Disney buys Lucasfilm; Star Wars Episode 7 coming in 2015

[Perpetual Change]

Yeah, me neither. I mean, the absolute worst case scenario is that Disney gets JJ Abrams to direct this, and it's three 80-minute high-budget nostalgia trips staring a familiar cast of premier actors.

[yorost]

OK, a couple of guys have been arguing about this being good or bad in an office next to me for the last half hour.  One of them mentioned Disney has promised to do the trilogy and then at least one movie every two years following.  Is that true?

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I just hope they stick with John Williams. I think that's pretty safe though.

I will crucify someone if that is not the case!

[yorost]

He's 80 years old, how long do you think they can stick with him?  He isn't even very active in the last few years, is he?

[Laich21DT]

Wow, as a long time Star Wars fanatic, I am a whirlwind of emotions right now. I am certainly happy that I will get to see more Star Wars movies. Although I am a fan of the EU, I really hope that the movies continue on from ROTJ, and don't become "spin-off" movies. If that were to happen, along with the supposed schedule of a new movie every couple of years, I would be worried that it would somewhat cheapen the franchise.

Regarding the EU, I have never read any of the NJO stuff, but I love anything from Zahn. As far as the people criticizing Zahn's books, no other SW I know of captures the pace of the movies, and the attitude of the characters (especially Luke, Leia, and Han) as well as he. 

I would LOVE to see the Thrawn Trilogy turned into Episodes VII-IX, but I find that very unlikely. Correct me if I'm wrong, but with each book being 400+ pages, wouldn't they need to trim some of the content to turn it into a film anyway? However, that's not the biggest challenge that TTT would face in becoming movies. With Lucas still being the "creative consultant" for these films, and with his disdain for the EU - stating that he believes that Han and Leia never got married - I really can't see him utilizing any of the material from the EU. Which for me, is certainly disappointing.

However, no matter what happens, even if it's "Star Wars: Episode VII; Return of Jar Jar (maybe Gungans live a long time), I'll be in line. And so will you.

BTW, I have now seen a few people apparently agree that the Thrawn Trilogy is "hogwash", but only Jaq has given any specific reasons. Care to elaborate?

[RuRoRul]

OK, a couple of guys have been arguing about this being good or bad in an office next to me for the last half hour.  One of them mentioned Disney has promised to do the trilogy and then at least one movie every two years following.  Is that true?

"In 2015, we're planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the "Disney-Lucasfilm" brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 – and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years. "

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-news/press-releases/2012/10/disney-acquire-lucasfilm-ltd

So looks like that may be true - I thought that'd be a misunderstanding from them saying they'd release the first of the trilogy in 2015 then another (meaning Episodes 8 and 9) every two years, but apparently not 

Even though I don't care too much about this in particular, it is yet another instance of the general trend of not making any entirely original films. "It's time to pass Star Wars onto the new generation of filmmakers"? How about pass on the mantle of making new original films like Star Wars was in the first place (original as in at least a new franchise rather than something in an existing one). 

[yorost]

I would LOVE to see the Thrawn Trilogy turned into Episodes VII-IX, but I find that very unlikely. Correct me if I'm wrong, but with each book being 400+ pages, wouldn't they need to trim some of the content to turn it into a film anyway? However, that's not the biggest challenge that TTT would face in becoming movies. With Lucas still being the "creative consultant" for these films, and with his disdain for the EU - stating that he believes that Han and Leia never got married - I really can't see him utilizing any of the material from the EU. Which for me, is certainly disappointing.

If they follow the EU, which I highly doubt because it will trap them long term, they would not have to tranlate the books, just follow them loosely.  It's not about pages, just how the story can be told.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

He's 80 years old, how long do you think they can stick with him?  He isn't even very active in the last few years, is he?

True dat.... but he still compose scores though!

Well i hope they stick with some composer that still writes in the classical style of writing scores and by that i mean with alot of melodies, emotion and themes, basically music that lives and breathes for it self. I really hope they do! 

[Adami]

He's 80 years old, how long do you think they can stick with him?  He isn't even very active in the last few years, is he?

True dat.... but he still compose scores though!

Well i hope they stick with some composer that still writes in the classical style of writing scores and by that i mean with alot of melodies, emotion and themes, basically music that lives and breathes for it self. I really hope they do!

Don't worry. If they can't get Williams, I'm sure they can find someone else to channel Holst.

[YtseBitsySpider]

The next films will be better.
And if they give Timmothy Zahn a call they'll be amazing.

You bring back mark hammil in a "alec guiness" type role. He comes in, brings the hard core nostalgics back, you kill him off before he annoys anyone, you search for the lost Katana fleet, youhave Jacen and Jaina emerge with a new "Twilight" kiddiness about it....you introduce the Vong...you do it all.

And it all gets done properly.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

He's 80 years old, how long do you think they can stick with him?  He isn't even very active in the last few years, is he?

True dat.... but he still compose scores though!

Well i hope they stick with some composer that still writes in the classical style of writing scores and by that i mean with alot of melodies, emotion and themes, basically music that lives and breathes for it self. I really hope they do!

Don't worry. If they can't get Williams, I'm sure they can find someone else to channel Holst.

Yes exactly, that would please me just about right!

[Adami]

The next films will be better.
And if they give Timmothy Zahn a call they'll be amazing.

You bring back mark hammil in a "alec guiness" type role. He comes in, brings the hard core nostalgics back, you kill him off before he annoys anyone, you search for the lost Katana fleet, youhave Jacen and Jaina emerge with a new "Twilight" kiddiness about it....you introduce the Vong...you do it all.

And it all gets done properly.

I have absolutely no idea who what the Katana fleet is, or who Jacen or Jaina are, but you lost me with Twilight.

The original SW films never aimed at being trendy or current, they just were what they were and people loved it. If you try to make the new films trendy or current, it will be lost in time like other current or trendy movies.

[YtseBitsySpider]

^^^^^

read these NOW.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Force_Rising

this is actually book three of three...you need to read the trillogy. Excellent.

Im serious.
If you like StarWars...got to the end of say..Return of the Jedi and went..."man...what a story  I wish I could follow these characters around on another grand adventure..."

That's it.

[yorost]

...and will probably be thrown out of the universe as this trilogy comes to be.  The EU served a purpose to Lucas, and he owed a lot ot it because it helped keep Star Wars alive as a franchise.  To Disney it's just a massive constraint.

[Adami]

^^^^^

read these NOW.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Force_Rising

this is actually book three of three...you need to read the trillogy. Excellent.

Im serious.
If you like StarWars...got to the end of say..Return of the Jedi and went..."man...what a story  I wish I could follow these characters around on another grand adventure..."

That's it.

Nah, but thanks.

After Jedi, my thoughts were more like "Man, these were good movies. Now I'm going to go watch Star Trek, which is better".

I seriously have no desire to read anything about Star Wars. I'll watch the movies, but that's about it.

[Perpetual Change]

...and will probably be thrown out of the universe as this trilogy comes to be.  The EU served a purpose to Lucas, and he owed a lot ot it because it helped keep Star Wars alive as a franchise.  To Disney it's just a massive constraint.

For what it's worth, Lucas never really acknowledged any of the post VI stuff as "canon" at all. I don't think he's ever even read any of it.

[Adami]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRNXFhboBI

Is this more of what some people are expecting from the Disney Star Wars?

[yorost]

...and will probably be thrown out of the universe as this trilogy comes to be.  The EU served a purpose to Lucas, and he owed a lot ot it because it helped keep Star Wars alive as a franchise.  To Disney it's just a massive constraint.

For what it's worth, Lucas never really acknowledged any of the post VI stuff as "canon" at all. I don't think he's ever even read any of it.

He kind of did, or at least he let it slide for many years.  He is in control of Lucasfilms and they're the ones obsessed with maintaining continuity.  EU was keeping his franchise alive, without it he may never have been able to launch his prequel project.  Regardless, fans believed it to be accepted it as canon and they never really refuted it, more of "Oh, well, kind of."  I saw fans praising how the Star Wars universe was all one project when I worked at a bookstore, people bought into it as canon.

Lucas isn't going to stop Disney from taking creative control of Star Wars post VI, you're right that he is ho-hum about it.  Who would want to be forced into other people's books when they feel the franchise is a film first product?

[Implode]

Don't worry. If they can't get Williams, I'm sure they can find someone else to channel Holst.

Very true.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRNXFhboBI

Is this more of what some people are expecting from the Disney Star Wars?

IT´S A TRAP!

[Ħ]

This is really great news. The originals were classics, of course, and I don't share the dislike for the prequels that many do. Never read the books, never had an inclination to. But I'm glad the saga continues - Star Wars is in good hands with Disney.


While I am excited to be surprised by the new plot they throw at us, my only desire is that episode 7 begins right after the events of episode 6, with this scene. That would be the most awesomest thing to ever happen in the history of ever.

[Adami]

This is really great news. The originals were classics, of course, and I don't share the dislike for the prequels that many do. Never read the books, never had an inclination to. But I'm glad the saga continues - Star Wars is in good hands with Disney.


While I am excited to be surprised by the new plot they throw at us, my only desire is that episode 7 begins right after the events of episode 6, with this scene. That would be the most awesomest thing to ever happen in the history of ever.

Welcome back Brother.


Also yea, it would be neat to finally have a scene to justify all the praise Boba Fett goes.

In the end, all the guy did was die.

[yorost]

Also yea, it would be neat to finally have a scene to justify all the praise Boba Fett goes.

In the end, all the guy did was die.

If he was in a Matrix sequel everyone would be talking about how characters like him made the movies so bad.

[Adami]

Also yea, it would be neat to finally have a scene to justify all the praise Boba Fett goes.

In the end, all the guy did was die.

If he was in a Matrix sequel everyone would be talking about how characters like him made the movies so bad.

I honestly don't follow. I don't disagree, I just don't follow.

Boba Fett is usually considered a truly awesome guy. But I think the most he did was find a clever way to track the Falcon, Vader did the rest.

[Perpetual Change]

Also yea, it would be neat to finally have a scene to justify all the praise Boba Fett goes.

In the end, all the guy did was die.

 

[bosk1]

Boba Fett is usually considered a truly awesome guy.

The funny thing is, Lucas unilaterally determined that Boba Fett would be awesome, and the general public just went along with it without questioning it whatsoever.  I mean, in Empire, he really was just another nondescript bounty hunter, other than actually tracking the Falcon, like you said.  He looked kinda cool, but that was about it.  And in Jedi, he didn't do much other than hang around Jabba's palace and then accidentally die.  And yet, Lucas in a single stroke of genius built up all kinds of hype around the character long before Empire even came out, so that people were simply salivating over Boba Fett long before anyone ever saw him in a movie, and just figured that he MUST be awesome.  Pretty funny when you think about it.  And, really, I'm not ever sure Lucas really even intended to build him up so much.

[lateralus88]

Haha 2015? Doesn't Disney know the world is going to end in just a couple of months. I mean come on.

[Adami]

Haha 2015? Doesn't Disney know the world is going to end in just a couple of months. I mean come on.

Actually 2015 is a very odd year to release this movie since they're also releasing Avengers II that year. You'd think they'd limit it to one insane block buster per year. I mean, in the end they make a crap load of money, but I don't know why they'd pit one of their movies against another of their movies

[lateralus88]

Didn't the second G.I. Joe film get postponed because of The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises?

[Adami]

Didn't the second G.I. Joe film get postponed because of The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises?

No clue. Does Disney own the GI Joe Franchise too?

[ariich]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRNXFhboBI

Is this more of what some people are expecting from the Disney Star Wars?

I actually found that really funny. I like the fact that LucasFilms is making things that poke fun at itself.

I like the idea of making episodes 7-9 as Lucas has always had a basic story for those, so it would be good to complete his vision of the saga. I just hope it's done well.

The idea of doing another film every 2 to 3 years is considerably less exciting, but it depends what sort of form that takes. If it's side stories and things like that (like the Clone Wars movie) then I'm not too bothered really as I can just ignore them if they're no good.

[Perpetual Change]

Haha 2015? Doesn't Disney know the world is going to end in just a couple of months. I mean come on.

Actually 2015 is a very odd year to release this movie since they're also releasing Avengers II that year. You'd think they'd limit it to one insane block buster per year. I mean, in the end they make a crap load of money, but I don't know why they'd pit one of their movies against another of their movies

Eh, one could be a summer blockbuster, and the other a holiday blockbuster.

[Jaq]

I like the idea of making episodes 7-9 as Lucas has always had a basic story for those, so it would be good to complete his vision of the saga. I just hope it's done well.

I don't think you should believe what Lucas says about having nine movies worked out in the least.

I remember reading an interview with Lucas in Rolling Stone when ROTJ came out, and there was a discussion going on about how to make Luke mad enough to fight Vader. And Lucas says, I got it, Leia's really his sister, and Vader will threaten her! Lucas didn't have an overreaching arc for the entire series when he wrote Star Wars-hell, it became "Episode Four-A New Hope" after the fact, when the sequel was green lit (To this day, I call the movie that came out in 1977 Star Wars, because that's what it was called when it came out.) Any overarching storyline came later, and it's clear from how the prequels worked out that he had neither those OR any follow ups written. Lucas claims that Vader was meant to be Luke's father from the start, but earlier drafts of Star Wars had Darth Vader as just a general for the Empire with no connection to Luke at all.

That's why Lucas is always changing the movies. They've never stopped being a moving target where the stories are concerned.

[Orbert]

[Adami]

I like the idea of making episodes 7-9 as Lucas has always had a basic story for those, so it would be good to complete his vision of the saga. I just hope it's done well.

I don't think you should believe what Lucas says about having nine movies worked out in the least.

I remember reading an interview with Lucas in Rolling Stone when ROTJ came out, and there was a discussion going on about how to make Luke mad enough to fight Vader. And Lucas says, I got it, Leia's really his sister, and Vader will threaten her! Lucas didn't have an overreaching arc for the entire series when he wrote Star Wars-hell, it became "Episode Four-A New Hope" after the fact, when the sequel was green lit (To this day, I call the movie that came out in 1977 Star Wars, because that's what it was called when it came out.) Any overarching storyline came later, and it's clear from how the prequels worked out that he had neither those OR any follow ups written. Lucas claims that Vader was meant to be Luke's father from the start, but earlier drafts of Star Wars had Darth Vader as just a general for the Empire with no connection to Luke at all.

That's why Lucas is always changing the movies. They've never stopped being a moving target where the stories are concerned.

But Lucas isn't changing the stories. He's changing minor little details and adding crap tons of annoying visuals. (Yes, Han shooting first is a minor detail, as horrible as it was).

An over arching story is just a general plot outline. Hell, even Luke and Leia being twins is a somewhat minor detail in the over all scheme.