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Ranbir Kapoor hoped to make Indian 'Star Wars'
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Is Millie Bobby Brown on Disney's radar for new Star Wars project? Deets inside
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Disney executives are informally exploring a role for Millie Bobby Brown in the Star Wars films, reports -
At Islamabad Conclave 2021, premier says Pakistan can play role in bridging differences between China, US
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HBO Max cuts down on prices in limited offer as streaming wars heat up
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
HBO Max service is normally priced at $14.99 per month -
Half of US spending on post 9/11 wars went to private contractors, study finds
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Study examines what role reliance on private contractors played in post-9/11 wars -
Indiana Jones hat and Star Wars droid for sale in Hollywood
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
The custom-made hat worn by Harrison Ford in 1984 action classic "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" will go on sale in Hollywood -
'Star Wars Squadrons' Review: Bringing My Childhood Dream To Fly X-Wings To Life
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
Let’s just say Star Wars is the whole reason why I love science-fiction, video games and comic books. If it weren’t for George Lucas’ creation, I probably wouldn’t have this job right now and would be doing a normal desk job just like everyone else. The first role-playing game I ever fell in love with was Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic and the first science fiction book that got me into reading was the Thrawn Trilogy. Ever since I saw the X-Wings in the first Star Wars movie, I always imagined flying one by myself. While Star Wars: Squadron is not the first game to flirt with the space-opera lore, it is the first game that comes close to replicating that feeling. © Electronic Arts What makes the game great is its control scheme which can be customised to your liking. You can fly X-wings, A-Wings, and the TIE fighters with custom load-outs as well. Even smaller details such as transferring power to your weapons or your shields have been incorporated in the gameplay. In the movies, we would just hear Luke or Obi-Wan take certain actions in the cockpit, but in Squadrons, you actually have to do it yourself. For example, you need to transfer all of your spaceship’s power to your weapons if you are about to get into a dogfight. Or when trying to destroy ‘Star Destroyers,’ you need to transfer all of your power to your shields as you will get bombarded with lasers as you try to approach them. © Electronic Arts If you want to take your experience to the next level, you can even play this game in VR mode on the PC and the PlayStation 4. I don’t personally own a VR headset but I’ve been told by peers that the game truly shines in VR mode. You can turn and look at the side out of the cockpit as if you are flying an X-Wing or a TIE fighter. The game is already highly detailed and one can only imagine how the simulation is taken to the next level in VR mode. © Electronic Arts Having said that, we did not like how some of the interactions with NPC take place in the game. There aren’t’ many cutscenes in the game and instead, you interact with characters in a one-sided expositional conversation. These conversations feel quite out of place almost as if it was phoned in by the voice actors. While the gameplay and missions provide you with a great experience you expect from a space combat simulator, the immersion is soon suspended by these NPC characters reminding you how EA did not follow through with high production values in this department. View the full article -
City wars heat up as Lahore Qalandars face Karachi Kings in PSL 2020
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings meet at Gaddafi Stadium tonight -
Alright let me make it very clear that I do understand that baby Yoda is not literal baby version of Yoda. But you know what? I don't care. Baby Yoda is the cutest thing on the internet right now and I'd die for baby Yoda. I mean, have you even seen the character that I am talking about? Or at least the memes? Well, if you haven't then I suggest you get on it right now. Even if you don't know anything about Star Wars, you must check it out. You know what? I am going to drop a YouTube video below to see all the cutest scenes from the show The Mandalorian that's currently streaming on Disney+. Well, now that we've established that baby Yoda is indeed the internet sensation we didn't know we needed, here's the main story. Millions of fans, like myself, are willing to do whatever it takes to play as baby Yoda in a video game, preferably Star Wars. And that's exactly what a modder named Nanobuds1220 is doing. He revealed to the world that he's working on a baby Yoda model for Star Wars Battlefront 2. So if everything goes according to the plan, we'll soon be able to play as baby Yoda in Star Wars Battlefront 2. Yes, Battlefront 2 isn't exactly known as a very popular game, but like I said, fans would do anything for baby Yoda, even if it means playing one of the most controversial Star Wars games of all time. © Reddit As you can see, the character model doesn't exactly look like baby Yoda yet. Yes, he got the ears right, but that's pretty much it. It essentially looks like, well, Yoda with really long ears and a younger look. But luckily, the modder says the final model in the game will look much better and it'll look very close to the cute baby face that we all have fallen in love with. Sadly, we don't know when we'll get the mod in hand, but we're sure they're working hard. And this is coming from a very popular modder who's known some really good work in the past. So, let's keep our fingers crossed. Source: PC Gamer View the full article
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Yes, it's finally happening! Sony and Microsoft have joined hands announcing an unusual partnership, under which the rivals will work together on cloud-based gaming services. “The two companies will explore joint development of future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure to support their respective game and content-streaming services”, Microsoft said in an official statement. But wait, before you start speculating about the end of console wars, or prepare yourself for a joint Microsoft/ Sony streaming service that'll let you play, say, Halo and Uncharted on a single platform, let me burst your bubble and tell you that it's not happening. © Microsoft As a part of the agreement, Sony will use Microsoft's Azure servers and data centers for its own game and content-streaming services. That, in case you don't know, includes Sony's PlayStation Now and PlayStation Vue. Additionally, the companies also agreed to “explore collaboration in the areas of semiconductors and AI”. It's not entirely clear what that means just yet, but that sounds more Microsoft's mixed reality and AR stuff to me. Let's leave that for some other day. The Console War Is Still On Considering the arrival of Google's Stadia service and reports about Amazon's cloud gaming service, it's easy to expect the two to join hands. I mean, who wouldn't want to see the rivals join hands to make a powerful next-gen console or come up with some sort of streaming standard? © Google Stadia That, however, isn't happening because both Sony and Microsoft are making their own powerful next-gen consoles and they've made some big promises like impeccable CPU and GPU, faster SSDs, and what not. If they want to make money, then these new consoles, I am sure, are going to need exclusive titles to convince gamers like me. Now, for instance, the only reason I'd recommend the PS4 over the Xbox One is the exclusives. God of War, Last of Us, etc. It's a long list of awesome games, but you get the point, right? Sony and Microsoft teaming up for a streaming standard to put the rivals out of business looks good on paper, but not so much in reality. I doubt Sony, or even Microsoft, will give up the software exclusivity. © Naughty Dog Why bother building a new console when you're simply going to make your next big exclusive fully accessible to people buying a competing console or subscription-based service? Why Microsoft? Now that's out of the way, you might be wondering why Microsoft, and not Amazon's AWS or Google? Well, if you have a service that caters to gamers across the globe, then it only makes sense to opt for a cloud-computing service like Azure. Its wider distribution of data centers across the globe will make sure Sony's streaming services are not facing any latency-issues. It's as simple as that. Competitors like Amazon and Google missed out on hosting Sony. Final Thoughts Though the idea of having a standard subscription platform to play all games in one place sound drool-worthy, let me tell you that we're not going to see that happening anytime soon. If that's what you made out of the picture of Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shaking hands before reading, then I am here to tell you that you're living in a delusional world. I doubt if that's even something which Microsoft or Sony have thought about at this point in time. © Microsoft Today's announcement of Sony and Microsoft's partnership is purely strategic and it has nothing to do with the console wars. Yes, the partnership could be great for the future of gaming with implications such as crossplay, especially for multiplayer titles like FIFA. Yes, an interesting possibility, but for now, both companies are readying their flagship consoles. The console war is here to stay!
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It's time for another episode of Jabong Hoop Wars. This week, Aly Goni makes a special guest appearance to help out the contestants.
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Episode 5 of Hoop Wars is out and the competition heats up with 3 new competitors and a very special celebrity guest appearance by none other than Karishma Sharma.
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It's time for your weekly basketball knowledge test.
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It's time for another episode of Hoop Wars.
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Jabong Hoop Wars is all about testing to basketball and pop culture knowledge of young contestants. Don't forget to catch the special, celebrity guest appearance at the end either.
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It's time to put your knowledge of basketball to the test.
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Think you're a basketball expert? Let's put your knowledge to the test...
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We already know that Microsoft and Sony are both working on future consoles and are getting ready for the next generation. There are rumours that both companies are working on multiple consoles that will sell at different prices. The next generation of Xbox consoles is set to replace the Xbox One X and will be able to offer 4K gaming natively. © YouTube It is said to have improved hardware and better graphics than the current generation. We've heard rumours of various features that will come on the next generation, however, we want to talk about certain mistakes Xbox can't afford to make in the next generation. One of them includes making India a huge part of their strategy and here's what we think the gaming company needs to do: 1. Nail The Launch Event © Reuters Gamers are very vocal and Microsoft had to learn the hard way when the Xbox One was announced in 2013. In fact, it was a disaster as it wasn't presented as a gaming machine but rather as an entertainment box. Executives failed to talk about games and other features like “always online”, DRM and other issues that had gamers concerned. Messaging plays a crucial role in getting gamers excited and that's where Sony prevailed. The next Xbox launch needs to appeal more to gamers than casual users so that it has a great ecosystem right from the start. 2. Pro-Gaming Features © Microsoft Xbox One has already become a machine that provides the best features that any gamer could ask. The Xbox Game pass makes games more affordable and also lets users play Xbox exclusive games on day 1. All for a subscription price that works like Netflix and lets players play old and new games for a fraction of full retail price. In India, gaming is already an expensive affair and this new feature will make it easier for gamers in India to get access to the latest games for a cheaper price. © Microsoft Xbox already has a huge library of old games that are compatible with the Xbox One. Backwards compatibility is crucial for gamers as we generally like to visit old games. Rumours suggest that the next Xbox consoles are said to have backward compatibility for Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One titles. This would definitely bring a huge advantage to the new console, as Sony has been shying away from providing a similar feature on the PlayStation platform as of now. 3. Better Exclusives © Microsoft There's no secret that Sony PlayStation 4's success had to do with better exclusive games for the consoles. With games like God of War, Spider-Man, Last of Us, Uncharted and other exclusive games made the console a huge success all over the world. In fact, Microsoft has already bought new studios to effectively compete with Microsoft, however, the platform will need a good exclusive at launch to sway gamers to the other side. 4. A Budget Xbox For India © BCCL India is going to be the next big gaming country in the world as we've already seen great success for games like PUBG in the country. Consoles are generally very expensive in India due to import duties that made it exclusive for a nice audience. Xbox can change its fortunes by making a cheaper model just for India or manufacture/assemble all consoles in India to drive the price down. Indians love a bargain which is why it has made companies like Xiaomi, OPPO, and OnePlus super successful in India. The strategy is simple, undercut the competition with aggressive pricing. With a population of 1.3 billion and potential 200 million gamers, Xbox can capture the Indian market with affordable pricing. India is the next big destination for anything technology and gaming needs to follow suit. Rumours are already suggesting that Xbox is working on a budget console, however, we will only know for sure when the next Xbox is made official. 5. Release It Sooner © Reuters The Xbox 360 was the winner of last generation's console wars and there were two main reasons behind it. The Xbox 360 was cheaper than the PlayStation 3 and it launched six months earlier. If Xbox manages to launch the new console before Sony at E3 this year, there's no doubt it will be able to capture the gaming market faster. Do you think Xbox can make it big in India? What do you think Microsoft should do to win the Indian gaming scene. Let us know in the comments.
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Apple may have launched a few football-themed advertisements but the company has always been reluctant at being an official sponsor of any sporting event. Quartz 9 published a report on how the company has become the “winner of the World Cup” without even paying a single penny to the FIFA or television. Apple follows a strict policy of avoiding sponsorships and advertising in general and it's interesting to see how the Cupertino giant managed to get their products visible. FIFA has been known to rake in up to $1.6 billion from marketing alone and Apple managed to avoid paying huge amounts of money and still managed to get their products in front of the cameras. © Reuters FIFA has been known to prevent players from wearing products by companies that are not official sponsors. FIFA terms it as “ambush marketing” which is partly the reason why players cover up logos of products. Quartz reports that numerous players have been seen wearing the AirPods and Beats headphones during training or during transit. Beats headphones have a very distinct look and an unmissable logo which is covered up by the players. Having said that, both the AirPods and Beats headphones have a unique style, that is easily recognisable. © Reuters Quartz rounded up saying “But both Beats and AirPods have a distinctive look that is difficult to mask, even with the branding obscured. While covered-up Beats were a big marketing win for Apple at the 2014 World Cup, just months after it had acquired the company, AirPods are a more subtle sell this time around.” © Reuters Many players were spotted wearing AirPods that were pictured by Reuter's photographers. In fact, the most popular choice amongst World Cup players was the AirPods. It isn't clear whether Apple distributed the products to the players, however, it would be safe to say the company had a major interest in the sporting event. The company launched a new 'Behind the Mac' campaign and released football themed adverts during the entire course of the World Cup. Source: Quartz
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Why 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Was A Disaster At The Box Office
ADMIN posted a blog entry in FDF Online News
The new spin off in the Star Wars saga, 'Solo A Star Wars Story' is a huge disappointment at the box office given the last 3 films in the franchise have been billion dollar films. While Disney had intentionally left the ending of the film open ended, leaving enough room for prequels and sequels, this proposition looks a distant thought as even the fans didn't turn up for Solo. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures So what possibly went wrong here, let's take a look. 1. Timing of release Only 5 months since Rian Johnson's 'Star Wars The Last Jedi' had released and Disney puts another Star Wars film on the plate. It's too much to expect from fans to turn up in such a short span. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Also, Disney releases in the past 2 years has been dismal during the same time - 'Alice Through The Looking Glass' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Men Tell No Tales' (also called 'Salazar's Revenge') which released on May 27, 2016 and May 26, 2017 respectively. 2. Change of Directors over Creative Differences The film started with the directorial team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller until Disney handed over the baton to Ron Howard citing creative differences. This change caused 70% reshooting of the film and the end product was nowhere close to the recent films. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures 3. Competition In the summer season of blockbusters like 'Avengers: Infinity Wars' and 'Deadpool 2', Solo never stood a chance. With 'Jurassic World - Fallen Kingdom', 'Incredibles 2' and 'Ant Man and The Wasp' releasing in few weeks across June and July, the film was sure to run out of steam. 4. Star Wars Fatigue With fans being divided over 'Star Wars The Last Jedi', it was no surprise that fans would eventually skip Solo. Also, Solo offered nothing new and was just another heist drama set in a galaxy far away. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Even the fate of 'Star Wars Episode IX' hangs loose. 5. China Collections Star Wars franchise do not have a greater following and acceptance at the Chinese box office and it showed in the total collections. With Chinese audience contributing a huge chunk of box office collections worldwide, an opening of USD 10.1 million for 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' very much tells the tale. © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures While the force was stronger with 'Star Wars The Last Jedi', it also has to be seen what lies in future for the franchise. P.S. - With the release of 'Star Wars The Last Jedi', Disney (happy with Rian Johnson's work) entrusted him with a new Star Wars trilogy set in a different time altogether. -
1980s classic 'Karate Kid' reborn as YouTube joins content wars
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
Cobra Kai will be a 10-episode series released by Youtube. Photo: Youtube NEW YORK: For Generation X, "The Karate Kid" is a pop culture touchstone. Now, more than 30 years on, YouTube wants to bring a new generation into the dojo.Thirteen years... -
Let's face it; the upcoming Star Wars film has made fans a little nervous. With crazy amounts of reshoots and massive delay in the release of the trailer, everyone speculated if the movie is going to be any good. But we have news for you guys. The first teaser is here and it'll help you get rid of all your doubts and concerns. After waiting for months, Disney finally released the teaser during Super Bowl and we get our first look at a young Han, played by Alden Ehrenreich, signing up to be a pilot and confidently proclaiming that he's going to be the "best in the galaxy." Typical Han! © Lucasfilm While the video is just 45 seconds long, we get glimpses at the star-studded cast. What else do you expect from a teaser anyway? We see the beautiful Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke, who plays a character called Kira. © Lucasfilm We also see an extra AF fur coat- clad Donald Glover, who plays a young Lando Calrissian. © Lucasfilm The trailer also teases footage of the Millennium Falcon, Woody Harrelson and quick shots of everyone's favourite Chewbacca. © Lucasfilm And of course, the teaser is high on action and stunning visuals: ships, twisting trains, fight sequences et al. © Lucasfilm Have a look at the teaser: If you are left wanting for more (like the rest of us), the full trailer will be released tomorrow. Despite the delay in production and reshoots, the good news is that there is no change in the release date. As of yet, the movie is all set to hits theaters on May 25, 2018.
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I've been a Star Wars fan all my life. I collect the toys, got two tattoos inked on my body to signify its importance in my life and I also happen to own every Star Wars game ever released. I spent months in my childhood playing 'Star Wars Knights Of the Old Republic' and still watch the entire series every month. In case you haven't noticed, I'm obsessed with the franchise. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla When OnePlus released a smartphone to pay homage to the series, I was sceptical at first. I figured it would just be the regular OnePlus 5T in special Star Wars packaging. However, I was proven wrong when I received the device from the OnePlus team. I've been using it for a while and don't feel like letting it go. The smartphone is essentially the same as the OnePlus 5T in terms of specs and performance, however, this smartphone has a special place in my heart. You can read our review of the device here as this story has more to do with the device's Star Wars design and look. I carried the smartphone with me to CES 2018, and every journalist I met from the international community wanted to have a look at it. The smartphone was launched in India to celebrate the new film, The Last Jedi. I've seen the movie three times already and I can see where OnePlus drew inspiration from. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla Even though the smartphone is essentially the same as the original, there are few tweaks to the UI and it also comes with Star Wars themed wallpapers. It comes with a custom Kylo Ren-inspired case, which was one of the reasons why I fell in love with the phone. This smartphone is not only a device that can outperform most flagships, it is also a collectable piece. A piece I intend to keep for the rest of my life. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla So let's talk about the little nuances OnePlus has introduced in the Star Wars-themed device: Design The front of the device more or less looks like the OnePlus 5T which has a 6-inch 18:9 ratio OLED display. Being a bezel-less smartphone, the footprint of the phone is not more than 5.5-inches. The screen is taller than the OnePlus 5 which, means it has a wider support for video content and games. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The custom rubber protective case that replicates Kylo Men's mask is by far my favourite thing about this edition. The cover fits “snug as a bug” and adds character to the device. Most cases add a bit of weight to the device and the same can be said about the Kylo Ren cover, but at least it looks kickass! © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla The back of the smartphone also has a white matte finish that makes it incredibly beautiful to look at. The white sandstone back is supposed to resemble the colour of the iconic stormtroopers. It has the beautiful Star Wars logo on the rear panel (in the original font) and has a red alert slider to give it a distinct look. The device clearly follows a design language that has clearly been inspired by The Last Jedi and much to my surprise, OnePlus did a wonderful job. Hardware & Performance In terms of specs, nothing has changed under the hood as it houses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor and is coupled with 8GB of RAM. The smartphone is blazingly fast and can handle everything from heavy gaming to day-to-day usage. If you want to know more about the 5T's performance, you can always read our review again as not much has changed in this department. The OLED display on the 5T also has brighter, crispier and deeper blacks than the OnePlus 5. The 18:9 aspect ratio makes it a dream to view content on this device and if you are a fan of reading digital comic books, you will enjoy the extra space on the device. © MensXP/Akshay Bhalla Oxygen OS is also outfitted with a dark theme and red accents to pay homage to 'The Last Jedi' branding which I prefer more than the original OnePlus themes. There is a slew of Star Wars wallpapers as well that was supposed to be exclusive to the device but can be found online as well. Although apart from the visual treats, OnePlus could have added a few more things like Star Wars ringtones and icons. I won't mind my device sounding like BB-8 or R2-D2 whenever I get a text message. You can, however, download those ringtones from third party sources, however, it would have been nice to see it included in the handset. All in all, if you are a Star Wars fan and want to own a piece of collector's item, this is the smartphone for you. It costs INR 1,000 extra than the original 8GB OnePlus 5T variant, but its well worth it. I know I will be adding this to my Star Wars collection of toys and memorabilia. Will you?
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Christian bale has time and again proved that he can take on any kind of role, and will go to extreme lengths to get it right. From playing Patrick Bateman in American Psycho to Batman and now playing Dick Cheney in his upcoming movie, the man can do it all. So, it doesn't come as a surprise that he was approached to be a part of another extremely successful franchise. But, we honestly missed out on seeing Christian Bale in a Star Wars movie, it would've been so surprising and refreshing. The versatile actor recently confirmed that he was approached for a role in 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'. Talking about the offer, he said, “Very tempting. I not only love the films going back to my childhood, but also have a very long relationship with Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall because they did Empire of the Sun from many years back. There was discussion, I hope there will be future discussions.” He made this revelation during MTV's Happy Sad Confused podcast, and along with talking about how he was almost a part of Star Wars franchise, he also mentioned he hasn't seen any of Ben Affleck's Batman movies. Even though the Star Wars role didn't work out, it doesn't mean that it can't still happen, so we'll just have to wait and see. Bale didn't mention what role he was in the talks for, it seems like it was the character of Beckett, Han Solo's criminal mentor who is being played by Woody Harrelson. © Lucas Films Talking more about Star Wars, Bale said, “I'm a huge fan. Star Wars really interests me. I've still got the Millennium Falcon, I've got the AT-AT. My daughter, her first love was Darth Vader. She absolutely adored Darth Maul... stood near him at Disneyland and he growled and he's got those teeth and he stayed in character – really wonderful performance – and she was teeny and I thought, 'This is gonna scare the crap out of her, this is such a bad idea'. And then she stopped and she said, 'Daddy, I'm in love'.” 'Solo: A Star Wars Story', which will be centred around Han Solo obviously as the name suggests, is set to theatres in a few months and even though Christian Bale is not a part of it, it's still all very exciting and we can just hope that one day Batman will be in Star Wars.
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The hype reawakens: Star Wars stages 'Last Jedi' premiere
ADMIN posted a blog entry in Geo News Blog
LOS ANGELES: The trailers have dropped, the frantic media tours have concluded and the phoney war is over: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" finally begins the real battle Saturday at its glittering world premiere. Hotter than one of Yoda's root leaf curries, the movie is expected to cash in on 12 months of relentless hype with one of the biggest domestic opening weekends ever. A galaxy of stars and lucky fans from near and far, far away will descend on downtown Los Angeles -- the first moviegoers in the world outside of the production to see the eighth instalment of the blockbuster space saga. All eyes will be on the initial flood of social media reaction, encouraged by Lucasfilm, although the studio has embargoed detailed reviews until 9:00 am Los Angeles time (1700 GMT) on Tuesday. Fans will have to be patient before heading to Twitter for the inevitable rhapsody of excited buzz, as "The Last Jedi" is the longest "Star Wars" movie ever, clocking in at 153 minutes. That is about 10 minutes longer than "Attack of the Clones" (2002), although critics will be hoping the new movie doesn´t overstay its welcome, like that unloved second episode. The premiere comes six days before the movie's general release in US theatres, kicking off a run widely expected to be the most successful worldwide since 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Good versus evil Experts are predicting an opening weekend domestic box office of around $220 million, which would push it beyond "Jurassic World" (2015) into second place behind "Awakens" ($248 million). The cast came together in LA with director Rian Johnson on Sunday to build buzz for "The Last Jedi," which sees the return of the characters introduced in J.J. Abrams´s first entry in the rebooted trilogy. Gwendoline Christie, who plays stormtrooper commander Captain Phasma, put the continued relevance of "Star Wars" down to its foundational mythology of good versus evil. "I think it´s because the world we live in is a changing and evolving place that it retains the simplicity of those elements," she said. "But it really resonates with what it is to follow your own human, dark, narcissistic tendencies, where that will take you." Christie was joined at the event by returning stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domnhall Gleeson and Luke Skywalker himself -- Mark Hamill. There were new faces too: Kelly Marie Tran as Resistance maintenance worker Rose Tico and Laura Dern, who plays Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo. "The Last Jedi" -- filmed on the west coast of Ireland and at Pinewood Studios near London -- marks the last appearance of Carrie Fisher, who died last December, having already wrapped her scenes. 'Dire situation' One of Lucasfilm's trailers hinted darkly at a possible untimely demise for Fisher´s iconic General Leia Organa at the hands of her son Kylo Ren. Written by Johnson, "The Last Jedi" picks up directly where "The Force Awakens" left off, with Rey (Ridley) looking to Luke to teach her about The Force. It is expected to presage adverse times for the Resistance -- prompting comparisons with the middle chapter of the original trilogy, "The Empire Strikes Back." Like Fisher and Hamill, Harrison Ford was a "Star Wars" mainstay as loveable rogue Han Solo -- but the character is missing from the latest chapter, having been killed off. "There hasn't been a 'Star Wars' movie yet that has explored war the way ´The Last Jedi´ has," said Boyega. "It's very messy. The categorizing of good and evil is all mixed together." "It's a dire situation, it's critical. The Resistance is on its last legs," added Isaac. "When you're trying to survive, the First Order's right on top of us, it is like war, where you´ve got to keep moving to try to survive. You feel the momentum of everything that happened in ´The Force Awakens´ just pushing to a critical mass."