By: Dominic Jones
Ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm and announced that they were making the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the question has been how will Disney use the ideas George Lucas came up with? The answer is, they aren't. Lucas spoke with Cinema Blend while promoting his new animated film Strange Magic and he revealed that even though he wrote treatments for the sequel trilogy, Disney decided they wanted to go in a different direction.
Lucas said,
"The ones that I sold to Disney, they came up to the decision that they didn't really want to do those. So they made up their own. So it's not the ones that I originally wrote [on screen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens]."
You can watch the video of Lucas discussing this below,
A part of me is disappointed to hear this. I had hoped that George's vision would be kept alive in the Disney era. However, I believe that the people working behind the scenes have the best interest in mind for the franchise and have great respect for what came before and wanting to make the new films feel like an extension of George work. Plus, we have seen through Star Wars Rebels how successful Star Wars without George (but made by people who love and respect Star Wars and George) can be.
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Having seen Episode I it might be for the best to move on from George's vision. No offense.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Burn.
DeleteSigh of relief I have. ;)
DeleteYou can't condemn a person for a few bad errors in judgement. If everyone thought as you do then Tom Hanks' movie career would have died with Joe VS The Volcano.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Timothy. Lucas created Jar Jar, 'nuff said. I get trying to make Vader seem more human with the Prequels, but all he really did was turn him into a whiney little brat (and I mean that from Episode I-III). It was time for him to give it up. Look at it this way: Stan Lee created Marvel Comics but without the input from other writers we would've never had characters like Deadpool, Wolverine, and Gambit. Likewise without the EU Star Wars may have died out. Without it we wouldn't of had double bladed lightsabers (Exar Kun was the first to use one of those, you're welcome Maul) and the term Sith actually first appeared in the EU along with the name of Coruscant. I believe there are others who can give Star Wars the proper treatment without the presence of George.
ReplyDeleteMake no mistake, I am grateful for his vision and the memories he's given to me throughout my life, but he needs to move on.
Well said 👍
DeleteWhat? I believe the term "Sith" was in the book in late 1976, and I'm positive it was in the soundtrack album art in 1977. Way before any EU.
DeleteIt was OK for Annikan to be a whiney little brat because his son turned out to be one as well....
DeleteWhile I certainly understand that Rebels is popular and has strong production values, I hope that it represents the floor and not the ceiling for Episode VII
ReplyDeleteGeorge's vision, though distorted by the prequels, is the reason why we are even where we are with Star Wars, in general, this wildly popular. So in that sense, I am grateful for his indirect "influence" as Abrams' own Star Wars fanaticism is a result of that vision.
So all ought to be good :D
Anyone who says that George Lucas didn't know what he was doing with the prequels or that he just wanted to make more money, is seriously missing out. He may not be the best director/writer of actors/dialogue but he is an excellent storyteller and a great filmmaker. He was not interested in just giving people what they wanted to see. Please take some time to read this article about the incredibly intelligent and artistic structure of the Star Wars Saga (I-VI) http://www.starwarsringtheory.com/ring-composition-chiasmus-hidden-artistry-star-wars-prequels/2/
ReplyDeleteI really hope that the sequel trilogy continues this kind of deep narrative that George built. Otherwise the new Star Wars will become just like other popular movies nowadays. Movies like Avatar and the Marvel Cinematic Universe are a lot of fun and definitely well-made, but they do not have the depth or intricacy that Star Wars has in narrative structure, plot points, visuals, dialogue, themes, and music. Again, please read the article above to see what I mean.
Abrams and co. was right to go in a new direction. The prequels were not just bad Star Wars films, they were bad films period. I'm starting to believe that a filmmaker worth his/her salt has about 10 good movies to share until things get tired.
ReplyDeleteI know there are some that feel that GL should always be attached to Star Wars, but Star Wars isn't just any movie. It's a sandbox. A sandbox needs to be played in by more than one person. I'm excited about 7. I know it will at least be better quality than the prequels, but I'm also giddy that we may get some outside-the-box Star Wars with these stand alone films. The numbered films are kinda bound to an old-school adventure serial style of filmmaking, and that is great... But have stand alone films can elevate things as well.
Star Wars: Rebels has been a great example of the property being outside of the hands of Lucas. It is truly great. The force is mysterious again, and when the lightsaber ignites, I get excited again, because it hasn't been whipped out 20 times in one episode. Star Wars has weight again, and I'm excited so far at the direction is heading.
You can be upset, but honestly, George didn't have to sell it. He did. And it was a choice he made. We shouldn't feel bad for him. Especially $4 billion later.
I like the thought of stored creativity in one unduvidual. Spielberg genius that he was has sort of ran out too. Saving Private Ryan for him was the topper. Good point.
DeletePersonally I think if Disney ignores the extensive EU created by Lucasfilm and countless talented authors in the past 30 years, then they're doing themselves a great disservice. It was those EU fans, and novels that kept the franchise going through the cold years. I certainly hope they pay a little service to that. It would be ashme to see so many good stories (and some bad ones) completely ignored for the sake of the almighty dollar.
ReplyDeleteYet another reason I refuse to buy into anything Disneywars. First they delete the EU, now they've even deleted the original plans for the films! How anyone can consider what they're doing Star Wars now that it's official it overwrites Lucas's plans as well as 90% of the existing material I have no idea.
ReplyDeleteIt will be harder for me to also buy into Disney´s Star Wars. I am not a Lucas-Fanboy but he had some ideas....he only needed some other people around to help him out to find the right ones...But this sounds like a total overtake of all operations..."This Deal is getting worth all the time".
ReplyDelete"We shouldn't feel bad for him. Especially $4 billion later."
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, Lucas is donating all of that $4 billion to fund education.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/george-lucas-donate-4-billion_n_2067145.html
"The EU was never canon because it wasn't what George would have done." Surprise, surprise haters. Now Episode 7 sounds like noncanon if you take your own reasoning into consideration.
ReplyDeleteIt's ok Steven, you're just in denial. And the Disney deal was not the end of Star Wars. So you think you can't build off an idea unless it's yours? That's the reason we had the EU, which you stupid purists wanted to keep so bad. You are a sad strange little man, and you have my pity. Farewell
ReplyDeleteMost of his comments have been removed.. lol!
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ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, I just got angry. It seems like everybody thinks Disney will mess up Star Wars, like they hate Disney just because they make kids movies, they make good movies for everybody
ReplyDeleteNot everybody! Just a few whiners... I'm relieved its in good caring hands!
DeleteThey already did mess it up, the second they threw out 90% of the material.
ReplyDeleteIt may have been 90% Gungun!! If so, good ridance!!
DeleteI'm sorry you see it that way
ReplyDeleteHe have a larger neck than I remember XD
ReplyDeleteI hate that the eu was deleted. It seems like years and money wasted on books and games. I liked the idea of the whole universe's story line connection from the old republic to the new generation of solos and skywalkers. I have been a Star Wars fan since I was a kids. I was kind of looking forward to a movie that would have gone along with all the Star Wars books I have read.
ReplyDeleteForget Disney.... Burger King brought back, The Yumbo!
ReplyDeleteYumbo!! Yum!!
ReplyDeletehopefully WE do not get to see the characters go on a sing - along for 3-4 h and smashing hits like " Let It Go " ...
ReplyDeleteDisney sucks. JJ Abrams sucks. Lucas rules. Strange Magic rules.
ReplyDelete