Movieweb.com got to make an interview with Steve Sansweet of Lucasfilm Fan relations regarding future projects, presented here is the paydirt;
quote:Speaking of the future, you said the Star Wars TV show is years away...
Steve Sansweet: We're doing it in two phases. The first is Star Wars animation, which is CG 3-dimensional animation, like a Toy Story, that takes place during the period of the Clone Wars that takes place between Episodes 2 and 3. And that we're setting for Fall of 2007. Preproduction is underway, we're doing animation test, people are working on initial scripts. So we're well under way on that. And George is very much taking hand and is very much part of the whole process. I know some people thought maybe he would just hey "hey, go do it," but George is Star Wars and he's always gonna be very closely involved in this.
The other project is live action, and the live action is going to take place between Episode 3 and Episode 4. We're looking at a 1 hour show and [Producer] Rick McCallum has said the ideal would be to come up with 100 hours to really get into the story line and characters, and that's the direction we're going in. So that is really targeted more towards the end of the decade.
Speaking of characters, we hear it's not going to be the main characters...
Steve Sansweet: Correct. That's what George has said. For the most part, it's going to be characters you've seen a little of or seen some of, and they will be the central figures. But of course the plot lines will have to take into account what is happening in the rest of the galaxy, so you'll hear the names Luke and Han and Darth and things like that.
So we will have a core group of heros, it won't be episodic with a new hero each episode?
Steve Sansweet: I think there will probably be story arcs where we'll have some very familiar kinds of character continuity. Ya, I think you need to do that to do it like a movie. For most movies, not like Star Wars, but most movies where every movie you do it's a different group of characters. No I don't think that's what Star Wars fans want or expect.
Would it be too early to speculate on new villains? A new Grievous/Darth Maul type?
Steve Sansweet: I think in the Clone Wars animation, I think it's possible that we're going to see villains that we already know, like Grievous. I think it's way to early to speculate what's going to happen in the TV show. I think George has an idea of what he wants to do, where he wants to go with it, what kinds of characters he wants in it, but that's something...he's working on the animation right now...that he'll explore later.
I want to add that I copied the text from Movieweb.com, I haven't spellchecked their lazy writing.
I have certain comments but I want to hear yours first, my turnips.
Posted by Zefram (Member # 1568) on :
quote:The first is Star Wars animation, which is CG 3-dimensional animation, like a Toy Story, that takes place during the period of the Clone Wars that takes place between Episodes 2 and 3.
Hasn't that era been done to death, though? We've got the Cartoon Network microseries, numerous comic books, novels, etc. I know that pre-Episode I and post Episode VI comics and novels have been done, but there's a much larger and less worked-over period of time to work with on either end of the Saga than the few years between Episodes II and III. At least the period between Episodes III and IV gives you 20 years to work with.
Placing the CGI series between Episodes II and III can also present a problem for Lucasfilm's already patched together continuity. If the writers follow continuity, they may find themselves restricted in the story department. But if they don't follow the previously established continuity in order to open up their options for storylines (and reduce the research time necessary to avoid stepping on the EU's toes), many fans will be upset. We've already seen the effect on fans of disregarding series continuity with all the incarnations of Star Trek.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Toy Story-style animation? Are they joking? That's going to be awful. The only way they could get away with 3D CGI like that would be something at least on the level of the Final Fantasy movie, and that would be way too expensive. The Toy Story style of animation that's being used in every children's movie released these days is only going to look right for just that : children's movies. Seriously, just do a 2D cartoon like "Clone Wars" was.
"But of course the plot lines will have to take into account what is happening in the rest of the galaxy, so you'll hear the names Luke and Han and Darth and things like that."
Vader, yeah. Of course. But, the others? We'll hear name-dropping of a baby no-one knows about on a backwater planet, and some random upstart smuggler who has done nothing of note?
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
I especially can't see the point in doing a series set in the time between Eps II and III because "Clone Wars" already covered that. Talk about dead horse. And if the main characters only will involve C-3P0 and R2, I'll get seriously depressed.
Since they screwed up the originally noble and gritty Grievous, voiced by John DiMaggio, and turned him into a clich�d Nosferatu that says "Fool!" to everyone, what possible good could come out of showing more of that?
And focusing on matters before Ep. III, when we've already seen the inevitability of it all thanks to Palpatine's godlike prescience, would just be an exercise in nostalgia. It's like catching up on Season 2 of DS9 after you've finished Seasons 5, 6 and 7...(I actually tried this with my brother and we had to stop after a few episodes, it felt so futile)
Regarding the CGI portion, I suspect that ILM will still be at the forefront of development next year, and that the "Toy Story"-remark was only an allegory for "all characters and environments will be CGI", not that they'll look like frigging one-tone LEGO's (no offense, Jeff).
One strange thing one can glean in this article is how Sansweet talks about the shift in focus away from the Skywalker-family. I've heard several interviews with Lucas clearly stating that the focus always should lie on that family, otherwise it's just filler.
So why suddenly start doing just that? Not daring to move outside the prequel time frame, they instead try to show everything we didn't see in eps II and III?
It is of course way too early to tell what the two series will be like, but sometimes the Star Wars production timeline shows the same signs of development stages as that of a typical ambitious webcomic, say MegaTokyo or "Something Positive"; it starts out strong, witty and imaginative, then goes from underground to relative fame, continuing into fan-service, exploration and the "Golden Days", before it turns into obscure, rambling pseudo-drama that only entertains the creator (or in the case of S.P, becomes the creator's boring vomit bag of personal problems, using whining, 200-word speech bubbles).
A lot of the success of the 1-hour TV show will lie in the hands of its director. I hope he/she's fresh.
Posted by Mars Needs Women (Member # 1505) on :
The shroud of Merchandising clouds everything.
I have a feeling that these shows won't work out. I think Lucas is milking the last few drops from Star Wars' teat considering he's not doing anymore movies. The fact that the animated show is during Clone Wars just shows the tried and true method of beating on a dead horse much like what was done on the Galactic Civil War and events afterward. Although the years between ep3 and ep4 are somewhat interesting, I don't find any logevity in a show during that era since we all know pretty much what's going to happen already.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"Although the years between ep3 and ep4 are somewhat interesting, I don't find any logevity in a show during that era since we all know pretty much what's going to happen already."
They've got twenty years to play with. I'm sure they can come up with plots with unknown endings. At least no more known than every other plot on television.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Yeah, but it'll be ahuge stretch to bring in another force useing bad-guy.
At best, things might get really bad after a season ot three and the main chracters will run afowl of Vader himself....
But that leads into the whole futility factor, because you [i[ know[/i] Vader survives...
Hmmm...they really should just focus of stuff after Jedi or waaay before Ep 1.
Posted by Mars Needs Women (Member # 1505) on :
Well considering the Republic began 25,000 years before Star Wars: A New Hope, a series during the ancient times of the Republic may actually be more interesting, because you would have 25 millenia worth of material.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
an animated show during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion might be interesting. Although i'm not sure how many fanboys will handle the massive character deaths.
Posted by Mars Needs Women (Member # 1505) on :
Ah yes the Yuuzhan Vong, they were a kick-ass adversary. But then again, a lot of people would be up in arms about the death of Chewie.
Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mars Needs Women: Well considering the Republic began 25,000 years before Star Wars: A New Hope, a series during the ancient times of the Republic may actually be more interesting, because you would have 25 millenia worth of material.
And set that long ago, there would be absolutely no worries about contradicting continuity. Put the capital somewhere else? No problem.
I mean, look at how much life has changed just in the past 2,000 years on Earth. Surely the Republic was a different place 20,000 years ago...
quote:Toy Story-style animation? Are they joking? That's going to be awful. The only way they could get away with 3D CGI like that would be something at least on the level of the Final Fantasy movie, and that would be way too expensive.
Or they will do the movie like the virtual world in the series "Code Lyoko."
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
When I read Vector Prime, I almost said goodbye to Star Wars because I was so pissed that Chewie got killed off. But, I eventually went back and finished reading the rest of the NJO books. They're actually quite good.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
R. A. Salvatore got death threats for hat he did to Chewie. Those people take Star Wars a little too seriously. Me, I appreciated the irony that, of the core characters, the one who should have outlived them all actually died first.
But the cults of Wedge and Fett are alive and well, thank you.
I think a series focussing on a young Han Solo, and all the places he went, and things he did, would make for interesting and varied viewing. Maybe start with him running away to go to the Academy and end with him heading for Tattooine to see if Jabba had any work.
Or maybe shift the focus a bit to what Kershner referred to as a different sort of character. Follow the Millennium Falcon's exploits through different owners and adventures... Possibilities.
Or take a cue from Dark Horse Comics and LucasArts and do a series about the Jedi of the Old Republic before Palpatine was even born. The original Sith would make decent adversaries, and we could get to see the Yavin IV temples again.
If I hd my druthers, since it's going to be a while before the live-action series is ready, I think it ought to be post-New Jedi Order. Do a nice combination of solid story, like maybe have the Sith show up looking for Vader's body to enshrine in the Valley of the Dark Lords... and the odd fanboy wanktreat, like having General Wedge Antilles in command of the Lusankya. Be nice to bring back Mark and Carrie and Harrison and Billy Dee and Denis and Peter (as Lowie or Lumpie) and Jeremy (!). I basically envision that as a sort of "okay, you've had your fun dragging out the Star Wars saga after I intended it to end, so here's the bookend -- now let these characters quietly fade away".
--Jonah
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
Why isn't there a Cult of Ackbar? He helped design the B-Wing for heavens sake! They already have a couple of trilogy's based on Han Solo's younger years.
A series based on the NJO would be ok, but there's a helluva lot of backstory to wade through. Unless G.L. decides to completely ignore everything that's happened in the 30 odd years of EU novels and what-not.
Has anyone noticed the similarities in the plots between the prequels and the original trilogies?
EP1 = EP4: Young Farmboy/Slave from Tatooine learns about his Jedi heritage from a creepy old man who likes to be called "Master" Travels with him and learn about the Force until said COM (Creepy Old Man) is killed by an evil dude in black with a red lightsabre. Young boy then hops in a space fighter and blows up a spherical object with a proton torpedo to the reactor core. Big freakin celebration with a hot chick in a white dress at the end.
EP2 = EP5: Young Man, now slightly older learns the force from a little green muppet. Get's kissed by a pretty chick who may or may not turn out to be his sibling. Space battle in asteroids, followed by the young man getting his right arm/hand cut off by a COED (Creepy Old Evil Dude) get's wicked robot hand to replace it, scene ends with a beauty shot of the young man and his love interest/sister staring at something.
EP3 = EP6: Giant space battle, young man battles with the Dark Side, Wookies = Ewoks fighting on a jungle/forest planet. Giant Lightsabre battle @ the end...
It just seems to me that plot for the prequels seems a little recycled.
Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
30 years of expanded universe? Uh, gotta disagree with you on that.
The EU really picked up starting with the Zahn's trilogy, and that was in 92. Anything prior to that really isn't considered part of any EU stories that I've read about. Splinter of the Mind's Eye is contradicted by Empire Strikes Back (that whole first lightsaber duel with Vader). Nobody refers to the Han Solo or Lando Calrissian novels, nor the Marvel Comics.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
When I said 30 years of EU, I meant the years in the Star Wars Timeline. from ANH to NJO. Which I think is closer to 40 years if I'm not mistaken.
Posted by Zefram (Member # 1568) on :
quote:30 years of expanded universe? Uh, gotta disagree with you on that.
I think he was referring to the time span that the EU covers rather than how long writers have been contributing to the EU.
quote:Has anyone noticed the similarities in the plots between the prequels and the original trilogies?...It just seems to me that plot for the prequels seems a little recycled.
I believe that this resemblence is very much deliberate, with the life of Luke Skywalker being a mirror image of the life of Anakin Skywalker except for a very crucial difference: Luke didn't turn to the Dark Side.
Even the Episode titles can be seen to be related.
"The Phantom Menace"/"A New Hope" The names are nearly opposites. In one, there is a vague fear that the (former) utopia of the Republic is being threatened by some mysterious force, i.e., the reemergence of the Sith and their conspiracies. In the other there is hope now that the power of the evil Empire is being challenged by a different force, i.e., the Rebellion and the reemergence of the Jedi.
"Attack of the Clones"/"The Empire Strikes Back" The names are almost synonymous, although the parties involved (the Republic and the Empire) are supposed to be idealogically opposed. In one, the Republic masses its armies and strikes against the forces that threaten it. In the other, the Empire masses its armies and strikes against the forces that threaten it.
"Revenge the Sith"/"Return of the Jedi" Once again, the names are opposites. In one, the Sith reemerge and end up victorious after having been forced into hiding for years by the Jedi. In the other, the Jedi reemerge and win the day after having been forced into hiding by the Sith.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
Revenge of the Sith is also similar to Lucas early working title of Return of the Jedi. He had originally called it Revenge of the Jedi. But dropped it because Jedi don't seek revenge.
FYI: Lukes original name was Starkiller. Which is also the name used for an NPC character in Knights of the Old Republic, Bendak Starkiller.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
quote:Originally posted by Zefram:
quote:30 years of expanded universe? Uh, gotta disagree with you on that.
I think he was referring to the time span that the EU covers rather than how long writers have been contributing to the EU.
Yeah. That's only been 29 years. Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
Oops, my bad. Thanks for the clarification on the EU timeline.
Of course, now the EU expands about 30 years in both directions, with novels now being written detailing events before ANH
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
What was the name of that prequel book where Anakin and Obi-Wan go to Zonama Sekot? Wasn't that book also written by R.A. Salvatore?
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
Rogue Planet. Greg Bear. He lives up here in the Pacific Northwest. I have a signed copy.
--Jonah
Posted by Irishman (Member # 1188) on :
Oh, this is totally gonna rock!
As long as it doesn't turn into serialized, rushed out the door garbage
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
Like Episodes I, II, and III?
--Jonah
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Outta' sight! You sure put a fresh spin on that one.
I miss the days when people remembered that monkeys + typewriters = occasional golden turd.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
As lon gas they don't go about Blurst-ing things.
I thought that EP3 was actually well writen (compared to the other 2) I actually started getting teary eyed when Anakin killed Padme.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Well, there's one poorly written bit right there. Remember that, according to the movie, Anakin didn't kill her. She died of a broken heart, or some shit.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
Pfft. That was Lucas' attempt to explain to the kiddies why anakin crushed her windpipe.
Anyone ever notice how at least one person in every movie get's a limb cut off or bisected?
EP1: Darth Maul EP2: Anakin EP3: Dooku/Anakin again EP4: Ponda Baba EP5: Luke EP6: Anakin AGAIN!
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Yes, and although the excessive charring in Ep.III was a bit of a copout (give me the Cantina cranberry sauce any day), I'm glad they came through in the maiming tradition. And Anakin's vocal reactions to it in the end of III weren't exactly toned down.
Posted by Peregrinus (Member # 504) on :
I personally broke down when the mask was lowered onto Anakin's face for the first time. That look of sheer panic, the way the optics turned on, then the helmet coming down with the "thKUNG-squeeee" I remember so vividly from Empire. Than a pause. And then the first breath.
*sigh* I was a wreck.
But tht scene has to go. Along with most of Episode III. If we're to accept the Word of Lucas and watch them in numerical order (and all our progeny, too), seeing the downfall of Anakin while trying to save his pregnant wife blows the entire Original Trilogy out of space. All of Obi-Wan's misleading in Ep IV? Pointless. Vader's revelation in Ep V? Utterly eviscerated. And I seem to remember a certain part in Ep VI where Obi-Wan says, "When your father left, he didn't know your mother was already pregnant". Uh-DOI!
And while I'm at it, what the hell happened to, "I haven't gone by the name Obi-Wan since, oh, before you were born"?
Continuity, what?
--Jonah
P.S. The uniforms at the end of Ep III were the wrong colour.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
The whole timeline of the Origin Story was rushed when it was seen onscreen. If they hadn't felt the need to have Padme's gestation period last about, ooh, at least three weeks, then it'd have been possible for a) her to be pregnant without Anakin realising; b) to give Kenobi a sufficient period in hiding to have "not gone by the name ObiWan" prior to the birth of the twins.
The confrontation between Anakin & Padme solves some problems with the Origin Story, but creates others. It provides a healthy dose of guilt to help complete Anakin's transition to Darth Vader; it explains why he never tried to find his wife and/or child(ren), because he thought they were dead. But the Emperor's lie that Anakin had killed her was stupid; he didn't know it for certain, no body at the scene after all, and if he knew she died in/after childbirth then surely he'd know that the children survived and there were two of them! It's only later on he could have known about her death for real when he'd receive reports of her funeral on Naboo. And to ignore the RotJ revelation that Leia remembered her mother. . . That's just downright sloppy. The only reason I could imagine for it would be to avoid having to explain a mother willingly giving up one of her children to an uncertain fate (and a bloody stupid one at that, giving him to the step-brother of the person you're trying to hide him from).
I suppose it's kind of sad that future generations will likely watch the films in their own internal chronological order, and as a result lose the visceral impact that Vader's single line "I am your father!" had. They may even come to bview the original trilogy as inferior (due to not-as-good special effects, even in the Spec Eds) and pointless (though I hope not, but who can tell with ver kids today?).
Posted by Zefram (Member # 1568) on :
quote:But the Emperor's lie that Anakin had killed her was stupid; he didn't know it for certain, no body at the scene after all, and if he knew she died in/after childbirth then surely he'd know that the children survived and there were two of them!
I wouldn't doubt that Palpatine would know Padme was dead, reports from Naboo or not. Especially if, as some have suggested, Palpatine had something to do with her death. Throughout the saga, it seems that Palpatine only experienced major surprise when Vader turned from the Dark Side and threw him in the pit.
As for Anakin's children, who says Palpatine didn't know that they had survived? In Return of the Jedi, Palpatine obviously intended to replace his "damaged merchandise" (i.e., Vader) with Vader's significantly more intact son. He could have been planning this since Vader was injured. While Luke was growing up, Palpatine would have wanted to keep Vader away from his son for as long as possible due to the Sith tendency to betray their masters. As we saw in the Empire Strikes Back, as soon as Vader had the chance, he tried to recruit Luke as his new apprentice and planned to destroy the Emperor. Anakin had even proposed a similar plot to Padme while on Mustafar. It's likely that Palpatine had sensed that Anakin would betray him at the first opportunity (such as gaining his son as an apprentice) and thus kept him in the dark for as long as possible.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
I think Obi-wan meant that Vader didn't know that Padme's twins were still alive after he killed her. Although that might've been a mistake on G.L.'s part.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)