Disney buys out Lucasfilm, the Star Wars Franchise and George Lucas for $4 Billion!!

[Guested Account]

1) Disney now owns all LucasFilm IP: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Skywalker Sound, LucasArts (games), Lucas Books/Animation/Licensing/Marketing/Online, and ILM (the company that once owned Pixar), as well as the trademark for "Android" or "Droid". Disney will now own all intellectual property rights with some distribution and licensing "entaglements" based on existing deals, much like how Universal still has the Marvel theme park license for a while yet and Sony makes Spider-Man movies.

2) Much was made of Disney's global licensed product and distribution reach making better use of LucasFilm licenses, with all emphasis on the $4.05 billion paid being relative to the value of the Star Wars franchise. For example, this would imply that any Star Wars (and Indiana Jones?) licensed comic books will now go under Marvel once the current Star Wars/Dark Horse contract ends, and video games would go through Disney Interactive.

UPDATE 1:: Bob Iger: "We're likely to focus more on social and mobile than we are on console. We'll look opportunistically at console, most likely in licensing rather than publishing, but we think that given the nature of these characters and how well known they are, and the storytelling, that they lend themselves quite nicely, as they've already demonstrated to the other platforms" ...so maybe Star Wars comics are safe at Dark Horse? ...I want to say no way in hell, when you own one of the two megalithic comic publishers...

UPDATE 3:: The Star Wars 1313 game is staying on track, per a LucasArts statement.

3) Disney plans to release a new Star Wars movie every 2-3 years starting in 2015. All of them will be in 3D.

4) Star Wars Episodes 7, 8, and 9 will be a trilogy. The treatment is done, is in "early stage development", and the movies are to be released every other year.

5) ILM will remain a studio-agnostic gun for hire. Disney does not want to change anything about how they operate.

6) Fox retains ownership and distribution of all existing Star Wars movies (until that contract expires...?). Disney can use any and all characters from the entire Star Wars canon in all of its new movies. All future films will be distributed by Disney, unlike Paramount retaining partial distribution rights when Marvel was acquired. No mention was made of who now owns the Star Wars Holiday Special.

7) They made it extremely clear that the Indiana Jones (and other non-SW) IP was not factored into their valuation of LucasFilm, only Star Wars and Star Wars-related IP. They made an oblique reference to "entanglements" (i.e., Paramount's distribution and ownership of the existing movies and, I expect Young Indy, if they remember it exists).

8) This may be reaching, but they made repeated reference to the broader reach of the Disney content family in general, and toward the end someone asked about the Disney Faeries and other "girl-oriented" IP expansions and how they'd handle that. Disney sidestepped addressing it in terms of specific plans, but acknowledged that they have many plans in this area for sure.

UPDATE 2:: Bob Iger: "We love the fact that this will take its place in our live-action strategy as a known and loved brand. We really like Star Wars’ potential on TV, and Disney XD would be a great home for that."

This means that the long-rumored live-action Star Wars TV series is just the tip of the iceberg. No word on how Clone Wars (distributed by Warner Bros on home video) falls into any of this.

9) I just realized this means that Disney now fully owns Captain EO and Star Tours. This deal has been in the works for a long while, I guarantee you. Think about it.

Lucas noted that he wrote original treatments for 7, 8, and 9, and handed them over to Disney.

Lucas' admission that he has even bothered to write treatments for 7,8, and 9 pays put to the lie that he was never going to make continuation movies.

It also proves that he's a massive sell-out.

In the end he sold out to the very same studio system he claimed to hate and want no part of.

He took the money and....waddled.

Seeing Lucas getting out of the SW business is a day I thought would never come.

Maybe someone is going to come along and make SW films for the kids in all of us, and make a film that appeals to both young and old without insulting the intelligence and without annoying characters like Jar Jar binks!!

Maybe make a film where the director seems to give an actual damn about story continuity and integrity. Gives a damn about acting and storytelling.

Let the directors hype and rumours begin!

I pick Joss Whedon!!

He is the only Director for this job!!

And PPPPLEASSSEEEE NO J. J. Abrams!!

Is John Williams going to compose the music to all 3 films?

It's not Star Wars without John Williams!!

Maybe now we will see the Original Trilogy released on DVD in their original 1977, 1980 and 1983 theatrical cut and screen format without any of the awful changes that Lucas made!!

I came across this Star Wars Timeline a few months ago.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Timel...lactic_history

Episode 4-6 happened between 0BBY and 4ABY.

After that, there is a whole universe to be explored from 4ABY to 138 ABY including Han Solo and Princess Leia getting married.

I wonder what are they going to use?

I doubt they will bring back Han, Leia, Luke, etc they (Ford, Hamill, Fisher) are too old now even if they were coming back to play their roles 20 or 30 years after the events of Episodes 4-6

Edited October 31, 2012 by J7Dadda

[Blade]

Lucas noted that he wrote original treatments for 7, 8, and 9, and handed them over to Disney.

Lucas' admission that he has even bothered to write treatments for 7,8, and 9 pays put to the lie that he was never going to make continuation movies.

It also proves that he's a massive sell-out.

In the end he sold out to the very same studio system he claimed to hate and want no part of.

He took the money and....waddled.

Seeing Lucas getting out of the SW business is a day I thought would never come.

Maybe someone is going to come along and make SW films for the kids in all of us, and make a film that appeals to both young and old without insulting the intelligence and without annoying characters like Jar Jar binks!!

Maybe make a film where the director seems to give an actual damn about story continuity and integrity. Gives a damn about acting and storytelling.

Let the directors hype and rumours begin!

I pick Joss Whedon!!

He is the only Director for this job!!

And PPPPLEASSSEEEE NO J. J. Abrams!!

Is John Williams going to compose the music to all 3 films?

It's not Star Wars without John Williams!!

Maybe now we will see the Original Trilogy released on DVD in their original 1977, 1980 and 1983 theatrical cut and screen format without any of the awful changes that Lucas made!!

I came across this Star Wars Timeline a few months ago.

http://starwars.wiki....lactic_history

Episode 4-6 happened between 0BBY and 4ABY.

After that, there is a whole universe to be explored from 4ABY to 138 ABY including Han Solo and Princess Leia getting married.

I wonder what are they going to use?

I doubt they will bring back Han, Leia, Luke, etc they (Ford, Hamill, Fisher) are too old now even if they were coming back to play their roles 20 or 30 years after the events of Episodes 4-6

I got some Star Wars boos and not only do Han Solo and Princess Leia get married, they also have kids that eventually become jedi knights. That's where the story should begin, with the kids already grown up

[Guested Account]

If the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels are an indicator of the quality of Disney's brain trust, I wouldn't get my hopes up too high for this seventh movie to be anything other than a bloated CGI disaster.

[Shrensh]

It would be difficult for them to ruin Star Wars any worse than George Lucas has already done... I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the Star Wars franchise.

I got some Star Wars boos and not only do Han Solo and Princess Leia get married, they also have kids that eventually become jedi knights. That's where the story should begin, with the kids already grown up

Yeah, I reckon that it's possible that Han Solo, Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia will feature in some of the new movies, but they'll probably just have small parts and the movies will focus on their children becoming Jedi Knights.

[Guested Account]

Darth Vader: What are you going to do next?

This is kind of the thing they should be doing for Ep 7-9...

Ancient Jedi vs ancient Sith. Huge, epic battles. No holds barred.

No more annoying characters!

No more cute little furry creatures!

No more constant preaching and whining and rhetoric and posturing.

Edited November 1, 2012 by J7Dadda

[Guested Account]

Teaser poster!!

LOL!

Edited November 1, 2012 by J7Dadda

[Raekwon]

More Red Letter Media Star Wars reviews...wahey!

Fox retains ownership and distribution of all existing Star Wars movies

This part is is a bit disappointing, when I heard about this deal I was hoping that the originals might see the light of day

[Guested Account]

Billy Dee Williams was on this week's new episode of NCIS.

It seems to me he disappeared after being in The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi.

The only movie I remember seeing him in after that was Batman in 1989.

[Guested Account]

Abrams has signed on to direct Episode 7?

He is a hack!

He is ruining the Star Trek franchise and now he is going to ruin the Star Wars franchise too!

He will be responsible for the downfall of the 2 biggest science fiction film franchises in celluloid history!

Get ready for a million annoying flare lens in Episode 7!!

[jedicri]

That's good news. I highly doubt that J.J. Abrams has ruined the Star Trek franchise. That last film was great and quite entertaining. I for one didn't mind the lens flare; I honestly do not understand why many are upset about this. I've just gone over some reactionary comments at comicbookmovies.com and all their arguments have amounted to is "he's a hack" and jokes and sarcasm regarding his use of lens flare. Not really substansive; I'd like to hear why they think he's a hack.

BTW, I don't think he ruined the Mission: Impossible franchise; I loved his take on the third installment. He certainly revived the Star Trek franchise which had gone quite stale since imho, the last enjoyable Trek film, The Voyage Home. Looking forward to Star Trek Into Darkness on May 17th.

Edited January 25, 2013 by jedicri

[Guested Account]

ABRAMS!!!!

Edited January 25, 2013 by J7Dadda

[Shrensh]

I loved the most recent Star Trek movie, and am looking forward to the next one, so I think this is great news if it's true. The lens flare thing was odd but didn't annoy me in any way.

[Morph]

I think things should be left as they are sometimes. I mean, look at Indiana Jones - for years it was the perfect trilogy, then they bring out Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which in itself was a good movie, but still didn't feel like it fit in with the series. To me at least, lol.

[Guested Account]

IJ 4 was an abomination:

[jedicri]

It's well known that J.J. Abrams is a Star Wars fan. Anyone notice R2D2`s cameo in Star Trek? ``At

in the movie, after the Enterprise warps into the Vulcan attack, and just after they scratch their ship on the remains of another ships hull, and as they are observing Nero's ship for the first time, R2-D2 flies across the left side of the screen, above Sulu's head.``

I`ve checked it out myself on my Bluray copy and R2`s among the debris.

Edited January 26, 2013 by jedicri

[Guested Account]

I saw that, Jedicri.

R2D2 and C3PO are also in Raiders of the Lost Ark in several places as hieroglyphics on the walls.

----------

Bloody hell... JJ Abrams? Given the amount of good or even great directors who would have agreed to make this film, the choice of Abrams is Bloody unfathomable.

His films: MI3, STAR TREK, SUPER 8. Anything special or even particularly good among that lot? No. And, as STAR TREK proved, the guy is just as enthusiastic to bastardise beloved characters as Lucas was with the prequels.

They're treating STAR WARS as "just another franchise" with this appointment when, in light of the damage done by the prequels, the opposite approach was utterly essential.

Sadly, JJ Abrams is commercial. Disney want their money's worth. They'll probably get it with him.

Here are some problems I had with the prequels (specifically THE PHANTOM MENACE). If Abrams can avoid making these mistakes (I DOUBT HE WILL! I DOUBT HE'D EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE AND WHAT THE STAR WARS FANS WANT) he has a good shot at making a great movie:

#1 Forcing characters into the script (Lucas forces C-3PO and R2D2 into the prequels and it just doesn't work; especially in the case of C-3P0. By having Anakin be the person who builds C3PO, the inclusion of 3PO feels inorganic; it's a transparent case of squeezing in a character for which a storyline doesn't call for it. I'm also at a loss to explain how Anakin/Darth Vader would not recognize C3P0 years later in TESB).

#2 Being intellectually dishonest with the characters (admit it: when you first saw Star Wars and you heard Obi-Wan utter the line: 'When I first met your father, he was already a great pilot', did anyone concieve of the idea that the 'great pilot' would be a 9 year old boy? It's another example of Lucas shoe-horning in a plot element that doesn't call for it simply because he wants it, not whether the story dictates)

#3 Cheap laughs. The first Star Wars movie had humor, but it flowed from the situations; it never felt like any character was being used specifically for an easy joke. Not so with TPM. Jar Jar Binks destroys every scene he is in. Binks was a massive, massive distraction; so perfectly awful that, like a black hole, simply nothing was able to escape his grasp. Binks ruins every scene he is in, and I don't say that lightly. He serves no function other than to go for allegedly easy laughs, even though I don't recall laughing even once. At least with A NEW HOPE, the film appealed to kids without alienating adults. I'm not sure anyone was amused by TPM.

#4 Wooden acting. The one thing Abrams can definitely do is get a performance out of the actors, mostly because he wants to. Lucas hated directing actors and looked at them as something to get past in order to get on with the things he really wanted to be doing.

#5 Pointless plotting. The entirety of Episode I was essentially a waste of time. We spend 2 hours getting to know the most ruthless villain in the history of film as a cute, tow-headed, do-gooding, tyke. Don't get me wrong; I liked Jake Lloyd, but he should never have been cast in this movie because the character of Anakin should have started out as a mid-30/40-something man, not a child. And all of the political posturing and grandstanding the 1st and 3rd films also weighs down the narrative.

It says something that after all Lucas has done to STAR WARS, we still fear for it's safety at the hands of Abrams.

I think Lucas' problem is that he's an awful writer and director.

He was always more infatuated with the optics than the story. And you have to give him credit for knowing when to throw in the towel and let someone else direct, which is why I believe he not only hated the prequels, but he hated the fans and he hated Star Wars so much that he forced himself onto the prequels rather than let anyone else have a chance at directing them. Certainly after the universal condemnation of PHANTOM MENACE, you'd have thought he'd give the directing over to someone else. But he was defiant to the bitter end, and destroyed a series of films that had the potential to be so much better.

Harrison Ford was famously quoted as saying he told Lucas:"George, you can type this shit, but you sure as hell can't say it.", and Carrie Fisher said Lucas' direction always came down to this: "Faster" and/or "More intense".

Terrence Stamp refused to ever work with Lucas again:

http://www.ign.com/a...m-menace-boring

Stamp discussed his involvement with the very first of the Star Wars prequels. Speaking of his relationship with Lucas, Stamp said, "We didn't get on at all. I didn't feel he was a director of actors, he was more interested in stuff and effects."

He went on to add, "He didn't interest me and I wouldn't think I interested him."

So why did Stamp want to do the movie in the first place? Well, he wanted to meet Natalie Portman, but when he turned up for his first scene with the young actress, she was nowhere in sight. Stamp asked Lucas as to her whereabouts, the director replied, "That's Natalie", pointing to a piece of paper on the wall.

Stamp summarised the experience quite pithily: "It was just boring."

I've never felt that the prequels were so dependent upon special effects that Lucas had no choice but to wait 16 years to make Episode 1. I think it's lazy and a cop-out for him to suggest that. I found the original three to be much more epic in scope and weighty and profound than the prequels could ever hope to be. I think he is a man who is at odds with his own creation because his creation is much larger and more powerful than he is. What he gave life to has become more successful than him; in fact, maybe even in spite of him. He gave birth to something he was not able to control, and I believe he has great disdain for the Star Wars fans (I like the series, but am not hard-core). I think he resents the fans and I think it shows in his refusal to release the original trilogy onto Blu-Ray and/or dvd untouched and without the new special effects. I think his resentment shows up in his retro-direction of the scene where Han Solo kills Greedo (I guess we're all just a bunch of gun-loving rubes for liking the fact that Solo pulled the trigger first). Thank God that SOUTH PARK ruined Lucas' chances to "re-imagine" RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, because I firmly believe he would have successfully pressured Spielberg into changing the scene where Jones shoots down the Arab swordsman (played by NSNA actor Pat Roach). We already saw what they did with E.T., taking guns out of the FBI agents hands and digitally changing them to radios.

There's nothing about the prequels that couldn't have been filmed in 1986, 1989 and 1992. Lucas blames the lack of f/x technology for his inability to make those films at that time, but somehow, someway, we all managed to get by loving the original three films even with limited capabilities.

Edited January 30, 2013 by J7Dadda

[Guested Account]

Credit goes to Largo for finding this:

ROTFLMAO!!

Edited February 2, 2013 by J7Dadda

[jedicri]

Okay, that was funny.

Excellent post find!

[jedicri]

I saw that, Jedicri.

R2D2 and C3PO are also in Raiders of the Lost Ark in several places as hieroglyphics on the walls.

I thought that was rather cool, seeing these in the Well of Souls.

There was even blatant reference to Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Temple of Doom --- the club at the start of the movie is called Obi-Wan Club.

----------

Bloody hell... JJ Abrams? Given the amount of good or even great directors who would have agreed to make this film, the choice of Abrams is Bloody unfathomable.

His films: MI3, STAR TREK, SUPER 8. Anything special or even particularly good among that lot? No. And, as STAR TREK proved, the guy is just as enthusiastic to bastardise beloved characters as Lucas was with the prequels.

They're treating STAR WARS as "just another franchise" with this appointment when, in light of the damage done by the prequels, the opposite approach was utterly essential.

Sadly, JJ Abrams is commercial. Disney want their money's worth. They'll probably get it with him.

Here are some problems I had with the prequels (specifically THE PHANTOM MENACE). If Abrams can avoid making these mistakes (I DOUBT HE WILL! I DOUBT HE'D EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE AND WHAT THE STAR WARS FANS WANT) he has a good shot at making a great movie:

#1 Forcing characters into the script (Lucas forces C-3PO and R2D2 into the prequels and it just doesn't work; especially in the case of C-3P0. By having Anakin be the person who builds C3PO, the inclusion of 3PO feels inorganic; it's a transparent case of squeezing in a character for which a storyline doesn't call for it. I'm also at a loss to explain how Anakin/Darth Vader would not recognize C3P0 years later in TESB).

#2 Being intellectually dishonest with the characters (admit it: when you first saw Star Wars and you heard Obi-Wan utter the line: 'When I first met your father, he was already a great pilot', did anyone concieve of the idea that the 'great pilot' would be a 9 year old boy? It's another example of Lucas shoe-horning in a plot element that doesn't call for it simply because he wants it, not whether the story dictates)

#3 Cheap laughs. The first Star Wars movie had humor, but it flowed from the situations; it never felt like any character was being used specifically for an easy joke. Not so with TPM. Jar Jar Binks destroys every scene he is in. Binks was a massive, massive distraction; so perfectly awful that, like a black hole, simply nothing was able to escape his grasp. Binks ruins every scene he is in, and I don't say that lightly. He serves no function other than to go for allegedly easy laughs, even though I don't recall laughing even once. At least with A NEW HOPE, the film appealed to kids without alienating adults. I'm not sure anyone was amused by TPM.

#4 Wooden acting. The one thing Abrams can definitely do is get a performance out of the actors, mostly because he wants to. Lucas hated directing actors and looked at them as something to get past in order to get on with the things he really wanted to be doing.

#5 Pointless plotting. The entirety of Episode I was essentially a waste of time. We spend 2 hours getting to know the most ruthless villain in the history of film as a cute, tow-headed, do-gooding, tyke. Don't get me wrong; I liked Jake Lloyd, but he should never have been cast in this movie because the character of Anakin should have started out as a mid-30/40-something man, not a child. And all of the political posturing and grandstanding the 1st and 3rd films also weighs down the narrative.

It says something that after all Lucas has done to STAR WARS, we still fear for it's safety at the hands of Abrams.

I think Lucas' problem is that he's an awful writer and director.

He was always more infatuated with the optics than the story. And you have to give him credit for knowing when to throw in the towel and let someone else direct, which is why I believe he not only hated the prequels, but he hated the fans and he hated Star Wars so much that he forced himself onto the prequels rather than let anyone else have a chance at directing them. Certainly after the universal condemnation of PHANTOM MENACE, you'd have thought he'd give the directing over to someone else. But he was defiant to the bitter end, and destroyed a series of films that had the potential to be so much better.

Harrison Ford was famously quoted as saying he told Lucas:"George, you can type this shit, but you sure as hell can't say it.", and Carrie Fisher said Lucas' direction always came down to this: "Faster" and/or "More intense".

Terrence Stamp refused to ever work with Lucas again:

http://www.ign.com/a...m-menace-boring

Stamp discussed his involvement with the very first of the Star Wars prequels. Speaking of his relationship with Lucas, Stamp said, "We didn't get on at all. I didn't feel he was a director of actors, he was more interested in stuff and effects."

He went on to add, "He didn't interest me and I wouldn't think I interested him."

So why did Stamp want to do the movie in the first place? Well, he wanted to meet Natalie Portman, but when he turned up for his first scene with the young actress, she was nowhere in sight. Stamp asked Lucas as to her whereabouts, the director replied, "That's Natalie", pointing to a piece of paper on the wall.

Stamp summarised the experience quite pithily: "It was just boring."

I've never felt that the prequels were so dependent upon special effects that Lucas had no choice but to wait 16 years to make Episode 1. I think it's lazy and a cop-out for him to suggest that. I found the original three to be much more epic in scope and weighty and profound than the prequels could ever hope to be. I think he is a man who is at odds with his own creation because his creation is much larger and more powerful than he is. What he gave life to has become more successful than him; in fact, maybe even in spite of him. He gave birth to something he was not able to control, and I believe he has great disdain for the Star Wars fans (I like the series, but am not hard-core). I think he resents the fans and I think it shows in his refusal to release the original trilogy onto Blu-Ray and/or dvd untouched and without the new special effects. I think his resentment shows up in his retro-direction of the scene where Han Solo kills Greedo (I guess we're all just a bunch of gun-loving rubes for liking the fact that Solo pulled the trigger first). Thank God that SOUTH PARK ruined Lucas' chances to "re-imagine" RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, because I firmly believe he would have successfully pressured Spielberg into changing the scene where Jones shoots down the Arab swordsman (played by NSNA actor Pat Roach). We already saw what they did with E.T., taking guns out of the FBI agents hands and digitally changing them to radios.

There's nothing about the prequels that couldn't have been filmed in 1986, 1989 and 1992. Lucas blames the lack of f/x technology for his inability to make those films at that time, but somehow, someway, we all managed to get by loving the original three films even with limited capabilities.

Yeah, I hear where you're coming from. There are a lot of plot holes and whatnot I will admit and some of the acting is just plain cheesy, particularly early at the start of Revenge of the Sith with Anakin and Obi-Wan --- cringe worthy.

Attack of the Clones was for me far more interesting minus the romance scenes (I merely forward to the next track scene).

Spielberg actually acknowledged that taking the guns out was a big mistake I read somewhere. If I'm not mistaken, this was returned to it s original shot.

[Guested Account]

Disney confirms "Star Wars" Spin-Off Films. Disney Pictures CEO Bob Iger has confirmed talk that the studio is looking into "Star Wars" spin-off films that will be released independently of the new trilogy. Iger tells CNBC:

"There has been speculation about some stand-alone films that are in development. I can confirm to you today that, in fact, we are working on a few stand-alone films. Larry Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are both working on films derived from great 'Star Wars' characters that are not part of the overall saga. We still plan to make Episodes 7, 8, and 9, roughly over a six-year period of time, starting in 2015. There are going to be a few other films released in that time, too."

Disney is going to milk this like they did with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and every successful animated theatrical film they ever made which now have regular direct to video sequel releases.

Example: 101 Dalmatians was a Theatrical success, so they made a live action 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians. Then they made a 101 Dalmatians II Patch's London Adventure for the video market and then.... well, you get my drift.

Disney will do the same with the Star Wars Franchise: Episode 7-9 for the theater, spin-offs for the theater and direct to video, then sequels to the spin-offs direct to video, etc etc

source: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?play=1&video=3000146094

thanks to Haazhel_Thorn at M-L for the news tip

[jedicri]

Being a Star Wars fan, I would like to see story arcs that do not involve any of the New and Old Trilogy stories and characters. Quite frankly, I'm tired of these characters.

Stories that are set in the Old Republic era would be great. Anyone play Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic? That story was original and epic as was its amazing twist near the end of the game --- no one, and I mean no one saw that coming. The twist was akin to the twist in the movie The Sixth Sense. Also, by games end, you really got to care about the various characters in your group.

Anyway, wishful thinking on my part...

[Guested Account]

It looks like Ford, Hamill and Fisher will be back in Episode 7:

http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/03/07/george-lucas-star-wars-sequels/

Mark will have to get on an exercise program.

I saw him last year in a low budget movie named Airborne and he looked real heavy.

Sure, some people do put on weight when they age - it's perfectly natural;

but Mark has gotten huge even for his small body frame!

Either the years haven't been good to him or he just hasn't been taking care of himself or both.

For someone who still gets a lot of work (according to his IMDB filmography), you'd think he would have the $ to at least get a gym membership, work out regularly and eat a sensible healthy diet.

Someone on another forum said (which I agree with):

I'm more alarmed that Lucas was allowed to speak on the record about Episode 7. I thought that he was completely gone from the series? I want the man as far away from the SW franchise as humanly possible. Luke/Leia/Han I can deal with, though hopefully JJ Abrams will use them in an appropriate manner, and not force them into the plot the way R2-D2, C-3PO and Chewbacca were forced into the Prequel Trilogy.

Edited March 8, 2013 by J7Dadda

[Guested Account]

I was watching Star Wars earlier.

Yes!

Star Wars!

NOT Episode IV A New Hope as Crazy Lucas wants you to call it now.

The original title of it is Star Wars and there was no "Episode IV A New Hope" in the opening crawl when this film was released on May 25th, 1977.

Anyway, I'd noticed a few things:

What were all those Imperial Storm Troopers and Officers and NCO doing there?

Having a parade formation practice or a staff meeting?

Why would you put the Tractor Beam control over a precipice shaft and the cat walk around it is not even wide enough to stand on?

How do you do maintenance on that thing?

Leia runs like a sissy girl for a "Princess"!!

I will look for more as I go through the other 5 films.

Aren't y'all just bursting with excitement?

[Guested Account]

I still have the JVC T-120 VHS tape of Star Wars, recorded from the broadcast on CBS network TV on February 26th, 1984.

I wonder if it's the totally untouched Theatrical version.

:confused:

I don't think it's a good idea to bring them back even for a cameo.

38 years is a long time (assuming Star Wars was filmed in 1976 and Episode 7 will be released in 2015 but filmed sometime in 2014):

Watching The Empire Strikes Back.

Lucas is a damn Liar and Con-Artist.

When Obi Wan told Yoda "That Boy Is Our Last Hope"

Yoda replied "No, There is Another!" referring to Leia

Total BS!

Obi Wan knew about Leia and Luke from Episode 3 even if the movie hasn't been made;

BUT according to Lucas he wrote enough material already for 9 movies by the time Star Wars (A New Hope) was made and released!

Which means Lucas had already knew Leia was Luke's sister when he made The Empire Strikes Back.

What a big insult to the Star Wars fans!

Remember that quote from The Usual Suspect?

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. "

Lucas is the Devil!

Edited March 17, 2013 by J7Dadda

[Guested Account]

I just finished The Empire Strikes Back.

To me now, this is the BEST of all the Star Wars films including the Prequel Trilogy.

Star Wars is a great film by its own right and it also works as a stand alone film but The Empire Strikes Back tops it.

I still remember leaving the movie theater mad and disappointed at the same time after watching Empire because we felt the movie ended too soon.

At the time we didn't know there was a sequel to it in the works.

Then we heard a sequel was being made and it will be titled "Revenge Of The Jedi" but it will be at least 3 years before we will see it.

So back then we pretty much all hated The Empire Strikes Back and when Return Of The Jedi came out, I thought Jedi was the best Star Wars film.

But now after 30 years and several viewing of the original Trilogy and with my comprehension of the Star Wars universe clearer, The Empire Strikes Back is the Best of the both the Original Star Wars Trilogy and the entire Star Wars film franchise.

I doubt Disney can ever top The Empire Strikes Back and the original Trilogy with whatever plans they have for Episodes 7-9.