Disney could sell Lucasfilm ?

[Psab keel]

Thank you for clarifying Solo4114. I get what you're saying about the setting. You and I have long agreed that in order for Star Wars to stay relevant in the current market it needs to move away from the known and delve into the unknown by telling stories without the most popular characters/ scenarios. I've always credited that first season of Mandalorian as the best attempt to officially move the story in new directions, though that potential was squandered by the following season. The books, comics, video games, etc may have successfully told other stories not related directly with the Rebellion/ Empire conflict, but other than Mando, the story has become retread after retread of the same handful of characters, the same tropes of Jedi vs. Sith and the meaning of those stories has become less and less interesting/ relevant as a result because they don't add to what came before. In fact those additions actually diminish what came before, ironically.

Though, to your point, Star Wars if it were handled better could have been used as a vehicle to tell genre based stories just set in a galaxy far, far, away. I'm not seeing any evidence that they have been or that they will be at this point. The franchise is nearly 50 years old and if they can't pull out stories that break new ground by this point (in the mainstream shows and movies) then it's likely never going to happen.

 

[batguy]

Though, to your point, Star Wars if it were handled better could have been used as a vehicle to tell genre based stories just set in a galaxy far, far, away. I'm not seeing any evidence that they have been or that they will be at this point. The franchise is nearly 50 years old and if they can't pull out stories that break new ground by this point (in the mainstream shows and movies) then it's likely never going to happen.

The Disney/Kennedy-era quality at LFL has been so bad that I don't think we can draw any broader long-term conclusions from it.

The current geniuses at Disney cannot even re-make their own older stuff correctly. The results are bland at best. The changes they make are consistently worse. <-- Think about this last part.

Imagine if Disney/LFL tried to re-make the Star Wars OT. They would make a list of changes to it, and I friggin' guarantee you that the majority of their changes would be for the worse. Most of what they contribute would be doing more harm than good.


Yeah, there have been bright spots. 'Solo' and 'Rogue One' weren't so bad. But con artists don't tell lies 100% of the time. Broken clocks aren't wrong 100% of the time. If you flip a coin you will guess the outcome correctly half the time on pure chance. The fact that LFL has produced anything good whatsoever (after a decade of heavy saturation) is not very impressive.

 

[Psab keel]

I agree wholeheartedly batguy . I'm of the opinion that Star Wars ended in '83 and I don’t need anything else. Though if it were to continue, what I suggested would be the best scenario for it to maintain it's legacy. Under the current leaders/ structure that will never happen.

It's time to create new icons that have nothing to do with Star Wars. Tell new stories.

 

[Cephus]

I agree wholeheartedly batguy . I'm of the opinion that Star Wars ended in '83 and I don’t need anything else. Though if it were to continue, what I suggested would be the best scenario for it to maintain it's legacy. Under the current leaders/ structure that will never happen.

It's time to create new icons that have nothing to do with Star Wars. Tell new stories.

Same here. I have cutoffs for all the major franchises. I am not one of those people who constantly needs reinforcement. "Yup, that was a cool show, now it's time to move on!" I may tune in to see a new movie or show, but it becomes its own thing. I thought Rogue One was pretty decent, except for the uncanny valley CGI, but it's still not Star Wars, it's fanfic, just like everything else that's come out since 1983. Nobody gets to tell me what I have to care about, not George Lucas, not Disney, nobody.

 

[batguy]

I'm with Solo4114 on the part about SW being a backdrop setting. The whole franchise isn't exhausted, just the Skywalker/Palpatine/Rebellion era is.

There's a James Cameron quote from about 2018 when he was asked about going back to 'Terminator' (before he did it anyway): "I feel like too many other people have peed in that pool."

With SW, right now I think the fan base is just sick & tired of Disney peeing in the OT pool for a buck. Even George's prequels didn't leave the OT unscathed. I think the widespread feeling that SW should "end" mainly comes from the fact that we wish it would be over, because Disney keeps tearing off chunks of the best SW to make their latest turd pie. It would be more merciful if Disney abandoned the franchise than if they keep trying to use it.

 

[Solo4114]

Thank you for clarifying Solo4114. I get what you're saying about the setting. You and I have long agreed that in order for Star Wars to stay relevant in the current market it needs to move away from the known and delve into the unknown by telling stories without the most popular characters/ scenarios. I've always credited that first season of Mandalorian as the best attempt to officially move the story in new directions, though that potential was squandered by the following season. The books, comics, video games, etc may have successfully told other stories not related directly with the Rebellion/ Empire conflict, but other than Mando, the story has become retread after retread of the same handful of characters, the same tropes of Jedi vs. Sith and the meaning of those stories has become less and less interesting/ relevant as a result because they don't add to what came before. In fact those additions actually diminish what came before, ironically.

Honestly, if you haven't seen it, you should check out Andor. I think Andor is the best example of how you can take Star Wars as a franchise way far away from its space fantasy roots, and where it becomes a backdrop for telling a different kind of genre story.

I've only played some of the video games and have ignored the post-Disney books and comics entirely. I stopped caring about most of that circa...1998? Maybe '99?

Though, to your point, Star Wars if it were handled better could have been used as a vehicle to tell genre based stories just set in a galaxy far, far, away. I'm not seeing any evidence that they have been or that they will be at this point. The franchise is nearly 50 years old and if they can't pull out stories that break new ground by this point (in the mainstream shows and movies) then it's likely never going to happen.

I think they've done some stuff, but the real threat that you're up against is the shareholder demands for ever-increasing profit. That, in turn, breeds extremely cautious thinking and a tendency to do everything in a "paint by numbers" way, with maybe a few tweaks here or there. It's why the JJ entries in the ST -- which I remain convinced were really the ultimate "mission statement" for that series -- feel so...empty. Well, that and because he's not a storyteller, but you've heard my bit on that by now.

Mostly they haven't tried to push the genre boundaries. I think they could. I mean, for one thing, Star Wars writ broadly already encompasses several genres. Fantasy/Fairy Tale, martial arts, western, action, war, etc.

I think Andor proves that you can tell serious, meaningful stories about grown-up thematic issues and complicated political concerns, and if you can do that, you can do damn near anything within the Star Wars universe. You just have to be willing to take the risk, and, well....that's the real problem these days. Risk = lower return in many cases, so people go for the "sure thing."

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

Didn't Luke's grandson become a drug addict because he couldn't handle the legacy associated with his name?

He became a drug addict because he couldn't face the trauma of his family being killed by sith. Then he redeemed himself by becoming a hero and defeating the sith--just not in the way everyone expected. Still a better arc than ST

 

[Joek3rr]

Disney wants to make$$$? Give us the OT unaltered and in its original theater version!!!!

My dream. Is every single version of the OT remastered and re-released. I grew up with the 97, Special Edition versions. But, like fans of the originals, the only way for me to watch that is on VHS.(though understand there is a 97 4k fan restoration) I want to see the version I grew up with as a kid, again. Not the 2004 DVD, or the 2011 Blu ray, or the 2018 4k.

 

[Psab keel]

Joek3rr if you can get your hands on 4K77 and 4K83 on disc, you will be able to relive the experience of the original films the way they were first presented. Seriously, to see a pristine/ proper restoration that doesn't change anything, but merely presents what was there in the best way to experience those movies. I can't wait to get 4k80!! These restorations aren't amatuerish. You'd swear that they were officially released. Trust me, my friend, they're worth it!

Solo4114 As far as watching more Star Wars content, it took me years to come to terms with the fact that the only story I care about was contained within those original three films. I'm sincerely happy with them and them alone. All the rest of the material outside those that I enjoyed were just a bonus but never canon in my mind, even at the height of my obsession as a teenager. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that all those EU books didn't technically count as the real Star Wars. The real Star Wars was the trilogy. Nothing else. I spent a number of years as a Prequel apologist because I wanted so badly to love those movies, but eventually reality set in and I accepted that I only enjoyed aspects of them, but not the films themselves. I still contend that the behind the scenes documentaries on the making of that trilogy is still some of the most entertaining and engaging SW content ever created. Seriously they're such a fascinating look into the process of creating a movie, in part due to the technical advancements still being innovated by George and his team.

I've heard good things about Andor, but nothing about it grabs me to want to watch it. It's not even bitterness towards Disney so much as pure indifference. I'm far more interested in watching season 5 of Stranger Things and other shows/ movies than to get interested in new Star Wars content. The only reason why I'm so passionate about what's happened to the franchise is that I've been entrenched in it my whole life and when you've got such a long history with something so important to you, it's hard to distance yourself from reacting to the changes you see happening. It's also a study in the way art and commerce have shifted in my lifetime. When you reach middle age, you start reflecting more about what's important and why it's important. It's also my inclination to dissect things on the narrative level being an author (amatuer though I may be) and I just see the potential they have being squandered, though I'm not of the mind to want to play in George's sandbox. I want to make my own.

I'm glad you and others still find enjoyment in the series. I just want to move on to other things.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

He became a drug addict because he couldn't face the trauma of his family being killed by sith. Then he redeemed himself by becoming a hero and defeating the sith--just not in the way everyone expected. Still a better arc than ST

What? IS that Disney era stuff? I don't remember him having grandkids in the EU.

 

[jkno]

Disney had one job to do... reunite Han, Luke and Leia on screen. They failed and it can never be corrected.

Nothing else Disney ever does with the franchise matters. It's not real Star Wars.

 

[VanPersie]

What? IS that Disney era stuff? I don't remember him having grandkids in the EU.

Nope not Disney era

 

[Solo4114]

Joek3rr if you can get your hands on 4K77 and 4K83 on disc, you will be able to relive the experience of the original films the way they were first presented. Seriously, to see a pristine/ proper restoration that doesn't change anything, but merely presents what was there in the best way to experience those movies. I can't wait to get 4k80!! These restorations aren't amatuerish. You'd swear that they were officially released. Trust me, my friend, they're worth it!

I think he wanted something like "4K97" not 4K77. I mean, yeah, the remasters that are out there are great (despecialized, etc.), but I think he wanted specifically the '97 theatrical releases, including the wonky Jabba scene using the old CGI model.

Solo4114 As far as watching more Star Wars content, it took me years to come to terms with the fact that the only story I care about was contained within those original three films. I'm sincerely happy with them and them alone. All the rest of the material outside those that I enjoyed were just a bonus but never canon in my mind, even at the height of my obsession as a teenager. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that all those EU books didn't technically count as the real Star Wars. The real Star Wars was the trilogy. Nothing else. I spent a number of years as a Prequel apologist because I wanted so badly to love those movies, but eventually reality set in and I accepted that I only enjoyed aspects of them, but not the films themselves. I still contend that the behind the scenes documentaries on the making of that trilogy is still some of the most entertaining and engaging SW content ever created. Seriously they're such a fascinating look into the process of creating a movie, in part due to the technical advancements still being innovated by George and his team.

That's fair, and I can relate to that. For the same reason, I've literally never watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and I have no real interest in Dial of Destiny. With KotCS, it was due to me seriously suspecting that Lucas' bad instincts -- the ones that I thought made the PT not good -- would ruin the next Indy film and thereby taint my experience of the originals. I've softened on that sort of thing now (inasmuch as a bad sequel doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the original), but I still just...don't wanna see it. With Dial, it's more that I just think it's...unnecessary. And I'm not really interested in seeing a kind of wistful, sad, "I guess I really am too old for this s***" story featuring an unconvincing doubled/CGIed Indy. Like, I can probably guess at what that'll be like, and I'm just...yeah, I'm good with them literally riding off into the sunset at the end of Last Crusade. That's a perfect ending for me. I don't need "And then what happened?"

I've heard good things about Andor, but nothing about it grabs me to want to watch it. It's not even bitterness towards Disney so much as pure indifference. I'm far more interested in watching season 5 of Stranger Things and other shows/ movies than to get interested in new Star Wars content. The only reason why I'm so passionate about what's happened to the franchise is that I've been entrenched in it my whole life and when you've got such a long history with something so important to you, it's hard to distance yourself from reacting to the changes you see happening. It's also a study in the way art and commerce have shifted in my lifetime. When you reach middle age, you start reflecting more about what's important and why it's important. It's also my inclination to dissect things on the narrative level being an author (amatuer though I may be) and I just see the potential they have being squandered, though I'm not of the mind to want to play in George's sandbox. I want to make my own.

I'm glad you and others still find enjoyment in the series. I just want to move on to other things.

Like I said, understandable. That said, Andor is truly a different beast. Partially, this is because it's mostly divorced from the kind of space fantasy that the OT is. And even that the PT sorta kinda is. And it's certainly got nothing to do with whatever the ST is. It's truly its own thing with its own vibe to it. It's gritty, intense, passionate, and deeply, deeply political. Not in a "culture wars" kind of way, but in a much larger, more important way, I think.

 

[Solo4114]

What? IS that Disney era stuff? I don't remember him having grandkids in the EU.

Nope not Disney era

Correct. This was part of a Dark Horse Comics line towards the end of their holding of the license (i.e., when the Disney sale happened). It was called Star Wars: Legacy.

People who lionize the EU tend to do so selectively...

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

What? IS that Disney era stuff? I don't remember him having grandkids in the EU.

No. It's Star Wars Legacy

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I forgot about that one. I think I only read a handful of them.

 

[pengbuzz]

Until they start writing the story characters first and not how much can we CGI and get away with it, they may as well not even bother with anything else "Star Wars".

They need to skip about 5000 years or so and start over...or better yet: just leave well enough alone.

Stupid hacks.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

I think he wanted something like "4K97" not 4K77. I mean, yeah, the remasters that are out there are great (despecialized, etc.), but I think he wanted specifically the '97 theatrical releases, including the wonky Jabba scene using the old CGI model.

I believe those are also available if you know where to look.

 

[yaris]

Disney will continue to make sh*tty SW TV and films and no matter how bad they get and millions will continue to watch them. No matter how bad there are I still will watch the first episode of all the drivel TV they make and will still pay to watch the movies.

Does that make me stupid...???...No, it makes me a fan.

Does that make Disney smart...??...Yes, because they know we're all fans and will continue to give them money regardless of quality.

I believe every ten attempts to create a new TV show or Movie from the SW universe they will get one right.

It's a number's game and they have the money to play.......the long game.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Critical Drinker had a video where he and some other guys were discussing at what point the crap SW will outshine the good SW. Is there a point when Disney/Lucasfilm has put out so much awful SW stuff that people, mainly younger people who didn't grow up with OT/PT, will dismiss it as a horrible property?