Lit is Chewbacca gonna be revived in the EU over the next two years?

Actual pic of Chewie in Episode 7

 

That's either a flashback in Ep. 7 or a shot of the Han Solo origins spin-off.

 

Nah, it's Chewie.....

Reincarnated as a bomb-dog!

 

Because most people think he never died. And they would technically be right.

 

Technically, there's nothing that says they can't have Chewie dead for entirely different reasons between VI and VII.

 

Gonna sell a hellova lot more "alive Chewbacca the Wookie Ep. 7 branded merch" than "Chewie died offscreen in between movies Ep. 7 branded merch".

 

Or even moreso of Chewie's son who continued association with the Solos, plus old Chewie stuff. (A T-shirt with a "Force ghost" Chewie would be hilarious).

But certainly basing choices on what produces the most merchandising income is the clearest path to great movie-making.

 

Yes, Star Wars certainly never integrates casting and character choices into the films based upon how much merchandising revenue it can generate. How silly of me to think that.

 

Which is exactly what I said, right?

Nope. Try again. But like I did say, I can certainly think of scenarios where more profit can be generated by his death. Hey throw it in the opening scene as a flashback where he saves Han's life from a bounty hunter, or something. Pathos, or something like that. Guaranteed great merchandising sales.

In any case, who doesn't get most of their enjoyment from watching films by thinking about all the income they are generating?

 

Your quote:

Implies through sarcasm that basing casting choices based upon merchandising income would create an inferior product.

Star Wars has a integrated casting and characters into the series based upon what can generate merchandising sales. It's a thing. Example: everything they sell toys of. Which is everything. Jar-Jar had a freakin pool toy. Merchandising drives the brand, as Yogurt said, "where the real money from the movie is made". (Ultimately, the Jar Jar pool toy is probably something that did not work out that well. However, I don't believe Jar Jar is the sole example of "something put into move to move merch", there is quite a lot of everything. Ep. 3 branded fresh Chewie merch, for example.)

Is there a specific quote wherein Lucas or Lucasfilm says "We put this into the movie to sell more toys". No, can't say there is one. However, it's hard to believe every single decision ever made in the Star Wars never had any thought given around how much merch of that thing they can move.