Why ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Is a Huge Risk for Disney

[akadada]

And by the way...the legacy is being carried by Kathy Kennedy and Lawrence kasdan...

They know what's at stake.

I think it's important to note that they canned the "Disney" screenwriter and turned it over to the "star wars" guy last year.
My guess is that there was a huge battle between Kennedy/Abrams and the suits in the dwarf building over that.

Why the writer of the least clever toy story and little miss sunshine was tapped for Star Wars was flabbergasting in the first place...blade runner guy wasn't available...I suppose?

I think so far the Side that is closer to the "hardcore" fans is winning the struggle...now they just have to get the camera rolling and not quit till they have a B+/A- film at a MINIMUM overall.
I don't care if it takes 5 years of recuts and rewrites... Failure is not an option.

Lets face it...the reason that prequels where delivered in a flaming paper bag was that Lucas had total control over the product... No other opinions were asked for...and I think Disney learned that disastrous lesson

I'm cautiously optimistic.

Good insight on the lead people.

Good insight on hardcore fans. I don't know how to benchmark that, so I'll take your observation as good.

When you say five years, is that your projection for release?

I'm cautiously optimistic too, but from my perspective after Lucas, trust has to be earned over positive experiences.

By the way, I'm not Timothy Zahn in case you wondered.

 

[Twin Dad]

I return to my request: bring in Timothy Zahn in some way, shape, or form and at least we'll have some relative confidence that the legacy could be not just maintained, but enhanced.

He has been rumored to have had contact with Abrams but you have to take any rumor with an unhealthy amount of salt.

No offense...but i think there tends to be an illogical love for the Zahn books. They weren't bad, but I didnt like alot of the elements in those books.

I think you are a bit hard on the Zahn books. It was a huge risk that they took rebooting the franchise. The characters Zahn created are still some of the most beloved in the EU.

Wait now, before I get into my reply. . . what didn't you like about Howard the Duck?...truly one of Lucas's wisest decisions. . . perhaps we should have seen Jar Jar coming...


I understand what you're saying. I agree that the reason Zahn launched is because he was able to follow the the originals and fans hungered for it.

The major point of Zahn's books, as I read them, was to continue from episode 6 within something like 10 years of Ewoks. So I actually think Zahn did a very job with character and storyline development.

Thrawn was a risky character to develop that I think paid off big. It expanded the universe and offered another way for the reader to consider the power of the Empire.

A number of other authors go along with Zahn's foundation and bring the characters with them into their own storylines, which is really what, as a legacy viewer/reader, should want to see rather than a dozen authors inventing their own universe independent of each other. To me, Zahn laid the groundwork for great segways, whether you want Luke to get married or not.

I think it's fair to say Zahn is recognized as a relatively positive contributor. I simply think Zahn adds credibility to the legacy side of the Franchise. Abrams does not. Neither does Disney. There's just a hope, and a justifiable expectation, that the two combined will deliver.

Whether the next movie is either character story or action, it still needs to be something long-time followers will track beyond the first movie. Zahn would bring some credibility to the plan, while essentially everyone else that's in the loop currently is speculative.

Another way to look at it: who else is out there that legacy fans can appreciate, recognize, and feel comfortable that the true franchise succeeds in the right direction for future generations?

Thoughts?

We have a fundamental difference...


I don't like much of any of the "EU"...it's more comic book..which is fine.
But a fundamental difference is that the comic books flood material and then only the "best" ideas go to TV and or the big screen...
Star Wars has been an inverse funnel... The more the "eu" expands...the more the quality is diluted away from the good original material.
Star Wars missed in that it was "too good" for other material for 10 years... And then was flooded with horrid product from there after.

I always thought a TV serial like st:tng would have sustained Star Wars towards new movies much better than what happened. I guess hindsight was 20/20.

While Abrams and Disney have no "star wars cred"...the material has been bad from the inside.

Lets be serious. Just junk to sell product.

They realistically can't do worse. And I don't think Disney bought Lucas to rape the IP like Eisner did with the direct to VHS sequels. I think they have learned some lessons.

It seems they are turning to more"premium" product across the board.

We'll see shortly...when the rebels cartoon show premieres.

Howard the duck > jar jar X 1000

They should have kept the franchise rolling in the 80s with something on the screen. As soon as the Zahn novels topped the best seller list there should have been a push to make a TV series or restart the movies then. Instead they waited another 6 years and George made the prequels without any outside consultation. At least this time the franchise kept rolling along.

The Clone Wars cartoons are pretty good. I got into the series late because I thought it was just a money grab. They are pretty good. Also the same crew that did The Clone Wars is doing Rebels. Someone must like that they did.

And by the way...the legacy is being carried by Kathy Kennedy and Lawrence kasdan...

They know what's at stake.

I'm also cautiously optimistic. I like where the moves they are making.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think you are a bit hard on the Zahn books. It was a huge risk that they took rebooting the franchise. The characters Zahn created are still some of the most beloved in the EU.

They should have kept the franchise rolling in the 80s with something on the screen. As soon as the Zahn novels topped the best seller list there should have been a push to make a TV series or restart the movies then. Instead they waited another 6 years and George made the prequels without any outside consultation. At least this time the franchise kept rolling along.

The Clone Wars cartoons are pretty good. I got into the series late because I thought it was just a money grab. They are pretty good. Also the same crew that did The Clone Wars is doing Rebels. Someone must like that they did.

I'm also cautiously optimistic. I like where the moves they are making.

My problem is the "EU" is pretty terrible on the whole.

From my perspective... The original stories had a good side, a bad side, and the cult caught in the middle...

That's enough to flesh out forever in my opinion...

Similar to the 90's star treks... They kept coming up with all kinds of new baddies...but in the end the people found the old
Standards most enjoyable... With a notable
Exception here or there.