Lit Disney Wars: Episode 7 and the EU (Disney Purchasing Lucasfilm, intends to release Ep 7 in 2015)

You can make it dark and serious while having it for kids.

The Clone Wars Cartoon has featured episodes with Child kidnapping/slavery included suggested sexual slavery undertones/Banking regulation/multiple beheadings and people being tortured to death, and lots and lots of force choking.

So it is possible to be both.

I think Aarron Allston's comment below was probably one of the better ones:

It's sadly probably the best case scenario we can all hope for. I would love to see the EU intact and preserved (and despite what many say, it's not that hard to do, and no, it doesn't "strangle" creativity for the ST writers), but realistically, I feel that Luasfilm will wipe the slate clean, incorporating perhaps a few popular EU elements and characters into the ST.

It frustrates me how many fans disparage the EU and its contributions both to the Star Wars saga, and the Star Wars brand itself, and now with the ST looming, these folks have come out in full force.

But yes, overall, I think this Q&A was a tad disappointing.

Let them come.

This threshold is mine. I claim it for my own. Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don't give a damn.

None shall pass.

The guy who said that died. Just sayin'.

Jar Jar Binks is the epitome of a character made to appeal to the younger demographic. You could also argue that the much larger emphasis on spectacle, with the unbearably long and boring podrace (that to me felt like it was only in there to sell the plethora of video games based on it) and much larger volume of lightsaber fights makes them more "kiddy", but you could also argue that was simply George going overboard with special effects. The romance between Anakin and Padme in general was very childish, but that's probably more a reflection of the mediocre writing than any intent to be childish.

Of course, Star Wars has never exactly been grimdark.

The podrace was there because Lucas is a racing dork. See: American Grafitti (also not a kid's movie).

I'm fine with racing scenes in general, but I feel the podrace in Episode 1 was exceptionally poorly done (you really shouldn't be falling asleep in a high speed racing scene). Could just be me. Could be that my reaction to the scene has more to do with the fact that it's hard to care the slightest bit about the people in the race

Despite all the individual elements I hate about it, I don't hate TPM. Really.

I didn't even enjoy the Podrace as a six-year old; I would always skip that section. Actually, I really didn't enjoy the Tatooine section as a whole from TPM.

Reading the author's comments on the ST, I feel like the authors have secret names on these boards. They sound a lot like some of the people here...

Oh, and I'm surprised that more than one of the authors want Lando as Chancellor! Most seem to like the idea of Jaina or a female protagonist being the main hero. Most assume the Sith are going to be the bad guys. Most think Han and Leia should die in each other's arms, and that Luke should die alone by his own choice.

And I'm Paul Davids.

Can I be Drew Karpyshyn?

I'm the prestigious Kevin J. Anderson. And yes, I'm dictating this post rather than typing it myself.

I'm Hollace. We met at a screening of THX-1138, remember? Then we wrote those Star Wars novels everyone loves!

You did read/watch beyond Fellowship, right?

To be fair, there were only two, maybe three games based on podracing (if you count Bombad Racers). Compare this to the Battle of Hoth, and weep.

You do know we're talking about Traitor, right?

It's okay, blackmyron, I thought of LOTR too.

I'm worried about the fate of much of the EU, but I'm also in fear of the Star Wars comics going from Dark Horse and back to Marvel. I love what Dark Horse has done with the EU and don't want to see it all undone.

There's no way they'll do that. It would be unnecessary bad press. The only thing that will be "thrown out" will be whatever they decide to contradict. So TCW looks pretty safe