Discussion An open letter to Star Wars fans

I'm seeing a lot of fan posters and trailers and wotnot anticipating the 2015 (?) sequel, and I feel compelled to say just how badly I think they reflect upon the Star Wars community (yes I'm going to call it that).

I'm going to cut to the meat here: Just forget about the expanded universe. Just forget about it. Please. Timothy Zahn's books might have seemed like the real deal at the time, but the truth is that they would make **** movies. Thrawn was a great character (even if the name was ripped off of Geoff Ryman), but clone Emperors and 'remnant' Star-Destroyers and force-sapping lizards are not the stuff of good commercial screenwriting. No-one, especially not the very decent Michael Arndt would even consider those devices.
Are you really saying that you would be happy to accept that although the Empire is defeated, that, well, some parts of the galaxy are still a bit, how shall we say, 'Empire-ish'? bull****. It looks bad on paper, and that's because it IS bad.

Now in all likelihood, there is (rightly or wrongly) very little chance that Disney or Lucasfilm pay any attention to half-baked fan demands. But just in case they do, and to make the reputation of fans a bit more like something with clout, I suggest that fans be a bit more fully-baked about this.

A potential problem here is that Disney might actually be frugal enough to take some of this horse**** seriously. Not that they would sanction material lifted from the EU, but if enough fans insisted that Star Wars just wasn't the same without the Emperor or the Empire or Darth (totally dead) Vader, then out of concern for profitability they might insist on including either those elements themselves, or something embarrassingly close.
Generally speaking, big expensive movies shape themselves around consumer desires. We play a part in this. Perhaps not directly, but if enough people demand something cloying and conservative, then over time you can be sure that that is what you'll end up with: Stupid names like 'Jacen Solo' and 'Ben Skywalker', Clone Emperors, clone Death Stars, clone Boba Fett's and clone screenplays.

Fans, you might think you want this, but I assure you with supreme confidence that you do not.
If you agree that movies tend to suffer from studio interference, then you might want to consider the idea that most of that interference is on (what is thought to be) your behalf.

So. Stop demanding stuff that's crap. Be sober and be genuinely imaginative.

It'll be good. We just need to let JJ and the others alone, to do what they do. They need the studio to leave them alone, so they can knuckle down and not waste time and money once shooting begins. As fans, we can help them by shutting up for the time being, and not being a part of some half-assed pressure group demanding more stormtroopers. Trust the production staff and let them do their job. Don't clutter the process by vomiting your ill-considered preferences into the sorting bins of market research.
Let the writers and directors and actors play in this brilliant universe, just like you and I and all the fans have done. They're going to love working on this, and you can be assured that they want to make something you'll love.

 

Clone Emperor was from the comics, not from Tim Zahn's Thrawn trilogy.


I have mixed feelings on star wars episode 7. I hated episode 3, so it needs to be 1000 times better than that.

 

um, ok...

 

I admit the EU had lots of misses... that said this really belongs in the EU thread (awaiting on the lock down). I also disagree with many of your points, they're just your subjective opinion on what's dumb and what's not. Glad you have an opinion... but just want to point out to Disney 'in an open letter' that much of the EU is far better than the prequals and you should learn from them, so ignoring them is foolhardy.

 

Hmmm, another profanity laced, newbie thread out of nowhere - Looks like a lock to me.

Yeah, it's clean up monday in the E7 form...

 

Ben Skywalker is not a stupid name ! so Disney if you are listening I want the EU to stay intact "Please" set EP7 46-50ABY that will be perfect & include Jaina , Ben & Allana ....so Disney now that you've read this you can throw out all you have done & go with me ! wow I think I've done it I'm sure Disney is going to take what I've said & run with it ..............

Oh and by the way EP3 is the best star wars movie

and.......IN B-4 THE LOCK

 

"Darth (totally dead) Vader"

For a second, I thought he said not dead.

 

Isn't that kind of an oxymoron?

 

I just hope nobody tries to clone that Jango Fett guy.

 

Gentlemen, it's been an honour.

 

TCW was going to show a floating head of Jango.

 

In before the lock!

 

It's been a privilege posting here tonight.

 

I agree. I think the best idea from the Thrawn Trilogy (the concept of Dark Jedi) was already well incorporated into canon. Everything else is fine but I will not throw a fit if it is over-written. The cloning force sensitive idea is by far my least favorite in the EU and almost turned me off reading EU material completely. I hope that the movie is original and I wouldn’t mind if it over wrote previous stories. (Some EU stories over write other ones anyway, Star Wars canon is flexible that way.)

I’m sure there were EU stories that were ‘overwritten’ by the prequels too.

 

In before the lock.

 

Wow! I think the Key Grip for Episode VII has been hired and he's pretty angry. Dude, you know that's the path to the dark side, right?

IN B4 DA LOCK!

 

Since this thread is still open - FWIW, until we get some TRUE, REAL information, everything on this board is pure spec and social.... we're just having a good time 'standing in line' until the movie starts...

 

Yeah, stupid ideas like these would never happen in the films.

 

Arndt's idea: Death Star IV