Perhaps the biggest news in pop culture this week comes in the form of Lucasfilm being sold to Disney and the release of NBC’s midseason TV lineup. Stay ahead of the curve and check out some of the biggest headlines in entertainment.
The “Star Wars” Wars:
For the negligible fee of $4.05 billion, Disney has purchased Lucasfilm, the production company behind the “Star Wars” franchise. The studio plans to release “Star Wars Episode 7” and beyond beginning in 2015.
Upon hearing this news, die-hard geeks and casual admirers stormed the Internet to voice their concerns. Which characters and stories will the new films highlight? Who will direct the new installment? To which network will the “Clone Wars” TV series relocate? Is Disney slowly taking over the world, one company at a time?
The answer to the last question is an emphatic “yes.”
Mythbadsters:
Two rabid fan bases will unite next spring when the Discovery Channel airs a new episode of “Mythbusters” in which Jamie and Adam challenge the scientific feats portrayed on AMC’s critically acclaimed series, “Breaking Bad.” The episode will tackle two scientific phenomena from the show’s first season, including the use of hydrofluoric acid to dissolve a corpse.
Actor Aaron Paul, who plays Jesse Pinkman, and series creator Vince Gilligan will make guest appearances in the episode, which films this week. For those who may be curious, the producers have confirmed that the episode will not provide lessons on methamphetamine production.
Box Office Bonding: Requests for martinis “shaken, not stirred” will increase exponentially this weekend with the release of “Skyfall,” the 23rd James Bond film.
Directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig in his third appearance as the famous spy, this film has attracted rave early notices from critics, who have noted the remarkable uptick in quality from the relative letdown of Bond’s last adventure “Quantum of Solace.”
The perceived success of this installment sparked apparently false but nonetheless enticing rumors that the next two Bond films would tell one continuous story. Alas, no such plans are in the works…yet.
Do the NBC Shuffle:
NBC, currently television’s most popular network, announced its midseason programming schedule, including January and beyond.
In happy news for a battered fan base, the beloved “Community” finally return on Feb. 8 at 8p.m., restored to its hallowed Thursday timeslot after the brief portent of banishment to Fridays.
Meanwhile, “Revolution,” the fall’s most successful new show, will take a four-month hiatus in order to run continuously throughout the spring. Considering previous demonstrations of audiences’ short attention spans, this move may prove detrimental. Meanwhile, the proposed Dwight-centric spinoff of “The Office” has been permanently removed from the schedule.
Aguilera Love:
Propelled by the success of the hit competition series “The Voice,” Christina Aguilera has made progress in restoring her musical credibility, all but diminished after her 2010 trainwreck album, “Bionic.”
Her well-received new single “Your Body” may get a boost from her fun collaboration with Jimmy Fallon, The Roots and office supplies on NBC’s “Late Night,” and her new album “Lotus” drops this Tuesday.
Aguilera has defended the aforementioned “Bionic,” claiming that audiences had to “know music” in order to appreciate it. Hopefully, the quality of the new album will be accessible to people regardless of their musical knowledge.
mlieberman@theeagleonline.com
