Disney buying Lucasfilm for $4.05 billionhttp://finance.yahoo.com/news/disney-buying-lucasfilm-4-05-billion-200845002--finance.html (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/disney-buying-lucasfilm-4-05-billion-200845002--finance.html)
By RYAN NAKASHIMA | Associated Press – 57 minutes ago.. .
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Disney is paying $4.05 billion to buy Lucasfilm Ltd., the production company behind "Star Wars," from its chairman and founder, George Lucas. It's also making a seventh movie in the "Star Wars" series called "Episode 7," set for release in 2015, with plans to follow it with Episodes 8 and 9 and then one new movie every two or three years.
The Walt Disney Co. announced the blockbuster agreement to make the purchase in cash and stock Tuesday. The deal includes Lucasfilm's prized high-tech production companies, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, as well as rights to the "Indiana Jones" franchise.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement that the acquisition is a great fit and will help preserve and grow the "Star Wars" franchise.
"The last 'Star Wars' movie release was 2005's 'Revenge of the Sith' — and we believe there's substantial pent-up demand," Iger said.
Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chairman of Lucasfilm, will become the division's president and report to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Lucas will be creative consultant on new "Star Wars" films.
Lucas said in a statement, "It's now time for me to pass 'Star Wars' on to a new generation of filmmakers."
The deal brings Lucasfilm under the Disney banner with other brands including Pixar, Marvel, ESPN and ABC, all companies that Disney has acquired over the years. A former weatherman who rose through the ranks of ABC, Iger has orchestrated some of the company's biggest acquisitions, including the $7.4 billion purchase of animated movie studio Pixar in 2006 and the $4.2 billion acquisition of comic book giant Marvel in 2009.
Disney shares were not trading with stock markets closed due to the impact of Superstorm Sandy in New York.
Star Wars Episode 7 - Things Disney Should Not Dohttp://news.yahoo.com/star-wars-episode-7-things-disney-not-213100989.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-wars-episode-7-things-disney-not-213100989.html)
Access Hollywood – 22 mins ago.. .
Now that the dust has settled on Tuesday's galactic-sized announced that the Walt Disney Company will acquire Lucasfilm and then release a seventh "Star Wars" film in 2015 (with more to follow!), there is Rancor-sized speculation about what "Episode 7" will be about, but first let's go over what we hope it's not about.
No Elderly Han, Leia & Luke! : As much as we love the original three films, the thought of seeing Harrison Ford, 70, Carrie Fisher, 56, and Mark Hamill, 61, going head-to-head with Sith lords and leftover Stormtroppers makes us want to throw ourselves into the Sarlacc Pit with Boba Fett. If you must, give the original trio a nod, maybe use some cool Jedi blue ghost flashbacks, but please do not insert them into the new films.
PLAY IT NOW: MovieMantz: Is It A Good Idea To Make A Star Wars 7?
Talent Trumps A-List Names : A new "Star Wars" movie does not need a big Hollywood name attached to it! We'd love for Disney to go with a cast of strong, new talent over A-List names. Good ideas and amazing actors will go further than having "starring Robert Patttinson" in the opening credits. Sorry RPattz, no lightsaber for you!
Don't Scrimp On The Director : After shelling out $4.05 billion for Lucasfilm, we hope Disney's spending spree continues. Please don't go cheap when it comes to selecting a director. We hope the studio follows in its "The Avengers" footsteps and goes with a helmer who, not only loves the "Star Wars" universe, but also someone who goes big and bold and maybe isn't afraid to shake things up. Names we'd be happy to see in the opening credits: Christopher Nolan, Joss Whedon, Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro, J.J. Abrams, Catherine Hardwicke, Peter Jackson, Rian Johnson... dare we even say Steven Spielberg?
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Sexy Ladies Of Sci-Fi
Cut The Cute : Sorry Jake Llyod and Jar Jar Binks, we are looking at you! Galactic civil wars are messy, complicated, bloody, tragic and horrific - so keep it that way! Dancing Ewoks, silly sidekicks, and re-edited sequences where the good guy doesn't shoot first (poor Greedo will never live that one down!) have no place in future movies. We'd even love to see a PG-13 rating on the next movie.
Keep Us Guessing! : The first six films chronicled the journey of the hero , so this time throw us something completely unexpected. We'd love for the new story - which according to E! News, will be a completely original tale - to do as so many small screen gems ("Homeland," "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones") do each week, completely floor us! Take us somewhere we never thought a TIE Fighter/X-Wing/Imperial Star Destroyer could go!
Hicks: New 'Star Wars' movies won't follow existing story lineshttp://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_21896421/hicks-new-star-wars-movies-wont-follow-existing?source=jBar (http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_21896421/hicks-new-star-wars-movies-wont-follow-existing?source=jBar)
Compiled by Tony Hicks
Contra Costa Times
mercurynews.com
Posted: 10/31/2012 10:53:06 AM PDT
October 31, 2012 11:50 PM GMTUpdated: 10/31/2012 04:50:24 PM PDT
Now that Disney has bought Lucasfilm and announced they will start making Star Wars movies again, speculation is rampant as to what the stories will be about.
According to E! News, whatever the plot of Episode seven, George Lucas won't have a heavy hand in the day-to-day creation of it. He's apparently written the treatments for the films, but he won't produce or direct, which should make lots of Star Wars geeks mighty happy, after what happened in Episodes 1-3.
Two decades ago, the Star Wars saga moved on in books that fans know as the Thrawn Trilogy, written by Timothy Zahn. Han Solo and Leia Organa got married and had twins, Luke Skywalker tried resurrecting the Jedi Order and the evil Imperial
Grand Admiral Thrawn was doing his best to restore the Empire.
"Of all the speculation out there about the content of this new trilogy, that's the single most concrete idea," says Eric Geller of the fan site TheForce.net. "It's almost inevitable that the story will take place in the same time frame as those books."
So is that where the new films are headed? Nope, according to E! News.
Sources close to Lucasfilm say that's not happening (kind of like the geeks thought maybe the book "Splinter of the Mind's Eye" would be the basis of one of the sequels to the original movie, which is was not).
"It's an original story," a LucasFilm source said.
OK, but can we all at least agree to get Mark Hamill back on-screen? The guy hasn't worked in ages.
So, forget the Star Wars novels. Forget the graphic novels. Forget everything you think you know about what happens to Luke Skywalker. According to E! News' sources, Episode Seven will literally be nothing you've ever seen or read before from the Star Wars universe.
And no director has been attached to the project yet.
Can merger return 'Star Wars' to its glory days?http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/01/showbiz/movies/star-wars-episode-7-george-lucas/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/01/showbiz/movies/star-wars-episode-7-george-lucas/index.html)
By Stephanie Goldberg, CNN
updated 6:41 PM EDT, Thu November 1, 2012
Since the prequel trilogy turned some fans off, "Star Wars" has introduced "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," the successful animated series that airs on Cartoon Network; video games; comic books and toys.
"There's still a lot of rumbling discontent with the last three 'Star Wars' films and the way the franchise (has gone) over the last five/six years in particular," said Den of Geek editor Simon Brew. "It's been pillaged to an extent."
However, he added, "If you have an interest in 'Star Wars' on the big screen, than this is about as good a piece of news that's come through in the last 30 years."
Gawker's Drew Magary isn't sold.
"I don't think I'm alone in dreading the idea of paying another goddamn red cent for a 'Star Wars' movie ticket after Lucas made three terrible movies and went back to monkeyfart with the older, better ones, ruining them in the process," Magary wrote. "Now the series is finally free from Lucas' ambling, simplistic vision."
There is a lot of criticism directed at Lucas. Some of it is deserved and some of it isn't, Brew said, adding that there's a sense that, by focusing on the business side more than the creative side, Lucas has "been cheapening what he created." Regardless, he says, the filmmaker's genius is palpable.
That said, "taking (the impending films) away from his control and cutting them fresh would be the more positive way forward. ... It got to the point where (Lucas) held 'Star Wars' back. ... There are so many new, interesting voices in science fiction," Brew said. He pointed to franchises like "Batman" and "James Bond," which he believes have flourished thanks to new voices.
Whether Disney is able to do with Lucasfilm what they've done with Pixar and Marvel, which earned more than $1 billion at the box office with this year's "The Avengers," remains to be seen. But many fans agree that new screenwriters and a new director alone could aid the "Star Wars" universe.
A dedicated fan and webmaster at TheForce.net and RebelScum.com, Philip Wise said he "couldn't be happier" about the news and Lucas' muted new role.
"The fans that care about the story a lot and the movies a lot are happy that (Lucas will) be creatively involved, and even more happy that he wont' be actively involved in the directing and maybe even the writing," he said.
The potential for something great outweighs the potential for a train wreck at this point, Brew said. He noted Paramount's success with J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" in 2009. (The sequel, "Star Trek Into Darkness," is due out in May 2013.)
The worst case scenario of bringing a new "Star Wars" trilogy to life, he added, is that we "could end up pretty much where we already are, or halfway between the old films and the new films."
Gawker's Magary compared his love for the franchise to "rooting for a sports team that never wins anything (or more accurately, a sports team that won three titles 30 years ago and hasn't won a game since)."
Disney knows how crucial "Episode 7" is, Brew said, specially with the promise of an additional two films in the bank.
"The potential at this point," he said, "is as pure as it's been for awhile."
The Next ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy: A New Hope?http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/star-wars-returns-rumor-roundup-221654367.html (http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/star-wars-returns-rumor-roundup-221654367.html)
By Mike Krumboltz | Movie Talk – 18 hours ago...
When George Lucas announced that he was selling his company to Disney, it was (to paraphrase ol' Obi-Wan) as if millions of nerds suddenly cried out in terror. But now that the dust is off and we've all had time to absorb the bombshell news, disciples of the Force are probably wondering what's next. Yes, there will be movies. But what will they be about?
We did a roundup of some of the more interesting reporting and rumors floating around. As we all now know, there will be at least three new films: episodes VII, VIII, and IX. But what those films will cover is open to a lot of speculation.
We can safely assume that the films will be original stories and not adaptations of "Star Wars" novels, comics, or games. This is kind of a bummer. The Admiral Thrawn book trilogy by Timothy Zahn is highly regarded and would make a compelling series of films. However, according to E! Online, the new films will be based on original treatments written by George Lucas.
The Wrap spoke with Dale Pollock, author of the Lucas biography, "Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas." The author, who interviewed the director at least 80 times for his book, says that while he was doing research in the 1990s, he was allowed to read the outlines to the 12 (yes, 12!) stories.
"It was originally a 12-part saga," Pollock said. "The three most exciting stories were 7, 8, and 9. They had propulsive action, really interesting new worlds, new characters. I remember thinking, 'I want to see these three movies.'" He did say that the three films feature Luke Skywalker in his 30s and 40s. No other details were given due to a confidentiality agreement Pollock signed.
But that was a long, long time ago. Plot lines, stories and characters can come and go. Still, it would seem likely that the next trilogy would go back to the trio of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia. IGN has an interesting idea -- why not use "Avatar"-style versions of Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher in these new films? Yes, many would object, but let's be honest — that trio is the heart of the saga and it's going to be difficult to accept other actors in the roles.
Of course, that's just one theory. There are others. The Hollywood Reporter writes that Disney may do an "'Avengers'-style universe with not only Lucas' planned final trio of films but offshoot movies focusing on individual characters." While there is no official confirmation, the idea makes sense. The "Star Wars" universe is ripe for interesting characters and Disney will want to get its $4 billion worth.
Entertainment Weekly sat down with Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy. Hamill revealed that he and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) had lunch with George Lucas in August. Lucas told them that he was planning to make another trilogy. "When he said, 'We decided we're going to do episodes VII, VIII, and IX,' I was just gobsmacked," Hamill said. Still, he had no idea the director was planning to sell his company. "Oh my gosh, what a shock that was," Hamill said.
The films, whatever they end up focusing on, will be executive produced not by Lucas but by his successor, Kathleen Kennedy. She will work with Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn to produce the films and build the brand. Horn is highly regarded. He previously worked at Warner Bros., where he helped to oversee the "Harry Potter" films. Clearly, the guy knows his way around valuable franchises.
When it comes to who will direct the films, that's anybody's guess. Danny Boyle would make a nice choice. He directed the under-seen sci-fi flick "Sunshine." Steven Soderbergh would surely make an interesting film set in a galaxy far, far away. If producers want to go with a blockbuster kind of guy, how about James Cameron or Steven Spielberg? Other possibilities that would likely be met with approval (again, we're just guessing): Joss Whedon, J.J. Abrams, Rian Johnson. Notice we did not include Michael Bay?
'Star Wars' Episode 7: Author of Thrawn Trilogy, Timothy Zahn Weighs In, Could The New Movies Follow His Books?http://www.booksnreview.com/articles/1603/20121103/star-wars-episode-7-author-thrawn-trilogy-timothy-zahn-movies-books.htm (http://www.booksnreview.com/articles/1603/20121103/star-wars-episode-7-author-thrawn-trilogy-timothy-zahn-movies-books.htm)
Books & Review | Cole Garner Hill
Updated: Nov 03, 2012 03:12 PM EDT
When Disney bought Lucasfilm Oct. 30 for $4.05 billion and announced plans to release at least three new "Star Wars" films, beginning in 2015, the Internet was more panic-stricken than C-3PO planning a birthday party for Luke Skywalker.
Creator George Lucas will likely only have a limited role in the three new films, as he seems content to pass the light saber on to a new generation of directors and writers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially considering the almost universally reviled prequel films. Lucas doesn't have the best track record with his fans for being kind to his own source material.
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George Lucas biographer Dale Pollock assures Disney will almost certainly be using Lucas's outlines for the next three films. "Writers will absolutely take his outline. That's in part what Disney bought," he said. And while no one outside of Lucas and Disney know the plans for the three future films, we can't help but wonder, WWTD? What Would Thrawn Do?
Sci-Fi author Timothy Zahn popularized the so-called "Expanded Universe" of "Star Wars" with The Thrawn Trilogy back in 1991, a series of novels about Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia set five years after the end of "Return of the Jedi." The books became surprising bestsellers, and ushered in a new generation of fans for the epic saga.
According to Zahn, he was "briefed" on Lucas' plans for sequels years ago and how the Thrawn books would fit in. "The original idea as I understood it- and Lucas changes his mind off and on, so it may not be what he's thinking right now - but it was going to be three generations," said Zahn to Entertainment Weekly.
"You'd have the original trilogy, then go back to Luke's father and find out what happened to him [in the prequels], and if there was another 7th, 8th, or 9th film, it would be Luke's children. The Thrawn Trilogy really would have fit into the gap," the author said.
Zahn's trilogy, which began with "Heir to the Empire," gets its name from the new villain at its core: a blue-skinned, red-eyed Imperial general, Thrawn, who reconstructs The Empire from the remains of Vader and the Emperor's evil army after the two are killed in "Return of the Jedi."
"It could be an entirely new storyline, but if he picks and chooses bits and pieces from the expanded universe, we'd all be thrilled to death," said Zahn.
While nothing is for sure with the future "Star Wars" films, and no one from Disney or LucasFilm has commented on the treatments they plan to use, Zahn says its totally possible they could be using his books as source material without his knowledge. The films are a franchise which he doesn't own, thus, LucasFilm owns his books; they don't have to tell him if they want to use parts of, or even his entire story.
"It certainly could be happening," Zahn said. "They have no obligation to touch base. As with any other franchise, once we write something, it's owned by Lucasfilm, as it should be. It's their property."
He's been surprised before. "I've had conversations with friends over the years and they'd say, 'Oh, Thrawn is in a new video game,' and that would be the first I heard about it. So they could film the whole Thrawn trilogy without me ever knowing until I sat down in the theater!"
Disney reportedly has a "very lengthy treatment" to begin the development process for the new trilogy, according to the company's CFO Jay Rasulo, and at least one of the films will likely be released in 3-D, a prediction that anyone who's been to theaters in the last two years could have easily made.
Disney CEO Bob Iger says the company plans to release a new "Star Wars" film every two to three years after "Episode 7."
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see 'Star Wars' passed from one generation to the next," said Lucas, the 68-year-old chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm. "It's now time for me to pass 'Star Wars' on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that 'Star Wars' could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime."
Still, you want to hope they come up with some clever way to ignore the EU without contradicting it - I always heard the Thrawn stuff was super-good, and you know it would just get screwed up if they tried to do it in the movies...
Force is strong with dream 'Star Wars' directorshttp://omg.yahoo.com/news/force-strong-dream-star-wars-directors-102100639.html (http://omg.yahoo.com/news/force-strong-dream-star-wars-directors-102100639.html)
By CHRISTY LEMIRE | Associated Press – 8 hours ago.. .
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It's the question we've all been pondering from the second we heard that three more "Star Wars" movies were planned: Who will direct them?
When George Lucas announced last week he was selling Lucasfilm to Disney for $4.05 billion, he also revealed that the long-rumored Episodes VII, VIII and IX were in the works. Instantly, fans began tossing around names of directors who'd be a good fit for this revered material.
So let's call this a wish list, a wouldn't-it-be-cool list. Because a lot of the people here are tied up with franchises of their own — who knows if they'd be available to take over the first of these films, due out in 2015? Others are just people whose work I admire and I'd be curious to see how they'd apply their styles within this universe.
Then there's also the theory that Disney executives and Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chairman of Lucasfilm who will become the division's president, won't want an auteur, someone who would put his or her own aesthetic stamp on the franchise. There goes your dream of seeing Chewbacca and R2-D2 through the eyes of David Lynch.
Whoever is chosen, whether it's a new director for each film or the same person taking over the trilogy, I think I speak for all of us when I say: Please, no Ewoks:
— [lies and absolutely wrong-headed bull crap excised]
— Joss Whedon: Another pretty obvious choice. Like [a certain overrated hack], he has cultivated a well-deserved and loyal following among sci-fi fans between "Firefly" and "Serenity," but he catapulted himself into a whole 'nother stratosphere with this summer's enormous hit "The Avengers." Thing is, he may be just a tad busy with "The Avengers 2" — which is also due out in 2015.
— Brad Bird: He directed the most recent and best in film in the "Mission: Impossible" series, last year's "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol." It gave Bird the opportunity to use his animation expertise from the beloved Pixar films "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" to make a live-action movie that was lively and thrillingly staged. This would be an excellent fit.
— Jon Favreau: He's a massive "Star wars" fan and is extremely knowledgeable about Lucas and his life. He's also shown he can manipulate the kind of massive machinery it takes to make a blockbuster with the hugely successful "Iron Man" movies. This would also be a no-brainer.
— Christopher Nolan: Dark Knight. 'Nuff said.
— Peter Jackson: Sure, it makes sense. He's gotten his arms around gigantic franchises with rabid fan bases, to universal acclaim and awards, with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But the last of his three "Hobbit" movies comes out in 2014. He might already be kinda wiped out at this point.
— David Fincher: A hugely confident, virtuoso filmmaker mostly known for drama, but his remake of the Swedish hit "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was epic and just heart-poundingly thrilling, and "The Social Network" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" showcased his mastery of special-effects trickery.
— Sam Mendes: This might seem like an odd choice until you see "Skyfall" this weekend. And you really should see "Skyfall" this weekend. But the "American Beauty" director said the whole experience of making a James Bond movie left him "knackered," to quote him, so who knows whether he'd be up for such a massive undertaking so soon.
— Matt Reeves: A longtime friend and collaborator of [a certain overrated hack], he directed "Cloverfield" which showed he has an eye for visceral sci-fi action. But "Let Me In," his English-language version of the Swedish vampire thriller "Let the Right One In," revealed his ability to create a chilly, tense mood.
— Matthew Vaughn: His "Kick-Ass" was exactly that, a lively, funny tale of wannabe superheroes, while his "X-Men: First Class" was one of the better-reviewed films in the series. Before that, his debut film "Layer Cake" (starring a pre-Bond Daniel Craig) showed an instinctive ability to create tension and mood.
— Mark Romanek: He's just such an amazing visual stylist, I'd love to see what he'd do with this kind of well-established material. He made his name as a music video director, including the super-expensive space-age video for Michael Jackson's "Scream." But the couple of features he's made — "One Hour Photo" and "Never Let Me Go" — were so gorgeous and had such a signature look, I'd be curious to see what he could do with a bigger toy box.
— Kathryn Bigelow: She's just a bad-ass, a pioneering female action director. She proved she had a way with big, splashy set pieces two decades ago with "Point Break" and became the first woman to win the best-director Oscar for "The Hurt Locker." I'd love to see this male-centric universe from a female perspective.
— Guillermo del Toro: This is my dream "Star Wars" director. Of course, it will never happen. The ingenious maker of "Pan's Labyrinth" and the "Hellboy" movies has a visual style that's so wonderfully weird and inspired, it would never be allowed in such a structured setting. But it would be wondrous to watch.
— Ben Affleck: Probably not the first name you would have thought of a month ago. But "Argo" proved that Affleck is a major filmmaker, and showed he could step deftly from the intimate drama of "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town" into much a larger and more complicated project. Plus it would allow him to redeem himself with fanboys following the debacle of "Daredevil."
Unorthodox
I'm going to disagree about episode I to a degree.
I think they should have started with teen anikin, not 10 year old. Hell, at least make it a PLAUSIBLE romance. No 16 (18?) year old girl is falling for a 10 year old brat. Put him at 16, love at first sight, full of fantastic ideas about freeing slaves and becoming a real pilot make him BITTER about the slavery, conflicted, show us this 'fear' Yoda moans about. Hell ANY emotion. I see cocky, arrogant, full of himself Anakin. SELL the slavery angle as much as the love angle. Make him pissed the jedi never freed his mom, have the emperor promise to rid the galaxy of slavery, where the Jedi ignore it. Have the evil trade federation et all endoursing slavery, giving Anakin a more emotional reason to get a little angry/murderous on Dookoo (I know that's spelled wrong, but can't be bothered to look it up), THEN have him go free slaves by wiping out slavers, wipe out a few tuskan raiders while he's at it. This sets up a confrontation with the Jedi, and KEY HERE, MAKE THE EMPEROR BAD ASS during this confrontation. They never totally sold that, EVER.
You almost HAVE to go back to Tatooine. Explain some why Luke was there, why his uncle/aunt are there. The Pod race, IMO, also is a nice addition, if only because LUKE IS A PODRACER AS WELL. This gets glossed over in the movies, with a few quotes "I used to bullseye womp rats in my T 16 back home" and "I hear you're a good pilot as well" and "just like threading the space needle back home" stuff. But it was there from the beginning, and goes into it more in the radio drama. In fact, 3PO hides behind Luke's pod when R2 disappears.
(Biggs Darklighter is also a podracer before joining the academy and eventually the rebellion, but he was cut from theatrical release, and the 'special edition' he only gets a cameo, which begs the question why Luke is asking where Biggs is during the dogfight, but I digress)'
BUncle
She was supposed to be 14. I know, but she was.
Aside from I'm attached to getting Luke born in the first to give everything dramtic unity, I'd say the problem with what you propose is that I don't give flying about most of that. See, the biggest and most annoying flaw I see in the EU stuff is this need to fill in holes and try to make everything make sense. It's just taking it all too seriously.
Honestly, in the EU, how many times has Bobba Fett been in and out of that sarlacc? Why was once and still dead not good enough? And to not only bring him back, but make him the Mandalor? Phooey; someone got paid to do it, but that sounds like fanfiction.
Keep it all as simple as possible, I say, and concentrate on the over the top adventure.
Unorthodox
Getting Luke born in the first kinda blows the timeline way out of the water. Vader/Obiwan wouldn't be nearly as old in Ep IV, for instance.
I didn't bring any EU stuff in. The radio drama(s) are considered the highest level of canon there is.
wiki:
QuoteG-canon is absolute canon; the movies (their most recent release), the scripts, the novelizations of the movies, the radio plays, and any statements by George Lucas himself. G-canon overrides the lower levels of canon when there is a contradiction.
BUncle
That's a fan definition (I assume) that fails to recognize that the movies [Sleezebag] even statments by Lucas - he changes his mind too often to be top-level cannon.
I do want to talk about this stuff, but I slept late and am groggy, so forgive me if I'm a little terse and rude just yet. Waiting for my brain to finish waking up.
You can't tell how old Vader is, even when you see his face, and the movies as-is blow Obiwan's timeline anyway - he aged something like 40+ years in the 19(?) between Sith and Star Wars.
I bet someone wrote a whole EU story around why Ben was so old in SW years ago....
My take with a Neeson-mature Obiwan, BTW, shaves 10+ years off that continuity error and leaves things better than before. I'm simply suggesting a later stating point on the timeline for the trilogy, and squeeze the events together a bit.
I think in the end the take you suggest is thinking like a writer, but not so much like a movie writer. Nobody wants to see the adventures of a boy. I say plunge in in medias res and try to suggest these details in his backstory - never stopping to actually show them. Leave that for the novelization, where it will work, or EU pro fanfic.
We need a hero to make the thing work. The tragedy of Darth Skywalker doesn't work if you don't like him, and I daresay no one did. We need a hero.
'Gospel,' or canon as we refer to it, includes the screenplays, the films, the radio dramas and the novelizations. These works spin out of George Lucas' original stories, the rest are written by other writers.
Spoilers ahoy.
I am an unabashed Indiana Jones fan. And, as spoken of earlier, Temple of Doom was my favorite among them. After seeing Crystal Skull, Temple of Doom is in no threat of being replaced. In fact, I’ld go so far as to say Crystal Skull is my least favorite of Jones movies.
That is not to say it is bad. Just, that where the previous films are held as the epitome of action movies, Crystal Skull falls to a level more closely resembling recent competition.
There are 2 distinct areas I think that Crystal Skull falls a little behind the former Jones movies.
First, the villains.
Raiders even gives us the great Beloq. The image of him holding up the idol and maniacally laughing as the Hovitos chase Jones through the jungle is a villain at his best.
Temple of Doom gave us Mola Ram. Let’s face it. It’s hard to top a picture of evil than that of Mola Ram holding up the beating heart of a poor sap being lowered into a pit of lava.
Crusade left us with a lot of villains, but none that truly have a great moment of villainy. At the least, we are presented with the eternal icon of evil in the hordes of Nazis.
Crystal Skull gives us Irina Spalko, the Russian super agent. Cold and calculating, never once losing her cool in a given situation, she is on the cusp of being a real badass. Quite arguably, the villain with the most potential of any of the Jones movies yet. Somehow, she never quite achieves that, and never gets her moment of high villainy, something sorely lacking. I would have loved to see her triumphently standing over the defeated heros in villainous glory. But, it was not to be. The rest of the villains are faceless soldiers we are told are evil Russians. While fitting to the film’s story, they are just not as iconic an evil as the Nazis.
The second area Crystal Skull falls flat, is in the ancient traps and puzzles.
Or, rather, lack thereof.
In Raiders, we got the whole “stay out of the light”, floor traps firing poison darts, pits, boulders, snakes…
Temple of Doom, we got the whole “WE. ARE. GOING. TO. DIE!” room of spikes.
Crusades had the Breath of God, Word of God, and the Leap from the Lions Mouth. Not to mention choosing poorly.
Crystal Skull…well…um…there was some quicksand. Completely unrelated to the quest/temple/anything. At one point, you see Dr Jones scanning the floor looking for clues/traps/something. I was SURE Mutt would trigger something accidentally there…nope. Nothing there to trigger. There wasn’t even the satisfaction of watching them struggle to figure out the clues to open a door, as all the figuring has already happened. We’re just carrying out the motions.
So, there is the disappointments.
It’s an enjoyable film in it’s own right. Indy seems to have wisened with age, and become a more wily fighter in the process. Seems to hold his own a bit better than previous iterations at the fisticuffs. Yet, is not quite as limber at some of the acrobatics. Mutt has potential. It’s nice to see Marion.
I see a lot of complaining about the CGI in reviews. As with I am Legend, I really don’t think there’s much to complain about. Doesn’t look perfect, doesn’t look BAD. I honestly don’t get what people expect from effects these days…
If you like Indiana Jones, and adventure films such as Sahara, National Treasure, etc, it’s sure worth a viewing. For me, it just doesn’t quite live up to the former ones. And that may well be due to my having them on too high a pedestal.
Now, as for Halloween potential. There wasn’t a whole lot to draw on here. The Mayan were pretty cool, but not quite as memorable as the Hovitos. The rest of it was pretty standard from a Halloween prop point of view.
Harrison Ford says he is open to another ‘Star Wars’ filmhttp://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/harrison-ford-says-open-another-star-wars-film-185829069.html (http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/harrison-ford-says-open-another-star-wars-film-185829069.html)
By Mike Krumboltz | Movie Talk – 7 hours ago...
Harrison Ford as Han Solo in 'Star Wars' (Photo from Lucas Film)For all those who hope the upcoming "Star Wars" movies are more "original trilogy" than "prequels" -- there is hope: Harrison Ford, who played the scruffy-looking nerferder Han Solo in the original films, will consider reprising his role, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The magazine spoke to a "highly placed source," who said, "Harrison is open to the idea of doing the movie and he's upbeat about it." The mystery source "close to the just-announced 'Star Wars' sequel" went on to explain that Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) are equally enthusiastic about the possibilities.
It's been 29 years since Ford last played the lovable scoundrel. According to legend, the actor very much wanted his character to be killed off in "Return of the Jedi." However, George Lucas ixnayed the idea. In a 2010 interview with ABC News, Ford said, "I thought he should have died in the last one to give it some bottom... George didn't think there was any future in dead Han toys."
Ford today (Photo: Getty)As near as we can tell, no script has been written and no director picked for the untitled Episode 7. According to Dale Pollack, who wrote a biography of Lucas and saw early treatments for Episodes 7, 8, and 9 several years ago, the treatments centered around Skywalker in his 30s or early 40s. "It was originally a 12-part saga," Pollock told the Wrap. "The three most exciting stories were 7, 8, and 9. They had propulsive action, really interesting new worlds, new characters. I remember thinking, 'I want to see these three movies.'"
Ford's publicist had no comment on EW's report. However, if the possibility of Solo making a return in "Episode 7" has you nerding out at light speed, check out Full Scale Falcon. The creators are building a full size replica of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. No, it won't actually fly but that doesn't make it any less awesome.
'Little Miss Sunshine' Screenwriter Michael Arndt to Pen 'Star Wars:Episode VII'http://movies.yahoo.com/news/little-miss-sunshine-screenwriter-michael-arndt-pen-star-014232513.html (http://movies.yahoo.com/news/little-miss-sunshine-screenwriter-michael-arndt-pen-star-014232513.html)
By Liza Foreman | The Wrap – Fri, Nov 9, 2012 9:17 PM EST.. .
Michael Arndt, who won an Academy Award for "Little Miss Sunshine," has been hired to write the screenplay for "Star Wars: Episode VII," Lucasfilm announced on its Star Wars website on Friday.
The news follows reports the '"Toy Story 3" scribe was the leading contender for the job and had turned in a 50-page treatment for the seventh installment in the epic franchise.
The film is slated to be released in 2015 and will launch a new trilogy under Disney, which acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion on Oct. 30.
"Star Wars" films have earned a total of $4.4 billion at the box office worldwide.
George Lucas is serving as a creative consultant on the films, with Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chairwoman of Lucasfilm, executive producing.
Arndt won the Oscar for best original screenplay in 2006 for "Little Miss Sunshine" and was nominated for best adapted screenplay for writing "Toy Story 3" (2010). He is a co-writer with Simon Beaufoy on "Hunger Games: Catching Fire," which is scheduled for released in 2013.
‘Star Wars: Episode 7′ Story Already Finished By ‘Toy Story 3′ Writer? [Updated]http://screenrant.com/star-wars-episode-7-story-michael-arndt/ (http://screenrant.com/star-wars-episode-7-story-michael-arndt/)
2 days ago by Sandy Schaefer
UPDATE 2: Lucasfilm has confirmed that Michael Arndt is writing the Star Wars: Episode VII script. Scroll down for even more information.
UPDATE: Michael Arndt is now reported to have written a treatment for Star Wars: Episodes VII-IX.
It didn’t take long for the Star Wars rumor mill to start functioning at full capacity again, once the Walt Disney company formerly announced that it is purchasing Lucasfilm from George Lucas and plans to release a third trilogy beginning with Episode VII in 2015. The news broke over 10 days ago now, but people around Hollywood are still reeling from the unexpected news; not to mention, the easily-excitable Internet masses have gone into overdrive, debating the benefits and drawbacks of this development (in ways both serious and not-so-serious).
We heard some rumors about prospective directors for Episode VII earlier on this week, with candidates including Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) and Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class). However, today we have a nice juicy rumor about who has written the screen story for the new installment.
Mark Hamill revealed last week that plans for a new Star Wars trilogy have been developing for over a year now, so it would make sense for a story treatment for Episode VII to have been written by now (seeing how we’ve heard the plan is to cover a new original story). Vulture has been told by its “informed sources” that such a 40-50 page treatment has indeed been finished, by none other than Oscar-winner Michael Arndt.
Arndt won his Academy Award for scripting Little Miss Sunshine; some four years later, he picked up an additional Oscar nod for his Toy Story 3 screenplay. He has since contributed to the scripts for the upcoming Tom Cruise sci-fi thriller Oblivion and Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire, as well as Pixar director Peter Docter’s followup to Up (with the playful working title The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind). Hence, it would make perfect sense for Disney and LucasFilm to recruit Arndt to write up a story treatment for Episode VII, given his established relationship with the Mouse House (in combination with his stellar output to date).
Michael Arndt also co-wrote the script for ‘Catching Fire’
Arndt’s history lends further credibility to this Episode VII rumor, as he’s overseen numerous writers’ retreats in the past; specifically, ones where he traditionally breaks down and examines the effectiveness of Lucas’ screenplay for the original Star Wars installment, Episode IV – A New Hope:
At these talks, Arndt always tells attendees that Star Wars’ enduring appeal has to do with resolving its protagonists goals’ nearly simultaneously, at the climax of the movie. In the comments section of a discussion about a Star Wars talk Arndt gave at the Austin Film Festival in 2010, one attendee of the seminar notes, “Arndt stated that if a writer could resolve the story’s arcs (internal, external, philosophical) immediately after the Moment of Despair at the climax, he or she would deliver the Insanely Great Ending and put the audience in a euphoric state. The faster it could happen, the better. By [Arndt’s] reckoning, George Lucas hit those three marks at the climax of Star Wars within a space of 22 seconds.”
The Episode VII story treatment from Arndt reportedly sets the stage for both Luke and Leia Skywalker to return in some capacity – along with Han Solo and (by extension) possibly other important characters from Episodes IV-VI. Nothing is set yet, of course, but we know that Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher met with Lucas to discuss the third Star Wars trilogy last summer; moreover, Harrison Ford recently announced that he is indeed open to the idea of reprising his role as Han Solo.
It’s also worth mentioning that Arndt’s treatment reportedly calls for “much older” versions of these characters, so the stage would be set for all three stars to return to the franchise (assuming this element of Vulture‘s scoop is accurate). Suffice it to say, there should be more than enough fan support for the trio coming back – even if the Skywalker siblings and Han Solo end up serving little purpose beyond bridging the gap between the second and third Star Wars trilogy (a la Leonard Nimoy as the older Spock in [censored]’ Star Trek r[ape]).
On that note, [cenosred] is also name-dropped as one of the individuals who will be receiving Arndt’s treatment for Episode VII. Other big-name contenders are said to include Lucas’ BFF Steven Spielberg (who was offered the chance to direct Return of the Jedi back in the day) and Brad Bird. The latter of those two filmmakers is a very popular choice among fans for tackling the Star Wars franchise, based on his work on such do-daring action-packed titles as The Incredibles and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. However, these individuals are considered long-shots right now.
It also needs to be emphasized that this is all technically RUMOR (until we report otherwise, at least). Nonetheless, if Arndt has indeed written a story treatment for Episode VII, then there’s a good chance he’ll be involved in the actual screenwriting process (which would be welcome news indeed). Furthermore, it’s not surprising to hear that the cream of the crop are being looked at to direct – but is quite encouraging, all the same.
UPDATE: Deadline is now confirming that not only has Arndt written a treatment for Episode VII, but the entire third Star Wars trilogy. Furthermore, the site has been informed that he will indeed begin working on the script for Episode VII next year.
UPDATE 2: The official Star Wars site has confirmed that Michael Arndt is scripting Star Wars: Episode VII.
As pre-production of Star Wars: Episode VII begins, Lucasfilm has confirmed that award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay for the new Star Wars film. As revealed in the ongoing video series posted here on StarWars.com, Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas have begun story conferences with Arndt. Arndt won an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay for writing Little Miss Sunshine (2006), and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing Toy Story 3 (2010).
More on Star Wars: Episode VII as the story develops.
'Star Wars' Director Hint Droppedhttp://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/star-wars-director-hint-dropped-152442182--abc-news-movies.html (http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/star-wars-director-hint-dropped-152442182--abc-news-movies.html)
By ABC News | ABC News Blogs – 7 hrs ago.. .
Producer Frank Marshall has a direct line to Disney's upcoming new "Star Wars" films, thanks to his wife Kathleen Kennedy, who produced films like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with him. Kennedy is George Lucas' hand-picked successor at Lucasfilm, which he recently agreed to sell to Disney.
At the premiere for the final Twilight film in Los Angeles Monday night, Marshall wasn't spilling any beans about the next film set in that galaxy far, far away, which will debut in 2015. When MTV asked him if he knew who was on the short list to direct "Star Wars: Episode VII," Marshall laughed, "I do, but I can't reveal it, or I won't be alive tomorrow."
RELATED:10 Directors Who Could Take on Star Wars Episode 7
Kennedy was slightly more forthcoming, but no less mysterious, during a sit-down with Lucas that was posted on StarWars.com.
"There are many people who sprang to mind with writers and directors that I've worked with in the path that I'm really excited to try to bring into the fold on this." Kennedy said. "I think we have a unique opportunity to go after some incredibly talented people."
So far, three names who have taken themselves out of the running include Steven Spielberg, [Star Trek hater], and "300? director Zack Snyder.
One filmmaker who recently sounded off on the possibility is Joe Johnston, who worked on the original "Star Wars" trilogy, and went on to direct films like "Captain America: The First Avenger." He told The Huffington Post, "A lot would depend on what 'it' is. I am very glad to see Lucasfilm cranking up to get productive again, regardless of who ends up doing it."
Another director who is apparently interested is Jon Favreau, who is also already in the Disney fold thanks to his work in the "Iron Man" series - and is established in the "Star Wars" universe, thanks to a recurring character in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."
The Walt Disney Co. owns ABC News and this website.
Star Wars Episode VII: J.J. Abrams Not Likely To Direct, Jon Favreau Interestedhttp://news.yahoo.com/star-wars-episode-vii-j-j-abrams-not-183213770.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-wars-episode-vii-j-j-abrams-not-183213770.html)
Access Hollywood – Mon, Nov 12, 2012.. .
Steven Spielberg told Access Hollywoodhe won't be sitting in the director's chair for "Stars Wars: Episode VII," and now two more fanboy favorites - J.J. Abrams and Jon Favreau - are weighing in on helming the next installment of the franchise.
Abrams rebooted "Star Trek" to sweeping critical and fan approval, but according to the director, he doesn't see himself working with Wookies.
PLAY IT NOW: Steven Spielberg Reveals He Won’t Be Directing New Star Wars Film
"Look, Star Wars is one of my favorite movies of all time," he told HollywoodLife.com this weekend, "I frankly feel that - I almost feel that, in a weird way, the opportunity for whomever it is to direct that movie, it comes with the burden of being that kind of iconic movie and series. I was never a big 'Star Trek' fan growing up, so for me, working on 'Star Trek' didn't have any of that, you know, almost fatal sacrilege, and so, I am looking forward more then [sic] anyone to the next iterations of 'Star Wars,' but I believe I will be going as a paying moviegoer!"
As for Favreau, who earned fanboy cred with "Iron Man," he appeared to be interested, but stopped short of busting out into an Ewok celebration dance when asked about the possibly of directing the highly anticipated project.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Cast Of Star Wars: Then & Now
"I think both J.J. and I come from a generation of people who formed our whole creative persona around what we experienced as kids from watching those films, and I have had the good fortune of working with George [Lucas] and around George, and whether it is doing a voice on 'Clone Wars,' or being at the Skywalker Ranch mixing 'Iron Man' - so I have been very happy and lucky to just experience the culture that Lucas has created, both in my own life growing up as a kid and professional," he told the website. "I am just giddy, first and foremost as a fan, to see what happens with it. I think there is a lot of question marks of how they are going to do it, and who they are going to do it with, and what the story is going to be about; but to say that I am not excited about it is definitely an understatement. We'll see."
'Star Wars' Episode 7 Movie Rumors: Darth Vader Reborn for New Film?http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981755594 (http://entertainment.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981755594)
November 13, 2012 02:35 PM EST
1 person recommends this | comments: 5
The latest "Star Wars" Episode 7 movie rumors indicate the possibility that one of the baddest villains in all the movie world (and galaxy) may make a return for the latest installment of the sci-fi series. Yes, Darth Vader himself may turn up in the latest film even though he was killed in "Return of the Jedi."
In the George Lucas "Star Wars" franchise, Darth Vader was the major villain for the original three movies, with his childhood and turn to the "Darkside" explored in the newer films. In the "Return of the Jedi" film, Vader suffered his demise as he saved his son, Luke Skywalker. According to Express.co.uk they have acquired info from an industry insider which indicates Lord Vader may rise up again to take part in the latest Disney edition of "Star Wars." A source is quoted as saying:
"He's an integral part of the franchise. Replacing him is virtually impossible. The plan is for him to return and play a significant role in the new films."
This is all purely speculations and rumors at this point, as it originates from a tabloid, rather than any major Hollywood news source. It would probably upset plenty of die-hard fans of this legendary science fiction saga to see something like this happen in the newest sequel. There are clever ways in which they could bring him back, with someone else taking over as Lord Vader rather than having it be Anakin Skywalker, who died due to being electrified by the evil Emperor in "Jedi." It could sort of be like those movies where someone else takes over for the serial killer/bad guy, like in "Saw." Then again, "Star Wars" won't want to take any cues on how to keep a franchise going from those films.
Whilt the latest rumors are just that, there are many fans who are purists that will probably want something else as the concept besides Vader getting brought back to life. Many fans will require a brand new main villain to take over in the seventh, eight and ninth films. However, as IGN.com points out, Darth Vader is also a major marketing powerbroker when it comes to merchandise and the movies. Having him re-appear in the film could help to really grab the attention of movie goers who want to see exactly what his new role incorporates. Still, it seems the "Star Wars" name on its own is usually enough to pack movie goers into the seats, whether Darth Vader or Jar Jar Binks is the main villain.
"Star Wars" and movie fans, do you think bringing Darth Vader back for Episode VII makes sense, or should they leave him dead?
Should Darth Vader Return for Episode 7?http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/11/14/should-darth-vader-return-for-episode-7/ (http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/11/14/should-darth-vader-return-for-episode-7/)
Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 at 4:30pm
by Graeme McMillan
As if the new Star Wars movie wasn’t looking enough like an exercise in nostalgia with the rumors about the return of the original core cast, now we’re being told that Darth Vader may be back from the dead in the still-untitled Episode 7. It’s so almost a good idea, but ultimately so far from being one…
As with any kind of attempt to bring back a much-beloved character, there are obvious reasons for and against the idea. Let’s start with the most obvious, most blunt fact in favor of a reborn Darth Vader: He is, by far, the most memorable character in the entire series, at least in terms of visuals (I think you can make an argument in terms of characterization, as well, even if you ignore the prequel trilogy all together; Vader goes from essentially-silent enforcer in the first movie to central character of the series by the end of the third, after all); his absence is keenly felt in the prequel trilogy, with the various attempts to replace him falling flat for various reasons (including, in General Greivous’ case, the fact that he looked as ridiculous as he did threatening. “Oh, it’s a skinny droid with a lot of arms!”). Bringing him back for the new movies not only has a certain merchandise-friendly appeal, it also fills a gap that impacted the previous three movies.
And then, the most obvious con: Darth Vader is dead.
Okay, maybe that looks like a cheap shot when put that bluntly, but still: Bringing back Darth Vader undoes the narrative arc of the six movies that already exist – or, at least, the redemptive arc for Anakin Skywalker that runs through at least The Empire Strikes Back and Return of The Jedi – by either retconning Vader/Skywalker’s rejection of his servitude in favor of protecting his family (Something that has narrative echoes with Anakin’s ridiculous Sandpeople rampage in Attack of The Clones) and subsequent appearance as a ghost in his Anakin form at the end of Return of The Jedi as… well, something that wasn’t really Darth Vader for whatever reason, or else by bringing the character literally back from the dead as some form of undead boogieman, which just seems to undercut the inherent optimism of the Star Wars series altogether: Even if you do the right thing in the end, you’ll end up staying a bad guy, because… that’s what you were for awhile.
And yet, thinking of things like that brings up the obvious realization that bringing Vader back makes a lot of sense because Star Wars as the movie series stands now is entirely a story about the character (or Anakin Skywalker, if that’s how you prefer him); his story, and it could be argued the story of Star Wars in general, ended in Return of The Jedi – After all, the wars of the title had ended in that movie – and continuing it without him feels a little… odd, perhaps? I’d write “unnecessary,” but I think that’s been pretty much covered already by the announcement in general.
The solution, perhaps, is for the new series to have a different Vader. It is, after all, a title and not a name, and the character’s look allows for anyone to be under that outfit without it impacting the visual recognition fans will get whenever he’s onscreen. As long as any potential Vader II has (1) good enough motivation for taking on the identity and (2) enough presence to fill the role without merely seeming like a retread of the original, it might be the best of all possible ways for the new movie to have its cake and eat it, too. Now, how quickly can someone convince Mark Hamill that Luke can only return to the new series if he turns evil and takes on his father’s legacy pretty damn quickly…?
A new dark lord of the sith is PERFECTLY fine, almost inevitable, probably another Darth-insertnamehere.I disagree. I think a big weakness of the EU is all those Sith - the stuff set in the past is fine, and kind of interesting, (although it begs the question of why the Space Nazis aren't universally HATED as the Hitlers of galactic history) but having so many popping up in the 'modern' post-movie time completely undermines a major (retconed, but still) point of the movie cannon, that Darth Skywalker brought balance to the Force.
A new dark lord of the sith is PERFECTLY fine, almost inevitable, probably another Darth-insertnamehere.I disagree. I think a big weakness of the EU is all those Sith - the stuff set in the past is fine, and kind of interesting, (although it begs the question of why the Space Nazis aren't universally HATED as the Hitlers of galactic history) but having so many popping up in the 'modern' post-movie time completely undermines a major (retconed, but still) point of the movie cannon, that Darth Skywalker brought balance to the Force.
Darth Inferior Knockoff is NOT the answer to the need for worthy villains; less Darth Caudeus, and more Thrawn/Fels/etc., I say.
A meta-critique of the EU after I spent a lot of time reading on Wookipedia: the Jedi must, indeed, be destroyed. Kill all the force-sensitives on sight and spare the Galaxy the next Space Hitler and the one after that, and so on. Seriously.
Hey, you leave Fullmetal alone. :stop:I love Fullmetal. It's a charming show and sometimes actually succeeds in being deep, which is really something for an anime. It's just a stupid place to steal "Star Track" inspiration from.
(not an expert/fan, only fan of any shows based on solomonic magic in general)
It was a crap, cheap, "balance" in the first place. Ambushing an old man and murdering him is no worthy redemption for a murderer of hundreds of millions of people. I call shenanigans.Unsure that you caught the first, edited-in, paragraph...
A meta-critique of the EU after I spent a lot of time reading on Wookipedia: the Jedi must, indeed, be destroyed. Kill all the force-sensitives on sight and spare the Galaxy the next Space Hitler and the one after that, and so on. Seriously.
'Star Wars' 7 may bring new hope, but also letdownhttp://music.yahoo.com/news/star-wars-7-may-bring-hope-letdown-181443620.html (http://music.yahoo.com/news/star-wars-7-may-bring-hope-letdown-181443620.html)
By RYAN NAKASHIMA | Associated Press – 21 hours ago.. .
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Darth Vader is dead. The evil Emperor exploded after being thrown down a shaft. And Luke Skywalker and his allies destroyed both Death Stars, restoring balance to the Force. For The Walt Disney Co., the prospective new owner of the "Star Wars" franchise, what's left to tell?
A lot, apparently.
There are more than 110 novels and 80-plus comic books set after the events of "Return of the Jedi," the sixth episode in the film series and the third to be made. All of these additions to the so-called "expanded universe" were sanctioned by Lucasfilm Ltd., founded by series creator George Lucas.
That has left a lot of room for speculation ever since Disney announced last month that it would buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and resume making "Star Wars" movies, starting with Episode 7 in 2015.
For fans, some big questions remain.
Will Luke take on a Jedi apprentice? Will Han Solo and Princess Leia have kids? And who will be the movies' villain? (A) A revived Emperor; (B) the hard-to-kill bounty hunter Boba Fett; (C) some new corrupt leader of the remnants of the Empire, or (D), all of the above?
Each of these scenarios have been explored in some fashion away from the big screen. Whether they will be incorporated into the next trilogy of films is anyone's guess.
"Right now, everyone is literally just reading tea leaves," said Bryan Young, a "Star Wars" watcher and editor of the blog, Big Shiny Robot.
The facts so far about the announced Episodes 7, 8 and 9 are scant: Lucas will be a creative consultant but won't direct the films. Kathleen Kennedy will produce them as president of Lucasfilm. And Oscar-winning writer Michael Arndt, who wrote "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Toy Story 3," will pen the screenplay for Episode 7.
One of the most telling clues as to the next trilogy's direction, according to Young, is the fact that Lucas invited Luke actor Mark Hamill and Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher to lunch some time ago to tell them that the sequels were going to be made, a reversal of his denials over the years.
Hamill talked about the lunch with Entertainment Weekly, saying he also spoke with Lucas about three weeks before the Disney announcement and just missed a call from him the day the deal was made public Oct. 30.
That suggests that Luke and on-screen sister Leia, will be involved in some way in the sequel. After all, their characters are the last members of the Skywalker family, and the most potent wielders of the Force that appear to be left in the galaxy. "I think that's the best clue we have," Young said.
Responding to a query from The Associated Press, Hamill said he couldn't comment further, but noted in an email, "I should have all the information I need very soon."
Fisher, Lucasfilm and several people who work for the company declined comment.
The notion that Luke will make a comeback doesn't veer far from what's known about the movies themselves or from what has been said over the years.
In 2004, Hamill told Movieblog.com that Lucas' ideas for the sequels go as far back as 1976 during the shooting of the original "Star Wars," when the director said an older Hamill would have roles in them.
There is further backing for the idea that Luke will reappear from the films that have already been released, including "Return of the Jedi."
And others around Lucas have spoken publicly about the idea that the family drama that began with Anakin Skywalker and continued with his son Luke would carry on for at least the next three films.
"It's really nine parts of one film," said Rick McCallum, producer of the prequel Episodes 1, 2 and 3, in 1999, according to "The Secret History of Star Wars" by author Michael Kaminski.
The cohesion that McCallum suggested belies the haphazard nature with which the movies have been put together. At different points in time, Lucas has said there was just one, three, six, nine or even 12 films envisioned in all.
Kaminski's book recounts multiple script revisions to most of the films, including some discrepancies that were later papered over. For instance, at one point, Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were separate characters, not the one person we know through the movies to have turned evil.
Given the proliferation of storylines and characters in the "expanded universe," Kaminski said there's a good chance that some of those storylines will be cast aside, altered, or even contradicted outright.
"It will affect the 'expanded universe' one way or another," Kaminski said. "It's going to be hard to reconcile those different things."
The idea that the new films will diverge from what's out there is supported by Kennedy, who spoke in a video released by Lucasfilm shortly after the Disney deal was announced.
"This is not like a series of books like 'Harry Potter' where you've already got a template of what the stories might be," she said. "These are original stories and original ideas that come from out of a world that essentially is in George's head."
Beyond some broad strokes that the movies hint at — such as Luke's passing on the Jedi ways — it seems doubtful that such a creative mind as Lucas would surrender the movies' outcome to tales that have already been written.
That means that fans of the books, comics and video games in the "Star Wars" universe could be either disappointed or delighted by the result.
But if there were no surprises, the adventure just wouldn't be the same.
"Almost anything is possible," said Jay Shepard, a content editor at fan site TheForce.net. "But I don't believe it will be any type of plotline we've already seen."
Recently it's been all about what directors do and don't want to get in on the Star Wars game, but now it has shifted to actors. Samuel L. Jackson, who portrayed Jedi Master Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy, has a lot of interest in coming back for the new sequel.
"I'm not surprised but totally geeked by the idea of there being more Star Wars," Jackson told E! News. "It's like, okay, Obi-Wan was dead when episode four started, so maybe everyone thinks I'm dead and we'll find out what happened to Mace Windu. I can come back as one-armed or a one-handed Jedi that's still around that didn't actually die."
"I could do that or be a ghost hologram. I don't care, I just want to stay associated with the franchise."
But what is it about the franchise that makes Jackson want to return so badly?
"I just always loved it. I always loved the idea of it, that there's this whole civilization out there somewhere else that's just as much fun and different and diverse and wild as we are
Star Wars: Ewan McGregor Wants To Reprise Obi-Wan Kenobi Role In Episode VIIhttp://news.yahoo.com/star-wars-ewan-mcgregor-wants-reprise-obi-wan-162853201.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-wars-ewan-mcgregor-wants-reprise-obi-wan-162853201.html)
Access Hollywood – 23 hrs ago.. .
Cue the blue Jedi ghost! Another former "Star Wars" actor is throwing his hat in the ring for "Episode VII."
Access Hollywood caught up with Ewan McGregor at the junket for his latest movie, "The Impossible," where he weighed in on dusting off his lightsaber to play Obi-Wan Kenobi again.
"Yeah, sure... absolutely," he told Access when asked about playing the Jedi role again, first played by Alec Guinness in the first three "Star Wars" movies.
Obi-Wan dies at the end of the "Episode IV," but is seen (and heard) as a ghostly figure in "Episode V" and "Episode VI," and could conceivably return in an ethereal form again in the upcoming movies.
"If they need me, I'll be there," Ewan added.
According to Ewan, George Lucas' role as creative consultant in the upcoming movies will be extremely limited.
"Lucas let me know that he was selling ['Star Wars'] the day before it was released to press and then he told me they were going to make the last three stories," the actor explained.
"And then I met him recently and asked him if he was going to be involved in them at all and he said, he'd given them the storylines for the last three, which he always planned to do, but he was never going to make them," Ewan told Access. "Because he felt like that would be his life's work and he wanted to do other things."
Guillermo del Toro Was Offered Star Wars Episode VII, But Turned It Downhttp://www.cinemablend.com/new/Guillermo-del-Toro-Was-Offered-Star-Wars-Episode-VII-Turned-It-Down-34943.html (http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Guillermo-del-Toro-Was-Offered-Star-Wars-Episode-VII-Turned-It-Down-34943.html)
We don't yet know just how much progress has been made on Star Wars Episode 7. Since the bombshell announcement last October that Disney had bought Lucasfilm and was planning three more Star Wars films, the only concrete news we've gotten is that Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt would handle the screenplay. Assuming Arndt is still neck-deep in Star Wars lore as he put the screenplay together, it makes sense that they haven't moved on to casting or hiring a director yet.
But just because nothing has officially happened doesn't mean there aren't a lot of moving pieces behind the scenes, and now we know that at least one high-profile director got a phone call asking about his interest… only to turn it down. Speaking to The Playlist, Guillermo del Toro said that his agent received a phone call asking if he would be interested in the project, but the perpetually-busy del Toro apparently didn't hesitate before turning it down: "It was very flattering. It was just a phone call, it didn't go past that, it was very nice to be asked, but believe it or not, I'm busy enough."
In all the feverish speculation that followed the big announcement last fall, del Toro was one of the names that frequently came up among Star Wars fans as someone who would be an ideal director, though most also seemed to recognize that del Toro was generally too busy to give something that huge a shot. For his own part, del Toro wants to see someone make it who has also turned it down: "As a geek, I would have loved to see Brad Bird take it." We're right there with you Guillermo.