http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/disney-buys-lucasfilm-star-wars-7_n_2045632.html#slide=1703715
That link is where I read the story, I suggest everyone reads it BEFORE commenting, so we can actually just discuss here.
So, as the story reports, Disney bought Lucasfilm, and Episode VII is coming in 2015. What are your thoughts on this? Personally, I've gotta say, I'm not sure how I feel about this, for a number of reasons:
1) Primarily, George Lucas is gone. Any "true" fan has to agree that the more recent endeavors he's had in the universe have been "questionable" (to put it appropriately), including, but not limited to, the prequel trilogy (these are not the point of this article, though I will go on record and say that as long time fan who's thoroughly enjoyed much of the extended universe and the original trilogy, I absolutely despise these, and still do). This is reason to be excited, as it allows someone knew to take a crack at this genre, and that choice will make or break that director they choose. Who I'd prefer, I don't know exactly (I'd have to do a lot of research to pick my choice, but that's not the point), though I will say that whoever is chosen should be someone with at least a bit of experience dealing with some sort of sci-fi element, at the least.
2) The House of Mouse is in charge now, and this is also something to be happy about (oddly enough). This draws parallels to when they acquired Marvel. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was worried that these superheroes would be milked dry, but after Phase One has recently concluded with the blockbuster Avengers (eat it, TDKR), we can all rest at ease, knowing that Phase Two is going to be even better, and that Marvel is definitely in solid, capable hands. If there's one thing Disney can do, it's make a long-term plan and stick with it.
A quote from their website, which may shed further hope:
"It makes sense, not just because of our brand compatibility and previous success together, but because Disney respects and understands – better than just about anyone else – the importance of iconic characters and what it takes to protect and leverage them effectively to drive growth and create value." - This is important, because this is definitely true. I can't think of any other company who would possibly even know what to do with a franchise like this, and Marvel is the exact example to look at here.
3) Whatever they do cannot, in any way, be worse than Episodes I, II or III. It is not possible to make Star Wars movies that are worse than those. Episode I's script was a single draft, made by Lucas. Most movies go through tens, if not hundreds of iterations of a script before proceeding further. Episode I had a single, and final iteration. These movies are a disgusting stain on the Star Wars franchise, and if anyone ever plans to marathon these movies, what them in Machete order (Episodes IV, V, II, III then VI. If you want explanation for why, just PM me), so that you don't even have to deal with Episode I.
4) Here's my biggest concern: The Content. What will these new movies be about? For a short explanation of how I feel, let's say this. The movies take place after Episode VI, and they become novelizations of any of the numerous story threads created in the extended fiction. Do I want these new Star Wars movies to simply be novelizations? No, though I have a feeling they will be. Something inside me is bothered by the idea of a property like Star Wars getting a new movie that is simply an adaptation of something that has come before it. I love the extended fiction, and have read my fair share of books (guilty of browsing Wookiepedia for hours at a time), and so I feel that what's already been covered should remain as such, in book form.
Would these movies cover something as horrendous as the Yuuzhan Vong (365 trillion sentient creatures in the galaxy killed after they came/went)? Many take issue with this part of the canon, and to see their adaptation into film would be, in my opinion, a mistake. I don't feel it is possible to accurately portray a menace as genocidal as the Vong without the movie being an R rated film, which would obviously not fit into any sort of Star Wars film at all. There must be death in a film if they are involved, and there must be a lot of it, horror, gore and blood intact and present.
Let's say, instead, that the movies focused on a more "lighthearted" area of fiction, primarily involving something like the Rebellion's continued quest to defeat the Empire, and eventually gain control of the galaxy. Well, the plague that is released on Coruscant by the Empire before the Rebellion gains control of it is a pivotal moment, as it immediately causes "troubled relations" between the humans of the galaxy and the alien races (a cure is released almost immediately that cures humans, but the cure for aliens comes much later, damaging moral etc etc). Furthermore, there is still plenty of important moments involving the reunification of the galaxy under a more peaceful empire and the ushering of the New Republic.
Another thing. The Jedi Order is reestablished by Luke Skywalker. Yeah, he's an important guy. And he was played by Mark Hamill. Star Trek recently faced this same problem: who is qualified enough to play someone as pivotal not only to the universe, but to the entire brand of Star Wars as a whole, and to society and pop culture? Chris Pine, in my opinion, did a stellar job playing Kirk, so it can be done. Question is, who's qualified to play Luke? Furthermore, whoever would assume the role of Luke must be not only, in my opinion, well versed in the fiction, but also understand the moral and cultural implications that Skywalker must face. He must restore the Jedi order, which has stood for thousands of years. Not only that, but he must deal with his own inner turmoil, and, if possible, Skywalker's encounters with the Dark Side of the force and the questions that it presents to him.
Ignoring all of that, we could assume that the Star Wars universe instead decides to revisit the era that KoToR so fantastically revealed to us. I would be against a movie in this universe, simply because when I play KoToR, I play it through my own eyes, crafting my own story, my own choices, and with my own goals. That is the beauty of the game, in that it creates a much more personal story. In the same way that the Mass Effect movie will have trouble defining how crucial choices are to the game (As well as what specific choices they will make), a movie in this time era would have trouble recreating the same magic that KoToR did. Going further back than this would also be unlikely, as most people aren't that interested in fiction from the beginnings of the discovery of the Force.
Here's the craziest idea that I've thought of: Reboot. Yes, that cursed word. How would rebooting Star Wars even work? To be honest, I can't even say. The sheer chaos that this word invokes when put in the same sentence as Star Wars is unimaginable. That is why such a thing is worth noting. Where would this go? How would it work? Why?
~~
So, little discussion aside, share your thoughts. Please, if possible, let's keep this educated. Try and be thoughtful with your posts. Also, all of this must happen before 2015, as that is when that movie is slated for release. Will there be enough time, even? Or is this project doomed to fail? Let me know what you think!
That link is where I read the story, I suggest everyone reads it BEFORE commenting, so we can actually just discuss here.
So, as the story reports, Disney bought Lucasfilm, and Episode VII is coming in 2015. What are your thoughts on this? Personally, I've gotta say, I'm not sure how I feel about this, for a number of reasons:
1) Primarily, George Lucas is gone. Any "true" fan has to agree that the more recent endeavors he's had in the universe have been "questionable" (to put it appropriately), including, but not limited to, the prequel trilogy (these are not the point of this article, though I will go on record and say that as long time fan who's thoroughly enjoyed much of the extended universe and the original trilogy, I absolutely despise these, and still do). This is reason to be excited, as it allows someone knew to take a crack at this genre, and that choice will make or break that director they choose. Who I'd prefer, I don't know exactly (I'd have to do a lot of research to pick my choice, but that's not the point), though I will say that whoever is chosen should be someone with at least a bit of experience dealing with some sort of sci-fi element, at the least.
2) The House of Mouse is in charge now, and this is also something to be happy about (oddly enough). This draws parallels to when they acquired Marvel. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was worried that these superheroes would be milked dry, but after Phase One has recently concluded with the blockbuster Avengers (eat it, TDKR), we can all rest at ease, knowing that Phase Two is going to be even better, and that Marvel is definitely in solid, capable hands. If there's one thing Disney can do, it's make a long-term plan and stick with it.
A quote from their website, which may shed further hope:
"It makes sense, not just because of our brand compatibility and previous success together, but because Disney respects and understands – better than just about anyone else – the importance of iconic characters and what it takes to protect and leverage them effectively to drive growth and create value." - This is important, because this is definitely true. I can't think of any other company who would possibly even know what to do with a franchise like this, and Marvel is the exact example to look at here.
3) Whatever they do cannot, in any way, be worse than Episodes I, II or III. It is not possible to make Star Wars movies that are worse than those. Episode I's script was a single draft, made by Lucas. Most movies go through tens, if not hundreds of iterations of a script before proceeding further. Episode I had a single, and final iteration. These movies are a disgusting stain on the Star Wars franchise, and if anyone ever plans to marathon these movies, what them in Machete order (Episodes IV, V, II, III then VI. If you want explanation for why, just PM me), so that you don't even have to deal with Episode I.
4) Here's my biggest concern: The Content. What will these new movies be about? For a short explanation of how I feel, let's say this. The movies take place after Episode VI, and they become novelizations of any of the numerous story threads created in the extended fiction. Do I want these new Star Wars movies to simply be novelizations? No, though I have a feeling they will be. Something inside me is bothered by the idea of a property like Star Wars getting a new movie that is simply an adaptation of something that has come before it. I love the extended fiction, and have read my fair share of books (guilty of browsing Wookiepedia for hours at a time), and so I feel that what's already been covered should remain as such, in book form.
Would these movies cover something as horrendous as the Yuuzhan Vong (365 trillion sentient creatures in the galaxy killed after they came/went)? Many take issue with this part of the canon, and to see their adaptation into film would be, in my opinion, a mistake. I don't feel it is possible to accurately portray a menace as genocidal as the Vong without the movie being an R rated film, which would obviously not fit into any sort of Star Wars film at all. There must be death in a film if they are involved, and there must be a lot of it, horror, gore and blood intact and present.
Let's say, instead, that the movies focused on a more "lighthearted" area of fiction, primarily involving something like the Rebellion's continued quest to defeat the Empire, and eventually gain control of the galaxy. Well, the plague that is released on Coruscant by the Empire before the Rebellion gains control of it is a pivotal moment, as it immediately causes "troubled relations" between the humans of the galaxy and the alien races (a cure is released almost immediately that cures humans, but the cure for aliens comes much later, damaging moral etc etc). Furthermore, there is still plenty of important moments involving the reunification of the galaxy under a more peaceful empire and the ushering of the New Republic.
Another thing. The Jedi Order is reestablished by Luke Skywalker. Yeah, he's an important guy. And he was played by Mark Hamill. Star Trek recently faced this same problem: who is qualified enough to play someone as pivotal not only to the universe, but to the entire brand of Star Wars as a whole, and to society and pop culture? Chris Pine, in my opinion, did a stellar job playing Kirk, so it can be done. Question is, who's qualified to play Luke? Furthermore, whoever would assume the role of Luke must be not only, in my opinion, well versed in the fiction, but also understand the moral and cultural implications that Skywalker must face. He must restore the Jedi order, which has stood for thousands of years. Not only that, but he must deal with his own inner turmoil, and, if possible, Skywalker's encounters with the Dark Side of the force and the questions that it presents to him.
Ignoring all of that, we could assume that the Star Wars universe instead decides to revisit the era that KoToR so fantastically revealed to us. I would be against a movie in this universe, simply because when I play KoToR, I play it through my own eyes, crafting my own story, my own choices, and with my own goals. That is the beauty of the game, in that it creates a much more personal story. In the same way that the Mass Effect movie will have trouble defining how crucial choices are to the game (As well as what specific choices they will make), a movie in this time era would have trouble recreating the same magic that KoToR did. Going further back than this would also be unlikely, as most people aren't that interested in fiction from the beginnings of the discovery of the Force.
Here's the craziest idea that I've thought of: Reboot. Yes, that cursed word. How would rebooting Star Wars even work? To be honest, I can't even say. The sheer chaos that this word invokes when put in the same sentence as Star Wars is unimaginable. That is why such a thing is worth noting. Where would this go? How would it work? Why?
~~
So, little discussion aside, share your thoughts. Please, if possible, let's keep this educated. Try and be thoughtful with your posts. Also, all of this must happen before 2015, as that is when that movie is slated for release. Will there be enough time, even? Or is this project doomed to fail? Let me know what you think!
