The Force is No Longer Strong with Uncle George

[Guydowood]

from Moviehole.net


They said Jar Jar Binks would finish George Lucas, not so – “Red Tails” has the honour of being the prolific filmmaker and powerhouse’s final big-money movie (though he’s leaving an out clause just in case an “Indiana Jones 5″ comes to fruition). The airmen actioner, featuring the likes of Cuba Gooding Jr and Bryan Cranston, was the one project Lucas wanted to do before handing in his DGA card.

The “Star Wars” helmer, who struggled to get “Red Tails” distribution and seems rather frustrated by all the negative feedback he received for the “Star Wars” prequels (apparently the Golden Globes failed to recognize them, too), says he’s done with Hollywood.

“I’m retiring. I’m moving away from the business, from the company, from all this kind of stuff”, Lucas tells the NY Times.

Lucas will instead turn his attention to making personal, micro-budget movies – - much like his friend Francis Ford Coppola has been doing the past decade (but can anyone actually name something Coppola has made since 2000? Oh yes, of course, he was one of the many ghost-directors on the 2000 sci-fi blunder “Supernova”).

Though there’s a chance that “Star Wars” TV show might still happen, Lucas says he won’t be returning to the “Star Wars” movieverse. He said the fanboys hate him enough for making the prequels – I sense sadness, George? – let alone for making some unfortunate changes (‘nooooooooooo!’) to the original trilogy Blu-ray.

“Why would I make any more,” Lucas says of the “Star Wars” movies, “when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”

“On the Internet, all those same guys that are complaining I made a change are completely changing the movie,” Lucas says, referring to fans who, like the dreaded studios, have done their own forcible re-edits. “I’m saying: ‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.’ ”

Fair enough.

Look, I know everyone’s going to be doing the ‘Yahoo!’ dance (put your hands on your hips, stick out your tongue, shake it all about) about Lucas retiring, but remember, this is the man that gave us one of the best film trilogies of all time – heck, two top trilogies. I’m thankful for that. So no more making George cry, Okay!?

I, for one, am genuinely interested to see what a micro-budgeted George Lucas movie looks like – might we see something along the lines of “American Graffiti” again, maybe!?

[Chordata]

.lol.

Internet clowns get a victory.

[Foggy]

The article seems to get it a bit mixed up, he's only producing Red Tails

[HandyDandy]

His daughter Katie will probably take over for everything related to star wars.

Star Wars will always live on..

She will lay down the corporate elbow to all those that attacked her father.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

The article seems to get it a bit mixed up, he's only producing Red Tails

These words don't really sound as intelligent as George's usual words. I'm wondering if it's for real.

Hell, if it is, I say good for George. He should't let a bunch of whiney nerds get at him. So freaking what if nobody likes the prequels or the changes to the movies; it's his freaking franchise. Let him bow out with his dignity, and he'll get back to his original passion of making films. And maybe all the Internet trolls will direct their negativity to some place that actually deserves hate.

[Jumpman]

Read the entire profile at the NY Times. It's a fascinating look at the man and what he's tried to do to get Red Tails to the big screen and what the backlash since '97 has done to him.

I think the reception to the BD release of the Saga was the last straw, when it comes to Star Wars....

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

These words don't really sound as intelligent as George's usual words. I'm wondering if it's for real.

Hell, if it is, I say good for George. He should't let a bunch of whiney nerds get at him. So freaking what if nobody likes the prequels or the changes to the movies; it's his freaking franchise. Let him bow out with his dignity, and he'll get back to his original passion of making films. And maybe all the Internet trolls will direct their negativity to some place that actually deserves hate.

I agree, but he can't honestly expect everyone to love all of his movies. It's just not realistic. Having said that, I hope he realizes that the vocal whiny Internet kids are likely not the majority.

[Jumpman]

He doesn't expect people to love all his films. But, it's completely ridiculous the criticism and how far it goes with him, personally, that he's done with.

The guy really hasn't done anything to deserve the vitriol that's been thrown his way since '97.

All he did was change his films a bit. He didn't commit genocide, get away with it, and basically laughed at everyone as he made more money in the public eye.

[Silo5]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

These words don't really sound as intelligent as George's usual words. I'm wondering if it's for real.
Hell, if it is, I say good for George. He should't let a bunch of whiney nerds get at him. So freaking what if nobody likes the prequels or the changes to the movies; it's his freaking franchise. Let him bow out with his dignity, and he'll get back to his original passion of making films. And maybe all the Internet trolls will direct their negativity to some place that actually deserves hate.

That's exactly what I was thinking. It's hard for me to believe that after all of these years of sticking to his guns when it comes to his movies, that he would now suddenly "listen" to fans & critics alike. I can see him retiring for personal reasons, but not because of what fans think of him. I sense a hiatus and possible return in the future for him.

[Member-115369]

Originally Posted by Silo5

That's exactly what I was thinking. It's hard for me to believe that after all of these years of sticking to his guns when it comes to his movies, that he would now suddenly "listen" to fans & critics alike. I can see him retiring for personal reasons, but not because of what fans think of him. I sense a hiatus and possible return in the future for him.

The NY Times article covers all that. He's not retiring from making movies. He's just going to focus on making smaller movies he wants to make and can finance himself and not make blockbusters, Star Wars sequels etc. as he's tired of dealing with studios and fanboys.

He's still very defiant about the fanboys telling him what he should or shouldn't do with his films etc.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Guydowood

I, for one, am genuinely interested to see what a micro-budgeted George Lucas movie looks like – might we see something along the lines of “American Graffiti” again, maybe!?

I remember hoping what a micro-budgeted "Radioland Murders" would have looked like, back in the Graffiti days when he was actually interested in creating some period atmosphere--
Instead, we got it during the first Exile days of the late-80's, when he didn't want to direct anymore either, and he tossed it off to a Lucas-crony for a directing debut.

Those were the days when we thought we weren't going to get SW1-3 either because he Just Didn't Care Anymore, and we had to suffer through his handing us the sloppy "Willow" (which he didn't direct either) as "Here, fans, here's your new overimagined trilogy to worship!"
Like JK Rowling, fame can burn you out if you hitch your star to it.

(As for the "Making Lucas cry" fan-faction, repeat after me, for the Nth time:
Lucas did NOT direct Howard the Duck, Lucas did NOT direct the Holiday Special...)

[Tony208]

Lol George Lucas or anyone else for that matter don't owe the fanboys anything. It's a shame because a sequel trilogy would've been awesome.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Wow... a powerhorse like Lucas brought to one knee by internet geekdom? What a sad state of affairs this is.

He should have a different perspective on this situation. The only reason people are reacting this way to his changes is because he made something powerful enough to spark passion within its audience.

Lucas has lost perspective and gone a bit in my opinion.

[pagemaster]

The trouble with George Lucas is that he really hasn't done all that much aside from the Star Wars saga. We all know that Indiana Jones is more Spielberg than Lucas.

People tend to forget that Lucas has only directed two very good films, American Graffiti and the original Star Wars which was a landmark film. Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were not directed by him.

Lucas' biggest fault was that he should of handed directing duties of Episode II and Episode III to someone else.

[octagon]

Didn't GL just tour the country telling anybody who would listen that he is personally responsible for Red Tails?

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by octagon

Didn't GL just tour the country telling anybody who would listen that he is personally responsible for Red Tails?

That's really for the DGA to decide.

[plenipote]

Originally Posted by octagon

Didn't GL just tour the country telling anybody who would listen that he is personally responsible for Red Tails?

This. +1

[KarmaNL]

the more Lucas does or makes or releases, the easier it becomes to state that the original SW trilogy was nothing more but a lucky streak.

[bluskiff]

I went to see red tails last night I went in thinking I would only like the dogfights but by the end I was hooked. I didn't really care about the visuals I was sucked into the story. It has flaws but ya know I'm still thinking about it today.

[bluballer]

Betcha he won't release the original theatrical version until the cows come home.