Star Wars Discussion Thread v. Rogue One

[Cool Chris]

Now what makes you think JJ Abrams would trash an already established franchise and its canon? 

[Fiery Winds]

I'd be worried if not for JJ Abrams only directing, not writing the screenplay. 

[yorost]

So the solo twins were never born? Is Darth Plagueis still a faceless Sith lord? My heart would cry if they just trashed the entire EU and rebooted from the movies.

Maybe they will keep a few ideas, like the twins, I don't know, but you better steel yourself.  They have been clear they do not care about the EU, and you could smell it from a mile away when the sale was announced.

[wasteland]

Well, then we will see how many fans will accept the movies as their canon.

[hefdaddy42]

Well, then we will see how many fans will accept the movies as their canon.

Millions and millions and millions.  The vast majority of Star Wars fans are content with the films, and have no knowledge of the EU.

[wasteland]

Hefdaddy42, forcing reality to clash with people's headcanon since... sometime. 

[Jaq]

Frankly, the EU's been overdue for a reboot since around the time of the New Jedi Order, especially since it kept the books written before the prequels came out in their canon and making some of them work require you to look at them sideways and squint very hard. Zahn's Thrawn books are flat out written on the notion that the Clone Wars were the Republic against cloners, not the Republic using clones. And really, let's face it, the EU has been stuck, other than the NJO, in a rut of returning to the status quo of "a hostile government versus pesky Jedi and rebels" for ages. Time to wipe it all out and start again. Plus it's not like the books are GONE, after all.

[Super Dude]

Well, then we will see how many fans will accept the movies as their canon.

Millions and millions and millions.  The vast majority of Star Wars fans are content with the films, and have no knowledge of the EU.

Pretty much this. My complaint was more how the feature film franchise itself started to contradict itself in some minor but growing areas.

[yorost]

Plus it's not like the books are GONE, after all.

Well, the problem is how many people thought it was canon.  They never said it was to the level of the films, but most people saw that as housekeeping, not a potential for it all to be flat dropped.  Other franchises sell their side stuff as just that, side stories the franchise will ignore.  Star Wars could have done that, but they promoted the one product idea and are now backtracking.  It helped them sell the product by being 'more', that's the problem, EU is a retroactive lie to fans who invested a lot of money thinking it was more than glorified fan fiction.

[jammindude]

Well, then we will see how many fans will accept the movies as their canon.

Millions and millions and millions.  The vast majority of Star Wars fans are content with the films, and have no knowledge of the EU.

This...

[tapsmiled]

Well, then we will see how many fans will accept the movies as their canon.

Millions and millions and millions.  The vast majority of Star Wars fans are content with the films, and have no knowledge of the EU.

This...

Those. I have zero desire to see any elements of the EU in these new movies.  I don't even really want the film to revolve around their kids. This is a vast galaxy/universe after all.  And I don't necessarily want the bigger is better attitude.  The effects need to become secondary, and the story needs to be simple and emotional.  No Trade Federation-type BS. No political machinations.  Simple plot, clean direction, good acting.

[Kotowboy]

inb4 : lulz JJ will change the timeline wo he can do whatever the hell he feels like.

[Super Dude]

inb4 : lulz JJ will change the timeline wo he can do whatever the hell he feels like.

At this point, something like that might just save it:

https://comicbook.com/blog/2013/03/05/carrie-fisher-confirms-return-as-princess-leia-in-star-wars-episode-7/

[Orbert]

That's Han and Leia both on board now.  Interesting.

[hefdaddy42]

Billy Dee Williams wants to come back, too.

[yorost]

What about Hayden Christensen?

[Dream Team]

What about Hayden Christensen?

I think he's in, with the stipulation that Jar-Jar be included as well. Unfortunately he is currently on Naboo and can't be reached for comment . . .

[Xanthul]

What about Hayden Christensen?

Unfortunately he is currently on Naboo

He better stay there.

[jammindude]

inb4 : lulz JJ will change the timeline wo he can do whatever the hell he feels like.

At this point, something like that might just save it:

https://comicbook.com/blog/2013/03/05/carrie-fisher-confirms-return-as-princess-leia-in-star-wars-episode-7/

There was that....but then she turned around and said she was kidding here:

https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/scifi/carrie-fisher-joking-returning-star-wars-episode-vii.html


BUT THEN George Lucas comes along and tells everyone that ALL THREE (Mark, Carrie and Harrison) are coming back here:

https://www.komonews.com/news/entertainment/Lucas-says-Star-Wars-trio-returning-for-new-film-196145991.html

So I don't know what to think any more...

[BlobVanDam]

I think she only said she was kidding to backtrack because she wasn't supposed to reveal it.
I'd trust that they're all coming back in some capacity. And aside from Harrison Ford, I can't really see the other two turning it down if given the opportunity.

[Orbert]

I think it would be cool having all three of them in VII, but really only to pass the torch, not as main characters. The new movies should focus on the "next generation".  The Empire is gone.  I want to see new stuff.  I want to see where they go from here.

[Super Dude]

I think it would be cool having all three of them in VII, but really only to pass the torch, not as main characters. The new movies should focus on the "next generation".  The Empire is gone.  I want to see new stuff.  I want to see where they go from here.

This.

[BlobVanDam]

I think it would be cool having all three of them in VII, but really only to pass the torch, not as main characters. The new movies should focus on the "next generation".  The Empire is gone.  I want to see new stuff.  I want to see where they go from here.

This, although I don't want them to just be token roles just as fan service either. I think they should be important secondary rolls, like Obiwan or Yoda, that get screen time here and there, but not the main characters that the movies center around.

[Orbert]

Yeah, that would be cool.  Not just a quick scene at the beginning and then they're gone, but more like you said.  Elders or advisors, like that.

[Super Dude]

Legend of Korra tried that to limited success. I realize that's a rather unfitting comparison.

[Orbert]

The one thing that they need to keep is The Force.  With Yoda and Obi-Wan gone (or being ghosts or whatever), it's up to Luke to pass on his knowledge of The Force.  And as they pointed out in the OT, he came to it really late and only succeeded because of his natural ability.  Then in the PT, they said that even Anakin was too old and only succeeded because of his natural ability (his Midichlorians).

I've always thought it was interesting how Luke was trained by Yoda himself, but only over the course of a few weeks or months on Dagobah, not the years and years of training that most Jedi get, from the time they're Younglings until they're Padawans.  Basically all of elementary school through high school.  So maybe Luke runs into some kind of issues in trying to pass on this very important knowledge, and finds that he just doesn't have it as deeply ingrained in him as Jedi have in the past.  Something like that would make for some decent conflict.  Nature versus nurture.

[Kotowboy]

Can't see why Fisher or Hamill would turn it down..

They're both in dire need of a hit and would probably welcome the paycheque as well.

Although it is funny how Hamill is basically known primarily as Luke Skywalker and almost 35 years later - he's back playing him again.

[Cool Chris]

I thought Carrie Fisher does a lot of writing to the point where I assumed she had a steady income all these years. Not SW-type income, but good income. She is a nutcase, but hasn't seemed to have outwardly needed to rely on a character she played 3 decades ago for her ego.

And Mark Hamill, well, he did a voice in some Batman cartoon or game, right?

Orbert, interesting read. Was thinking that makes too much sense for this film, but if I saw right and that Lawrence Kasdan is writing it, we should get some intelligence in this script.

[yorost]

Mark Hamilll does a lot of voice acting, including being well known for many works as the Joker.

[Orbert]

It probably does make too much sense, but I've always been of the opinion that even a "mindless action flick" should at its heart still have something resembling a coherent or intelligent premise.  It doesn't have to be the main plot point or anything.  Just something that comes up somewhere, maybe for the big dramatic bit 2/3 of the way through like there always is.

The Empire is gone and that was the central conflict of the OT, so I started thinking about where to go next.  The other thing that pretty much defines Star Wars is The Force, so that has to come into play.  With this "next generation" thing and Luke passing it down, I thought about Luke's own training, and remembered that it always bugged me how little training he got, relatively speaking.  Then I thought about Anakin.  He was like nine years old and The Jedi Council said he was too old to train (which was stupid and basically just a plot device, but still).  So Luke came to it really late, but learned from the Jedi Master.  What kind of abilities will his kids have?

Or more likely, Han and Leia's kids, which of course would also be grandchildren of Anakin Skywalker.  Leia was a rebel, Han was a badass rebel, what would their kids be like, and what kind of issues would there be in raising them, and training them in The Force?

[gmillerdrake]

FYI, Yoda watches over me at work.....

[bosk1]

I've always thought it was interesting how Luke was trained by Yoda himself, but only over the course of a few weeks or months on Dagobah, not the years and years of training that most Jedi get, from the time they're Younglings until they're Padawans.  Basically all of elementary school through high school.  So maybe Luke runs into some kind of issues in trying to pass on this very important knowledge, and finds that he just doesn't have it as deeply ingrained in him as Jedi have in the past.  Something like that would make for some decent conflict.  Nature versus nurture.

Yes! 

...Or the more likely way it will be handled:  It'll be glossed over with little or no explanation whatsoever. 

[j]

Part of me thinks it could be cool to have the original actors reprise their roles in some capacity, but...



I dunno about Luke and Leia.  Them is some hard miles.

-J

[orcus116]

Makeup does wonders.

[Orbert]

Ha, my thoughts exactly.  They're 40 years older; everyone knows that.  With some makeup and lighting, they can look old, but still pretty good.  That's all they have to be.