Welcome Youtinians! You are reading an exclusive preview of The Youtini Dispatch, a weekly newsletter covering important stories from Star Wars, Pop Culture, and Sports. Occasionally, we’ll have special guests from Youtini to write various topics. There will be many opportunities to provide feedback as we strive to create the best newsletter for you. Additionally, you can delve deeper into the discussion each week in the Youtini Discord. We are so excited to launch this and for what’s to come! May the force be with you!

— Corey Helton & JG Carse 

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Announced!

Get ready to defend Hoth, defeat Darth Maul, and explore the galaxy as your favorite characters once again because Lucasfilm Games has announced the return of the beloved video game, Star Wars Battlefront!

Where Can I Play? This announcement comes with even more great news. As part of this re-launch of the nostalgic game, Lucasfilm Games also announced at Nintendo Direct that fans would be able to play on an impressive list of consoles: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. 

Mindful Moment: So many of us Star Wars fans have a ton of nostalgia surrounding these games, and knowing that we will soon be able to play them online with other fans and friends is such a massive win for us. Star Wars Battlefront originally debuted in 2004, and its sequel followed in 2005. Here we are, twenty years later, still feeling the awe at experiencing life in the galaxy far, far away through these games. Look out for the Classic Collection to hit the shelves of your favorite video game store on March 14.

Bonus Content: We saved the best news for last. In addition to the thrill of replaying the classic maps of Star Wars Battlefront, players of this new edition will be able to explore several new maps such as Jabba’s Palace, Yavin 4, Rhen Var, and Cloud City! And to top it all off, Lucasfilm Games also added two new playable characters to this re-launch: the iconic Prequel Era Jedi, Kit Fisto, and our favorite Nightsister, Asajj Ventress.

Respond: What are you most looking forward to in the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection? What console will you play on? Hop over to our Youtini Discord and let us know!

Screen Actors Guilds Awards Set the Stage for Oscars

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, held before the Oscars, often capture significant attention as they have the potential to predict the likely winners of the coveted Oscar trophies in the acting categories. This year is no different. 

Context: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (The Academy) comprises 18 branches representing various roles in the film industry. Branches select nominees, with final winners determined by The Academy. Specialized craft awards ceremonies, like the SAG Awards, are decided by peer voting instead of a wide pool of voters. 

Best Actress: The competition in this category came down to Emma Stone (Poor Things) and Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) this awards season. Gladstone won at the Golden Globes, while Stone claimed the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), each without facing the other. Ultimately, Gladstone clinched the SAG award. The question remains: will this SAG win lead to an Oscar victory?

Best Actor: A similar narrative unfolded between Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) with momentum leaning towards Giamatti after he secured the Golden Globe win. However, Murphy won the SAG award, setting up what looks like a pathway to victory at the Oscars.

Best Motion Picture Cast: Unsurprisingly, the cast of Oppenheimer took the big SAG award home, suggesting potential dominance at the upcoming 96th Oscars on March 10, 2024.  

Last-Second Sports Triumphs

This week was exhilarating in sports, with some insane finishes. Sports has always provided dramatic endings, from Bill Mazeroski’s home run in the 9th inning of game seven in the 1960 World Series Finale to Eli Manning’s touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, taking down the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. There is something special about that last-second triumph that keeps fans watching until the very end. 

Photo Finish: NASCAR’s 2024 debut race ended with controversy due to a yellow flag, and this week, the Ambetter 400 Nascar Cup race followed suit with another twist, ending in a three-car wide finish. Ryan Blaney was holding on to the lead into the final turn when Daniel Suárez and Kyle Busch challenged him. Suárez inched ahead past Blaney for the win officially by .0003 seconds, with Busch in third by .0007 seconds. This became the third-closest finish in NASCAR Cup history. 

Buzzer Beater: It’s easy to equate insane sports finishes with a buzzer-beater, a final game-winning shot as time runs out in basketball. Max Strus of the Cleveland Cavaliers not only did the improbable but did so with the second-longest buzzer-beater in NBA history. The 59-foot shot secured the win for Cleveland over Dallas by 121-119 and kept them in the second-place position in their conference.

Fandom Fusion: You can look at these stories and narrow them down to overcoming the odds. Similar to these sports tales, we can look at the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars, who, against the odds, defeated the Galactic Empire. Another example that comes to mind is the heroes in Game of Thrones going against the Night King in the Battle of Winterfell. Whether consuming our favorite stories or cheering our teams, we are reminded that when facing the toughest challenges, we can overcome adversity.

• Youtini is Changing. In a huge announcement, Youtini’s founder, Corey Helton, announced the new direction for the company: Star Wars, nerd culture, & sports and the pursuit of healthy fandom.

• The Youtini Avatar Show is the first official podcast in the Youtini Network beyond the galaxy far, far away. The show will cover the new live-action adaption of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix

• We are getting obsessed with Formula 1. The latest Youtini video is all about how to start down the path as a new fan to motorsport, and specifically F1.

🚀 Ready for Dispatch

• A bidding war is developing over Mattel’s animated Bob the Builder film between Netflix, Amazon MGM Studios, Dreamworks Animation, and others.

• The Jackson 5 has been cast for the upcoming Michael biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua scheduled to release April 18, 2025.

• The New Nicole Kidman advertisement phase has begun at AMC Theaters.

• An NHL Hockey game continues through an ice storm as power and lighting are partially lost in a bizarre situation.

• Excerpt for Star Wars Prequel book, The Living Force revealed showcasing the state of the Jedi Order before the events of The Phantom Menace