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Visions Revisited: 5 Highlights from “The Spy Dancer”

Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 is here! New episodes of the anthology series are now streaming on Disney+, featuring original shorts from some of the world’s best animation studios. In Visions Revisited, StarWars.com picks the greatest moments from each short.

Spoiler warning: This article discusses story details from the Star Wars: Visions episode “The Spy Dancer.“

At first, Loi’e’s Follies seems like any other cabaret, a spectacle served with a drink to help Imperial soldiers blow off some steam in their off hours. But backstage, Loi’e is a part of a growing rebellion against the intruders who changed her life forever when they came to her world. For this spy and star, it’s personal. Here are five highlights from “The Spy Dancer,” directed by Julien Chheng, and now streaming on Disney+.

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Visions Revisited: 5 Highlights from “Journey to the Dark Head”

Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 is here! New episodes of the anthology series are now streaming on Disney+, featuring original shorts from some of the world’s best animation studios. In Visions Revisited, StarWars.com picks the greatest moments from each short.

Spoiler warning: This article discusses story details from the Star Wars: Visions episode “Journey to the Dark Head.“

Balance can come in many forms.

For Star Wars: Visions Volume 2, Studio Mir has created “Journey to the Dark Head,” an unpredictable tale of a two unlikely partners: a haunted young Jedi named Toul, and Ara, a mechanic determined to end the war between the Jedi and the Sith. Ara believes that by cutting off the head of a giant “dark” statue, she can accomplish her goal; Toul is ordered to join

Jedi at 40 | Ben Burtt and Randy Thom on Crafting Ewokese, Jabba's Voice, and the Rancor's Roar

Ben Burtt and Randy Thom are two legends in the world of sound. Burtt is, of course, known for his early work in shaping the Star Wars galaxy, from the hum of the lightsaber to the beeps of R2-D2. Thom began his journey at Skywalker Sound (then known as Sprocket Systems) on Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and is still working at the company, with his most recent project as sound designer for this year’s megahit, The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Burtt (as sound designer) and Thom (as re-recording mixer) worked together on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, which, at the time, was the most sonically ambitious Star Wars project ever, earning them both an Academy Award nomination. The crafting of the Ewok dialect, the Sarlacc’s squeal, and

Jedi at 40 | Into the Rancor Pit with Dennis Muren and Phil Tippett

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arrived in theaters on May 25, 1983, bringing an end to the original trilogy in memorable fashion. Marking its 40th anniversary, StarWars.com presents “Jedi at 40,” a series of articles celebrating the film that brought us Jabba’s palace, Ewoks, Luke Skywalker’s final confrontation with the Emperor and Darth Vader, and so much more.

The rancor looms large for a creature whose appearance on screen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi lasts for a mere three minutes. In a scene that brings suspense, terror, and action into the dimly lit dungeon beneath Jabba the Hutt’s dais, the ravenous beast lumbers into view, crunching through a Gamorrean guard before turning its formidable and fearsome visage toward Luke Skywalker.

Roaring fully into camera with a snarling

Jedi at 40 | ILM Legend Thomas G. Smith on the Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

It may be hard to believe, but some good actually came from the Empire’s second Death Star.

For Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Industrial Light & Magic had built a huge model of the new technological terror’s surface — “two times larger than a tennis court,” legendary ILM general manager Thomas G. Smith tells StarWars.com — and it was too large to be stored after filming. On the orders of George Lucas himself, who usually saved and preserved every model from the Star Wars films, it was to be trashed. So, Smith and some other ILMers took the model apart, rented some trucks, and drove the pieces to a nearby garbage dump. But someone actually wanted to save the Death Star.

“My son was working at summer employment there,

Jedi at 40 | From a Certain Point of View: What’s the Best Moment in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi?

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arrived in theaters on May 25, 1983, bringing an end to the original trilogy in memorable fashion. Marking its 40th anniversary, StarWars.com presents “Jedi at 40,” a series of articles celebrating the film that brought us Jabba’s palace, Ewoks, Luke Skywalker’s final confrontation with the Emperor and Darth Vader, and so much more.

One of the great things about Star Wars is that it inspires endless debates and opinions on a wide array of topics. Best bounty hunter? Most powerful Jedi? Does Salacious B. Crumb have the best haircut in the saga? In that spirit, StarWars.com presents From a Certain Point of View: a series of point-counterpoints on some of the biggest — and most fun — Star Wars issues. As we celebrate the

Jedi at 40 | Fashion Illustrator Marilee Heyer on Her Stunning Leia Concepts

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arrived in theaters on May 25, 1983, bringing an end to the original trilogy in memorable fashion. Marking its 40th anniversary, StarWars.com presents “Jedi at 40,” a series of articles celebrating the film that brought us Jabba’s palace, Ewoks, Luke Skywalker’s final confrontation with the Emperor and Darth Vader, and so much more.

Star Wars artwork aficionados who browse the pages of 1983’s The Art of Return of the Jedi are often inspired by the illustrations of pioneering Star Wars artists Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Nilo Rodis-Jamero, among others. Readers might be struck, though, by a pair of stunning profile illustrations of Princess Leia on page 49 that appear unlike any other artists’ work seen in the book. The portrait illustrations, which depict

Jedi at 40 | 40 Great Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Quotes

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arrived in theaters on May 25, 1983, bringing an end to the original trilogy in memorable fashion. Marking its 40th anniversary, StarWars.com presents “Jedi at 40,” a series of articles celebrating the film that brought us Jabba’s palace, Ewoks, Luke Skywalker’s final confrontation with the Emperor and Darth Vader, and so much more.

Great quotes and Star Wars go hand in hand, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is filled with wonderful lines that are as entertaining as they are profound. It’s hard not to feel a swell of emotion hearing Luke’s resolve to save his father. We also can’t keep ourselves from smiling as Han, Leia, and Lando snark their way into saving the galaxy. Then, of course, there are the Emperor’s

Jedi at 40 | 11 of the Strangest and Deadliest Denizens of Jabba's Palace

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arrived in theaters on May 25, 1983, bringing an end to the original trilogy in memorable fashion. Marking its 40th anniversary, StarWars.com presents “Jedi at 40,” a series of articles celebrating the film that brought us Jabba’s palace, Ewoks, Luke Skywalker’s final confrontation with the Emperor and Darth Vader, and so much more.

Mos Eisley may notoriously be the wretched hive of scum and villainy. But if you have the courage and venture further, you’ll find the most disreputable characters in the galaxy lurking in the shadows of Jabba the Hutt’s throne room. Space-faring creatures, profit-seeking bounty hunters, spies, smugglers, and off-worlders just looking for a party, Jabba’s palace is the place to be. That is, unless you have a price on your head.

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Remembering Ray Stevenson

We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of our dear friend Ray Stevenson. Ray was an incredible combination of talent, warmth, humor, and heart. 

We were lucky to have Ray join the Star Wars galaxy as Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and then more recently as Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka. His ability to play a villain, while being such a kind and caring person in reality, is a testament to his incredible talent.

„We have lost a great talent and friend in Ray Stevenson,“ said Dave Filoni, creator and executive producer of the upcoming Ahsoka series and executive creative director for Lucasfilm. „His kindness and generosity were felt by our entire team on Ahsoka. I always looked forward to working with Ray, and I appreciated his insight and daily