Marcia Lucas Was ‘Furious’ Over Star Wars Sequel Trilogy: ‘They Don’t Get It’

Disney’s Star Wars sequels certainly have their fans, but Marcia Lucas doesn’t count herself among them. The Oscar-winning editor behind the original trilogy (and ex-wife to George Lucas) makes her thoughts on the sequels very clear in a scathing foreword to the book Howard Kazanjian: A Producer’s Life.

In the foreword, Lucas slams Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, arguing “they don’t have a clue about Star Wars” and criticizing the decision to kill off franchise icons Han Solo and Luke Skywalker.

“They don’t get it,” Lucas writes. “And J.J. Abrams is writing these stories — when I saw the movie where they kill Han Solo, I was furious… Absolutely, positively there was no rhyme or reason to it. I thought, You don’t get the Jedi story. You don’t get the magic of Star Wars. You’re getting rid of Han Solo? And then at the end of this last one, they have Luke disintegrate. They killed Han Solo. They killed Luke Skywalker. And they don’t have Princess Leia anymore. And they’re spitting out movies every year.”

Lucas seems to have little love for Daisy Ridley’s Rey either, pointing to the many unanswered questions surrounding the character and her background pre-Episode IX (when this foreword appears to have been commissioned).

“And they think it’s important to appeal to a woman’s audience, so now their main character is this female, who’s supposed to have Jedi powers, but we don’t know how she got Jedi powers, or who she is. It sucks. The storylines are terrible. Terrible. Just awful.”

And perhaps to set the record straight, Lucas also directs her wrath at her ex-husband’s prequel trilogy, revealing her disappointment in Episode I literally brought her to tears in 1999.

“I remember going out to the parking lot, sitting in my car and crying,” Lucas writes. “I cried. I cried because I didn’t think it was very good. And I thought [George] had such a rich vein to mine, a rich palette to tell stories with… There were things I didn’t like about the casting, and things I didn’t like about the story, and things I didn’t like — it was a lot of eye candy. CG.”

Lucas is probably best known for her work editing the original three Star Wars movies. She won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 1977 for Star Wars, having previously been nominated for 1973’s American Graffiti. Lucas also won a BAFTA for her work on 1976’s Taxi Driver.

Lucas’ contribution to the Star Wars franchise is the subject of the YouTube mini-documentary “How Star Wars Was Saved in the Edit,” which reveals just how pivotal a role she played in shaping her then-husband’s rough cut into a global blockbuster.

Abrams seemingly acknowledged the lingering controversy surrounding the Star Wars sequels in 2020, admitting he’s “learned the hard way” to always go into new projects with a clear plan.

As for what’s next for the franchise, we recently learned the upcoming anime anthology Star Wars Visions will be the first project set after the events of The Rise of Skywaker, though it’s unclear whether the series is meant to be part of the official canon.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Diablo 2: Resurrected Devs Say They Have Plenty Of Ideas For New Content

Diablo II: Resurrected will bring Blizzard’s 2000 action-RPG classic into the modern age when it releases later this month, complete with updated visuals and small quality-of-life changes. What it won’t have, at least at launch, is new content, but that’s something that could come down the line according to a new developer interview.

As part of a group media interview (via Windows Central), Vicarious Visions studio design director Rob Gallerani and project lead Michael Bukowski discussed the creation of Diablo II: Resurrected and also touched on what the future might hold. Gallerani said the team is focused on getting the core game right first, but that there are plenty of ideas for what could come next.

Now Playing: Diablo II: Resurrected – Official Cinematic Trailer

“We wanted to build a really strong foundation before we started talking about the third and fourth floors on this building,” Gallerani said. “If we misstepped on what the core game was, anything else we were doing would have been kind of meaningless. […]We definitely have lots of ideas, but right now we’re waiting to make sure that we get the core game right. […] We’ll have to see once the game goes live what we do about new runewords, new items, rebalancing, things like that.”

Some changes will already be live when Diablo II: Resurrected launches, such as the inclusion of previously ladder-only runewords and items being made available for all players and the fact that it will be playable on consoles. The game also won’t have the original’s TCP/IP support, which was removed out of security concerns.

Diablo II: Resurrected will release on September 23, as Blizzard continues to deal with the fallout from a state of California lawsuit accusing Activision Blizzard of fostering a workplace culture of harassment and discrimination towards women. The lawsuit’s allegations led to the departure of numerous Blizzard veterans, including former Diablo IV game director Luis Barriga. Diablo IV does not currently have a release date.

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The Numbers Event In CoD: Warzone/Black Ops Cold War – Start Time, Rewards, And What To Expect

Call of Duty Season 5 is winding down, but there’s still one last big event happening, as the Numbers event is set to go live across Black Ops Cold War and Warzone on Tuesday, September 21 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.

It’s uncertain exactly what will happen during Season 5’s Numbers event, but this will be a seasonal event across Black Ops Cold War and Warzone that players can participate in to earn in-game rewards. Treyarch’s patch notes for Season 5 Reloaded detailed this upcoming event as including a set of nine Cold War challenges that can be completed in multiplayer or Zombies. Warzone will also receive a unique set of nine challenges to complete, for a total of 18 challenges and 19 rewards to earn during the event. Completing a full set of nine challenges in either game will unlock a Sai melee weapon reward.

Sai melee weapon
Sai melee weapon

This event’s storyline revolves around the mysterious Red Doors found on Warzone’s Verdansk map and the iconic Black Ops campaign narrative of the brainwashing Numbers program. Warzone players should finally notice some activity around Verdansk’s Mobile Broadcast Stations when the update goes live. Raven Software detailed these points of interest in the Season 5 Reloaded patch notes for Warzone, stating, “It is suspected that they will soon begin amplifying the ‘Dragovich Program’ tapes – A.K.A. the Numbers broadcasts – across the region.”

Players who successfully interact with the Mobile Broadcast Stations during the event will earn $2,000 cash as a bonus for their current match. Additional incentives will be cosmetic rewards tied to challenges in the Numbers event and include items such as a sticker, calling card, and weapon charm.

In other Warzone news, Season 5 also added a new Easter egg to Verdansk that unlocks a unique calling card for completing it. There’s also the new Iron Trials ’84 mode with a tweaked set of rules and features meant to provide a more grueling battle royale experience.

All of the Call of Duty content continues as Activision Blizzard faces a lawsuit from the state of California over alleged harassment and discrimination against women.

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Huge Buy 2, Get 1 Free Sale on Board Games at Amazon Right Now

Without warning, Amazon has started up one of its excellent buy two, get one free deals, this time on board games. But it’s not JUST board games qualifying for the promotion: there are also toys on sale, too. Most of the toy offerings skew younger, but there are quite a few Nerf blasters on the list, and those are timeless.

At the time of this writing there are over 8 pages of results on Amazon for qualifying products, so you can either browse the entire thing or check out a few of the highlights I’ve pulled for you below.

Buy 2, Get 1 Board Game Deals at Amazon

Amazon runs these types of sales fairly regularly, and they often last a few days. There’s no way to tell with this particular deal how long it will be around, but my guess is at least 2-3 days.

Also it’s worth checking back every day, because these promotions tend to expand in scope and size. There are already 8 pages of results but Amazon almost always adds more items to the sale. In any case, there’s more than enough to get started and honestly, it’s not too early to start your Christmas shopping.

See How Star Trek Made Leonard Nimoy into Spock In a New Making Of Book

Star Trek – The Original Series: A Celebration is a brand new 256-page coffee table book that dives deep into the making of the original adventures of Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise, and IGN has a preview of the chronicle that features rare and never-before-seen images from the show that boldly went where no show had gone before.

The book will be available on September 21, 2021 – the same month as Star Trek’s 55th anniversary – and its pages are filled with new and archival conversations and over 200 photos and sketches that, according to the publisher, “shine a fresh light on the actors, writers, directors, production and costume designers, composers, prop builders, visual effects and makeup artists, and more, who brought Star Trek to life.”

It also celebrates the fans who helped save the show in its early days, gives a glimpse of the earliest Star Trek conventions, and breaks down 12 of the most important episodes from the series.

You can check out a few pages of the new book below alongside the cover jacket:

This new hardcover book comes with an MSRP of $34.95 USD/$44.95 CAD and follows Star Trek: Voyager – A Celebration as the second release in Hero Collector’s Celebration line.

Star Trek – The Original Series: A Celebration is written by both Ben Robinson and Ian Spelling. Robinson is in charge of Eaglemoss’ official Star Trek Starships collection and was not only the launch editor of the Star Trek Fact Files reference work, but also was an editor for the US Star Trek: The Magazine. Spelling is an entertainment journalist who has interviewed such Star Trek legends as Gene Roddenberry, George Takei, James Doohan, and more. He was also an editor of StarTrek.com from 2010-2019 and has made a couple guest appearances on Star Trek itself.

“Our goal was to craft a book that was the written and visual equivalent of a great convention,” Spelling says. “We’ve brought fresh eyes to everything and tried to strip the myths away from the reality and we’ve discovered new stories that had never been told. We tracked down actors and crew whom people hadn’t heard from much – or ever – and are thrilled to include them in A Celebration.”

“Fans have read and seen bits and pieces of Star Trek’s production history, but A Celebration gathers everything in one place and puts it in context,” Robinson added. “We tracked down some incredibly rare pictures and artwork that have never been printed before. However well you think you know Star Trek, there’s something new for you. It’s really the Star Trek book I’ve always wanted to add to my collection.”

You can order a copy of Star Trek – The Original Series: A Celebration right here.

For more on Star Trek, check out the biggest news from Star Trek Day 2021, including a new look at Picard Season 2, the premiere date of Star Trek: Discovery’s fourth season, and the newest cast members of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a list that includes younger version of classic Star Trek: The Original Series characters like Cadet Nyotah Uhura.

Also, be sure to also check out our interview with William Shatner on the occasion of the first four Trek films hitting 4K.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Kena: Bridge Of Spirits Launch Trailer Shows Off The Game’s Exploration And Story

Ahead of its release this week, developer Ember Labs has released a launch trailer for Kena: Bridge of Spirits. In case you missed out on its debut during Sony’s June 2020 Future of Gaming PS5 event, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an adventure game that mixes exploration and puzzle-solving with combat. As the protagonist Kena embarks on a quest to restore balance to an ancient village in a once-thriving environment, she’ll befriend tiny creatures known as Rot in her journey.

Not just cute critters, the Rot can disarm adversaries, unlock new skills, uncover secrets, and restore the beauty of the land as Kena fulfills her Spirit Guide duties. If players get attached to any of their Rot comrades, they’ll be able to grab a selfie with them in the game’s Photo Mode. Players can pause the game to set the characters up for a photography session, which includes outfitting the Rot with a wardrobe of optional hats before a snapshot is taken.

“We’re very excited to share the ‘Cheese!’ function in Photo Mode,” Ember Lab’s animation director Hunter Schmidt explained in a press release. “When players have set up their perfect photo angle, they’ll have the option to have the characters in the photo say ‘CHEESE!’ and strike a pose. Many characters have multiple poses, so you can snap a great variety of fun shots in the same location. I’m very excited to see what kinds of photos players will capture!”

On PS5, Kena: Bridge of Spirits will take advantage of that console’s gameplay guides function as there’ll be more than 200 Game Help videos available. Visually, the game can be played in Fidelity Mode’s native 4K resolution that runs at 30 frames-per-second or Performance Mode, which targets 60 FPS and has upscaled 4K resolution.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits also launches on PS4 and PC via the Epic Games Store on September 21. A physical version will follow in September via Maximum Games. For more on the game, check out some behind-closed-doors gameplay that impressively mixes Kena’s world with fascinating narrative development.

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Phasmophobia Anniversary Update Adds Singleplayer Mode

With ghost hunting horror co-op game Phasmophobia having just had its first anniversary, developer Kinetic Games has celebrated the milestone achievement with the launch of a brand new update that adds a single-player mode to the game.

The update, which was revealed in a post on Phasmophobia’s Steam update page, makes a number of changes to the game, ranging from small bug fixes to the more noteworthy addition of a solo mode. For those of you brave enough to tackle the game’s many haunted locales without backup, the game’s new single-player experience allows players to play Phasmophobia without connecting to its servers.

A number of other revisions were also made as part of the anniversary update. The journal has been overhauled and made easier to use, and now allows players to cross off evidence found and change settings from the pages. Tweaks to contracts will now mean that the payout amount received for failing a level will be rewarded in terms of the level’s selected difficulty, while failing a contract will now automatically show you what the ghost type was.

New fonts have also been added to the game for several languages with missing characters, and the VR mute button has been remapped as the pause button for all controllers. Ghost orbs that appear during some contracts will now periodically change position in the room that the ghost is inhabiting, and players will now no longer be able to see the D.O.T.S Projector ghost if they have been killed.

Kinetic Games also took the chance in the update post to thank its fans for their support toward the game. “It has been an amazing year for Kinetic Games and Phasmophobia and I would like to thank everyone for their amazing support,” the post reads.

“Today, Phasmophobia is one of the highest rated games on Steam which is incredible and something I never imagined happening. It doesn’t stop there either, we have many great updates planned for the future including this Halloween!”

While we wait to hear more about what lies ahead for Phasmo’s upcoming Halloween update, players can head into the game’s main menu area, which has received a party-themed anniversary redesign for fans to celebrate together in. If you’re new to Phasmophobia, make sure to check out this article that details how the game uses audio to hunt its players.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. In his time with Phasmophobia, he often aggravates its many horrors before leaving his friends to face the consequences. You can follow him on Twitter.

Get Your First Listen of The Batman Score, Courtesy of Michael Giacchino’s Short Teaser

The Batman composer Michael Giacchino shared a brief clip online over the weekend of an orchestra performing part of the film’s score.

The Oscar-winning composer lit up the Bat-Signal on Batman Day (September 18 this year) to summon fans wanting to hear a sneak preview of the score for Matt Reeves’ upcoming superhero film. “Happy Batman Day everyone!!” Giacchino said in a post to his followers on Twitter. “We have been hard at work and can’t wait to share what we’ve been up to!!”

The clip is less than 30 seconds long and showcases a score that is suitably gothic, haunting and dramatic, matching the visual tone and atmosphere present in the franchise reboot’s first trailer. In the tweet, Giacchino included the hashtag for DC FanDome, which may indicate that more of the score will be unveiled at the virtual event on October 16.

Director Matt Reeves also joined in on the celebrations with his own tweet commemorating the occasion. He gave fans a glimpse of his post-production pad, with Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader pictured on screen. “Wow, I have been away so long…!” Reeves exclaimed. “Just popping my head out of the editing room for a moment to say Happy Batman Day!”

Reeves also referenced the upcoming DC FanDome event in his post, saying that he “can’t wait to share a lot more” about the film in four weeks time. The second-annual global fan experience is expected to showcase all the new projects in the works at DC, including The Batman, which is set to get a brand new trailer at the epic streaming event.

The last footage we saw of The Batman came by the way of a featurette revealed by Warner Bros. at CinemaCon in August. Those in attendance alluded to the clips showing a dark and brooding Gotham for Batman to tame, noting that director Reeves had spoken more about the Year One aspect of the film’s story.

Reeves’ comic book tentpole is scheduled for release on March 4, 2022, following a number of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more on The Batman in the meantime, check out everything we know about the DC reboot, including new details about Colin Farrell’s Penguin, who is only said to appear in “five or six scenes.”

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Protein Powder and Shakes Are on Sale Today Only

Anyone looking to increase their protein intake can save a good deal of cash today. Amazon’s Deal of the Day offers up to 40% off a wide variety of protein shakes, powder, and more ways to fuel muscle growth. You can get deals on brands like Muscle Milk, Evolve, and more.

All of these deals are fine on their own, but many of them can be purchased using Subscribe & Save to get even bigger discounts. Once it ships, you can always cancel your subscription, locking in the savings as a one-time deal. Speaking of deals, these go away at midnight (assuming they don’t sell out beforehand) so grab what you want before it’s gone.

Protein Powder on Sale

Protein Shakes on Sale

In addition to all things protein, a bunch of other items are available in this deal, including energy drinks and bulk orders of personal-sized bags of chips. You can see the full set of discounts here.

Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.