Hey, you probably haven't heard, but Star Wars: Episode VIII has an official title now: Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It's also got a red logo, which might, like, mean something. But most importantly of all, we are now freed of having to call it Episode VIII, which has been annoying for a while now. This game where fans are made to wait and wait for movie titles is played out. Why does Lucasfilm always tease like that? The Force was not strong with them on tha—oh. You're here for the other updates about Star Wars? OK, fine, if you insist.
Source: Lucasfilm and Disney publishing
Probability of Accuracy: 100 percent.
The Real Deal: Hey, you know how you left the theater after seeing Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and thought, "You know what? I want to see more Chirrut and Baze"? Well, guess what: you're going to get more Chirrut and Baze. The warrior-monk and Rebel from Jedha will be the stars of one of a pair of new young reader novels featuring Rogue One characters, with Jyn Erso starring in the other. Both Greg Rucka's Guardians of the Whills (the Chirrut/Baze book) and Beth Revis' Rebel Rising (which fills out Jyn's childhood while in Saw's care) will be released in May, and are available for pre-order right now.
Source: Star Wars guru Pablo Hidalgo and Skywalker Sound's Matthew Wood
Probability of Accuracy: If it's come from Pablo, it's gospel. (And probably canon, too.)
The Real Deal: It's the Rogue One plot element that you might not have caught on first viewing: Where was Wedge during the space fight at the end of the movie? He is, after all, a member of Red Squadron in A New Hope... Turns out, his absence wasn't just intentional, it was even addressed in the movie itself if your ears were sharp enough. According to Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo, Wedge couldn't have been at Scarif, because A New Hope is the first time he's seen the Death Star (as implied by the "Look at the size of that thing" line), but filmmakers anticipated fans wondering why he wasn't there, so they included a voiceover to explain:
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But... why was he staying on Yavin IV, beyond plot mechanics to keep him safe for A New Hope? Hidalgo had a suggestion:
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Seriously, let's just call that canon. Shall we? Let's.
Source: The wonderful world of Twitter, and The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson
Probability of Accuracy: Can jokes be accurate?
The Real Deal: While the Internet speculated its collective mechanical heart out trying to work out just who The Last Jedi could refer to, the director of the next Star Wars movie decided that it was time to introduce everyone to the Ultimate Jedi... courtesy of the Mountain Goats, of all people:
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https://soundcloud.com/rcjohnso/the-ultimate-jedi-who-wastes-all-the-other-jedi-and-eats-their-bones
What is particularly amusing is the idea that we're all assuming that this is just a joke, whereas Johnson is double-bluffing everyone and actually revealing some kind of spooky cannibal Jedi that he's really going to introduce in the next movie. We'll find out in December, but until then, we're staying appropriately suspicious.
Source: More Twitter, this time from Han Solo standalone film director Chris Miller
Probability of Accuracy: It's entirely on point.
The Real Deal: Just when you were reading reports that Donald Glover hasn't even seen the screenplay for the solo Han Solo movie yet, prompting you to wonder when the movie was going to start production, co-director (with Phil Lord) Chris Miller shared this on Twitter:
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Two things: Firstly, good "Han Shot First" pun, Mr. Miller. Secondly, Red Cup? You mean, like this? We see what you did there.
Source: Online speculation based on an excerpt of an upcoming novel
Probability of Accuracy: It's at least partially true. So, maybe 50-50?
The Real Deal: The final book in Chuck Wendig's Aftermath trilogy, which takes place immediately following Return of the Jedi, is being released at the end of this month, and a preview on io9 reveals that it'll feature a character who's been missing from canon since the 1983 movie, at least when it comes to what came after the fall of the Empire: Lando Calrissian. In the book, readers get to find out that he and Lobot return to Cloud City, but that things aren't exactly as he'd hoped. Will they also get an explanation in the book as to why he didn't show up in The Force Awakens?
