Lit Star Wars Expanded Universe in 2 different dimensions ?

If ST and EU go their separate ways, the EU would still be based on the original films. That isn't going to change. And, like I said, if the EU doesn't continue the EU, it's not really the EU, is it?

 

Technically it still would be the EU. The new books will be expanding the Star Wars galaxy. New characters, new aliens, new things about the old characters, so yes it will still be the EU.

 

Well, if everything proceeds as I have foreseen, the ST will not follow the EU timeline and Disney will make novels and comics that relate to the ST. Assuming the EU is contradicted, I don't think Disney will keep making EU that follows LOTF, etc. Obviously, I could be wrong, but I don't think it would make financial sense to continue the current EU.

And yes, I know this might not be a popular opinion on this board.

 

Really? Does the various Star Trek books, comics and games "expand" the Star Trek universe? They don't - because they aren't officially part of that universe, just material 'based on' it. In other words, nothing more than fan fiction you're paying for.

Again, you realize that Disney owns Marvel, right? And that much more people watched the various movies than read comics? Wouldn't it have made much more sense to move all the comics to tie in with the movies, to capture that vast movie-watching audience?
The answer is - no, it wouldn't. Tie-in sales don't really compare. 'Movie-watcher' doesn't equate 'reader'.
That isn't to say Disney wouldn't make a bad move - corporations do it all the time. But the actions that they've taken so far (ending the CWAS, purging Lucasarts) have been positive ones, in my mind. So - I guess we'll see.

But I personally won't waste once cent on meaningless movie tie-ins.

 

"They don't - because they aren't officially part of that universe, just material 'based on' it. In other words, nothing more than fan fiction you're paying for."

This only difference between the Star Trek EU and the Star Wars EU is the marketing gimmick of multiple levels of canon. Star Wars movies are not bound by EU any more than Star Trek movies are.

"Wouldn't it have made much more sense to move all the comics to tie in with the movies, to capture that vast movie-watching audience?"
I don't keep with all the comics, but it seems like Marvel has been doing this. For instance, Iron Man teams up with the GOTG in recent issues. And they cancelled Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes to make a show closer to the movies.

And as I've said in other threads, the Marvel and SW universes have many, many differences. You can't just say oh Disney did this with Marvel, so they'll do the same thing with Star Wars. In Marvel, the comics are the original medium and the movies are a totally separate universe. In SW, the movies are the original medium, and the books are the continuation of that story. Most people who watch Marvel movies have never picked up a comic. Hardly anyone who reads SW EU hasn't seen the movies. Comics have a history of multiverses, and this is pretty much accepted by the fandom. SW has been ostensibly one continuity the whole time. Totally different.

 

We get to see a whole galaxy beyond the movies. The movies only show a small scope of the galaxy. We get to see more characters, planets, aliens, history of the characters in the movies, so how is that not expanding the universe? Expanded Universe. It will still be EU even if it's regulated to an alternate universe. It gave us more stories in the SW galaxy.

 

I'm now a supporter of the two timelines (kept separate ALWAYS), whereas I was once a staunch supporter of one, universal continuity.

I suspect the ST is going to overwrite the post-ROTJ EU. I love the post-ROTJ EU - yes, even LotF and FotJ! I want to see these characters and this universe. I've spent about 70 novels in it, after all.

TCW proved that the visual stuff just doesn't want to co-exist with the written stuff. Separate it, and all the heartache of continuity clashes, and retcons will be over.

 

Again, doesn't the Star Trek novels do this? Why doesn't Marvel make more than a few token tie-ins with the X-Men and Avengers movies?

And that's exactly the reason why the EU is special, because it did exactly that. But if doesn't represent the characters, planets, aliens, history of the characters in the movies, then it's essentially fan fiction. CWAS already demonstrated they weren't interested in even trying to work with the tie-in material being made at the same time specifically for the animated series. There wouldn't be a "new" EU, just a constantly-changing quicksand of secondary material that would be just like every other sci-fi TV/movie franchise - worthless apart from the primary material.

 

I can see the appeal of two separate timelines, but let's be honest, it would almost be the same as if the entire EU was just jettisoned. Why? Because Disney would solely focus on publishing material in the "new" EU, their new timeline that works in conjunction with their ST; in all probability, they would ignore and not publish any material in the "old" /current EU.

I'm still holding on to a small hope that the EU will remain relatively unaffected by the ST, but I'm preparing myself for the worst, sadly.

 

07jonesj, I agree that the days of a single timeline are all but over. You're right that there's no way the movies/television and books timelines can be reconciled now, with TCW's cherry picking of the EU and the potential for the ST to diverge from it. I would ask, though, as far as the EU goes, what would you do with the first six films/their novelizations? After all, they are just as much a key part of the EU timeline as they are the films/tv timeline.

 

I think the EU is two-dimensional enough as it is.

 

Maybe not. Conversely, they may try to avoid publishing anything at all in the "new" timeline so as not to risk interfering with something they may want to make a movie about. (i doubt it though, lets be honest, the current post-ROTJ EU is pretty much dead anyway)

 

New comic series, new books coming out- why "dead"?

People probably said the same in the late 80s, after Marvel, but before TTT.

 

Just make movies that don't contradict anything. Not really all that hard to do. Might require a bit more effort than starting fresh, but seriously? Why risk losing a lot of ppl who have invested so much in the EU in the hopes you'll bring in some new readers? (I for one will be dropping the EU like a hot potato if they jettison it.)

These so-called new readers, if they're inclined to pick up a SW novel or comic, will pick up any EU related material based of the new trilogy regardless of whether or not they're tied to the "old" EU stuff.

I see them losing customers with a new EU, not gaining.

 

Ask the guy who rebooted Trek a few years ago. What was his name again?

 

Sorry, LawgSkrak, but what's you're saying is not at all practical. As much as I would love for the new movies to follow the established EU, there are so many works set post ROTJ that trying to avoid stepping on their toes is impossible and would seriously hamstring the filmmaker's efforts to put out a solid story.

CooperTFN, I assume your comment was meant sarcastically.

 

And until the success of TTT and DE, it would have been correct! Which is why both moves were seen as major gambles at the time.

 

Yeah, but they're not rebooting Star Wars. The sequel trilogy takes place in the same 'verse as the other films. So having two different EUs is stupid, especially when there is no need for it.

And guess what? The rebooted Star Trek films are tied to the original stuff. Did you miss the fact that Leonard Nimoy was in the first one? See, JJ was smart, and didn't want to alienate the old fans, so he tied the new stuff into the old stuff. Since ST has a history of parallel dimensions/altenate timelines, it all works out. With Star Wars, it doesn't.

And Skywalker8921, it sure as hell is practical. There is no reason they can't keep the old EU intact. They don't have to mention kids, characters, or events from the EU to tell the new movie stories. They can tell the story they want without contradicting a damn thing. Hamill and the others ages fit perfectly for where the novels are right now in the timeline. And anyone who thinks the old gang is going to be the MAIN characters of the new movies are just deluding themselves. I'm expecting small parts for all of them, kind of like Obi-Wan and Yoda in the original trilogy. So we won't need to really go into detail about them too much.

Keep ALL the fans happy. It's the best way to go. Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about.

 

Oh sweet Christ ... good luck.

 

lol yeah, I know right? Maybe I should have said TRY to keep all the fans happy.

Now somebody will say "Do, or do not. There is no try."

 

I wouldn't mind 2 different dimensions as long as they explain how it was created,( maybe in crucible) ?
Maybe they could do a last trilogy in the old universe that leads to Legacy ? (SotJ ?)

 

With The Star Wars series now announced , we practically have two timelines unless people think it'll stay as a one-off and not be continued?

 

I do, actually. Even if it's successful.

 

I'm just treating it the same as Infinities. Not like the alternate OT stories and white Darth Vader outfits ever meant there was a "second timeline", it was just a big "what if?" story.

That's why I'm honestly curious if it'll even sell that well, as you've gotta be a hardcore fan to even know what it is, so I'm somewhat skeptical if Joe Average is even going to be all that interested.

 

I would actually be cool if pre-Ep. 7 there was a "Shadows of the Empire" style multi-media project ala "Crisis On Infinite Earths" style retcon-fest (which would probably have to start dipping in wacky things like Time travel & alternate timelines, etc.) that crams the EU into a new Ep. 7 friendly manner. So if Skippy Solo is the main protagonist of Ep. 7, a crazy "Crisis" style story would keep that the original stories still happened but then they didn't. however, if you look at JJ Abrams' Star Trek example, random TNG episode from S4 still happened in the continuity, it just all happened before the TNG-era stuff in Abrams' "Star Trek" flick happened. (aside: for TNG-era fun spin-off stuff from the Trek movie, go find the IDW "Countdown" mini-seres. It was a great read and I think doing something similar for the post ROTJ EU to make it Ep. 7 friendly would be a cool capper).