Darth Vader Televised Specials to Screen in Spring (Cancelled)

My concern is that Disney is notorious for overplaying their hand, and I have a lot of concerns that Disney investors are going to want a quick return on their $4 billion dollar investment and flood the market beginning in 2015. Look at what's beginning to happen over in Disney's Marvel land... we have Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America movies... now add to that Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant Man, a rumored Hawkeye movie, and Doctor Strange film. We have Agents of SHIELD on TV, a rumored Agent Carter series, along with another 60 hours of Marvel TV content Disney is producing... oh and add rumored Marvel themed rides/attractions coming to Disney Parks. It's overkill.

Now imagine that happening with the Star Wars brand... I don't care how good the product is, you will reach consumer overload at some point. Sure, fans are going to love the volume of content, but your average moviegoer/TV viewer is going to grow tired of the franchise... it will wear out its welcome.

Whatever your opinions of Lucas, he was brilliant about hiring the right people to shepherd Lucasfilm's licensing. Beginning in the early 90s the companycompany gave fans just enough content to whet their appetites without going into overload. Even during the heyday of the Prequels merchandising had a steady ebb and flow, ramping up for each new release and tapering off a bit in the two years between. I frankly don't believe the people at Disney have that kind of discipline.

Yancy

 

The contract with pinewood has been expanded to a ten year minimum for Star Wars, that's two trilogies, and at least 6 spinoffs

 

Well, then maybe we're talking about two different elements here: dilution, and bloat. I'd say more official content is bloat, but I think pop-cultural dilution could actually counteract that bloat a bit. I dunno.

 

Well I'm really talking about dilution of the brand by way of bloat. I'm very much a believer in the old adage: "Always leave em' wanting more." Too much of a good thing will always turn away audiences eventually.


Yancy

 

If he's still floating around in the ST, his PT words about letting go will become pretty hollow.

 

I may be with Darkslayer on this one. I mean heck if Vader comes back just roll out the entire pantheon of dead Star Wars characters... Tarkin.. back, General Veers... back, entire population of Alderaan.. yup they are back too.

Maybe Episode VII can be a story about a mysterious alien ship emerging from a spatial disturbance creating a rift in the fabric of time, splitting off into an alternate Star Wars timeline. Later, the original Luke Skywalker could emerge from a similar rift... we'll call him Luke Skywalker Prime, and he helps Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia from this new timeline defeat the Forces of the Empire and evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.... could be cool.

Yancy

 

Let me be clear. I'll be done if they bring back Vader. I'd love to see Anakin as a Force Ghost. Actually, I think it would be disappointing if he wasn't in it.

 

Maul, I can live with... the creation of Grievous opened THAT can of worms....

But, I will not be amused if there are any light siders sticking around past their exp-date.
Dadgummit, its the Sith who can't ever learn to let go.

 

Of course you wouldn't mind Maul coming back, just look at your avatar!

 

I'm only fine with Anakin's ghost... if there must be one.

 

I'm pretty much right with you there guys. I can see Anakin Force Ghost... maybe Obi-Wan, but I'm not sure how you get around the continuity of Old Ben Force Ghost suddenly appearing as strapping, youngish Obi-Wan. The only bad guy I can see coming back maybe (and it's a big maybe) is Palps, but he should only return as some sort of evil Force spirit or in a hologram (maybe part of some Sith Holocron or something). Otherwise I have no interest in revisiting dead characters. I want news characters, and new ideas... not a bunch of retreads.


Yancy

 

I'd be fine with any of Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Qui-Gon. Anyone though, no. Maybe Sidious just because of how much I like Ian McDiarmid. Just don't throw the ghosts in there just to throw them in there. Have it make sense.

 

In the bonus content for TCW, we're getting a Yoda arc, that deals with sith Force ghosts, one of the sith ghosts is supposed to be voiced by Mark Hamill

 

Now that Maul's alive(sarcasm), the only dead guy that might have some unfinished business is Plagueis.

Something was different about the way he "died" and I've never been sold that he just let Sidious fry him.

But, he was cremated by Palpatine just in case, so there's that.

 

We didn't get on-screen Vader for like thirty years (I don't really count ROTS). He is one of the main characters who probably got the least screentime of them all. So I'm not sure why you people are complaining. I could understand if we got a Vader trilogy, but right now only a bunch of tv-specials are planned.

 

Talking bout force ghosts and who doesn't get to come back from the dead... so yeah, lots to complain about.

 

Yarr, I was referring to the posts before the ghost discussion. Should've made it clearer.

 

I've actually heard that Disney plans on doing a movie every year post 2015, to which I responded "And Star Wars goes mooooo". I got into an argument with one of my friends on how Disney was going to be spamming the market and milking the franchise worse and far more blatantly than Lucas ever did. I even came up with an analogy to try to explain to him what exactly was happening:

 

Agree completely Dinos4Ever. This is exactly what "killed" Star Trek until the JJ Abrams reboot. At one point Trek had multiple series on TV as well as releasing features every few years. Eventually the box office dried up as general audiences realized they could watch Star Trek for free on TV and satisfy their fix rather than blowing 5 bucks on a movie. Meanwhile multiple TV series eventually began to erode away at the casual Trek fanbase who tired of seeing the same stories redressed in different settings, or with different characters... Star Trek got tired, and it needed a break.

I don't want that for Star Wars. I'd rather see a slow, but steady trickle of quality programming which satisfies my desire for more Star Wars, but keeps it fresh, interesting and keeps audiences coming back for more. If the rumors are true about movies every year (maybe even multiple movies) and multiple TV series, I honestly give this marriage about 5-8 years before audiences start to turn on Star Wars (somewhere around 2021-2022); the box office slumps and the TV ratings wane. Now Disney is faced with a diminishing franchise, so they decide to put it to bed for a good decade with hopes of resurrecting it later. Not something I want to see, but something I fear we may be in store for.


Yancy

 

the success of SHIELD has made Disney's mouth water for Star Wars live action series

 

How could you possibly milk SW more than GL did?







I mean seriously, how is it even possible? The only thing that is missing is officially sanctioned SW porn, but I don't think Disney is very interested in that.

 

Not talking about merchandising, and frankly most people are not even exposed to that kind of merchandising. But a massive media presence is something even the average TV/Movie watcher cannot escape in a culture increasingly driven by entertainment.

Yancy