Every day may seem like Star Wars Day for geeks who can’t get enough of the celebrated film franchise. But May 4 has taken on a life of its own as a fan holiday thanks to the simple fact that “May the 4th be with you” sounds like “May the Force be with you.”
The Internet barely needs a reason to throw a hashtagged party, and retailers looking to make an extra buck are more than happy to play along, especially if they’ve got Star Wars merchandise they can discount for a day.
With the happy glow of “The Force Awakens” still being felt months after the seventh film in the series rewrote box office record books, fans will recognize personalities from that picture getting in on the act today.
So let’s drop the deflector shield and scan the web to see what’s worth clicking on.
Force for Change
Star Wars fans are a charitable lot, and over the years they’ve raised millions to honor the philanthropic spirit of creator George Lucas, who put a particular emphasis on children’s education and healthcare. Force for Change supports the passion and goodwill of fans and to mark the holiday, LucasFilm and Disney were matching contributions dollar for dollar. Fans who appreciate a little star power even got a special video message from actress Daisy Ridley (Rey) and a few friends working on “Episode VIII.”
Movies and games
If you want to see “The Force Awakens” again and haven’t purchased it yet, May 4 seems like a good day to do it. Same goes for the video game “Star Wars Battlefront.” Whether you’re using an XBox or a PlayStation, there are deals to be had. Certainly plenty of retailers are offering discounts today, so look around if you must.
Amazon’s galaxy of deals
It makes sense that the web’s biggest retailer would also throw the biggest sale in the biggest Star Wars store. Amazon’s Day of Deals will fill your speeder with merchandise you never you you needed: Lego, games, movies, clothing, toys, apps, books, home decor, pet supplies … you name it. If you’ve been waiting to get a BB-8 Droid by Sphero, now’s the time — the little guy’s price is knocked down to $122.99.
Making Holochess a reality
Remember the dreamy, holographic chess game from “Star Wars” that you always wished was a real game? “HoloGrid: Monster Battle” could become just that as a new Kickstarter campaign launched today seeking $100,000 to fund the effort. Legendary film artist Phil Tippett is the man who created the original for the movie and his studio is working on the new augmented reality board game. “Over the years I’ve been creating monsters for directors to play with,” Tippett says in a video. “And now I’m creating monsters for you to play with.”
Star Wars songs
The hashtag #StarWarsSongs was trending on Twitter thanks to the late-night Internet game show @Midnight hosted by Chris Hardwick. Fans shared song titles playing off themes and characters from Star Wars movies. Here are a few great ones:
Take This Jabba and Shove It @midnight #StarWarsSongs
— J.K.Callaway (@realJKCallaway) May 4, 2016
I Think We're All Clones Now#StarWarsSongs @midnight
— Mistress Indistarr ✨ (@indistarr) May 4, 2016
I like big Hutts, and I cannot lie…@midnight
— Katt Funny (@KattFunny) May 4, 2016
Greedo need no education
Greedo need no thought control
#StarWarsSongs @midnight— She-J Staz (@SheJStaz) May 4, 2016
Jordan Schlansky Product Review
Speaking of late night, Conan O’Brien got in on a little Star Wars action by bringing back his favorite staff whipping boy, the uptight and equally deadpan Jordan Schlansky. Schlansky, who Conan insists is in fact a real person, offered some insight on a Darth Vader custom helmet he now owns. For 6 and a half minutes, Conan listened to (and mocked) Schlansky as he described his Star Wars fandom and eventual pursuit of the prized possession.
Message from space
NASA flight engineer Rick Mastracchio delivered a “May the 4th be with you” message from the International Space Station, but it almost didn’t happen were it not for the help of R2-D2. The lovable droid had to rocket into space himself to stop the message from being jammed by the Empire.
Cuter than an Ewok
Jacob Tremblay, the Canadian child actor best known for his role as the little kid Jack in the critically acclaimed film “Room,” is also a Lego enthusiast and Star Wars fanatic. And he has a little dog named Rey that even a Storm Trooper could love. Check out his tweets of Rey and some familiar toys.
#Rey and her #MilleniumFalcon!
Happy #MayThe4thBeWithYou!!! #ReyTremblay #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/68vyv7thFd— Jacob Tremblay (@JacobTremblay) May 4, 2016
#drumrollplease Thank you for all your awesome suggestions! Please say hello to #ReyTremblay!!! #namegame #legoatat pic.twitter.com/9heAQlHCkZ
— Jacob Tremblay (@JacobTremblay) April 10, 2016
Fighting the wireless Dark Side
John “Han” Legere, the outspoken CEO of T-Mobile, would never shy away from shooting first. In a Star Wars-themed blog post, he calls AT&T the Evil Empire and mocks his wireless competitor’s logo as a Death Star knockoff. To that end, Legere was inviting every U.S. wireless customer to use the Force of a Chrome extension from the Google Web Store to reveal the true DeATTh Star. Watch as all references on Chrome desktop alter AT&T’s branding.
Editor’s note: The galaxy is a big place. Check back for updates as we find more gems to mark Star Wars Day.
