Latest news with #Anakin
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Natalie Portman 'lost' an iconic hair prop she took from 'Star Wars' set
Actress revealed she took a hair memento from ' ' at the end of filming 20 years ago. The 43-year-old actress, who played in the space saga's prequel trilogy between 1999 and 2005, said she took a piece of hair belonging to co-star when filming wrapped on ' ' as a souvenir two decades ago, but she has no clue where it is anymore. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now During an interview with UK TV show 'This Morning' on ITV, she said: "I took one of the Anakin braids at the end of shooting... They were all clip-on things, and there were many of them obviously, because they had to do it every day. "So, I took one them - but I don;t have it anymore. I lost it... I shouldn't even have admitted that!" Portman also confirmed she would gladly return to the 'Star Wars'. which is still expanding on Disney+ and the big screen, although there have been no talks yet, reports She added: "Sure! No one's asked me, so I don't wanna start any rumours! I'm open to all of it, yeah!" Portman, who has son Aleph, 13, and daughter Amalia, eight, with ex-husband Benjamin Millepied, said her children are the "main" inspiration behind any projects she takes on at this stage of her career. She said: "Oh, one hundred percent! It's a main, main driver of my decisions." Portman's latest film is "Fountain of Youth" a heist action adventure film directed by Guy Ritchie. It stars John Krasinski, Eiza Gonzalez, Domhnall Gleeson, Arian Moayed, Laz Alonso, Carmen Ejogo, and Stanley Tucci. The plot follows a pair of estranged siblings who team up and embark on a journey to find the famed Fountain of Youth.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
20 years later, Ian McDiarmid's Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith still stuns
20 years later, Ian McDiarmid's Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith still stuns The Star Wars prequels are a Death Star with a discourse-powered tractor beam still pulling in deliriously impassioned takes all these years later. Love them or hate them, either you do. There is no fine. The prequel cultural reclamation of everything from Jar Jar Binks to Hayden Christensen's Anakin performance has been as aggressive and as unexpected as anything in 21st century blockbuster film, but there was always one aspect about these movies we should have all agreed on for the last two decades: Ian McDiarmid's firecracker of a performance as Chancellor-turned-Emperor Palpatine. Setting aside the whole "Palpatine has returned" Fortnite fracas that bubbled up with 2019's flawed-yet-enjoyable The Rise of Skywalker, McDiarmid's gripping performance in the prequels, particularly Revenge of the Sith, pushed against basically everything George Lucas arguably faltered with as a screenwriter and a director of actors in his second Star Wars trilogy. Even the most ardent prequel defenders (raises hand) should admit some of Lucas' ham-fisted interpersonal dialogue was as course, rough and irritating as the sand Anakin despised. It got everywhere, even as rip-roaring pod races, composer John Williams snapping off for "Duel of the Fates" and Lucas' general penchant for space spectacle did marvelous jobs paving over the rocky screenwriting... except for with Palpatine, when everything collided into something truly special. It might seem silly to say this with a performance from the Star Wars prequels, but McDiarmid really deserved some sort of award (or at the very least, an Oscar Best Supporting Actor nomination) for the dastardly kindness chameleon he crafted with Palpatine in Lucas' prequel films. More than a shadowy figure in a hooded cloak with hunched posture and a crackly voice, you begin to understand full well the manipulation that drove Anakin from a path of glory to the Dark Side through the way McDiarmid brings Lucas' writing to life. Rewatching Revenge of the Sith 20 years later, you notice more than ever Palpatine's deviously masterful gambit to lure Anakin to his personal ruin and Sith baptism-by-fire: a dagger through the back from a hug of deceptive paternal concern. In a saga built on the fractures between fathers and sons, the sad reality is the most collaborative paternal relationship any of these characters ever had, even if it was fake, was Palpatine's twisted grip on Anakin as his validation machine. Even as early as Attack of the Clones, McDiarmid's Palpatine embraces Anakin in word and deed like he's the prodigal son, lavishing him with praise locked in to assuage his insecurities and continually feeding into his darkest impulses and fears. McDiarmid gives Palpatine the charm and warmth real manipulation requires to really work, as if he's a blanket of comfort that slowly reveals itself to be a constricting snake. Lucas wrote Palpatine with a nefarious nuance that he never really gave any of his other characters, leveling his pertinent critiques of fascistic movements against the mundane grip a charismatic, faux-credible politician can hold on a body like the Galactic Senate. However, through his fatherly charm offensive on the dad-less Anakin, McDiarmid and Lucas never shy away from the raging darkness bursting at the seams through Palpatine's guise. Darth Sidious always moves in the shadows; Chancellor Palpatine his useful decoy to infiltrate his ultimate "Chosen One" ace in the hole. At the beginning of Revenge of the Sith when McDiarmid's Palpatine, seemingly out of nowhere, barks at Anakin to kill Count Dooku, it's a brief slip of the mask, but one carefully placed enough in the grander chaos of a space rescue. The scene at the opera where Palpatine tells Anakin about the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise is a masterclass in tonal tightrope walking for McDiarmid, as his cover slowly slips as he recounts the story that will ultimately push the fear-tortured Anakin over to the Dark Side. Lucas' writing a monologue like this never really should have worked given his track record with dialogue blocks, but here, he nails it. Like Anakin, you get everything you need from this moment for it to deeply impact you. The tragedy of Darth Vader has only begun, this fateful meeting in an opera box between a devious mentor and his tormented mentee seemingly the final spark that ignites the fire that burns down the Galactic Republic and Jedi Council. By the time it's time to flip the Sith switch in Anakin's brain, McDiarmid relishes in the tragedy of the fall. If "Order 66" could be summed up in a person, it's the way McDiarmid progresses Palpatine through his seeming arrest by the Jedi Council to his embrace of his new apprentice in Darth Vader. It's absolutely riveting to watch McDiarmid glide through how this chaos unfolds, from his withering Chancellor Palpatine begging for mercy to his horrifyingly proud boast of "UNLIMITED POWER!!" as he hurls Mace Windu into the Coruscant abyss. His speech to declare the Galactic Empire a necessity and kick the door down on his Imperial reign is just as impressive and harrowing, McDiarmid playing the victim as he relishes in his victory to seize the galaxy that he worked so hard to charm, plot and con into total, willful and absolute submission. It's absolutely riveting to see it through McDiarmid's eyes. Sometimes, you just get lucky in making movies with performances and characterizations like this. Largely plagued by wooden dialogue throughout his otherwise trailblazing career as a filmmaker, Lucas burst through his own limitations to craft a Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith for McDiarmid to sprint with to the finish line. Great villains are never just about the villainy; it's about their quirks that make them hauntingly human. You can't forget Darth Vader's deep breathing, Hannibal Lecter's disarming sophistication or Heath Ledger's awkward notes of gallows humor with the Joker. Anton Chigurh loved a good monologue about chance and a bad haircut, Hans Gruber couldn't get over his arrogance in thinking he could outsmart the American cowboy and Agent Smith smacked through his Matrix dialogue like it was a big wad of Big League Chew. It goes on and on with all the great movie villains. McDiarmid's performance will always hold a spot in the Cinema Villain Hall of Fame for its weaponized friendliness. He's the angler fish of movie villains, luring in a wayward Jedi Knight with false belief and crooked empathy and turning him into the most fearsome monster the galaxy had ever seen when he least expects it. You can't achieve this kind of iconography without McDiarmid's generationally complex performance or Lucas' striking upheaval of weaknesses into strengths. As we get further and further removed from the prequels, it's clear their merits are finally being just as embraced as their faults. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of all in Lucas' prequel films was bringing McDiarmid back and giving him some his finest work on the page. All these year later, his Palpatine still resonates.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Fortnite May 16 server downtime and maintenance schedule revealed
Image via: Epic Games On Thursday, May 15, without fresh content unveiled, the disappointment was all around as Epic Games announced a delay in the much-awaited v35.10 update . Once slated for deployment today, it will now arrive early on Friday, May 16, probably around 2 AM ET, after a brief period of scheduled downtime. The update is quite important for the Galactic Battle mini-season , the special Star Wars-themed event that took the place of Chapter 6 Season 3's launch, and the delay means that players will have to wait an extra day to run amok with the new features and perhaps confirm the long-rumored additions to the game. Mixed reactions so far Galactic Battle launched with a massive bang on May 3, thrusting new Star Wars weapons, thematic quests, and famous characters into the Fortnite universe. Interest, however, has started to wane. As opposed to longer seasons where content gets trickled out slowly over time, a lot of players feel as though they have essentially seen the majority of what this mini-season has to put on. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en America (ver precio) Verisure Más información Undo This limited-time event is set to run for just 36 days, finishing up on June 7. This is not the first short season; previous examples included Season OG and Chapter 2 Remix, but players seem to feel that the pacing is not engaging as it was before. Even though there was a huge initial interest, a two-week content drought had the community begging for something new. What to expect from the update This delay does not stop the tongues from flapping about possible new additions thought to come along with the update by data miners and leakers alike: Jar Jar Binks Skins: Two alleged cosmetics based on the much-divided character from the Star Wars prequels. Anakin Skywalker Boss Fight: Whispers of Anakin appearing as an in-game boss. Custom Mandalorian Skin: A highly customizable cosmetic option, similar to previous 'Build-A-Hero' skins. Most notably, players are holding out for the General Grievous skin, a reward within the Galactic Battle Pass. Unlike standard unlocks, Grievous can only be acquired through mid-season quests — expected to be activated with this update. With only three weeks remaining in Galactic Battle, the next few updates will determine whether this Star Wars-themed season ends with a bang or a whimper. The update scheduled for Friday will hopefully give the much- needed injection of life to the event to re- engage the player base and keep some of the long-hyped leaks on their feet. In the meantime, fans are needed to remain patient and brace for early-morning downtime. This one will be a popular date: May 16.
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Shocking moment Star Wars fans cheer and clap during traumatic scene in 20 year anniversary screening of Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars fans rapturously applauding and cheering during a scene where a child is murdered has left one cinemagoer 'sickened'. Revenge of the Sith has returned to big screens across the world in a series of 20th anniversary showings after its initial release on May 19, 2005. Starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid and Natalie Portman, the movie, which marked the end of the prequel trilogy, quickly became a box-office darling and fan favourite. The plot centres around Anakin Skywalker - played by Christensen - and his descent from hero Jedi to the evil Darth Vader whose character was voiced in the original three films by James Earl Jones. In a key turning point in the movie and arguably the the darkest scene in the franchise, Anakin is told to execute 'Order 66' - a plot orchestrated by Emperor Palpatine, played by McDiarmid. The goal of the order was to brutally eliminate the Jedi, including the slaughter of children known as 'younglings' who were in training to become future masters of 'the force'. But in one North London screening of the movie on Wednesday, the murder of the children was not solemnly observed, but loudly celebrated. An anonymous moviegoer who went to watch the film for the first time caught the shocking moment the Star Wars fans celebrated the series of killings - and told MailOnline he was left in shock by the scenes. In a key turning point in the movie and arguably the the darkest scene in the franchise, Anakin is told to execute 'Order 66' - a plot orchestrated by Emperor Palpatine, played by McDiarmid The goal of the order was to brutally eliminate the Jedi, including the slaughter of children known as 'younglings' who were and in training to become future masters of 'the force' He said: 'I'd never seen the film before as I was too young when it came out the first time. It was during a very sad part of the film when all the Jedi are being killed and the main character Anakin turns evil. 'In one scene he walks into a room and starts murdering children and everyone in the cinema started laughing. Some of them were screaming 'yes' and stomping their feet. Others were laughing, it was horrible. 'I later found out that it's part of a meme? That's sick. What sort of fans think child murder is funny?' In the scene, one 'youngling' looks to Anakin for help against the slaughter which is taking place in the Jedi Temple, saying: 'Master Skywalker, there are too many of them! What are we going to do?' But things quickly turn dark when Anakin draws his lightsaber to attack the children. And in the footage obtained by MailOnline, many in the audience can be heard cheering and even shouting 'do it' as Anakin faces down the child with the weapon. It comes as 'May the Fourth' - a play on the popular catchphrase 'May the Force be with you' - arrives tomorrow, and many Star Wars lovers will celebrate by sharing gags of 'Order 66' online. A major factor in the love for the scene is that it marks Anakin's transition from hero to villain, laying the foundations for the first three films: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. As Anakin becomes Darth Vader, he transitions into the Star Wars anti-hero - a villain who, no matter what, is still beloved by fans. Many fans sympathise with his character, who was manipulated by Palpatine to join the 'Dark Side' after being promised 'infinite power' to save his loved ones, specifically his wife Padmé, played by Portman, from death. And franchise lovers root for Anakin - despite the horrors of 'Order 66' - as they believe his heart was in the right place, though the character had unwittingly compromised by a greater evil in Palpatine. Reflecting on the scene in an interview with Empire magazine last year, Christensen described George Lucas's decision to include the scene as 'bold'. He said: 'There was a lot of talk about us doing that scene, and I love that George did it. It was a bold move. And it's shocking.' The actor also told how he had to scare Ross Beadman, who played the role of the child in the scene, in order to capture the horror the child would have felt in that situation. Christensen added: 'When we were filming that, we were having a hard time getting the reaction that we wanted from the kid. And so I shouted, or growled at him, because we needed a genuine moment of him being startled. 'It got the response that we needed, and it makes that scene work really well… I saw him years later and said, "Sorry about how that went."'
USA Today
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Star Wars Day is here! Celebrate with our ultimate movie ranking
Star Wars Day is here! Celebrate with our ultimate movie ranking Show Caption Hide Caption Here's why Diego Luna feels 'Andor' is so relevant today 'Andor' star Diego Luna tells USA TODAY's Brian Truitt why he feels this series is so relevant today. Love movies? Live for TV? USA TODAY's Watch Party newsletter has all the best recommendations, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now and be one of the cool kids. Unless you've been held captive by a Wampa, crash-landed a TIE Fighter on Jakku or were eaten by the Sarlacc – though Boba Fett did come back like a champ from that doomsday scenario – it's probably not news that "Revenge of the Sith" is celebrating its 20th anniversary. In honor of Star Wars Day (May the 4th) – and the very special birthday – it's time to hit up Disney+ or bust out the Blu-rays to rewatch all 11 "Star Wars" films (the nine-chapter Skywalker Saga, plus a couple of spinoffs) in this galactic franchise. (Pro tip: If you're a total newbie, watch the original 1977 "Star Wars" first.) But which "Star Wars" is the best of the best? These are the rankings you're looking for. 11. 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace' (1999) George Lucas' prequels get a bad rap and, well, they kind of deserve it at times. Especially this one. What basically is a two-hour trailer for the rest of Anakin Skywalker's story is kind of a mess – he was immaculately conceived? What's this about midichlorians and the Force? The pod-race set piece is fun the first five times yet gets old quick, Darth Maul is the coolest guy in the movie and he's in it for all of three minutes, trade negotiations are not the way to start a sci-fi movie, and as for Jar Jar Binks … yeah. One thing it does do well is set up the political atmosphere that leads to the Empire and introduces Anakin as the chosen one who will bring balance to the Force. Just not in the way anybody expects. 10. 'Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones' (2002) There are so many sleek special effects used in this thing that you miss the trash heaps and spit-and-gum filmmaking of Lucas' original movies. Also, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman have ZERO chemistry as doomed lovers Anakin and Padmé. They have a picnic in the middle of the movie, battle monsters together on Geonosis and get married at the end, and yet even a modicum of actual romance isn't to be found. That all said, "Clones" isn't a bad film and it's pretty good whenever Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi is around. His and Anakin's chase after Zam Wesell is a scene from the great Jedi buddy-cop comedy we never got, and the discovery of the Republic's clone army on the rainy planet Kamino is obviously important. (Never forget, though: Stormtroopers > clone troopers.) 9. 'Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith' (2005) It's no coincidence that the prequel that's closest to the original trilogy in tone, story and theme is the best one. Anakin finally has his full turn to the dark side, though it still seems a little whiplash-y how quickly he goes from broody, anti-authoritarian kid to child-killing, baddest man in the galaxy. And Padmé dying from a broken heart is a little much. However, Yoda takes on Senator Palpatine/Darth Sidious/Emperor in a neato lightsaber battle, when Order 66 comes down it's a little heartbreaking, and Obi-Wan and Anakin's violent brawl on Mustafar is arguably the most hellacious in any "Star Wars" film. (Those who miss those two mortal enemies definitely want to watch their rematch in the Disney+ "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series.) 8. 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' (2019) It could also be called "Star Wars: Attack of the Callbacks" since it bends over backward – and sacrifices a lot of good storytelling and fun new characters (we totally heart little Babu Frik) – to pay homage to familiar faces and aspects from previous films. Jedi-in-training Rey (Daisy Ridley), reluctant hero Finn (John Boyega) and X-wing warrior Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) lead the ragtag Resistance against a returning Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) in a film that's full of logic fumbles and muddies the focus of the third and final trilogy. The evolving relationship between Rey and the First Order's hotheaded Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) goes some interesting places, and director J.J. Abrams' "Skywalker" is one last tribute to General Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher) and the way certain returning characters have molded decades of this expansive story. Hardcore fans will find lots to love and it's plenty entertaining with bombastic spectacle, but "Rise" crashes and burns as an actual finale. 7. 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' (2016) For its maiden standalone voyage, "Star Wars" brass blended the old – the Rebel Alliance freaking out about the construction of the Empire's mighty Death Star – with something new: In this case, a war movie digging into the battlefields on land and in space with insurgents rising up against 'the Man.' The results are a mixed bag. Ex-con Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) heads up the squad of armed misfits to steal the Death Star plans, though a snarky droid ends up being the best character in the bunch (for the record, K-2SO is way cooler than C-3PO). The Empire is full of bickering bureaucrats, which is fun to watch though bad for getting the Death Star done in a timely manner, and Darth Vader power walks into scenes that both undermine his icon status yet also cement it. While the fan service goes too far – for example, the old-school CGI character who is just as distracting as Jar Jar – "Rogue One" does introduce some neato supporting aliens like Admiral Raddus, a military mashup of Patton, Churchill and a lobster. 6. 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' (2018) A young Han Solo movie doesn't sound like a great idea ... until you actually see a young Han Solo movie. Mostly free of lightsabers, Jedi and Rebels, "Solo" is a "Star Wars" take on an Indiana Jones jam, and the first movie to tackle the underworld through its most famous anti-hero. This Han (Alden Ehrenreich) is an idealistic sort willing to go to extreme and illegal lengths to see his girlfriend (Emilia Clarke) again. Han and Chewie (Joonas Suotamo) are awesome together, Han and Lando (Donald Glover) aren't bad either, it boasts a bunch of new creatures and crooks, and the film even ties into "Star Wars" past in surprising fashion. A note for Ryan Gosling's upcoming "Star Wars: Starfighter": This, not "Rogue One," should be the template for future spinoffs. 5. 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (2017) For those who love spectacular space battles, the cute audacity of porgs and bad guys with British accents snarling, 'Rebel scum,' there's a lot to love in writer/director Rian Johnson's "Episode VIII." Fans have plenty to unpack in a lengthy runtime and "Last Jedi," like other franchise vehicles, demands repeat viewings, but Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is the coolest he's been since "The Empire Strikes Back." Plus, the next-generation heroes of the Resistance take a great leap in being a real rebellion like we saw in the original trilogy. Johnson is also winningly subversive, having Luke call out his own past and challenging the foundation that Lucas put in place 40 years ago – one character even says, 'Good guys, bad guys. Made-up words.' The galaxy is no longer a hotbed of chosen ones, a place where a nobody, a lowly First Order janitor or a Resistance mechanic, can save the universe – a switch from the days of Anakin and Luke. "Last Jedi" is unsurprisingly dedicated to 'our princess' Carrie Fisher, and her integral role speaks volumes to the legacy of the core characters played by her, Hamill and Harrison Ford, yet also points out the need for fresh icons to take the franchise to new heights. 4. 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi' (1983) Let's just put this out there now: Ewoks aren't that bad. And the alien creature quotient is at an all-time high when you toss in Jabba the Hutt's crew, Admiral Ackbar and Nien Nunb. What makes this movie so special are all the satisfying conclusions. Luke says goodbye to Yoda in a touching moment, Leia finding out that Luke is her brother is emotional but not cloying, the Rebel Alliance vs. Empire space sequence is a highlight, Han Solo is less of a scoundrel than ever, and Luke and Vader's climactic father-son throwdown is a thing of redemptive wonder. Check yourself for a pulse if you're not getting the chills after Vader tosses the Emperor down a shaft or when he says, 'Let me look on you with my own eyes' to Luke before dying. A perfect ending – at least until ol' George went and got rid of the Ewoks' celebratory 'Yub nub' song and stuck young Anakin in the Dead Jedi Ghost Club. 3. 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015) J.J. Abrams introduces the best characters since fans first laid eyes on Han, Luke and Leia. Daisy Ridley's Rey is wicked smart and a capable hero in a universe with the baddies of the First Order on the warpath. John Boyega's ex-Stormtrooper Finn and Han are brothers from another mother, Oscar Isaac's pilot Poe is as cool and refreshing as a tall glass of blue milk, and Adam Driver's Kylo does his best Vader impression as a maniacal villain with some serious emotional issues. Abrams gets dangerously close to recycling old material, but instead he uses those familiar motifs to set the stage for a (mostly) exciting third trilogy and crafts arguably the best final shot ever in a "Star Wars" film. 2. 'Star Wars' (1977) Whether Han shot first or not, the original remains the real deal mostly because of all the great character moments. Luke is a whiny farmboy who has big dreams when he looks out over the two-sun horizon of Tatooine and he knows his destiny lies beyond. Old 'Ben' Kenobi explaining to Luke that Darth Vader 'murdered' his father Anakin, a scene that has much more richness revisiting it later. Han cynically explaining that hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster, though it seems like he's trying to convince himself of this a bit. C-3PO constantly complaining to R2-D2 and Artoo taking it like a champ. And Leia putting on a brave face as she faces Vader and the destruction of her planet. Even Vader feeling there's something up when Luke makes his trench run on the Death Star. We don't need to know much about their history or where they come from to quickly fall in love with all these players as they begin their long journey. 1. 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) Simply the best. It might rank highly just due to AT-ATs, the Imperial Walkers that are arguably the coolest things that have ever stomped across a movie screen. Yet there is so much greatness to "Empire" on a surface level but also digging deeper. Vader's reveal to Luke about being the kid's father is an all-time truth bomb, and is made better when compared to Luke's visions of the man behind the mask when training with Yoda. Luke training with Yoda and each kinda getting ticked off at the other is priceless. But really "Empire" is like a Star Destroyer full of these scenes: Han saving Luke in the deadly cold of Hoth by warming him up in Tauntaun guts; Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) betraying his old friend Han in order to save his city; Han and Leia's "I love you/I know' exchange before the smuggler gets frozen in carbonite. And on and on. You could argue that it's one of the best sequels of all time but for this series at least, it's the chapter that takes a cool sci-fi fairy tale with Arthurian overtones and sent it on its way to being a masterwork of storytelling.
