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

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

I salute Bob Iger for trying to downplay expectations...but here's the truth. Disney didn't buy Star Wars for box office revenue or home video revenues. They bought Star Wars for that merchandise money. Truth, folks. Now, Lucas (astonishingly) sold LucasFilm for only $4 billion. Financial analysists are forecasting revenues from SW7 merchandise -- not the box office, the merchandise -- to hit or exceed $3 billion alone. From the one movie. Disney is practically already in the black for the purchase of the entire business from the projected revenues off of one film alone.

The headline of that IBT article is a cute little bit of click bait....but no. Disney isn't worried.

Don't confuse retail sales with licensing royalties back to Disney. That $3 billion projection for merchandise I believe is for retail gross sales. Retail gross sales goes to the stores. They pay a wholesale price back to distributors. The distributors pay a net of that back to the manufacturers who Disney licenses to make the merchandise. Those manufacturers pay a royalty back to Disney. The net percentage back to Disney (or any licensor) in relationship to the retail price is actually quite small, but they don't have do much for the money other than negotiating the contract and in some cases, providing approvals on the design. And in some cases, a percentage of Disney's take goes back to the actors, if it's their likeness (although Carrie Fisher is famous for saying that after she basically had to sign away her rights to revenue from merchandise, that every time she looked in the mirror, George Lucas made money.)

While toys are only one aspect of the licensing business, it's a big one, especially for Star Wars. But the toys business has been down for years. It's never been as big as it was when the baby boomers were kids, partially because there's fewer kids and partially because kids spend so much time with various electronics (although there's obviously some licensing there as well).

(I'm involved in creating application software for the Licensing business and I know how it works.)

So while Disney will do fine in the long run and the new films, if successful, will also be the basis for new Disney rides and/or lands in their amusement parks, don't believe the hype that Disney is going to make the investment back on one film + merchandise. But there is one danger and that is with both the regular series and the stand-alone films, Disney has to be careful not to over-saturate Star Wars to the point where fans think it's too much and don't care about it anymore. The release of a new film has to still feel like an event, not like a new TV episode, even if the episode is one that generated water cooler discussion.

[ZoetMB]

Originally Posted by Moviefan2k4

I remember seeing part of a "Sith" documentary, where Lucas was talking to Hayden and Natalie between takes. They seemed to be listening, so he was obviously doing something right.

Yes, because their resulting performances were so wonderful.

The documentary footage I've seen shows Lucas being concerned about everything except the actor's performances.

These were not bad actors. They've both in quite good in other films. Their performances were only terrible in Star Wars films. While Lucas didn't quite kill Portman's career, he sure killed Hayden's. OK, some of it was the dialog and not necessarily the on-set direction, but still...

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Yes, because their resulting performances were so wonderful.

The documentary footage I've seen shows Lucas being concerned about everything except the actor's performances.

These were not bad actors. They've both in quite good in other films. Their performances were only terrible in Star Wars films. While Lucas didn't quite kill Portman's career, he sure killed Hayden's. OK, some of it was the dialog and not necessarily the on-set direction, but still...

I hate to defend anything lucas did in the prequels, but I think Hayden has no career cuz he SUCKS! I've seen his other movies and the guy is wooden like a board

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by Strevlac

The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits are not "cheesy 70's TV" thus you prove my point.

I personally thought Moon was a bit over-rated (but had a strong performance from Sam Rockwell), but there is no correlation between it or The Twilight Zone / Outer Limits (besides all being sci-fi).

Though I agree that The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits are excellent, not cheesy, and better than a lot of modern science fiction.

[Fred Bang]

Originally Posted by wormraper

I hate to defend anything lucas did in the prequels, but I think Hayden has no career cuz he SUCKS! I've seen his other movies and the guy is wooden like a board

he is quite good in Shattered Glass

[Gamma_Winstead]

Originally Posted by Fred Bang

he is quite good in Shattered Glass

Yes, but he plays a whiny wooden weasel in that film. So it's certainly not a good judge of acting, but rather perfect casting.

[The Lizard King]

Originally Posted by wormraper

I hate to defend anything lucas did in the prequels, but I think Hayden has no career cuz he SUCKS! I've seen his other movies and the guy is wooden like a board

I thought that he was pretty good in Jumper.

[PeterTHX]

Well, for the first time TWO Star Wars films are in production!
http://makingstarwars.net/2015/08/fi...ogy-rogue-one/

(I don't count the one shot of Episode III done when they were wrapping up Episode II in Tunisia)

[Fred Bang]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

Yes, but he plays a whiny wooden weasel in that film. So it's certainly not a good judge of acting, but rather perfect casting.

I know it doesn't mean anything but wasn't he nominated for a golden globe for Life as a House (a pretty crappy movie)

[Ernest Rister]

Roger Ebert compared Sylvester Stallone's performance in Rocky to Marlon Brando....not knowing Stallone was basically playing himself.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

Don't confuse retail sales with licensing royalties back to Disney. That $3 billion projection for merchandise I believe is for retail gross sales. Retail gross sales goes to the stores. They pay a wholesale price back to distributors. The distributors pay a net of that back to the manufacturers who Disney licenses to make the merchandise. Those manufacturers pay a royalty back to Disney. The net percentage back to Disney (or any licensor) in relationship to the retail price is actually quite small, but they don't have do much for the money other than negotiating the contract and in some cases, providing approvals on the design. And in some cases, a percentage of Disney's take goes back to the actors, if it's their likeness (although Carrie Fisher is famous for saying that after she basically had to sign away her rights to revenue from merchandise, that every time she looked in the mirror, George Lucas made money.)

While toys are only one aspect of the licensing business, it's a big one, especially for Star Wars. But the toys business has been down for years. It's never been as big as it was when the baby boomers were kids, partially because there's fewer kids and partially because kids spend so much time with various electronics (although there's obviously some licensing there as well).

(I'm involved in creating application software for the Licensing business and I know how it works.)

So while Disney will do fine in the long run and the new films, if successful, will also be the basis for new Disney rides and/or lands in their amusement parks, don't believe the hype that Disney is going to make the investment back on one film + merchandise. But there is one danger and that is with both the regular series and the stand-alone films, Disney has to be careful not to over-saturate Star Wars to the point where fans think it's too much and don't care about it anymore. The release of a new film has to still feel like an event, not like a new TV episode, even if the episode is one that generated water cooler discussion.

The Disney company has survived on merchandise royalties since the late 1920's. Mickey Mouse merchandise and other characters paid for all the experimentation in the animation art form, because Walt was a nut who frequently spent more on his shorts than they could earn back. Without all those Mickey and Donald toy sales, Walt never could have hired that staff, paid those salaries, made all those breakthroughs. Merchandising is the bedrock of the company, everything is built on top of it. Merchandise sales even helped pay for Disneyland expansion (Davy! Davy Crockett! etc.).

Anyway, just saying the article headline was click bait. Disney is not nervous about SW7 ticket sales. They're pinching themselves. They got LucasFilm for a song, really. In a way, if you think about it, Disney didn't really buy Pixar, Marvel, or LucasFilm -- They bought their characters. That's what they're into. It's their bread and butter.

[aiman04]

Korean TV Spot! (with music from Revenge of the Sith)

[스타워즈: 깨어난 í�¬ìŠ¤] 30ì´ˆ 예ê³*편 공개 - YouTube

Notice the walkers in the right side of the image.

[CinemaBlu]

It looks like they may have solved the problem of the crossguard lightsaber's impracticality. It still seems pretty silly to me.

[Forever Knight]

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

It looks like they may have solved the problem of the crossguard lightsaber's impracticality. It still seems pretty silly to me.

It's not impractical. It works just like a Sai would. Good for defense.

[Riddler The Slag]

Originally Posted by aiman04

Notice the walkers in the right side of the image.

Themes of the Nuremberg Rally in Triumph of the Will. The First Order looks imposing in this shot!

[Fred Bang]

Originally Posted by Riddler The Slag

Themes of the Nuremberg Rally in Triumph of the Will. The First Order looks imposing in this shot!

Who is the chrome dude? Kylo Ren or Phasma?

[Riddler The Slag]

Originally Posted by Fred Bang

Who is the chrome dude? Kylo Ren or Phasma?

My guess is Captain Phasma.

[JJ]

Originally Posted by Fred Bang

Who is the chrome dude? Kylo Ren or Phasma?

I believe the "chrometrooper" is Captain Phasma.

[Riddler The Slag]

I caught Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson in Ex Machina this weekend. My first exposure to either actor and I hope they bring that intensity to Star Wars.

[Darth Marcus]

Good Lord this film looks beautiful. The passion is just oozing from every frame. You can tell this is JJ's lifelong dream coming true.