Star Wars -- ONE thread for all Star Wars - ALL Star Wars here

[Sir Godfrey]

It is a shame that Disney decided to cancel the Clone Wars Series. It is also a shame that they destroyed Lucas Arts Video Game Studios. I was at first hopeful that Disney would resurrect A Galaxy, far, far away... but instead they seem to be using their Death Star to eradicate anything they don't think will bring in the revenue or that would require making deals with companies like Cartoon Network. I'm afraid Star Wars under Disney will be like the Galaxy under the Galactic Empire.

I've heard that Disney is set to get rid of Dark Horse Comics. They already have a monopoly with Marvel and now they seek to destroy one of the best publishers of comics. I have always enjoyed Dark Horse's interpretation of Star Wars. I think their Clone Wars Saga, The Purge of the Jedi, and Jango Fett were brilliant. Alas, it seems no one is safe with Disney in control of the Force.

Since the ensuing madness of the House of Mouse, I've clung to my old Star Wars Games. Lately I've been playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on my Xbox 360. I wanted to revisit a time when Disney didn't rule and I am in control of the canon.

 

[SunshineRose]

With Disney, Star Wars will be reduced to a part of a large corporation. At first, I didn't understand why they were canceling the Clone Wars show or the comic books. I thought that, in the twenty-first century, if you want to maximize the profit you make on the upcoming sequel trilogy, you keep Star Wars in the public eye. Otherwise, the younger demograph that the Clone Wars meant to target will definitely have moved onto other fads. The core fans will come to complain about how the sequels ruined their childhood, but other demographic groups probably won't. Star Wars won't be that interesting to them if it passes out of their mind and sight.

Then, I realized that Disney gets its revenue from a lot of other sources than just Star Wars, and it can afford to sustain a relatively small loss on the net profit of what Star Wars gives them if they know that Cartoon Network and Dark Horse comics are losing more by them canceling the comics or the Clone Wars. They see it as a way of gaining more power over the entertainment industry by damaging and even doing away with competitors. It does make sense from a business standpoint, I suppose, but I will miss a lot of the wideness of the EU in terms of diversity of materials and media that existed before the Disney takeover.

I'll try to restrain judgement until I see something produced under the auspices of Disney, but if they aren't going to do much until the first sequel comes out, that's a long time to suspend judgement.

Also, does anyone know if the book releases are going to be impacted by the Disney takeover? I thought that some of the upcoming books like Kenobi actually looked really good for a change. It would be a shame if the books got cancelled just when they might be going up in quality again

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

It is a shame that Disney decided to cancel the Clone Wars Series. It is also a shame that they destroyed Lucas Arts Video Game Studios. I was at first hopeful that Disney would resurrect A Galaxy, far, far away... but instead they seem to be using their Death Star to eradicate anything they don't think will bring in the revenue or that would require making deals with companies like Cartoon Network. I'm afraid Star Wars under Disney will be like the Galaxy under the Galactic Empire.

This was my fear when hearing that Disney bought Lucasfilm and then the subsequent announcement that Clone Wars had come to an end. I know the cast of TCW was incredibly saddened by the end of the series itself, but as evidenced in the clip I posted of Plo Koon, and some hints dropped by Dave Filoni (director of the series), Clone Wars isn't quite dead yet. We'll have to see what the next few months/years hold, but I can tell you that [Clone Wars] fans are furious at Disney for cutting the strings of the series. I can't even begin to tell you how sad I was when I read the official announcement; I was in a complete state of shock. The series was more than just a cartoon. Normal cartoons don't go to the expense and time that the makers of TCW went to to be sure that each episode was of the highest quality. Normal cartoons don't make me get choked up with tears (as the finale did) and they certainly don't make me care about a character.

A fan made this video plea to Disney; it showcases the series. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDnHnodRrHU

Also, does anyone know if the book releases are going to be impacted by the Disney takeover? I thought that some of the upcoming books like Kenobi actually looked really good for a change. It would be a shame if the books got cancelled just when they might be going up in quality again

I wish I knew the answer to your question, but as I've only read 2-3 books in my entire lifetime as a fan, I just don't know. I seriously doubt the books will be cancelled; they are a huge draw for fans, and they are a very popular form of entertainment for fans. Then again, this is Disney we're talking about. No telling.

As for whether or not Disney will prove worthy of the franchise they've bought, maybe they will only be able to prove themselves through the new trilogy. I'm personally curious to see what they will do with 7-9, and how fans receive it/them.

 

[SunshineRose]

Well, I'm keeping an eye on the Jedi Council forums where I occasionally lurk to see if there are any bad bombshells about interesting books being cancelled, but I'm really hoping that there won't be. I'm hoping that nobody will have the heart to ax the books because they are my guilty nerd pleasure, lol.

I just hope that Disney will be concerned, at least a little, with what fans want and what we have gotten used to buying over the years. Star Wars fans are pretty loyal in the sense that we keep buying practically anything with the logo on it, even if we know that it may not be worth our money, so I hope that Disney will respect us by actually providing us the chance to buy what we want to spend money on.

I think how the new trilogy turns out will be a major factor in how SW fans judge the Disney takeover. If the new trilogy succeeds, I think fans will come to accept the Disney takeover, but if the new trilogy fails on an epic level, I suspect that fans will be complaining about it decades from now the way old people gripe about baseball not being the same since the Dodgers left Brooklyn We'll just have to wait and see what happens. I'm just hoping that Ben Skywalker will be in the new trilogy. He's like a perfect next generation Jedi, and I will forgive a lot of things if they include him and do him justice.

 

[Sir Godfrey]

Also, does anyone know if the book releases are going to be impacted by the Disney takeover? I thought that some of the upcoming books like Kenobi actually looked really good for a change. It would be a shame if the books got cancelled just when they might be going up in quality again

It is difficult to be certain what fate the books will suffer. Disney has officially sold rights to EA Games to make all Star Wars Video Games. Lucas Arts is dead, but EA will start developing new SW Games! This is a relief to us gamers, but the projects (Star Wars 3101 and Battlefront III) that were in the works prior to the Disney take over have been suspended indefinitely. The trend right now for Disney is to eliminate anything that was in production prior to the onset of them taking ownership. I fear this could include the EU books like Kenobi (which I was so looking forward to).

It is almost impossible to discern what Disney will do. I almost hope that Star Wars Episode VII is a bust, so that they sell Star Wars to a company that cares about pleasing the fans and keeping true to Lucas' vision. Under George A Galaxy far, far, away.. was free and accessible for companies to create their own stories. Under Disney is remains to be seen if that is still the case. The problem with Master Mickey is that he isn't very forgiving and doesn't allow anything to fail before it succeeds. Just look at Narnia, Disney dropped it after PC didn't gross more than LWW. Granted, SW will always make more money than Narnia because of the merchandise, but Disney like Darth Vader isn't very tolerant of failure.

 

[SunshineRose]

It is difficult to be certain what fate the books will suffer. Disney has officially sold rights to EA Games to make all Star Wars Video Games. Lucas Arts is dead, but EA will start developing new SW Games! This is a relief to us gamers, but the projects (Star Wars 3101 and Battlefront III) that were in the works prior to the Disney take over have been suspended indefinitely. The trend right now for Disney is to eliminate anything that was in production prior to the onset of them taking ownership. I fear this could include the EU books like Kenobi (which I was so looking forward to).

It is almost impossible to discern what Disney will do. I almost hope that Star Wars Episode VII is a bust, so that they sell Star Wars to a company that cares about pleasing the fans and keeping true to Lucas' vision. Under George A Galaxy far, far, away.. was free and accessible for companies to create their own stories. Under Disney is remains to be seen if that is still the case. The problem with Master Mickey is that he isn't very forgiving and doesn't allow anything to fail before it succeeds. Just look at Narnia, Disney dropped it after PC didn't gross more than LWW. Granted, SW will always make more money than Narnia because of the merchandise, but Disney like Darth Vader isn't very tolerant of failure.

Good points. Sadly, sometimes it seems as though the only good that will come from the Disney takeover of SW is the fact that it inspired some hilarious memes like Mickey wearing a Vader helmet and saying to Luke that he is Luke's father

I am really hoping they don't scrape the Kenobi book, but it would be just my luck if I loyally bought a lot of mediocre to bad EU books only to have the book that I really want to buy never get published. I am crossing my fingers that Disney will realize that Kenobi--a book named for one of the most loved,iconic SW characters of all--will appeal to a very wide audience. Even people who don't typically buy EU products or read EU books would be drawn to that in Barnes and Noble, I think. Everyone loves Obi-Wan. But Disney probably won't be thinking that way at all, and I should probably brace myself for disappointment and console myself by writing a lot of Obi-Wan fanfic.

I hope that Disney will respect the fans and continue to create a lot of EU materials. Even though fans complain about some of the badly executed materials, we like the variety a lot, and the creativity that comes when a lot of different people can work in the SW universe. I, for one, am willing to deal with ten bad EU products for the sake of one I like.

I hope Disney can see in the long term that SW fans, if they treat us right, are a lot more profitable than SW fans whom they don't treat right. If they don't provide us with products to buy, we simply can't give 'em money, so they have to give us products, preferably decent ones. To me, it's as simple as that. Of course, to them, it's probably going to be a lot more complex than that.

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

All complaints are null and void unless the fans let Disney know how they feel about things. In all likelihood it won't change anything, but you can't be criticized for lack of trying. I haven't had the time to send an e-mail to appropriate people with Disney...but it's something I'm planning on.

 

[SunshineRose]

All complaints are null and void unless the fans let Disney know how they feel about things. In all likelihood it won't change anything, but you can't be criticized for lack of trying. I haven't had the time to send an e-mail to appropriate people with Disney...but it's something I'm planning on.

I agree. If enough people send emails and stuff, that can make a difference, and if people don't act for fear that not enough others will act, nothing ever gets done.

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

Just announced: new Star Wars series coming to Disney XD in Fall 2014! http://starwars.com/news/new-animated-series-star-wars-rebels-coming-fall-2014.html

I'm very hopeful that this series will employ many of those who worked on Clone Wars (namely Dee Bradley Baker, Tom Kane, and James Arnold Taylor). But, any of your thoughts on this announcement? Will this series live up to the standards set by Clone Wars? Will it find the success and popularity of Clone Wars?

 

[SunshineRose]

Just announced: new Star Wars series coming to Disney XD in Fall 2014! http://starwars.com/news/new-animated-series-star-wars-rebels-coming-fall-2014.html

I'm very hopeful that this series will employ many of those who worked on Clone Wars (namely Dee Bradley Baker, Tom Kane, and James Arnold Taylor). But, any of your thoughts on this announcement? Will this series live up to the standards set by Clone Wars? Will it find the success and popularity of Clone Wars?

I think the series sounds interesting. It's a fairly unexplored period in terms of EU material, and I think there is a lot of potential to look at the birth and growth of the rebellion. There are also a lot of characters like Bail, Leia, and various rebel pilots and soldiers that could be explored. I would find it cool to see soldiers deserting from the Imperial Army to the rebels, and to see the work done in the Imperial Senate before it was dissolved by rebel politicians. Disney is also quite good with animation, so I have hopes that it will be visually appealing. My hope is just that it won't be too kiddie in an attempt to appeal to a young audience a la Jar Jar Binks.

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

Dave Filoni is on the team, so I'm hopeful it will be at least as good as Clone Wars has been. I'm also hoping they do some stuff with Boba Fett. I'd love to hear Daniel Logan come back to voice him!

 

[SunshineRose]

Dave Filoni is on the team, so I'm hopeful it will be at least as good as Clone Wars has been. I'm also hoping they do some stuff with Boba Fett. I'd love to hear Daniel Logan come back to voice him!

That would be neat, and I am glad that Disney is giving us something to entertain us while we wait for the sequel trilogy to be released. Soon we'll get an idea of the quality of the products Disney will be releasing for Star Wars. This news is quite exciting.

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

J.J. Abrams Talks Star Wars 7

http://www.christianpost.com/news/s...14-jj-abrams-reveals-new-details-video-97612/

Ok, but not really. Abrams does say that filming on Star Wars VII will begin January 2014 in London. And although I had my reservations with Abrams being the director (considering his history with trashing Trek), at least he's a confessed Star Wars fan. He's already admitted he isn't a Trek fan, but at least he's a Wars fan. That is some comfort.

 

[Jadis-the-White]

http://www.christianpost.com/news/s...14-jj-abrams-reveals-new-details-video-97612/

Ok, but not really. Abrams does say that filming on Star Wars VII will begin January 2014 in London. And although I had my reservations with Abrams being the director (considering his history with trashing Trek), at least he's a confessed Star Wars fan. He's already admitted he isn't a Trek fan, but at least he's a Wars fan. That is some comfort.

Disney will make a mistake with the star wars films as they did with the Narnia films, and I don't under stand why Lucas sold it to them for billions of $, Abrams was picked on the merit of his Treak film which was a flop, as are all sifi films these days.

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

Disney will make a mistake with the star wars films as they did with the Narnia films, and I don't under stand why Lucas sold it to them for billions of $, Abrams was picked on the merit of his Treak film which was a flop, as are all sifi films these days.

Okay, first of all: if you're going to blame someone for the Narnia flops, blame Gresham, the directors (Apted and Adamson) and the writers. Disney CANNOT be solely responsible for how terrible a couple of movies were, especially considering that they handed the reins on Dawn Treader off to Fox.

Second: Lucas was probably selling it because he could get the most money out of it now, and because he might have wanted younger folks to take charge of the franchise. Lucas is, after all, getting up there in years and it makes sense for him to sell it to a company that had some blockbusters like Avengers.

Third, I wouldn't call Abrams' films flops. They are only flops to me because I'm a Trekkie purist. However, these box office numbers say differently:
Star Trek (2009) grossed $385 million worldwide while in theaters. This does NOT take into account all of the DVD/blu ray sales since then. 'Trek' also grossed over $75 million in its opening weekend; a pretty good number considering that the 'Trek' movie franchise had lain dormant for 7 years.

Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) has so far grossed $376 million worldwide; there's no telling how much longer this one will be in theaters and it could potentially outsell the first film. However, Into Darkness grossed $5 million less in opening weekend than did its predecessor.

So to say that Abrams' Trek films are flops, in the financial sense, is untrue. Now, I consider his films terrible because I'm a purist, so I can't ever be satisfied (and I appreciate what Roddenberry did more than he obviously does). I do not dispute the fact that Abrams is, in fact, a good filmmaker. He has a unique style and outside of his films being called "Star Trek", the first one at least IS enjoyable: separate from the Trek universe (I just can't separate the two unfortunately). Also, Abrams did say he is/was much more into Star Wars, which means he is a fan. Which means, he might be able to pull off both an enjoyable film AND one that will appeal to die hard Wars fans. Will it happen? We'll have to see the film to find out. But Star Wars is making a comeback, just like Star Trek is (though Trek isn't doing it in the way I would prefer). Is Disney the wrong company to be handling it? Maybe. Then again, Disney has been hosting Star Wars Weekends at the Disney park in Florida for several years, and they have been not only very successful, but extremely popular amongst fans. There is a slight, repeat, slight chance that Disney WILL be able to handle Star Wars in the way it deserves to be handled. they've done a pretty good job with marvel so far.


I'm also curious as to what Abrams means by "experimental films". Does he mean individual character films, like fans have been wanting for a long time? Will we get some individual films that focus on some fan favorite characters, such as Yoda and Boba Fett?

 

[Josh]

Star Wars will NEVER flop. Even if the movie is terrible, the name "Star Wars" will bring in tons of people.

Anyways, I feel the new trilogy can only go up from the prequels.

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

Clone Wars wins the Daytime Emmy for Best Animated Series! Dave Filoni, George Lucas, Cary Silver, and Athena Portillo accepted the award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. Well deserved award and a long time coming.

Congratulations to the cast and crew on this win!

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

Book News!

I saw on Twitter a couple of days ago where James Arnold Taylor tweeted a picture of the book "Kenobi". I checked on Amazon, and it WILL be released in the middle part of August. I couldn't pre-order it because of finances, but I plan on reading it as soon as I am able to buy it on Kindle.

I'm pretty excited about it...especially after reading the synopsis.

 

[Aravis Kenobi]

So I'm trying to get into reading more of the books, and since there are like a million books out there, I need some help.

What series/author do you recommend starting with? I'm already reading the original trilogy novelizations, so those can be excluded from suggestions.

 

[SunshineRose]

So I'm trying to get into reading more of the books, and since there are like a million books out there, I need some help.

What series/author do you recommend starting with? I'm already reading the original trilogy novelizations, so those can be excluded from suggestions.

I enjoy the books by Matt Stover and James Luceno the best, so I would recommend starting with them. When you read the ROTS novelization, you should get a feel of whether you like Stover's style. If you do, you could start with Shatterpoint or with Shadows of Mindor by Stover.