Fancy watching a movie on your mobile phone, where figures leap out from the screen in 3D, rather as Princess Leia did in that scene from “Star Wars”? That’s the claim made by US researchers, who on Wednesday reported they had made a display which gives a three-dimensional image that can be viewed without special glasses and is intended for cellphones, tablets and watches. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Phys.org
So sure, Carrie Fisher recently confirmed that she will return as Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode VII. Not that we wouldn’t love that – it would be incredible seeing Ms Fisher back in the bagel buns – but she does have an entertaining habit of messing us round. Who else could follow up confirmation of her involvement in Episode VII with the claim that Leia will be “suffering from sundowners syndrome?”
…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Movies
By Steve Symington, The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
Earlier this week, the entertainment world was abuzz with excitement following comments from Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher — also known as Princess Leia.
The rumor mill
But first, here’s some background for those of you who haven’t been keeping track.
Star Wars rumors have been swirling since last November, when Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4 billion and wasted no time announcing plans for a Star Wars: Episode VII movie, slated for release in 2015.
Shortly afterward, a “highly placed source” told Entertainment Weekly that Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill were all “upbeat” about the prospects of reprising their respective roles as Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker.
Commence nerdy meltdowns:
Source: Fanboys movie
Now fast-forward to this week.
When asked during an interview if she could confirm whether she would return to as Leia in the new sequel, Fisher simply replied, “Yes.” Then she jokingly suggested Leia will be elderly, “in an intergalactic old folks’ home, [and] just like she was before, only slower and less inclined to be up for the big battle.”
Of course, Fisher’s rep later quickly tried to douse the rumors, insisting she was only kidding about the role.
Meet your maker
Then George Lucas himself stepped out and matter-of-factly told Bloomberg Businessweek that Hamill, Fisher, and Ford are ready to suit up. Apparently, according to Lucas, all three were on board even before Disney’s acquisition of his company:
We had already signed Mark and Carrie and Harrison — or we were pretty much in the final stages of negotiation. Maybe I’m not supposed to say that. I think they want to announce that with some big whoop-de-do, but we were negotiating with them. I won’t say whether negotiations were successful or not.
It’s OK, George. We forgive you.
But this is an investing site, right?
So who wins in this scenario? Arguably everyone.
Aside from the fact Fisher, Hamill, and Ford were almost certainly lured in part by massive paydays, it’s safe to say Disney probably knows better than any other company the long-term value of stirring excitement for an iconic brand.
In fact, that’s one big reason I recently offered Disney as a viable option for investors looking for stocks to hold for the next 50 years.
If that weren’t enough, thanks to Disney’s $4 billion acquisition in 2009 of comics powerhouse Marvel — which boasts its own library of more than 9,000 characters — the House of Mouse has a whole …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
By Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
The string of record-high closes for the Dow Jones Industrials reached four today, as the Dow climbed 68 points on the heels of a strong employment report. Some economists downplayed the report, arguing that it doesn’t yet fully incorporate the impact of higher tax rates for 2013 as well as other looming threats, like government spending cuts under the sequester. Yet, investors weren’t inclined to worry too much about those future fears, instead taking the S&P 500 to within 1% of its record-high close back in 2007.
Within the Dow, Disney was the top gainer. The stock rocketed higher by almost 2% after the company announced that the next installment of the Star Wars saga would feature original Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher, along with Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill, who played Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, respectively. With billions of moviegoers waiting impatiently for the seventh film in the series, Disney has some serious star power to send the movie into hyperdrive.
McDonald’s climbed 1.7% after announcing its sales results for the month of February. Even though same-store sales disturbingly fell again, one thing to note is that last February had 29 days due to the 2012 leap year. Once you take out that impact, same-store sales worldwide were actually up 1.7%. Still, the domestic introduction of Fish McBites, and other attempts to boost revenue, didn’t produce the results that the company had hoped for. The company needs to reawaken growth in order to sustain its share-price gains.
Trucking giant Navistar jumped another 11%, adding to its 28% gain yesterday. As often happens, an analyst upgrade provided a second leg up for the stock after the company’s strong earnings results prompted yesterday’s rise. With activist investor Carl Icahn involved in the stock and endorsing the company’s new CEO, Navistar appears to have made big strides in turning itself around.
Finally, Hecla Mining rebounded 4% after a big drop earlier in the week after the company made a bid for Aurizon Mines. Investors were initially worried that Hecla may have overpaid for the company in its attempt to outbid Alamos Gold, but an analyst upgrade suggested that the acquisition may actually add value for Hecla going forward.
Has Lucasfilm made Disney a must-buy for investors? Find out in The Motley Fool’s new premium research report, which lays out the case for investing in Disney today. This report includes the key items investors must watch, as well as the opportunities and threats the company faces going forward. So don’t miss out — simply click here now to claim your copy today.
var FoolAnalyticsData = FoolAnalyticsData || []; …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
By Dorothy Pomerantz, Forbes Staff
It’s looking more and more like Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford are actually returning to a galaxy far, far away to reprise their roles as Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in the newest Star Wars film from Disney slated to hit theaters in 2015. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Evann Gastaldo 
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Newser – Home
There might be a new hope (see what we did there?) for those yearning to see the offspring of the Skywalkers and Solos on the big screen.
According to veteran Hollywood columnist Roger Friedman at Showbiz 411, Star Wars: Episode VII will be set “some time in the future
. Han, Princess Leia (with a presumably better hairstyle), and Luke Skywalker will be a lot older. Their children will be the new main characters. RsD2
and C-3PO will be unchanged, I would guess. since they are not human. But suffice to say, the three main actors are definitely coming back. The bigger question is, which young actors will play their kids?”
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Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Movies
Well, by now we’ve all read the reports about Lucasfilm possibly developing a young Han Solo standalone Star Wars movie. Since the film is said to be set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, a new actor would have to be cast in the role made famous by now 70-year-old Harrison Ford.
So who should assume the mantle of the Corellian smuggler, Princess Leia‘s beloved scoundrel, and the captain of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy?
…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Movies
Following a record breaking debut on Cartoon Network, LEGO and Lucasfilm announced today that LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out will be getting a DVD release on March 26.
Here’s the official synopsis: “The heroes of the Rebel Alliance including heroic Luke Skywalker, swaggering Han Solo and steadfast Princess Leia have no time to celebrate their victory over the Empire as a new Imperial threat arises. But as Jedi-in training Luke embarks on this next mission, he discovers that his celebrity status as a ‘Death-Star-Blower-Upper’ can be a double-edged lightsaber when he’s constantly mobbed by crazed fans. So much for secret missions! Meanwhile, Darth Vader and Darth Maul are locked in a hilarious ‘Sith-ling’ rivalry as they compete for the Emperor’s approval. It’s an action-packed comic adventure that’s out of this world!”
Source: FULL ARTICLE at IGN Movies
