As is our tradition, we dedicate ample time to listener feedback on the final RFR before Thanksgiving. It's our way of turning the spotlight onto our audience to say "thanks" for being so loyal and supportive. From your comments about new releases like Star Wars Visions to thoughts on The Original Trilogy, we love hearing from you. Is Obi-Wan the greatest Jedi ever? When did fans first learn The Empire Strikes Back was not "Star Wars II" but instead "Episode V"? What about the '90s when Star Wars was only being represented by The Expanded Universe and PC games like Dark Forces. These are just some of the questions our audience of superfans are throwing at us. Plus, we take a brief look back at the history of the Baby Yoda balloon at The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, updates on the potential official release and 4K upgrade of the original 1977 version of Star Wars, the Yoda statue controversy in Jonesborough, Tennessee and more.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the long-running Star Wars Insider magazine will be releasing its final issue in early 2026. We look back at it's legacy and impact with founder Dan Madsen, who joins us In The Cantina to share behind-the-scenes stories about the early days of the magazine, his favorite memories of interviewing George Lucas, and his feelings about the magazine he started over 30 years ago finally coming to an end. Star Wars: Starfighter is gearing up for a 2027 release and we review interview comments from actor Matt Smith and director Shawn Levy who gets us caught up on the latest production updates. Plus, Daniel Craig looks back on his experience as a stormtrooper in The Force Awakens, new Lucas Museum news, and harmless lightsaber stabs to the midsection.
As Star Wars was being developed back in the mid-70s, the maverick special effects crew at ILM were pioneering new filmmaking technologies in often unconventional ways. In the early days, machinist Stuart Ziff found himself thrust into the action on day one. In the years that followed, Stuart used his skills in a variety of ways at ILM including working on Return of the Jedi creature costumes like Admiral Ackbar, Nein Nunb and Ree Yees, and on many projects from Dragonslayer to Ghostbusters to Jurassic Park. This week on RFR, Stuart joins us In The Cantina to share fascinating stories about working on the Star Wars Original Trilogy and beyond. Plus, our review of Star Wars Visions season 3 and Jimmy Mac had the opportunity to see a Star Wars Holiday Special legend perform live in Chicago. Listen to find out who it was!
More info has emerged regarding Adam Driver's rejected script for "The Hunt for Ben Solo" and we take a look at all the newest details, including more fan reaction. With The Mandalorian and Grogu hitting theaters next year, we review the latest production updates along with interview highlights from stars Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver. Plus, be sure to stick around to the end of the show as we reveal some hot rumors regarding the animated series Darth Maul: Shadow Lord, Ahsoka season two, the resurrection of Rogue Squadron, and behind-the-scenes info about James Mangold's involvement in the franchise. In the wake of massive increases to the MSRP for new Hasbro Star Wars action figures, we put the state of collecting under the microscope and review all of the price hikes throughout the history of the hobby. Is it mere inflation, or is it blatant price gouging? Our research may surprise you.
In an interview this week, Oscar-nominated actor Adam Driver revealed that he, along with Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh developed a script for a new Star Wars movie called "The Hunt For Ben Solo", which was ultimately rejected by Disney's top brass. So what gives? We look at every angle of this story to break it all down, along with listener reactions and fired-up opinions. We pay tribute to legendary artist Drew Struzan with Erik Sharkey, director of the documentary "Drew: The Man Behind The Poster" and discuss some of his iconic Star Wars movie posters. Will we see the original 1977 version of Star Wars back in theaters for its upcoming 50th anniversary? We analyze some leaked info and imagery that may suggest the answer is yes. Plus, George Lucas and Mellody Hobson recently were interviewed about the soon-to-open Lucas Museum in LA. We review the highlights along with some comments from George about life after Star Wars.
The legendary book "Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays" features the complete shooting scripts for all three of the Original Trilogy films, along with notations revealing information about how each scene evolved throughout George Lucas's writing process, from the rough draft to the final revised fourth script. The book also included new interview quotes from Lucas and other key creatives, pulling the curtain back even further. Join us for this special RFR Q&A discussion, previously only available to members of the RFR Patreon community, featuring actor Matt Rashid as we discuss the screenplay to A NEW HOPE and act out a couple scenes. Plus, we have a ton of laughs along the way.
Ashley Eckstein is back on RFR! As the voice of Ahsoka Tano, Ashley developed the character from the ground up alongside George Lucas himself. We dig deep into the evolution of Ahsoka from The Clone Wars to Rebels and Ashley bravely opens up about being denied the opportunity to bring the character to life in live-action. In this must-hear conversation, Ashley gets deep about her connection to Ahsoka and the Star Wars fanbase. Plus, we listen to the first public comments from Mia Goth about joining the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter, we review Haslab's Mos Eisley Cantina, listener feedback and more! Get full show video, ad-free shows, bonus exclusive podcasts, early bird releases and more with RFR on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/RebelForceRadio OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://www.rebelforceradio.com YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/rebelforceradio FACEBOOK - Like RFR!: https://www.facebook.com/rebelforceradio X - Follow RFR!: https://x.com/RFRRebelForce INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/rebelforceradio THREADS: https://www.threads.net/@rebelforceradio BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/rebelforceradio.bsky.social Become a member and support RANCHO OBI-WAN! www.ranchoobiwan.org
With STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER currently in front of cameras, the rumor mill is heating up with potential info about the plot of the film, the characters and more. Is it possible we will see Daisy Ridley's Rey Skywalker appear in Starfighter? We've heard all the rumors and we break them all down. With STAR WARS: VISIONS season three debuting later this month, we study the new trailer and anticipate what the anime series will bring us. We go through the RFR Voicemail in-box to listen to what you had to say about the new trailer for THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, and we show appreciation for Billy Dee Williams' appearance as "The Landolorian" in LEGO STAR WARS: REBUILD THE GALAXY season 2. Plus, we listen to recent comments by Bryce Dallas Howard who's directing episodes of AHSOKA season 2, and we continue to ask "Where the F is the Play-doh?"
Join us for a full breakdown and analysis of the brand new Mandalorian & Grogu trailer and key art. We're going frame-by-frame to uncover hidden details, big reveals, and everything you need to know. Following our breakdown, we opened the phone lines for listener feedback conversation featuring your thoughts, reactions, predictions and theories about this next Star Wars film hitting screens in May 2026. Get full show video, ad-free shows, bonus exclusive podcasts, early bird releases and more with RFR on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/RebelForceRadio OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://www.rebelforceradio.com YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/rebelforceradio FACEBOOK - Like RFR!: https://www.facebook.com/rebelforceradio X - Follow RFR!: https://x.com/RFRRebelForce INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/rebelforceradio THREADS: https://www.threads.net/@rebelforceradio BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/rebelforceradio.bsky.social Become a member and support RANCHO OBI-WAN! www.ranchoobiwan.org
STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER is coming to theaters in 2027 and is currently in front of cameras as we speak, and this week, fans were surprised by the first image from location was shared online by director Shawn Levy. We look closely at the photo for insight and clues about the upcoming Ryan Gosling film. We're still recovering from RFR at Rancho Obi-Wan and we're sharing our accounts of the weekend, from behind-the-scenes to travel horror stories.We also feature listener feedback about the epic event and we show off all the swag. ANDOR won for best writing in a drama at the Emmy awards last weekend and writer Dan Gilroy was there. We listen to his acceptance speech and the interviews that took place following his well-deserved win. Plus, we have recent Mark Hamill interview comments covering all aspects of his career and more!
An event years in the making finally happened last weekend as Rebel Force Radio descended upon Steve Sansweet's Rancho Obi-Wan, the Guinness Book of World Records largest Star Wars memorabilia collection, for a live podcast fundraiser with an audience of the greatest Star Wars fans in the galaxy. Join us, Steve, Anne Neumann, Billy Mac, Baby Belushi and more for an evening under the stars in California. Plus, Puppet Lando stopped by for an epic performance and many other surprises happened throughout the night. And we did it to raise funds for a great cause - Rancho Obi-Wan and The Saga Museum. Become a member and support this amazing and magical place!
LUCAS WARS is a new graphic novel that showcases George Lucas's rise from auteur filmmaker to Star Wars superstar as it goes behind-the-scenes of the original Star Wars film. Lucas Wars writer Laurent Hopman joins us In The Cantina to provide insight into his amazing illustrated story. But did George Lucas actually read it? You need to listen to find out! In news headlines, we feature recent interview highlights from Mark Hamill and exclusive clips of The Acolyte's Manny Jacinto onstage at Chicago Fan Expo. Plus, we take a close look at the fallout from The Phantom Menace with highlights from the creators via ILM Light and Magic season 2, and that isn't enough, we got an Outrageous Unthinkable Story of the Week and Star Wars on Pop Culture for the cherry on top of an awesome show! Get full show video, ad-free shows, bonus exclusive podcasts, early bird releases and more with RFR on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/RebelForceRadio OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://www.rebelforceradio.com YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/rebelforceradio FACEBOOK - Like RFR!: https://www.facebook.com/rebelforceradio X - Follow RFR!: https://x.com/RFRRebelForce INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/rebelforceradio THREADS: https://www.threads.net/@rebelforceradio BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/rebelforceradio.bsky.social
Cruising into theaters in 2027, STAR WARS STARFIGHTER is gearing up for production and this week, the official casting was finally revealed. We look at the roster of actors to be featured and speculate what impact their roles will have on the story. Clean up in Aisle 66! We're focusing on Star Wars in the grocery stores past and present. We have in our possession a complete set of Star Wars Coca Cola cans to review and we follow up on last week's discussion about Star Wars food from the 80s - Star Wars Pepperidge Farm cookies and Kellogg's C-3POs Cereal, along with listeners' memories and nostalgia.
Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen came together onstage at Fan Expo Chicago for a full-blown Star Wars prequel reunion. Both actors were interviewed about their experiences shooting the trilogy along with behind-the-scenes stories and we got the highlights. Simon Kinberg recently discussed his excitement for his upcoming Star Wars trilogy and we listen to what he had to say. Plus, we look at how the events of the Prequel Trilogy affects our perception of the Original Trilogy, we pay tribute to actor Terence Stamp from The Phantom Menace, we consider the possibility of Skeleton Crew season two, and we go back to school, Star Wars-style!
Gina Carano's lawsuit vs Disney has reached a settlement, so we react to the news and consider the possibility of the return of her character Cara Dune to STAR WARS. We go into the RFR Sound Lab to examine the tortured Gonk droid from Jabba's Palace in RETURN OF THE JEDI and listener feedback has us considering the loopholes and inconsistencies surrounding the Mandalorian Darksaber. Plus, we listen to new comments from Tony Gilroy discussing the impact of ANDOR, along with new rumors about Kathleen Kennedy's exit date as head of Lucasfilm and who will replace her.
Cur·mudg·eon [kərˈməj(ə)n] noun a bad-tempered person, especially an old one. We celebrate two legendary curmudgeons who brought the characters of Han Solo and Qui Gon Jinn to life: Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. Both have been on the interview circuit lately, both have been looking back at their Star Wars careers, and both are sometimes grateful and sometimes salty about their experiences in a galaxy far, far away. We listen to recent interview highlights from the two to get their perspectives as now-older gentlemen. We report on fresh news about the casting of Matt Smith in STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER, shooting later this year, and we look forward to the 50th anniversary of STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE with news of a theatrical release happening in 2027. But what version will it be? Plus, listener feedback gets us looking at what and who are responsible for the Sequel Trilogy going "off the rails" and more!
Last weekend, George Lucas made his first ever SDCC appearance to promote the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, opening next year in L.A. We have all the highlights of not only what went down in the Lucas panel, but the latest collecting news coming from Hasbro Star Wars and more. As for the future of Star Wars films, we look closely at all of the info about which movies are in development and what order they may be released, following THE MANDALORIAN and GROGU and STAR WARS STARFIGHTER. Plus, we pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan by revealing their connections to STAR WARS and more!
The actor wearing Din Djarin's helmet is not always Pedro Pascal. In fact, most of the time it's Brendan Wayne, grandson of the legendary John Wayne. Making his RFR debut, Brendan Wayne joins us In The Cantina to talk about his experiences on the set of THE MANDALORIAN, his life as an actor and the connection he feels with his famous grandfather's legacy. He discusses a medical emergency that temporarily prevented him from playing the role, working with superstars like Sigorney Weaver and the late Carl Weathers, and he provides us with excitement as we look forward to next year's feature film, THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU. Plus, we empty out the STAR WARS IN POP CULTURE inbox, we recap a recent RFR hangout and more!
We present a spoiler-free review of the box office hit SUPERMAN through the lens of a Star Wars superfan, and we shine the spotlight on recent comments from Mark Hamill who discusses his struggles with the depiction of Luke Skywalker in THE LAST JEDI while attempting to provide some perspective on his relationship with director Rian Johnson. Plus, George Lucas and JAWS 50, the evolution of Mon Mothma from senator to rebel, the return of Star Wars in Pop Culture, Kid Blake rubs elbows with the stars, and more!
We're looking ahead to the future for STAR WARS and, of course, Ahsoka Tano plays a big role. Recently, RFR acquired top-secret concept art images from AHSOKA season two and we go through them all to provide detailed descriptions and observations while looking for clues about the upcoming series. On the animated side of STAR WARS, we speculate about a specific Dark Side character who may show up in MAUL: SHADOW LORD. Plus, Ashley Eckstein recently set the record straight about the origin of #AshokaLives and the role RFR played in it's creation and more!
For three seasons, we followed along with The Clone Wars spinoff THE BAD BATCH and all of their adventures. Among the troopers was the young clone Omega, who quickly emerged as one of the most likeable Star Wars characters in a long while. Joining us "In The Cantina" for the very first time is Omega herself, Michelle Ang, who shares stories from behind-the-scenes at THE BAD BATCH along with how she relates to Omega and more. You will find Michelle as likeable as Omega, probably even more. In News Headlines, we react to rumors that Daisy Ridley's "New Jedi Order" film featuring Rey is rumored to have suffered yet another setback and we speculate about the future of the entire STAR WARS film franchise, along with more casting rumors. ANDOR's Diego Luna is filling in behind the desk at "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and we have highlights of his conversation with Adria Arjona (Bix!) Plus, Ewoks eating humans, ILM Light and Magic season 2 and more!
STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER will go in front of cameras later this year and we have fresh casting info, rumors and speculation about this upcoming film starring Ryan Gosling. Mark Hamill is on a media tour to promote his new film "The Life Of Chuck" but that doesn't stop interviewers from asking him about his Star Wars history. Mark addresses rumors that he's done playing Luke Skywalker and provides insight into that famous wardrobe malfunction from earlier this year when his pants fell down in front of an audience of his peers at the BAFTA awards. We also have fresh interview highlights from Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy, Bail Organa actor Benjamin Bratt, and Sam Witwer, who talks about the upcoming series, MAUL: SHADOW LORD. And for something completely different, we present you with a connection between John Lennon and STAR WARS that you may never have known before.
You heard our coverage of The Forest Moon Festival 2025 last week, so this week, we're telling you all of the stories. Celebrating the original Endor shooting locations from RETURN OF THE JEDI in the redwoods region, this annual event is not to be missed. Fanboys director Kyle Newman was there as well and he's back on RFR to share his experience. We recap all of the tales from behind-the-scenes and listen to the full Fanboys Q&A from the event. Plus, listener feedback, "Star Wars in Pop Culture" and more, delivered to you this week with an extra dose of "Endor Pride"!
RFR made the journey out to the beautiful redwood forests of California for The Forest Moon Festival celebrating the Endor shooting locations from RETURN OF THE JEDI. From Del Norte County to Humboldt County, we were part of a "caravan of courage" traveling up and down the Pacific Northwest to podcast at various event locations. Joining us were original ROTJ Ewok Kevin Thompson and our pal, FANBOYS director Kyle Newman. We talk to fans, cosplayers, artists, musicians, and locals who share their pride for living in a region that served as the Forest Moon home of the Ewoks. Hear from those who remember when Jedi was being filmed and contributed, along with those who celebrate the legacy. We even find out which "Jedi" cast member got pulled over for speeding! "Magical" was a word that couldn't be overused throughout the weekend. This week, you can hear what we did. Next week, we'll tell you the stories. Yub Nub! Thank you: Redwood Region Museum of Film Grizzly Creek State Park Crescent City's Beachfront Park Arcata Farmer's Market Sequoia Park Zoo The Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission Special thanks to Cassandra Hesseltine, Tracy Boyd, Tiffany Miller, and Anibal Polanco. Love you guys!
Now that ANDOR has wrapped up, we aren't quite ready yet to let it go. We scoured the web to collect the best interview highlights featuring Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy, who provides valuable insights into the finished series and gives us a lot to talk about. FORTNITE recently revealed an all-new A.I. powered Darth Vader character that players can interact with via voice text, so naturally because it's the internet, people started to manipulate the "Sith-Bot" to say outrageous and unthinkable things. Of course, we had to try ourselves so you can hear what Darth has to say about Rebel Force Radio. It ain't pretty. Big Announcement! We reveal info about when ticket sales will begin for this September's RFR at RANCHO OBI-WAN event. Plus, Jimmy Mac reveals his list of Top 5 all-time Star Wars creatives, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK turns 45 and more! Get full show video, bonus podcasts, ad-free shows, and access to an amazing Star Wars fan community at RFR on PATREON!
SERIES FINALE! The adventures of Cassian Andor come to an explosive conclusion this week in the fourth and final block of episodes from ANDOR Season 2: "Make it Stop," "Who Else Knows?," and "Jedha, Kyber, Erso." Join us for a lively RFR After Show looking back at these episodes and the entire series now that it has officially wrapped up. As always, the RFR switchboard was open for your thoughts about this unique and gripping installment of the Star Wars Saga. Get ad-free shows, bonus podcasts, full show video and more at RFR on Patreon! www.patreon.com/rebelforceradio
In the wake of the amazing "Ghorman Massacre" arc from ANDOR season 2, there is still much ground to cover. We have highlights from a fresh interview with Andor writer Dan Gilroy, brother of showrunner Tony Gilroy. Dan provides some quality insight into the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Turning our ears toward ANDOR, we take audio of The Ghorman Front's desperate underground radio broadcast into the RFR Sound Lab to clean it up and hear it all, word-for-dramatic-word. Spotlighting Star Wars animation, we breakdown TALES OF THE UNDERWORLD and react to the stories featuring Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane. And Listener Feedback presents the question: Does Mon Mothma know The Emperor is a Sith Lord?
The Ghorman Massacre is finally upon us as the you-know-what hits the fan this week on ANDOR. And the fallout is just as intense as Mon Mothma takes an official stand against The Empire putting her life at risk. Meanwhile, Dedra and Syril see their relationship come to a a wicked conclusion. Join us as we look at the second arc of ANDOR Season 2: "Messenger," "Who Are You?," and "Welcome to the Rebellion." We break down the entire arc and open up the switchboard for your thoughts, reactions and theories.
Our analysis of ANDOR season 2 continues with a collection of recent interview comments from Andor showrunner/writer Tony Gilroy who provides insider info about some of the important story beats thus far. We talk to the folks behind the Forest Moon Festival in California's redwood forests where the Endor scenes for RETURN OF THE JEDI were shot to get all the info about a very unique event for Star Wars fans happening later this month, and RFR will be there! Plus, highlights from a recent rare onstage appearance by George Lucas at the TCM Classic Film Festival where he discussed the inspiration behind Yoda's odd method of speaking. Listen, you will.
Join us for a lively discussion full of deep dives, hot takes and fresh reactions as we look at the second arc of ANDOR Season 2: "Ever Been to Ghorman?," "I Have Friends Everywhere," and "What a Festive Evening."
