Ahtman wrote:
The problem is that Bond films vary so greatly in quality that seeing one and dismissing them all is like saying you tried Khorne Flakes once and now you know you hate pancakes.

 Frazzled wrote:
But lets remember, they didn't buy Lucasfilm just for the Star Wars movies. They bought it for the special effects juggernaut that is Lucasfilms.

 LordofHats wrote:
A man can enjoy being beaten and left in a ditch but that doesn't really make it a good thing.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
To use a phrase, this is the biggest load of horse gak I've heard in a long time. It's another nail in the coffin of cinema. We're effectively saying we don't want new ideas, innovation or up and coming talent. No, all we want is a franchise milked until it's dry, merchandise rights flogged left right and centre, and stories that a five year old could probably come up with.
The future of cinema seems to be sequels, prequels, and re-boots. Orson Welles must be spinning in his grave.

 Galdos wrote:
And they did exactly what Im worried about,

They are going to ignore the EU. Hopefully they wont contradict it but I have low hopes

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Does everybody remember the music shop sign in Wayne's World that said stairway denied?

Well if I ever start running a comic book/CCG/wargaming store then there will be a star wars denied sign hanging over the front door. I might open in the USA so I can shoot anybody that disagrees with me!!

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Well, let me stop you in your tracks. I said I'd give up on GW, and I did. I play flames of war, buy my paints from Vallejo, and when I do play warhammer fantasy I use the new knights from fireforge as Brettonians.

Star Wars/Disney, is no different. I will do a one man boycott, complete with protest, outside my local cinema if need be!!

I just have this urge to shout grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! and run down the street lashing out at people. Sadly, due to my girth, I can't run for that long these days!!

 sebster wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:
The problem is that Bond films vary so greatly in quality that seeing one and dismissing them all is like saying you tried Khorne Flakes once and now you know you hate pancakes.

Yeah, fair point & great analogy.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Frazzled wrote:
But lets remember, they didn't buy Lucasfilm just for the Star Wars movies. They bought it for the special effects juggernaut that is Lucasfilms.

Given Disney already own state of the art CGI with Pixar and the like, I think Lucasfilm's technical credentials are more a nice bonus than the reason for the deal.

I think it's mostly for the merchandising. Disney is on record as pretty strongly arguing that films with huge merchandise potential is where the money is at.

 sebster wrote:
Uh, they're giving us constant reboot and sequels because that's what people keep turning up in cinemas to watch.

 Grey Templar wrote:
How bout the Vong wars where the Jedi keep getting their butts kicked

 Testify wrote:
It's amazing how much hate there is for the prequals. Disregarding Jar-Jar Binks and Christian Hayden there's no noticable difference in quality.

If the new films were of the same quality as the prequals I think we'd be grand.

 Testify wrote:
...all that proves is that the internet is full of vitriolic bs. The prequels are fine, maybe not as good as the originals for the reasons pointed out above, but nothing worth all this nerd-rage.

Hell the light-sabre battles alone are phenominal. The ones in the originals were just rubbish...yes they were more theatrical, but they were boring as hell.

 d-usa wrote:
Pixar was originally a LucasFilm company as well I think.

But I think Pixar is more an animation studio that does some amazing effects, while Industrial Light & Magic is a full blown special effects company. They also get Skywalker Sounds and a computer game branch.

 insaniak wrote:

 sebster wrote:
Uh, they're giving us constant reboot and sequels because that's what people keep turning up in cinemas to watch.

And really, why is it a problem?

Before cinema, storytellers told and retold the same stories for generations. I wonder how many Aboriginal teenagers sat around complaining about having to sit through yet another retelling of the Rainbow Serpent story...?

I could see a similar thing working really well with Star Wars. Explore different settings with different directors... It's a big galaxy, and there would be all sorts of coolness that could result.

 d-usa wrote:
I think Disney has plenty of merch money by itself already.

insaniak wrote:Sure. I'm not questioning that there are ways of judging whether or not a movie is good... just the idea that whether or not you enjoyed a movie is completely separate to whether or not the movie is good. To me, those two things are intrinsically linked. If I enjoyed it, it was good. If I didn't, it wasn't.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Yeah, that in and of itself is probably a major part of the investment. Owning the rights to the most successful merchandise franchise is icing on the cake.

 d-usa wrote:
I think Disney has plenty of merch money by itself already.

 sebster wrote:
Disney tried the former, by making new movies that were high cost, but had massive merchandise potential. The first film in this new strategy was John Carter. They've now given up on that strategy, from the look of things, and are instead just buying other people's strategies.

 d-usa wrote:
Between the Disney Stores, Toy Aisles filled with Disney related products, Disney branded clothing, and the realized merchadising from their Avengers Franchise I think they didn't have to buy LucasFilms to get merchendise and a couple extra things that are nice but not a deal breaker.

 azazel the cat wrote:
wasn't even the gravy. Merch rights were the meat, Lucasarts was the potatoes, the film franchises were the gravy and ILM was maybe the inedible garnish that makes the plate look nice.

d-usa wrote:

 azazel the cat wrote:
wasn't even the gravy. Merch rights were the meat, Lucasarts was the potatoes, the film franchises were the gravy and ILM was maybe the inedible garnish that makes the plate look nice.

What about Skywalker Sound?

The chocolate mint you get with your check?

his one might take Derren Brown, Eddie Fitzgerald or Hannibal Lecter to really perfectly read between the lines but Mark Hamill has been speaking about his meeting with George Lucas, this summer, in which the bearded one revealed his new Star Wars plans.

The meeting, it seems, was between Lucas, Hamill and Carrie Fisher. The question, perhaps, is why.

Here’s Hamill:

He asked Carrie and I to have lunch with him and we did. I thought he was going to talk about either his retirement or the Star Wars TV series that I’ve heard about – which I don’t think we were going to be involved in anyway, because that takes place between the prequels and the ones we were in and, if Luke were in them, he’d be anywhere from a toddler to a teenager so they’d get an age-appropriate actor—or the 3-D releases. So when he said, “We decided we’re going to do Episodes VII, VIII, and IX,” I was just gobsmacked. “What? Are you nuts?!”

I can see both sides of it. Because in a way, there was a beginning, a middle, and an end and we all lived happily ever after and that’s the way it should be—and it’s great that people have fond memories, if they do have fond memories. But on the other hand, there’s this ravenous desire on the part of the true believers to have more and more and more material.

I’ll make a bet with you now. Lucas wants Hamill and Fisher to come back. That doesn’t mean they will, but I’m convinced that he wants them too. The bits I’ve bolded in the quote above underline why I’m so convinced.

That’s right, I’m the new Hannibal Lect… Eddie Fitzg… Derren Brown.

There’s a bit more from Hamill at Entertainment Weekly, but it essentially amounts to “I didn’t know Disney were part of it, I can’t say anything more until we know more. Congratulations George!”

Let’s try to focus in on what we know for a fact about the upcoming Star Wars movies. We’ll start with the outer-ring of information, then step-by-step get to the most certain of details, sorting this fact from fiction.

We will begin with people not in the inner circle. The people next door, as it were.

The Wrap have spoken to Dale Pollock, author of an unauthorized George Lucas biography. He has apparently read outlines for twelve Star Wars movies but was obliged to sign an NDA.

Still, he’s doing a little bit of disclosing. He 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 3 movies.

And that’s what he would of said on the eve of Phantom Menace being released, honest.

He’s not the only one to have seen these outlines, or outlines like them. JW Rinzler works as “an executive editor” at Lucasfilm and published his own blogpost that comments on the multi-movie arcs that Lucas has planned. Not to say, mind, that these plans still stand.

Here’s a quote on the big arc from Mark Hamill that Rinzler dates to 2004:

You know, when I first did this, it was four trilogies. Twelve movies! Out on the desert, any time between setups… lots of free time. And George was talking about this whole thing… ‘Um, how’d you like to be in Episode IX?’ ‘When is that going to be?’ ‘2011.’

I said, ‘Well, what do you want me to do?’ He said, ‘You’ll just be like a cameo. You’ll be like Obi-Wan handing the lightsaber down to the next new hope.’

This clashes with Pollock’s belief that the new films would feature Luke Skywalker “in his 30s or 40s.” Lucas’ plans obviously keep shifting – something I think is actually obvious enough just from watching the original trilogy.

Rinzler shared this template that dates back to the beginning:

… the original trilogy occupied Episodes VI, VII, and VIII; a Clone Wars trilogy took up Episodes II, III, and IV, while Episode I was a “prelude,” Episodes IX through XI were simply left blank – and Episode XII was the “conclusion.”

But things had changed by 1979. Here’s what Lucas said on the set of The Empire Strikes Back:

The first script was one of six original stories I had written in the form of two trilogies. After the success of Star Wars, I added another trilogy. So now there are nine stories. The original two trilogies were conceived of as six films of which the first film was number four.

And that was the sanctioned gospel in recent years too.

Interestingly, Lucas first talked about handing the reigns over to another filmmaker while making Return of the Jedi:

I’m only doing this because I started it and now I have to finish it. The next trilogy will be all someone else’s vision.

It’s arguably a real disappoint that plan didn’t work out. Will Lucas be good to his promise to walk away this time? Well, they’re not his toys any more. He’s sold them to Disney. Perhaps he won’t be able to change his mind so easily.

The current plans for the next film are officially secret right now, but E! Online have spoken to an unnamed body at Lucasfilm who tells them, of Episode Seven:

It’s an original story.

Meaning: not adapted from a Timothy Zahn book or videogame plot or an episode of Droids or bit of fanfic from a scary online forum.

Who is this secret source? It doesn’t really matter, it was pretty clear for anybody listening closely to the conference calls and video press releases with Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger yesterday that the new films will be new stories. What wasn’t clear was how detailed Lucas’ treatments for these new stories actually are.

The treatments do seem to exist as Iger said Disney had purchased them, but they also seem sketchy as Kennedy said they were still hearing ideas from writers.

But there seems to be one solid fact about episodes seven, eight and nine. One narrative component that marks out the basic strategy; they’re going to pay off the story of episodes one through six, but then actually close the book on that saga for once and for all.

In the video below, Lucas says:

Once Kathy came onbaord we started working with writers, we started working on the whole processes of doing the films. We’ve got a plan for seven, eight and nine which is the end of the trilogy and other films also. We’ve a large group of ideas, and characters and books and all kinds of things. We could go on making Star Wars for the next hundred years.

You can skip to for the exact quote at 4 minutes and 56 seconds in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mkgP19APekU

So, the facts:

They have been working with writers already.
Seven eight and nine are going to close out the saga – he says ‘trilogy’ but we know what he means.
Other films will come but not be part of that saga.
Amongst the source material they’ll be drawing on, somewhere in the mix, are books. Presumably the existing, published books by Timothy Zahn and so on.
Straight from the horse’s mouth.

Just as a footnote, it’s worth noting that the official Star Wars channel has released this “special video presentation” alongside their Disney deal videos. Are they giving us a hint? I think so, I really do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mJ5hD9K6Cn8

George Lucas has just been outed as a very grand philanthropist. A spokesperson for Lucasfilm have told The Hollywood Reporter that “the bulk” $4 billion of Lucas’ payday for signing his empire over to Disney will be paid into a charitable foundation focused primarily on educational issues.

Well, mental high five, George. You’ve done good.

Lucas issued a statement in 2010 with a pledge to support education. It’s this he’s now actually following through with, and to an even greater tune than he could manage before – and let’s be honest, he’s not been short of a bob or two for a good while now.

Here’s the full text of what Lucas said:

Storytellers are teachers and communicators who speak a universal language. That was Homer’s primary role, and both Plato and Aristotle used narratives and dialogues as a means of educating. Good storytelling is based on truths and insights, and a good storyteller is ultimately a teacher – using the arts as a means of making education emotionally meaningful. These are all tools at our educational system’s disposal, but too often we aren’t making use of them.

When I was in high school, I felt like I was in a vacuum, biding time. I was curious, but bored. It was not an atmosphere conducive to learning. I was fortunate that I found my path and my language.

It’s scary to think of our education system as little better than an assembly line with producing diplomas as its only goal. Once I had the means to effect change in this arena, it became my passion to do so – to promote active, life-long learning. I believe in the artisan school of learning, through apprenticeships and Aristotelian questions and discussion. This level of engagement dates back to the beginning of human life, but it’s still the best way of doing things. There have to be universal standards – particularly in education – and while it
seems unwieldy, there is a willingness among educators to share their best practices.

Ultimately, that is why I created Edutopia and the George Lucas Educational Foundation.

The focus of GLEF has been to share educational innovations – cooperative and project learning, mentorship, parental involvement, and technological advances. This all comes straight from those on the front lines, from teachers who are putting these methods into practice. We are the facilitators. Our goal has been to showcase bold
successes and inspire others to further increase the appetite for education. Our hope is that administrators, teachers, and parents will see the power of these collective efforts and join the fight for wider
reforms.

But reform is just the beginning. We need to build new foundations, fostering independent thought and a desire to keep learning. Our students need to come away with more than just survival skills, and more than just what is required to complete the program. We need to promote critical thinking and emotional intelligence. We need to focus
on building an education system that promotes different types of learning, different types of development, and different types of assessment. We have an opportunity and an obligation to prepare our children for the real world, for dealing with others in practical, project-based environments. It’s about working together and building character – being compassionate, empathetic, and civil as a means to a greater end.

As technology changes, so do students. So should classrooms, and so should our methods of teaching. In a few short years, connectivity has gone from a technological novelty to a daily necessity. It’s how our culture communicates, and our children are at the forefront of its use. Understanding those tools – and how to integrate them into learning – is an integral step in defining our future.

My pledge is to the process; as long as I have the resources at my disposal, I will seek to raise the bar for future generations of students of all ages.

I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education. It is the key to the survival of the human race. We have to plan for our collective future – and the first step begins with the social, emotional, and intellectual tools we provide to our children. As humans, our greatest tool for survival is our ability to think and to
adapt – as educators, storytellers, and communicators our responsibility is to continue to do so.

Sebster wrote: Uh, they're giving us constant reboot and sequels because that's what people keep turning up in cinemas to watch.

Hollywood looks at the numbers, and does what the numbers tell them. I mean, look at all the people who tromped into each episode of the Star Wars prequels. Fool me once, fool me twice and oh look here I am watching the third movie in this line of gakky sequels. Look at all the merchandise that is still getting sold.

Hollywood is giving people what they want, so don't blame them. Blame the people going to watch this rubbish.

Sebster wrote: Yeah, the best way to build a loyal customer base is to be elitist and exclusionary. I predict wild success for your future business venture.

 LordofHats wrote:
It begins indeed. At the very least, the nerd rage will entertain