Remembering David Prowse, The Mandalorian, and Willow Casting News

LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special

• 🚀 The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is praised for being an affectionate send-up with inside jokes for hardcore fans.
• 💡 A standout moment was Darth Vader meeting Darth Vader on Hoth.
• 🎄 The special ends with Yoda dressed as Sam the Snowman, and cleverly incorporates Star Wars Galaxy's Edge merchandise references.

Star Wars Detours and Disney+

• 🎬 Star Wars Detours, a series of animated shorts set between Episodes III and IV, was produced but never released due to the Disney acquisition.
• 🤔 The show featured a strong voice cast including Anthony Daniels and Billy Dee Williams, but Disney felt it wasn't the right way to launch their ownership of Lucasfilm.
• 🔞 A new Disney 18+ service is reportedly planned to offer R-rated content from the acquired Fox library, accessible via a password-protected system.

The Mandalorian Season 2

• 🌟 The Mandalorian is highlighted as a top entertainment franchise, achieving success less than a year after its debut.
• 💔 The episode "The Siege" is appreciated for showing a different side of Cara Dune and Carl Weathers's directorial work, with a notable action sequence and a humorous moment involving Grogu.
• 👨‍👦 The show is commended for presenting a healthy father-son dynamic between Din Djarin and Grogu, contrasting with other dysfunctional relationships in the saga.
• ❓ Rosario Dawson's portrayal of Ahsoka Tano in "The Jedi" is discussed, with appreciation for the live-action transition but some difficulty in separating the character from Ashley Eckstein's animated voice.
• 📈 Concerns are raised that the increasing complexity and references to characters like Admiral Thrawn might alienate casual viewers.
• 🤝 A cameo by Disney legend Wing T. Chao as a former Imperial officer is noted as a fun Easter egg.

Remembering David Prowse

• 🎭 The episode pays tribute to David Prowse, the actor who physically portrayed Darth Vader.
• 🏋️ Prowse's background as a champion weightlifter was crucial for bringing physicality to the imposing character of Darth Vader.
• 👓 The challenges of wearing the Darth Vader suit, including limited visibility and heat, are detailed from Prowse's memoir.
• 💰 Prowse received a modest $7,000 for his role in A New Hope, with payments increasing for subsequent films.
• 🗣️ The creation of Darth Vader involved a combination of Prowse's physicality, James Earl Jones's voice, and Ben Burtt's sound design.
• 💚 Prowse's proudest achievement was his role as the Green Cross Man, educating children on road safety in the UK.
• 😷 The hosts emphasize the importance of wearing masks, drawing a parallel to Prowse's limited visibility in the Vader suit due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Willow Casting News

• 🎬 The upcoming Willow series on Disney Plus will feature Ellie Bamber, Cailee Spaeny, and Erin Kellyman as the lead female characters.
• 👑 The series will follow a group on a mission to save a kidnapped prince, with a kitchen maid named Dove as the chosen one, a princess named Kit, and her best friend Jade.
• ⚔️ An older male character, a thief and a liar, will echo Val Kilmer's character from the original film.