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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Why Lucas is quitting blockbusters

Discussion in 'Lucasfilm Ltd. In-Depth Discussion' started by kypzethdurron, Feb 5, 2012.

  1. kypzethdurron

    kypzethdurron Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    Aug 23, 2011
    "George Lucas is infamous (both inside and outside the movie world) for many things, good and bad, and has taken more than his fair share of fan criticism over the years. As The Phantom Menace comes out in 3D and Red Tails, a 20+ year project, come to cinemas around the world, he announces his retirement from blockbusters - but why?"

    http://theyorker.co.uk/arts/film/10281

    Interesting piece. Thought you'd guys would like it. On an unrelated note, why has my post count reset? :-\
     
  2. shanerjedi

    shanerjedi Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 17, 2010
    That's a fair piece. It's certainly not one of those immature hit pieces that clog the blogosphere.

     
  3. Jarren_Lee-Saber

    Jarren_Lee-Saber Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 16, 2008
    He's quitting cause he's sick of wining "fans" who hate everything he made after 1989
     
  4. LordMortis315

    LordMortis315 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Actually, he's been planning to do this for a while now.
     
  5. StarWarrior92

    StarWarrior92 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2011
    Lucas is going through a time where he feels the need to do smaller films......sure maybe he's tired of fan's whining, but I don't think that's his initial reason (I think that was one of the reason's he gave for not doing anymore Star Wars films). However, I still think he will have a lot to do with SW through TV (TCW, Detours, ect.) and is not truly retiring in that he will leave SW forever. From what it looked like at CVI, he still seems to be in love with that galaxy far, far, away.....
     
  6. sinkie

    sinkie Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    May 27, 2004
    Nice article, makes me feel a bit of personal responsibility in not acknowledging the good, especially the good outside his role as director, that he has done with his career. I mean, wow, half his wealth to education? Imagine if other corporative entities could even come close to this in donations?

    I'm not so sure he's quitting blockbusters because of whining either. Maybe there's some of that in there, but he's been saying off and on for decades that he's more of a visual tone-poem guy, that he always wanted to do personal films etc. So this is really nothing new. I hope he can get back to that and doesn't find himself blocked, creatively, since he took this pretty massive detour into (independent) blockbusters for a few decades now.

    After reading it there is definitely a part of me that wishes things had been different. Without trying to figure out who started it all, I just wish that even in the face of harsh, frustrated criticism (over the SE and PT) he had just gone, Wow, you guys must really like this stuff! I'm glad that some of what I did made your life better. Sorry I didn't meet your expectations but this is just the way I want to do it now and I hope new fans and some old will come along for the ride." I think I would have went, fair enough, you're right, we do like it, we're just frustrated. But instead it became a kind of "Well ,you know what your problem is? You know what you don't get? You know what you did wrong? You know how terrible you are..." thing from both camps that spiraled out of control being fueled on both sides, though (of course, we should never lose the sense that this is one man versus the internet, that's got to take some will power to ignore or take in stride!
     
    darth ladnar likes this.
  7. Legacy Jedi Endordude

    Legacy Jedi Endordude Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2012
    I really feel sorry for all the hate the haters put on Lucas, especially for the star wars that I used to know junk, the song pains me half to death, just think of what it would do to him! If i wasn't hoping to get in the comic industry when i'm older, i'd make a redlettermedia like review defending the prequels.

    I'm just tired of all the hate, and the prequel fans need to do something about it!
     
  8. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Actually, whining fans had nothing to do with Lucas' plans. He's been talking about making smaller films for years now. With the SW saga finished, he can now do that.
    It gives far too much creedence to complaining fans to suggest they're the ones that made Lucas "walk away" from blockbuster movies.
    He's planned on doing that for years now.
     
  9. Jarren_Lee-Saber

    Jarren_Lee-Saber Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 16, 2008
    Actually, when Lucas announced his retirement, he specifically mentioned the hate & whining he's had to endure for the last 20 years. I'll see if I can't find the actual quote/link
     
    Andy Wylde and KilroyMcFadden like this.
  10. Chewgumma

    Chewgumma Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Did he mention that in his previous announcement in 2004?
     
    Sistros likes this.
  11. Jarren_Lee-Saber

    Jarren_Lee-Saber Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 16, 2008
  12. Legacy Jedi Endordude

    Legacy Jedi Endordude Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2012
    legit or not. he needs to realize that there are fan out there who love all 6 movies and still treat him like king, he need to realize he is not like Michael Bay, and didn't ruin alot of people's childhood, instead, he made them!
     
  13. Jarren_Lee-Saber

    Jarren_Lee-Saber Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 16, 2008
    But its only places like here that are like that. The vast majority of the internet seethes with misplaced hatred. And the "raped my childhood" was coined for Lucas by insane haters. This is sad but true.
     
    Prisic Duskleap and Andy Wylde like this.
  14. Chewgumma

    Chewgumma Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Apr 14, 2009
    Why that is a load of hogs wash: George Lucas has been saying for years he wouldn't be making more Star Wars. Revenge of the Sith was supposed to be the final Star Wars film (Which, guess what, it wasn't. We got the razzie nominated The Clone Wars in 2008). It was even advertised as such. And I have an issue of Star Wars insider from 2004 where he announced that he wouldn't be making any more big franchise movies and would be moving on to smaller projects, while he would hand the keys to the franchise over to new people. That is from 8 years ago. In those 8 years he has since made Indiana Jones 4 and The Clone Wars. It's only now that those plans for tackling new IPs are going ahead.

    And also I can't help but add, George hasn't retired. He's still going to be making movies, just movies that he has been talking about doing for years. And as that article you link to points out, when he said he had retired pre-production on Indy 5 was still in full swing and still had his involvement. His announcement is incredibly manipulative because he hasn't retired at all. He's still doing what he has always done, making movies and licensing out his old library to make a quick buck out of anything (I'm looking at you Angry Birds).
     
    Darth Dru, ShaneP and Sistros like this.
  15. DRush76

    DRush76 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 25, 2008
    Lucas retired from LucasFilm. He never said that he would retire from making films.
     
    Andy Wylde likes this.
  16. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Actually, he's not even full retired from Lucasfilm yet. He's going to finish out the year as Co-chair with Kathy Kennedy and then let her take the helm solo after that.

    He just wants to walk away from the biz end so he can concentrate on making these smaller projects he's been talking about doing for 30 years..
     
  17. WIERD_GREEN_MAN

    WIERD_GREEN_MAN Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2010
  18. KilroyMcFadden

    KilroyMcFadden Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    Truth. I would say he's been pretty much worthless since 1986.
     
    Darth Dru likes this.
  19. Aaronaman

    Aaronaman Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2013
    .....and yet your Avatar looks very much post 1986 so he can't have been that worthless haha
     
  20. KilroyMcFadden

    KilroyMcFadden Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    If I were a fan of George Lucas's version of the PT, I don't know if I would go out of the way to highlight the fact that he created movies with images that work as parodies of the very movies from which they are capped.
     
    Darth Dru likes this.
  21. Aaronaman

    Aaronaman Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2013
    What do you mean George's version, what other version is there....and please don't say the Phantom Edit or one of those because please remember everything created in those was created by George?
     
  22. KilroyMcFadden

    KilroyMcFadden Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    *shrug* Whatever flavor of denial floats your boat...
     
  23. Jedi_Ford_Prefect

    Jedi_Ford_Prefect Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 9, 2003
    Yeah, this. It's redundant to say "George Lucas' version of the PT". Don't like it? Fine. You don't like the PT. Not some version of it.

    I don't like Psycho, for instance. Well, I don't really like any Hitchcock movies, to be honest. But I don't say I dislike Hitchcock's version of Psycho. I don't say that, even though there's technically Gus Van Sant's version of Psycho to compare it with, and that version has one or two things that might've made me enjoy the original if they were there (well, just one-- if only the original had worth-a-damn nudity). But I don't. And why?

    Because Hitchcock's Psycho isn't just some version of Psycho. It is Psycho. Just like the PT is the PT. If you want some other version and for people to take it seriously, then go jump into a large hadron collider and hope it zaps you into parallel universe, because that's the only way you'll get it.
     
  24. Jedi_Ford_Prefect

    Jedi_Ford_Prefect Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 9, 2003
    Yeah. I'm frankly more interested in seeing those smaller art films than the ST.
     
    darth ladnar and StampidHD280pro like this.
  25. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    I sort of agree. I am more excited to see the ST than Lucas' smaller films. However, I am more excited to see Lucas doing those smaller films than if he was directing, writing yet another SW trilogy. I'm glad he stepped away from it. His heart wasn't in it anymore.
     
    KilroyMcFadden likes this.