#but i LOVE rogue one. love it love it. (felicity jones will you marry me. diego luna will you be my bff)

[soleadita]

my dad being a diego luna stan was not on my 2022 bingo card but holy SHIT it’s my favorite thing ever. (i had to tell him the new season ISN’T starting soon. he was sad about that.)

[colleybri]

Cassian x Bix and Rebelcaptain: Please let these ships be friends !

I ‘ship’ Cassian x Bix AND Cassian x Jyn. I see there has been some conflict in the past when the “new woman” was first brought in with the series, some that remains now, and I’m both saddened and bemused by that.

Rebelcaptain for me is a canon relationship… to a certain extent. I have no doubt that these brave heroes would have ended up together had they lived. That’s why I love it… the whole beautiful tragedy of what might have been, and the loyalty that binds people together when making a sacrifice like this. Were they actually in love, in canon? For me – no. Not yet. And that’s important for my personal enjoyment of Rogue One, especially its ending. As the novelisation stresses, Cassian dies without knowing Jyn as “There wasn’t the time”. And I simply don’t believe you can love someone without knowing them . But I enjoy the idea of exploring what would have happened had they lived. They are a perfect loyal “battle couple”, definitely my favourite fanon SW couple and great to imagine together. I see Rebelcaptain also as a way of giving them the happy ending they deserved. Oh - and the chemistry between Felicity Jones and Diego Luna on-screen is absolutely electric. In short and again: I have no doubt that they would have fallen in love had they lived and would have been perfect for each other. And they are a perfect fanon ship.

(^^ And I I think this is the exact moment in canon when they both acknowledge the loss of what might have been. It’s just heartbreakingly beautiful… )

Cassian x Bix - I don’t even think of it as a ‘ship’ per se as it is a 100% canon relationship, and one that is currently ongoing as we wait for Andor S2.. It’s fascinating to me – 17 years of friendship that has occasionally blossomed into a romantic/sexual relationship. It’s a genuinely unusual set up too. I’ve read a few takes that they are “over each other” by the time of the start of the series, to which I want to say … watch again, closely! They certainly have moved on to date different people, but it’s also very clear from their interactions (especially in the intense scene in Ep 7) that there is still a lot of extremely deep feeling between them – even if some of it is very negative. In the S1 production notes, the show’s creator Tony Gilroy says that they “are meant to be together… but it’s been impossible all these years. Now, she’s done with him … he’s burnt every last bridge .” Why? The series also provides the answer – Cassian is in many ways an absolute mess at the start of the season and Bix was quite rightly fed up with him as a boyfriend. He’s completely unreliable, likes short-lived affairs (often with married women - so no risk of commitment!), isn’t working regularly and has debts all over the place. This largely stems from his “unresolved childhood trauma”. He has a fear of “leaving people behind” and despite having a lot of love to give “ is so scared of being loved”. But he and Bix nonetheless prove to be incredibly loyal friends and their love in this platonic sense clearly runs very deep indeed. They have known each other since he was 10 so she is also something like a sister figure. Bix is still very protective of Cassian and takes personal risks for him… and he finally comes to appreciate this and pay back his metaphorical debt to her in the finale. The question now is what season 2 holds for them, if anything.

(^^ I love the way she is using her fingertips to push his hand off, as if to avoid the risk of too much touch. The gesture and look that says “Please don’t try and get close to me again because we both know how bad that is for us… but I’m such a total idiot when it comes to you that I will still very unwisely go out of my way to help you, especially when you look at me like that so please just don’t”)

Does loving their messy and complicated relationship mean that I want Cassian and Bix to ‘end up together’ ? No, and the obvious additional point is that they don’t! They are both going to be very different people at the start of S2 and over the following years of the story . Bix has been traumatised; Cassian has been radicalised. And that’s just the start. Perhaps they quickly drift apart. Perhaps some kind of betrayal is involved. Perhaps one or both of them will want to commit again to a relationship, but it’s impossible because of the demands of the rebellion (like Vel /Cinta). Perhaps Bix “ends up with” someone else (Brasso, ideally, especially if they both survive the season). Perhaps they will get back together at least for a while and enjoy a little last happiness before inevitable heartbreak. Perhaps all, some or none of these. But none of that stops me from loving and appreciating what they do have, what they have had up to now, and the intriguing dynamics of when they do interact on screen. Bix x Cassian attracts me as a fanfic ship because it’s all about exploring what is there and how it came to be, which is why I currently don’t write them beyond the present time of series 1. I’m waiting to see what happens next in Canon, as it were, because that to me is an important part of writing them. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying analysing the relationship by imagining them in the past.

So for me Bix x Cassian in no way impacts on Jyn x Cassian or vice versa, especially if you apply… real life principles rather than the ideals of fandoms: “soulmates” and OTPs. Many people – most people – will have a beautifully intense and loving relationship with more than one person at different times of their lives. I’m old – trust me on this one.

^^ Both relationships in these two scenes go way beyond romance. In the first - many years of close and loyal friendship. In the second: a bond created through brave and selfless sacrifice together. And for both: Cassian’s absolute hatred of being “someone who leaves people behind”: the quality that I love best about him. And saving each other. Literally and metaphorically.

And oh… it’s beautiful. Both moments are beautiful.

Edit: I won’t do any speculating here about the content of the sizzle-reel trailers. Except to say that there’s nothing in them that detracts from the emotional power of both ships. They can continue to happily coexist. 

[aomoviegeek]

Would Elizabeth Olsen be a good choice for Rey’s mother?

The reason I bring this up is because I would have really loved to see Elizabeth Olsen play the role of Luke Skywalker’s wife & (hopefully) Rey’s mother and she’s one of the few actresses I would love to see play that particular role, aside from Felicity Jones (who played Jyn Erso in Rogue One and who I wish survived & went on to marry Luke and become Rey’s mother) and Keri Russell (who I still hope is Luke's wife/Rey's mother in Episode IX).

There’s quite a few reasons I think she would 

Elizabeth’s a huge Star Wars fan

She was actually supposed to play Rey, but had to turn down the role since The Force Awakens and Avengers: Age of Ultron were filming at the same time.

She & Daisy Ridley actually do look a little bit alike. I found a couple of mashup photos of them. (Photo 1 & Photo 2) 

A lot of fans (including myself) would love to see Sebastian Stan (who stars in the MCU, alongside Elizabeth, as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier) in the role of a young Luke Skywalker. Elizabeth and Sebastian seem to have a great friendship. There’s an adorable GIF of them laughing together at the Avengers: Infinity War premiere and then here’s an equally-adorable video of them meeting and talking a bit at that same premiere...

Imagine these two together in a Luke Skywalker anthology film with Sebastian as Luke and Elizabeth as... Mara Jade maybe? 

So anyway, yeah. That should be everything.

Do you think Elizabeth Olsen would be/would have made a good choice for the role of Luke’s wife/Rey’s mother?

And believe me, I still wish Jyn Erso survived Rogue One and went on to become Mrs. Skywalker. In fact, who’s to say we couldn’t have it both ways?

Luke and his two wives: Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Mara Jade (Elizabeth Olsen). The three of them in a polyamorous marriage with Rey as their daughter. And Rey gets two badass mothers.

But I’ll just save that idea for another post in the future.

Like I said...

So yep, I guess that wraps it up... for now.

[pingou7]

(Almost) one year ago I saw Rogue One and it changed my life.

Since @jenniferjuni-per loves to hear stories of the first viewing, here’s mine:

(Beware it’s a long post)

I remember clearly too, I was in a dark place, physically, mentally… it wasn’t good.

My parents had called me back to them, fed me, kept me warm, tried to cheer me up. It was mildly successful. They’d seen some ad about a Star Wars movie, knew I was into it, so they’ve arranged for one of my (very busy) best friends to take me so we could see it together like we’ve done TFA a year prior. She is a sucker for OT, found the prequels disappointing but liked TFA a good deal.

It was January 7th — my lucky number — and I had no expectations. She teased me about the female protagonist being named after Joan of Arc, as I am, and I explained to her that Felicity Jones was Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey and Diego Luna was the guy from Dirty Dancing Havana Nights.

Soon as I got sucked into the story, she got a bit bored even if each quip from K2SO had her cackling (she said he was my inner voice).

Then… the Saw/Jyn confrontation. You see, I have a Saw in my life, that I got estranged from mere weeks before. It rang so true from both sides it was painful. I sobbed while she patted my back, commiserating.

Tarkin on screen, she grinned while I cringed. We were both convinced Chirrut and Baze were married, only Disney couldn’t show that. We were overjoyed by the Bail Organa and Mon Mothma cameos. We’ve remarked upon the lack of personal space between Cassian and Jyn. The Vader scene on Mustafar had me confused at first (the bacta tank wasn’t linked to Anakin for me) but I think it was her favorite. She whispered “You were my brother Anakin, I loved you” while Vader choked Krennic and I snorted.

Against all odds, I wanted the team to succeed and be alive, she knew by that point all would die.

Scarif happened. I was devastated, she was glad to have guessed right. The elevator scene was like a slap in the face, I knew I’d ship Jyn and Cassian from now on. She found the beach scene aesthetically pretty. It gutted me out and I cried for the second time. Second Vader scene had us gripping each other. We saw Carrie Fisher, we’ve held hands because she had just passed away a few days before and said something like miss you, rest in peace.

Leaving, she said it was a good movie, but forgettable, she didn’t even memorize the names of the characters. I wanted a Kaytoo plushie I didn’t find, got in the car, and launched AO3 on my phone, I remember seeing around fifty RebelCaptain stories. Then she said:

Rogue One it’s Saving Private Ryan in space… except there’s a white woman — basically Joan of Arc — various representatives of Asian people and a Latino, oh and of course, there’s Darth Vader too.

Me: … That’s the truth, from a certain view.

She’d smirked because I quoted Kenobi, but internally I was like: ‘Scuse me but I need to cry a bit about cynical friends and the lack of recognition Rogue One has just suffered from.

I’m one with the Force and the Force is with me…

And yet, here I still am, cosy among my fandom fam, I feel better thanks to this movie and the people I met through it, so… thank you !

[ourwonderlists]

The Biggest Celebrity Weddings of 2018

Who does not love a celebrity wedding? The year, 2018, has already hosted some huge A-list weddings! From surprising 'I do's to that massive royal wedding, have a look at some of the celebrity couples who've tied the knot this year!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

No other wedding in 2018 could ever compete with the royal occasion of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s one. The famous Suits actress chose a magnificent gown design by Givenchy’s creative director Claire Waight Keller made of white silk with a bateau neckline and a sophisticated veil featuring flowers from all 53 of the Commonwealth countries.

The royal wedding took place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. This occasion witnessed a guest list worthy of the Oscars, with Oprah, The Beckhams, George and Amal Clooney, and Idris Elba invited. This day was all about memorable moments that neither the Royals nor us could ever forget; Prince Harry whispering, “You look amazing. I’m so lucky,” to his new bride Meghan, and the cutest Princess Charlotte’s happy wave to the crowd, and the cherry on top was the legendary Bishop’s speech!

Felicity Jones and Charles Guard

The “Theory of Everything" actress, Felicity Jones tied the knot with her boyfriend of three years Charles Guard in Sudeley Castle in Glouchestershire in June this year. Among the numerous attendees were A-list pal Tom Hanks and her on-screen husband Eddie Redmayne and his wife Hannah. The bride wore a Victoriana-style full-sleeved white dress with a sheer décolletage and a frilled neckline, while the groom dressed in a three-piece classic suit. 

The Rogue One star did ditch tradition in one way, by reportedly giving a bride's speech (following in fellow 2018 bride Meghan Markle's shoes perhaps...).

Hugh Grant and Anna Eberstein

Matthew Lewis and Angela Jones

Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis, who played the role of the chubby student Neville Longbottom tied the knot with his girlfriend Angela. Lewis, who grew up to be a handsome man, revealed the news of his marriage in a witty Twitter post by sharing a picture of him and his new partner with the caption, “Not only did I miss @ArcticMonkeys in LA but they were performing in Italy at the same time we were there and my wife made me get married instead. Fuming.”

The couple celebrated their union in a magical garden ceremony in Portofino, Italy. The Harry Potter actor was destined to meet his lifetime partner at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, where Angela was an event planner. Matt looked sophisticated in a black tuxedo, while Angela chose a two-piece lace dress. The couple stole a moment after exchanging vows in a 'Just Married' boat that took them to their wedding reception.

Emily Ratajkowski and Sebastian Bear-McClard

While every woman dreams of a fairytale white gown, model Emily Ratajkowski decided to wear a beautiful Suit from Zara to her wedding at City Hall. The seducing Gone Girl actress posed with her husband Sebastian at New York City Hall in an amazing burnt yellow ensemble for just £120, crowned off with a black hat and veil.

This couple who had only been dating for a few months now, were surprised when Emily broke the news through an Instagram Story to stunned fans that read, “So I have a surprise, I got married today.” Emily’s pet pug was among the wedding’s tiny number of attendees, which also included Instagram personality The Fat Jew, better known as Josh Ostrovsky, as a witness.

[starwarsdc]

Women!

The title is simple and direct: this post is about women in the SW fandom. While watching The People vs. George Lucas last week, I was struck by the overwhelming number of white dudes featured. There were a couple of women sprinkled throughout, although none of them were onscreen for very long, and were not given much narrative attention by the documentary itself. This lack of female perspective disappointed me, but did not surprise me. Despite the fact that women invented science-fiction (thanks, Mary Shelley), made Star Trek possible (thanks, Lucille Ball), orchestrated the first fandom convention, play more video games than teenage boys, and attend conventions at the same rate as men, women’s presence in geek spaces is still seen as an oddity or a transgression. That’s why I’m dedicating this post to discussing women in the theaters and on screen in Star Wars.

In December, Newsweek published this article: ‘STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI’ OWES ITS BOX-OFFICE SUCCESS TO WOMEN by Anna Menta. I’ve selected excerpts and pasted them below:

According to data collected by Box Office Mojo, the audience breakdown for opening night for The Last Jedi was 58 percent male and 43 percent female. That’s a 10 percent jump in how many women attended opening night for The Force Awakens in 2015. That opening-night audience was 67 percent male, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (More women showed up to the box office in the weeks that followed.) Viewers are also getting younger—37 percent of those who turned out for opening night of The Last Jedi was 25 years old or younger.

It’s no accident.

“I love Rey. She’s so brave, I love watching her,” 16-year-old Faith Rodriguez toldNewsweek while she waited for the rest of her friends to arrive at the AMC Empire 25 theater in Times Square Thursday night. Faith grew up watching Star Wars with her dad, but she didn’t become a superfan until the new series. “I like The Force Awakens more than the first Star Wars,” she said.

The first film in Disney’s new Star Wars trilogy introduced Rey, the Jedi hero played by Daisy Ridley. And she’s undoubtedly one of biggest draws for new, young female fans. “I gotta say, when I see a woman who is the lead in a big action film, I instantly felt more connected to the series,” 18-year-old Addie Golden said.

Lisa Calagna, 29, agreed. She said she didn’t get into Star Wars until late in life—her fianceé forced her to watch the films before they were married. But she thinks a character like Rey might have piqued her interest earlier. “My niece is 8, and she’s obsessed with the films,” Calagna said. “It’s great to have that female role model. If I had [Rey], it might have helped me get into the movies earlier.”

[T]he appeal to women—especially younger women—is deliberate on the studio’s part. After introducing Rey in 2015, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, a vital female addition to the Hollywood’s executive universe, promised even more “really strong women.” And she has delivered, first with Ridley as Rey and Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma in The Force Awakens, and then Felicity Jones’ starring role in the 2016 anthology film Rogue One. In The Last Jedi, the Star Wars universe finally gets a woman of color in its main cast: Kelly Marie Tran, who plays Rose, a Resistance maintenance worker who gets close to Finn (John Boyega).

“Rose is so important to me, as the first main woman of color,” said Chelsea St. Juniors, 29, who is black. “To see all my friends who are Asian so excited for Rose, it’s amazing. Our time is now, basically!”

Disney being Disney, the company has put a lot of effort into promoting the new women of Star Wars through toys, clothes and other memorabilia. This, too, is new ground for the galaxy far, far away. Kate Fueyo, 21, and Alex Welch, 20, are screenwriting students at New York University and lifelong Star Wars fans. The attended the opening-night screening decked out in Star Wars shirts.

“I used to own like every piece of Leia merch they made, and it wasn’t much,” lamented Fueyo. Welch agreed, laughing, “Yeah, I had like the two Leia figurines you could find at Toys ‘R’ Us.”  

“You can find Star Wars fans a lot of places, but social media helps you find specifically female fans who are on the same wavelength,” said Fueyo. Welch agreed, adding, “Because of the internet, now I have friends who I can talk about Star Wars with all over the country. I have friends in Ireland, Scotland—I think that’s pretty cool. And they’re all women.”

Star Wars’ female fan base is not new. Women who love the original trilogy adore Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia, while viewers who grew up with the prequels had Natalie Portman’s Queen Amidala. But as more and more female characters enter the Star Wars universe, it’s not surprising that more and more women will show up and buy tickets—taking the place of the older, male fans who are so vocal about losing interest in the series.

And it’s about time, say the die-hard women who have been there all along.

“Growing up, I was the only girl I knew who liked Star Wars,” said Chloe Jandsten, 27, who was in full Han Solo gear for opening night. “Seeing a woman central on theStar Wars posters—even now it makes me tear up.”

I, along with thousands of other women like me, am glad that there are more women in the Star Wars universe. However, while there are more women, there is still a huge gender disparity in the number of leading roles for men and women in the SW universe. For the first six movies, there were only two main roles for women, one main woman per trilogy: Leia and Padmé (yes, I realize Shmi Skywalker and Mon Mothma are important, however, they are hardly on screen and do not appear in every film). Even in the recent movies, Rey is still outnumbered in our main trio two-to-one, and surrounded by other men (Like Luke and Kylo Ren) rather than other women. Jyn Erso is surrounded by male companions and male antagonists. She is the only significant woman in the film! The introduction of Captain Phasma and General Holdo are encouraging, yet, women remain a minority when it comes to SW characters. More female characters mean more entry points, inspiration, and representation for female fans. Hopefully, future creators will add even more women to universe!

In my next post, I will highlight several women in the SW fandom here on Tumblr and elsewhere on the internet!