Lit A/V The Force Awakens and the EU [TAGGED spoilers.]

It is really disappointing.

Spoiler

But if he is a fairly large role in 8 i can forgive it. But let me be very clear. If they botch Luke i will reject Star Wars from here on out. I will not put up with a defamation of the character that we enjoyed in the eu, and the films./

 

But Chewbacca said it's the best Star Wars movie ever!

 

I am worried that there will be no NJO. That a new generation of jedi were not built up between episode 6-7.

 

Seems like it.

Spoiler

They are trying to be so damn original and bombard us with unexpected turn of events, something nobody would even expect. Luke sitting 30 years on a planet like a relic and waiting for the Force to be awaken.

I'm starting to think it's better to have GL back on track with another CGI SW, than this Abrams nonsense. Expect many subliminal messages relating to real life in this movie.

 

Regardless off whether Mark Hamil has a large role or not, I just hope that the film is good.

 

Don't we all.

 

The thing that's making me dubious about trusting any of this is that I thought the earlier rumour was that Ardnt's script got scrapped because it focused too much on the kids, and Abrams decided he wanted the Big 3 to have a bigger role?

Which kinda makes the cynic in me wonder if they're deliberately leaking the story from Arndt's original script in order to completely confuse the kriff out of people, as none of us would know what leaks are Arndt's script and which Kasdan's.

 

I never bought that rumor, it seemed like someone just put it out there and people ran with it. Arndt has expressed his views on the way to tell a saga, using Star Wars as an example, and used middle-aged and older actors to great effect in Little Miss Sunshine - I just don't buy that his treatment ignored the Big 3 to any problematic extent.
I don't know about Abrams, though. He's been focused on making franchises "young & sexy", and I could buy him only really using older actors for "big reveal" fanservice moments, wink-wink callbacks and epic death scenes. Worst-case scenario, I have faith that Rian Johnson will give Luke and Leia better treatment in 8.
The rumors also seems to involve call sheets and other artifacts of film production, and I'm not sure they'd be going to the lengths of working up call sheets for a script they aren't shooting.

I wish we knew more about Abram's role in the franchise going forward. There was some buzz in the beginning about him being the "New Lucas" and "the visionary behind it all", but that died down pretty quick. With the new line being him still as Executive Producer and on the Story Group for 8 and 9, I'm worried. Whatever his technical abilities as a director, I don't think he has the horsepower as a worldbuilder or "visionary" to handle Star Wars the way I'd like, and I don't like the business priorities and practices he's shown with Star Trek and Bad Robot in the past.
Hopefully the release of Episode 7 will open the mystery box a bit, and we'll get a clarified picture of what's actually being done with the franchise, and by whom. Wouldn't that be nice. The current stance on EU characters and larger concepts seems to be "Eh, I guess we could use it, we just don't care."

 

You're assuming that there really are call sheets and the like involved. I'm more than prepared to believe at least some of these rumors are just straight-up lies.

 

Lmao, who in the world suggested that? They are pretty much the exact opposite. GL for all his flaws when it comes to dialogue is excellent when it comes to creativity and story-telling. JJ doesn't have a creative bone in his body, but is excellent with dialogue/character interactions.

 

That's my point, although I'd replace "excellent" with "workmanlike" for Abrams. I'm not saying Abrams is similar to Lucas, I'm addressing the speculation out there that Abrams will be "in charge" of Star Wars, much like Joss Whedon is over in the MCU.
With Whedon it was a clear press statement, and he gave his thoughts on it in numerous interviews, but with this it's just... murky. People have speculated, but anyone official has just obfuscated and given vague answers. So there's been nothing official, and it looks like another director will be doing 8 at least - although that, too, is unofficial at this point - he seems to be staying on the story group and as executive producer for the rest of the ST - a term loaded with connotations of "creative oversight" in franchises. That's unfortunate enough, but what then? Will his attention span get the better of him and he'll leave for another project? Does he have a limited-term contract with Disney? Or will he just assume as much control as he can and do with Star Wars what he tried to do with Star Trek, for the foreseeable future?
I'm just saying it would be good to hear something official about his role in the franchise beyond Episode 7. He could mention coordinating with the Rebels team, or just that it's fun mapping out what happens after RotJ, or even just that other people are worrying about that stuff and he's just writing a movie. The degree to which we know nothing isn't intriguing, as I suspect it's supposed to be, it's just frustrating and sapping my motivation to keep up on this stuff.
...but that's all somewhat besides the point of script speculation and "7 and the EU".

 

That's exactly what he just said

 

First off even Workman like might be too generous in jmo. His Trek films already look dated and those Lens Flares seem more a way to disguise blandly directed scenes more than anything.

Abrams involvement I would compare to Hulk Hogan joining TNA with Kathleen Kennedy playing the role of Dixie Carter. The similarities seem rather spooky.

But none of that matters because JJ is such a fan right

 

Oh, I know. I just want to know who was the person was making the GL/JJ comparison.

 

The comparison was regarding roles. Nothing to do with ability, suitability, vision etc. No one said that and I have no idea where you got that from.

 

Who really runs both LFL and the Story Group:

 

I can't really say I have high hopes for this film, and, moreover, I can't even say I'm looking forward to it except to satisfy my curiosity after the teaser came out (I know the teaser has very little to do with the actual film, it just killed my interest), but I still expect they will not violate the Star Wars formalism of story structure, shots, etc. I don't buy flashbacks or flashy blockbustery last-minute reveal stuff or any other un-Star Wars-like thing like that. The way Star Wars films are put together (the crawl, the rigidity of the shots, the fancy wipes, the in medias res beginnings, the clearly-defined endings etc.) is supposed to emulate sci-fi serials. They will stick to that, even if they violate just about every other rule.

 

Such as what? One's father is not who we believed them to be?

 

No, like that rumor to which newdawn12 posted the link. "BAM! here's a huge shocker in the last shot in the film, cut to credits" can't happen in Star Wars. The ending has to be neat and epilogue-like. I'd even go so far as saying that a big celebration is a must for closing the first film in a Star Wars trilogy. Or at least some kind of party.