No more Star Wars Movies...perhaps not!

[Jahled]

I was reading in the bath today the Illustated Companion to the Attack of the Clones.

 

Concerning John Williams it states:

 

Williams is already looking forward to Episode III. 'George Lucas has narrated the last piece to me,' he says. 'After I heard it, I told him, "Just hurry up and do it, because this is a fabulous ending." I'm enjoying very good health, and if that continues, I will complete the sixth film. I'm 69 years old. I'd very much like to complete this sixth piece so that this body of Star Wars material is rounded off and completed,'

 

He apparently said this following a trip to the Skywalker Ranch. He has been nominated for 41 Oscars and won five. Appart from his casting directors, I doubt there is anybody GL would confine anything more secret than him, given the influence he has obviously had on the movies.

 

I treat you: I'd very much like to complete this sixth piece so that this body of Star Wars material is rounded off and completed

 

More to come?

Edited March 16, 2005 by Jahled

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

I believe he stated itthat way because he considers the Prequels and the Original Trilogy to be two different bodies. He simply wanted to live to see the completion of Episode III.

[Jahled]

Sorry about the voting options, this nuke php thingy is a bit wierd.

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

Jahled, you might want to edit some of those options. Episode six was RotJ. I think you meant Episode seven through nine.

[SOCL]

I believe he stated itthat way because he considers the Prequels and the Original Trilogy to be two different bodies. He simply wanted to live to see the completion of Episode III.

That's also my take. Though it would be interesting to see more movies and despite all the joking I've done about waiting until Lucas dies to see VII-IX, I am sad to say doubt it will actually happen.

[Jahled]

Jahled, you might want to edit some of those options. Episode six was RotJ. I think you meant Episode seven through nine.

 

I don't appear to have the option of doing so....

 

[Colonel_Olorin]

i'd really like to see some movies done of the extended universe that have nothing to do with the blody skywalkers for a change.

 

 

 

 

 

maybe the x-wing series

[Trejiuvanat]

 

I've never quite suceeded in editting polls, I think all that can be done is to do it all over again, but that would mean to lose all the existent votes... Better lieave it as it is.

[Guest JediIgor]

I'm pretty sure that some LucasFilm employees signed an NDA last year about not talking about episodes 7-9.. if that means anything .

[Bill]

I have a feeling ep. 7-9 will be made, if not by Lucas maybe someone else, will take over and have Lucas as a consultant, maybe Spielberg.

[Colonel_Olorin]

I have a feeling ep. 7-9 will be made, if not by Lucas maybe someone else, will take over and have Lucas as a consultant, maybe Spielberg.

 

oh great so we'll have storm troopers running around with walkie talkies then instead of guns

Edited March 17, 2005 by Colonel_Olorin

[kaja]

I hope There is Episode Seven, Eight and Nine. That would be great!

[Mad78]

I'd love to see the X-Wing series as a TV serie.

[Jahled]

I'm pretty sure that some LucasFilm employees signed an NDA last year about not talking about episodes 7-9.. if that means anything .

 

....the plot thickens....

[Colonel_Olorin]

I'd love to see the X-Wing series as a TV serie.

 

5-6 episodes a per book you could get 2-3 years off current material

[lepsfootball]

I recently saw an interview with George Lucas and he claims there will be no 7-9. He also stated that he would never let anyone else make any more movies.

[Trejiuvanat]

He will eventually die, and his sons and/or the Director's board at LFL will do something.

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

Because the movies belong to LucasFilm he won't have a say as to the production of more movies (especially after he's gone). I suppose it will all depend on the position his children hold in the company, and their respect for GL's wishes.

[Trejiuvanat]

In any case I think the subtitle for Episode VII will be something like: The Search for More Money, followed by Episode VIII The Search for EVEN More Money and closing the saga: Episode IX: The search for more ludicrious amounts of money.

[SOCL]

Because the movies belong to LucasFilm he won't have a say as to the production of more movies (especially after he's gone). I suppose it will all depend on the position his children hold in the company, and their respect for GL's wishes.

Again, if there actually are Star Wars movies in the future, I believe LucasFilm will respect GL's wishes...until he dies, then the contract will go out to some other director and badda-bing more SW!

 

 

EDIT: By the way, I was recently thinking about the prospect of a Star Wars television show and came to the conclusion that if there is a show made, it will be a terrible failure because of USA-style television shows. Basically, the theory behind USA television shows are to make as many episodes as possible (even if new ideas don't come) until ratings drop and the show is canceled, in which case if the show had a good run, it will have reruns and annoy the hell out of people watching Nick@Nite. I believe that if Star Wars is to be successful as a television show, the show would have to follow the Japanese television show model, that is, have a set amount of episodes and stick to it. For instance, most shows in Japan have anywhere from 40-50 episodes (give or take a few epsiodes) and that's it for that series. That way a series can get put down, developed, and then closed without crappy rehashes of the same storylines. Then, if that show is successful, the production company will give permission for another 40-50 episodes, but not as a second run of the original series, but instead as a sequel TV series, this way the repeat of ideas are few and far between and fresh ideas are continuously on the rise. I mean, really, would you want to see a the X-Wing Series ruined by 1000 episodes that were original for only the first 100?

 

I think it would be great, then (with a good director, production staff, and whatnot) to see the first series be the Stackpole X-Wing (Rogue Squadron) series and the second series be the Allston X-Wing (Wraith Squadron) series. 50 epsiodes for Rogue Squadron and 50 epsiodes for Wraith Squadron, that way the ideas flow and the series are fleshed-out without too much crap but not lacking detail.

 

Good idea?

[Stellar_Magic]

Yes and no... SOCL. Having an unlimited number of episodes isn't necessarily bad, especially if the team has good writers. An example of a show thats been around forever and hasn't gotten old, at least for me, is the Stargate SG-1 series. Sure occasionally they repeat plots, but the more shows they have the more different they've become. Heck in an episode last year they had an episode which depicted combat with the ghould in a very gritty manner. I mean when you saw it you thought you we're looking at a movie production with the smoke, unseen enemies, the actual use of tactics by the enemy.

 

Basically the quality of the series is directly dependent on the quality of the writers, and if we had a X-wing series that ran for 300 episodes with the kind of quality and commitment that our longer running series have it would be awesome.

 

Of course getting those sort of people is the hard part, and some of the books don't transfer at all to series, (Zahn's works would be best served as a miniseries) having a good team of writers would be all it would take.

[SOCL]

Yes and no... SOCL. Having an unlimited number of episodes isn't necessarily bad, especially if the team has good writers. An example of a show thats been around forever and hasn't gotten old, at least for me, is the Stargate SG-1 series. Sure occasionally they repeat plots, but the more shows they have the more different they've become. Heck in an episode last year they had an episode which depicted combat with the ghould in a very gritty manner. I mean when you saw it you thought you we're looking at a movie production with the smoke, unseen enemies, the actual use of tactics by the enemy.

I've only seen SG-1 once, so I can't say I have a very good perspective of it, but I agree that having unlimited episodes isn't necessarily bad (look at Law & Order), but these are a few isolated shows. I can't say that I have any statistical data to back the idea that unlimited episodes aren't for the most part very good, but I can say that the majority of Japanese TV shows earn a higher rating, more money, and more popularity (proportionally) as compared to unlimited-episode shows. Additionally, by having a few epsiodes and then having the storyline hang until the sequel series drives the market crazy. I mean, Star Wars fans would be crawling the walls like a rabbit without a mate in Spring, waiting for the sequel series! Perhaps I'm looking at it too much from a money-making perspective, but I think if LucasFilm decides to make a Star Wars TV series, they'll be interested in making quite a bit of profit (think of how well the DVDs will sell as the market goes nuts between the series) at minimal cost (minimal cost as compared to unlimited episodes). Additonally, look how well the Clone Wars shorts did, and those were itty-bitty and sparse & far-between. I'm jsut trying to look at it from the perspective LucasFilm, a corporation, will probably look at it....

[Colonel_Olorin]

if there where looking for good writers to make a series for tele why not go to the authors from the extended universe? they have the nod from LA or they wouldn't of been published as Star Wars books.they have the knowledge of the universe and i'm sure they have idea's or possibly even short stories floating around already that could be adapted to television.bring in other gifted sci-fi writers and off you go. i have to agree with SG1 aswell they do have the odd show that repeats an idea but how else are you going to show the same group of aliens tying to invade the earth again

[SOCL]

if there where looking for good writers to make a series for tele why not go to the authors from the extended universe? they have the nod from LA or they wouldn't of been published as Star Wars books.they have the knowledge of the universe and i'm sure they have idea's or possibly even short stories floating around already that could be adapted to television.bring in other gifted sci-fi writers and off you go. i have to agree with SG1 aswell they do have the odd show that repeats an idea but how else are you going to show the same group of aliens tying to invade the earth again

I don't know, though, if turning to the authors of the novels would be a good idea. No offense to them, but sometimes novelists aren't very good at making their novels into screenplays (they're usually quite sensitive about what to leave in what to take out), but if they could pull it off, it would be great. I mean, look at Michael Crichton: not only can he write good novels, but he also created ER and wrote the screenplays for many movies (as well as directed many).

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

I tend to agree. Novelists aren't really cut out for the job of writing for TV or movies. A novel is designed to develope it's plot slowly, introducing characters and ideas of a period of time. In a movie you plot has t be clear within the first 15 minutes of the show (unless you're Peter Jackson with a huge budget and a cast willing to spend a sizable chunk of their life filming). If any of the Star Wars novels were to be made into a TV series, you would have one of two endings: 1) So much would be cut out of the original plot that you wouldn't recognise the story at all, save for the characters, with the occasional "May the Force be With You" thrown in to remind you that you are actually watching Star Wars, or 2) They would stick with the original story, but it would take a whole season to et through one book, with people saying "wait, why the hell am I watching this, it's going no where? I think there's a repeat of Friends on TBS".

 

I think the only people who would watch a EU novel TV series from beginning to end are those who really enjoyed them (I would, but each episode would have to be two hours). I think there is a surprising number of Star Wars fans who are hooked on the OT and want nothing to do with the EU.

 

You would also have to consider the loss of quality in making a Star Wars TV series. It certainly wouldn't be the movies. I for one wasn't impresed with Stargate SG-1's special effects compared to the movies (the animal heads on the bad guys was too... animated and toy like for me), but I think the effects would be more pronounced ina SW TV series...