Star Wars: Rebels Might Call On Tim Curry To Return As Emperor Palpatine
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While Star Wars: Episode VII isn’t due to start production until spring 2014, Lucasfilm’s new animated TV series Star Wars: Rebels is well underway, with its writers and producers making new episodes for its October 2014 premiere date. Although no voice actors are officially cast in Rebels, it appears one of the cast members from The Clone Wars might reprise his role for the upcoming TV animated series.
According to ScreenCrush, actor Tim Curry is expected to reprise his role as Emperor Palpatine for Rebels. Curry voiced the Sith Lord during season five of The Clone Wars, after voice actor Ian Abercrombie passed away. According to TheForce.net, Lucasfilm has yet to confirm Tim Curry’s participation in Rebels.
Tim Curry is a veteran when it comes to playing the villain. Most notably, Curry appeared as Dr. Frank N. Furter in the original Rocky Horror Picture Show stage show and film adaptation. My favorite Curry are his performances in film adaptation of the board game Clue and the film adaptation of the comedy stage play Oscar. Interestingly, Curry was cast to voice the role of The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, but the role was later re-cast with Mark Hamill as the Clown Prince of Crime.
Meanwhile, Lucasfilm has started a tumblr account for Star Wars (starwars.tumblr.com). Lucasfilm uses the social media platform to post concept art from Star Wars past and future. A recent entry features art of the planet Lothal, the outer rim world where Star Wars: Rebels will mostly take place. Joining tumblr is part of a full-court press on social media from Lucasfilm and Star Wars, which started with George Lucas’ former company joining the photo-sharing platform Instagram.
Star Wars: Rebels takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, a few years before the start of Episode IV. The Galactic Empire is taking over planets in the outer rim and a band of teenage renegades start to sabotage the Imperial stranglehold on the planet Lothal. They do anything they can to undermine the new Emperor’s power and form the very early seeds of what will become the Rebel Alliance.
Lucasfilm recently released new behind-the-scene videos featuring Rebels‘ executive producers Greg Weisman (Disney’s Gargoyles) and Simon Kinberg (Star Wars: Episode VII, X-Men: Days of Future Past). The videos take a closer look at Rebels‘ production, along with new insights into how the animated series will fit in to the Star Wars saga.
Billy Dee Williams is rumored to be reprising his role as a younger Lando Calrissian, while David Oyelowo, Freddie Prinze Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Taylor Gray, and Steven Jay Blum are all expected to lend their voices to the animated series. Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) also serves as Rebels producer.
Star Wars: Rebels will air sometime in October 2014, first on the Disney Channel, then on Disney XD.
