Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[Gold Ranger]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

There was a report that Lucas had considered replacing the Yoda puppet in Ep 5 and 6 for the 2011 Blu-rays. In one sense we were lucky to just get a big stupid rock in front of R2 and the Vader "Noooo" added in the Blu OT.

Lucas denied this.
One of the very few times I really believe him.
It was just people online being sarcastic and it started getting reported as happening.

[motorheadache95]

There were all kinds of rumors back then. I remember before Revenge of the Sith came out, there were rumors that Lucas was going to shoot more new sequences for the original films, like a scene with Bail Organa on Alderaan before the planet explodes.

I think John Williams once mentioned there were talks to add more score to the original Star Wars which would include the Imperial March.

It certainly is possible Lucas had bigger plans for reworking the original trilogy and they fell through for whatever reason, or it could just be all bogus.

Honestly? I'd rather have the UOT and then a balls-out reworking of the originals more in line with what Lucas wanted to do (or do now, at least). Update all the effects, throw digital Yoda, Liam Neeson, Jimmy Smitts, and whoever else in there. Shoot a scene in RotJ with Temoura Morrison as Boba Fett fighting his way out of the Sarlaac.

It's be nuts but probably pretty entertaining. Better than just having bizarre and pointless "updates" like adding rocks and making Jabba's door bigger. That was just weird.

[StingingVelvet]

He could do whatever he wanted with no complaint from me at all if he would just offer up the original theatrical cuts as well. That's the only real problem. No one gets mad about Ridley Scott mucking about with Alien just for fun since the original cut is on the disc too.

The special editions have never been the problem. It's the absence of the theatrical editions that has always been the problem.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

He could do whatever he wanted with no complaint from me at all if he would just offer up the original theatrical cuts as well. That's the only real problem. No one gets mad about Ridley Scott mucking about with Alien just for fun since the original cut is on the disc too.

The special editions have never been the problem. It's the absence of the theatrical editions that has always been the problem.

you hit the nail on the head for sure. that's been the main beef for years

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Online rumors are now "reports".


The Internet makes the Weekly World News look like a Pulitzer-winner.
Can't believe the garbage people are willing to believe these days.

I seem to recall it came from The Digital Bits which is considered a reputable site.

But considering some of the "garbage" Lucas has done to these movies, why wouldn't people believe it? It was logical to assume he was considering that at the time. How many CGI changes did he make in the original movies? More than you can list right now without looking it up.

[MechaGodzilla]

Originally Posted by Gold Ranger

Lucas denied this.
One of the very few times I really believe him.
It was just people online being sarcastic and it started getting reported as happening.

Yeah, in fact I distinctly remember him saying he would never touch the OT puppet Yoda at some point.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Online rumors are now "reports".


The Internet makes the Weekly World News look like a Pulitzer-winner.
Can't believe the garbage people are willing to believe these days.

It was more than a rumor...all the prelim animation was finished, just not finalized and rendered. The animators for Yoda in Clones trained by replacing/imitating Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Gold Ranger

Lucas denied this.
One of the very few times I really believe him.
It was just people online being sarcastic and it started getting reported as happening.

After the release of Clones, Lucas spoke about all the shots they were going to need to address in Empire that he didn't get to in the Special Editions...I'm not so sure Lucas has a devotion to the puppet Yoda, or was kidding, or ultimately figured the cost wasn't worth it, to say nothing of the nerd rage.

[Gold Ranger]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

After the release of Clones, Lucas spoke about all the shots they were going to need to address in Empire that he didn't get to in the Special Editions...I'm not so sure Lucas has a devotion to the puppet Yoda, or was kidding, or ultimately figured the cost wasn't worth it, to say nothing of the nerd rage.

Yes, because we know full well that he cares about what the "nerds" think of feel...

[Merlinpants]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

It was more than a rumor...all the prelim animation was finished, just not finalized and rendered. The animators for Yoda in Clones trained by replacing/imitating Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back.

Not true, the ILM guys rendered a scene from empire only to show lucas that they could replace the puppet as a demonstration of how they could CGI Yoda for clones and sith. It is shown throughout the documentaries on the prequels. They were NEVER going to replace the puppet in the original films. In fact the CGI Yoda was built and animated from the original Frank Oz performance so it would look consistent with the puppet in the original films.

[Falaskan]

I wouldn't mind seeing a digital Yoda in ESB if it was done well. I wouldn't consider it the definitive version tho, and think the puppet is amazing and would want that version too.

[Bluyoda]

Originally Posted by Merlinpants

Not true, the ILM guys rendered a scene from empire only to show lucas that they could replace the puppet as a demonstration of how they could CGI Yoda for clones and sith. It is shown throughout the documentaries on the prequels. They were NEVER going to replace the puppet in the original films. In fact the CGI Yoda was built and animated from the original Frank Oz performance so it would look consistent with the puppet in the original films.

Exactly. Man, many of these posts really make me wonder if the "fans" even watch any of the extras????

[popeflick]

Originally Posted by Bluyoda

Exactly. Man, many of these posts really make me wonder if the "fans" even watch any of the extras????

Well, I'm a fan but haven't seen many of the extras.

The issue is someone posts nonsense without backing it up, while all available evidence points to the contrary.

[BouCoupDinkyDau]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

He could do whatever he wanted with no complaint from me at all if he would just offer up the original theatrical cuts as well. That's the only real problem. No one gets mad about Ridley Scott mucking about with Alien just for fun since the original cut is on the disc too.

The special editions have never been the problem. It's the absence of the theatrical editions that has always been the problem.

This.

[Himmel]

This is from an old article but what do you guys think of his comments??

A quote from Lucas:On who shot first.

"Well, it’s not a religious event. I hate to tell people that. It’s a movie, just a movie. The controversy over who shot first, Greedo or Han Solo, in Episode IV, what I did was try to clean up the confusion, but obviously it upset people because they wanted Solo [who seemed to be the one who shot first in the original] to be a cold-blooded killer, but he actually isn’t. It had been done in all close-ups and it was confusing about who did what to whom. I put a little wider shot in there that made it clear that Greedo is the one who shot first, but everyone wanted to think that Han shot first, because they wanted to think that he actually just gunned him down."

Also: On Lucas making changes to his films.

"Changes are not unusual — I mean, most movies when they release them they make changes. But somehow, when I make the slightest change, everybody thinks it’s the end of the world. That whole issue between filmmakers and the studios with the studios being able to change things without even letting the director of the movie know."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hea...terview-288523

[stvn1974]

Someone get Lucas a dictionary because I don't think he knows what the word "slightest" means.

[HomerThompson]

At least he has a sense of humor about it.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Merlinpants

Not true, the ILM guys rendered a scene from empire only to show lucas that they could replace the puppet as a demonstration of how they could CGI Yoda for clones and sith. It is shown throughout the documentaries on the prequels. They were NEVER going to replace the puppet in the original films. In fact the CGI Yoda was built and animated from the original Frank Oz performance so it would look consistent with the puppet in the original films.

Oh, I know that part...I'm talking post Clones when Lucas was talking about all the shots he was going to have to address for Empire because he couldn't get around to them during the SE for Empire, combined with word I received that Lucas was in fact planning on replacing Yoda to make him sync up with the rest of the saga, and how Return of the Jedi was going to be a nightmare. I was told the rudimentary animation had already been done, as training for Clones.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Oh, I know that part...I'm talking post Clones when Lucas was talking about all the shots he was going to have to address for Empire because he couldn't get around to them during the SE for Empire, combined with word I received that Lucas was in fact planning on replacing Yoda to make him sync up with the rest of the saga, and how Return of the Jedi was going to be a nightmare. I was told the rudimentary animation had already been done, as training for Clones.

I've pretty much devoured everything STAR WARS behind the scenes since 1977 and not once did I read anything official (or non) from the filmmakers themselves (Lucas, LucasFilm, ILM, etc) that they were going to replace Yoda in the original films. What I've seen was the opposite: Frank Oz's performance with the puppet in Empire & Jedi was never considered for replacement. Just Phantom...which they did. In fact the animators were talking about trying to get the CG Yoda to match the puppet down to the way Oz positioned his fingers inside the puppet when he spoke or made certain expressions (something really hard to do in CG).

[kamphausd1]

Originally Posted by Terminated

This is from an old article but what do you guys think of his comments??

A quote from Lucas:On who shot first.

"Well, it’s not a religious event. I hate to tell people that. It’s a movie, just a movie.

Says the guy who kept obsessively making changes to said movie with each new release.

Originally Posted by Terminated

Also: On Lucas making changes to his films.

"Changes are not unusual — I mean, most movies when they release them they make changes. But somehow, when I make the slightest change, everybody thinks it’s the end of the world.

Well gee I don't know George, maybe (and I'm just guessing here) it might have something to do with the fact that whenever you made the "slightest" change, you adamantly refused to make the original version available along side your altered version? I mean like I said, it's just a guess.

But seriously though, if anybody out there reads the above article and still defends Lucas, then I really just don't know what to say. I can't tell you how happy I am that he's no longer in charge.

And I already anticipate that certain posters (not naming any names) will either reply by telling me I'm butthurt, that I should get over it, or use some variation of a beating dead horse meme.