Disney to acquire Lucasfilm

[Stark]

He's just repeating what he's already said and demonstrated by his treatment of the EU in the prequels. The EU was never any more than a fan-exploiting cash cow.

[Darksider]

I suppose you're right.

Still, it'll be amusing to see Leland Chee's head explode over this.

[Connor MacLeod]

Uh, its nothing that he isn't already aware of? The movies and EU have always been treated as separate universes, and there's always been distinctions betweeen what George (and stuff originating from him) is, and what originates from toher sources (the whole GCSN thing.) There's pages of obsession all over the internet that still tries to argue over what is properly SW canon (as if it were ever able to be set in stone.) and what is or isn't included in that. Hell if you watch the attached video, thats pretty much the conclusion you get: George since the prequels sees himself as the movie version of what Chee does for the EU.. 'keeper of the flame' to borrow his words. It doesn't 'throw out' anything that hasn't already been 'thrown out' so to speak.

The EU is there to make money, expand on the universe in a way that may or may not be consistent with the way Lucas does things, and to sometimes be borrowed from if Lucasfilm chooses to do so. Otherwise it has nothing really to do with movies and TV and can be overriden by Lucasfilm if desired.

really I doubt the EU is going to go anywhere becuase of that 'money making' angle, so the fond hopes of people that the EU is going to be 'toppled' is probably wishful thinking. I could even see them exploiting it further by 'direct to DVD movies' or something - I mean they're already exploring that with the Clone Wars TV Series, so why not? If they find there's a huge market for people who WANT that Grand Admiral Thrawn movie, they probably would put it out.

You might even get a theatrical release for some stuff.. I mean they did turn that Clone Wars TV show episode into a giant movie too.

[Darksider]

I'm not sure any spin-off movies would be worth the money to make them. I don't know how well those "ewok" movies did back in the day, but the Clone Wars movie only made like 40 million dollars at the box office. It netted a profit because it was essentially an editing together of already made cartoon episodes, but that might not be worth the production costs of a full film.

[Stark]

Disney knows all about making low-cost direct to video stuff when there's demand.

[Darksider]

Oh i'm sure there'll be direct-to-DVD EU movies, I just don't think a theatrical release is likely.

Honestly I wouldn't mind seeing the Thrawn Trilogy adapted, or a mini-series based on the X-wing books.

[the atom]

Looks like Lucas just de-canonised virtually all of the SW:EU:

Um...no, he never said anything to that effect at all in either part of the interview. The only time the EU was even remotely brought up was where he said it was all getting moved over to disney. Nothing about canon, continuity, or the validity thereof was mentioned in the interview at all.

[FaxModem1]

Disney planning to do 2 or 3 Lucasfilm films a year?

http://blastr.com/2012/11/disney-planning-2-or-3-st.php

If it's nothing but Star Wars movies, it could still work, if they had a Jedi movie, a Bounty hunter movie, a empire vs rebellion film, etc.

Or maybe they'll be making more Indiana Jones, Willow and Howard the Ducks movies. Who knows?

[Ire]

He's just repeating what he's already said and demonstrated by his treatment of the EU in the prequels. The EU was never any more than a fan-exploiting cash cow.

Then explain Splinter of a Minds Eye

Also take into account he contradicts himself often so you don't really know his stance to begin with

[CaptHawkeye]

You can't be serious. Splinter of the Mind's Eye was written in case the first movie was a box office bomb and a sequel wouldn't be made. It was thrown under the bus once Empire was approved.

Yeah, Lucas is cagey about his stance on the EU. All the more reason why it is *totally fucking irrelevant*.

[Ire]

You can't be serious. Splinter of the Mind's Eye was written in case the first movie was a box office bomb and a sequel wouldn't be made. It was thrown under the bus once Empire was approved.

Yeah, Lucas is cagey about his stance on the EU. All the more reason why it is *totally fucking irrelevant*.

It wasn't thrown under a bus you jabroni. If it was why fucking re release it or make adaptions?

Lucas is cagy about everything. One minute he say's there can't be Wookiee Jedi but in TCW he goes around and makes one anyways.

And don't bullshit me about "it was only EU" when TCW is still technically EU

[CaptHawkeye]

Because he cares so huggy muggy much about how the fans interpret the backstory of his universe? Horseshit. I can't even fathom how you see re-releasing it as evidence that he or anyone else cares about what canon is. But I guess you'll just go on thinking it.

Lucas is cagy about everything. One minute he say's there can't be Wookiee Jedi but in TCW he goes around and makes one anyways.

Who cares? TCW is a children's show.

And don't bullshit me about "it was only EU" when TCW is still technically EU

I still just can't bring myself to give a shit about what you think.

[Ire]

Who cares? TCW is a children's show.

So you have nothing of substance to contest my point then

I still just can't bring myself to give a shit about what you think.

Concession accepted

[ray245]

Who cares? TCW is a children's show.

TCW is certainly important enough to Lucas that he allows TCW to contradict any other EU materials.

[CaptHawkeye]

So you have nothing of substance to contest my point then

You don't have a point! The closet thing you have to one is how you feel about some stupid bullshit.

Concession accepted

Yeah yeah you're top nerd on SDNet now bro.

[zman]

I'm not sure any spin-off movies would be worth the money to make them. I don't know how well those "ewok" movies did back in the day, but the Clone Wars movie only made like 40 million dollars at the box office. It netted a profit because it was essentially an editing together of already made cartoon episodes, but that might not be worth the production costs of a full film.

you are looking at it the wrong way.

Look at what they did with marvel and that's what they are going to do with Star Wars. I guarntee it.

So they make Episode 7 (which is the equivilent of the Avengers) then in between they make movies about the new characters they introduce (like what they did with Marvel and the Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America movies).

I bet we will also finally see that live action Star Wars TV show. Just like how they are now doing a live action S.H.I.E.L.D show that ties into the movies.

Obviously the movies about the single characters will have a much lower budget then the big Episode movies but they should still be good.

[Connor MacLeod]

I suspect the reaction to Disney acquiring Lucasfilm is driven by alot of perceptions of what Star Wars is/should 'be', and that for whatever reason Disney and what it is/others think it is simply does not fit into that equation.


Funny enough alot of this happened with some EU things like, say, West End Games. (NOT ENOUGH STAR DESTROYERS AND PLANET KILLING.)

[Channel72]

I've always thought Star Wars should be what the OT was : fun, character-driven stories set in space - filled with quotable banter, anachronistic dogfights, and exotic alien locales.

Lucas' Prequels more or less failed to deliver these things (except the alien locales), and instead featured mostly banal political intrigue, unrelatable supermen, and far too many scenes in a politician's stuffy office. So, I don't see how this takeover by Disney is anything but good news. Clearly, giving Lucas full control over Star Wars didn't produce high-quality films. Whether Disney will make quality films is yet to be seen, but I'm having a hard time imagining Disney creating something much worse than the Prequels.

[Connor MacLeod]

The question is what and how much of the OT you actually want to copy, and whether oyu're actually required to do this over and over again. Getting too caught up in nostalgia for what the OT was - or even specific movies - can be a bad thing if it leads to endless repetition and a creative stagnation. There's a juggling act going on there, but something SW should not be automatically BAD just because it ignores something that may or may not have been in the movies.

A good example of something 'bad' in star Wars is a term coined called 'cameo toxicity' - which is the idea of elements from SW constantly recurring. An obvious example of this is how often Tattooine features in the movies and novels. Or the way you constantly see a small number of alien types (from the movies) recurring in every novel. Or even certain alien 'stereotypes' (EG Twi'lek slave girls. How many times does that crop up in the movies or fiction, and how many times have we seen Twi'leks in other roles? The only obvious examples of role-breaking I can recall are from the Allston and Stackpole X-wing novels.)

Its one of the ways the EU can suck, but we never get an actual discussion of the elements of the EU that are actually bad and contribute to the degradation of the overall quality.

[Batman]

I'm reasonably certain the EU being...less than stellar is a frequently debated topic on this board (if not necessarily recently) and I suspect the recurring themes that we'd be better off without angle popped up somewhere in it.

[zman]

I think what they will pretty much eventually wipe out the current EU. Starting first with the Post ROTJ EU and then move on from there as they make more movies in those time periods.

As for the stories I think they will do what they did with marvel which was pull elements from those stories but make them something new. Like how Justin Hammer in the comics is an old cold business man but in the movies he is a slimy sleezy young exec.

So I wouldn't be suprised if Admiral Thrawn shows up but they wont do the Thrawn Trilogy. Instead he might be a villian in one of the movies with a different plan to rebuild the empire.

[Connor MacLeod]

I'm reasonably certain the EU being...less than stellar is a frequently debated topic on this board (if not necessarily recently) and I suspect the recurring themes that we'd be better off without angle popped up somewhere in it.

On this board it usually centered around how the RPGS/novels are less scientifically and mathematically adept than the SW fans were. Or at least, certain fans. Stuff like Coruscant's population, number of Star Destroyers and ground troops/military sizes, and all other NUMBERS related stuff. I dont think very much of it centered around themes, characters, ideas, etc.

I mean when you most often heard someone bring up timothy zahn, there was at least some segment who went OMG HE SUCKS MINIMALISM or because they hated Thrawn. Likewise, you always heard how Dark Empire was great because OMG SCALE (even though Palpatine was made out to be Count Dracula, right up to the evil-looking vampire cape and craving for the life force of the young to survive.)

[Havok]

Looks like Lucas just de-canonised virtually all of the SW:EU:

Yeah no. It has the exact same status it always has.
There is Lucas continuity which is anything he personally has a hand in. (Movies, animation)
Then there is EU continuity, which is everything. (Movies, animation, animation he doesn't have a hand in, books, comics, video games)

That is the status quo.

[Ire]

So basically your just using your own fanfiction interpretations

It doesn't even say it's decannonized in the interview

[Havok]

So basically your just using your own fanfiction interpretations

It doesn't even say it's decannonized in the interview

No, that is exactly what Lucas has said about the EU, it is a separate entity from the movies and anything else he creates himself.

In theory, the EU can ignore everything that Lucas ever does, but fans wouldn't have it, at least not outright.

P.S. accusing me of using a fanfiction interpretation is about as ridiculous as saying I love the EU.