The news was announced yesterday that Disney had purchased Lucasfilm (and by extension, Star Wars and Indiana Jones). On top of that they confirmed a Summer 2015 release date for Star Wars Episode VII, with Episodes VIII and IX to each debut two years later in 2017 and 2019, respectively.
To put it mildly, the internet went into quite an uproar. How could it not? This is the kind of news which sends fans into a frenzy. Whether that frenzy was positive or negative remains unclear. I’ve heard a lot of opinions. I decided to throw in my two cents today for a very specific reason - I wanted to give everyone some time to mellow out.
Let me start off with a disclaimer: I am one of the few people who genuinely enjoyed the prequel films.
… still reading?
Okay then.
Were the prequels perfect? Lord no. We had Jar Jar Binks, fart jokes, midichlorians, the wooden acting of Hayden Christiansen, terrible writing (the “love story” of Episode II is almost as bad as Twilight), and a reliance on visual spectacle over core character development.
However, there are many things to praise in the prequels, as well. Liam Neeson’s presence in Episode I, Darth Maul (and by extension, the invention of the double bladed lightsaber), Yoda becoming an even bigger badass, Mace Windu, Ewan McGregor growing so well into the role of Obi-Wan, and Anakin’s fall from grace (which brought a genuine sense of darkness to Episode III).
When all is said and done, I do not consider the prequels masterpieces in any sense, but I also do not view them as irredeemable.
That being said, I am filled with very reluctant optimism for Episode VII. What gives me that optimism? A few things really.
First of all, it sounds like George Lucas will not be directing the film. This gives room for a director with a passion for the material, as well as a stronger sense of character and tone, to try their hand. Maybe we’ll even see a different director for each respective sequel.
According to the press release there is an “extensive treatment” for Episode VII, VIII, and IX. For those who are unfamiliar with filmmaking jargon, a treatment is a detailed summary of a script. This means the storyline is generally worked out, allowing for a (hopefully) cohesive trilogy to be created from the content. After the disjointed feel of the prequel trilogy, this is a very promising possibility.
With a solid director chosen, and a competent screenwriter finishing the treatment, we could be looking at something special here. Only time will tell if that’s what we get, but I imagine we shall all be following every scrap of information with unwavering scrutiny.
A few people have, unwisely, lamented the fact that Disney will be making this sequel trilogy. These people seem to have forgotten the fact that Disney’s recent live-action films have been largely wonderful. And the ones of lower quality have been, at worst, entertaining.
Consider the fact that The Avengers was hailed, by many, as the kind of film that the older Star Wars movies used to be. A lot of reviews compared it favorably to the original trilogy, saying that it held a sense of adventure and a spark of awe that is so vitally lacking in most modern entertainment. The Avengers was made by Disney (partnering with Marvel).
Also look to the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, a collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer, which proved to be an absolutely elative piece of film. Maybe not high art, but certainly high fun. Even the sequels, while inconsistent, had their moments.
John Carter and Enchanted were both quite a bit enjoyable as well. And the upcoming Lone Ranger looks promising.
Pixar has thrived under Disney, producing their best film yet (in my opinion at least, this would be Brave). Marvel is working better than ever, with Phase 2 of their cinematic universe set to utterly stun us.
So why wouldn’t this partnership work well for Star Wars? If they can assemble the right talent to the project, then we may just get the most amazing thing of all - the modern Star Wars trilogy that we’ve always dreamed of. To me, that is worth taking a chance on.
There is still quite a bit more to say on the matter. I do not wish to ramble on too long, and not all at once. As such, look forward to further speculation from me in the coming days! Tomorrow I will be naming a few of my top picks for directors who could potentially shape the future of Star Wars in new and exciting ways.
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