Disney Buys LucasFilm- Page 2

[BroadwayBenny]

Posted: 10/30/12 at 10:39pm

Today I am more annoyed with my "Star Wars fan" friends on facebook than with the political ones. Good grief, they are whining like it's the end of the world. You'd think Walmart just bought out everyone's favorite little Mom & Pop shop down the street. What is the big frickin deal about one money hungry empire buying out another money hungry empire? The Star Wars franchise has SUCKED since Episode 1 came out in 1999 and has only gotten more commercial and terrible since. Is the irony of them posting the awful Vader clip "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" at Disney ruining these movies really flying over their heads?

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 10/30/12 at 11:00pm

Skywalker Ranch is a huge property where Lucas does most of his work. He's engineered some of the best sound and film techniques that has changed the film industry. Let's not forget that. He may not be making good movies, but he's done other things.

Disney would be stupid to lose it. I bet you that's the only reason they made the deal.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 10/30/12 at 11:02pm

I'll bet BIG bucks they will reboot the whole StarWars franchise. AND the Indy Jones one too-they have the StarTrek reboot as their model.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/30/12 at 11:08pm

But wouldn't a sequel to Star Wars (I've only ever seen one of them, and I was little lol so couldbe wrong) essentially work the same as a reboot? The prequels have already seen, for good or bad, that they don't need all the same actors and characters. Keep Yoda (Muppet Yoda please) and a few others, and talk about future generations.

An Indie reboot makes a BIT more sense (though I love the first three, so would prob be more upset).

BroadwayBenny,I agree with you. Besides, so far Disney has not done too much to change Marvel (yes, I know they don't have all the rights to the properties yet) or Muppets (if we count the past few years when they've owned them outright). I guess I could see it as another reason for fans to hate on Lucas, though, but it sounds like he was set to give up the property already.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/30/12 at 11:18pm

"Keep Yoda (Muppet Yoda please) and a few others, and talk about future generations."

Except Yoda died halfway through Return of the Jedi

Disney would have a hard time talking Harrison Ford into returning if they did want to go with the same characters/actors. Ford wanted out at the end of The Empire Strikes Back as he felt there was nowhere else for the character to go. That's part of the reason he was frozen in carbonite at the end of that film. If they did convince him to return for the third movie it set up a nice rescue operation for the beginning, and if they weren't able to talk him into it then it was a convenient way to explain the character's absence (they couldn't save him, he ended dying while frozen, etc, etc).

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 10/30/12 at 11:50pm

The next installment doesn't have to take place afterwards, either. They could reboot Indy with a younger actor and say that the events happened whenever they wanted. Indy is a lot like James Bond, it's not like they actually learn or grow. We care about them but they're cardboard cutouts.

It's somewhat of a cheap tool but it works.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 1:14pm

The new trilogy will likely focus on a new cast with Mark Hamill in a cameo role like the older Ben Kenobi. It's quite unlikely that Harrison Ford would want to reprise his role as he didn't want to play Han in Return of the Jedi in the first place (he suggested that Han die after being encased in carbonite).

As for Indiana Jones, part of the rights still belong to Paramount so any new films will be years away, unless they successfully negotiate a deal.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 2:14pm

Ha! I think I actually knew Yoda died... Umm he could be one of those hollogram thingies? (You can tell how knowledgeable I am with Star Wars. :P I did have a cool toy as a kid which was Jaba and his pit or whatever :P ).

Jungle, that's true and of course Lucas already kinda did that with the Young Indiana Jones Adventures, as a kid I had a crush on Sean Patrick Flanery in the role.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 2:15pm

(As long as Shia LaBoeuf stays far away).

[romantico]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 2:20pm

Hmmmm. I assumed all of Lucas's films he either created,wrote the story for or produced would belong to Disney. Aside from Star Wars and Indiana Jones, titles like Labyrinth,Willow, and yes,even Howard the Duck(although,does Lucas own the rights to Howard or does Marvel? Either way,looks like Disney owns that as well)

Labyrinth was always one of my favorites and I though it had potential to become a film series.Maybe they can do to Labyrinth what they did to Tron.

I also am a huge fan of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. So, maybe if they don't do any future Indy films a new series of films with a Teenage Indy may be a possible franchise for them.

One thing I am confused about is Lucas has mentioned retirement.Does that mean he is just gonna stop working and maybe consult or oversee projects? I know he said when Redtails came out he would like to get involved with more smaller independent films. So, will he continue to write,produce,direct for Lucasfilm or perhaps start a much smaller Production company?

[tazber]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 2:44pm

When You Wish Upon A (Death)Star

[winston89]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 4:12pm

I am a Star Wars fan, however, I hate George Lucas. Now, I know what you're thinking, if I am a Star Wars fan, why hate the person that created it ? well the reason is simple, Lucas created this brilliant world and characters and used technology that he created. Then, several years later he gets bored, starts tinkering with it and delivers to us the special edition of Star Wars and says that the original films are dead to him.

My only hope is that now that Disney owns the movies, that maybe we'll get a blu ray or DVD release of the original unrestored films and not the crap that is the special edition.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 5:11pm

Lucas' problem is that he did it all by himself in the prequels. There was no Lawrence Kasdan, Leigh Brackett or Irvin Kershner.

Alyssa Rosenberg and Charie Jane Anders each brought up good points on Twitter about the new direction for the franchise. The expanded universe novels don't have to adapted word for word but they are a good template with some great characters to introduce to the mainstream. There are particularly a lot of good female characters who can work in the new universe without there just feeling like there is one three-dimensional female character in both the prequels and original trilogy (and I am overstating the fact that Padme was ever a three-dimensional character). I won't bore you with names. That's what Wookiepedia is for.

And this may be unpopular but Joss Whedon should stay away and work on Marvel properties like the SHIELD show. He does not have to be the omnipresent architect of all things nerdy. Same for JJ Abrams, whose Star Trek reboot felt more like a Star Wars film than a Star Trek film, or anybody who worked on the show Lost (Damon Lindelof should be banned from blockbusters for what he did to the Prometheus script). I'd like for new voices to emerge. I think Michelle MacLaren and other writers/ directors with Game of Thrones fit more in line with the Star Wars universe.

Updated On: 10/31/12 at 05:11 PM

[romantico]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 7:47pm

Whoever writes/directs Star Wars episode 7, Frank Darabont has to be on top of that list. Would not be surprised to see Gore Verbinski on that list somewhere as well. Maybe Johnny Depp can play a Jedi.

I agree with the prequels. George was too much in control as if he was not happy with the way Empire and Jedi came out. He should have brought in some new writers to help with the back story. The prequels had potential and could have been great.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 7:56pm

"Whoever writes/directs Star Wars episode 7, Frank Darabont has to be on top of that list. Would not be surprised to see Gore Verbinski on that list somewhere as well. Maybe Johnny Depp can play a Jedi."

Frank has a new series he's working on. He'd be a better fit for some off-shoot of Indiana Jones.

Gore and Disney may not be on the best terms because of Lone Ranger film that behind the scenes has become quite a fiasco for the company.

And, no to Depp putting his name on another popular franchise that does not need more mass appeal. I don't really want major stars. Guinness and Peter Cushing were the only known actors cast in the first film (Ford and Fisher made big impressions in small roles to that point) and they were not 'movie stars'. But since it is Star Wars I expect the names like Michael Fassbender's to pop up as rumors. I think even going for actors that were at Ewan McGregor or Natalie Portman's level of star when they were in the prequels may be too big.

If we are talking company synergy, Brad Bird may be the best internal bet for Disney to be part of such a project.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 9:03pm

Lucas was a hack who got lucky and had a good friend in Spielberg.

The STAR WARS franchise "died" with RETURN OF THE JEDI.

Your childhood is meaningless.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 9:25pm

But how do we explain American Graffiti? The other two people who wrote the scripts and that the caliber of cast was lightning in a bottle? Okay, I see your point.

I didn't grow up with the prequels first. Original trilogy and expanded universe novels were still the trigger for most kids born in the 80s and 90s. My taekwando class I took as a kid shadowed hand to hand combat based on Jedi-Dark Side lightsaber battles (we were all nerds, instructors included). I think the only kids who got into anything prequel related was through the TV series- which I have to reiterate is really good once you ignore the taint of the prequel movies. It shows what the prequels could have been with other people working with the mythology.

Anyway, here's the Anders and Rosenberg pieces that I mostly agree with. Warning, you are about to be slapped with a lot of expanded universe knowledge:
http://updates.io9.com/post/34698824522/what-we-want-from-a-new-star-wars-trilogy

http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/10/31/1114291/joss-whedon-star-wars/

http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/2012/10/30/1113191/disney-star-wars-episode-vii/



Updated On: 11/1/12 at 09:25 PM

[The Josh]

Posted: 10/31/12 at 11:29pm

Does that mean Leia is a Disney princess now?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/1/12 at 12:30am

"Howard the Duck(although,does Lucas own the rights to Howard or does Marvel? Either way,looks like Disney owns that as well) "

I remember reading on some comic book blog that the rights either reverted back, or were bought back by the original creator of Marvel--so Marvel can no longer use him. Not that I expect them to be losing any sleep over it.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/1/12 at 12:50am

And wow I had no idea Lucas was a producer on Labyrinth--but it looks like he doesn't have the rights--or didn't, Jim Henson did (so I guess Disney does now--I know the comic book sequel was licensed through them). I know he did one of the early scripts, as did Elaine May of all people... (I was obsessed with the movie as a kid).

[romantico]

Posted: 11/1/12 at 2:29am

LucasFilm also produced another one of my favorite movies. TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 11/1/12 at 10:41am

A lot of fuss over not very much. Disney can't screw up STAR WARS any more thoroughly than Lucas already did with Ewoks and Jar Jar Binks and the appalling Hayden Christensen.

I'll cop to my first reaction being "I hope this means they release the original versions of STAR WARS and EMPIRE STRIKES BACK some day." That I'd spend my money on.

Updated On: 11/1/12 at 10:41 AM

[romantico]

Posted: 11/1/12 at 10:46am

Disney is not stupid. If they just look and see that there is a demand for the ORIGINAL releases I am sure they will release them. It's all about money and public demand.

Now, I am curious if at long last Disney will FINALLY release the Star Wars Holiday Special. George Lucas can then retire in shame once they've done that.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 11/1/12 at 12:08pm

Oh my, I wouldn't even use The Star Wars Holiday Special against my worst enemy. It is on my list of movies I refuse to ever see, along with Faces of Death, Come and See, Salo, and Nekromantik 2.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/1/12 at 1:34pm

I dunno, some of Disney's direct to DVD sequels (true, they've mainly put a stop on them now that Lsseter is in charge) **** all over the legacy of the films nearly as badly as that Star Wars Xmas Special (some are halfway decent, but...) So I wouldn't be shocked.

Disney has been good at realizing the collector's market and releassing some obscure gems on DVD--like their limited edition Treasures line. The only real issue they have with censorship has been with some racial caricatures and smoking in old cartoons...