ST On Kasdan...

Improving the romance would have dramatically improved the films, IMO. It's central to Anakin's character arc.

 

What makes people think we'll be getting Vader POV films? Does anyone really think that audiences will relate to a guy that hunts down and kills people for a living? And that they'll sit through 3 films of that?

Really really bad guy protagonists just isn't going to work, and Lucasfilm won't go there.

 

3 films no, but I would love to see a live-action finale to Rebels with Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka. And I would want Hayden to play Vader, at least in any scenes with Vader in his private chambers or otherwise unmasked.

 

I know know this isn't from Kasdan but since he's mentioned more than once and it talks about the writing why not there isn't anywhere else to post this.

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/0...s?hootPostID=963252e0868ff99f0983af58cc191ab3

 

I'd be there in a heartbeat. And I guarantee I'm not the only one.

 

One week!? Only one week to hash out the general outline for the trilogy? I assume these were just ideas and themes. I guess with Ardnt, Kinberg, and Kasdan it didn't take much more considering all of their resumes.

I hope this means that they did end up using a lot of Ardnt's ideas.

 

Raiders of the Lost Ark was hashed out in 3 days. And a lot the leftovers spilled into the others.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Arndt's contribution to TFA ends up being similar to Darabont's contribution to Indy 4. That is, more than you might have thought. After reading Darabont's draft of Indy 4, I'm kind of surprised he didn't get a writing credit.

 

LOL you're kidding right? We live in a blood thirsty society. Just look at all the garbage that gets props, films like Hostel, Saw, Insidious and the like. It's sickening. A Vader-centric film would probably break records lol.

 

So Kasdan and Arndt were at Skywalker Ranch together? I thought Kasdan was brought in after Arndt left, as a replacement.

 

He must know what George had in mind. Has he made any comment on the fact that they went a different way?

 

Kasdan has been there from the beginning. He was phoned to come up to Lucasfilm and meet with George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy in 2012. He was part of the several writers that began cracking the story in the Fall of 2012. Even though there was a Lucas commissioned 45-50 page story treatment written by Arndt that spanned to entire ST, it has been said that they didn't have a script by the summer of 2013; after Abrams had completed post-production and did the press for Star Trek into Darkness. It was at this time that Arndt left and in October Lucasfilm officially confirmed that Abrams and Kasdan were writing a script from scratch. Kasdan has also stated that it was at this time when the process really started getting exciting due to Abrams involvement.

There was definitely a period in the summer of 2013 when Lucas's ideas, under Arndt's efforts, were sidelined and re-directed under the new leadership. There were disagreements and disappointments. Lucas acquiesced with no other choice. He had stated that part of the deal with Disney included the use of his stories. That was not the case, nor was it true. It is a sensitive subject at Lucasfilm as they prefer not to comment on it. Kennedy has said that she does touch base with Lucas from time to time, offering a glimpse of the project, but he's only interested in seeing it when it comes to his local theater. I'd love to go see it and discuss it with him over dinner. That would be interesting.

 

Does anyone know how much he contributed to the story?

Story? First Draft? Rewrite? 50/50 all the way with JJ?

 

If GL sees TFA and sincerely enjoys it (and I think it will be easy to tell if he does), then that will be the best possible endorsement it will get, IMO.

 

I agree with that statement. A lot of people really like George, and his approval would mean something.

 

We cannot be certain, but I imagine that many of the major plot points came out of the Lucas/Kennedy launched Story Group with Abrams and Kasdan developing the First Act and filling out the interior of the narrative. We should remember that in terms of the ST story Kennedy stated that they know where they're going and where they want to be in the end and it's just a matter of getting there. I would take that to mean Abrams and Kasdan had some foundation provided by the Story Group, with which they had input. Also, considering the Story Group members I would assume that Abrams and Kasdan's ideas had more wait in developing the entire narrative.

Kasdan is great with dialogue and I'm certain that he and Abrams split the writing 50/50 with Story Group input. Best guess.

 

Can't say I ever got that impression. It was quite clear that Lucas gave them "outlines" and that Arndt was supposed to write the script as George's (and presumably to some degree Kennedy's) writer.

The outlines were "part of the deal" in that Lucas spent some time working on them and at least having an ST outline and other things lined up made the overall sale to Disney people look better.

Lucas for whatever reasons had determined to sell only to Disney and not open it up to other bidders. He could have as he said done VII himself then sell to Disney after really setting the entire ST up.

Like they were going to say no?

That George didn't get a writer-director in the first place for VII but only an easily replaceable writer tells me that he wasn't really all that concerned about the ST when it comes down to it and right from the sale point Eiger said when the sale went down the future movies are in the end going to be determined by them.

They would look to Lucas stories for the starting point and maybe as long as Arndt was involved so was Lucas to some point. He does admit to being in meetings until sometime around mid-13.

With a writer-director like JJ on board but not able to fully participate until after STID was done what role he had for months is up for question. It was never simply Arndt anyway as with Kasdan and Kinberg they were in on it as well.

Maybe Arndt for some reason just couldn't do it?

Lucasfilm did comment on it in Variety and other places and really it's not anymore different than the usual development process according to them.

Writing a script "from scratch" is as nebulous as the term "outlines". Brackett wrote a script in close working relationship with Lucas from his vision, outline and conferencing but then he started from scratch with draft two but it's still from his own story.

So starting from total scratch is certainly not the case as from everything we have heard and seem to be real then they are very clearly following the pattern set by Lucas himself from ANH to TPM. Apparently at the NY comic-con they also said the state of the galaxy between VI and VII is from Lucas' notes so that being the case VII still has it's base from Lucas.

Plus all the other things that Lucas set in motion the overall impression to me is one of writer-speak where things are the same but not the same. Lucas's story was about the father, children and grand-children so apparently will this be.

No way of knowing the exact details or even if they had exact details. Maybe they are using his story material as a base and mostly for TFA then taking it in a parallel but different direction?

 

It's interesting because Lucasfilm presented the re-writes in the context of timeframe issues (there was no script) and THR's 'insiders' contradict that statement and represent it as occurring due to a difference of opinion. At this point I'm betting that Arndt actually did produce a script, but not to the satisfaction of those in a position to execute it. Lucas would have had VII out in May, 2015, but December was necessary for re-writes and the new direction.

I'm guessing Tye Sheridan was playing a young Kylo Ren under the Lucas/Arndt story, but was recast for Driver; Lucasfilm and Disney skittish over the youth of main characters a la TPM. They look so similar subtract the age.

 

This is completely new information to me.

Where does this come from and how much stock do you place on it?

I don't see where the "skittish-ness" would come from.

For one didn't Lucas say that the grand-children weren't as young as Anakin in TPM?

That would put them at the Luke and Leia character age in ANH.

I mean never mind the fact that it was one of the most successful films in history or don't they know that?

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-rumors-who-is-669997

I'm speculating based on this kids look and his cancelled part in the Fall of 2013 as reported in The Hollywood Reporter.

Lucas himself has admitted that studios would have never allowed him to make a film like The Phantom Menace starring a nine year old actor. He was able to do it because it was his studio.

 

The Phantom Menace isn't one of the most successful films in history in terms of the esteem and affection in which it is held. You know this, and I'd be amazed if you aren't aware that The Phantom Menace is now a cultural byword for "disappointing, hyped film" amongst wider fans of film, and is incredibly divisive amongst fans.

Your continued stubborn refusal to accept not the arguments of those who don't like it, but simply the fact that the film IS widely disliked undermines a lot of points you make: it is obvious to anyone who is aware of The Phantom Menace's reputation why the filmmakers may have wanted to avoid casting very young actors.

 

So the age of the main charcters was the reason the Lucas/Arndt version wasn`t used?