Tom's Top 3: April 21, 2026
More Star Wars
Hi everyone! Welcome to this week’s installment of Tom’s Top 3 Tuesdays, where I highlight three pieces of content (Podcasts/Shows/Movies/Articles/etc.) that I found interesting or noteworthy from the prior week.
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[TV Show] Disney+ - Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord
If you see this and think, “wait, I thought this guy was cut in half?”, then you’re not locked in.
And I need you locked in.
Refer to my post from January 6 (yikes) to get caught up on Clone Wars.
Maul is one of, if not the, best parts of Dave Filoni’s era of Star Wars. Maul is dynamic, scary, and conniving. Sam Witwer, the absolute legend, has made the character his own and brought him to life.
I am stoked that there is a new show centered on Maul after the events of Order 66. It’s great so far, the art is fantastic, and the cast is incredible (including last year’s Best Actor nominee Wagner Moura). New episodes come out on Mondays, and the show has already been renewed for a second season, so I’ll repeat:
I need you locked in.
[Podcast] The Town with Matt Belloni - Jon Favreau on the Future of Star Wars, AI, and New Filmmaking Technology
Jon Favreau has directed, written, and/or acted in some of my favorite movies and TV shows of all time. Funny enough, my introduction to him was probably his breakout role in Rudy. But most recently, I credit him with reviving Star Wars for me after the Rise of Skywalker left a “Somehow, Palpatine returned”-sized hole in my heart.
The Mandalorian TV show (at least the first two seasons), stoked the warm sense of adventure from the original movies, while also bringing new fans into the fold. Now, Favreau has the new burden of bringing Star Wars back to the big screen. The Mandalorian & Grogu is hitting theaters Memorial Day Weekend.
Favreau sat down with Matt Belloni at CinemaCon to discuss the challenges of switching gears from TV to film. Honestly, he has his work cut out for him, because most complaints I’ve heard is that it doesn’t look cinematic enough—it just looks like another episode of the show, stretched out over the length of a movie.
I still have high hopes for the movie, and I already booked my tickets (which were nearly sold out, I must add).
What I found most interesting about the interview is how eloquently Favreau talked about the use of technology in film. Sure, AI is the hot topic right now, but he said that the most impactful development in his creative process was the integration of video game workstreams in pre-production.
By using Unreal Engine to do a lot of previz work, Favreau can get more precise with what he wants to see in frame before even stepping on set. This cuts down on shooting days, therefore driving down costs, which allows him to hire the best union crews and film a lot in LA (a rarity these days).
[YouTube] SlapShotBricks - LEAKED Lego Star Wars May The 4th Sales List! (20% Off, 2X and 4X Insider Points!!)
May The 4th is like a holiday in my household. A lot of the excitement is due to the release of new Star Wars Lego sets, sales, and promotions.
This year, there is not much on my wishlist, but I will definitely make sure to snag some sets I’ve been holding out for in order to get the promotional gift-with-purchase: The Darksaber. You get this as a bonus for spending $160+ on qualifying sets.
Maybe this video will spark some inspiration, or maybe a set you’ve been waiting on is going on sale or getting extra Insider points.
The other GWPs are forgetful, but I am excited to add The Darksaber to my growing collection of lightsaber hilts that Lego has released over the years. If anyone wants to sell me their Yoda’s Lightsaber set, that’s the last one I am missing.
If you made it to this point, drop a comment to say hi. And as always, please like and consider sharing with a friend who you think would enjoy! I’ll be back next week. ✌️