Star Wars Celebration is Here!!

IT'S HERE!!!

Didn't think I'd post on this blog again (I just never seem to have the time) but this is Star Wars Celebration and I'm hyped!!

Ok, technically it starts tomorrow but every Celebration fan knows that it really starts the day before with the now legendary over night queues and a pizza dinner courtesy of Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm!  So totally jealous of everyone lucky enough to be there this year.  I had a blast at Celebration Europe last year and I'm gutted that I can't be in Orlando this year but I'll be there in spirit watching the live stream every step of the way!

Last year was incredible but this year promises to be even more epic, kicking off with a celebratory 40 Years of Star Wars panel that we're promised will set the tone for the whole weekend.  Now, the rest of the weekend promises some pretty massive events (like, oh, a teaser trailer for The Last Jedi!!) so I'm really excited to see what they have in store here.

Then there's star panels with Billy Dee Williams (man that dude needs to be in the sequel trilogy at some point), Ian McDiarmid and Ray Park, plus a panel with Dave Filoni called "Animated Origins and Unexpected Fates".  Now, last year the Rogue One panel was amazing but my favourite was probably the Rebels panel, Dave Filoni certainly knows how to work a Celebration audience and this panel could reveal anything from more Clone Wars secrets to a new animated series so it's definitely one to watch.  I pray they put it on the live stream.

And that's just Thursday!  Friday features a star panel for the awesome Warwick Davis (who was a fantastic stage host at Celebration Europe), The Making of Rogue One and a little something called The Last Jedi.  And, of course, Mark Hamill's Tribute to Carrie Fisher.  A panel that will hopefully be as beautiful and witty as the woman herself, a true celebration of her life.

Saturday brings the Rebels Season 4 panel to the Galaxy Stage.  Last year they screened the first two episodes but looking at the panel times I don't think they're doing that this year but we should still see an awesome trailer, some clips and, of course, some teases and hints at the future from Dave Filoni (Ahsoka Lives?).  And speaking of the future, that really seems to be the theme of the day! The premiere of Battlefront II (ignoring that little leak we had earlier!), panels for Del Rey Books and Marvel Comics, all certain to reveal plenty to look forward over the next few months and capped off by a Disney Parks panel that's sure to bring exciting news about the upcoming Star Wars lands, like I really needed another reason to go back to Walt Disney World!  All that and an Anthony Daniels panel as well!! Last year he read the story of Threepio's red arm, hopefully he'll have another story to tell this year.

Sunday brings it all to a close with the Jedi Master himself taking the stage (Mark Hamill's panels are worth it for so many reasons but just hearing that Joker voice in person is top of the list!), a special look at the droids of Star Wars with Warwick Davis (hopefully they'll roll out BB-8 for this one!) and, of course, the Closing Ceremony, looking back at the highlights of the weekend and hopefully teasing the future as well (Celebration 2019 here we go!!)

And that's just my highlights! There's so much to see and do at Celebration you can never fit it all in!  Can you imagine trying to do everything I'be mentioned above (ignoring panel clashes for a moment) plus grabbing a bite to eat, seeing the show floor, getting into (or at least trying to) the Celeration Store.  Thank God for the live stream and YouTube panel videos! Even if you are there you'll need them to catch what you've missed!

But more than anything, even more than the panels and the trailer debuts, Celebration is about the fans. Meeting other people that love Star Wars as much as you is the best reason to go to Celebration and the reason why some of my fondest memories from last year are the night we spent on the convention room floor, sharing stories and making new friends who we're still in touch with today (and who are queuing up in Orlando right now, not that I'm jealous or anything!). There really is no other convention like it, everyone is connected by Star Wars and it feels great!

Now I've got to start saving for 2019, that'll be a celebration of the complete Skywalker Saga and something I don't want to miss!

May the Force by with you!