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

[kemcha]

I have no doubt that investors know that the investment will pay off, eventually, but those same stockholders don't want to wait five years down the line to see those payoffs. Disney execs probably assured stockholders that the first film will reach theaters by 2015 and that target is what Disney is holding Kennedy to. If she cannot make that date, Disney will probably replace her with someone else who can make that deadline.

The studio has a plan for the Star Wars franchise and they are known for putting out quality product. The problem is that George Lucas was always an obsessive director, controlling every aspect of the Star Wars universe, as is/was his right. Now that Disney has a plan for the Star Wars franchise, Kennedy either needs to step up to the plate or leave it behind.

Disney needs to show its investors that its purchase will pay off. If it doesn't start to pay off, then Eiger is going to have a lot to answer for. The purchase will pay off but when it comes to money that investors have sunk into Disney, they need to see some returns on the purchase.

After all, Disney has done a great job with the Marvel films, it has a plan for the Star Wars films, it has a great relationship with Ghibli Studio in Japan and its moving in the right direction. Kennedy may desire more time but its those investors who need to start seeing some returns on their investment.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by wormraper

lol, I blame that on Lucas's inability to direct anything.

on a technical standpoint it was gorgeous, but when Lucas insisted on directing everything himself AND writing the dialogue it was doomed.

Blame it on Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, they persuaded him to direct. Lucas actually wanted Spielberg to direct Episode I. And he wrote Episode II with Jonathan Hales.

Spielberg did direct the Mustafar scenes on Episode III though.

[Bk_Tan]

Disney didn't make any Marvel film until Iron Man 3.

Even then, everything's under Marvel.

[RyanPom]

Originally Posted by aiman04

Blame it on Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, they persuaded him to direct. Lucas actually wanted Spielberg to direct Episode I. And he wrote Episode II with Jonathan Hales.

Spielberg did direct the Mustafar scenes on Episode III though.

I'll just blame it on the crappy SW books that really over saturated the market before the prequels came out.

[Bucky]

I just hope Orci, Kurtzman, and Lindelof stay far, far away from the screenplay.

[jedilips]

Originally Posted by cornbetts

Not quite sure I understand the problem here. Let's throw everything on the table that we know.

1. Disney wants May 2015. It is still 2013 (for at least two months). Seems like we have time.

2. Script is being reworked, but no one knows if it is being polished or completely new. We do know the general story comes from Lucas, so I am guessing it is going to be polished. Seems pretty standard to me.

3. Filming is going to start in the early 2014. Let's say filming wraps in May or June of 2014. Are we to believe a movie cannot be edited in a year? This is 2013 (will in theory be 2014 when filming wraps), not 1977 or 1999. Effects can be edited faster today.

4. Casting hasn't been announced, but I highly doubt deals aren't in place. Those who are in the film have contracts signed by now. Disney is just waiting to let the public know. They are building up the anticipation.

5. As mentioned in an earlier post, Disney has deals with Pepsi, Hasbro and many other companies. They cannot push these back. It is BAD for business and the brand. Disney is, after all, about "brand."

I think because this is a Star Wars movie it is getting tons of attention and exposure. Superman vs. Batman and Avengers 2 are due out in 2015 and haven't started filming yet. Are we worried about them??? No.

6. This is not just one movie either - this is a series of 3 movies, with 2 (or more) spinoff flicks planned from 2015-2021. You delay one, it throws the others into a tailspin too and Disney cannot let that happen.

[Adam_ME]

Originally Posted by cornbetts

Not quite sure I understand the problem here. Let's throw everything on the table that we know.

1. Disney wants May 2015. It is still 2013 (for at least two months). Seems like we have time.

3. Filming is going to start in the early 2014. Let's say filming wraps in May or June of 2014. Are we to believe a movie cannot be edited in a year? This is 2013 (will in theory be 2014 when filming wraps), not 1977 or 1999. Effects can be edited faster today.

Is filming really going to start in early 2014? They don't even have a script right now and we've got 2 months left in the year. Plus, while I don't think the post-production will be anywhere near as long with Episode VII as it was with the prequels, they still need time to do the FX work. This is Star Wars we're talking about.

I heard a rumor a while back that Disney was considering Winter 2015 instead of the summer. I hope they consider that A) because I don't see how this thing gets done in time for a Summer 2015 release and B) why have it compete at all with Avengers 2 which is also their property?

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by RyanPom

And they already started filming some scenes from Batman and Superman last weekend.

football games don't count - unless the field collapses.

[Tok]

As far as competing with Avengers 2, the theatrical window is much shorter than in years past due to the larger number of screens and changing audience habits. By the time a movie has been out over a week or two it's considered old news. Very few films maintain high BO after the first week. Drop offs of 60-70% are common place even on so-called event films.

[RyanPom]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

football games don't count - unless the field collapses.

Rumor has it Ben Affleck was there in the Gotham locker room before the game.

[kemcha]

Well, it's official. Kathleen Kennedy, JJ Abrams and Company MUST make their original scheduled deadline. Apparently, the schedule for Episode VII has no room for error because it's based on a five-year plan that will involve the production of Star Wars Episodes VII-IX and which will see many solo Star Wars movies interspersed with the new trilogy series.

http://icv2.com/articles/news/27104.html

Looks like Kennedy Abrams and Co must find a way to meet that deadline because everything is riding on this five-year plan. It kind of makes sense, in a way. I hadn't been aware that Disney had a specific plan for the new Star Wars trilogy as well as the stand-alone films. It's starting to make sense now. Disney has a specific plan for the franchise it it's dependent on Star Wars Episode VII meeting its release date.

[Falaskan]

Ford's acting in Ender's Game and Indiana Jones IV makes me fear for this film.

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

Ford's acting in Ender's Game and Indiana Jones IV makes me fear for this film.

He has never really been that great an actor though but he is great in the films he is in if that makes any sense.

[Doctor Jack]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

He has never really been that great an actor though but he is great in the films he is in if that makes any sense.

He isn't a good actor but he has a presence that makes it work.

[spanky87]

Harrison Ford not a good actor? pfft.

Air Force One - Get Off My Plane - YouTube

"Get off my plane" Watch how he masterfully delivers this line with such sentiment.

[RyanPom]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

He has never really been that great an actor though but he is great in the films he is in if that makes any sense.

Compared to who? Carrie Fisher??

[Doctor Jack]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Harrison Ford not a good actor? pfft.

Air Force One - Get Off My Plane - YouTube

"Get off my plane" Watch how he masterfully delivers this line with such sentiment.

I stand corrected.

[kemcha]

Harrison Ford is a pretty decent actor. The problem is that the idiots responsible for the writing on the movies he's been in have been so bad, so horrible, that not even Tom Hanks could save those films.

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by kemcha

Harrison Ford is a pretty decent actor. The problem is that the idiots responsible for the writing on the movies he's been in have been so bad, so horrible, that not even Tom Hanks could save those films.

Gotta blame him for the movies he's done too. He's had chances to take good acting roles in the last decade or so (the Michael Douglas role from Traffic for instance), and passed.

[blurayisnice]