What We’re Most Excited For At Star Wars Celebration 2017

This year fans will once again make the pilgrimage to Celebration—the event that brings together fans, cast, crew, and other figures who helped make the Star Wars Universe what it is today.

Everyone will converge in Orlando for four days to commemorate 40 amazing years of George Lucas’ Skywalker Saga. People will be able to meet like-minded fans, score exclusive merch, and rub elbows with the people who create the Star Wars films, shows, and books.

The event will take place April 13 through 16 at the Orange County Convention Center. Confirmed guests include Mark Hamill, the Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and Hayden Christensen in his first Celebration appearance for 15 years.

There’s plenty to do and see, many people to talk to, that it’s almost too much to keep track of.

That’s why we’re here for you, chronicling all of the new announcements and best items to snag so you’re not overwhelmed when the weekend event comes to pass. We’ve been keeping our eyes and ears out for all of the cool Celebration news over the last few months, and now we’re here to present what’s got us riled up for the event.

These are the exclusives, events, and people we are most excited to see this week at Star Wars Celebration 2017.

LEGO Detention Block Rescue

Few partnerships work as well as Star Wars and LEGO. The popular Dutch toy company has been making themed sets of the Star Wars franchise ever since the Phantom Menace came out in 1999, and that partnership continues to this day.

While we can expect some The Last Jedi sets to be released during this year’s Force Friday event, the LEGO Group always has a few Exclusives up their sleeves when it comes to events like San Diego Comic-Con and Celebration.

This year is no different as the LEGO Detention Block Rescue is set to be released at the event.

Fans had to enter into a drawing to be selected for the chance to purchase one of these sets, so they’re going to fetch a pretty penny on auction sites when the event closes. But if you were one of the lucky few who won this lottery, you’ll be able to snag the 220 piece LEGO set for $40.

It features Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in their Stormtrooper disguises as they attempt to rescue a certain princess, trapped in the halls of Death Star’s prison ward.

 

Rebels Season 4 Sneak Peak

Star Wars Rebels has turned into a wonderful show and the true successor to the great Clone Wars series that came before.

When Disney purchased Lucasfilm and announced the new series exploring the time between the Prequel and Original Trilogies, many fans were slightly alarmed about the series quality. 

But Dave Filoni and his crew have churned out increasingly great seasons of the show, picking up plot threads from the Clone Wars series and expanding on them in ways that enrich the greater Star Wars Universe.

Hera, Sabine, Zeb, Chopper, Kanan, and Ezra have expanded their list of allies to include Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and Saw Gerrera as well as movie characters such as Mon Mothma, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Princess Leia. 

The latest season ended with the final duel between Kenobi and Maul followed by a huge battle between the Rebels and Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Imperial forces, getting us even more excited for what’s to come.

Filoni will be giving attendees a sneak peak of the upcoming season in a panel taking place on Saturday morning, promising special guests and an audience Q&A.

 

Hayden Christensen

The actor who brought the elder Anakin Skywalker to life in two of the Star Wars prequels is making his first Celebration appearance in over a decade!

While Hayden Christensen will likely appear on the 40th Anniversary panel, he’s also set to sign autographs for fans lucky enough to snag the opportunity.

Christensen portrayed The Man Who Would Become Darth Vader in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and was later edited into the final scene of Return of the Jedi in one of the many special editions.

Christensen has typically taken smaller film roles after his turn as Skywalker in the Prequel Trilogy. But with this being his first time at Star Wars celebration in 15 years, there’s bound to be some rampant speculation tied in with his appearance.

Will we get a spinoff announcement for a Darth Vader film? Or word of future appearances in any movies? That remains to be seen, but honestly we’re just happy that he’s going to be there!

 

40th Anniversary Panel

Warwick Davis will host the kickoff panel for Celebration, commemorating 40 years of stories in Star Wars Universe.

While the panel only promises an appearance from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy at this point, it’s a safe bet to see her joined by the Last Jedi director Rian Johnson as well as series mainstays Mark Hamill, Ian McDiarmod, and Hayden Christensen. 

The panel could prove to be the highlight of Celebration, looking at the historic past of the franchise while priming everyone for the future.

When the Force Awakens kicked off a new trilogy, fans responded with enthusiasm for the future of the Star Wars Universe. And now might be the best time to get a look at what could be down the pipeline.

Will we get an official announcement of the title of the Han Solo spinoff? Or maybe confirmation that an Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff starring Ewan McGregor is in the works?

Or, perhaps, the first public release of footage from The Last Jedi?

The Last Jedi Trailer

Ok, Lucasfilm.

You’ve shown footage to investors.

You’ve shown footage to theater owners and press. 

Now’s the time to show it to the fans.

Give us the first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi! We’ve been waiting long enough! Sure, the film might not be coming out until the end of the year, but we’ve been waiting a long time—16 months, to be exact.

Just show us that first trailer of Rian Johnson’s Saga installment and we’ll be cool even if the rest of the event is cancelled. Well, not really, but you know what we mean.