Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[greg_achen]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

If Disney has any respect for the man who created this series, they wouldn't release the theatrical cuts.

Lucas as his reason for not releasing them. Respect it.

I am glad Disney respects the fans enough to release it. Though in all honesty, Disney is a business... Star Wars is a product... and where there is money to be made! Seriously though, releasing the UOT doesn't erase the Special Editions. If that is your preferred version, you can just pretend the UOT doesn't exist. But now, more people can enjoy Star Wars, which is a good thing for the fandom.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

How do we know Lucas didn't change his mind about the UOT being released? He has had three different "original vision" versions released already. Perhaps he changed his mind again.

Absolutely. For all we know, Disney might be contractually obligated to release the UOT. Lucas might have insisted on a clause guaranteeing a BD release.

[Braktastic]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

looks like a character from Flash Gordon or Masters of the Universe

Considering both of those movies were heavily influenced by Star Wars, I can't say I'm surprised. Remember too, this is all, supposedly, concept art. Go back and look at the concept are for Episode I, for example, and compare it to the finished film. There's still room for changes that might lend themselves better to the big screen.

Personally, I haven't heard anything I have too much of an issue with except the MacGuffin and the reason for Luke's absence. Neither are confirmed and both could be explained properly to overcome my current issues with them.

[peckinpah]

I don't know how much faith I'd put in Comicbook.com. They're little more than a glorified blog, and 99% of their posts are things they pull from other, more reputable sites (usually without credit). Those guys getting this scoop before anybody else is a little like the Amish being the first people to set up a colony on Mars.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

If Disney has any respect for the man who created this series, they wouldn't release the theatrical cuts.

Lucas as his reason for not releasing them. Respect it.

Once movies enter the culture in the way Star Wars has, the creator no longer has complete control over his creation. Also Lucas didn't do it alone, even with the prequels when he wrote and directed them all.

Fans who grew up on these movies deserve an unedited release.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by peckinpah

I don't know how much faith I'd put in Comicbook.com. They're little more than a glorified blog, and 99% of their posts are things they pull from other, more reputable sites (usually without credit). Those guys getting this scoop before anybody else is a little like the Amish being the first people to set up a colony on Mars.

Didn't Bill Hunt at the Digital Bits talk about Reliance Media listing a new 4k scan of Star Wars, Empire and Jedi on their site? And then that listing quickly disappeared from the Reliance site? I don't know why ComicBook.com is calling this an exclusive as it seems to be the worst-kept secret in home HD entertainment right now.

[peckinpah]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Didn't Bill Hunt at the Digital Bits talk about Reliance Media listing a new 4k scan of Star Wars, Empire and Jedi on their site? And then that listing quickly disappeared from the Reliance site? I don't know why ComicBook.com is calling this an exclusive as it seems to be the worst-kept secret in home HD entertainment right now.

And a few months ago Bleeding Cool (I think) reported more or less the same thing ComicBook.com is now saying (i.e., "We hear it's possibly being worked on but we don't know anything else."), and the excitement over that quickly died. So until Fox and Disney release a joint announcement, I don't see any reason for anybody to break out the balloons and party hats.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Pixar releases what it wants, Disney distributes. Marvel releases what it wants, Disney distributes. ESPN runs there own outfit, Disney is a parent company.

LucasFilm is going to do what it thinks is best for their company, Fox has distribution rights until 2020, unless LucasFilm buys them out. If the unaltered trilogy comes to high-def home video next year (and I'm betting that it will), that will be LucasFilm's decision to spike interest and goodwill for the new trilogy. Healing old wounds. The Mouse won't be ordering LucasFilm to do it. That's not how Iger operates, and it's the reason Lucas agreed to the acquisition in the first place.

Give this man a prize!

I feel like your response should be added to the first post...People keep seeing Disney as the big, scary boogeyman. But it isn't like that. They're very hands off when it comes to things like this. They'll distribute things, but they don't make all the calls. They just want to know what's going on. They're the parent company, but every other company has their own head who controls things. John Lasseter at Pixar, Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios, and Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm.

[thegoat]

Originally Posted by simonynwa

I could be wrong but is there a single moment in Episode III where location shooting (with actors, not as background plates) happens. As far as I can tell every aspect of it is studio based with lots of CGI extensions. Could be wrong though. Not meant as a criticism as it depends on the needs of the film, just an observation. So far EP VII seems to have been to Abu Dhabi, Ireland and outside in England so it could well have a very different feel.

Yeah, it was almost entirely sets or green screens extended by models and digital environements. The only location shooting was the ending on Tatooine, which was shot while filming episode II (I think it was just the location that was shot, with the actors added in later, though I'm not sure).

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

Give this man a prize!

I feel like your response should be added to the first post...People keep seeing Disney as the big, scary boogeyman. But it isn't like that. They're very hands off when it comes to things like this. They'll distribute things, but they don't make all the calls. They just want to know what's going on. They're the parent company, but every other company has their own head who controls things. John Lasseter at Pixar, Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios, and Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm.

Walt's Ghost -- when it comes to everyone on the net saying Disney is running everything at LucasFilm, every little news item is Disney this and Disney that...I'm getting to the point where I want to run off to the horizon screaming like Daffy Duck. Everybody in this thread should read that BusinessWeek article. I'm shocked most people apparently haven't. Disney wants to make money from merchandising royalties, they're not micro-managing LucasFilm, they just want to reap profits from what their divisions earn.

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

If Disney has any respect for the man who created this series, they wouldn't release the theatrical cuts.

Lucas as his reason for not releasing them. Respect it.

[MCT]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

If Disney has any respect for the man who created this series, they wouldn't release the theatrical cuts.

Lucas as his reason for not releasing them. Respect it.

Get the f**k outta here. Give me my remastered 4K theatrical cuts and let me die a happy man.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Walt's Ghost -- when it comes to everyone on the set saying Disney is running everything at LucasFilm, every little news item is Disney this and Disney that...I'm getting to the point where I want to run off to the horizon screaming like Daffy Duck. Everybody in this thread should read that BusinessWeek article. I'm shocked most people apparently haven't. Disney wants to make money from merchandising royalties, they're not micro-managing LucasFilm, they just want to reap profits from what their divisions earn.

As do I, my friend...As do I. So many people don't really realize just how Iger and his crew are running things. It was important to Lucas to sell to someone who would let his company breathe on its own, even under a bigger umbrella. Something Iger has done with all his biggest acquisitions. Why? Because he knows that is what keeps those companies happy, and thriving creatively. They can pass along notes, but at the end of the day, unless it comes down to big release dates and things like that, Disney doesn't control much. But you and I may be blue in the face saying it. Or, well...

Also, you know what's funny? Disney is running it the exact same way Lucas was handling the series when he was making it at 20th Century Fox. They were hands off, he did his thing, and he made money off the merchandising and royalties...

[MCT]

Originally Posted by aiman04

[Show spoiler]

REVAN!!!

I wish

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

I feel like your response should be added to the first post...People keep seeing Disney as the big, scary boogeyman.

Really? If anything it sometimes seems like the opposite: people see Disney as some sort of omnipotent but benevolent despot.

I don't spend a lot of time in the various Marvel threads (what with never seeing their releases until they hit Redbox) but there seems to be a pretty healthy contingent that think all would be right in the world if Disney would just buy this, that or the other thing.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by octagon

Really? If anything it sometimes seems like the opposite: people see Disney as some sort of omnipotent but benevolent despot.

I don't spend a lot of time in the various Marvel threads (what with never seeing their releases until they hit Redbox) but there seems to be a pretty healthy contingent that think all would be right in the world if Disney would just buy this, that or the other thing.

I never see that...I just see, "Disney will muck things up like they always do!" It seems to be a really common complaint.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

I never see that...I just see, "Disney will muck things up like they always do!" It seems to be a really common complaint.

Maybe they're just popular in here

[Jumpman]

All I'm saying is why, with the sale to Disney, would Lucas renege on his stance about never releasing the theatrical cuts ever?

That's what I want to know.

Lucas has been adamant on this point FOREVER.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

I never see that...I just see, "Disney will muck things up like they always do!" It seems to be a really common complaint.

The reverse is also true Walt, you are dealing in a corporate world. While Lucasfilm is a subsidiary of Disney, they are still required to answer to the same board of directors. While they may be very hands off in this regard, at some point if they screwed up enough someone from that board would step in and make said decision.

For example my company has a board of directors, but it is owned bu a holding company which has its own board, My company's board is required to answer to that board no matter what. It is the same thing with Lucasfilm/Disney.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Jumpman

All I'm saying is why, with the sale to Disney, would Lucas renege on his stance about never releasing the theatrical cuts ever?

That's what I want to know.

Lucas has been adamant on this point FOREVER.

Jumpman his last interview regarding them was him saying they could be done he just didn't want to put the 5+ million into each film to do it. He had already Reneged to fan pressure.