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

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Jar Jar Stinks

Have you worked for Disney or its affiliates? Didn't John Lasseter become the head of Disney animation? Didn't Disney dictate the release date for Episode VII?

Question One: Yes -- was a paid consultant on a couple of projects for the mouse last year, the last was Disney Hidden Worlds, which debuted in December.

Question Two: Lasseter is Chief Creative Officer at the Walt Disney Company, and has input on the theme parks as well as the animation divisions.

Question Three: The release date for Episode VII was agreed upon at the time of the merger. LucasFilm promised that deliverable. There was a story that Abrams wanted the date pushed back, but Iger's already made company-wide plans based on the 2015 promise, so unless the film encounters some sort of unforseen incident, like the death of an actor requiring reshoots, 2015 is still the date.

[aiman04]

This photo brings me back the feeling I last had many years ago.



Check out the Millennium Falcon in the artwork behind Kathleen Kennedy and Rick Carter. There's also John Knoll.

[cinemaphile]

Originally Posted by aiman04

Check out the Millennium Falcon in the artwork behind Kathleen Kennedy and Rick Carter. There's also John Knoll.

I guarantee you the placement of that Falcon picture is 100% intentional.

[tigertron]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

I guarantee you the placement of that Falcon picture is 100% intentional.

A lot of Hollywood leaks are intentional, so this comes as no surprise.

[Pounder]

According to Harry Knowles "sources", Jack Reynor (Delivery Man, Transformers 4) has been cast in this.

[cinemaphile]

Originally Posted by tigertron

A lot of Hollywood leaks are intentional, so this comes as no surprise.

ths wasnt a "leak", it was a released photo. They're giving us a look behind the scenes and teasing us without telling us too much, which is exactly how I want it to be.

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Disney's not casting the movie, LucasFilm is. Disney doesn't cast the Marvel movies, they don't cast the Pixar films, and they won't be casting the Star Wars films.

Ultimately Disney owns them so if Disney decides they want person x in the film, they are going to be in it. They may not overtly say "look, put this person in or else" but it will happen - that's business. I am not saying they are going to push their stars down Lucasfilm's throat but if there was someone they really wanted in the film, we would see them on the screen. I don't think they have anyone right now that they are trying to push that hard so we are probably safe.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

Ultimately Disney owns them so if Disney decides they want person x in the film, they are going to be in it. They may not overtly say "look, put this person in or else" but it will happen - that's business. I am not saying they are going to push their stars down Lucasfilm's throat but if there was someone they really wanted in the film, we would see them on the screen. I don't think they have anyone right now that they are trying to push that hard so we are probably safe.

Yes, Disney is ultimately in control but they leave Pixar, Marvel, and LucasFilm's people free to do what they need to do. Upper management on that scale would only get involved if they were alarmed or deeply concerned by the performance of those divisions. Eisner and Katzenberg are gone, Iger has guaranteed freedom and non-interference, but of course they'd step in if they felt something was seriously wrong or out of whack. Not the other way around. You won't see Iger pushing their Disney Channel Tween Stars or Boy Bands into Star Wars.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Steelmaker

Funny because it seems to me that ever since Disney acquired Pixar, Pixar has slowly been getting crappier and crappier while Disney's own in-house CG animation studio is getting better and better. One may have absolutely nothing to do with the other but it's a funny coincidence IMO.

After Eisner was ousted, Iger was able to bring Pixar into the fold with assurances they would essentially be left alone. That was 2006. Ratatouille, Wall*E, Up, Toy Story 3, and Brave all followed. I thought Cars 2 was visually inventive and a lot of fun -- apparently, many people in on-line message boards hate the movie. Meanwhile, most seemed to like Monsters University, which I felt a bit formulaic and snarky. Hardly crappier and crappier from where I sit -- just some split opinions. Stanley Kubrick didn't bat 1000, no filmmaker or production company with decades under their belt ever has. Michael Jordan didn't sink every basket. These people aren't "gods", they're humans.

Disney owned the sequel rights to the Pixar films under the original contract, Disney agreed to acquire Pixar, and rather than Disney making the Toy Story, Cars, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo sequels, Lasseter tasked Pixar with creating those sequels themselves. There are no sequel plans after Finding Dory, and you'll be seeing more original content -- and its funny that the one sequel fans have clamored over for years -- The Incredibles 2 -- looks less and less likely with each passing year. Maybe if Tomorrowland tanks, we'll see Bird come back to it. But that will be Bird's decision, not Disney's.

[cinemaphile]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Yes, Disney is ultimately in control but they leave Pixar, Marvel, and LucasFilm's people free to do what they need to do. Upper management on that scale would only get involved if they were alarmed or deeply concerned by the performance of those divisions. Eisner and Katzenberg are gone, Iger has guaranteed freedom and non-interference, but of course they'd step in if they felt something was seriously wrong or out of whack. Not the other way around. You won't see Iger pushing their Disney Channel Tween Stars or Boy Bands into Star Wars.

though ironically, I think Zac Efron would be an excellent choice for a role. He has shown some talent beyond Disney junk in a variety of comedies and dramas, and I could totally see him as a descendant of Luke or Leia, or just some other character.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

though ironically, I think Zac Efron would be an excellent choice for a role. He has shown some talent beyond Disney junk in a variety of comedies and dramas, and I could totally see him as a descendant of Luke or Leia, or just some other character.

Maybe, but can you imagine the outcry -- everyone would knee-jerk assume the Disney machine forced him into Star Wars. The guy doesn't have a prayer of appearing in the franchise.

[blonde_devil]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

Yes, Disney is ultimately in control but they leave Pixar, Marvel, and LucasFilm's people free to do what they need to do. Upper management on that scale would only get involved if they were alarmed or deeply concerned by the performance of those divisions. Eisner and Katzenberg are gone, Iger has guaranteed freedom and non-interference, but of course they'd step in if they felt something was seriously wrong or out of whack. Not the other way around. You won't see Iger pushing their Disney Channel Tween Stars or Boy Bands into Star Wars.

you realise we are kind of saying the same thing, right?
I don't think they are going to push anyone right now(suggest yes but push, no) but who knows what happens down the road - management changes, management's agenda changes, someone clicks with the audience and Disney has a new star. Just be glad this is now and not a few years eariler or we could have ended up with Miley Cyrus being in it.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by blonde_devil

you realise we are kind of saying the same thing, right?
I don't think they are going to push anyone right now(suggest yes but push, no) but who knows what happens down the road - management changes, management's agenda changes, someone clicks with the audience and Disney has a new star. Just be glad this is now and not a few years eariler or we could have ended up with Miley Cyrus being in it.

We're not saying the same thing. Disney would have to essentially liquidate Lucasfilm entirely and make Star Wars films in-house for that scenario to become even remotely feasible.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

You won't see Iger pushing their Disney Channel Tween Stars or Boy Bands into Star Wars.

Darn. I was hoping that one of the Star Wars spin-off movies would be "That's So Rankor"

[red_5ive]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

Darn. I was hoping that one of the Star Wars spin-off movies would be "That's So Rankor"

[SirMontyPython]

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

Darn. I was hoping that one of the Star Wars spin-off movies would be "That's So Rankor"

[WilsonBros]

Given the very incriminating report in the UK Sun newspaper this morning, it would seem that Carrie Fisher is really going all-out to get herself ready for the filming of Episode VII. She's showing that you can get in shape and have fun at the same time - presumably in the way she did for the metal bikini scenes in Return of the Jedi.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by WilsonBros

Given the very incriminating report in the UK Sun newspaper this morning, it would seem that Carrie Fisher is really going all-out to get herself ready for the filming of Episode VII. She's showing that you can get in shape and have fun at the same time - presumably in the way she did for the metal bikini scenes in Return of the Jedi.

Since the article is subscriber-blocked, can you elaborate?

[Falaskan]

Originally Posted by aiman04

This photo brings me back the feeling I last had many years ago.



Check out the Millennium Falcon in the artwork behind Kathleen Kennedy and Rick Carter. There's also John Knoll.

Unfortunately, it looks more like the Starship Enterprise to me. lol

[cinemaphile]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

Unfortunately, it looks more like the Starship Enterprise to me. lol

then you really need a better computer monitor