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More Star Wars Than Ever?; George Selling Lucasfilm to...
Topic Started: Oct 30 2012, 05:37 PM (371 Views)
Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
Disney Buying Lucasfilm!

Quote:
 
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A decade after George Lucas said "Star Wars" was finished on the big screen, a new trilogy is destined for theaters as The Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that it was buying Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion.
The seventh movie, with a working title of "Episode 7," is set for release in 2015. Episodes 8 and 9 will follow. The new trilogy will carry the story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia beyond "Return of the Jedi," the third film released and the sixth in the saga. After that, Disney plans a new "Star Wars" movie every two or three years. Lucas will serve as creative consultant in the new movies.
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," said Lucas, chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm Ltd. "It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime."
Disney CEO Bob Iger said Lucusfilm had already developed an extensive story line on the next trilogy, and Episode 7 was now in early-stage development.
The Walt Disney Co. announced the blockbuster agreement to buy Lucasfilm in cash and stock Tuesday. The deal includes Lucasfilm's prized high-tech production companies, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, as well as rights to the "Indiana Jones" franchise.
Lucas was hailed as a cinematic visionary when the original "Star Wars" came out in 1977. But he had become an object of often-vicious ridicule by the time he released 3-D versions of all six films in the Star Wars franchise earlier this year.
Die-hard Star War fans had been vilifying Lucas for years, convinced that he had become a commercial sell-out and had compounded his sins by desecrating the heroic tale that he originally sought to tell. They railed against him for adding grating characters such as Jar Jar Binks in the second trilogy and attacked him for tinkering with the original trilogy, too. Any revision — from little things like making the Ewoks blink or bigger alterations like making a green-skinned alien named Greedo take the first shot at Han Solo in a famous bar scene — were treated as blasphemy.
The criticism grated on Lucas, who vowed never to make another Star Wars movie during an interview with The New York Times earlier this year.
"Why would I make any more when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?" Lucas told the Times.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," the fourth film in another lucrative franchise, subjected Lucas to even more bards when it came to the big screen in 2008. Fans of those films were especially outraged about an opening scene that featured Indiana Jones crawling into a lead-lined refrigerator to survive a nuclear bomb blasting.
Lucas, 68, was fed up by the time he released "Red Tails," a movie depicting the valor of African-American pilots during World War II, earlier this year. He told the Times he was ready to retire from the business of making blockbusters and return to his roots as a student at USC's film school, where he once made a movie about clouds moving in a desert.
Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chairman of Lucasfilm, will become the division's president and report to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. She will serve as executive producer for the new movies.
In a video posted on YouTube, Lucas said the decision to continue with the saga wasn't inconsistent with past statements.
"I always said I wasn't going to do any more and that's true, because I'm not going to do any more, but that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy to do more," Lucas said.
He said he has given Kennedy his story lines and other ideas, "and I have complete confidence that she's going to take them and make great movies."
Kennedy added that she and Lucas had discussed ideas with a couple of writers about the future movies and said Lucas would continue to have a key advisory role. "My Yoda has to be there," she said.
In a statement, Iger said the acquisition is a great fit and will help preserve and grow the "Star Wars" franchise.
"The last 'Star Wars' movie release was 2005's 'Revenge of the Sith' — and we believe there's substantial pent-up demand," Iger said.
The deal brings Lucasfilm under the Disney banner with other brands including Pixar, Marvel, ESPN and ABC, all companies that Disney has acquired over the years. A former weatherman who rose through the ranks of ABC, Iger has orchestrated some of the company's biggest acquisitions, including the $7.4 billion purchase of animated movie studio Pixar in 2006 and the $4.2 billion acquisition of comic book giant Marvel in 2009.
Disney shares were not trading with stock markets closed due to the impact of Superstorm Sandy in New York.
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Hoss
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Don't make me use my bare hands on you.
Disney doesn't fill me with confidence here.
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Admiralbill_gomec
UberAdmiral
I can't see Disney screwing up the franchise any more than Lucas already has... remember who brought us JarJar and the Ewoks.
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Hoss
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Don't make me use my bare hands on you.
I am assuming new actors to portray Luke, Leia, and Han.

If Lucas could just admit, that yeah, Jar-Jar and The Phantom Denice the Menace was terrible; maybe he could have moved on. But, he seems to have gotten all butt-hurt about it. Hey, I've screwed up before - you learn from your stupid mistakes and move on.
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Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
The way Disney could mess it up would be to over saturate the market. Not that the franchise isn't close to that now.Trek certainly felt that in recent years.

Conceivably Disney could potentially make a better trilogy than Eps. I-III by limiting Lucas to an advisory role. Many, including myself, have pointed out over the years that of the franchise Empire is widely seen as the best. That had others involved in writing the story and someone other than Lucas in the director's chair. Sometimes one can be too close to a subject.
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PattyCakes
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Bare hands? Yes Please.
I love all things Disney, so I have confidence that Disney will do Star Wars great.....
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Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
So, I guess by now we have all heard about just who is being tapped to direct Episode VII?

Yes, none other than Star Trek's very own J.J. Abrams. Apparently contradicting himself from a couple of months back about having been approached for consideration. Now it seems to be a case of, "When I said 'no' I really meant 'yes'?"

Moviefone: Abrams being considered for Episode VII.

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So, J.J. Abrams is directing "Star Wars Episode VII"?

According to the Wrap, the filmmaker will be taking on the next chapter in the series. This contradicts earlier reports where Abrams stated he had turned it down.

"I quickly said that because of my loyalty to 'Star Trek,' and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things," Abrams told Empire Magazine back in December. "I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them."

Ever since Disney announced their $4 billion acquisition of LucasFilm last year -- which included plans for a new "Star Wars" by 2015 -- rumors have run rampant over who would be directing the new movie, with names like Brad Bird and Joss Whedon thrown out there. (TheWrap states that Ben Affleck was considered at one point.)

This would be a pretty surprising move from Abrams, who has already taken on the "Star Trek" franchise, along with its follow up, "Star Trek Into Darkness," which hits theaters later this year. If Abrams did accept the job, he would join Michael Ardnt ("Little Miss Sunshine," "Toy Story 3") who has already been hired to write the screenplay.

LucasFilm has declined to comment on the TheWrap's story, so we'll update this post when we hear something more definitive.

UPDATE: Via i09, Deadline has said that its a done deal, and the Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit is also confirming the news.


Translation: They're willing to throw me lots of money!

Of course this all raises questions now about his involvement with Trek. Some are likely cheering at the prospect that Abrams could be done with Trek. While I, personally, am not thrilled with some of what he did, he did revitalize the franchise.

Abrams played coy with everyone as to whether he would even direct the pending "Into Darkness". So I could easily see him retaining the producer hat, but handing over the directorial chores for Trek XIII to someone else. I think it, either way, is likely to mean we won't see a head-to-head battle at the box office for the two franchises.
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Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
This just in from a source with large ears and a squeaky voice...

Disney Confirms Abrams Will Direct "Star Wars VII".
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A.Q.
Commander
Beware, coming to a cinema near you in 2015: Star Wars, Episode VII Attack of the Lens Flare OR Star Wars Episode VII The Lens Flare Menace OR Star Wars Episode VII The Lens Flare Strikes Back

My personal favourite, of course, is Return of the Lens Flare
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Swidden
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Adm. Gadfly-at-large; Provisional wRench-fly at large
Just how much is too much

Disney to Release An Annual Star Wars Film Starting in 2015.

Depending on how much they do on television, heck even with an annual film alone, they run the risk of over saturation. It happened to Trek and it cold happen to this franchise too. I would hate to see it turn into a running joke for late night comedians.
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8247
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Apparently we look like this now
They are talking about a new SW empire. So, I think they will do the final 3 films, then fast forward into the future, where another tyrant assumes control.

All this has happened before..It will all happen again.
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digifan2004
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Electronic genius
Swidden
Jan 26 2013, 02:05 AM
This just in from a source with large ears and a squeaky voice...

Disney Confirms Abrams Will Direct "Star Wars VII".
Mickey Rooney with helium? :angel: :whistle:

Sorry, bud. I just can't resist. :drama:

The Force is strong with this one....

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digifan2004
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Electronic genius
I had given this news a lot of thought. I think it won't affect how the franchises functions. After all Star Wars and Disney are a multi-billion dollar franchises on their own. By combining their resources they will eventually monopolize the entertainment market. :chin:

Remember a while back critics had a strong reaction when Square Enix took over Eidos? :shrug: Fans were afraid these companies will affect the quality of their games. Their fears were unwarranted since we saw the results in the Tomb Raider reboot game. There were no reduction in quality. Their merged resources made this game a bit more realistic with a definite timeline and history for us to follow. More credit to the queen of video games - Lara Croft. :thmup:

I think the same could be said about Star Wars. The changes will be felt behind the scenes but the surface will remain the same. :drama:
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