Disney to buy out George Lucas for $4B

Abrams haters are SO 2010.

 

One of J.J. Abrams weakest areas imho is the logic of the story. He's said over and over again that his favorite TV show as a kid was Twilight Zone. And Lost, Fringe, and some of his movies play out a bit like gigantic TZ episodes, with all that's good and bad about that.

I think Disney, Lucasfilm, and the screenplay writers will keep him in check to some degree and maybe save him from some of his less good impulses. At least I hope so.

 

Well, since Twilight Zone is my favorite series of all-time that's probably why I like him so much.

 

What me worry, ANYBODY is an upgrade over George Lucas

 

Exactly, I think he's the perfect director to breathe life and FUN back into the Star Wars series. HeS got that light, action driven touch fueled by a fondness for fantasy and romance - the elements that made the original Star Wars series so endearing and beloved. Come on, Irving Kirschner directed the BEST Star Wars film, you can't tell me JJ Abramss isn't his equal!

 

Of course, the only problem with that is that Twilight Zone never had to make sense over an entire season -- each show was self-contained. Which explains much about Lost.

I don't doubt that Abrams knows going in he'll be villified by the fans, no matter how good or how bad a new Star Wars film will be. I heard directly from Lucas himself that he's convinced he (George) would be slammed no matter what he did, and that he felt all he could do was make the movies for himself, and just hope there was a sufficient audience out there that would enjoy them as well.

 

I agree with this. Didn't matter who directed Episodes I-III, doesn't matter who directs Episodes VII-IX - the reactions would/will be negative from a certain fanbase. They want movies that give them the same rush they got when they were kids, and that's just not gonna happen. It doesn't matter how good the movies might be - they can't compete with intense, fond, nostalgic memories...

 

Can it be any worse than I-III, wait don't answer that. I would actually be more interested except they're not making the Zahn books which would be the only way to get me to the theater.

 

It will almost certainly turn out better than the Prequel trilogy. You have to consciously work hard to turn out poor movies set in the Star Wars universe. It's such a rich mythology that it shouldn't be that hard to produce an entertaining movie.

 

I hope Lucas stays far far away in another galaxy. JJ is a great choice.

 

Correct.

That doesn't sound like problem is with the prequels.

 

I think the advantage of Abrams is that he's bright enough that he'll hire actual writers to work on a screenplay. And Disney is an extremely "hands-on" studio -- I have no doubt that, despite Abrams' power, they're going to exercise some control over script approval and budget.

If I were Mr. Abrams, I would absolutely send the script to Lucas as a courtesy and also invite his comments on the edit. At the worst, at least Lucas could contribute to the film's publicity when it comes out and say, "wow, I loved it" (vs. "no comment").

 

Don't forget that Kathleen Kennedy will be Executive Producer. She has worked on fantastic films and, I think, will be good for these films as well.

 

Here is the press release:

J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay.

“It’s very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie,” said Kennedy. “J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture.”

George Lucas went on to say “I’ve consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He’s an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn’t be in better hands.”

“To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor,” J.J. Abrams said. “I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid.”

J.J., his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, and Bad Robot are on board to produce along with Kathleen Kennedy under the Disney | Lucasfilm banner.

Also consulting on the project are Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg. Kasdan has a long history with Lucasfilm, as screenwriter on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg was writer on Sherlock Holmes and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have a proven track record of blockbuster movies that feature complex action, heartfelt drama, iconic heroes and fantastic production values with such credits as Star Trek, Super 8, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, and this year’s Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams has worked with Lucasfilm’s preeminent postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, on all of the feature films he has directed, beginning with Mission: Impossible III. He also created or co-created such acclaimed television series as Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe.

 

If they get Kasdan involved, they have a fighting chance of getting an extremely good script. I'm still trying to figure out how they're going to shoehorn Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher into the movie since they're over 60, as well as Harrison Ford at 70. The new stories were originally supposed to involve the characters 20 years after the last trilogy, and clearly that's not going to be possible now.

 

Joss Whedon would've been greater.

 

The news that Lawrence Kasdan is involved doesn't particularly excite me. Aside from the fact that he hasn't done anything of note in the past 20 years, I think disappointments like "Prometheus," to say nothing of Lucas's prequels, should prove that the involvement of the original filmmakers (or in Kasdan's case, the original sequel writer) is no guarantee of quality when film series are revived. Better to have someone with new ideas than someone past their prime.

 

There's a lot more movies to be made.

Gee, Larry says nice things about you.

 

I just think there have been enough anti-climaxes in movie history that viewers should be careful what they wish for.

 

If memory serves Kasdan co-wrote the script for Empire with Hollywood legend Leigh Brackett (The Big Sleep).

I'm a big fan of Kasdan's writing and thought Mumford (1999) was exceptional even if it didn't set the box office on fire.

Not sure exactly what "consultant" means in this case or how that will impact Michael Arndt's script.

Seems that Arndt is busy with sequels these days, he also did the script for the upcoming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

 

I might be misremembering what I read in various books, but I think the final script didn't have a lot of Brackett left in it. Someone else who remembers better might correct me, but I think that Lucas tossed out a ton of what she did...

 

I believe some of her work survived in the banter between Han and Leia ("Scoundrel, I like the sound of that," etc.).

 

He would be my first choice as well, but I think Abrams will do a pretty good job nonetheless.

 

Whedon is tied up in the Marvel universe through 2015. I would much prefer him to write/direct some more original works after he completes the next Avengers movie instead of jumping directly into another franchise.

 

Good point. Another Firefly movie would be great.