It seems that last Tuesday right after I posted my column the Internet broke. It had nothing to do with my weekly Wizeguy; an announcement was made that smashed the social network-sphere to pieces. A new trilogy of ‘Star Wars’ movies is on the way, starting with Episode 7, targeted for release in 2015. That’s just over two years away and that is just the beginning of what Disney has planned for the saga.
Its been said that the ‘Star Wars’ franchise has an estimated 17,000 characters inhabiting several thousand planets over the course of 20,000 years. Disney knows that ‘Star Wars’ is a particularly valuable thing to own. It is a ready-made brand that the audience doesn’t need to be introduced to and Disney will make sure that we see it on television, on the screen, into new games, toys and everywhere soon. The well is far, far away from running dry.
Upon this news, the ‘fandumb’ immediately went to work. I’m not talking about the reasonable people, the ones that don’t fear the Disney empire (I.E. see the Avengers movie as an example). But those who have already suggested that a ‘Wish upon the Death Star’ movie is in the works. Those who are still butt hurt over the prequels and how Lucas ‘killed their innocence’. By the way, It’s being reported that George Lucas is going to donate most of the four BILLION dollars to fund education. Look at it this way prequel haters, your investment help build a brand that in turn gave money to kids education. Feel better?
Disney’s purchase of LucasFilm is a good thing. I mean, it’s a FANTASTIC thing. This new trilogy kicking off in 2015 will be THE Star Wars for a whole new generation of kids. Whoever helms Episode 7 just needs to make sure it’s a fun ‘heroes journey’ and thrilling adventure filled with AWSE seat of your pants space action. Everything is going to be just fine.
Is it a must that a ‘Skywalker’ be in the new films? Or will the only connecting characters that we can count on be R2 & C-3PO? Having the original trilogy actors make cameo appearances wouldn’t be a bad idea though, at least it would demonstrate a commitment to furthering the original story rather than connecting the dots in the most facile, large-print way in order to market a bunch of new toys. On the other hand, Star Trek moved on without the original cast, Star Wars could too.
If it was up to me, after they finish 7-8-9, I would tap the subculture that Bioware built with either a ‘Knights Of The Old Republic’ and/or ‘The Old Republic’ series/movie/whatever. It gives you a lot of space to maneuver in as this massive time period takes place 25,000 years to 1,000 years before ‘A New Hope’. On top of that, it could potentially be the easiest time period to write about and film, as many of the technological aspects are familiar to fans of the franchise (I.E. Blasters, light sabers and spaceships) and completely new characters can be immediately introduced without contradicting the existing Star Wars film franchise.
Give me Michael Fassbender in a lead role, Duncan Jones directing with Orci & Kurtzman handling the writing…and I’m THERE, opening night.
-Dagobot
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