Everything We Know About Star Wars from D23

Disney shined a bright spotlight on the newest part of their company, Lucasfilm’s Star Wars franchise, at D23 Expo 2015 last weekend. Anaheim became the new home (and hope) for news from a galaxy far, far away with closer looks at costumes and props, news about upcoming films, and even some interesting smaller details that slipped under the radar. Here are the biggest things we learned about the science-fantasy franchise.

Finn Has Anakin and Luke’s Lightsaber

The new poster created exclusively for the show, drawn by Drew Struzan, carried a truth bomb all of its own– Finn, John Boyega’s character in the film that starts out as a stormtrooper, has a bright blue lightsaber. This confirms that he’ll have a lightsaber (and use it) at some point in the movie, but that’s not all. As we pointed out back in April at Star Wars Celebration, when we first saw a lightsaber in his jacket in concept art, this isn’t just any old lightsaber. The ribbed edges on the hilt and the red button are telltale signs that it’s Anakin Skywalker’s former weapon. That same one was wielded by Luke Skywalker, until his father in the form of Darth Vader cut his hand off, sending the lightsaber along with it out into the clouds. Somehow, Finn has it. Is it a clue to his connections to the family, or his destiny? We’ll have to wait until December to find out for sure.

Star Wars Land is Real…and Looks Spectacular

  

We, in the relatively near future, will all get to travel to a land of droids and twi’leks, of seedy cantinas and high-speed space flight, and it will all be at Star Wars Land, the newest expansion coming to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. The two new Parks additions are a big deal – the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, announced them personally – and will be the largest single-franchise expansion ever at a Disney park. With 14 acres of nothing but Star Wars, things like a Mos Eisley-style Cantina, alien servers, and even droids and beasts wandering around the park will be common sights. You’ll also be able to enter two different main attractions, including a battle between the First Order and the Resistance from The Force Awakens, and a flight at the controls of the Millennium Falcon. There is no timeline for the parks just yet, but Disney Imagineers, Industrial Light & Magic, and Lucasfilm are working on the park together, so it’ll be more than worth the wait. 

But That’s Not the Only Star Wars Parks News

  

The signature Star Wars themed ride at Disney parks around the world, Star Tours, got a major facelift a couple of years ago at US parks (Paris is getting that upgrade now), and it’s still a focus for update. It seems that the new version is much easier to add-on to than the old, with new destinations, characters, sites (and sights) from Star Wars: The Force Awakens set to appear. Both domestic parks will also receive “Star Wars Launch Bay,” a new area in the parks that contains props, costumes, and director diaries from the films, custom video gaming experiences, and more. The annual Spring event “Star Wars Weekends” at Walt Disney World will be replaced by “Star Wars: Season of the Force” at both parks. It will include special guests, special themed restaurants, temporary pop-up exhibits, and more. At Disneyland, Space Mountain will be temporarily re-branded with Star Wars themes and the “Hyperspace Mountain” name. And finally, at Disney World, a new fireworks show at Hollywood Studios will feature John Williams’ signature score from the films.

Meet the Stormtrooper Division

  

  

Lucasfilm and their parent company Disney are very deliberate in the information they release. They absolutely want people talking about Finn and his lightsaber, for example. So imagine my surprise when walking around the “evolution of the trooper” exhibit buried in D23’s Consumer Products area, when an official logo for the First Order’s “Stormtrooper Division” appeared next to the full-size standing suit. It has the feel of a military patch, and also evokes the classic “skull and crossbones” symbol of piracy. It doesn’t reveal too much about the First Order, but it does beg the question of what the other divisions in this military force are.

Star Wars Episode IX, Now With Dinosaurs?

  

After rumors and reports by folks like Heroic Hollywood circling for several weeks, we got confirmation that Colin Trevorrow has signed on to direct Star Wars Episode IX. That makes three different directors for each of the three episodic films currently on the docket; a notable approach. While he’s known widely for Jurassic World, the massive hit that was a follow-up sequel to a sci-fi classic (hmm, sound familiar?), his indie film Safety Not Guaranteed is what makes us more excited about this gig. Yes, he can handle a major blockbuster, but in that indie sci-fi flick, he handled a unique cast of characters with copious flaws but a lovable nature. The film showed a mixture of humor and drama with a sci-fi background – all things we need in a good Star Wars film.

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What were your biggest Star Wars takeaways from D23? Let us know in the comments!

And to see when every planned Star Wars film hits theaters, head to ComicBook.com’s official Franchise Movie Release Schedule.