Jeremy Bulloch, Boba Fett in first 'Star Wars' trilogy, dies
Jeremy Bulloch speaks in front of the costume he wore while playing Boba Fett in "Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back" and "Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi" at the Star Wars Identities exhibition in London on July 26, 2017. Bulloch, the English actor who played Boba Fett in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, has died. (AP Photo)LOS ANGELES โ Jeremy Bulloch, the English actor who first donned a helmet, cape and jetpack to play Boba Fett in the original โStar Warsโ trilogy, died Thursday. But Boba Fett quickly became a cult favorite and eventually would emerge as one of the most beloved figures in the โStar Warsโ galaxy, inspiring characters and plotlines in other โStar Warsโ properties, most notably โThe Mandalorianโ on Disney+, where Boba Fett has recently reemerged. He would settle instead for the tiny role of Captain Colton, pilot of Alderaan, and one more flight through the โStar Warsโ galaxy, instead.
'Brian's Song,' 'Roots,' 'Purple Rain' writer dies at 83
LOS ANGELES โ William Blinn, a screenwriter for the landmark TV projects โBrianโs Songโ and โRootsโ and the Prince film โPurple Rain,โ has died. Blinn died Thursday of natural cases at an assisting living community in Burbank, California, his daughter, Anneliese Johnson, said Saturday. He won Emmy and Peabody honors for the 1971 TV movie โBrian's Song," which dramatized the friendship of Chicago Bears players Brian Piccolo and Gayle Sayers. Last month, Hall of Fame running back Sayers died at age 77. Blinn and Albert Magnoli wrote 1984โฒs โPurple Rain,โ which Magnoli directed.
Sayers, Piccolo friendship lives on in 'Brian's Song'
FILE - From left are 1970 file photos showing Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers. โIt just amazes me,โ Joy Piccolo OโConnell said in an interview from her Wisconsin home. You flatter me by giving me this award, but I tell you that I accept it for Brian Piccolo. โฆ I love Brian Piccolo, and Iโd like all of you to love him too. But Joy Piccolo OโConnell, who has remarried, thinks the biggest obstacle to the friendship between Piccolo and Sayers had to more to do with personality than color.
Gale Sayers, Bears Hall of Fame running back, dies at 77
FILE - This is a 1970 file photo showing Chicago Bears football player Gale Sayers. Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, who made his mark as one of the NFLs best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Chicago Bears teammate with cancer, has died. (AP Photo/FIle)CHICAGO โ Gale Sayers, the dazzling and elusive running back who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite the briefest of careers and whose fame extended far beyond the field for decades thanks to a friendship with a dying Chicago Bears teammate, has died. Nicknamed โThe Kansas Cometโ and considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen, Sayers died Wednesday, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. โI played football a long time and I never saw a better football player than Gale Sayers,โ said Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka, Sayersโ teammate from 1965-66.
'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Special Look: Is Rey Going to the Dark Side?
The new teaser opens with a retrospective on 40 years of Star Wars -- looking back at Luke and Leia, Yoda and Vader -- before cutting to the new footage: Lightsaber battles and planets being decimated, culminating in a final, ominous shot of a hooded Rey (Ridley) looking especially Sith-like as she unsheathes a dual-sided red lightsaber. But could Rey really be turning to the dark side? We see this battle in this character, and it was very fun to play and it will be very fun to watch." Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters on Dec. 20. RELATED CONTENT:J.J. Abrams Says Working on Final Installment of 'Skywalker' Trilogy Was 'Very Meaningful' (Exclusive)John Boyega Says Carrie Fisher's Scenes in 'The Rise of Skywalker' Are 'Respectful' to Her Legacy (Exclusive)'The Mandalorian' Trailer: First Look at Pedro Pascal in Live-Action 'Star Wars' Series