5 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Star Wars

Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
A real glimpse at Disney’s retractable Star Wars lightsaber from SXSW.

Finally we can see what all the fuss was about! Here’s how it apparently works. Shame you can’t touch one, not even if you pay thousands to stay in the fancy Star Wars hotel.

Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Disney’s cutting down on bookings for its immersive Galactic Starcruiser hotel.

One year after the grand opening of its incredibly detailed Star Wars-themed hotel, Disney may have finally realized that not everyone has $5,000 to spend on a two-night “voyage” aboard the Halcyon.

Disney confirmed to the Theme Park Tourist that it will only schedule voyages two days per week starting in October, down from the three to four weekly bookings it offers right now. It’s too bad Disney didn’t take this as an opportunity to lower the price instead.

Alex Cranz
Alex Cranz
Some Star Wars fans collect lightsabers, and some fans build a million dollar throne room/home theater.

I’ve seen a lot of Star Wars inspired home theaters over the years, but this one, which is more than two stories tall and includes a comfy version of Emperor Palpatine’s throne, is truly awe-inspiring. And very, very expensive. Naturally the home theater subreddit has concerns about the subwoofer choice.

The Mandalorian’s season 3 premiere was a return to simpler, safer Star Wars storytelling

The Mandalorian’s Chapter 17: The Apostate is a big, breezy, and action-packed reminder that Star Wars has always been a magical space adventure for new fans first and everyone else second.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
This is the way (to keep your controller cozy).

Season 3 of The Mandalorian kicks off on Disney Plus today, and that means lots of merch, including this Mando-themed Xbox. Unfortunately, you can’t buy it — it’s the prize in a contest — which is a shame, because that Grogu controller cozy is absolutely adorable.

A photo of a custom Mandalorian Xbox and controller.
Image: Xbox
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Spoiler: Baby Yoda is still adorable in the new season of The Mandalorian.

Look at Grogu spin the chair in this new clip from season 3 😍😍😍

(Don’t worry, there are no actual story spoilers in the footage.)

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Here’s everything you need to know about The Mandalorian before season 3.

With just a few days left before The Mandalorian’s season 3 debut on March 1st, you probably don’t have enough time for a full-on rewatch to get caught up. But you’ve definitely got time for this handy little recap detailing the last two seasons’ most significant bits.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Greef Carga’s getting a wardrobe upgrade The Mandalorian season 3.

The Mandalorian’s second season didn’t really delve into what being a re-appointed Nevarro’s High Magistrate would mean for Carl Weathers’ Greef Karga going forward.

But in a recent interview with Gambit, Weathers — who’s stepping behind the camera once again to direct an episode — says that’s going to change in The Mandalorian’s third season as it catches up with Greef while he’s “trying to keep Nevarro a safe place and place that you might want to call home.”

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Here’s the full trailer for season three of The Mandalorian.

Pedro Pascal already had one major premiere over the weekend as The Last of Us started airing on HBO / HBO Max.

Now Disney Plus has released a full trailer (following an earlier teaser full of some familiar faces) for the next season of The Mandalorian. Season three will debut March 1st.

These were the films and TV shows that defined 2022

It’s wild to think about, but Goncharov and Batgirl were arguably some of 2022’s most important and definitive movies.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister
Snowflake starfighters for your Christmas tree.

I know what I’m making for stocking stuffers this year! Here’s the new X-Wing, last year’s Tie Fighter is especially stunning in ice blue, and you can find lots of other easily 3D printable “kit cards” at your STL repository of choice.

I just printed two of these reindeer for my kids. Here’s a picture of them pulling a tiny sleigh!

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Star Wars beats to chill/study to.

If something is popular, then The Brands will follow, and so it goes for “lo-fi” streaming music, which exploded in popularity during the pandemic.

The Star Wars YouTube channel is filling out a playlist of selections, and Starkiller Base Holiday is good enough to make the cut on any Bandcamp Friday. Disney isn’t the first media company to make the leap, though, Riot launched a lo-fi League of Legends album last year.

Alex Cranz
Alex Cranz
Would you like to see a wookie with a lightsaber?

Disney Plus has a new trailer for the second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. This time the clone Clone War veterans do a heist while they continue to reckon with the super evil nature of the Empire under Palpatine.

Also, there’s a small wookie child with a lightsaber. The new season starts streaming on January 4th, 2023.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Now that Andor’s first season is done...

you might be looking to dig a little more into the excellent Star Wars spinoff. We’ve got you covered. First, there’s this deep-dive into the final episode from Charles Pulliam-Moore (which follows his initial review of the show).

Oh, and if you’re just starting the show, do not skip the intro.

A photo of Diego Luna in Andor.
Diego Luna in Andor.
Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Andor’s season finale solidifies it as one of Star Wars’ greatest stories

The final episode of Andor’s first season was an absolute stunner with a much deeper significance than you think.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
It’s a good week for sequels.

Two much-anticipated sequels dropped this week, and both Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and God of War Ragnarök thankfully lived up to the hype. Elsewhere, you can experience five decades of gaming history in Atari 50, check out Netflix’s latest attempt at a trivia game, or watch the extremely fun second season of Warrior Nun. And if you’re all caught up on Andor, we have stories about its storytelling and production design to hold you over until the next episode drops.

A woman standing on a beach wearing a metallic headdress along with a flowing gown featuring an angular cutout across her chest.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Image: Marvel Studios
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
This is the way.

For a second day in a row, Studio Ghibli has teased a Star Wars-related collaboration with Lucasfilm. This time, it’s with an incredible photo: there’s a little Grogu figure in the front, with legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki out of focus in the background. Just two cool guys hanging out. I can’t wait to find out what they’re working on together.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
My Neighbor BB-8.

Studio Ghibli, the famed studio behind some of the most beloved animated features ever made, is teasing a collaboration with Lucasfilm. There’s no indication of what that might mean right now, but there is a new season of the anime anthology Star Wars Visions on the way, so that seems like a good bet. If that’s the case, I expect some very adorable new droids.

Andor’s designers approached it like a Star Wars period drama

Production designer Luke Hull and costume designer Michael Wilkinson talk about creating the most grounded Star Wars show yet.

Andrew Webster
Andor’s Tony Gilroy is worried about more important things than discourse

The creative minds behind Disney Plus’ Andor series hope you’re enjoying the show, but they’re not sweating the fandom

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Yaddle is back in the saddle.

Animated Star Wars spinoff Tales of the Jedi starts streaming tomorrow, and it will include a welcome surprise: the return of Yaddle. The character (who is the same species as Yoda and Grogu) will be voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard, who calls the role a “dream come true.”

James Vincent
James Vincent
Deepfakes were made for Disney.

You might have seen the news this weekend that the voice of James Earl Jones is being cloned using AI so his performance as Darth Vader in Star Wars can live on forever.

Reading the story, it struck me how perfect deepfakes are for Disney — a company that profits from original characters, fans’ nostalgia, and an uncanny ability to twist copyright law to its liking. And now, with deepfakes, Disney’s most iconic performances will live on forever, ensuring the magic never dies.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Andor, the latest Star Wars show, is now streaming.

Yet another Star Wars show is out, with the first three episodes of Andor — a prequel to Rogue One — available today on Disney Plus. My colleague Charles Pulliam-Moore calls it “a sobering reflection on the human costs of Star Wars’ never-ending conflicts.” My favorite part? There’s a sad droid named B2EMO.

Andor is a sobering reflection on the human costs of Star Wars’ never-ending conflicts

If you liked Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, you need to check out Andor

Charles Pulliam-Moore