More Star Wars movies? More Star Wars movies!

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/star-wars-standalone-films-lawrence-418421

From the link:

As THR first reported, Kasdan and Kinberg are working on separate films that will serve as spinoffs of the main new trilogy. Iger told CNBC that the pair are "working on films derived from great Star Wars characters that are not part of the overall saga, so we still plan to make Star WarsVII, VIII and IX roughly over a six-year period of time starting in 2015. But there are going to be a few other films released in that period of time, too."

There so many stories to be told. I just hope that they can maintain some sort of quality control. Quality is not exactly synonymous with mass-production. It could end up suffering from a serious franchise burnout.

All three of the new movies have been terrible disappointments and now that Disney holds the rights I have even less faith any new ones would be better than those.

To be clear I'm not saying they were god awful pieces of crap that don't deserve to exist and anyone who likes them is scum. I'm just saying I didn't care for them, although I love the original trilogy. So yeah.

Oh and....

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

Scifi zealots can say what they want about Star Wars but it is an awesome universe that has created some of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema. The expanded universe gets a little weird with alien invasions and shit but I believe there is a gold mine of untapped potential out of this universe. I think the key is good writing. The original trilogy didnt have the best dialogue but the story was extremely well fleshed out. I have confidence that Disney will treat this universe with respect. I was worried after they took control of Marvel but some of my favourite super hero movies came out after Disney took control. Debatable how much influence they had on them but their track record is strong so far.

I'm going to come across as an asshole, but I have to say that I have never understood the unending hype for Star Wars. I'm in my mid thirties. I watched Star Wars for the first (and only) time when they were re-released to the theaters in the late 90s, when I was about twenty years old. They were entertaining enough. I'm sure they were a blast in the late 70s. I can almost even understand their appeal forty years later. What I can't understand is the constant desire for more Star Wars content and the absolute devotion to it. I mean, it's forty years old and there has been so much greater and more interesting stuff since then.

One of my friends had a fucking Star Wars wedding, where the bride and groom walked down an aisle with characters holding sabers up over their heads to form a top. And was filled with people dressed as storm troopers and bounty hunters. Outside of the initial three movies, I can't see any reason to be infatuated with this supposed "Star Wars universe" that surrounds everything. Especially when it's all clearly so commercially motivated (rather than motivated by integrity of the content, itself). I wouldn't go so far as to say it's as ridiculous or uninteresting or baffling as the appeal of Transformers or GI Joe thirty or forty years later, when everyone who would have been old enough to give a fuck when they were on is middle aged, but . . . it's close. And I'm not saying it's bad. I'm just not sure why it has the legs it has. How something so absolutely mediocre is the most popular of the entire genre four decades later, when we've had such tremendously more compelling and interesting stuff in the same genre in that time.

@Branthog: You don't sound like an asshole. Star Wars just doesn't sound like its for you, and there isn't anything wrong with that.

@President_Barackbar said:

@Branthog: You don't sound like an asshole. Star Wars just doesn't sound like its for you, and there isn't anything wrong with that.

The thing is, I'm in the prime demographic, apparently. Everyone I work with. My whole circle. Everyone everywhere is constantly enamored with Star Wars and wanting the next big book, comic, movie, game, toys, and so on. I can completely understand really being into a universe and a franchise. I've just never been able to divine what it is about this particular franchise, that has had so many missteps and is generally known as one giant commercial milking of its fans, that continues to make it relevant and compelling to its audience (and new audiences) going on half a century, now.

I don't even know if it can be put upon the shoulders of the powerhouse marketing behind it, because Star wars seems to have its own self-sustaining drive and interest that doesn't even necessitate the marketing effort to push it.

I suppose I'd have to lump Star Trek ( which I do more or less like, too) into the same category. A thing that is interesting and fun, but hard to understand how it still demands the interest and viability literally fifty years later. And I suppose it has had at least as many missteps and exploitative events as Star wars, over that time.

@Branthog: I know people who don't like sports at all. Some find that weird. If it is normal to like sports, then not liking it wouldn't be. To put things in perspective: There are some people who like eating rocks. Rocks!

My opinion of Star Wars is so low at this point that it can only go up.

@Funkydupe said:

@Branthog: I know people who don't like sports at all. Some find that weird. If it is normal to like sports, then not liking it wouldn't be. To put things in perspective: There are some people who like eating rocks. Rocks!

I'm not a sports fan, but sports are different from entertainment franchises in that they're about the unique competition in each match-up. The difference between playing a single player PC game for years versus playing a multiplayer game for years, where it's the human element and competition that maintains that freshness. I'm not contesting or questioning the interest in a franchise. I've just always been perplexed by how this particular franchise has had such long legs and continued to gain such massive revenue even though even its most fervent fans would probably recognize it as being pretty mediocre.

Like I said, I don't usually bring this up, because it's hard to do it without coming across as an asshole who is saying "liking stuff is dumb and you're dumb because you like stuff!". I mean, I like Dr Who. It's maybe only the third thing I can think of after Star Wars and Trek that falls into that "how has it lasted for almost half a century and been so commercially successful blah blah blah", except in that case, it hasn't had the same degree of commercial success or maintained its popularity so consistently. But . . . even fans are constantly saying how most of the Star Wars movies (except two of the six) were shit and how the cartoons are shit and how the franchise is so over-commercialized and Lucas doesn't give a shit and so on. . . . so why are they clinging to and funding a massive commercial empire for forty years, if the only stuff they ever really liked were two of the films several decades ago? Totally blows my mind. And it's kind of frustrating that so much of geek culture currency is built around just Star wars. I listen to a ridiculous amount of podcasts and there is literally never a week in which discussion of Star Wars doesn't come up no matter what the content or focus of the podcast itself is.

Someone could probably write a dissertation on Star Wars from an almost anthropological perspective on society over the last half century.

@uniform said:

@Branthog: Sounds like you're around my age (35) and missed Jedi's initial theatrical run. Jedi was one of my first theater experiences, E.T. being the first. Jedi was the biggest thing at that time. I still remember these 3 better off kids with Ewok costumes that Halloween. The toys, comics, cartoons, cereal, etc etc, all leaves its mark on a child many years later. My love for Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Transformers, heck, most pop culture of the eighties survives based on being fueled by nostalgia.

Yep, we're the same age. Like I mentioned, I can absolutely imagine that Star Wars must have blown people's minds when it was released in the late 70s. But it's 2013, now. A lot of stuff that blew people's minds in the 70s is no longer relevant. I grew up during the same decades as everyone else -- people like Kevin Smith and so on who absolutely fucking adore everything about Star Wars, but fail to understand the longevity of it and the seeming increasing interest in it over time. And of new generations of people. As I mentioned, I didn't watch it until the late 90s, so maybe that plays a part in it -- but I can't comprehend that the sheer nostalgia of being watching Star Wars in the theater at five years old is all it takes to be infatuated with it for the rest of their lives and turn it into a billion-dollar annual corporate franchise. I mean, every other element of nostalgia becomes a brief commercial flash in the pan, but this lasts. Even GI Joe and Transformers are these sort of mocked pieces that come out, everyone watches, then everyone makes fun of, and then nobody cares about for years and years, again. But Star wars (and Trek, for that matter) are consistent and growing.

I've seen a lot of cool stuff in my life and I usually just think "oh, yeah, I liked that" and move on. Star wars was pretty neat, but then other stuff that was way more awesome has come along in the last forty years. But somehow, none of that has stuck.

To make a long rambling a bit longer, I guess I am always trying to piece together whether Star Wars remains so exceptional as a franchise while other cooler things fail to do anything is truly just a combition of sheer-marketing-and-commercial-will mixed with nostalgia or . . . if there's something more meaningful to it than that. And if it's really nothing more than a formula of commercial-marketing+nostalgia, is Harry Potter going to have the same legs and perpetual content and exploitation and growing fan base in 2045?

-- Anyway, sorry if I've shit all over this thread. I just figured I'd throw that out there while I had the chance and see what Star Wars fans had to offer as far as insight. I can pretty much take or leave anything that I do or don't like, so it's a type of dedicated affinity I don't even think I'm capable of toward anything and I find it kind of fascinating. Thanks for the kind replies, already, though. The couple times I've brought this up in circles, people were really defensive and angry right at the jump. :D

Well is no secret that I like the new trilogy as much as the old one .... but I don trust Disney too much , but let hope that they are good.

@Branthog: I think that it is not only the story but also the designs ... I just fuckin love the designs for the "Bad guys" (also the ships designs are friggin amazing) , the whole aesthetic of it and my god wouldnt you like to have an orange/red light saber like Vader does? Not that i love everything about it tho ( I fuckin hate Han Solo but a shit load of people thinks he is the most awesome duder in the friggin universe , he is as bad as Jar Jar Binks ... yes I said it). Also lets be honest it is a type of movie that you can play to anyone and ind them at least enterteining for a while. Also it made space less boring to be honest (yeah I like 2001 too but lets face it , you have to be really awake to see that one).

Or I dunno I just love the damn thing.

Am I the only one here ready to give Disney a shot at this?

Or did everyone prefer it when Lucas was ruining it on his own?

too much star wars...

I love the originals- but the prequels were mostly garbage and only some of the stuff was mildly interesting in clone wars... i also disliked how crazy kung-fu jedi's became. there's no need for them to be flashy just for the sake of it.

a new trilogy is cool but the standalones in between- overkill use those stories for cool games...

i'm positive JJ can turn it around completely and restore some of the joy in the originals

@The_Roman said:

Am I the only one here ready to give Disney a shot at this?

Or did everyone prefer it when Lucas was ruining it on his own?

knowing disney, we probably won't get an overload of cgi. i mean look at pirates of the carribean, set design and production value for that was amazing, without an onslaught of cgi. their budget is considerably huge, maybe they could hire some decent writers who LOVE star wars, instead of relying on lucas to pad his ego.

i'm with you on this one.

Yeah, I'm reserving judgment until after I see what Disney can do with these movies. I think they have a real shot at making something amazing.

@Branthog said:

I'm going to come across as an asshole, but I have to say that I have never understood the unending hype for Star Wars. I'm in my mid thirties. I watched Star Wars for the first (and only) time when they were re-released to the theaters in the late 90s, when I was about twenty years old. They were entertaining enough. I'm sure they were a blast in the late 70s. I can almost even understand their appeal forty years later. What I can't understand is the constant desire for more Star Wars content and the absolute devotion to it. I mean, it's forty years old and there has been so much greater and more interesting stuff since then.

One of my friends had a fucking Star Wars wedding, where the bride and groom walked down an aisle with characters holding sabers up over their heads to form a top. And was filled with people dressed as storm troopers and bounty hunters. Outside of the initial three movies, I can't see any reason to be infatuated with this supposed "Star Wars universe" that surrounds everything. Especially when it's all clearly so commercially motivated (rather than motivated by integrity of the content, itself). I wouldn't go so far as to say it's as ridiculous or uninteresting or baffling as the appeal of Transformers or GI Joe thirty or forty years later, when everyone who would have been old enough to give a fuck when they were on is middle aged, but . . . it's close. And I'm not saying it's bad. I'm just not sure why it has the legs it has. How something so absolutely mediocre is the most popular of the entire genre four decades later, when we've had such tremendously more compelling and interesting stuff in the same genre in that time.

you're not an asshole, it isn't this whole "you either love it, or you don't" thing like with bladerunner. most of the movies are quite overrated, loved solely for the nostalgic feeling, which is great. it's good too have those type of movies.

i like star wars, the movies were fun to watch (once), and i see the revolutionary impact it had on cinema for it's time. but they are in no way masterpieces.

So basically (ostensibly? no?), Disney is taking the "Expanded Universe" route. The books went off in other directions telling stories about Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, Wedge and the other X-Wing pilots, etc...even other characters who never appeared in the movies such as Dash Rendar. I'm okay with this as it's not really anything new. Disney is just applying what has been done with the license in literature for decades now to film.

@Branthog: The easiest answer as to why Star Wars has the enduring appeal is that its universe where you can tell pretty much ANY type of story. The easiest way I can describe it is this quote from a message board:

"Basically, any movie that features gangsters, aliens, wizards, cowboys, samurai, zombies, or robots (so, all the good ones) can be worked into the Star Wars universe. George Lucas did something back in 1977 that I’m sure would’ve been impossible if he had set out to do it specifically. He fused sci-fi with fantasy, and through some mysterious alchemy, created a potent hybrid with all the myriad story potential of both that somehow appealed to mainstream audiences that don’t have much taste for either. It was a world so vibrant, so teeming with life that seemed to extend for parsecs past the edge of every frame, that people didn’t care much that the dialogue could be clunky and the lead was a bit whiny and bland (he did get better as the series progressed!) and kinda wanted to pork his sister. That world is so overflowing with potential that it hardly seemed to matter that the prequels were flat out bad, and didn’t take advantage of it, instead focusing intently on familiar characters and setting up the things we already know all about."

I'm willing to give Disney a chance to see what they can bring out of Star Wars. They did make a kick ass film with Chronicles of Narnia, it will be interesting to see what they'll do next with Star Wars. Fans are already complaining that someone else can do better than George Lucas, now they got their wish.

Guys, I'm sad because I don't think I like Star Wars anymore.

@Sursh said:

@The_Roman said:

Am I the only one here ready to give Disney a shot at this?

Or did everyone prefer it when Lucas was ruining it on his own?

knowing disney, we probably won't get an overload of cgi. i mean look at pirates of the carribean, set design and production value for that was amazing, without an onslaught of cgi. their budget is considerably huge, maybe they could hire some decent writers who LOVE star wars, instead of relying on lucas to pad his ego.

i'm with you on this one.

I am ready and willing. Disney does good work. Yes, their movies are formulaic and predictable, but if people were expecting the new run of Star Wars movies to be made by Paul Thomas Anderson or John Sayles or somebody like that then they were dreaming anyway. The new Star Wars movies are going to be formulaic and predictable in the hands of any studio that can afford to purchase their rights. But with Disney, at least you know that they likely won't be dogshit. They've done a good enough job with the Marvel films. This is going to be a step up for sure.

I want a Revan movie!

@flindip said:

@Branthog: The easiest answer as to why Star Wars has the enduring appeal is that its universe where you can tell pretty much ANY type of story. The easiest way I can describe it is this quote from a message board:

"Basically, any movie that features gangsters, aliens, wizards, cowboys, samurai, zombies, or robots (so, all the good ones) can be worked into the Star Wars universe. George Lucas did something back in 1977 that I’m sure would’ve been impossible if he had set out to do it specifically. He fused sci-fi with fantasy, and through some mysterious alchemy, created a potent hybrid with all the myriad story potential of both that somehow appealed to mainstream audiences that don’t have much taste for either. It was a world so vibrant, so teeming with life that seemed to extend for parsecs past the edge of every frame, that people didn’t care much that the dialogue could be clunky and the lead was a bit whiny and bland (he did get better as the series progressed!) and kinda wanted to pork his sister. That world is so overflowing with potential that it hardly seemed to matter that the prequels were flat out bad, and didn’t take advantage of it, instead focusing intently on familiar characters and setting up the things we already know all about."

Whoever wrote that was spot on. The movies aren't as cherished as the greater universe they portray. It's something people can invest themselves in, made easier by committing to it with as little relatable context as "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away". That's the only bit in the movies that even makes you aware humanity exists, and even that's just an assumption. Like LOTR, it takes a to another world with no apologies. When executed as well as Star Wars, it's clearly very potent.

Ever see that He-Man live action movie with Lundgren? It typifies my problem with what Hollywood constantly does with it's non-committal fantasy fare, doing the opposite of what Star Wars did in the late 70's. Hollywood's gotta put you in "relatable" shoes, so they through He-Man into a portal to Earth and gave him a Human, teenage boy as a sidekick to make sure their audience had something to cling to (as if a monster-punching barbarian wasn't enough). Avatar's got the handicapped dude. Transformers has LeBeef. And countless other stupid movies have some normal, human shmo falling into a portal to a magical realm, only to realize it was all a dream at the end.

I have respect for any movie universe that has the confidence to be what it is without needing that forced "relatability". There aren't many series that can claim that level of commitment. Certainly not many live action ones, anyhow.

Also, we can't forget all the working crafts people in the industry today. All of the design people, special effects people, make-up, props and so-on people grew up very inspired by what the Star Wars folks did. Hundreds of graduating classes all praying they'll make it into ILM or Skywalker Sound because of what an inspiration they were. It's no mystery why we still feel the impact today.

This is so sudden. How do I even react to this? There were no new ones coming out and now there are like, five?! I can't. I just can't.

I want to know the suicide rates of people with Jar-Jar tattoos.

@Snail: Five is a confirmed minimum number according to the interview. You'll have plenty of time to figure out how to react when these films start getting hyped up in media each one in turn for years.

I liked Star Wars a lot as a kid and will probably see the new movies; it is extremely appealing to a young audience for various reasons, most of them commercialized; and if parents like Star Wars it just makes it that much easier to pass it on to the kids until everyone is worshipping at the throne of Disney. I'm indifferent to the extended universe; 90-95% of it is tripe but that doesn't discount the other 5% of vaguely good escapist literature.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Dwayne Windu, Mace Windus son.

@Krullban: Paul Walker hasn't been a Jedi yet, has he? Then he'll be in one of these new films guaranteed after his stellar performance in the upcoming Hitman 47 movie.

OH NO THEY WON'T BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS I REMEMBER STAR WARS TO BE SO THEY'RE IMMEDIATELY BAD EVEN THOUGH I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THE NEW TRILOGY I JUST HATE ON IT BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DOES.

@Damian said:

@flindip said:

@Branthog: The easiest answer as to why Star Wars has the enduring appeal is that its universe where you can tell pretty much ANY type of story. The easiest way I can describe it is this quote from a message board:

"Basically, any movie that features gangsters, aliens, wizards, cowboys, samurai, zombies, or robots (so, all the good ones) can be worked into the Star Wars universe. George Lucas did something back in 1977 that I’m sure would’ve been impossible if he had set out to do it specifically. He fused sci-fi with fantasy, and through some mysterious alchemy, created a potent hybrid with all the myriad story potential of both that somehow appealed to mainstream audiences that don’t have much taste for either. It was a world so vibrant, so teeming with life that seemed to extend for parsecs past the edge of every frame, that people didn’t care much that the dialogue could be clunky and the lead was a bit whiny and bland (he did get better as the series progressed!) and kinda wanted to pork his sister. That world is so overflowing with potential that it hardly seemed to matter that the prequels were flat out bad, and didn’t take advantage of it, instead focusing intently on familiar characters and setting up the things we already know all about."

Whoever wrote that was spot on. The movies aren't as cherished as the greater universe they portray. It's something people can invest themselves in, made easier by committing to it with as little relatable context as "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away". That's the only bit in the movies that even makes you aware humanity exists, and even that's just an assumption. Like LOTR, it takes a to another world with no apologies. When executed as well as Star Wars, it's clearly very potent.

I can remember reading an interview with George Lucas from back in the 70's where he talked about how much he enjoyed deliberately alienating an audience. This is especially true of the original Star Wars, he would put references to the most obtuse things, like "The Clone Wars" or the "Kessel Run", and deliberately never explain what the characters were talking about. Hell, the entire backstory of Obi-wan and Vader and the nature of their relationship is left almost entirely unexplained in that movie. That way it's up to the audience's imagination to take those little kernels, and imagine for themselves what the rest of this universe is like. It made it seem like the Star Wars universe was far, far bigger than any film could possibly depict.

Of course, now there's an entire TV show about the goddamn Clone Wars, and you can go onto Wookiepedia and look up the detailed backstory of even the most minor character. I think this is a big reason why the magic of Star Wars has been lost for a lot of people. Gone are the days where you could fill in the edges of the Star Wars universe with your imagination. Now every corner of the painting has been filled in.

I haven't been reading any of these stories too much, but I have a question. Does anyone know what movies they are making? I have read several of the books and was interested if they have picked a storyline or series that is already out there or if they are starting something new. The making of the random side stories are fine, if there good great if not oh well. Its like all the superhero cartoons they roll out every year (there is probbly 5 a year) they can be hit or miss. When it comes to live action, and the J.J. movie it has to be good. Sure Disney has endless money and even if it sucks they will not stop, but fanbase will shrink. The prequals gave new/younger kids chance to have star wars experince but cost them some of the older fans. It hasn't been as long inbetween this time around so they have to be more concerned about lossing more fans than easily adding new ones.