Thanks for the link, it is interesting for the first hand quotes.
I’m one of those who thought Episode I-III were ok, not atrocities. I should also confess that I have never seen Episode IV-VI until Episode I was coming out. If I did not love Tie Fighters and Dark Forces to bits, I would not have bothered with those Star Wars movies altogether.
When asked what he thinks will happen in the new trilogy, Lucas boasted “I already know what happens. I’m happy with what’s going to happen.”
Lucas also revealed that, contrary to previous reports on the matter, George has been “constantly talking” to director J.J. Abrams about the new film.
Shit.
Lucas felt really good about a crystal skull.
“Yes, George. That’s a great idea, George. We’ll definitely try to fit that in, George.”
Lucas also revealed that, contrary to previous reports on the matter, George has been “constantly talking” to director J.J. Abrams about the new film.
I’m glad to hear it. Lucas has amazing creativity, and the universe he created is enduring - he’s just not a good director and he’s a really, really terrible scriptwriter, so removing him from those roles can only improve the movies. Him as a “big picture guy” for the universe is ideal, imo.
Unless he forces another Crystal Skull on everyone like he did with Spielberg and Ford.
In the Lucas era, there were levels of canon. Lucas considered his stories the “film canon” as the primary and true storyline. Everything else was secondary. The Thawn trilogy, for example, while considered “extended universe” canon, was never considered by Lucas to be anything more than completely unrelated. The cock-ups happened when ILM folks put Easter Eggs in the films. For example, Dash Rendar’s ship from Shadows of the Empire, was inserted into the background of the special edition re-issue of A New Hope. Did that make The Outrider part of the official film canon? Star Wars nerds debated that endlessly.
Disney is saying they won’t have this problem. They are saying that ALL media products made in conjunction with and after the new film, unless designated otherwise, will be part of the official canon.
I was under that impression that the previous canon-tiers was just Lucas’s laziness / dick swinging. “I won’t let anybody else control the universe, and I can’t be bothered to approve or disapprove new content. So, everything I didn’t personally write is just some fan shit”.
It’s reasonable that that should go away when he’s no longer in control.
I’m looking forward to the way they incorporate our heroes destroying every set piece searching for LEGO studs into the storytelling.
I’m sure much of it was Lucas wanting to keep ownership of his story and not getting hemmed in by others if he wanted to make more movies/shows. To be fair to him though, I think at a certain point it’s just nutty to expect everything to make sense in a unified timeline, and satisfy fans.
For example, check out some of the Marvel comics they made for their Star Wars universe, or even some of the book canon. It’s completely dumb and very obviously not well coordinated.
Hopefully they dump Lucas’s the force comes from fucking bacteria idea.
Your words made Jaxxon the green space rabbit cry.
Still, it was cool to see Kyle Katarn gradually grow in popularity until he started making cameo appearances in the books, and then he became a supporting character in even later books. And then I stopped reading, so I imagine he’s taken over the family business of running the Jedi Academy by now.
So here it is. The official skinny on the “Legends EU” and everything else that will now be a unified canon.
In order to give maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also preserve an element of surprise and discovery for the audience, Star Wars Episodes VII-IX will not tell the same story told in the post-Return of the Jedi Expanded Universe. While the universe that readers knew is changing, it is not being discarded. Creators of new Star Wars entertainment have full access to the rich content of the Expanded Universe. For example, elements of the EU are included in Star Wars Rebels. The Inquisitor, the Imperial Security Bureau, and Sienar Fleet Systems are story elements in the new animated series, and all these ideas find their origins in roleplaying game material published in the 1980s.
Demand for past tales of the Expanded Universe will keep them in print, presented under the new Legends banner.
On the screen, the first new canon to appear will be Star Wars Rebels. In print, the first new books to come from this creative collaboration include novels from Del Rey Books. First to be announced, John Jackson Miller is writing a novel that precedes the events of Star Wars Rebels and offers insight into a key character’s backstory, with input directly from executive producers Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, and Greg Weisman.
Del Rey Books is thrilled to be on board with the just-announced unified Star Wars storytelling program as the leader of the Star Wars adult fiction publishing program. To celebrate, we’re revealing our first four upcoming novels created in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Story Group:
STAR WARS: A NEW DAWN by John Jackson Miller, on sale September 2, 2014
STAR WARS: TARKIN by James Luceno, on sale November 4, 2014
STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE JEDI by Kevin Hearne, on sale January 2015
STAR WARS: LORDS OF THE SITH by Paul S. Kemp, on sale March 2015
In our second upcoming novel created in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Story Group, bestselling Star Wars veteran James Luceno gives Tarkin the Darth Plagueis treatment, bringing a legendary character from A New Hope to full, fascinating life. Coming November 4, 2014. Jacket art by David Smit.
When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely solely on each other, the Force, and their awesome martial skills to prevail. Created in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Story Group. Coming March 2015. Jacket art by Aaron McBride.
Yeesh.
A thrilling new adventure set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and—for the first time ever—written entirely from Luke Skywalker’s first-person point of view. Created in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Story Group. Coming January 2015. Jacket art by Larry Rostant.
Oh boy.
Those all look pretty awful. Kind of like EU in general.
— Alan
Pretty much, but now they’ll be canon. I think fans are going to realize that “be careful what you wish for” works here too.
