As if it weren’t already clear that we’ve entered a new generation of Star Wars, it is now—the writers are apparently taking actual science into account.
On Sunday, Chris Weitz paused his work on next year’s Star Wars: Rogue One, the first standalone film in the franchise. Weitz had apparently run into a problem that only one intergalactic hero could help him with: Neil deGrasse Tyson.
https://twitter.com/chrisweitz/status/605150112327663616
Although we don’t know what Weitz’s question was, or whether deGrasse Tyson got back to him, Weitz was in luck: apparently, the Venn diagram of Twitter users who follow both Star Wars writers and astrophysicists includes more than a few other astronomers and astrophysicists. Who knew?
@chrisweitz @RogueOne2016 If you need astro advice, feel free to ping me. See, e.g. http://t.co/snH8f0STCp
— Andy Howell (@d_a_howell) June 1, 2015
@chrisweitz @RogueOne2016 Neil’s pretty busy. I’m an astronomer and science writer, maybe I can help?
— Phil (Newsletter link in bio) Plait (@BadAstronomer) June 2, 2015
@PKBlake @chrisweitz we’re happy to help!
— The Exchange (@SciEntExchange) June 2, 2015
That last Twitter account belongs to the Science and Entertainment Exchange, an organization featuring a litany of celebrity advisors including Rob Reiner, Lawrence Kasdan, and Dustin Hoffman. The organization’s aim is to connect entertainment industry creators with scientists who can help them achieve their science and sci-fi goals.
So even if Tyson can’t use the Force on this particular occasion, Weitz is in good hands.
Photo via Image Editor/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
