Disney to acquire Lucasfilm

[Havok]

I'm telling you guys,,, they are going to release EPVII in May. If something gets bumped it will be Avengers 2, but there is no reason to. Both movies are going to be seen by millions and millions of people and almost no one is going to have an issue paying to see both.

The issue with me is Disney now has to buy the "Fox Fanfare" to put at the beginning of the movie.

What's wrong with Tinkerbell flying over the castle to "When you wish upon a star..."

I'd be more concerned with the absence of John Williams than Alfred Neuman.

I don't think getting Williams will be an issue unless he dies.

[Havok]

To answer your question Stark, there was such a sense of optimism and excitement before TPM hit and it was such a disappointment to so many people that now there is just an "It's gonna suck" attitude almost as a defense mechanism.

If expectation are low, then the chances of it being good compared to those expectations are high.

[Jim Raynor]

I'm just glad that people will be able to approach these as their own movies (I hope). "I was 7 years old when my Dad took me to see ANH and it completely changed my life, I waited 20 years to get the same special feeling with Episode I but it just wasn't the same" is actually a common narrative on the Internet.

[Stark]

The success of the prequels is really a great example of the power of brands; that's pretty much what Disney has bought.

And Hav, I just don't get the dependent addicts reacting that way. I don't even give a shit about SW movies at all, but I'm not automatically assuming new ones will be crap because ... something. Surely people who are desperate for the fix for the franchise that defines their lives should be more optimistic than those totally outside the brand?

Or maybe you're right, and they're just butthurt fans screeching 'rape my childhood' (which I believe was literally posted on the first page).

[Borgholio]

I was shocked at the abruptness of the sale, but seeing as how they're going to make more movies, I'm cautiously optimistic about this. Disney isn't a guaranteed failure as far as good movies...others have pointed out Pixar movies and Marvel. I'm personally looking forward to what shows up in 2015.

On another note, anybody wonder what they'll do with the Indiana Jones franchise?

[Elfdart]

Why not? I'm not seeing compelling reasons.

John Carter, for one.

Now that Star Wars is going to be a studio project with a huge amount of pressure to try to recover a chunk of the >$4 billion Disney paid for it before shooting begins, there will be multitudes of fingers in the pie. No studio would have ever agreed to shoot TESB with the good guys being thrashed on every level. That was Lucas' decision. Now he's out of the picture so every creative decision will now be approved by a committee.

I don't think getting Williams will be an issue unless he dies.

He just turned 80.

[Havok]

Why not? I'm not seeing compelling reasons.

John Carter, for one.

Now that Star Wars is going to be a studio project with a huge amount of pressure to try to recover a chunk of the >$4 billion Disney paid for it before shooting begins, there will be multitudes of fingers in the pie. No studio would have ever agreed to shoot TESB with the good guys being thrashed on every level. That was Lucas' decision. Now he's out of the picture so every creative decision will now be approved by a committee.

Disagree. Disney of all the companies out there takes a long term view of their products. They also have been pretty hands off with Pixar and Marvel. There is no historical indication they are going to start messing with the company. Oh and Disney has the clout that Lucas created on his own to not have to bow to the traditional studio. Lucas along with Kennedy has also stated that Lucas isn't exactly going away in regards to the upcoming stories and movies.

Lucasfilm LTD, despite what you think of the actual movie studio, will recoup the sales value in pretty much every other aspect. How many movies does ILM do? Skywalker sound? How many brand slaves are going to buy Lucasarts games? Just the licensing alone will probably recoup the value of the sale in a couple years when the new movie hits.

I don't think getting Williams will be an issue unless he dies.

He just turned 80.

Fingers crossed.
Even still, there is more than enough of a sample for someone to replicate what he has done in the franchise.

[Batman]

How much new music has Williams created since the OT to begin with? From what I can tell, most of the bits people actually care about are either directly taken from or variations on the OT soundtrack.

[JLTucker]

Why would anyone want Williams to come in and recycle music and continue composing material that is completely lazy and uninspired?

As for directors, someone told me that Jackson and Neil Blomkamp would be good directors to choose. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

[Elfdart]

I found this encouraging:

News/Star Wars 7 Plot Will Be "an Original Story," Says Lucasfilm Source

If Disney is buying LucasFilm, how will that affect Star Wars: Episode 7 and other Star Wars projects? Any word on what the movie will be about?
—Flannel, via Twitter

Well, we know that, whatever the plot of Episode 7, 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—an excellent opportunity for another visionary to jettison Jar Jar Binks out of an airlock permanently.

As for the plot, Star Wars superfans have a theory on what they'll be seeing next. But I have a surprise for them: They're wrong. If you're a fan, you're definitely gonna want to read on.

First of all, you should know that there is an official canon concerning the Star Wars universe. Those stories cover the years after rebel victory (i.e., after Return of the Jedi). It's written in a series of books called the Thrawn Trilogy, by author Timothy Zahn. Die-hard Star Wars fans know the trilogy well, and they say that a big-screen adaptation of the first book, Heir to the Empire, would make the most logical Episode 7.

"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 what happens in "those books?"

Well, Luke Skywalker meets a real would-be assassin lady named Mara Jade, who was trained to avenge the Emperor by crushing Luke's pretty blond head. Instead, Jade falls for Luke and, a subsequent graphic novel, the two marry. Skywalker also has to deal with the fact that he's the only Jedi left, at least, for now, and he goes about trying to fix that.

Princess Leia and Han Solo also play heavily into the Thrawn Trilogy, popping out a pair of twins (of course) among other things. As for the name Thrawn, well, that refers to a grand admiral with imperial sympathies who takes over as the leader of the vanquished enemy faction.

So is that the basis for Episode 7 or not? I've heard directly from LucasFilm and other sources close to the picture, and they say: Definitely not.

"It's an original story," a LucasFilm source tells me.

In other words, forget the Star Wars novels. Forget the graphic novels. Forget everything you think you know about what happens to Luke Skywalker. According to my sources, Episode 7 will literally be nothing you've ever seen or read before from the Star Wars universe.

I also hear from several sources that, no matter what you may hear to the contrary, no director has been officially attached to the project.

Meanwhile, there isn't much news regarding the other big Star Wars projects currently in development.

A spoofy cartoon TV series, Detours, was announced in August, spearheaded by Seth Green and the other creators of Robot Chicken. No release dates or networks were revealed, but Disney has said that it envisions some sort of Star Wars presence on its Disney XD channel. I wouldn't be surprised if Detours landed there.

Lastly, there's the live action series, which has been bubbling around since 2008 and which is supposed to take place between Episodes 3 and 4, when Luke Skywalker is growing up.

As I reported earlier, Lucasfilm was still talking in enthusiastic terms about Star Wars: Underworld less than a year ago. At that time, the show had a lot of scripts in the can but no financing. But if there's one thing that Disney has, it's money. Still, insiders tell me it's too soon to expect any announcements on either series.

Guess we'll just have to pray that Jar Jar has nothing to do with any of 'em.

I hope this is true.

[Batman]

Why would anyone want Williams to come in and recycle music and continue composing material that is completely lazy and uninspired?

That'd be the part where a large part of this planets population disagrees with you.

[Havok]

Why would anyone want Williams to come in and recycle music and continue composing material that is completely lazy and uninspired?

Blah blah blah, yeah you don't like him and he isn't original. No one here cares.

As for directors, someone told me that Jackson and Neil Blomkamp would be good directors to choose. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Ooo, deja vu... no one here cares.

[Havok]

I hope this is true.

To think that any director or producer would want to adapt an EU story to kick off a new series of Star Wars movies is pretty asinine. People just need to get used to the fact that no one in charge cares about the EU outside of the money they keep paying for it.

People latch on to the fact that Lucas gave DE as gifts one year and that he used a few names from the EU in the PT as an indicator that the EU has some bearing on anything. Just not true.

[Flagg]

Or maybe you're right, and they're just butthurt fans screeching 'rape my childhood' (which I believe was literally posted on the first page).

You know, as someone whose childhood was literally raped, I always found that expression offensive as hell. How does a shitty movie in a series damage your childhood when you're 30 years old, 450 pounds, and masturbate to photoshops of Leia in a bikini?

[Flagg]

I hope this is true.

To think that any director or producer would want to adapt an EU story to kick off a new series of Star Wars movies is pretty asinine. People just need to get used to the fact that no one in charge cares about the EU outside of the money they keep paying for it.

People latch on to the fact that Lucas gave DE as gifts one year and that he used a few names from the EU in the PT as an indicator that the EU has some bearing on anything. Just not true.

Pretty much. Though I hope they go ahead and rip off some of the better stuff for ideas.

[Batman]

I don't get why most of the EU being terrible (or worse) means any EU story being used is automatically a disaster. Yes, the garbage to gem ratio is pretty depressing, but the gems are still there. I know a lot of the locals don't like Thrawn's 'knows the art, knows their military strategies' spiel (and frankly I don't understand how that is supposed to work either) but by and large (and ignoring the scale issue which permeates pretty much all of the EU) the Thrawn Trilogy/Duology were still pretty damned good reading.

[Jub]

Years ago this might have made me upset, but now I'm just hoping that any new movies are good enough for me to even care about the franchise again.

[Elfdart]

I'm amused by people who don't want George Lucas or John Williams involved in Star Wars. If you don't like either or both, why the fuck are you even interested in Star Wars in the first place?

I know a lot of the locals don't like Thrawn's 'knows the art, knows their military strategies' spiel (and frankly I don't understand how that is supposed to work either) but by and large (and ignoring the scale issue which permeates pretty much all of the EU) the Thrawn Trilogy/Duology were still pretty damned good reading.

Thrawn is basically Sherlock Holmes: he can take any clue, no matter how miniscule, and deduce everything he needs to know from it. His sidekick (whose name escapes me) is his foil, Dr. Watson.

Years ago this might have made me upset, but now I'm just hoping that any new movies are good enough for me to even care about the franchise again.

You're posting about it? You care.

[Jub]

Years ago this might have made me upset, but now I'm just hoping that any new movies are good enough for me to even care about the franchise again.

You're posting about it? You care.

I'm posting about it because I'm bored on my coffee break.

I haven't watched the movies in years, haven't read a book from the EU in longer, and haven't played a Star Wars game since Battlefront 2. I stopped caring about the EU part way through NJO and the prequels movies, while watchable, have done little to draw me back in. I'm hoping that these new movies are amazing enough to do that, but I'm not holding out too much hope.

[Stark]

I'm amused by people who don't want George Lucas or John Williams involved in Star Wars. If you don't like either or both, why the fuck are you even interested in Star Wars in the first place?

Is this a serious question? If SW had been made by Hitler, would enjoying it have required liking Hitler or being glad Hitler was involved or hoping Hitler retains creative control because of his unique vision?

Some people - normal people - just liked some movies and don't give a hoot about who did what when why. It doesn't help me give a shit when basically everything Lucas has made in decades has been terrible, and not having him around might increase the chance of something new being done.

And before you act stunned and clutch the prayer beads, my only concern is if SW can actually be interesting again.

[JLTucker]

I'm amused by people who don't want George Lucas or John Williams involved in Star Wars. If you don't like either or both, why the fuck are you even interested in Star Wars in the first place?

Williams didn't make the films interesting to me, you blithering fanboy. Are you seriously suggesting that I have to like one or both to enjoy the movies, only two of which are actually elevated above mediocrity? But hey. What can I expect from someone whose evaluation of the medium doesn't extend past "hey, it got me laid"?

[Mr Bean]

I'm amused by people who don't want George Lucas or John Williams involved in Star Wars. If you don't like either or both, why the fuck are you even interested in Star Wars in the first place?

I know a lot of the locals don't like Thrawn's 'knows the art, knows their military strategies' spiel (and frankly I don't understand how that is supposed to work either) but by and large (and ignoring the scale issue which permeates pretty much all of the EU) the Thrawn Trilogy/Duology were still pretty damned good reading.

Thrawn is basically Sherlock Holmes: he can take any clue, no matter how miniscule, and deduce everything he needs to know from it. His sidekick (whose name escapes me) is his foil, Dr. Watson.

It's the opposite as has been discussed in the Thrawn threads in the past, he likes art but he gets his clues from normal intel but dresses up everything in art metaphors to build a mystic that's important to keeping control over the Imperial remnants through shear force of will and proven successes.

Also serious question time... who doesn't want John Williams involved? Can we get someone's hand raised here? Why would we want the most award winning composer in... ever to not work on it? The guy who's been working solid for fifty years now and is on his way to building a third vacation home purely out of the awards he's won over the years? The guy who has five spots under the most memorable film score lists to himself?

[Stark]

Some people just don't care either way. I think its pretty silly to imagine he wouldn't be; its not like Disney is going to break the successful formula for no reason (which goes for them telling Lucas to go away because... ?). I just don't give a crap who composes the repetitive, decades-old score.

[JLTucker]

Also serious question time... who doesn't want John Williams involved? Can we get someone's hand raised here? Why would we want the most award winning composer in... ever to not work on it? The guy who's been working solid for fifty years now and is on his way to building a third vacation home purely out of the awards he's won over the years? The guy who has five spots under the most memorable film score lists to himself?

Me. A lot of his music sounds eerily similar (AotC and Chamber of Secrets, Home Alone and Philsopher's Stone), and downright lazy and unforgettable (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). I find it hilarious that you think Awards denote any sort of quality.

[Elfdart]

I'm amused by people who don't want George Lucas or John Williams involved in Star Wars. If you don't like either or both, why the fuck are you even interested in Star Wars in the first place?

Is this a serious question?

Yes.

Some people - normal people - just liked some movies and don't give a hoot about who did what when why. It doesn't help me give a shit when basically everything Lucas has made in decades has been terrible, and not having him around might increase the chance of something new being done.

And before you act stunned and clutch the prayer beads, my only concern is if SW can actually be interesting again.

Another disinterested poster, I see. You don't give a shit, yet you post on the subject anyway.