The Boba Bounty

USA Today continues its ongoing Star Wars features, leading up to Star Wars Day on May 4. Staff writer Brian Truitt interviewed actor Jeremy Bulloch, who shared memories of being onset for the filming of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Bulloch shared his initial thoughts on the Mandalorian armor, including worries of toppling over from the weight of Boba Fett’s jet pack. Also, how he approached the characteristics of the bounty hunter. Especially since his face was hidden, how he could use his training as an actor to convey the menace of the character.

Read the full story by clicking HERE.

Actor Jeremy Bulloch is schedule to appear at Disney Hollywood Studio’s Star Wars Weekend May 17-19.

Bulloch’s appearances in May are jammed pack. Here are more of his upcoming events:

• Screen-Con on May 4 in North Shields, UK
• Star Wars Fan Fun Day on May 6 in Burnley, UK
• Sci-Fi Film, Toy & Collectors Fair on May 12 in Norfolk, UK
• Sticcon on May 23 in Bellaria, Italy
• Fanboy Expo on May 31-June 2 in Knoxville, TN
• Niagara Falls Comic Con on June 8 in Niagara Falls, Canada
• The Core Comics & Games on June 15 in Cedar Falls, IA
• Texas Comicon on June 21 in San Antonio, TX
• Exewing Sci-Fi Day on June 30 in Beer, UK

Lucasfilm officials announced yesterday four of the men who’ve portrayed Boba Fett on-screen will attend Star Wars Celebration Europe this July in Messe Essen, Germany.

This will include Daniel Logan, Jeremy Bulloch, Dickey Beer and John Morton. The latter two performers worked as stunt men during the filming of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Rumors of a Boba Fett spin-off circulate the web, and actors like Jeremy Bulloch, Daniel Logan and Temuera Morrison have been making more public appearances and giving more interviews.

Could this be a slow build up to a major announcement about a Boba Fett project? If it were, is there any better place to unveil the project that during a reunion of the Fett family this summer in Germany?

We already know George Lucas initially planned to make an announcement about Episode VII at the last Celebration, but it was postponed due to continued negotiations with Disney.

Five months ago Entertainment Weekly included Logan, Bulloch and Beer in their double-sized reunion issue. Starwars.com reports the four performers will be giving autographs at Celebration, but the first hint at something larger is the mention they’ll also be on the Celebration Stage.

This begs the question - what will they be doing on stage? Will it be a panel? A tribute reel? Or perhaps, the announcement of a future project - whether that’s a spin-off film, news about Episode VII or a new television series.

Actor Jeremy Bulloch was interviewed by the guys at Bombad Radio, where he talked about his career as an actor, his interaction with fans and whether or not he believes Boba Fett survived the Sarlacc at the end of Return of the Jedi.

The interview can be found around 32 minutes into podcast #75.

The conversation treads some old ground, but it also shed light on new insights about the character I have yet to hear from Bulloch.

With the sequel trilogy coming in a few years, and rumors of a Boba Fett spin-off, questions relevant to this topic were posed to the actor.

Bulloch said he never believed the bounty hunter’s fate was sealed in the belly of the Sarlacc. The actor said that would be like an amusement park to Boba Fett, who would be protected by his armor, bide his time to calculate an escape with a cool head, and easily survive the ordeal by escaping with the use of his weapons and tools.

For 30 years, Bulloch shared he’s held the belief that Boba Fett should never show his face – that in the Star Wars Universe, that would give enemies leverage against the bounty hunter, something he’d never do. However, while he thinks nowhere (in universe) should know much about Fett, the back story fleshed out in Attack of the Clones makes the character more engaging and interesting.

Bulloch also shared he is good friends with Daniel Logan and Temuera Morrison – who when together are nicknamed “The Three Fetts.” He said, he and Logan have spent time together, recently at Disneyworld, where they held a competition as to who could ride the most rides – Logan won.

Also discussed was:

• Bulloch’s acting history, including early roles on “Dr. Who” and James Bond films
• His plans to attend Star Wars Germany
• How his half-brother assisted him in landing the role as Boba Fett
• The legacy of his character and its effects on fans
• His cameo in “Revenge of the Sith”
• Insights into the character’s relationship with Darth Vader, Han Solo and Jabba
• Brief mentions of Boba Fett in the Expanded Universe
• & More

You can download Bombad Radio #75 for free on iTunes.

Jeremy Bulloch was interviewed for “Star Wars Insider” #140, where he shared his five favorite rogues in film. The list doesn’t include characters exclusively to the Star Wars Universe, except for three characters.

Of course, his number one pick is Boba Fett, comparing the bounty hunter to the character, The Man With No Name, from Clint Eastwood’s “A Fistful of Dollars.” This is no shocker since Bulloch has stated in the past he mirrored Eastwood’s performance for his portrayal of Boba Fett.

His inclusion of Jodo Kast proves that Bulloch is a reader of the Expanded Universe. He said Jodo Kast is an unproven rogue and that he’d be interested in seeing that characters past further delved into. Bulloch imagines there’s an untold history between Kast and Boba Fett – a past we only got the slightest peek at in the pages of “Twin Engines of Destruction.”

Other characters mentioned were Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Madmartigan from the film, “Willow.” To read his explanations for why these other characters make his list of top rogues, pick up the latest issue of “Star Wars Insider.”

Yahoo! UK & Ireland caught up with Jeremy Bulloch during his appearance at MCM Midlands Comic and Entertainment Expo earlier this month. The interview expanded on Bulloch’s previous statements that he’s more than willing to strap on the Mandalorian gear and reprise his role as Boba Fett.

Bulloch has been very vocal about Episode VII, ever since the announcement was made last year. He’s been quoted in multiple articles, but since rumors have begun about a Boba Fett film, reporters are chopping at the bit to get their exclusive interviews.

Bulloch has had his thumb on the pulse of fans for decades, so hopefully those at Lucasfilm are listening to his input – namely, don’t bastardize the Expanded Universe. There’s very little G-level canon regarding Boba Fett. The character was introduced with great bravo around the time of Empire Strikes Back, but fans unanimously agree, the character was shafted in his treatment in Return of the Jedi.

George Lucas made up for this a little in the prequels, giving Boba Fett an engaging origin story in Attack of the Clones. Still, the story shed more light on the clones and Jango Fett than Boba. While the Clone Wars has given fans further adventures of the young Boba Fett – the majority of his story has existed in comics and books.

For thirty-some years we’ve had to rely on novels and comics to turn to Star Wars literature to get a taste of the bounty hunter. Much of what we most appreciate, love about Boba Fett comes from the Expanded Universe.

If Lucasfilm and Disney completely discard these stories and adventures, there’s a strong potential of fan backlash – if stories like Twin Engines of Destruction or the Bounty Hunter Wars are said to never have happened.

Fans are more prone to accept a compromise of two alternative timelines, which can only happen if the present Expanded Universe is continued and not retconned to fit with the film universe.

We don’t need to see an exact adaptation of the Expanded Universe, but it should at least be respected when making these films. After all, those are the stories that kept fandom alive and made these new movies possible.

Most importantly, Disney needs to redeem Boba Fett in the new films. No more defeats by blind smugglers like we saw in Return of the Jedi, or swapped in place of a slave bride as in his last appearance in Clone Wars.

The good news is Lawrence Kasdan is rumored to be the one scribing a Boba Fett film. Kasdan penned Empire Strikes Back, which was the closest film to flesh out Boba Fett in the badass fashion we’ve seen him portrayed in the Expanded Universe. Therefore, I have faith he is the man that can resurrect the character that for thirty years has had casual fans believing Boba Fett is still in the belly of the Sarlacc.

Kasdan can put the rumors to rest, Boba Fett is alive and well.

Jeremy Bulloch is scheduled to appear at the MCM Midlands Comic Con on Feb. 16 at the International Centre in Telford, UK.

The Midlands Expo is an annual convention for fans of gaming, film, anime, cosplay and more.

Fans have the opportunity to meet Bulloch, get his autograph and listen to him in an on-stage panel at the main stage.

Here are some additional contingent dates where you can have the opportunity to meet or see Jeremy Bulloch:

• MegaCon from March 15-17 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
• Screen-Con on May 4 at the Parks Leisure Center in North Shields, England.
• Star Wars Fan Fun Day on May 6 at the Burnley Football Club in Burnley, England.
• Norwich Sci-Fi Film Toy & Collectors Fair on May 12 in Norwich, England.
• Fanboy Expo from May 31-June 2 at The Jacob Building in Knoxville, Tennessee.
• Niagara Falls Comic Con from June 8-9 at the Scotiabank Convention Center in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
• Pittsburgh Comicon from Sept. 27-29 at the Monroeville Convention Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

In last month’s Star Wars Insider #137, the magazine revealed fans voted Boba Fett as the second best villain for its 2012 awards. As a follow up, in Star Wars Insider #138, staff writers James Burns and Mark Newbold picked actor Jeremy Bulloch’s brain about his experiences with fans and the films.

It’s a short interview, but produced some interesting trivia about Bulloch, including his favorite Star Wars toy is a metal Boba Fett wind-up he received during a visit to Japan. Bulloch also revealed his first day filming was during the scene on the Death Star, where Darth Vader is briefing the group of bounty hunters about the hunt for Han Solo.

“When Darth Vader says to Boba Fett, ‘No disintegrations.’ It was my first day on the set and, despite being a calm person, I was quite nervous!”

Bulloch also talks about his first time signing an autograph related to Star Wars in 1983, the strangest place he was recognized and how similar he is to the bounty hunter he played on screen.