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

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by KOTORninja

The problem with a never ending franchise is, somewhere down the line, it will cease to become what made it special in the first place. You think the prequels are bad? [I personally enjoy the prequels] Just wait until another dozen Star Wars movies are made. By that time, Star Wars theater releases will be a thing of the past. Star Wars movies will eventually be made for T.V.

Well, you know what happens in Star Wars if you don't accept change and let go of possessions...you spend the rest of your life trying to chop people up with a glow stick.

[s2mikey]

I dont want to see them keep it going forever. Look at how obnoxious Harry Potter got - that was a 3 film series that they stretched into 8 films or something. Nothing relevant happened in like 5 of the movies, just more "Maybe its Voldemort" BS. That was a cash grab of epic proportions. The difference betwen SW and Potter though is that SW still gets talked about regularly and Potter is firmly entrenched into the discard bin which is where it belongs. Noone cares anymore. Its yesterdays news, twice warmed over.

I still think telling more of the story using earlier times would be better. The Anakin & Luke storyline has run its full course, has it not? Complete redemption, Luke understanding his role, Han & leia happy together. Why do we have to keep that going?

** BTW - I just read on CNet that the guy who wrote Little Miss Sunshine & Toy Story 3 is gonna write it. Michael Arndt, I believe his name is. And, they DO intend to bring back Hamil, Ford, and Fisher for the first film. **

[segagamer12]

I disagree, look at the books, the comics, and the video games, there is still plenty of room to keep this going for a very long time and still stay fresh. Even if they never adapt the novels, the novels still show there is plenty of room to keep going so if they can do that with the books they sure as hell can do that with the movies. and Star Wars is a hell of a lot bigger than just Luke and his dad.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by KOTORninja

The problem with a never ending franchise is, somewhere down the line, it will cease to become what made it special in the first place.

Sure, it could go that way. Or it could go the way of Universal Classic Monsters, Godzilla, Planet of the Apes: People who like the cheesiest of the cheesy sequels and spinoffs and whatnot will keep those alive and everybody else will forget about them and remember the classics.

And that's assuming it ever does get cheesy and lame which is far from a sure thing.

Say whatever else you want about Disney, they're awfully good about protecting and preserving their various properties.

Originally Posted by KOTORninja

Star Wars movies will eventually be made for T.V.

They might not even be real movies at that point. They might just go with cartoons.

Wait...

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

I dont want to see them keep it going forever. Look at how obnoxious Harry Potter got - that was a 3 film series that they stretched into 8 films or something.

It was a seven book series that they stretched into eight films.

Nothing relevant happened in like 5 of the movies, just more "Maybe its Voldemort" BS.

The last two books were essentially one giant book split into two parts, I tend to think of the last three films as the "Horcrux Trilogy". And it's amazing that even with three films to tell the dense story found in "Half-Blood Prince" and "Deathly Hallows", they still left giant chunks of helpful information out of the resulting three films.

That was a cash grab of epic proportions. The difference betwen SW and Potter though is that SW still gets talked about regularly and Potter is firmly entrenched into the discard bin which is where it belongs.

Well, maybe YOU don't talk about it, but the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" in Orlando has proven so popular it has forced Disney to answer it. I'd wager the acquisition of Star Wars was, on some level, prompted by Universal's success with the Harry Potter park, and now Universal is expanding it. Those films and books are going to be around long after all of us are room temperature.

No one cares anymore. It's yesterday's news, twice warmed over.

What is past, is prologue.

I still think telling more of the story using earlier times would be better. The Anakin & Luke storyline has run its full course, has it not? Complete redemption, Luke understanding his role, Han & leia happy together. Why do we have to keep that going?

You don't think Luke is going to have some issues rebuilding the Jedi order? Especially with a pupil likely to have Han Solo for a father? You don't think fanboys aren't going to swoon in their seats watching Leia use the Force?

** BTW - I just read on CNet that the guy who wrote Little Miss Sunshine & Toy Story 3 is gonna write it. Michael Arndt, I believe his name is. And, they DO intend to bring back Hamil, Ford, and Fisher for the first film. **

Yeah, welcome to 10 pages ago.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

It was a seven book series that they stretched into eight films.

The last two books were essentially one giant book split into two parts, I tend to think of the last three films as the "Horcrux Trilogy". And it's amazing that even with three films to tell the dense story found in "Half-Blood Prince" and "Deathly Hallows", they still left giant chunks of helpful information out of the resulting three films.

Well, maybe YOU don't talk about it, but the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" in Orlando has proven so popular it has forced Disney to answer it. I'd wager the acquisition of Star Wars was, on some level, prompted by Universal's success with the Harry Potter park, and now Universal is expanding it. Those films and books are going to be around long after all of us are room temperature.

What is past, is prologue.

You don't think Luke is going to have some issues rebuilding the Jedi order? Especially with a pupil likely to have Han Solo for a father? You don't think fanboys aren't going to swoon in their seats watching Leia use the Force?

Yeah, welcome to 10 pages ago.

They already stated that using books for material is out of the question so anything happening after ROTJ would be from scratch. I still say there is a better chance of success using Old Republic stuff and exploring the Sith legend but thats just me. Ive read many of the EU novels and I like most of them. Just not sure if its the right course. Alkso, we wouldnt see Leia using the foce, we'd see Jaina or Jaden using it, right? Leia will probably only be in the first film and wont last through the series.

Im sure the theme park attraction for HP is rocking. Whatever. SW is still at the forefront 40 years later. Its safe to say that HP in 40 years wont even be remembered. Sorry, just not an HP fan.

So Im late on the CNet article - its hard not to be with these SW threads getting 50 new posts every 5 minutes.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

They already stated that using books for material is out of the question so anything happening after ROTJ would be from scratch.

I've never read of the "extended universe" books, I'm talking about what we know from the end of Return of the Jedi. Luke assures Leia that she will learn to use the Force, Leia and Han are an item, Luke has become a "Jedi"...flash forward 30 years. Certain plot elements are already there...Leia as a Force User, Luke a Jedi master, and Han and Leia likely have children. And with Han as a daddy, those kids might have some issues with authority.

I still say there is a better chance of success using Old Republic stuff and exploring the Sith legend but thats just me.

Not just you. Many consider the "Knights of the Old Republic" storyline to be one of the best SW stories around.

Also, we wouldnt see Leia using the foce, we'd see Jaina or Jaden using it, right?

No idea who they are.

Im sure the theme park attraction for HP is rocking. Whatever. SW is still at the forefront 40 years later. Its safe to say that HP in 40 years wont even be remembered. Sorry, just not an HP fan.

Well, you don't have to be a fan to realize Harry Potter's going to be a perennial. That's going to be passed down parent to child to grandchild, no different than Star Wars, Disney animated films, superheroes and other modern myths. That's really what all of this is about...modern mythology. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Disney animation, comic books, football teams. You really think Potter is going into the rubbish bin within 480 months?

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by KOTORninja

The problem with a never ending franchise is, somewhere down the line, it will cease to become what made it special in the first place. You think the prequels are bad? [I personally enjoy the prequels] Just wait until another dozen Star Wars movies are made. By that time, Star Wars theater releases will be a thing of the past. Star Wars movies will eventually be made for T.V.

They've already made some made for TV Star Wars movies. How quickly some forget that about the Ewok movies. Anyway, I think being a never ending franchise isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bond just had its twenty third movie, and it's one of the best in the series. It's been going for fifty years, it's still going strong. There's no saying that Star Wars can't either. As someone else mentioned, it's already never ending with the amount of books, TV show, comics, and games set in the EU. Now we're just getting more movies with it. That isn't a bad thing at all.

[Ryan0503]

@Ernest ... the EU stuff is really good ... you should check it out

But just how the Clone Wars goes against some of the EU stuff ... j hope the movies do what they feel is best and not try to stay withing the bounds of what's already written ...

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by ryan0503

@ernest ... The eu stuff is really good ... You should check it out

but just how the clone wars goes against some of the eu stuff ... J hope the movies do what they feel is best and not try to stay withing the bounds of what's already written ...

+1

[arrow61095]

Not sure if it was mentioned or not, but

Star Wars VII Has A Screenwriter, Oscar Winner Michael Arndt

[arrow61095]

Originally Posted by arrow61095

Not sure if it was mentioned or not, but

Star Wars VII Has A Screenwriter, Oscar Winner Michael Arndt

Filmography

• Little Miss Sunshine (2006) (screenplay) – won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
• Toy Story 3 (2010) (screenplay) – nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) (screenplay)
• Oblivion (2013) (screenplay)
• Phineas and Ferb (2014) (screenplay)
• The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside The Mind (2015) (screenplay)
• Star Wars: Episode VII (2015) (screenplay)

[legendarymatt92]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Warner got marketing rights for the movie iconography, and--using Disney's definition of sequels as "character marketing"--publicly bragged that that loophole would allow them to make original non-Rowling movies.

And yes, they wouldn't have: The kids are too old, there's no more story to tell after graduation, the marketing peaked with the finale, and any on-paper ideas of "The Next Class" would've seemed too sad and Pirates-4 for Warner too invest that much money in after the critical credentials that DH2 had established.
Warner was doing the bragging around the time of the 6th book and 5th movie (at which point seven books were an established fact), which might be one explanation for why JK was circulating those "Will I, or won't I? " rumors about killing Harry off in Book 7--Think she wanted to see them sweat.

This is the same Warner Bros. that made The Hangover Part II and is planning for a third one, right? They, as much as any other studio in Hollywood, simply look at profit: you're honestly telling me here, with a straight face, that WB look at the HP series and don't think there is anywhere to go because the characters are "too old"? We both know that's complete rubbish.

WB know that there is a loyal Potter fanbase out there that would eat up another release under that title, even if it had nothing to do with the eight films that preceeded it. Warner might have bragged about owning character rights or whatever at any point (although, after a quick search, I can't find anything that confirms that) but it was probably typical marketing bravado. If WB had any rights at all now that Rowling that had finished her books, we'd have already had two other HP films by now, because they know that they'd each make a comfortable amount of profit.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by arrow61095

Not sure if it was mentioned or not, but

Star Wars VII Has A Screenwriter, Oscar Winner Michael Arndt

I posted this a few days ago I think, also along with another list of directors commenting

[segagamer12]

Some of the expanded universe stuff is great, especially the trilogies, but there are a few stinkers in there also. Courtship of Princess Leia, Children of the Jedi, Crystal Star, Vector Prime, those are the worst of the bunch. The X-Wing books were a nice change of pace and show you how big the Star Wars universe is beyond just the Skywalker clan.


If they do cherry pick the best elements from the EU to stuff into the new movies, I think the Jedi Twins are a good idea, but please no Mara Jade.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by segagamer12

Some of the expanded universe stuff is great, especially the trilogies, but there are a few stinkers in there also. Courtship of Princess Leia, Children of the Jedi, Crystal Star, Vector Prime, those are the worst of the bunch. The X-Wing books were a nice change of pace and show you how big the Star Wars universe is beyond just the Skywalker clan.


If they do cherry pick the best elements from the EU to stuff into the new movies, I think the Jedi Twins are a good idea, but please no Mara Jade.

I can't see there being no Mara Jade. She's become way too important to the 'Star Wars' universe as a whole. Even if it's just EU, she's become a sort of face and focal point of it. I think she may play a part in it.

[segagamer12]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

I can't see there being no Mara Jade. She's become way too important to the 'Star Wars' universe as a whole. Even if it's just EU, she's become a sort of face and focal point of it. I think she may play a part in it.

I know, I just hate her so much, it cheapens Vader, makes the Emperor look even more foolish than he really was, and with her relationship to Luke being all complicated I would prefer they left that crap out of the movies, otherwise we get anther Attack of the Clones sloppy love story that feels out of place.


On the other hand, if they can get Lindsay Lohan to play the part I am sold. Or the chick who plays Amy on doctor who.

[Clark Kent]

I don't think the sequels will incorporate much, if anything, from the Expanded Universe we've already seen. Disney wants to turn this into a long-running franchise for a global audience and it will be easier if they simply ignore most of that work.

[KORIN]

I read somewhere that they wanted to continue with the original characters. I wonder if its possible or would they have to recast.

Who would you choose for whom?


[IMG][/IMG]

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by KORIN

I read somewhere that they wanted to continue with the original characters. I wonder if its possible or would they have to recast.

Who would you choose for whom?


[IMG][/IMG]

Nathan Fillion is the too obvious choice for Han Solo, having played a variation of the role in Firefly. He's the about the right age for post-Jedi. Maybe enough time has passed it could happen.

Maggie Gyllenhall could pull off a post-Jedi Leia, but her idiosyncratic look would tick lots of people off.

Warwick Davis as Yoda... just because I want to see him with old school, glued-on Yoda ears.