The Empire Strikes Back is back in theaters, but Jango Fett is stuck

Time again for STAR WARS WEEKLY, the SYFY WIRE series that rounds up the most important news of the week from a galaxy far, far away.

Think of us as your own personal Star Wars Holocron.

EMPIRE RETURNS

Last week, we wondered if American theaters would try re-releasing The Empire Strikes Back to join their UK counterparts, and now we have our answer. This week, Regal Cinemas announced a lineup of movies it would be playing when theaters reopen on July 10. On the list is The Empire Strikes Back.

It makes sense that the Star Wars film celebrating its 40th anniversary and that is, debatably, the most popular of the films would get rereleased in this way. But, Star Wars fans need to ask if this is too soon to be resuming normal activity. With cases of COVID-19 spiking higher than ever in the United States, one wonders if anyone will be brave enough to resist the bait. I'm certainly going to try.

It almost feels as though Admiral Ackbar's most famous line could be uttered here without irony.

If you decide to break your social distancing to go to a theater, please be careful, avoid crowded showings, and wear a mask.

THE LIGHT OF THE JEDI

IGN scooped up an exclusive first look at the first chapter of Charles Soule's Light of the Jedi, the first installment of the new High Republic era.

The series takes place hundreds of years before the Clone Wars and shows the galaxy at a time of relative peace. The Jedi are confronted with a galaxy-wide calamity that they can't Force-power their way out of, and it will test their limits out on the frontier of the Republic. This first chapter offers a taste of that incoming calamity, as well as the dangers of hyperspace travel in the antiquity of the Star Wars universe.

The High Republic-era stories were scheduled to begin coming out in the next couple of months, but concerns over COVID-19 have delayed it into next year.

ROCKET-FIRING BOBA FETT

A seller on eBay managed to snag an ultra-rare, rocket-firing Boba Fett Kenner prototype and the going price is $225,000. This toy never made it into production because of safety concerns, even though it had been advertised everywhere as the toy to have. Naturally, it became an urban legend; people sought these plastic bounty hunters far and wide. Many refer to them as the Holy Grail of Star Wars collecting. (No word on if drinking from it will confer everlasting life.)

This particular example of a rocket-firing Boba Fett resides in Dubai and is being brokered on eBay. If you feel like you can make a serious offer, it's available now. It's believed only a few dozen of these exist, so if you're interested in getting one, this might be your only chance for a long time.

TEMUERA MORRISON, STUCK IN NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand has — for now, at least — defeated the coronavirus. The country has no confirmed cases on the islands and the government has set up travel restrictions to ensure that it stays that way. Citizens have been able to return to an almost completely normal way of life. One of the stars of Star Wars, Temuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett and the Clones in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (and who is rumored to be coming back for The Mandalorian) is stuck there. He's waiting for the virus to blow over and allow him to go back to work in the United States.

So he had some time to kill.

According to this post in a group dedicated to sharing knowledge about concrete pouring, Temuera Morrison got bored at home and reported to work with his cousin, who owns a concrete business.

This picture shows him pleased with his handiwork.

It's not bounty hunting, but it looks like he's keeping himself busy.

As soon as the pandemic is over, I can see him turning to the person next to him, smiling, and saying, "Pack your things. We're leaving."

LYNNE'S DIARIES

In the lead up to The Phantom Menace, StarWars.com offered a window into the creation of the film through a series of online web diaries. These were hosted by Lynne Hale, who is a communications head at Lucasfilm. These were a gold standard in behind-the-scenes hype leading up to the release of a film and have been difficult to track down in an era where everything seems to be one Google search away.

Thankfully, Lucasfilm announced that they are all back on the official website in better quality than we've ever seen them.

You can watch the first episode right here:

When you're done, go visit StarWars.com to watch the rest of them. They're very much worth your time. They're a fascinating window into film promotion, the making of Star Wars, and artifacts of history.

Until next week, may the Force be with you!