of the coming instalment.

&nbsp;Going &#39;Solo&#39;

Production recently wrapped on a film based on the story of Han Solo, who was played by actor Harrison Ford in the original trilogy as well as in 2015&#39;s &quot;The Force Awakens,&quot; according to Disney executives.

&quot;Solo&quot; is the second movie of a saga that unfolds on the sidelines of the adventures of the Skywalker family, the primary protagonists of the Star Wars universe. The first was &quot;Rogue One,&quot; which came out in 2016 and raked in more than $1 billion at the box office.

&quot;We&#39;ve got more great Star Wars movies already planned for years to come in addition to the 2019 release of Episode IX,&quot; Iger said, referring to the film that will follow &quot;The Last Jedi.&quot;

Star Wars has grown into the most lucrative and influential movie franchise of all time since the original film was released in 1977. It has become ingrained in a geek culture that gave rise to Silicon Valley and disruptive technologies

Californian filmmaker George Lucas was 33 years old when he prepared to release his third feature -- a far-fetched, slightly corny intergalactic saga of good and evil starring a sulky farm boy with daddy issues.

&quot;I&#39;m running out of hyperbolic adjectives to describe the power of Star Wars, but that&#39;s because it is the ultimate standard-bearer,&quot; Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for BoxOffice.com, told AFP in an earlier interview marking the 40th anniversary of the original film.

Star Wars

&quot;Four decades of record-breaking, genre-defining entertainment across film, television, video games, toys, books and everything else the brand has touched simply speaks for itself.&quot;

The Force is strong&nbsp;

Lucasfilm debuted its highly-anticipated second trailer for &quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; last month, hinting at dark times ahead for the Resistance and possibly even the end of Leia Organa, one of the main characters in the first three films who returned along with Han Solo in &quot;The Force Awakens.&quot;

The clip for the eighth installment in the blockbuster space opera, due for release on December 15, followed a trailer released in April which teased Luke Skywalker, the star of the original trilogy, teaching newcomer Rey the ways of the Force.

This time around more plot was unveiled, with Luke telling Rey he&#39;d only seen power like hers once before -- and while it didn&#39;t scare him enough then, it does now.

Fans speculated on social media that he could be talking about his nephew and Rey&#39;s nemesis Kylo Ren, who is seen in a TIE fighter with his mother General Leia Organa in his sights, his eyes welling up as he prepares to open fire.

Carrie Fisher -- who has played the character since she was known simply as Princess Leia in the original 1977-83 trilogy -- died in December, having already wrapped her scenes for &quot;The Last Jedi.&quot;

&quot;The Last Jedi&quot; -- filmed on the west coast of Ireland and at Pinewood Studios near London -- sees the return of the characters introduced in 2015&#39;s seventh installment.

Johnson will write and direct the first installment of the new Star Wars trilogy in a collaboration with Ram Bergman, who will produce the film, according to a release posted online.

&quot;We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on &#39;The Last Jedi&#39;,&quot; Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement.

&quot;Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can&#39;t wait to continue with this new series of films.&quot;

Disney says it has closed a deal with Rian Johnson, director of the upcoming film 'The Last Jedi,' to develop a brand new trilogy

Disney on Thursday announced plans for a new Star Wars film trilogy and a live-action TV series as it builds on the beloved and profitable science fiction franchise. "We have big ambitions for the Star Wars franchise," Disney chief executive Robert Iger said during a quarterly earnings call. Disney just closed a deal with Rian Johnson, director of the upcoming film "The Last Jedi," to develop a brand new trilogy, according to Iger. "We're also planning to produce a number of original series for the new service and are already developing a Star Wars live-action series," Iger said of a planned direct-to-consumer pay service offering television and film content. While there have previously been animated Star Wars series, this will be the franchise's first live-action show for the small screen. The Star Wars franchise has been "exceeding expectations" since Disney acquired Lucasfilm five years ago, according to Iger. Disney touted the box office success of two new Star Wars films and expressed confidence that "The Last Jedi," set to debut in theaters next month, would be a hit. "The excitement will only intensify as we get closer to the release date," Iger said of the coming instalment. Going 'Solo' Production recently wrapped on a film based on the story of Han Solo, who was played by actor Harrison Ford in the original trilogy as well as in 2015's "The Force Awakens," according to Disney executives. "Solo" is the second movie of a saga that unfolds on the sidelines of the adventures of the Skywalker family, the primary protagonists of the Star Wars universe. The first was "Rogue One," which came out in 2016 and raked in more than $1 billion at the box office. "We've got more great Star Wars movies already planned for years to come in addition to the 2019 release of Episode IX," Iger said, referring to the film that will follow "The Last Jedi." Star Wars has grown into the most lucrative and influential movie franchise of all time since the original film was released in 1977. It has become ingrained in a geek culture that gave rise to Silicon Valley and disruptive technologies Californian filmmaker George Lucas was 33 years old when he prepared to release his third feature -- a far-fetched, slightly corny intergalactic saga of good and evil starring a sulky farm boy with daddy issues. "I'm running out of hyperbolic adjectives to describe the power of Star Wars, but that's because it is the ultimate standard-bearer," Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for BoxOffice.com, told AFP in an earlier interview marking the 40th anniversary of the original film. Star Wars "Four decades of record-breaking, genre-defining entertainment across film, television, video games, toys, books and everything else the brand has touched simply speaks for itself." The Force is strong Lucasfilm debuted its highly-anticipated second trailer for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" last month, hinting at dark times ahead for the Resistance and possibly even the end of Leia Organa, one of the main characters in the first three films who returned along with Han Solo in "The Force Awakens." The clip for the eighth installment in the blockbuster space opera, due for release on December 15, followed a trailer released in April which teased Luke Skywalker, the star of the original trilogy, teaching newcomer Rey the ways of the Force. This time around more plot was unveiled, with Luke telling Rey he'd only seen power like hers once before -- and while it didn't scare him enough then, it does now. Fans speculated on social media that he could be talking about his nephew and Rey's nemesis Kylo Ren, who is seen in a TIE fighter with his mother General Leia Organa in his sights, his eyes welling up as he prepares to open fire. Carrie Fisher -- who has played the character since she was known simply as Princess Leia in the original 1977-83 trilogy -- died in December, having already wrapped her scenes for "The Last Jedi." "The Last Jedi" -- filmed on the west coast of Ireland and at Pinewood Studios near London -- sees the return of the characters introduced in 2015's seventh installment. Johnson will write and direct the first installment of the new Star Wars trilogy in a collaboration with Ram Bergman, who will produce the film, according to a release posted online. "We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on 'The Last Jedi'," Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement. "Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can't wait to continue with this new series of films."

Disney announces new Star Wars film trilogy, TV series

The Last Jedi&nbsp;won`t be the last time Rian Johnson will be helming a Star Wars&nbsp;movie.According to Entertainment Weekly, the studio giant Disney has closed a deal with director Rian Johnson to develop a new `Star Wars` trilogy, and it is planning a live-action `Star Wars` TV series to air on its entertainment streaming service that is expected to launch by the end of 2019.

The filmmaker has signed on to create an entirely new Star Wars&nbsp;trilogy, while The Force Awakens&nbsp;director J.J. Abrams is returning to take on 2019`s Episode IX.Johnson`s trilogy will be &quot;separate from the episodic Skywalker saga,&quot; Lucasfilm said in a statement.&quot; 
 
Johnson will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars&nbsp;lore has never explored,&quot; the statement continued.Earlier this week, Kennedy praised Johnson`s &quot;fertile imagination&quot;.&nbsp;She said, &quot;We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi. He`s a creative force, and watching him craft the movie from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy.&quot; 
 
The long-term pact with Johnson comes on the heels of Lucasfilm having some rocky relations with filmmakers on other Star Wars&nbsp;movies.&quot;We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on The Last Jedi. 
Star Wars` is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can`t wait to continue with this new series of films,&quot; Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement. The Last Jedi&nbsp;opens worldwide on December 15. 
&nbsp;

The filmmaker has signed on to create an entirely new Star Wars?trilogy, while The Force Awakens?director J.J. Abrams is returning to take on 2019`s Episode IX.

The Last Jedi won`t be the last time Rian Johnson will be helming a Star Wars movie.According to Entertainment Weekly, the studio giant Disney has closed a deal with director Rian Johnson to develop a new `Star Wars` trilogy, and it is planning a live-action `Star Wars` TV series to air on its entertainment streaming service that is expected to launch by the end of 2019. The filmmaker has signed on to create an entirely new Star Wars trilogy, while The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams is returning to take on 2019`s Episode IX.Johnson`s trilogy will be "separate from the episodic Skywalker saga," Lucasfilm said in a statement." Johnson will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never explored," the statement continued.Earlier this week, Kennedy praised Johnson`s "fertile imagination". She said, "We all loved working with Rian on The Last Jedi. He`s a creative force, and watching him craft the movie from start to finish was one of the great joys of my career. Rian will do amazing things with the blank canvas of this new trilogy." The long-term pact with Johnson comes on the heels of Lucasfilm having some rocky relations with filmmakers on other Star Wars movies."We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on The Last Jedi. Star Wars` is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can`t wait to continue with this new series of films," Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement. The Last Jedi opens worldwide on December 15.

New 'Star Wars' trilogy in works with Rian Johnson

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has said that director Rian Johnson has a been an amazing influence on the upcoming Star Wars&nbsp;film, The Last Jedi&nbsp;but he does not give out answers to all the questions. 
 
The 64-year-old producer admits that fans will be a little disappointed but should not worry as there are other surprises in store, reported ContactMusic. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;s done an exceptional job of taking these new characters and some of the legacy characters and moving us to this next place. He doesn&#39;t answer all the questions, I will say that up front. 
 
&quot;But there are certain questions he does answer in a really wonderfully provocative way, and I think there&#39;ll be some surprises that people aren&#39;t expecting,&quot; Kennedy said on &quot;The Star Wars Show&quot;. 
 
The eighth chapter in the popular sci-fi film franchise opens on December 15.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has said that director Rian Johnson has a been an amazing influence on the upcoming Star Ward film.

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has said that director Rian Johnson has a been an amazing influence on the upcoming Star Wars film, The Last Jedi but he does not give out answers to all the questions. The 64-year-old producer admits that fans will be a little disappointed but should not worry as there are other surprises in store, reported ContactMusic. "I think he's done an exceptional job of taking these new characters and some of the legacy characters and moving us to this next place. He doesn't answer all the questions, I will say that up front. "But there are certain questions he does answer in a really wonderfully provocative way, and I think there'll be some surprises that people aren't expecting," Kennedy said on "The Star Wars Show". The eighth chapter in the popular sci-fi film franchise opens on December 15.

Director Rian Johnson doesn't answer all questions in 'The Last Jedi'

Excitement is at its peak and fans are literally counting days to December 15th as Star Wars: The Last Jedi is all set to release.&nbsp; 
 
The new trailer was released on Wednesday and gave us some more awe-inspiring moments. The trailer was in fact shown during the half-time of American football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears.&nbsp; 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W4CB5SeBGkI" width="560"></iframe> 
 
The trailer gives glimpses of a few new shots from the film which is releasing two years after the incredible &#39;Star Wars: The Force Awakens&#39; released. The Last Jedi features Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver and John Boyega.&nbsp; 
 
One the&nbsp;biggest takeaways from the new trailer is Luke Skywalker&#39;s looming presence throughout. The trailer ends with Luke saying &quot;This is not going to go the way you think,&quot; as the trailer cuts across to Rey&#39;s face, raising her lightsaber in what appears to be a victory over Jedi master.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The new trailer was released on Wednesday and gave us some more awe-inspiring moments.

Excitement is at its peak and fans are literally counting days to December 15th as Star Wars: The Last Jedi is all set to release. The new trailer was released on Wednesday and gave us some more awe-inspiring moments. The trailer was in fact shown during the half-time of American football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. The trailer gives glimpses of a few new shots from the film which is releasing two years after the incredible 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' released. The Last Jedi features Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver and John Boyega. One the biggest takeaways from the new trailer is Luke Skywalker's looming presence throughout. The trailer ends with Luke saying "This is not going to go the way you think," as the trailer cuts across to Rey's face, raising her lightsaber in what appears to be a victory over Jedi master.

The new 'Star Wars' trailer has got us more excited about December

An R2-D2 unit used in the filming of several &quot;Star Wars&quot; movies has sold for almost $3 million, a southern California auction house said on Thursday.

Luke Skywalker&#39;s droid sidekick was put together from parts used in the filming of the original 1977-1983 trilogy and two of the 1999-2005 prequel films, Profiles in History, based near Los Angeles, said in its catalog.&nbsp;

While the 43-inch (109 centimeter) character played largely by English actor Kenny Baker is known for his tenacious loyalty and snarky sense of humour, there are internal mechanics in the aluminum, steel and fiberglass unit sold on Wednesday.

The unidentified buyer nevertheless shelled out $2.76 million, making it the most expensive lot at a three-day auction of Hollywood memorabilia that included numerous props from the Lucasfilm franchise, raising a total of $14 million.

Skywalker&#39;s lightsaber from the first two movies, &quot;A New Hope&quot; and &quot;The Empire Strikes Back,&quot; fetched $450,000 while Darth Vader&#39;s helmet from the original film sold for $96,000.

A collection of 23 spaceships from space series &quot;Battlestar Galactica&quot; and &quot;Buck Rodgers&quot; made $1.8 million dollars while the iconic illuminated dance floor from &quot;Saturday Night Fever&quot; went for $1.2 million.&nbsp;

Leonardo DiCaprio&#39;s costume from Titanic (1997) and the sword wielded by Arnold Schwarzenegger in &quot;Conan the Barbarian&quot; (1982) went for $192,000 each.&nbsp;

Other notable lots included a script and the front door to Rick&#39;s Cafe from &quot;Casablanca&quot; (1942), Lucille Ball&#39;s signature polka dot dress from 1950s sit-com &quot;I Love Lucy,&quot; and Evel Knievel&#39;s 1976 Harley-Davidson XLCH 1000 from &quot;Viva Knievel!&quot; (1977).

A golden ticket from &quot;Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory&quot; (1971) went for a staggering $90,000.

Luke Skywalker's droid sidekick was put together from parts used in the filming of the original 1977-1983 trilogy and two of the 1999-2005 prequel films

An R2-D2 unit used in the filming of several "Star Wars" movies has sold for almost $3 million, a southern California auction house said on Thursday. Luke Skywalker's droid sidekick was put together from parts used in the filming of the original 1977-1983 trilogy and two of the 1999-2005 prequel films, Profiles in History, based near Los Angeles, said in its catalog. While the 43-inch (109 centimeter) character played largely by English actor Kenny Baker is known for his tenacious loyalty and snarky sense of humour, there are internal mechanics in the aluminum, steel and fiberglass unit sold on Wednesday. The unidentified buyer nevertheless shelled out $2.76 million, making it the most expensive lot at a three-day auction of Hollywood memorabilia that included numerous props from the Lucasfilm franchise, raising a total of $14 million. Skywalker's lightsaber from the first two movies, "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back," fetched $450,000 while Darth Vader's helmet from the original film sold for $96,000. A collection of 23 spaceships from space series "Battlestar Galactica" and "Buck Rodgers" made $1.8 million dollars while the iconic illuminated dance floor from "Saturday Night Fever" went for $1.2 million. Leonardo DiCaprio's costume from Titanic (1997) and the sword wielded by Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) went for $192,000 each. Other notable lots included a script and the front door to Rick's Cafe from "Casablanca" (1942), Lucille Ball's signature polka dot dress from 1950s sit-com "I Love Lucy," and Evel Knievel's 1976 Harley-Davidson XLCH 1000 from "Viva Knievel!" (1977). A golden ticket from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (1971) went for a staggering $90,000.

Star War's R2-D2 auctioned for $2.8 million

Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is stepping into a galaxy far, far away for the upcoming &quot;Star Wars&quot; Han Solo spin-off movie, Lucasfilm announced on Thursday, after the film&#39;s production was thrown into upheaval by the surprise departure of its directors.

Howard is one of Hollywood&#39;s best known directors with films such as &quot;Frost/Nixon&quot; and &quot;A Beautiful Mind&quot; to his credit.

Lucasfilm&#39;s president, Kathleen Kennedy, announced on Wednesday that filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, best known for the 2014 hit &quot;The Lego Movie,&quot; had left the project due to creative differences.

&quot;Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew, but it&rsquo;s become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we&rsquo;ve decided to part ways,&quot; Kennedy said in a statement on StarWars.com.

Kennedy announced Howard&#39;s hiring for the film on Thursday, saying in a statement, &quot;At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago.&quot;

Film trade publications reported that Lord and Miller had clashed with Kennedy and veteran &quot;Star Wars&quot; writer Lawrence Kasdan over the comedic direction of the film.

The untitled Han Solo movie will follow the origin story of young Han Solo, the handsome, roguish space smuggler made famous by actor Harrison Ford. It started filming in February in London. Production is on a brief hiatus amid the directorial changes until Howard takes over on July 10, Lucasfilm said.

Rising star Alden Ehrenreich will play Han Solo, while Donald Glover will play Lando Calrissian, made famous in George Lucas&#39; original &quot;Star Wars&quot; trilogy by actor Billy Dee Williams. Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke and Thandie Newton will also star in the film.

The spin-off is part of Walt Disney Co&#39;s expanding slate of &quot;Star Wars&quot; movies, which was rebooted by 2015&#39;s blockbuster hit, &quot;Star Wars: The Force Awakens&quot;. That film made more than $2 billion at the global box office.

The Han Solo film is the second of three stand-alone &quot;Star Wars&quot; films that kicked off with last year&#39;s &quot;Rogue One: A Star Wars Story&quot;.

Howard steps in after Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, known for 2014's 'The Lego Movie', had left the project due to creative differences

Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is stepping into a galaxy far, far away for the upcoming "Star Wars" Han Solo spin-off movie, Lucasfilm announced on Thursday, after the film's production was thrown into upheaval by the surprise departure of its directors. Howard is one of Hollywood's best known directors with films such as "Frost/Nixon" and "A Beautiful Mind" to his credit. Lucasfilm's president, Kathleen Kennedy, announced on Wednesday that filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, best known for the 2014 hit "The Lego Movie," had left the project due to creative differences. "Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are talented filmmakers who have assembled an incredible cast and crew, but it’s become clear that we had different creative visions on this film, and we’ve decided to part ways," Kennedy said in a statement on StarWars.com. Kennedy announced Howard's hiring for the film on Thursday, saying in a statement, "At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began forty years ago." Film trade publications reported that Lord and Miller had clashed with Kennedy and veteran "Star Wars" writer Lawrence Kasdan over the comedic direction of the film. The untitled Han Solo movie will follow the origin story of young Han Solo, the handsome, roguish space smuggler made famous by actor Harrison Ford. It started filming in February in London. Production is on a brief hiatus amid the directorial changes until Howard takes over on July 10, Lucasfilm said. Rising star Alden Ehrenreich will play Han Solo, while Donald Glover will play Lando Calrissian, made famous in George Lucas' original "Star Wars" trilogy by actor Billy Dee Williams. Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke and Thandie Newton will also star in the film. The spin-off is part of Walt Disney Co's expanding slate of "Star Wars" movies, which was rebooted by 2015's blockbuster hit, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". That film made more than $2 billion at the global box office. The Han Solo film is the second of three stand-alone "Star Wars" films that kicked off with last year's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story".

Ron Howard enters 'Star Wars' after Han Solo movie directors depart

Disney debuted its highly-anticipated first trailer for &quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; at a fan event in the United States on Friday, sending the internet into a frenzy of excitement -- and speculation.

The footage from the eighth installment in the blockbuster space opera, due for release on December 15, was shown at the &quot;Star Wars Celebration&quot; gathering in Orlando marking the 40th anniversary of the original movie.

The 132-second clip teases Luke Skywalker&#39;s first meeting with Rey as he teaches her the ways of the Force, opening with the young apprentice on the island where fans saw her find Luke at the end of &quot;The Force Awakens.&quot;

&quot;Breathe, just breathe. Now, reach out. What do you see?&quot; says a mysterious male voice as the camera focuses on a breathless Rey (Daisy Ridley) on her hands and knees beneath a cliff face.

&quot;Light. Darkness. And balance,&quot; Rey replies.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s so much bigger,&quot; the voice says.

&quot;I only know one truth. It&#39;s time for the Jedi -- to end,&quot; says the voice, which seems likely to be Luke (Mark Hamill).

The first fully-formed trailer for &quot;The Last Jedi&quot; had almost half a million views and more than 13,000 comments on YouTube within 90 minutes of being posted, with #TheLastJedi quickly becoming the top trending hashtag worldwide on Twitter.&nbsp;

Directed by Rian Johnson (&quot;Looper,&quot; &quot;Brick&quot;), &quot;The Last Jedi&quot; was filmed on the west coast of Ireland and at Pinewood Studios near London, which Johnson described as being &quot;like Camelot... this mythical place&quot; as he was growing up.

&nbsp;&#39;Incredible mind&#39; 
 
The movie sees the return of the characters introduced in 2015&#39;s seventh installment, including Rey, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and a few members of the original crew, including Luke.

The trailer serves up a cameo from the iconic Millennium Falcon in a dogfight with TIE fighters and there&#39;s also lightsaber-wielding bad guy Kylo Ren as well as Poe, Finn and droid favorites BB-8 and R2-D2.

The film also stars Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa, who appears briefly from behind in the trailer.&nbsp;

Fisher died in December but had wrapped shooting &quot;The Last Jedi&quot; before her death, and was honored with a video tribute as the convention opened Thursday as well as an appearance by her daughter, actress Billie Lourd, in a mini-version of her mother&#39;s iconic Leia gown.&nbsp;

Johnson paid tribute to Fisher -- who had a career parallel to her acting as a writer and highly regarded script editor -- revealing that she helped him with much of the dialogue.

&quot;I love her so much, man, I just adore her, and I connected with her first and foremost as a writer. She&#39;s a brilliant writer, an incredible mind. I&#39;d go to her house and we&#39;d sit on her bed for hours and go through the script,&quot; he said.

&quot;We&#39;d have these stream-of-consciousness jazz poetry ad-lib sessions and I would just scribble on my script everything she said. And then, at the end of six hours, there would be like a four-word line of dialogue.&quot;

Secrecy 
 
Fans had been lining up on the sidewalk overnight to get into the event, hosted by &quot;Frozen&quot; actor Josh Gad and featuring Ridley, Boyega, Johnson and Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy.&nbsp;

Johnson unveiled a new star, Kelly Marie Tran, who plays Rose, a maintenance worker who is part of the resistance.

&quot;I can&#39;t wait for you to meet her,&quot; Tran said.

Tran revealed that she had told her family she was doing &quot;an indie movie in Canada&quot; -- such has been the secrecy surrounding the film.

Hamill -- a central figure in the original trilogy -- told the crowd it was a pleasure to be able to enjoy the prequel films and last year&#39;s &quot;Rogue One&quot; spin-off without the pressure of actually having to carry them.

The actor said he had admitted to Johnson that trying to capture &quot;lightning in a bottle&quot; again was a prospect that &quot;terrified&quot; him -- and he was relieved to find the director felt the same way.

&quot;To a certain extent, it&#39;s not Luke&#39;s story anymore. But I think he&#39;s an important part to the overall arc of the saga and again, there&#39;s a lot of mystery about him, even within the film,&quot; said Hamill.

This prompted Kennedy to insist that Hamill was &quot;Mr Modesty,&quot; and tell the audience: &quot;He is so significantly important to this next film.&quot;

Watch 
&nbsp;

<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zB4I68XVPzQ" width="770"></iframe></center>

(AFP)

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The 132-second clip teases Luke Skywalker's first meeting with Rey as he teaches her the ways of the Force

Disney debuted its highly-anticipated first trailer for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" at a fan event in the United States on Friday, sending the internet into a frenzy of excitement -- and speculation. The footage from the eighth installment in the blockbuster space opera, due for release on December 15, was shown at the "Star Wars Celebration" gathering in Orlando marking the 40th anniversary of the original movie. The 132-second clip teases Luke Skywalker's first meeting with Rey as he teaches her the ways of the Force, opening with the young apprentice on the island where fans saw her find Luke at the end of "The Force Awakens." "Breathe, just breathe. Now, reach out. What do you see?" says a mysterious male voice as the camera focuses on a breathless Rey (Daisy Ridley) on her hands and knees beneath a cliff face. "Light. Darkness. And balance," Rey replies. "It's so much bigger," the voice says. "I only know one truth. It's time for the Jedi -- to end," says the voice, which seems likely to be Luke (Mark Hamill). The first fully-formed trailer for "The Last Jedi" had almost half a million views and more than 13,000 comments on YouTube within 90 minutes of being posted, with #TheLastJedi quickly becoming the top trending hashtag worldwide on Twitter. Directed by Rian Johnson ("Looper," "Brick"), "The Last Jedi" was filmed on the west coast of Ireland and at Pinewood Studios near London, which Johnson described as being "like Camelot... this mythical place" as he was growing up. 'Incredible mind' The movie sees the return of the characters introduced in 2015's seventh installment, including Rey, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and a few members of the original crew, including Luke. The trailer serves up a cameo from the iconic Millennium Falcon in a dogfight with TIE fighters and there's also lightsaber-wielding bad guy Kylo Ren as well as Poe, Finn and droid favorites BB-8 and R2-D2. The film also stars Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa, who appears briefly from behind in the trailer. Fisher died in December but had wrapped shooting "The Last Jedi" before her death, and was honored with a video tribute as the convention opened Thursday as well as an appearance by her daughter, actress Billie Lourd, in a mini-version of her mother's iconic Leia gown. Johnson paid tribute to Fisher -- who had a career parallel to her acting as a writer and highly regarded script editor -- revealing that she helped him with much of the dialogue. "I love her so much, man, I just adore her, and I connected with her first and foremost as a writer. She's a brilliant writer, an incredible mind. I'd go to her house and we'd sit on her bed for hours and go through the script," he said. "We'd have these stream-of-consciousness jazz poetry ad-lib sessions and I would just scribble on my script everything she said. And then, at the end of six hours, there would be like a four-word line of dialogue." Secrecy Fans had been lining up on the sidewalk overnight to get into the event, hosted by "Frozen" actor Josh Gad and featuring Ridley, Boyega, Johnson and Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy. Johnson unveiled a new star, Kelly Marie Tran, who plays Rose, a maintenance worker who is part of the resistance. "I can't wait for you to meet her," Tran said. Tran revealed that she had told her family she was doing "an indie movie in Canada" -- such has been the secrecy surrounding the film. Hamill -- a central figure in the original trilogy -- told the crowd it was a pleasure to be able to enjoy the prequel films and last year's "Rogue One" spin-off without the pressure of actually having to carry them. The actor said he had admitted to Johnson that trying to capture "lightning in a bottle" again was a prospect that "terrified" him -- and he was relieved to find the director felt the same way. "To a certain extent, it's not Luke's story anymore. But I think he's an important part to the overall arc of the saga and again, there's a lot of mystery about him, even within the film," said Hamill. This prompted Kennedy to insist that Hamill was "Mr Modesty," and tell the audience: "He is so significantly important to this next film." Watch (AFP)

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' first trailer thrills fans

The next chapter of the Star Wars will be named &#39;The Last Jedi&#39;.

Lucasfilm announced Monday that Episode VIII of the billions-dollar saga will tell the tale of &#39;The Last Jedi&#39; but did not reveal the reason behind its name.

The cryptic announcement has spurred fans worldwide to guess who the &#39;The Last Jedi&#39; will be --&nbsp;would it be Skywalker, Rey or both (as Jedi can be singular AND plural).

&quot;We have the greatest fans in this or any other galaxy. In appreciation of the fans, we wanted them to be the first to know the title of the next chapter in the Skywalker saga:&nbsp;Star&nbsp;Wars&nbsp;-- The Last Jedi,&quot; the studio said in a statement.

&quot;Star&nbsp;Wars: The Force Awakens,&quot; released in late 2015, earned more than $2 billion worldwide, according to boxofficemojo.com.

&quot;Rogue One: A&nbsp;Star&nbsp;Wars&nbsp;Story,&quot; a standalone movie in the saga released late last year, has so far raked in more than $1 billion at theaters around the world.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The new title has triggered palpable excitement among fans worldwide as to who the last Jedi will be

The next chapter of the Star Wars will be named 'The Last Jedi'. Lucasfilm announced Monday that Episode VIII of the billions-dollar saga will tell the tale of 'The Last Jedi' but did not reveal the reason behind its name. The cryptic announcement has spurred fans worldwide to guess who the 'The Last Jedi' will be -- would it be Skywalker, Rey or both (as Jedi can be singular AND plural). "We have the greatest fans in this or any other galaxy. In appreciation of the fans, we wanted them to be the first to know the title of the next chapter in the Skywalker saga: Star Wars -- The Last Jedi," the studio said in a statement. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," released in late 2015, earned more than $2 billion worldwide, according to boxofficemojo.com. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," a standalone movie in the saga released late last year, has so far raked in more than $1 billion at theaters around the world. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Next Star Wars movie to be titled 'The Last Jedi'

There are no plans to digitally create Carrie Fisher&#39;s likeness for future Star Wars movies, producers said in a statement.

Fisher died last month due to a cardiac arrest aged 60.

In July, &quot;Star Wars: Episode VIII&quot; wrapped up shooting with Fisher reprising her role as the character initially known as Princess Leia she first performed in the first installment of the franchise released in 1977.

She had been expected to have a role in Episode IX of the massive franchise.

Lucasfilm assured the fans that there will be no future Star Wars movies featuring Fisher after Episode VIII releases.

&quot;We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher&#39;s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa,&quot; the producers said in a statement on the massive franchise&#39;s website, AFP reported.

&quot;Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend.&quot;

They added: &quot;We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars.&quot;

A younger version of Fisher as Princess Leia had been recreated using CGI.

(With inputs from AFP)

CGI was used to recreate a younger Fisher as Princess Leia in an earlier period

There are no plans to digitally create Carrie Fisher's likeness for future Star Wars movies, producers said in a statement. Fisher died last month due to a cardiac arrest aged 60. In July, "Star Wars: Episode VIII" wrapped up shooting with Fisher reprising her role as the character initially known as Princess Leia she first performed in the first installment of the franchise released in 1977. She had been expected to have a role in Episode IX of the massive franchise. Lucasfilm assured the fans that there will be no future Star Wars movies featuring Fisher after Episode VIII releases. "We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher's performance as Princess or General Leia Organa," the producers said in a statement on the massive franchise's website, AFP reported. "Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend." They added: "We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars." A younger version of Fisher as Princess Leia had been recreated using CGI. (With inputs from AFP)

No plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher for future Star Wars

The latest blockbuster installment of the &quot;Star Wars&quot; saga dominated box offices in North America for a second weekend straight, according to early holiday estimates released Sunday.

&quot;Rogue One: A Star Wars Story&quot; raked in $71.55 million Friday-Sunday, Exhibitor Relations said, bringing its total bounty for the region to $293 million.

Cinemas in the United States and Canada saw a slew of new movies open over the Christmas holiday weekend.

&quot;Sing,&quot; an animated musical comedy featuring the voices of several A-listers including Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, burst into second place with $35 million.

The third spot went to &quot;Passengers,&quot; a sci-fi fantasy starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, who play two astronauts accidentally awakened from hibernation on a deep-space mission. It pulled in $14.3 million.

Claiming fourth was &quot;Assassin&#39;s Creed,&quot; which took in $10.3 million, based on the eponymous video game.

At number five was &quot;Why Him?&quot; about a dad feuding with his daughter&#39;s boyfriend, which opened with $9.8 million.

That means &quot;Moana,&quot; a computer-animated musical fantasy about a brave Polynesian teenager, slipped to sixth place from number two, pulling in another $6.5 million.&nbsp;

The film had previously topped the box office for three weekends and has now grossed $179.5 million to date.

Opening at number eight was &quot;Collateral Beauty,&quot; a sentimental drama featuring Will Smith. It managed to pull in $3.6 million.

The number nine spot went to Hindi-language sports drama &quot;Dangal,&quot; which opened with $3.3 million.&nbsp;

Rounding out the top 10 was &quot;Manchester by the Sea,&quot; down from sixth place a week before. It pulled in $3.1 million, bringing its haul to $20 million.

(AFP)

'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' raked in $71.55 million Friday-Sunday

The latest blockbuster installment of the "Star Wars" saga dominated box offices in North America for a second weekend straight, according to early holiday estimates released Sunday. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" raked in $71.55 million Friday-Sunday, Exhibitor Relations said, bringing its total bounty for the region to $293 million. Cinemas in the United States and Canada saw a slew of new movies open over the Christmas holiday weekend. "Sing," an animated musical comedy featuring the voices of several A-listers including Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, burst into second place with $35 million. The third spot went to "Passengers," a sci-fi fantasy starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt, who play two astronauts accidentally awakened from hibernation on a deep-space mission. It pulled in $14.3 million. Claiming fourth was "Assassin's Creed," which took in $10.3 million, based on the eponymous video game. At number five was "Why Him?" about a dad feuding with his daughter's boyfriend, which opened with $9.8 million. That means "Moana," a computer-animated musical fantasy about a brave Polynesian teenager, slipped to sixth place from number two, pulling in another $6.5 million. The film had previously topped the box office for three weekends and has now grossed $179.5 million to date. Opening at number eight was "Collateral Beauty," a sentimental drama featuring Will Smith. It managed to pull in $3.6 million. The number nine spot went to Hindi-language sports drama "Dangal," which opened with $3.3 million. Rounding out the top 10 was "Manchester by the Sea," down from sixth place a week before. It pulled in $3.1 million, bringing its haul to $20 million. (AFP)

'Rogue One' maintains stellar course at box office

Hollywood star Carrie Fisher was spending Christmas Eve in intensive care after suffering a massive heart attack near the end of a transatlantic flight.

The 60-year-old &quot;Star Wars&quot; actress was preparing to land in Los Angeles around midday Friday (2000 GMT) when she went into cardiac arrest, and was given CPR by an emergency responder on board.

She was removed from the emergency room to an intensive care unit at UCLA Medical Center on a ventilator, her brother Todd Fisher said late Friday.

He has been giving regular statements on her health but was unavailable to update the condition of the actress Saturday morning. &nbsp;

&quot;She&#39;s obviously a very tough girl who&#39;s survived many things. I encourage everyone to pray for her,&quot; he told ABC7&#39;s Eyewitness News shortly after she was admitted.

Harrison Ford, who played swashbuckling smuggler Han Solo opposite Fisher&#39;s Princess Leia in the original &quot;Star Wars&quot; trilogy and last year&#39;s &quot;The Force Awakens,&quot; said he was &quot;shocked and saddened&quot; in a statement released to the press on Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;Our thoughts are with Carrie, her family and friends,&quot; he added, describing Fisher as a &quot;dear friend.&quot;&nbsp;

News reports Saturday said Fisher had just finished filming the third season of her latest screen project, the Amazon comedy television series Catastrophe which is set in London.

She was catapulted to worldwide stardom as the rebel warrior Princess Leia in the original &quot;Star Wars&quot; trilogy, which has been a cultural phenomenon since the release of the films from 1977 to 1983.&nbsp;

Tributes

Fisher&#39;s &quot;Star Wars&quot; co-stars led tributes as Hollywood reacted with shock to news of her collapse.

&quot;As if 2016 couldn&#39;t get any worse... sending all our love to @carrieffisher&quot; tweeted Mark Hamill, who plays her on-screen twin Luke Skywalker in the &quot;Star Wars&quot; saga.

There were also posts from &quot;Warwick Davis, who appeared in various &quot;Star Wars&quot; theatrical and straight-to-TV movies, Peter Mayhew, who plays the Wookie Chewbacca and Gwendoline Christie, who played Captain Phasma alongside Fisher in &quot;The Force Awakens.&quot;

&nbsp;The American actress has talked and written frequently about her years of drug addiction and mental illness.

Fisher is known for her searingly honest semi-autobiographical novels, including her best-selling debut &quot;Postcards from the Edge&quot; which she turned into a film of the same name in 1990.&nbsp;

She has given various interviews over the years about her diagnosis of bipolar disorder and addiction to prescription drugs and cocaine, which she admitted using on the set of &quot;The Empire Strikes Back&quot; (1980).

She has also discussed being treated with electroconvulsive therapy, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, to trigger brief seizures. The technique is used to treat some mental illnesses.

Fisher&#39;s famous &quot;Star Wars&quot; character features as part of the storyline to spin-off &quot;Rogue One,&quot; which is currently riding high in box offices around the globe, although the actress is understood not to have been involved in the production.

Her attorney did not respond to a request for comment. &nbsp;

(AFP)

The 60-year-old actress flying from London to Los Angeles collapsed 15 minutes before the plane landed

Hollywood star Carrie Fisher was spending Christmas Eve in intensive care after suffering a massive heart attack near the end of a transatlantic flight. The 60-year-old "Star Wars" actress was preparing to land in Los Angeles around midday Friday (2000 GMT) when she went into cardiac arrest, and was given CPR by an emergency responder on board. She was removed from the emergency room to an intensive care unit at UCLA Medical Center on a ventilator, her brother Todd Fisher said late Friday. He has been giving regular statements on her health but was unavailable to update the condition of the actress Saturday morning. "She's obviously a very tough girl who's survived many things. I encourage everyone to pray for her," he told ABC7's Eyewitness News shortly after she was admitted. Harrison Ford, who played swashbuckling smuggler Han Solo opposite Fisher's Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy and last year's "The Force Awakens," said he was "shocked and saddened" in a statement released to the press on Saturday. "Our thoughts are with Carrie, her family and friends," he added, describing Fisher as a "dear friend." News reports Saturday said Fisher had just finished filming the third season of her latest screen project, the Amazon comedy television series Catastrophe which is set in London. She was catapulted to worldwide stardom as the rebel warrior Princess Leia in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, which has been a cultural phenomenon since the release of the films from 1977 to 1983. Tributes Fisher's "Star Wars" co-stars led tributes as Hollywood reacted with shock to news of her collapse. "As if 2016 couldn't get any worse... sending all our love to @carrieffisher" tweeted Mark Hamill, who plays her on-screen twin Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" saga. There were also posts from "Warwick Davis, who appeared in various "Star Wars" theatrical and straight-to-TV movies, Peter Mayhew, who plays the Wookie Chewbacca and Gwendoline Christie, who played Captain Phasma alongside Fisher in "The Force Awakens." The American actress has talked and written frequently about her years of drug addiction and mental illness. Fisher is known for her searingly honest semi-autobiographical novels, including her best-selling debut "Postcards from the Edge" which she turned into a film of the same name in 1990. She has given various interviews over the years about her diagnosis of bipolar disorder and addiction to prescription drugs and cocaine, which she admitted using on the set of "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980). She has also discussed being treated with electroconvulsive therapy, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, to trigger brief seizures. The technique is used to treat some mental illnesses. Fisher's famous "Star Wars" character features as part of the storyline to spin-off "Rogue One," which is currently riding high in box offices around the globe, although the actress is understood not to have been involved in the production. Her attorney did not respond to a request for comment. (AFP)

'Star Wars' actress Carrie Fisher in intensive care after heart attack

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