Disney purchases LucasFilm, Star Wars Episode VII slated for 2015

[Steve Contra]

It was also the least bad of the prequel trilogy.

What?  revenge of the Sith was god-awful.  Phantom Menace is the least etrrible, but it's still fucking awful. 

[Eric P]

jesus christ i can't even comprehend the amount of merchandising we'll see

[Great Rumbler]

jesus christ i can't even comprehend the amount of merchandising we'll see

More than usual?

[Diunx]

I was unlucky enough to be in the states during the Episode one premier, Jar-Jar...jar-jar EVERYWHERE!!!!

[Eric P]

jesus christ i can't even comprehend the amount of merchandising we'll see

More than usual?

probably

this is just pure speculation based on the already extant merchandising empire both companies had

[ToxicAdam]

What?  revenge of the Sith was god-awful.  Phantom Menace is the least etrrible, but it's still fucking awful. 

That's my opinion too. TPM had some high points, whereas RotS was just thoroughly below-average. 

[Great Rumbler]

I used to rate Return of the Jedi the highest, but now I feel like it was the first sign of the franchise going off the rails. The forced humor, making Han Solo a goofball, the dichotomy between the humor and the darker stuff, and just a lot of little things ultimately hurt it compared to the other two. I'll still rewatch it indefinitely, though. A New Hope is definitely the most "simplistic" of the six movies, but I actually think that works in its favor. It's not trying to be overly complicated or do these long character or story arcs, it's a simple scifi-adventure movie that's infinitely fun to watch. Nothing wrong with doing that sometimes.

[TakingBackSunday]

TPM would've been a decent scifi flick if their casting director wasn't so goddamned awful.  pretty much every person on tatooine including anakin, his mother, and the envoy surrounding amidala were terrible.  Gut those actors, gut jar-jar, and at the very least you'd have a fun movie with a cool racing segment and a fun-to-watch albeit pointless lightsaber battle at the end.

oh and midichlorians.  get rid of those too.

[ToxicAdam]

The prequels were doomed to begin with. You had a story that was already pre-determined (for the most part) and a fanbase that grew up ravenously digesting mature sci-fi. There was no way you could please them and still appeal to your other target demo (7-14 yr old boys). Every misstep that script made was because of trying to solve that riddle.

Each consecutive movie kept trying to placate the 30 year old CBG and became less and less fun.

I think almost every action scene in TPM is great, it's everything in-between those scenes where the movie goes off the rails.

[Great Rumbler]

The prequels were doomed to begin with. You had a story that was already pre-determined (for the most part) and a fanbase that grew up ravenously digesting mature sci-fi. There was no way you could please them and still appeal to your other target demo (7-14 yr old boys). Every misstep that script made was because of trying to solve that riddle.

That's part of it, but I think it was also a mistake for Lucas to try to do everything on his own, he was the sole writer and sole director [though apparently he had a co-writer on Episode II]. By that point, he wasn't the young filmmaker out to prove himself to the world anymore, he was an aging businessman who hadn't sat in the director's chair since 1977. He should have brought in some young directors and some veteran writers, and set himself up as the overseer. So, it just ended up being a mess with no real focus and mishmash of differing tones and ideas.

[Dickie Dee]

Edgar Wright would be a good pick

The prequels were doomed to begin with. You had a story that was already pre-determined (for the most part) and a fanbase that grew up ravenously digesting mature sci-fi. There was no way you could please them and still appeal to your other target demo (7-14 yr old boys). Every misstep that script made was because of trying to solve that riddle.

I don't think the prequels had to be bad. Anakin and Obi Wan being bros and then not bros and a volcano was pretty much all they had to start with, and is pretty ripe with potential. It's not like they were hamstrung by the existing material.

Lucas and co. should've asked at every step of the way "does adding this make the movie good for the reasons the OT was good", but they didn't.

[Great Rumbler]

Jedi did have the best space battle, I'll get it that:

Lucas and co. should've asked at every step of the way "does adding this make the movie good for the reasons the OT was good", but they didn't.

Lucas was the [legendary] creator and the one voice with absolute sway over every aspect of the movie. No one was going to step up and question his decisions.

[Madrun Badrun]

[TakingBackSunday]

Edgar Wright would be a good pick

The prequels were doomed to begin with. You had a story that was already pre-determined (for the most part) and a fanbase that grew up ravenously digesting mature sci-fi. There was no way you could please them and still appeal to your other target demo (7-14 yr old boys). Every misstep that script made was because of trying to solve that riddle.

I don't think the prequels had to be bad. Anakin and Obi Wan being bros and then not bros and a volcano was pretty much all they had to start with, and is pretty ripe with potential. It's not like they were hamstrung by the existing material.

Lucas and co. should've asked at every step of the way "does adding this make the movie good for the reasons the OT was good", but they didn't.

As much as I adore Wright, I don't think this sort of film is his preferred work.  The dude thrives on subtle visual humor as well as being a quick-shot filmmaker.  That doesn't fit star wars.

[chronovore]

Someone Photoshop all the Disney Princesses alongside Leia in the bikini stat

Yes, pls.

[Mr. Gundam]

Jedi did have the best space battle, I'll get it that:

Jedi was my favorite as a little kid because of the space battle, but I still hated the Ewoks. I remember when the Ewoks movies came out. I was so pissed that weren't space battles.

Once I got to junior high, Empire became my favorite.

[Yeti]

[chronovore]

R20D2 at 2:02, worst UV-mapping of all time.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

So Disney also bought Wilco?

no Jaba the huts rights doesn't transfer

[chronovore]

http://chainsawsuit.com/2012/10/31/happy-halloween/

[Joe Molotov]

Upon acquiring Lucasfilm Ltd. last week, the Walt Disney Co. announced it was making a seventh episode of the Star Wars franchise for release in 2015. Here is what viewers can expect in the Disney-produced sequel:

- Phil Collins to sing opening crawl
- French kisses between siblings to be cut by one-third or more
- Ewok babies; also, Yoda babies, Wookiee babies, and droid babies
- Sassy fairy droid that you feel bad for being attracted to
- A senile, gray-furred Chewbacca
- A wizard casts a spell that turns R2-D2 into a real boy
- Randy Newman–penned theme song called “Long, Long Ago We Were Friends”
- There’s no delicate way to say this so here it is: lots of hot 12-year-olds

[chronovore]

[Great Rumbler]

Michael Arndt [Little Miss Sunshine and Toy Story 3] will write the new Star Wars movie. Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher will make appearances.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/new-star-wars-movie-michael-388424

[ManaByte]

There's a rumor going around that they might bring back Vader 

Only way they'd do that is as a Force ghost, but it isn't happening.

[TakingBackSunday]

that report is 100 percent bullshit

now the latinoreview stuff that they've seen the treatment...that I believe

also, I approve of the writer.  TS3 was great.

I think they should go with brad bird as the director.  one of disney's best, and also did really well directing ghost protocol even though the script sucked.

[Great Rumbler]

A Star Wars movie directed by Brad Bird? *swoon*

[chronovore]

A Star Wars movie directed by Brad Bird? *swoon*

QFT

[Cormacaroni]

oh shit better call it off in that case

[Eric P]

Quentin Tarantino writing and directing a Star Wars Gaiden

[TakingBackSunday]

A Star Wars movie directed by Brad Bird? *swoon*

Meh.

 

[pilonv1]

I assume they're just bringing back the suit, not the character. New Sith guy with 2010s styling.

[Joe Molotov]

Quentin Tarantino writing and directing a Star Wars Gaiden

Star Wars: Revengeance

[ToxicAdam]

It wouldn't surprise me if they just floated that Vader thing out there to gauge public reaction.

[Diunx]

lol of course Vader is gonna be there one way or another.

[Cerveza mas fina]

Vader is dead. He cannot come back, as a ghost he wouldn't be Vader. Maybe only in a flashback?

Maybe they cloned Vader?

[Great Rumbler]

There's just no way that bringing back Vader [other than as a Force ghost] would make any sense, or not be incredibly stupid.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

hwo Forcse gosts diffent reglar gosts??

[Joe Molotov]

Force ghosts are blue.

[Madrun Badrun]

Also they are explainable though the science of Midi-chlorians. 

[Diunx]

There's just no way that bringing back Vader [other than as a Force ghost] would make any sense, or not be incredibly stupid.

And since went aren´t force ghost incredibly stupid?

[Great Rumbler]

There's just no way that bringing back Vader [other than as a Force ghost] would make any sense, or not be incredibly stupid.

And since went aren´t force ghost incredibly stupid?

Since never, but at least it would make some sense within the context of how Return of the Jedi ended. It would also mean that his appearance would be very brief.

[cool breeze]

This is Disney and Star Wars.  At the end of the day, (man)children eat up that Vader merchandise.

speaking of manchildren, I wonder if a future Kingdom Hearts will have star wars in it.  Weeaboos and westaboos united by one crappy game. 

[Diunx]

KH 3 delayed five more years to add light keysword.

[Phoenix Dark]

if the Vader rumor is true...I'm breaking something. jesus fuck

[pilonv1]

This will end up like The Simpsons for me where anything after the year 2000 is ignored

[ManaByte]

The Vader rumor was made up by a British tabloid on the same page where some old woman in Scotland claimed to have Obama's real birth certificate.

[chronovore]

Vader's not dead, he's shilling cellphones in Japan.

[ToxicAdam]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2012/11/09/why-espn-is-the-worlds-most-valuable-media-property-and-worth-40-billion/


Very interesting article on Disney and the cable networks they own.

But once again, cable networks were the driving force behind Disney’s earnings, responsible for 57% of the company’s total operating income. The cable channel doing most the heavy lifting for Disney is ESPN, which along with a contribution from the Disney Channel, generates more profits than the rest of Walt Disney combined.

Kind of strange to think that in an indirect way, ESPN is the main reason why Disney owns the Star Wars universe now.

ESPN is worth $40 billion according to a research report this summer from Wunderlich or barely ten times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $3.9 billion. Disney as a whole is currently worth $84 billion.

[Dickie Dee]

Not surprised ESPN is a cash cow, but had no idea it was THAT profitable.

It makes this story of their lack of any journalistic standards even more depressing - why should they care.

(not that "sports journalism" is anymore essential than "games journalism", but still...)

[chronovore]

http://boingboing.net/2012/11/21/lawrence-kasdan-new-star-wars.html

That didn't take long: within one month, we got all of our screenwriters lined up for the new Disney-Lucasfilm Star Wars trilogy, and one of them is a pretty reliable man for the job. As we reported earlier, Michael Arndt will be taking Episode VII, and now it's being reported that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg will take on Episodes VIII and IX, though it's unspecified who will take which script. If you recall, Kasdan wrote both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and if I may make a wild prediction, I'm going to call the final episode for him. Let the veteran round out the new trilogy. Kinberg is also hardly a slouch, having written Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Sherlock Holmes, plus he's currently writing the sequel to X-Men: First Class, on which he was a producer. (In other words, experience in sci-fi/fantasy franchises.) Both Kasdan and Kinberg will also join Kathleen Kennedy as producers on both films.

All three of the new movies will be based on story notes from George Lucas, but will be written and directed by others. Probably the best thing for Star Wars that George Lucas could ever do at this point.

The Hollywood Reporter (and several other sites) seem to have this news all but confirmed. Disney-Lucasfilm have not offered a comment yet, except to say that they will make an official announcement on StarWars.com, where they confirmed Arndt's role. For the moment, that is still the most recent news item.

I am afraid to get my hopes up too much, but there is a chance Star Wars will be redeemed. Hopefully it will be as inexplicable and fast as it was handled at the end of RotJ.

[Himu]

- Sassy fairy droid that you feel bad for being attracted to

[Himu]

http://boingboing.net/2012/11/21/lawrence-kasdan-new-star-wars.html

That didn't take long: within one month, we got all of our screenwriters lined up for the new Disney-Lucasfilm Star Wars trilogy, and one of them is a pretty reliable man for the job. As we reported earlier, Michael Arndt will be taking Episode VII, and now it's being reported that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg will take on Episodes VIII and IX, though it's unspecified who will take which script. If you recall, Kasdan wrote both Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and if I may make a wild prediction, I'm going to call the final episode for him. Let the veteran round out the new trilogy. Kinberg is also hardly a slouch, having written Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Sherlock Holmes, plus he's currently writing the sequel to X-Men: First Class, on which he was a producer. (In other words, experience in sci-fi/fantasy franchises.) Both Kasdan and Kinberg will also join Kathleen Kennedy as producers on both films.

All three of the new movies will be based on story notes from George Lucas, but will be written and directed by others. Probably the best thing for Star Wars that George Lucas could ever do at this point.

The Hollywood Reporter (and several other sites) seem to have this news all but confirmed. Disney-Lucasfilm have not offered a comment yet, except to say that they will make an official announcement on StarWars.com, where they confirmed Arndt's role. For the moment, that is still the most recent news item.

I am afraid to get my hopes up too much, but there is a chance Star Wars will be redeemed. Hopefully it will be as inexplicable and fast as it was handled at the end of RotJ.

Quote from Something Awful:

The best thing that could happen now is that episodes 7, 8, and 9 could all be brilliantly written and well directed, ushering in a new golden age for Star Wars, loved by hardcore fans and the public at large. And Lucas would have to live knowing that he truly sucked hard when given the reigns of his own creation and no one loves him, and that it was all his fault.

 :'(

[Great Rumbler]

George Lucas will have to cry himself to sleep on his bed made of million dollar bills for the rest of his life.

[Barry Egan]

he hasn't cared about anything his fans or critics have said so far, and I doubt he's going to start now.  Although it would be fun if he had a total meltdown about it.

[chronovore]

[Great Rumbler]

[ManaByte]