Hayden Christensen Returning to ‘Star Wars’ With ‘Ahsoka’ Series (Exclusive)
Rosario Dawson is starring as fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
The other is the "In the Empire's Service" storyline of the X-Wing comics, centering around Baron Soontir Fel and his 181st Interceptor Wing. Noble family, true believer, serious officer and pilot... After the Emperor's death, the squabbling of various factions and "warlords" sicken him and he decides that if that's what the Empire's become it deserves to die. Plus he's married to Wedge's famous actress sister and that's led him to respect his adversary. So when he finds he has more respect for them than the Empire, he hands himself over.
I just want there to be more of a variety of foci, instead if it always coming back to Jedi and the Force. It's a big universe, with lots of people in it, and while you can have the Force poke its head out now and then, I think it makes the Jedi stuff more special that way.Some ideas:
1) a series focused on smugglers during the empire (maybe like a descent into darkness type story where some person gets involved since they need money).
- Thinking what would be the twist to get people to watch, I think the reveal (maybe after several smuggling runs) would be that the cargo they are shipping is kyber crystals, maybe because the Empire deems them illegal to trade. I feel then that the delivery target would be jedi allies or jedi themselves, bringing them into the story.
2) a focus on the rebel spies, maybe a deep delve into their more grey morality. That could be interesting and force/jedi free.
3) some seperate force sect that has their own interpretation of the force and seeing their story. Still relies on the force and will probably inevitably have a confrontation with jedi and sith as the series goes on though.
I do think a series of a jedi and padawan just traveling the galaxy and righting wrongs through mediation (and very very rarely force like twice a season) could work well but that relies on the jedi schtick again. Maybe change it to some random empire law enforcer, showing where the Empire wasnt all bad and that the empire itself isnt all just evil might work (and since jedi are rare, no force or jedis mentioned).
Which is why we end up with the same story over and over and over again. It's tired. We just endlessly reiterate the same old story. This is why Star Wars needs vision and to break the mold. It's what I was excited about at the end of TLJ where things could really go in any direction...until they went to recycle ROTJ only embiggened.Then again so much of the stories in this world rely on either Jedi/ Sith conflicts and Rebellion/ Empire conflicts.
I was less bothered by this than most, I think, probably because I'd played the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight games and they had Force healing. But yeah, it just kinda came out of nowhere because WHOCARESITSAJJROLLERCOASTERWHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Yeah, but even then, you became the Emperor's Hand if you accomplished the secret mission goals. So, kinda sorta force-y.Here you go (main character doesn't defect though, that's sort of Dark Forces):
View attachment 1505440
Don't forget X-Wing Alliance!X-Wing, Tie Fighter, and X-Wing vs Tie Fighter on my Windows NT PC.....countless, countless hours playing those games, late into the night.
Big sigh.
I think we're waaaay overdue for a focus on internal discord within the nominal "good guys" side after a period of peace and rebuilding. And preferably, NO MORE ERSATZ EMPIRES.I want episode X to be about the Bothans trying to seize power from whatever remains of the New Republic. That conflict could lead to the creation of Rogue Squadron, where the NR attempts to show the galaxy that they won’t let disarmament happen again, as well as being an alliance building exercise with the systems that stayed independent in the FO/NR conflict.
The Bothans can stress that the remnant NR is built up of very green personnel from the direct lineage of the people that failed the NR in the first place. Basically make up for the effectively nonexistent political intrigue in the sequels.
I'm cool with this. Hayden's a better actor than he gets credit for, largely due to direction and writing being wooden. I mean, Natalie Portman, Ewan MacGregor and Liam Neeson are all fantastic actors and their performances were, you know, ok. It's the writing that's wooden, not the performances. There's only so far a good actor can elevate the written word, and I don't know anyone who could deliver "I hate sand. It's rough and coarse and irritating and it gets everywhere" convincingly, even if the goal is to sell Anakin's awkwardness.Hayden Christensen Returning to ‘Star Wars’ With ‘Ahsoka’ Series (Exclusive)
Rosario Dawson is starring as fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano.www.hollywoodreporter.com
I just want there to be more of a variety of foci, instead if it always coming back to Jedi and the Force. It's a big universe, with lots of people in it, and while you can have the Force poke its head out now and then, I think it makes the Jedi stuff more special that way.
I was less bothered by this than most, I think, probably because I'd played the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight games and they had Force healing. But yeah, it just kinda came out of nowhere because WHOCARESITSAJJROLLERCOASTERWHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
And this should have been the focus of ST imo. Forces with different interests usually ally to combat a central big bad guy but once that external threat is vanquished, the winners always fall into in-fighting. This can be seem throughout history (French Revolution, Russian revolution, WW2) and even modern day (goes into politics so wont delve into it).I think we're waaaay overdue for a focus on internal discord within the nominal "good guys" side after a period of peace and rebuilding. And preferably, NO MORE ERSATZ EMPIRES.
Yes, but that's also something that can be shaped by future projects. The more variety there is available, the less people will say "It's not Star Wars without [thing that the previous movies had.]" To be clear, I'm not suggesting that this is what you're saying, but when folks insist upon taking surface level elements and saying "It's not Star Wars without this," I see that as incredibly narrow-minded and betraying a lack of understanding of what makes for good storytelling. You can do a Star Wars tale that has no Force in it at all. You can do one that has no Empire or Rebels, too. No Jedi, no Sith, etc. You do need certain recognizable elements, but again, if Star Wars is a setting or a genre then what you need are some of the conventions of that setting/genre and that's it. The rest is all story.The big issue here is the marketing strategy and managing expectations imo. You could essentially make a show like Firefly (just replace Mal with some new smuggler and the government with the Empire) and you got a space smuggler story. While refreshing, you will get fans asking ehy is this Star Wars, wheres the jedi and lightsabers. The big fan cheer when Luke appears at the end of Mando S2 confirms this for me.
Yeah, it can undercut the drama. I think it can also improve the drama, but only if it's handled well.It still bothers me since I do think of force healing as an example of gameplay/story segregation where the mechanics in a game are made to make the game challenging but enjoyable while not being available in the actual story to maintain tension and consequences. Its why you cant use a phoenix down to revive Aerith after she dies in FF7. Video games also encourage the marty sue with the protagonist being the most powerful and the center of everything because the player is the main character. We like being that person and taking actions as that OP person. We dont like watching someone else be that though.
Yup, exactly! Or like, you'd have a generation or two of peace, but by the third generation, someone's angling to screw it all up again and now you have internal breaks. I'd also leave the Sith out of it. You can have evil without the Sith.And this should have been the focus of ST imo. Forces with different interests usually ally to combat a central big bad guy but once that external threat is vanquished, the winners always fall into in-fighting. This can be seem throughout history (French Revolution, Russian revolution, WW2) and even modern day (goes into politics so wont delve into it).
It seems silly to me that the Rebels would remain united after the fall of the Empire and that there wouldnt be an internal power struggle. This would have resulted in a far more grey Star Wars (no clear good guys or bad guys) which fits the more mature fans who grew up with OT. The ST could focus solely on rebuilding the galaxy and figuring out how to do it roghtfully as more and more issues arise now that the Empire is gone.
It would also fulfill Kennedy’s desire to make Leia the “one” in the end. This struggle cant be solved through force with Luke waving his saber (well not the right way) but would need to be done through negotiation and diplomacy which only Leia has experience in.
I see Star Wars as starting to have a lot of similarities with the Gundam franchise. A whooole lot of Gundam series hit the same beats over and over and over again, reiterating -- with some variations -- the original or whatever the last really popular one was. There's also been innovation, but it seems like there's always this desire to re-tell the original story again with a slightly different gloss. And sure, it's entertaining, but it's also pretty limiting. I love the franchise, but I also see it as too prone to remaining hidebound by tradition.SW is suffering from the same problem of outsized expectations that gradually killed the 'Terminator' franchise.
T2 was a monster. Financially, dramatic stakes, etc. But they kept trying to repeat & live up to it with every subsequent movie. If they had dialed back the movie budgets & expectations after T2 then the franchise might still be healthy now. The only good stuff after T2 was the TV series in the late 2000s when it actually was dialed back.
Star Wars needs to bring down the stakes & budgets and work on building the universe apart from the Lucas-era characters/families. They can't keep blowing up death stars & balancing the Force & defeating the Empire every 6 or 7 years. Final-battle conclusion events like ROTJ happen once in a generation. You're lucky if your franchise can produce that kind of thing twice in 25 years.
Marvel is huge. Marvel sold a lot of movies and then concluded with the gigantic hit/event movie 'Endgame.'
You know what Marvel can't do now? They can't release 'Endgame 2' next year and repeat that kind of success. They will be lucky do that again before the 2030s.
Yes, but that's also something that can be shaped by future projects. The more variety there is available, the less people will say "It's not Star Wars without [thing that the previous movies had.]" To be clear, I'm not suggesting that this is what you're saying, but when folks insist upon taking surface level elements and saying "It's not Star Wars without this," I see that as incredibly narrow-minded and betraying a lack of understanding of what makes for good storytelling. You can do a Star Wars tale that has no Force in it at all. You can do one that has no Empire or Rebels, too. No Jedi, no Sith, etc. You do need certain recognizable elements, but again, if Star Wars is a setting or a genre then what you need are some of the conventions of that setting/genre and that's it. The rest is all story.
I think another big issue with force healing is that this is the force power that Anakin was seeking and went to the dark side to get. This power is the equivalent of the holy grail in the Star Wars universe and Rey just kind of gets it with no real fanfare. It doesnt have any drawbacks (unless you are reviving someone else I guess) and its treated like cool new powerup.Yeah, it can undercut the drama. I think it can also improve the drama, but only if it's handled well.
Yup, exactly! Or like, you'd have a generation or two of peace, but by the third generation, someone's angling to screw it all up again and now you have internal breaks. I'd also leave the Sith out of it. You can have evil without the Sith.
Also why Im not so excited about the upcoming new series. Ashoka could introduce new concepts as Ashoka travels the galaxy and maybe learns new concepts different from jedi and Sith but I cant see how much Obi Wan can explore without really breaking canon (I like Ewan but Obi Wan needs to stay on Tatooine to watch over Luke and I dont see Obi Wan hanging out at the bars. I really hope they dont do Obi Wan knows how to force project…I see Star Wars as starting to have a lot of similarities with the Gundam franchise. A whooole lot of Gundam series hit the same beats over and over and over again, reiterating -- with some variations -- the original or whatever the last really popular one was. There's also been innovation, but it seems like there's always this desire to re-tell the original story again with a slightly different gloss. And sure, it's entertaining, but it's also pretty limiting. I love the franchise, but I also see it as too prone to remaining hidebound by tradition.
I don't want Star Wars to do that. I want to see real variation -- and the good news is we are! That's what I love about Mando and Rogue One and Solo. They play on familiar aspects, but tell really different stories. I want a lot more of that. That way when another Jedi-fest shows up, it'll be cool and interesting, not old hat. And even then, it can be a different story altogether from what's come before.
You could work something like that into the narrative of the ST, but not if you need to include a pulse-pounding action sequence every 10-15 min in a 2hr 20m film. There just isn't enough time, unless it's some climactic thing that she achieves. Example: Rey is the result of a vergence in the Force (Actually, Rey and Kylo/Ben together). Her amazing powers come as a result of the living Force imbuing her with aspects of both Dark and Light side, as it has done with Ben they each heighten both aspects in each other, and when one swings more to the Dark than the Light, the other gains immense power of the opposing side. But together, at most points, they represent perfect balance. A "reset" of the Force, if you will. When Palpatine rises as the result of Sith manipulation, it throws the balance off and presents a threat, which gave rise to the need for a vergence. So, the Force recalibrates. You could then have a scene in which Ben, in a climactic moment, takes on the burden of a ton of Dark Side energy, unleashing his hatred and rage at Palpatine and the Knights of Ren, utterly decimating them in the most brutal fashion he can, but which Palpatine just laughs at because he thinks it's strengthening him (and indeed, it would). Unbeknownst to him, though, Rey is feeling the Light Side surge within her at that moment, and she uses her Force healing abilities to channel immense Light Side energy into Palpatine himself, effectively snuffing out his Dark Side powers, physically restoring him to the worst possible thing he could imagine himself to be: an ordinary man. His Sith followers then descend upon him and destroy him, and begin to fight amongst themselves, weakening each other the entire time, and allowing the New Rebellion time enough to destroy the planet.I think another big issue with force healing is that this is the force power that Anakin was seeking and went to the dark side to get. This power is the equivalent of the holy grail in the Star Wars universe and Rey just kind of gets it with no real fanfare. It doesnt have any drawbacks (unless you are reviving someone else I guess) and its treated like cool new powerup.
Yup. Not every good guy is good. Having some peace could work (Leia could be defacto Chancellor) but once the old guard is gone, there is again a power vacuum that people will fight over (Stalin vs Trotsky after Lenin died). I would leave out the Leia being the one who will be the savior of the galaxy which seemed to be what the writers were going for since Leia wont take center stage though.
I'm up for Obi-Wan because I love Ewan in the role and I'm curious to see how they handle him as, effectively, a Ronin. Could be something like the old Yojimbo movies. Likewise, balancing a duty between watching over young Luke, and keeping the peace, while also dealing with survivor's guilt. Hell, that could be the whole focus of the series itself: a character study of a man who has accepted a duty imposed on him by his old Master, but who is shattered by surviving the Jedi purge, despondent at the devastation wrought on the galaxy, desperate to do something more but torn between his sense of larger duty and his sense of what he sees as a smaller duty (protecting Luke), who eventually comes to find purpose in his existence and resolution of his guilt by being wholly invested in his new task of watching Luke and -- in his mind -- protecting the last best hope for the future.Also why Im not so excited about the upcoming new series. Ashoka could introduce new concepts as Ashoka travels the galaxy and maybe learns new concepts different from jedi and Sith but I cant see how much Obi Wan can explore without really breaking canon (I like Ewan but Obi Wan needs to stay on Tatooine to watch over Luke and I dont see Obi Wan hanging out at the bars. I really hope they dont do Obi Wan knows how to force project…
You could work something like that into the narrative of the ST, but not if you need to include a pulse-pounding action sequence every 10-15 min in a 2hr 20m film. There just isn't enough time, unless it's some climactic thing that she achieves.
Or, you know, something like that. I just whipped this idea up in about 5 minutes while sipping coffee. All I'm saying is that you can work such a power in to a narrative in a way that highlights how important and special it is, instead of just "Oh also that's a cool thing I can do now but which I'll never do again." Like, I don't remember, but why couldn't she then use that ability to save Ben at the end? It's just not that well thought through.
I dont think a ronin narrative works for Obi Wan because a ronin requires travelling to right the wrongs s/he sees, like a wandering cowboy. Obi Wan needs to stay on Tatooine and close to Luke to make sure he is safe.I'm up for Obi-Wan because I love Ewan in the role and I'm curious to see how they handle him as, effectively, a Ronin. Could be something like the old Yojimbo movies. Likewise, balancing a duty between watching over young Luke, and keeping the peace, while also dealing with survivor's guilt. Hell, that could be the whole focus of the series itself: a character study of a man who has accepted a duty imposed on him by his old Master, but who is shattered by surviving the Jedi purge, despondent at the devastation wrought on the galaxy, desperate to do something more but torn between his sense of larger duty and his sense of what he sees as a smaller duty (protecting Luke), who eventually comes to find purpose in his existence and resolution of his guilt by being wholly invested in his new task of watching Luke and -- in his mind -- protecting the last best hope for the future.
Ahsoka I'd love to see exploring other Force concepts than just Light Side/Dark Side and Jedi/Sith. They seem to have set her up in that fashion. That, too, could function as a Ronin-type character: the lone, masterless samurai wandering in a world that no longer fully makes sense to them, doing what they can to survive while holding to their ideals.
To be fair, it's almost always about the bottom line, this is Hollywood we're talking about. Outside of small indie films, all studios are concerned about the bottom line. Disney isn't producing all of this Star Wars content because the suits just absolutely love Star Wars, they're doing it because it can make them money. They have an expensive streaming service that needs to compete with the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime so they need content to get more subscribers which makes them money. No major studio, TV or movie, has been about the story or the art for a long time, they're all in the business of making money, producing TV shows and/or movies is just how they make their money.Sadly it's rarely about story and more about the bottom line, despite the marketing ploys to try and convince the fans otherwise. I have no doubts about the sincerity of the creative teams involved or the passion of the production who make these projects, but I just think either their scope ends up being too miopic or they deviate so far from the familiar that they miss the point entirely.
Kenobi will end up being a variation on The Clone Wars, just like Mandalorian season 2 ended up being. It's going to retcon so much canon, including the original film because it's going to have a rematch between Anakin and Obi-Wan that's going to undercut and diminish the tension and meaning of that entire fight and possibly even try to "top" the fight in ROTS. As much as I love the idea of Ewan returning and the show runners doing a character study, because I think there is a kernel of a story in that, I really think the capacity of the writers to create things without it turning in to one endless lightsaber battle is slim to none. I want to be hopeful about it, I really do but after Season 2 of Mando and years of being delivered more of the same, more of the same, I've given up on expecting them to be able to deliver.
I applaud the efforts of those who've attempted to push the story in new directions, even if I think those efforts failed, but I just think it's such a delicate line to balance to the point where there is little middle ground. There are few with the capacity to ride that line of bringing something new to the table without diminishing the meaning of the old. Not to mention it will always boil down to what sells. Sadly it's rarely about story and more about the bottom line, despite the marketing ploys to try and convince the fans otherwise. I have no doubts about the sincerity of the creative teams involved or the passion of the production who make these projects, but I just think either their scope ends up being too miopic or they deviate so far from the familiar that they miss the point entirely.
They've been doing that since TFA.it will completely undercut the original Star Wars.
Because what makes Star Wars great is lightsaber fights, right Kathy? Especially canon breaking ones.Kennedy herself has said that they will have "the rematch of the century."
Because what makes Star Wars great is lightsaber fights, right Kathy? Especially canon breaking ones.