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Star Wars Episode VII Cast Announced

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And he was immortalized for it too:
LC53willrowhood1.jpg

He has the good hair.
 
Enjoyed both Celebrations 3 and 4. Great times.

I haven't been since C3, but it was a hell of a time. I only went to 2 and 3 because they were in Indianapolis, and I was close to there at the time. I would love to go to more, especially if they have gotten more organized since then.
 
Save the fact that we get constent releases of comic arcs in animation form. It doesn't have to be a live action film. What is so terrible about an animated Shadows of the Empire or Heir to the Empire however?

No one is saying it's terrible, it's just not worth the effort from Disney's end. Why invest time and money into movies -- live action, animated, theatrical, DTV, whatever -- that aren't going to expand your brand?
 
No one is saying it's terrible, it's just not worth the effort from Disney's end. Why invest time and money into movies -- live action, animated, theatrical, DTV, whatever -- that aren't going to expand your brand?

But isn't that the definitio of Brand expanding? Especially since they are literaly creating a new brand with "Star Wars Legends."
 
Wait so it's confirmed that of the 3 potential Jedi protagonists the black guy got it?

Cool, now avoid giving him a purple light saber and force lightning please.
 
I haven't been since C3, but it was a hell of a time. I only went to 2 and 3 because they were in Indianapolis, and I was close to there at the time. I would love to go to more, especially if they have gotten more organized since then.

I'm very close state wise so C2 and C3 were ideal. I missed C2 but enjoyed C3. C4 was the first time I had been to LA and actually enjoyed the time spent. Opted not to go to C5 or C6.

Was going to go to C7 before this whole EU mess. Don' think that is going to happen now though. Would have been fun to see another Spectacular.
 
But isn't that the definitio of Brand expanding? Especially since they are literaly creating a new brand with "Star Wars Legends."

Not when you're investing into a completely alternate continuity. Expanding your brand shouldn't entail confusing your audience.

Also, isn't "Legends" just a rebranding of the EU? It's a banner meant to distinguish the older stuff from the newer ones; it's not creating something new.

edit: I also don't understand why so many people are acting like this came out of nowhere. Hasn't it always been Lucasfilm's position for years that only the movies are absolute canon and everything else is lower on the ladder? It's not like they pulled a bait and switch where stories that definitely mattered at one point now definitely don't; they had always relegated the EU to a lesser status.
 
Was going to go to C7 before this whole EU mess. Don' think that is going to happen now though. Would have been fun to see another Spectacular.

I wouldn't let the EU thing bother you too much. Of course that's your opinion and prerogative and I won't press it too much, but Star Wars is Star Wars.

Anyway are the Celebrations strictly in LA now?
 
I wouldn't let the EU thing bother you too much. Of course that's your opinion and prerogative and I won't press it too much, but Star Wars is Star Wars.

Anyway are the Celebrations strictly in LA now?

I think the new one is in Anaheim.

Overall though, I have been pretty sour about this whole thing. Several friends have called me up to see how I have dealt with it.

It's odd to describe, because for me growing up Star Wars wasn't on the big screen, it was on pages and in game cartridges. Hell, I played Shadows of the Empire before I ever finished ANH. I guess it's a generational thing.
 
Not when you're investing into a completely alternate continuity. Expanding your brand shouldn't entail confusing your audience.

Also, isn't "Legends" just a rebranding of the EU? It's a banner meant to distinguish the older stuff from the newer ones; it's not creating something new.

edit: I also don't understand why so many people are acting like this came out of nowhere. Hasn't it always been Lucasfilm's position for years that only the movies are absolute canon and everything else is lower on the ladder? It's not like they pulled a bait and switch where stories that definitely mattered at one point now definitely don't; they had always relegated the EU to a lesser status.

It's not about EU's realtion the the movies, it's about EU's relation to itself.

But anyway, tey would be foolish ot to capitalize on those characters, even if we aren't seeing them in the new movies. Star Wars has branched out for years into different stories that don't pretain to the movies, Rebels is the latest example. I don't see how a "Star Wars Legend" animated film here and there would do nothing but make money.
 
It's odd to describe, because for me growing up Star Wars wasn't on the big screen, it was on pages and in game cartridges. Hell, I played Shadows of the Empire before I ever finished ANH. I guess it's a generational thing.

No one is telling you otherwise, just that the new films aren't bogged down by it. And as far as I know, the EU was basically like comic books, with many different angles and directions. I don't think they were ever supposed to be tied with the films.

If you enjoy stories, no one can take that from you. The fact is that since they want to do more films with new characters and stories, they want to be able to have free reign on what direction they go in without the authors of those books and such dictating how they're supposed to be written, because the EU was never made to govern any future films, just be side stuff that fans could get into.
 
No one is telling you otherwise, just that the new films aren't bogged down by it. And as far as I know, the EU was basically like comic books, with many different angles and directions. I don't think they were ever supposed to be tied with the films.

If you enjoy stories, no one can take that from you. The fact is that since they want to do more films with new characters and stories, they want to be able to have free reign on what direction they go in without the authors of those books and such dictating how they're supposed to be written, because the EU was never made to govern any future films, just be side stuff that fans could get into.

I keep hearing the argument "No one can take those stories from you" but that's not the issue, the issue is that those stories won't be finished.

I never wanted EU adapted into these new movies, nor did I want these movies to use too many elements are familar theme(such as a Vong invasion). I wanted these movies to exist along with it and tell all new stories, but ones that didn't intentionally override stories told elsewhere. It would have been nice to here about Dash Rendar or the Clone Emperor but those elements don't need to be the focus.

I aslo keep hearing how Lucas never meant for the EU to be canon. Well guess what, George is gone. If anything now is the time to go wild and do new things, his rules don't tie things down anymore.

But I think what bothers me the most is the rumored direction. If Luke is going to have a wife who looks like and acts like Mara Jade then why not just call her Mara Jade? Same thing if the Solos have twins. The whole notion that they are taking EU themes and renaming them is beyond stupid.
 
But I think what bothers me the most is the rumored direction. If Luke is going to have a wife he looks like and acts like Mara Jade then why not just call her Mara Jade? Same thing if the Solos have twins. The whole notion that they are taking EU themes and renaming them is beyond stupid.
I was under the impression that they didn't say they were wiping everything EU-related away, just that they wouldn't be beholden to it. So they might reuse EU concepts that worked, but if they changed stuff which then "overrode" the EU, then so be it.

Sorry, I don't have quotes/links, but maybe someone remembers where I would've read this?
 
I was under the impression that they didn't say they were wiping everything EU-related away, just that they wouldn't be beholden to it. So they might reuse EU concepts that worked, but if they changed stuff which then "overrode" the EU, then so be it.

Sorry, I don't have quotes/links, but maybe someone remembers where I would've read this?

I read something like that as well.

Probelm is though, where there was originally one there are now many in charge. I am very curious to see what happens if down the road a screenwriter or director actually mentions Thrawn or the Vong on film.


Marvel alread had that little hiccup with The Mandarin. Can't wait to see it in Star Wars.
 
I never wanted EU adapted into these new movies, nor did I want these movies to use too many elements are familar theme(such as a Vong invasion). I wanted these movies to exist along with it and tell all new stories, but ones that didn't intentionally override stories told elsewhere. It would have been nice to here about Dash Rendar or the Clone Emperor but those elements don't need to be the focus.

I get where you're coming from. But writing films is hard enough. The writers have a huge load on their hands, trying to move the films forward. They're screenwriters and film directors first and foremost. They're not huge EU fans necessarily. Just imagine being asked to be a part of the new trilogy writing team, and then being asked to know everything about the EU. It would be incredibly daunting and, in my opinion, pretty stupid. I think the films should be able to go in the direction the writers want them to, without being governed by what the EU authors have established.

There is a huge difference between filmmaking and a novel universe. People like Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams should not be weighed down to a plethora of books that were written to satiate the needs of fans, but they should rather be allowed to creatively explore what could happen beyond Episode VI. I think fans should be able to accept that and understand that what the filmmakers are doing is separate from what the authors were doing in the expanded universe. Disney, Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams... all the people heading up the new films and new stories are the ones doing the work, not the EU authors, and I think they have every right to say yeah, the EU is really cool but we're not really following it for these new films.

I think any self-righteous Star Wars fan would understand that and even accept it. I may have not read any of the books, but I have played several of the videogames like Rebel Assault, Shadows of the Empire on N64, etc. I really, really dug that shit, but I don't expect any of that information to be applied to the new trilogy or anything going forward. That being said, again, plenty of fans have devoted a lot of time to the EU stuff so I get why there's some disdain, but surely it can be understood why the filmmakers don't want to necessarily be bogged down by it.
 
Probelm is though, where there was originally one there are now many in charge. I am very curious to see what happens if down the road a screenwriter or director actually mentions Thrawn or the Vong on film.
Surely Lucas didn't personally authorize everything in the EU? Honest question - I really don't know how the EU works (I've read a handful of books, but that's it), but that's a lot of material (comics, books, games etc) for just him to act as sole gatekeeper.
 
I read something like that as well.

Probelm is though, where there was originally one there are now many in charge. I am very curious to see what happens if down the road a screenwriter or director actually mentions Thrawn or the Vong on film.

How would that happen? There aren't a lot of prospective writers/directors that have had meetings with Kennedy/Abrams/Kinberg/Kasdan, and the ones that have are VERY unlikely to have knowledge of the EU, or really anything outside of the movies anyway.

Surely Lucas didn't personally authorize everything in the EU? Honest question - I really don't know how the EU works (I've read a handful of books, but that's it), but that's a lot of material (comics, books, games etc) for just him to act as sole gatekeeper.

Not really, no. Basically, details would get through to him via the myriad editors at the various publishers, after being filtered through Lucasfilm's own editors & executives, and then he'd give the yay or nay to the ideas.

The Story Group will likely streamline this quite a bit, as it appears that not only is one of the producers (Kinberg) a very active part of the story group, but the number of people approval goes through is a lot smaller and a lot less variable.

I mean, it's eventually going to need to be rebooted again in 30-40 years, I'm sure (if not sooner) but by then, they'll probably just remake the whole thing anyway.
 
How would that happen? There aren't a lot of prospective writers/directors that have had meetings with Kennedy/Abrams/Kinberg/Kasdan, and the ones that have are VERY unlikely to have knowledge of the EU, or really anything outside of the movies anyway.

Star Wars is just such a massive thing that there are all kinds of perspectives and knowledge banks at play. They just want to make more films, and they want to make them like they're envisioning, and they don't want to be tied down to a bunch of extraneous stuff that shouldn't have any say over what they do. It's easy for a bunch of authors to throw a bunch of randomness at the canvas, but expecting the filmmakers to know every single thing they do and have did is beyond reason. That's why they're saying the EU isn't canon to the films; not because they disrespect the EU or its fans, but rather that they just want to be able to work from a clean slate.

I'm a huge fan of the films, but if I were a screenwriter and was asked to write Episode VII and beyond but to take the EU into consideration, I would give the middle finger and decline as I know nothing about the EU.
 
Surely Lucas didn't personally authorize everything in the EU? Honest question - I really don't know how the EU works (I've read a handful of books, but that's it), but that's a lot of material (comics, books, games etc) for just him to act as sole gatekeeper.

From what I read, aside from approving/suggesting the plot of Dark Empire, and suggesting concepts on The Clone Wars TV show (recent one, not the excellent Genndy Tartakovsky one a few years back, Lucas does not even read EU material. While I do think he has to personally authorize every project, I think aside from then synopsis they give him, he reads any more than that.

Apparently he and his son love to play Battlefront though...
 
Star Wars is just such a massive thing that there are all kinds of perspectives and knowledge banks at play. They just want to make more films, and they want to make them like they're envisioning, and they don't want to be tied down to a bunch of extraneous stuff that shouldn't have any say over what they do. It's easy for a bunch of authors to throw a bunch of randomness at the canvas, but expecting the filmmakers to know every single thing they do and have did is beyond reason. That's why they're saying the EU isn't canon to the films; not because they disrespect the EU or its fans, but rather that they just want to be able to work from a clean slate.

I'm specifically saying that the people who have been mentioned as possibly making spinoff films (Joe Johnston, Zack Snyder, Lawrence Kasdan) probably have zero knowledge of Thrawn or the Vong so the scenario the previous poster brought up is likely not happening anyway.

I'm unsure if you're just using my post to extend the point, or if you actually think I was agreeing with the poster I was responding to (I wasn't.)
 
I'm specifically saying that the people who have been mentioned as possibly making spinoff films (Joe Johnston, Zack Snyder, Lawrence Kasdan) probably have zero knowledge of Thrawn or the Vong so the scenario the previous poster brought up is likely not happening anyway.

I'm unsure if you're just using my post to extend the point, or if you actually think I was agreeing with the poster I was responding to (I don't.)

He's quoting you out of agreement.
 
You're all killing me here... I'm seriously loling.

And brandonh83 and LastNac, what's the deal whis this Rick guy you keep metioning?

Rick McCallum. The ultimate yes man.
 
How would that happen? There aren't a lot of prospective writers/directors that have had meetings with Kennedy/Abrams/Kinberg/Kasdan, and the ones that have are VERY unlikely to have knowledge of the EU, or really anything outside of the movies anyway.
Well, if Kyle Newman gets the job...
 
It hasn't been confirmed who is the "lead" yet.

I'm guessing something of a shared lead, like Luke, Han and Leia, but it's possible that Boyega is the "Luke," or central protagonist.

...that being said, please let it be Daisy. Nothing whatsoever against Boyega, he seems super cool and I'm about to watch Attack the Block later, but I just really want a female lead-lead in the new films.
 
I'm guessing something of a shared lead, like Luke, Han and Leia, but it's possible that Boyega is the "Luke," or central protagonist.

...that being said, please let it be Daisy. Nothing whatsoever against Boyega, he seems super cool and I'm about to watch Attack the Block later, but I just really want a female lead-lead in the new films.
Nah we minorites need this one!



Or they could go with Daisy I'd be down with that.
 
From what I read, aside from approving/suggesting the plot of Dark Empire, and suggesting concepts on The Clone Wars TV show (recent one, not the excellent Genndy Tartakovsky one a few years back, Lucas does not even read EU material. While I do think he has to personally authorize every project, I think aside from then synopsis they give him, he reads any more than that.

Apparently he and his son love to play Battlefront though...
Michael Stackpole (I believe it was Stackpole) has a story about the one time he got to "meet" George Lucas. Basically they took him up to the ranch for a lunch meeting and purposefully sat George at a table near him and waited to see how he would react. Ultimately he didn't freak out and the lunch meeting went fine and he would go on to do the X-Wing books and all the Corran Horn/NJO stuff. That seems to be about as much interaction the EU novel people had with Lucas anyway.
 
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