Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy!
Ahsoka Drops a Trailer
Just ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike announcement Disney+ finally dropped a full length trailer for the upcoming Ahsoka television show:
Ahsoka | Official Trailer | Disney+
Once a rebel, always a rebel. Watch the brand-new trailer and experience the two-episode series premiere of Ahsoka, a Star Wars Original series, streaming August 23 on Disney+.
The trailer opens in the markedly darker tone we’ve seen Star Wars streaming shows adopt (some would argue perfected with Andor), and the first words spoken are a callback to one of Ahsoka Tano’s most famous lines:
“We are no Jedi.”
… quickly followed by Ahsoka speaking an Heir to the Empire Easter Egg in her very first line of the video. The trailer also provides one of the most thorough looks we’ve had at Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s interpretation of Star Wars: Rebel’s Hera Syndulla and Natasha Liu Bordizzo’s Sabine Wren. Fans who attended this year’s Star Wars Celebration in London, England will also recognize the massive mural from the show floor featured toward the end of this trailer.
Ahsoka stars Rosario Dawson as live action Ahsoka Tano (the character first brough to life by Ashley Eckstein in Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and debuts on Disney+ next month, August 23rd, 2023.
Young Jedi Adventures to Return this Summer
In addition to Ahsoka dropping this summer for adult Star Wars fans there’s something for the very young
viewers as well – Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures is also coming back! The second half of the first season order will stream on Disney+ and Disney Junior on August 2nd, 2023.
For those of us who are BiSciFi the return of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures is a touch bittersweet given we’ll probably never see the back half of the first season episode order of Star Trek: Prodigy.
Sadness aside Kai, Lys, and Nubs will have to sustain with their animated adventures completing their 25 episode run.
Series executive producer and senior vice president, Franchise Content & Strategy at Lucasfilm, James Waugh had this to say:
“We’ve been thrilled to see a whole new generation fall in love with the Star Wars galaxy through Young Jedi Adventures. We hope to continue delighting younglings, Jedi Padawans, and the fans of all ages who have declared themselves #NubsNation.”
“Each new episode will continue the swashbuckling adventures of Kai, Lys, and the ever-adorable Nubs,” adds showrunner Michael Olson, as the characters face off against nefarious villains and forge friendships in “undiscovered and vibrant corners of the galaxy….We can’t wait for families to immerse themselves in these new episodes together, embarking on a journey to a galaxy far, far away!”
Waugh is joined by Jacqui Lopez, and Josh Rimes serving as Executive Producers. Michael Olson (Puppy Dog Pals), is showrunner and executive producer, Elliot M. Bour (Elena of Avalor), is supervising director and co-producer, Jeannine Hodson (Puppy Dog Pals), is producer, and Lamont Magee (Black Lightning), is consulting producer.
Harley Quinn: the Animated Series Returning This Month
On Monday this week WB and Max jumped on the DC train to break the news that Harley Quinn will be returning for their fourth season this very month:
Harley Quinn on Twitter: “Strap on, bitches!! Season 4 is coming July 27 on @streamonmax. pic.twitter.com/6ql9unJcfS / Twitter”
Strap on, bitches!! Season 4 is coming July 27 on @streamonmax. pic.twitter.com/6ql9unJcfS
… and followed up yesterday with an additional clip:
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Harley Quinn stars Kaley Cuoco as the titular Harley Quinn, Lake Bell as Poison Ivy, and Matt Oberg as Kite Man. Abbott Elementary’s Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern serve as series creators and executive producers.
If you’re sitting at home scratching your head and wondering why all of this news is coming out now (aside from the SAG-AFTRA strike), it’s because this is likely the content in a normal year studios would have elected to present to panels of screaming fans.
SAG-AFTRA Strikes
Yesterday it was announced to the world that SAG-AFTRA would formally strike. This marks the first time since 1960 when both SAG and the WGA struck at the same time.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher made the following statement:
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This formal announcement comes on the heels of members of the AMPTP announcing they were hoping striking WGA member lost their homes in a statement to Deadline:
“I think we’re in for a long strike, and they’re going to let it bleed out,” said one industry veteran intimate with the POV of studio CEOs.
With the scribes’ strike now finishing its 71st day and the actors’ union just 30 hours from a possible labor action of its own, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are planning to dig in hard this fall before even entertaining the idea of more talks with the WGA, I’ve learned. “Not Halloween precisely, but late October, for sure, is the intention,” says a top-tier producer close to the Carol Lombardini-run AMPTP.
While some dismiss this as just “cynical strike talk,” studio and streamer sources around town confirm the strategy. They also confirm that the plan to grind down the guild has long been in the works for a labor cycle that all sides agree is a game-changer one way or another for Hollywood.
