Topic: Star Wars Universe lastest news

[doc_antonio]

So who would be a better choice than Abrams?

[Thush]

Oy Vey-der.

[Kashinoda]

At least we can all stop getting excited about some amazing possibilities these new films could have thrown up.

Abrams' films are nice looking, slick and he can pull off great set pieces and action scenes. But all of his films have been fairly soulless, lacking in any real identity (if you don't count lens flares), he can't end a film well and I've never wanted to watch any of them again.  He's a decent blockbuster director and that's all he'll produce. You could've hired Len Wiseman or Brett Ratner and got the same film.

In other words he's the perfect choice for the biggest franchise in the world.

I don't think Super 8 was soulless, the movie didn't end well but definitely showed some promise. A lot will depend on the writing anyway.

Also, Irvin Kershner directed Empire Strikes back... he also directed other classics such as Robocob 2 and erm Up the Sandbox.

[lionel_messias]

So who would be a better choice than Abrams?

Guillermo del Toro.

[litliper]

At least we can all stop getting excited about some amazing possibilities these new films could have thrown up.

Abrams' films are nice looking, slick and he can pull off great set pieces and action scenes. But all of his films have been fairly soulless, lacking in any real identity (if you don't count lens flares), he can't end a film well and I've never wanted to watch any of them again.  He's a decent blockbuster director and that's all he'll produce. You could've hired Len Wiseman or Brett Ratner and got the same film.

In other words he's the perfect choice for the biggest franchise in the world.

Well a lot depends on the script.

Also...the bolded part...is simply not true. I'm no JJ fanboy...but Ratner? JJ is better than him all day every day.

[Paul JH]

So not content with destroying Star Trek, Abrams will set his sights on Star Wars as well.

Personally, I though the new Star Trek movie was everything the Star Wars prequels should have been ... funny, quick, fast paced and you cared about the characters. Everything you didn't do with the Star Wars prequels.

[Paul JH]

Guillermo del Toro.

Apart from Pans Labyrinth, his 'blockbusters' have been boring, dull and not rewatchable. Hellboy and Hellboy 2 look amazing, production design is lovely, but the films themselves are crushingly dull.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

At least we can all stop getting excited about some amazing possibilities these new films could have thrown up.

There's still amazing possibilities there, just commercial ones instead of artistic, which has pretty much been the aim since RotJ anyway...there's zero chance of them doing anything that takes risks or innovates in the way that the originals did, they're just cogs for the machine to grind through now. Be lucky if we get a story that makes sense with a load of cameos and nods to the originals in there.

[Paul JH]

All I'll say is the latest Star Trek was everything the prequels could and should have been. I'm a massive Star Wars fan, massive, and the new Star Trek was great. Loved it.

I cared about ALL the characters (thought Simon Pegg was awful though) in a way that I didn't at all with anyone in the prequels. If the Jedi had some kind of banter or exchanges, and they weren't all boring philosophers, it could have been emotionally engaging, but it wasn't. Order 66 wasn't remotely emotional as you didn't know or care about any of the Jedi bar the main ones.

I can see this being great, IF they go down the route of new Jedi and characters who you CARE about.

[Red Beret]

There's no real cause to complain, at least so far.  I've not seen anything to suggest the new films could be worse than the prequels.  Nothing can surpass the OT because they're timeless, so it's a mistake to use them as a yardstick.

[Ultimate Bromance]

I'd have taken Mendes, Affleck, Bird or even Edgar Wright over Abrams. Hell, if he can work on Trek and Wars simultaneously I see no reason why they couldn't have just given it to Whedon to handle.

Be interested to see if they want him for the entire trilogy, or just to re-introduce that universe before handing over the reigns to someone else.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Be interested to see if they want him for the entire trilogy, or just to re-introduce that universe before handing over the reigns to someone else.

Surely if it bombs, he'll be gone no matter what they had planned.

Mind you, there's absolutely zero chance of it bombing, seeing as every middle aged fanboy will go and watch it. It's a marketing man's dream.

god I hate this shit.

[Paul JH]

What on earth makes people think Sam Mendes would even TOUCH something thats turned into a kiddie friendly, toy advert over the past few years?

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

What on earth makes people think Sam Mendes would even TOUCH something thats turned into a kiddie friendly, toy advert over the past few years?

Just wishful thinking I'm sure.

It's a toy advert with added nostalgia for the dads, guaranteed that's what we'll get.

I hate all these shite blockbusters more than is good for me. Why the anger? Who knows.

[Rox]

What on earth makes people think Sam Mendes would even TOUCH something thats turned into a kiddie friendly, toy advert over the past few years?

I thought he'd just done James Bond?

That's been a huge toy advert since the 60's.

[lionel_messias]

Apart from Pans Labyrinth, his 'blockbusters' have been boring, dull and not rewatchable. Hellboy and Hellboy 2 look amazing, production design is lovely, but the films themselves are crushingly dull.

Exquise me!


Bah, those Hellboy movies were great fun, as was Blade 2 also by Guellermo.


Doesn't matter now because he's not doing it but he's make a great, dark, slightly weird by pop-corning fun Star Wars movie.

[Beav]

Guillermo del Toro.

Ding ding ding.

Would've loved del Toro to directed this.

[helmboy_nige]

Personally, I though the new Star Trek movie was everything the Star Wars prequels should have been ... funny, quick, fast paced and you cared about the characters. Everything you didn't do with the Star Wars prequels.

Don't get me wrong, the Star Wars prequels were woeful, but I felt the treatment given to Star Trek was simply to add masses of special effects action and remove any concept of plot.  The characters were written in a hamfisted way. It was essentially Transformers by another name, which was not surprising given it was written by the same people.

Thing with Abrams is that I actually rate him very highly as a concept guy.  He creates great high concept shows for example.  I just don't like it when he gets involved in the detail.  Mind you, it's arguable that anything would be better than Lucas directing 

[Rusty Oysterburger]

I don't think Super 8 was soulless, the movie didn't end well but definitely showed some promise. A lot will depend on the writing anyway.

Also, Irvin Kershner directed Empire Strikes back... he also directed other classics such as Robocob 2 and erm Up the Sandbox.

Well yeah, it wasn't soulless because it stole Spielberg's without doing anything interesting with it or putting any sort of his own stamp on it. He's very good at appropriating others styles but he hasn't got one of his own, probably one of the major reasons he got this job when you think about it.

And the second half of Super 8 is just terrible, ruining the good build up.

 

Well a lot depends on the script.

Also...the bolded part...is simply not true. I'm no JJ fanboy...but Ratner? JJ is better than him all day every day.

X-Men 3, Red Dragon, Rush Hour etc. are all technically proficient, slick looking, a decent watch that aren't bad films but they're just empty. Popcorn films. The same type that Abrams makes is the point I was making. Id put money on Brett Ratner's Mission: Impossible 3 being indistinguishable from Abrams'.

And yeah, I agree the script is just as important as the director. The guy they've got in worked on Toy Story 3 and Little Miss Sunshine so he's got some quality there but again, its no-one to inspire a lot of confidence.

I'm probably jumping the gun a bit here anyway, we'll just have to wait and see what leaks out in the next few years. It hasn't even been cast yet

[Red Beret]

Films built around existing characters from the Star Wars universe are being developed alongside the new trilogy of films, the Disney studio has revealed.

"We are working on a few stand-alone films... derived from great Star Wars characters," Disney CEO Bob Iger told the CNBC channel on Tuesday.

The films, written by Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg, will be released between 2015 and 2021, he continued.

The seventh Star Wars film, directed by JJ Abrams, is due out in 2015.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21349152

Interesting development.  Opens all sorts of doorways this does.  An opportunity for some more adult-orientated films in the SW universe, and of course films about individual characters, like Mace Windu perhaps.  Also gives the chance to maybe recast existing characters and perhaps do film versions of some of the books; as I said before, perhaps one of the Han Solo books or some Timothy Zahn novels...

[elbow]

Interesting development.  Opens all sorts of doorways this does.  An opportunity for some more adult-orientated films in the SW universe, and of course films about individual characters, like Mace Windu perhaps.  Also gives the chance to maybe recast existing characters and perhaps do film versions of some of the books; as I said before, perhaps one of the Han Solo books or some Timothy Zahn novels...

Unfortunately the first one is allegedly a Yoda spin off.

Spin, twist, back-flip off more likely.....

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

It's just an excuse to make yet more money, probably with little merit.

[Samee]

RAWK as optimistic as ever I see.

[Rusty Oysterburger]

There was a rumour about a Seven Samurai remake set in the Star Wars universe being set up by Disney a couple of months ago. Looks even more likely then.

They're also planning on releasing the stand alones a year after each of the new trilogy instalments so there is going to be a new Star Wars film every year from 2015. And people think we're already over-saturated with Star Wars tat.

[JJ Red]

Unfortunately the first one is allegedly a Yoda spin off.

George Lucas will be pleased with his padawans use of CGI in that one

[Ultimate Bromance]

There was a rumour about a Seven Samurai remake set in the Star Wars universe being set up by Disney a couple of months ago. Looks even more likely then.

They're also planning on releasing the stand alones a year after each of the new trilogy instalments so there is going to be a new Star Wars film every year from 2015. And people think we're already over-saturated with Star Wars tat.

There's like a Marvel movie planned every year too isn't there? Wonder what Disney are going to buy next, could probably buy a country or two in 5 years.

[Rusty Oysterburger]

Unfortunately the first one is allegedly a Yoda spin off.

Disappointing that will be.

[Slick_Beef]

There was a rumour about a Seven Samurai remake set in the Star Wars universe being set up by Disney a couple of months ago. Looks even more likely then.

I think that would be a pretty smart move. Get a small band of jedi together and it pretty much writes itself (well, plagiarises the original, but it wouldn't be the first time)

[Paul JH]

There are so many good stories hidden in that universe you could have a field day coming up with something ten times better than the extended universe bollocks.

Anything from a Darth Maul prequel, a Bounty Hunters movie, a 7 Samurai kind of movie, anything from the Old Republic era. There's loads of stories that can be told and told well, they just have to find them. Hopefully they will come up with something exciting, new (and old) and something that is epic in scale. And not rush job movies.

[Beav]

For the love of god please don't do a yoda one. We've seen him in 6 films, and while there's plenty of back story you could go into (800 years of it), we simply don't need it.

[Paul JH]

For the love of god please don't do a yoda one. We've seen him in 6 films, and while there's plenty of back story you could go into (800 years of it), we simply don't need it.

Agreed. They turned him from a fairly decent, likeable little character in ESB and ROTJ to some annoying, humourless backwards talking git in the prequels.
Come to think of it, what generally annoyed me about the prequels is they turned characters into charicatures of themselves. C3PO was a fussy, old English butler in the original Star Wars. Now he's clearly a Carry On character 'oh my parts are showing!'. And Yoda? Think about ESB. Did he actually REALLY talk so backwards? At times he did. But he also spoke fairly normally at times too -

'For my ally is the force, and a powerful ally it is' would now be ...
'Force my ally is, and powerful it is'

'Look I so old to young eyes?' is now written as ...
'To young eyes old do I look?'

And so on. Just sort out the fucking writing. And don't have R2D2 FLYING FFS ...

[Seebab]

Why don't they just make it into a series if they are going to bother doing a film every year?

As for JJ Abrams, not sure if I like that. I don't really rate anything he has done but the slight ray of hope that he has done is Lost. We can all complain what Lost eventually became but the character development and plot lines in the first two seasons were stupendous. I wish he would go back to that rather than scenes full of CGI.

[JohnHobbes]

Why don't they just make it into a series if they are going to bother doing a film every year?

As for JJ Abrams, not sure if I like that. I don't really rate anything he has done but the slight ray of hope that he has done is Lost. We can all complain what Lost eventually became but the character development and plot lines in the first two seasons were stupendous. I wish he would go back to that rather than scenes full of CGI.

I thought JJ made the last Star Trek pretty well personally, and most promisingly for the next SW film he did it in the style of the original SW films. As red letter media points out, Star Trek is normally rather slow as there is a lot of (unnecessary) exposition or details being explained (which appeals to Trekkies but not mainstream audiences) and JJ pretty much dumped it and made the film in the style of SW (science fantasy) rather than science fiction (ST).

Yes, there were daft bits but it was a fast paced and enjoyable story and was a lot closer to the original SW films than anything Lucas managed with the prequels. I think he'll do a rather good as he has already shown he can do it with ST as long as he dumps the overuse of lens flare.

SW needs to be an enjoyable and fast paced fantasy story, with no unnecessary details (mitichlorins ugh), with well fleshed out characters we can care about and as little use of CGI as possible. Essentially as far as possible from Lucas's prequel style.

[JJ Red]

I'm pretty concerned in general that they think that between now and 2021 they can shell out approximately 6-7 films including the stand alone ones.

There is obviously a massive universe to explore and under developed characters a plenty thanks to the god awful prequels but 6-7 films in that short space of time just seems that they are not that bothered about the writing and actual quality of the films and more concerned with the merchandise.

[hitman89762000]

Yoda hasnt been in six star wars films though....

[anfieldpurch]

Yoda hasnt been in six star wars films though....

I think they could be countign the Clone Wars "movie"

[JohnHobbes]

I think they could be countign the Clone Wars "movie"

I always thought Yoda worked well as a secondary character. His character was essential to give training and wisdom to Luke that he needed to grow up and become a Jedi, having just a little of Yoda made his role more meaningful and impactful.

When they brought him back for the prequels and the clone war film then they pretty much over exposed him to the audience and diluted it to the point where he became rather boring, didn't achieve much, annoying with the reverse sentences and finally an annoying CGI Kermit the frog in the battle scene with Dooku. That screen time could have been far better used to flesh out meaningful to the plot characters, because of that inappropriate prioritisation most people didn't believe in the characters or their relationships and certainly didn't give a monkeys when those characters died.

[Drinks Sangria]

There was a rumour about a Seven Samurai remake set in the Star Wars universe being set up by Disney a couple of months ago. Looks even more likely then.

And rumour has it that it will be directed by Zak Snyder and not be part of the upcoming Trilogy.

[Chavvie]

Rumours of a Boba Fett one too, yes please.

[Drinks Sangria]

Rumours of a Boba Fett one too, yes please.

That already came out and it was about his father. Jango Unchained.