The Star Wars marketing machine, which is always fully operational, is jumping into hyperspace Thursday, April 16th with the 10th annual Star Wars Celebration. For the first time ever, highlights and more than 30 hours of exclusive video content from the fan convention will be officially live-streamed to fans on StarWars.com, sponsored by Verizon and presumably kaiburr crystals.
Streaming content will include over a dozen panels, including discussions with actors Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, and Ian McDiarmid. Even Billy Dee Williams will be there, although it has not been confirmed that Lando Calrissian will be appearing in The Force Awakens or its subsequent sequels. Additionally, StarWars.com will be streaming the Star Wars Fan Film Awards, the Smuggler’s Bounty radio drama, and footage from EA’s new Battlefront video game.
In addition to all that, celebrity guests will be interviewed in a special recreation of the place where everybody doesn’t like you, Mos Eisley Cantina, constructed specifically for the event. This could be a perfect opportunity to see Daniel Craig get down on some blue milk, Kit Harington lop off Ponda Baba’s arm, or Timothy Olyphant draw first on that little green fella, Greedo. No word on whether Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes will be performing either of their tunes. Droids, as usual, are not welcome.
Last Friday saw the release of the original six films—even the ones you don’t want—to streaming digital, and there are plenty of rumors that a new trailer for The Force Awakens will premiere at the Celebration, weeks before it plays with The Avengers: Age Of Ultron. On that note, the official Star Wars Twitter account has confirmed that the live stream will include any exclusive footage that screens at the Celebration.
The live stream begins at 10:00 a.m. PT this coming Thursday, April 16th, on StarWars.com.