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Lucasfilm turns 55 today, and that's quite the milestone for the Star Wars universe.

Before Star Wars came along, before ILM changed the way blockbusters were made, and before Lucasfilm became one of the most important names in modern franchise history, it was just a company founded by George Lucas on April 20, 1971.

This means that Lucasfilm turns 55 today.

According to the history of Lucasfilm itself, George Lucas founded Lucasfilm in 1971 after the creation of the film THX 1138, creating the company to support his future projects. A new anniversary message from ILM clarifies the date: Lucasfilm was founded on April 20, 1971 in Mill Valley, California, when Lucas was only 26 years old.

And, frankly, this is a more significant anniversary than it might seem at first glance.

Star Wars Celebration Reveals New Key Posters for 2027 in Hollywood Style

Tickets for the 50th anniversary of the original film, Star Wars: Celebration in Los Angeles, will go on sale soon.

Star Wars Festival Celebration will take place in Los Angeles from April 1 to April 4, 2027 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Newly unveiled key event posters pay tribute to Tom Young's original poster in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first Star Wars film.

Today, in conjunction with the announcement that tickets will go on sale for the event on Wednesday, May 6, a new poster was unveiled, showcasing a colorful mix of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, against a backdrop of artistic depictions of Los Angeles landmarks, including a fun take on the classic "Hollywood" sign. Rising above it all are Darth Vader, the Imperial Death Star and several TIE fighters, with a pair of X-wing fighters ready to engage.

Tickets for the event and hotels recommended by the organizers will go on sale on May 6, 2026.

“Mol: Lord of Shadows”: first impressions of the series

The first two episodes of the animated series “Maul: Lord of Shadows” in the Star Wars universe have been released on the Disney+ service. It is made mainly by the same people who are responsible for “The Clone Wars”, “Rebels” and “The Bad Batch” - producer and mastermind Dave Filoni, screenwriter Matt Michnovets, directors Brad Rau, Saul Ruiz and Stewart Lee. 

The series, both in plot and in the picture, seems to be just another spiritual continuation of “The Clone Wars.” Moreover, judging by the first two episodes, at least the first season (and “Lord of Shadows” was extended for a second season even before the premiere) tells one sequential story, divided into eight episodes. 

The series begins in the favorite style of George Lucas In medias res - in the midst of events, without wasting time on build-up and without explaining anything. For everyone who is just planning to watch it, we recommend that you read our preview, from which you will at least understand where the events are taking place and who all these new faces are in the frame.

In short, the action takes place some time after the end of the Clone Wars and the proclamation of the Empire. The Shadow Collective, the massive crime syndicate Maul had assembled during the war, had already collapsed, and Maul himself was in disarray following the end of the Siege of Mandalore and the execution of Order 66. Only a handful of devoted comrades remained with him. But the Zabrak's goals remain unchanged - to take revenge on Sidious, and to do this, climb back to the top of the criminal world. 

Much of Star Wars Eclipse is ready, but there's a problem

Development of the ambitious and long-suffering Star Wars Eclipse is progressing “very slowly.” So slow that “the team makes very little progress for months.”

This was reported by sources on the Insider Gaming portal. But, given that the announcement of the game took place in 2021, the news is unlikely to surprise anyone.

At the same time, according to rumors, a significant part of Star Wars Eclipse has already been completed. Unfortunately, the game is still “several years away from being fully completed.”

It has been reported that both Quantic Dream and NetEase are counting on the financial success of Spellcasters Chronicles to spend the proceeds on Eclipse. Let us remind you that the shareware MOBA entered early access in February and disappointed the players.

“If Spellcasters fails, NetEase is expected to reconsider its commitment to the studio [Quantic Dream] and may cease further investment,” Insider Gaming sources.

Star Wars Zero Company developer speaks out about the growing popularity of older game genres

Star Wars Zero Company Creative Director Greg Furch shared opinion about the growing popularity of old genres of computer games and their work on consoles.

According to Ferch, in the 2000s, various strategies, tactics and role-playing games could not be adapted to consoles for technical reasons. In addition, due to the prevalence of isometric sprite graphics, it was difficult to adapt the picture to the TV format.

Over time, these problems began to be eliminated, and now many genres that previously required the use of a keyboard and mouse are easily adapted to gamepads. This means their audience is growing.

The increase in popularity of older formats, according to Furch, began in 2012. This has affected the usual templates, into which the developers are trying to add novelty and innovative mechanics. He explained that although strategies and other similar projects seem simple to create, in reality they are much more complex.

Recall that Star Wars Zero Company will be released in 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. The single-player turn-based strategy game will put players in command of an elite squad of mercenaries.

Lucasfilm wanted the upcoming Star Wars series to be the best ever

The star of the upcoming Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord has revealed that the creative team is working hard to make the series the greatest in the franchise.

In an interview with Star Wars Insider #236, lead actor Sam Witwer stated that Maul, Lord of Shadows will be unlike anything that has come before. According to him, the creative team was tasked with making the show bigger and bolder.

Witwer noted that it was "the most complex series they've ever done." The actor also assured that "everyone rolled up their sleeves to make it something special." The animated series should expand the boundaries of storytelling.

He went on to talk in detail about the members of the creative team and their roles and the work that was done to bring the idea to life. For example, the star mentioned producer Athena Portillo, "who was so dedicated to getting it right that she didn't let [the project] fail."

In particular, Witwer noted that Dave Filoni "gave [them] direction to do everything better" and "to push things further." Filoni is now president of Lucasfilm.

The leading actor touched on the style of “Lord of Shadows.” The team not only used unique graphics, but also resorted to photography:

We even used some practical photography techniques that no one would recognize because everything looks like it was painted. But they solved problems the old fashioned way, like the guys from Industrial Light & Magic back in the day. These are people I have worked with for almost two decades. We trust each other completely. If someone has a comment, you listen. We all wanted to make it the best thing we've ever done.

Spaceballs 2 Release Date Confirmed - Mel Brooks Returns

Work on Spaceballs 2 is progressing smoothly. Amazon MGM studio has announced the release date for the sequel to Mel Brooks' cult comedy.

It will premiere in theaters on April 22, 2027, which perfectly coincides with the 40th anniversary of the original. Brooks will be 100 years old when the sequel is released.

Fans may fear that the Jeff Bezos-led company is simply exploiting nostalgia for box office gains. But the announcement notes that they are not just doing it for the money. They do it for huge money.

The film's description jokingly states that it is "not a prequel, not a reboot, a sequel, part two, but with elements of a reboot, expanding the franchise." Like the original, the film will poke fun at Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien and other sci-fi franchises.

Space Eggs 2 Details

The director is Josh Greenbaum (“Loose Mongrels”), who worked on a documentary about the sound designers of “Star Wars.” Frozen star Josh Gad co-wrote the script with Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit (The Addams Family 2, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu).

Brooks has confirmed that he has returned to his role as Yoda's Yogurt counterpart. The film also stars Rick Moranis and Bill Pullman as Darth Helmet and Lone Star.

There are no plot details yet, as they are kept secret. Perhaps details will appear at the end of the year.

“Stop tolerating mediocrity”: the author of Star Wars: Zero Company took a tough look at the tactics genre

Star Wars: Zero Company creative director Greg Furch slammed the turn-based tactics genre, saying it's time for players to stop putting up with its weaknesses.

According to the developer, he “has a grudge” for this genre, in which fans often justify shortcomings with phrases like “graphics are not important” or “the plot is not important.” Foerch emphasizes that depth of gameplay is important, but this should not come at the expense of visuals, story and ease of control.

The developer is confident that modern tactical games must offer a complete experience, especially when it comes to single-player projects. “You can get everything at once - the gameplay, the story, and the quality of execution,” he noted.

As an example, he cited Marvel's Midnight Suns, where he served as art director. In his opinion, the game proved that tacticians can combine the depth of mechanics with a well-developed story and high-quality graphics.

The Star Wars: Zero Company team, as stated by Furch, intends to go exactly this way. The developers want to create a project that will not sacrifice some elements for the sake of others, but will offer a comprehensive and modern take on the genre.

Leaked Star Wars: Darth Maul posters reveal villain's return

Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord premieres on Disney+ on Monday, and before then, a whole series of character posters have leaked online.

Apparently, the posters were planned to be released weekly or at the end of the season. At least two of them reveal some major surprises planned for the animated series.

Attention! Spoilers ahead!

Most of the promos feature characters we've already seen in trailers and commercials for the animated series. However, two of them confirm the return of Darth Vader and Dryden Vos, the main villain of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Stories."

The series takes place between The Clone Wars and Han Solo, but the announced second season may show events between Han Solo and Rebels. The initial focus will be on how Maul became the head of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate.

While Vos' role as a rival crime lord was expected, Vader's presence will certainly excite fans. He and Maul never fought on screen. One of the trailers hinted at his appearance.