One does not simply type Sonic The Hedgehog into Google image search.
I'm sure you experienced something similar. You're heart is saying nerdrage and despair. But your head? That's quickly coming to the conclusion this could be the best thing to happen to Star Wars in far too many years. It's textbook cognitive dissonance.
Because, really, let's be honest here. What terrible thing is there that Disney can do to Star Wars that hasn't already been done?
Will they turn it into some soulless marketing exercise designed to hock toys and branded crap to unsuspecting children and fanboys? Firstly, who do you think INVENTED that idea? That's what Star Wars IS. Secondly, this:
That is a cute Darth Vader Mr Potatohead. That is a thing that EXISTS. Not only that but even comes with it's own PLASTIC POTATO. You really think a couple of plushies of Disney Characters dressed up as Star Wars characters is actually going to be significantly worse? That putting out a Star Wars figure with mouse ears is going to be really that terrible next to the 567 "different" Boba Fetts?
Guess what? They've already done that. And it's actually pretty awesome.
They have a custom droid figure builder at Disney World. That's been there since at least May. And you know what? I would TOTALLY buy one of those should I ever have the misfortune to find myself at Disney World. Not only is it kinda cool, it contains small parts so I might at least be able to choke myself to death.
Then of course there's the news that they want to make a new trilogy of films. Again, do you honestly think it's actually going to be any worse than the prequel trilogy? REALLY? Is ANYTHING worse than the prequel trilogy?
Ein volk, ein reiche, ein PERSPECTIVE.
Well, okay. yes. There are undoubtedly some things worse than prequel trilogy. But can anyone REALLY see them asking Michael fucking Bay to direct it? Of course not. If they even announced it as a joke suicide rates would go through the roof, and the Disney lawyers would never let them attract that many lawsuits.
Because that's the thing. Disney have access to some ACTUAL talent in filmmaking. Indeed, it's this one point that is the root of all that emotional confusion we felt at the news. Because whilst on the one hand our beloved franchise has been bought up by a giant evil corporation, on the other hand at least Gorge Lucas is no longer in charge of Star Wars. Whilst we don't have the time or space to get into what exactly was wrong with the prequel trilogy (spoilers: everything) a good place to start was the writing and direction. I don't think there wasn't a single actor in any of those films that couldn't actually act, or indeed hasn't done so elsewhere. Several of them have been nominated for or won awards. But you wouldn't know it going by the prequels.
And no, Jake Lloyd was not an actor. He was a child. There is a difference.
Now picture what you could get if you brought in a writer who knew what dialogue was and a director who knew what human emotion actually looked like.
I'm not even concerned that George retains the position of creative consultant or whatever. Firstly of course, for all the fun we have nerdraging over the prequels we do need to acknowledge the fact that he did actually create Star Wars and does deserve credit for it. Secondly and more important though is the fact that he is actually good for a decent premise or idea. I've said it before and I'll say it again: What the prequels needed was a decent script editor. Take the initial story idea, filter it through someone who really knows what they've doing with a story. I mean, you hear things about the original scripts for Star Wars and they sound like awful self indulgent twaddle. But back then there were all manner of restrictions to be dealt with which helped to hone the story. The result was a lot more than just the original script. So yeah, by all means. take Georges' story treatment and then give it to a couple of good writers and see what they come up with.
One point that one of my friends made was that Disney does have something of a propensity for pumping out straight to video knock off sequels. This is something that I feel could actually work in Star Wars' favour. There is, after all, no shortage of people with a burning passion to make Star Wars films. Not all of them can make the big ones, obviously. But if they were given the opportunity to make a couple of lower budget features every year? You could get some pretty interesting stuff there. I mean, let's face it. Low budget knock off stories focussing on secondary characters is what's been keeping the Star wars novels goings for about 20 years. Sure, you'll get the odd singing Ewok special for 5 year olds, but who knows what else you'll get as well?
This I think is the key point in this deal. Yes, Disney is a huge, evil corporation. But they're a huge evil corporation that LOVES MONEY. Even better they seem to love money MORE than they hate joy. They will undoubtedly do huge evil corporation things, but they'll also do things that they know will make them money. And what makes money more than things the fans want? Give them quality stuff and they'll buy it. Hell, it doesn't even have to be quality stuff. Give us a proper boxset of Droids and Ewoks. I'll buy the SHIT out of that. Release a proper remastered high def version of the original trilogy with none of that special edition crap. Hell, release the original special edition, baby eyes Jabba and all.
Going forward the only thing I can really see happening in terms of evil corporate interference for the franchise will simply be that they'll start winding things down in their current incarnation ready for the new wave to burst in 2015 or whenever it is they think they'll be releasing episode 7. The Clone Wars animated series will undoubtedly get wrapped up. This isn't a bad thing. I mean, it has a fairly narrow window of time for telling it's story anyway, since we know how things are going to end. But it'll be nice to give it a decent finale. Maybe they'll let them remake Revenge Of Sith for their final season, only make it good.
The only thing under actual threat is, as far as I can see, Knights Of The Old Republic. The MMO has not, let's face it, been quite the runaway success that it was hoped. Maybe switching to free to play will help them. But the fact is that Disney are going to want to concentrate their efforts on the new trilogy. I'm not saying they'll ignore the vast spectrum of Star Wars lore, but the simple fact is that in the year that episode 7 launches everything will want to be tying into it somehow. The reason they're going to finish Clone Wars will be to create a new show with a more direct connection to the new incarnation of the franchise. I doubt they'll want to try creating a whole new MMO based on it, but resources are undoubtedly going to flow towards the new stuff. Unless KOTOR proves itself as not just sustainable but actually significantly PROFITABLE I think there is a real danger that it might get canned.
The last problem to be mentioned is of course that of the expanded universe. The simple fact is that whatever they do with the new films it's going to contradict SOME portion of the EU and render it obsolete. Especially if they do get any of the original cast back even for a cameo. The EU has been doing it's thing for a VERY long time now. Sometimes moving things forward, more often simply treading water. But all that stuff is still THERE. The timeline after the films is bursting at the seams, and I'm not sure there's anywhere you could squeeze a new era in. Something is going to be cut. Hell, you can't even skip forward a hundred years to get all that out of the way because they've already had to do that in the EU.
There's not really any way around it. This is why I've talked before about just remaking the damn thing from scratch. You can't keep everything canon. Exactly what might get cut, adapted, remade or referenced I can't really say, although I'm pretty sure that Disney are not going to put out an 18 rated depiction of the Yuuzhan Vong war.
Really though, I'm not sure it matters that much. Yes, some of us fanboys will be a bit upset when our pet corner of the EU is suddenly and cruelly rendered slightly dubious. But we've had all these years to enjoy them and we HAVE enjoyed them.
Now, at long last, Star Wars finally has a chance to really move forward in a way it never really has before. And that's exciting. Whether or not the films turn out to be whatever our own personal interpretation of good is, just the fact that they're happening is great.
Just think of all the fun you're going to have making up ridiculous rumours about them.
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