"This deal is getting worse all the time!"

WB is not Disney. Disney has a long history of being both manipulative and short-sighted when it comes to such things. Watch them put the existing SW material "in the vault" like they do with their other big properties to "prevent market over-saturation" or some such nonsense.

 

And it didn't have to be...they could have continued the current arrangement indefinitely (or at least for the next 3 years or so as planned). But the current "corp-think" is to not work with "the enemy". Keep everything "in house" as much as you can, even if that means passing up money in your pocket just so long as it takes money out of their pocket.

 

What is the point in postponing the 3D releases for AOTC and ROTS? Episode VII isn't bound to hit the theaters until 2015. The Disney people have plenty of time to show the two movies before their new movie is released.

 

You mean they're sweeping the prequel era under the rug, which is a mistake as, despite what the internets would have you believe, the prequels were enjoyed by most people in the real world, especially kids. The new films will obviously be aimed at OT fans, but that risks alienating the half of the fanbase who think the prequel era is as good as or even better than the OT era.
The smart move by Kathleen Kennedy and her Disney overlords would be to find a way to bring together the PT and OT and heal the rift between fans. But they seem to be going for the easy fix and pretending the last 14 years of SW never happened. I think the new films will be enjoyable with JJ at the helm, but I have no faith in anything else the Mouse House has in store for SW. It already seem they're giving Lucasfilm less autonomy than they granted Pixar and Marvel after their takeovers.

 

I don't think Disney will totally dismiss the EU. I think they will probably ignore it when making the ST, and therefore 'decanonize' some post-ROTJ stories.

Disney even does a little "expanded universe"-like stuff with some of their other franchises. There is the Jack Sparrow series (12 books), Legend of the Brethren Court series (5 books), and the Price of Freedom novel that expand on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Not nearly as extensive as the Star Wars EU but it's something.

The post-ROTJ EU is in some trouble though... If Lucas has no problems decanonizing Clone Wars stories in his own TV show then Disney certainly won't. I'm sure novels, comic books, and video games will accompany the sequel trilogy. The ST and the EU that accompanies it will be the new post-ROTJ cannon. If only a few books and characters are decanonized then I think the current EU philosophy should be maintained. If nearly all post-ROTJ material is null and void, then I guess some of you might want to entertain the alternate-universe idea in your own fannon. (or maybe it's even made somewhat official). But I don't think that means the entirety of the EU is doomed. Luckily I haven't read much of the post-ROTJ EU so I have no attachments to it, and a lot of what I've heard sounds stupid...clone Emperors, Luke going to the dark side, Chewy being crushed by a moon, huh? I feel for you guys who're heavily invested in those stories though.

Anyway. I think the 3D releases actually work as a great build up to the sequel trilogy. People get to see the whole saga on the big screen again (or for the first time), in 3D no less, before episodes 7,8, and 9 are released. Why wouldn't Disney support that? The fact that they cancelled it shows me they have no interest in the concept though. They might show them in limited theaters or something shortly before episode 7 comes out but I doubt they will revive the project to the capacity that Lucas Films was originally pursuing. I was actually excited to see the other movies--not because "OMG THREE DEE!!!" but just because it would be cool to see them in theaters again. Especially the OT, which I wasn't around for when they originally came out.

Cancelling the video games really makes no sense either. It's all very disappointing. At least we have the ST to look forward to. And hey, we'll probably see another cool Star Wars ride or two at Disney World.

Then one season of Clone Wars is three times better than the whole film saga? I think a lot of people (myself included) value the films more than the cartoon series. Not talking smack about TCW, but c'mon. I guess it sucks the show was cut short but we'll probably be getting a new series too with the movies. So it will be a better deal in the long term if all you're concerned about is content and how much of it you get.

 

The whole point was that we were going to get a multimedia grand finally. Thats what it was going to be and it would have been perfect no matter what way you look at it.

It was allllllllll set, we were going to get:

1.) AOTC 3D

2.) The big finally to TCW

Which would have lead perfectly into...

3.) The 3D release of ROTS so kids could go and watch the real finally to the clone wars on the big screen.

4.) Which would have (again!) led perfectly into the SW: 1313 video game

5.) ANH 3D

Which would have skyrocketed media/pop culture excitement for Episode 7 and done wonders for Disney to say the least.

6.) TESB and ROTJ in 3D with of course, (oh how deliciously appropriate and satisfying and PERFECT it would have freaking been) the teaser trailer to Episode 7 shown in front of the movie/movies.

And then around the time of the release of Episode 7 we would have undoubtedly finally, finally at long last gotten Battlefront 3 with maps from the new movie.

Look at that. look at how perfect. Look at how proper. look at how satisfying. All they had to do was sit back and allow it to happen as planned. And they threw it all away for no good reason. Now what hu? Now what?

Allow me to let everyone here know something about myself: Im not one of those people who was shocked or surprised when Lucas announced that he was retiring (something he has been openly and loudly prepping for for YEARS and YEARS now) and i really wasn't even surprised when he announced that he was leaving SW in the one and only place that was ever logical for him to leave it. The place he has historically only ever had the highest praise for. The place where he will tell you his imagination and childhood was born. Disneyland. I (and many like me) wasn't surprised, or upset or confused at all by any of this.

The ***only*** thing that has upset me or surprised me about any of this is when we started getting things taken away from us. The only thing I wish would have happened a little differently is I wish Lucas would have waited just one more year to retire and leave it with Disney. I only wish he would have given it a little, tiny bit more time just so we could see the movies we love on the big screen in 3D. Just so we didn't have to get all these promised, planned out, highly anticipated, hyped up wonderful things taken away from us. Thats all.

But its ok. Like I always say, its ok. Wanna know why? Because despite everything, despite all the rotten forces in this world that were against both him and true SW fans he got to finish his story by May of 2005. He got to finish the story and complete the Saga the way it was always intended. And I got to be there and see it and experience it. And not only that, I get to relive that magic any time I want in one awesome, HD box set on blu-ray in surround sound. So at the end of the day its all gravy. Any little thing I get or got after the year 2005 was and is and will be nothing but extra gravy.

And thats that.

 

No offense to fans of the show but I will take a film of OT quality, or even PT quality, over 20 episodes, especially when 4 of those were about droids wandering in a void. Kind of a statement about the show's direction.

 

I think I'll hold of judgement until I see where they're going....I'm sure there where people sitting around in the late 70s saying that the second SW movie would be a flop and not as good as the first and we all know how that panned out. I'm not saying there won't be things I dislike about the direction SWs goes, just that I'll wait to see, it maybe better than we could ever have imagined....hey stranger things have happened.

 

That story arc is not representative of the show's direction, as you probably know. In fact, if there's a statement there, is one of Lucasfilm past independence under Lucas where they had the luxury and risk of exploring new concepts at the cost of audience share. And I'll take that over any Disney/Lucasfilm made SW movie that is not supervised by Lucas.

 

One of the reasons I liked TCW was that it seemed indicative of the overall Star Wars multimedia series' ability to shift between styles and concepts--one week a dark meditation on corruption and war, the next a whimsical fairy tale romp involving the droids. I'd hate to lose that sense of variation in favor of a calculated attempt to reduce the style scope of the series to nothing but slick, predictable blockbuster-feeling blockbusters that are deemed appropriately similar to the original Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back. Hard to expect otherwise at this point, though, especially given all the "postponements." Heck, hard to expect otherwise as soon as I saw the Disney headline.

Oh well, though. If the new trilogy turns out how I expect, I can always just throw in my Attack of the Clones blu-ray or dig out my copy of Shatterpoint.

 

Their strategy is to deprive us of all star wars so when episode 7 comes out we are desperate for it... I am in 100% agreement with you. At first I was excited, no im devastated. Worst thing to happen to star wars ever. Now the evil empire known as disney controls it :/

 

To be brutally honest I'm not going to be shedding any tears over the loss of the clone wars and I couldn't care less about the 3d re-releases. I's still the same 6 films and most of the time 3d is pretty rubbish anyway.

 

The only reason I was excited for the 3D releases was to see the films in the theater again. I loved seeing The Phantom Menace on the big screen again last February, and never did get to see the Original Trilogy in that format. I could care less about the 3D part of the rereleases.

And I never got into The Clone Wars (not saying it was bad, I just never really gave it a chance) so the fact that it is coming to an end doesn't really bother me. Plus, it had to start winding down some time or another. I understand that the Clone Wars had a huge impact on the Star Wars universe, but they only lasted for approximately three years, so there's only so many stories you can tell.

 

It's not about the 3D. Many fans with young kids (like me) were looking forward to sharing the films with them on the big screen for the first time. Disney has robbed us off that opportunity. Sure they'll probably do a marathon screening right before Ep 7 opens, but it won't be the same thing.

 

Agreed completely. Like I said, I didn't care at all about the 3D aspect of the films, I just wanted to see the movies on the big screen.

But I'm not going to get worked up about it. If Disney would rather use their time, money, and people to work on Episode VII than on 3D versions of movies we've already seen, then I say go for it.

 

Much as I like seeing the JC busy again, I must admit I'm increasingly wishing Lucas had just ran Star Wars/Lucasfilm down and let it die with him.

Not that I give much credence to The Clone Wars and not that I've got particular affection for the 3D re-releases, but I just can't get excited about someone else's version of Star Wars.

Star Wars is George Lucas for me. Without that authenticity its just someone else's spin on the story which is fine as far as it goes and no doubt I'll still catch Episode VII assuming I'm still around in 2015, but it certainly isn't something I'm desperate to see, unlike Lucas's Prequel Trilogy, which for all its faults, WAS truely Star Wars because it came 100% from the creator and nobody else.

 

I'm in agreement with you there about the starvation theme we seem to be seeing, Rex. My feelings are, as many have already stated, that Disney wants to make it clear to fans and none fans alike that the Star Wars they put out is not going to be shackled by what has become before it outside of the OT and the PT. That, and they want to step as far back as they can about the mixed views/opinions/feelings of fans and non-fans alike regarding the PT and whether or not it lived up to the hype and (probably unreasonable) expectations surrounding those movies. As well, we've already seen several very prominent occurrences in the CW where previously establish cannon has been irreconcilably altered for the sake of telling a story the way GL sees it. Therefore, in regards to staying true to the EU, the precedent is set to change what's established if it suits the purpose of the latest story that's being told. There's nothing stopping Disney from looking at the entire EU as something to brush quietly under the rug if it doesn't agree with their vision for the future of the Star Wars property.

Saturation in Star Wars is not a new theme, we've heard this argument made of Star Wars before. Less peripheral material, content that isn't tied directly into the upcoming ST, means more focus, buzz, and attention about the ST since there's simply less to talk about in terms of Star Wars related releases or materials. They want the buzz focused on the ST. Fans, like those of us here on the forums, are going to go see the movies no matter what happens between now and then. Our money at the box office is almost 100% guaranteed. They're wanting to bring back fans that have walked away from the franchise because of the PT era and bring in potential new fans by saying "hey, don't worry about all that other stuff, this is all you need to know in order to buy a ticket and enjoy the ride".

The real shame here is, in my opinion, that I don't think the House of Mouse really knows what it picked up in the sale in regards to projects currently underway or in development. If the execs at Disney are scratching their heads about what to do with Detours, 1313, Clone Wars etc., then I think we're going to see at least a year or two lof things being very quite on the Star Wars front, at least in anything significant involving Star Wars outside of the latest press releases about the current state of development on Ep. VII and the tie-ins following it.

PS - I fully believe that the animated project Disney is hinting at will be a direct tie-in with the ST and that we won't see it on screens until after Ep. VII.

 

So the fact that it was Lucas' conscious choice to sell the property and pass it on to the next generation of filmmakers and the fact that he is serving as creative consultant on the new films doesn't mean much? Even though, when he was writing and directing, Star Wars was still a very collaborative project?

 

Well, they haven't "cancelled" TCW; they're "winding down." They're still producing new episodes, which will come our way at some point in time, just not on the Cartoon Network. So maybe (1) another network, or (2) direct-to-DVD, or (3) again edited to be a theatrical release (unlikely, IMO), or (4) internet.

Also note that LucasFilm Animation is "exploring a whole new Star Wars series set in a time period previously untouched in Star Wars films or television programming," which is exciting news.

As for the 3D rereleases, I agree.

 

Sorry Count, need to disagree with you there about the "new" episodes and about the show being canceled. James Arnold Taylor has gone on the record as saying that those were the exact words Dave Filoni used when he broke the news to him. The wording used by Disney/Lucasfilm is just window dressing to soften the blow.

Here's the direct quote from starwars.com:

The "new Clone Wars arcs' were already underway in terms of production with the intent to be put on Cartoon Network prior to this announcement. The voice actors for the series often record a year or more in advance of a season airing meaning that the material for Season 6 was already underway at the latest in summer/early fall 2012 with scripts written, story arcs plotted, and voice actors laying down tracks. Reports are that was Season 6 near completion, if not complete, prior to this announcement. Both Lucas and Filoni have stated, again prior to the announcement, that they had a definite end of the series penned out, and that production was starting on Season 7 with eight seasons in view as the final count.

Lucasfilm isn't going to make its money back by showing this rest of the show online as "bonus material". This wasn't the plan. The show's cancellation, because to not be on TV is cancellation, marks a slowly and untimely end to the Clone Wars and how it would have played out prior to the Disney deal. This decision was made after the deal, and undoubtedly was pushed for by Disney. Bob Iger has come out and said that he doesn't want over saturation of the Star Wars brand under Disney and wants all attention focused on the upcoming movies. While I can understand wanting to cleanse the pallet somewhat prior to Ep. VII, all of this news of cancellation, projects being put on indefinite hiatus, etc., is just plain disappointing and not a promising first step into the House of Mouse era of Star Wars.

The fact that we're even getting this "bonus" material is an attempt to appease fans who are disappointed that the series came to such a sudden end, as good as that end was. They're going to show us what they have, not make more, just to keep us fans of the show as quite as possible about the show's cancellation. Yes, we may see some direct to DVD content, and in all honestly that's what I hope we'll see otherwise a year or two down the road this "bonus" content will be lost to us, locked away even tighter than the Tartakovsky series once the decision is made that they want to clear StarWars.com for Ep. VII material/traffic.

Mark my words, Disney is shifting gears to start production on an animated show that ties in with their idea of Star Wars leaving TCW dead on the roadside. If something in production can't be shifted over to tie into or promote the ST then we're not going to see it at all, or at least not for several years to come. Make sure to keep your Star Wars favorites close, because asides from news of Ep. VII we're in for a mini dark times here.

That said, I'm stoked to see what Disney does, but all of this news about things being canned has take pure jubilation about the prospect of new movies shift very quickly and suddenly into pensive worry for the future of the franchise.

 

Ah, yeah, gotcha. Well, then I agree. I read the starwars.com news thingy, obviously, but I wasn't aware that Filoni and Lucas had previously indicated there would be a 7th and 8th season, much less that they had envisioned a proper ending to the series. Most unfortunate, in that case.

 

There's a lot of bits and pieces of information out there, and the rumor mill is certainly churning fast and furious. Obviously, what was said or hinted at at events like Celebration VI is now being redacted or is simply no longer relevant post Disney sale. That, and the announcement on starwars.com was worded to paint the situation in the best light possible. A lot of behind the scenes stuff of the hows and whys will come out in the wash eventually, but it might be a while before we have a clear picture of who exactly made the decisions that have led to everything we're seeing currently.

At this point all we can hope for is that when we see Ep. VII and everything surrounding it we all say "Too bad about all that stuff that swept under the rug, but man did Disney ever blow Ep. VII out of the park!"

 

Well they are based on his story treatments. And he's still consulting. I think its too soon to say he will have less input on these films than he did ESB and that turned out pretty good. He visited that set just twice during filming. He was too busy building Skywalker at the time.

 

I don't think their ability to make a good movie is in question. But it will never have the same authenticity, as G-FETT says, because Lucas (the creator and authority of this universe) is not involved in many things. TCW actually gives many examples of the importance of George's involvement. For example: On Season 2, during the duel between Kenobi and Viszla, the latter was going to be using a vibroblade (a very well known weapon in the EU). However, George felt (and rightfully so) that a normal sword would never be able to hold against a lightsaber because it would make it less special and unique. It's these small things we take for granted that makes him remind us of the importance of them and how we should respect them. That's why I don't care much about the EU and related material. They ignore a lot of "guidelines" from the movies.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he was involved in the character, set and prop design, editing and related tasks, along with the story and script. And the fact that he "revisited" the movie makes it his approved version of (visually and storywise) events in my book.

 

Their strategy is to deprive us of all star wars so when episode 7 comes out we are desperate for it... I am in 100% agreement with you. At first I was excited, no im devastated. Worst thing to happen to star wars ever. Now the evil empire known as disney controls it :/
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you say this like it's a bad thing

I for one don't want Star Wars overload before 2015,



plus The Clone Wars era has been done to DEATH (on screen)

Disney I have faith in you