Disney Jettisons Star Wars Expanded Universe

[BlackMagicWoman]

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=98808

Looks like I will be eating my hat. Disney has decided not to use the Star Wars EU for ongoing films. So let's see what we get.

 

[mom2cinderella]

It sounds like, though, that the creators of the new stuff *could* use the EU, they just don't *have* to??

Oh well, as long as there are more SW books coming, dh will be happy.

 

[mvk]

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=98808

Looks like I will be eating my hat. Disney has decided not to use the Star Wars EU for ongoing films. So let's see what we get.

As I believe its been said here before, Disney didn't pay $4B to make movies based upon readily available EU stories that are okay at best, bad at worst.

Doing this allows them to create and control the universe and timeline, just like with the Marvel movies.

 

[Ulysses]

I'm a lifelong Star Wars fan, but I'm absolutely okay with this. The EU material was really hit-or-miss, and some of it was fun to read (ie: Heir to the Empire), but I never could really accept it as canon for some reason. Makes me even more eager to see what Disney does with it.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

The future of all things Star Wars related depends upon J.J. Abrams. If his movie is a hit, then the Star Wars universe will be reinvigorated. If it flops all the light sabers will be turned off for many years.

 

[doconeill]

What is and isn't canon in the Star Wars universe can be maddening. But I always understood that the Expanded Universe was "expendable" when it came to any future production directly by Lucasfilm. And they would almost certainly not directly adapt an EU story - unless it was exceptional.

That said, Lucasfilm has a whole group whose job it is is to manage the complicated web of Star Wars licensed properties and canon. Recent Lucasfilm statements not withstanding (they basically said only the films and Clone Wars are "canon" the other day, probably due to increasing questions as to how the EU stuff would fit in), the EU fits in a middle category of canon out of 5 general categories, ranging from "Lucas canon" (i.e. the movies) to non-canon. Basically they _are_ accepted as canon, _until_ they contradict a higher-level's canon or other otherwise declared non canon.

Lucasfilm I believe also has the rights to absorb characters, etc. from the EU into their own storylines, but don't necessarily have to follow the storyline they came from in doing so.

So while we could easily see Jaycen Solo, Mara Jade et al in a future movie, they may not be the exact same characters as those from the books.

 

[Whatsthegoodword]

The future of all things Star Wars related depends upon J.J. Abrams. If his movie is a hit, then the Star Wars universe will be reinvigorated. If it flops all the light sabers will be turned off for many years.

No offense friend, but this just isn't true. Star Wars will have to fall on its face multiple times consecutively, for "all the light sabers" to be "turned off for many years."

George Lucas' Episodes 1-3 were pretty much awful - but they made a mint - and we're all waiting with baited breath for the next trilogy.

The only gamble here is for Disney and their reputation. What will people think of DISNEY if they deliver a bad product? Everyone is watching. They also have a real chance at finally attracting the much coveted "youth male" audience. Will they manage to do it?

 

[BlackMagicWoman]

No offense friend, but this just isn't true. Star Wars will have to fall on its face multiple times consecutively, for "all the light sabers" to be "turned off for many years."

George Lucas' Episodes 1-3 were pretty much awful - but they made a mint - and we're all waiting with baited breath for the next trilogy.

The only gamble here is for Disney and their reputation. What will people think of DISNEY if they deliver a bad product? Everyone is watching. They also have a real chance at finally attracting the much coveted "youth male" audience. Will they manage to do it?

So true. If it sucks, it will still make a grip because every GenXer like myself is simply dying to see the original cast for five seconds on screen.

 

[kbelle8995]

I'm okay with EU not being used. I enjoyed some of it especially the Thrawn books. It was very hit and miss.

If Abrams does not do this well it won't kill it, Star Wars has fans across the board who love different things.
The Clone Wars series was very good and I am excited about Star Wars rebels as well as the new films.

And the original trilogy will always be the classic in my book.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

As I believe its been said here before, Disney didn't pay $4B to make movies based upon readily available EU stories that are okay at best, bad at worst.

Doing this allows them to create and control the universe and timeline, just like with the Marvel movies.

Agree...

The EU...and all the tangents off course to what we've got - unimaginative, cheap product - is what caused the trouble in the first placed.

The prequel movies had tons of undeveloped characters and gags meant to give you something "weird" to look at...that screamed "EU" from the start.

My opinion is this move represents "onward and upward"

 

[Soarin4Disney]

I agree that the EU was hit or miss, but I really hope the movies acknowledge some key characters and events from the EU just to provide some connection....

Like others have said, Thrawn was an AWESOME villian as were the Yuuzhan Vong. All the rest, I really don't care too much about.

 

[Twin Dad]

I just wish they came out and said the truth without running it through the PR filter first. "The EU got too big and convoluted, hence its even more contradictory than the anthology of George Lucas interviews. Therefore we're wiping the slate clean. Right now only what you have seen on screen counts (Except the Holiday Special, George still has nightmares about that mess.) However, to make sure we're not doing this again in 20 years we're putting a guy in charge to make sure all the moving parts stay consistent. (Yeah we should have done this back in 99 but who knew we'd be making a third trilogy.) To keep you rabid fans from storming Skywalker Ranch we'll be cherry picking things from the novels when we feel like it."

 

[BlackMagicWoman]

I just wish they came out and said the truth without running it through the PR filter first. "The EU got too big and convoluted, hence its even more contradictory than the anthology of George Lucas interviews. Therefore we're wiping the slate clean. Right now only what you have seen on screen counts (Except the Holiday Special, George still has nightmares about that mess.) However, to make sure we're not doing this again in 20 years we're putting a guy in charge to make sure all the moving parts stay consistent. (Yeah we should have done this back in 99 but who knew we'd be making a third trilogy.) To keep you rabid fans from storming Skywalker Ranch we'll be cherry picking things from the novels when we feel like it."

Good point, I've got some characters that I would miss but I actually think that Abrams will do it justice. I know that his reboot of Star Trek was contentious with fans but I enjoyed it.

 

[Twin Dad]

Good point, I've got some characters that I would miss but I actually think that Abrams will do it justice. I know that his reboot of Star Trek was contentious with fans but I enjoyed it.

I think Abrams will do fine too. He already has two Star Wars films under his belt. What set the Trekkies off was all the secrecy and using Khan even though he said he wasn't. And all the Star Trek 2 homages got old. He said in interviews he learned from that.

 

[yitbos96bb]

It sounds like, though, that the creators of the new stuff *could* use the EU, they just don't *have* to??

Oh well, as long as there are more SW books coming, dh will be happy.

To me, since everything going forward is canon, it sure seems like Star Wars will get the Marvel Cinematic Universe treatment

 

[Twin Dad]

To me, since everything going forward is canon, it sure seems like Star Wars will get the Marvel Cinematic Universe treatment

That sounds about right. After more thought I'm glad they are starting over and putting someone in charge of keeping all the moving parts working together. Things got way too messy with the multi-tiered canon system and no one really keeping an eye of what the authors were doing. There were times where Luke would completely change personalities between books in the same series.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

No offense friend, but this just isn't true. Star Wars will have to fall on its face multiple times consecutively, for "all the light sabers" to be "turned off for many years."

George Lucas' Episodes 1-3 were pretty much awful - but they made a mint - and we're all waiting with baited breath for the next trilogy.

The only gamble here is for Disney and their reputation. What will people think of DISNEY if they deliver a bad product? Everyone is watching. They also have a real chance at finally attracting the much coveted "youth male" audience. Will they manage to do it?

In a nursing home far, far away will be of interest to most young males I am sure.

 

[Josh Hendy]

The future of all things Star Wars related depends upon J.J. Abrams. If his movie is a hit, then the Star Wars universe will be reinvigorated. If it flops all the light sabers will be turned off for many years.

I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of SW fans suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

 

[gsimpson]

A single failed Star Wars movie will not end the franchise, too many loyal fans for that. Lucas was not able to end the franchise with his 4th movie. Star Trek survived its first movie which was a big budget, poorly done remake of one of the TV episodes (changeling).

Disney is smart to enforce character integrity and it would be bloody difficult to pull off if you had to start with all the EU introduced brick-a-brack.

 

[Mirax]

I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of SW fans suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Mirax, a lost EU character.