Disney buys Lucasfilm and announces new Star Wars movies

[George]

I know Barry actually likes all the films (or do you?) in the Star Wars trilogy, I on the other hand tend to agree with the 'old timers' that the ordinals were better. Here is my opinion on the flicks, take with it what you will.

Episode 1: Shit film that shouldn't have been made. Think about it this way, just sit and watch Episode II. That movie sums up anything you needed to know about Anikin in like, 5 minutes. He tells Obi he can't wait to see Paname, tells them about his crush on her, they established he was training to be on a Jedi. Now the first one had NOTHING to do with the Star Wars series. It was a war about a trade dispute and the plot was so fucking boring. Political nonsense, just really weird written.

Episode 2: So, so flick. This flick is needed though, since it shows Anikin falling in love etc and we get the cool stuff about the Clone Army. This is a bit better than the first flick.

Episode 3: Besides the terrible acting, this is actually a pretty good flick. Sure the CGI stuff was wayyy over the top, I prefer a subtle approach, but it was a good movie.

Episode 4: I have to be honest, this flick to me was pretty much my least favorite of the old trilogy. It obviously shows Luke's beginnings. Its a solid movie, but compared to the next two, it was pretty lacking. I would actually rate Episode 3 higher (don't shoot!)

Episode 5: Dude, this is my favorite. So many twists and ends so awesome. I love the whole "OMG WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT" feeling that comics gives you and the ending to this comic pulled it off well. I really hope that they do this in the next 3 movies they are doing!

Episode 6: A closure to the series, my 2nd favorite Star Wars movie. The last fight scene with Vader and Luke will be itched in my mind for all time.

[Centrale]

Around the conclusion of the original trilogy, in '82-83 interviews, George Lucas was saying that it was intended to be 9 films all together.  Then during the second trilogy era, he denied that that was ever the plan.  Now it looks like it's back to the original concept, although I doubt Disney will stop at 9 if they keep making money.

The main weakness of the second trilogy is that Lucas was directing.  The best film of the original trilogy, Empire, was directed by Irvin Kershner.  So I look forward to the newer films being better than the second trilogy, although due to nostalgia I doubt that people of my generation will ever like them better than the originals.

The only film that Lucas directed really superbly is American Grafitti.

[Barry the Nomad]

A New Hope and THX 1138 are two other superb films of his!

But even GL admitted that writing is his least favorite part of the process. He is at his best when overseeing, making stylistic decisions such as character designs and leading others to make technical innovations.

@George: Yup! I like all the films. Some more than others, but in the end I do enjoy every Star Wars film. I think that no other film series has built a universe as unique and as real as Star Wars. It's not even built on our own galaxy, it's a new one altogether! That's quite an accomplishment.

What I'm interested to see is how the universe will look in 7, 8 and 9. Will things look cleaner thanks to the galaxy prospering after the fall of the Empire? Will things look more technical thanks to it being "the future"?

Will also be interesting to see how much EU George incorporates. I know the official site stated that he did consult existing materials when writing his treatment for the sequels. My guess is he'll pick and choose. We might see Han and Leia's kids, but ages may vary, names might differ, some characters might be excluded (I know George dislikes Mara Jade). Really, I'm excited for the prospect of Luke and Leia returning. It was revealed that George actually told Mark and Carrie last year about the sequels! Perhaps he has a plan for them to return?

[ROJM]

The reports are saying its mostly a new generation of heroes and that the droids are in it. Anyway there's been all sorts of rumours about the sequels down the years. I'm wondering that the villian in the sequels would be Emperor/Darth sidious again. Because after watching Jedi and watching Sith, i'm not sure the Emperor actually died when he got chucked into that shaft by Vader. The reason i'm saying this is because in Sith, when Obi Wan and Anakin was rescuing Papatine, they had to use the force jump to escape some crashing elevator. But if you look at that sequence carefully it looked almost like Papaltine jumped with them rather then holding on while they jumped. And in jedi he was attacking an already tired and worn out vader with his force lighting, all vader did was throw in down the hole. not enough to kill a guy like that. Only speculation of course but who knows, he's really the only guy that can tie all the films together.

[Chaosmaster8753]

So it's officially confirmed that Michael Arndt, writer of Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3, and the upcoming Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire, will be the screenwriter for Episode VII. From what I understand, he's the first screenwriter to be nominated for both Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars.

http://starwars.com/news/michael-arndt-to-write-screenplay-for-star-wars-episode-vii.html

[crackdude]

I read somewhere that they want to resurrect Darth Vader. Just no. Hope isn't true.


And I think Episode I was important. Not for the story, but for what it did: it introduced a completely new generation to Star Wars.
Looking back now, I can plainly see why many oldschool fans were pissed off at EpI; it has little to do with anything, with it's both best characters (Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jin) being killed off in the end.


But as kid who had not seen any Star Wars before that, I immediately got the basics of what was great about Star Wars: the adventure, the lightsaber duels, the comic relief, the atmosphere, the excitement.. It was all there, although unconnected to the rest of the story.


In my opinion, the prequels would be better if Darth Maul had lasted another Episode. General Grievous was dumb. A dumb badass character.

[Barry the Nomad]

I can't see Lucas giving the okay to Vader's return. He seemed pretty adamant that 1-6 is Anakin's story, and Anakin was redeemed. Redeemed Anakin = no Vader.

[mylifewithsega]

Personally, I feel the prequels were better films. Yes, I feel much of the dialogue was flat and performances stilted, but that's definitely in keeping with the action serials of the past, like Flash Gordon, Rocket Man and even Batman & Robin. That was a mistake in some respects, considering we have so many memorable lines from the original trilogy, many of which written by Lawrence Kasdan. 

What I truly favor is the narrative. Palpatine's manipulation of Anakin, Padme, the Jedi, as well as the very people he swore to govern and protect, was just brilliant. It's not something kids are really gonna' grasp either. With the original trilogy, they're fairly simple and straight-forward. It's clear-cut black-and-white. It doesn't ask much from the viewer....

The prequels have an aura of mystery and introduce some political elements. As they progress, our main character commits some morally questionable acts, yet we stick with him. Justifying his actions, even. Once we get to the final chapter, or Revenge of the Sith, Anakin crosses a line and Obi-Wan becomes our hero. Their waring beliefs and agendas is a bit more sophisticated, I feel, then the original trilogy.

As for Disney owning Lucasfilm, it's kinda' sad to see one of the largest independent companies ever created consumed by Disney, but they've been in bed with each other for so long it only makes sense that they'd decide to tie the knot. Still not sure how I feel about the whole Episodes 7-9 deal, but I'll be keeping an open mind.

[Barry the Nomad]

AJ, I love you (no homo). I'm right there with you on the prequels. Also, I love the mirroring that exists in the OT and PT. Anakin's journey is like Luke's, except very often Anakin takes the wrong path. As such, watching 4-6 after 1-3, a lot of Luke's decisions carry a lot more weight. Like, running off to Bespin and ignoring Yoda's wishes suddenly makes viewers think "Shit! Anakin disobeyed the Jedi's orders to sit still and look where it got him!"

That's my one beef with 7-9. The PT mirrored the OT. You had the father/son balance perfectly. What could a sequel trilogy do?

[mylifewithsega]

Exactly! Believe me, I know how ya' feel. I've been defending the prequels since The Phantom Menace. I too enjoy the parallels drawn between the two trilogies.

That's something that bothers me slightly with the sequel trilogy in the works. I really don't know where it will go and how it will compliment the two trilogies preceding it. Still, I shall keep my mind open until I see that first trailer for Episode VII.

[Chaosmaster8753]

I read somewhere that they want to resurrect Darth Vader. Just no. Hope isn't true.

I heard the source who brought that information up is a British Tabloid of sorts.

[ROJM]

I read somewhere that they want to resurrect Darth Vader. Just no. Hope isn't true.


And I think Episode I was important. Not for the story, but for what it did: it introduced a completely new generation to Star Wars.
Looking back now, I can plainly see why many oldschool fans were pissed off at EpI; it has little to do with anything, with it's both best characters (Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jin) being killed off in the end.


But as kid who had not seen any Star Wars before that, I immediately got the basics of what was great about Star Wars: the adventure, the lightsaber duels, the comic relief, the atmosphere, the excitement.. It was all there, although unconnected to the rest of the story.


In my opinion, the prequels would be better if Darth Maul had lasted another Episode. General Grievous was dumb. A dumb badass character.

Yoda, Obi-wan and other dead Jedi apparently come back to life to face off against the emperor in the orginal outline for the story which would have been episode 9. And life and death seems to be a theme in the SW films especially in the 3rd film.

What I truly favor is the narrative. Palpatine's manipulation of Anakin, Padme, the Jedi, as well as the very people he swore to govern and protect, was just brilliant. It's not something kids are really gonna' grasp either. With the original trilogy, they're fairly simple and straight-forward. It's clear-cut black-and-white. It doesn't ask much from the viewer....

The prequels have an aura of mystery and introduce some political elements. As they progress, our main character commits some morally questionable acts, yet we stick with him. Justifying his actions, even. Once we get to the final chapter, or Revenge of the Sith, Anakin crosses a line and Obi-Wan becomes our hero. Their waring beliefs and agendas is a bit more sophisticated, I feel, then the original trilogy.

You can have the best narrative in the world but if you dont make it intresting for people to actually pay attention to it then there's really no point. Comparing it to the olden day serials is somewhat of a moot point. The serials in question were at least exciting to watch and there performances were more belivable although hokum compared to most of the acting that was seen in the prequels. Palpatine's storyarc was more intresting than Anakin's not only because of the complexities of his plan but the actor was entertaining to watch. in fact, he was the only guy that gave a consistant good performanace in the Prequel Trilogy.

[Barry the Nomad]

I think resurrection could be a theme in the third trilogy, but not the return of Darth Vader. Just look at how important returning from the netherworld is in the series:

Episode I: Qui-Gon dies, his body remains as he did not fully become one with the Force. But his consciousness was saved. Later it is revealed that he can speak to others, but not appear in spectral form (until he is able to use the strong Force powers of Mortis)

Episode II: Qui-Gon's voice is heard, after Anakin loses his mother (and Anakin desperately wishes he could save her from dying, proclaiming that someday he will be powerful enough to do this)

The Clone Wars: Qui-Gon appears as a force ghost, but only on Mortis where the Force is incredibly strong. Anakin's mother returns as a ghost on Mortis (actually it is not her, it is a dark force manipulating Anakin, but it feeds on his angst that he could not save her from dying). Ahsoka dies but is brought back through the power of the Force, in large part due to Mortis but potentially in part due to Anakin.

Episode III: Palpatine teases Anakin with the knowledge of how to save those from death. Anakin foresees   Padme dying, he sides with Palpatine but ultimately is tricked into joining the dark side. Yoda tells Obi-Wan that he has learned to speak with Qui-Gon, the two go into hiding while learning Qui-Gon's secrets.

Episode IV: Obi-Wan, filled with Qui-Gon's knowledge, becomes one with the Force and disappears. He immediately can speak with Luke.

Episode V: Obi-Wan appears before Luke.

Episode VI: Obi-Wan, once again, appears before luke after Yoda becomes one with the Force. Anakin sacrifices himself for Luke, killing Vader and in return Yoda and Obi-Wan make him one with the Force.

So we had voices in the PT, ghostly bodies in the OT, so the next step could be fully formed bodies in the ST. Potentially cheating death by becoming one with the Force, and being strong enough to manipulate the force to form a fully functioning body. Imagine if Luke dies in episode VII, and in episode IX he returns through the force.He would pretty much be the ultimate Jedi, and seemingly immortal. Able to come and go from the Force at will. Now THAT is something I'd pay to see.

And what if Palpatine died in Episode VI, but a part of his consciousness survived (sort of a Sauron thing, where he did die but a part of his soul remained) and Palpatine was trying to return by manipulating the Force? He wouldn't so much be a fully formed character as a dark force that is trying to return to the normal world. 

I'd also really like to see a Force ghost Yoda and a Force ghost Anakin speaking with Luke or another Skywalker. Seeing Anakin and Luke sharing a scene would be a pretty powerful moment.     

[mylifewithsega]

You can have the best narrative in the world but if you dont make it intresting for people to actually pay attention to it then there's really no point. Comparing it to the olden day serials is somewhat of a moot point. The serials in question were at least exciting to watch and there performances were more belivable although hokum compared to most of the acting that was seen in the prequels. Palpatine's storyarc was more intresting than Anakin's not only because of the complexities of his plan but the actor was entertaining to watch. in fact, he was the only guy that gave a consistant good performanace in the Prequel Trilogy.

Forgive me, but I found it both interesting and entertaining. I don't feel that point is moot. Many people fail to take that into consideration when judging the acting style. Personally, I don't feel those serials were any more exciting to watch than the prequels. While my opinion may not be very popular, I still like Hayden Christensen's performance and how Lucas handled Anakin's story....

The only thing that really ticks me off is Padme's death.

"She has lost the will to live...."

Really? That's all you've got? C'MON! Why didn't you just have Anakin force-choke the bitch - HARD - and toss her thirty-feet away when Obi-Wan demands he let her go? You know, that at least could have led to some serious physical trauma. But she's lost the fucking will to live?! What?! Protecting her newborn children from the child-murdering sociopath that is their father isn't enough reason to keep going? What a selfish little bitch. What were you thinking, George? Afraid of an 'R' rating? What was it? Tell me. I wanna' know.

[ROJM]

Forgive me, but I found it both interesting and entertaining. I don't feel that point is moot. Many people fail to take that into consideration when judging the acting style. Personally, I don't feel those serials were any more exciting to watch than the prequels. While my opinion may not be very popular, I still like Hayden Christensen's performance and how Lucas handled Anakin's story....

The only thing that really ticks me off is Padme's death.

"She has lost the will to live...."

Really? That's all you've got? C'MON! Why didn't you just have Anakin force-choke the bitch - HARD - and toss her thirty-feet away when Obi-Wan demands he let her go? You know, that at least could have led to some serious physical trauma. But she's lost the fucking will to live?! What?! Protecting her newborn children from the child-murdering sociopath that is their father isn't enough reason to keep going? What a selfish little bitch. What were you thinking, George? Afraid of an 'R' rating? What was it? Tell me. I wanna' know.

I do. The Prequels were slow paced compared to OT and the serials that inspired them. The acting style is somewhat different as well. Today modern actors have many various acting styles to draw from mainly from the method acting idealogy where back then in the time of those serials that idea of method acting as we know it today didn't exist. But the serials are more exciting by defination because of the pace that they had,something was always happening all the time. Now the PQ i wasn't expecting it to be the same as the OT, neither was i expecting it to be overly simple because the PQ had many elements to set up but what i was expecting it to do better was in acting and certain key moments done properly as well as the script. You already mentioned the Padme thing which was another screw up. The actual turning of Anakin could have played better if it wasn't Hayden and if the character of Anakin was someone the audience gave a shit about. But they didn't at least half of them didn't. And that was down to how the character was written and acted. It should have been a great tradegy seeing a hero turn to become a villan but from how it was done it came across as a moody teenager who was in love and then went on a killing spree. Not from what i'd have expected in what is the origin of the great movie villians of all time.

I think resurrection could be a theme in the third trilogy, but not the return of Darth Vader. Just look at how important returning from the netherworld is in the series:

Episode I: Qui-Gon dies, his body remains as he did not fully become one with the Force. But his consciousness was saved. Later it is revealed that he can speak to others, but not appear in spectral form (until he is able to use the strong Force powers of Mortis)

Episode II: Qui-Gon's voice is heard, after Anakin loses his mother (and Anakin desperately wishes he could save her from dying, proclaiming that someday he will be powerful enough to do this)

The Clone Wars: Qui-Gon appears as a force ghost, but only on Mortis where the Force is incredibly strong. Anakin's mother returns as a ghost on Mortis (actually it is not her, it is a dark force manipulating Anakin, but it feeds on his angst that he could not save her from dying). Ahsoka dies but is brought back through the power of the Force, in large part due to Mortis but potentially in part due to Anakin.

Episode III: Palpatine teases Anakin with the knowledge of how to save those from death. Anakin foresees   Padme dying, he sides with Palpatine but ultimately is tricked into joining the dark side. Yoda tells Obi-Wan that he has learned to speak with Qui-Gon, the two go into hiding while learning Qui-Gon's secrets.

Episode IV: Obi-Wan, filled with Qui-Gon's knowledge, becomes one with the Force and disappears. He immediately can speak with Luke.

Episode V: Obi-Wan appears before Luke.

Episode VI: Obi-Wan, once again, appears before luke after Yoda becomes one with the Force. Anakin sacrifices himself for Luke, killing Vader and in return Yoda and Obi-Wan make him one with the Force.

So we had voices in the PT, ghostly bodies in the OT, so the next step could be fully formed bodies in the ST. Potentially cheating death by becoming one with the Force, and being strong enough to manipulate the force to form a fully functioning body. Imagine if Luke dies in episode VII, and in episode IX he returns through the force.He would pretty much be the ultimate Jedi, and seemingly immortal. Able to come and go from the Force at will. Now THAT is something I'd pay to see.

And what if Palpatine died in Episode VI, but a part of his consciousness survived (sort of a Sauron thing, where he did die but a part of his soul remained) and Palpatine was trying to return by manipulating the Force? He wouldn't so much be a fully formed character as a dark force that is trying to return to the normal world. 

I'd also really like to see a Force ghost Yoda and a Force ghost Anakin speaking with Luke or another Skywalker. Seeing Anakin and Luke sharing a scene would be a pretty powerful moment.   

Well one of the comics, Dark empire poised that question about the Emperor consciousness surviving and taking over the clones of himself so he could retake the empire. Depending on how much Lucas has changed the outline for the sequel trilogy and if it does indeed continue that theme it would make sense for Palpatine to return. As for what you said about Yoda, that's the point. That they could become solid fully formed beings again from what i remember was mentioned in a documentary.I'd figure if they did go that route the emperor would more likely physically cheat death rather than do it spiritually as it seems to fit his character of using up apprentices and getting rid of them in order of holding unto power. I mean there were hints that he was actually older than what he looked. But who knows?