Speculation The Official Episode VII and the EU thread

It's just...I mean ****.

I don't want that in any movie.

Sinre Edit: Star out the whole word.

Mara Jade.

Disney probaly gonna wreck up EU Canon like Clone Wars does but TCW is awesome.

The EU by default is overridden by the Star Wars movies. That's the way it should be.

Episode VII can take down all the EU it wants and I won't have a problem.

Yes; for the last several years, the state of the Star Trek tie-in media universe has become very much like the EU, with the only difference being that the EU is currently recognized as part of the canonical framework of the Star Wars franchise whereas the novels, comics, etc. which make up the Star Trek tie-in media universe are not.

Regarding your question (which I didn't quote) about whether or not I would prefer that any new fiction which strictly follows the canon of the Sequel Trilogy be non-canon, the answer is yes. Canonizing the EU served a purpose at one point because there was no 'future canon' being produced by Lucas and Company. Now that we have the Sequel Trilogy coming out, I am very much of the opinion that the unique nature of the Star Wars canonical framework now longer serves any purpose and that the franchise ought to instead treat its tie-in media the same way other franchises do, particularly Star Trek, because, aside from the difference mentioned above, the two franchises currently very much treat their 'expanded universe' tie-in fiction the same.

For the record, though, I don't think that the Sequel Trilogy will end up spawning a completely new and separate set of tie-in media stories, although, if it did, I think giving authors the ability to pitch their own stories and tales and to pick whether or not they wanted to adhere strictly to Sequel Trilogy canon or continue to expand the current EU narrative would be something that could very much help broaden the Star Wars tie-in media brand.

I'm pretty certain VII will be a direct sequel to RotJ:

"So once Kathy came on board, we started working with writers and started working on all the processes of doing the films, so we've got a plan for 7, 8 and 9, which is the end of the trilogy, and other films also. So we have a large group of ideas and characters and book and all kinds of things. We could go on making 'Star Wars' for the next 100 years."

I think this means the "trilogy of trilogies" or 9 film cycle.

I just read the Wookieepedia pages about Abeloth, and how TCW's "The Ones" and the Fate of the Jedi series compliment each other so well and I've gotte be honest, I love how well the two interact, and it's obvious to me that VII will do the same with 95-99% of the EU. Everybody who says the new films will openly contradict the EU is flat wrong. That is, of course, based on the fact that so many at Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. have said they're "excited about all the material", and how they've been "doing their research". Fans can rest easy, the EU is fine, the kinks have been planned for and will be avoided.

Icebergs? What icebergs? We'll be fine!

Trollz.

While I certainly understand why some are reluctant to accept the EU being changed, since they invested time and money into purchasing novels and so on, we have to admit that the post-ROTJ era EU has some pretty silly moments, villains, concepts and ideas that I, for instance, wouldn't mind to see get trashed.
The novels were never regarded on the same level of canon as the movies, and this was something we already knew when we bought those books.
By changing the EU it doesn't really change the fact that you liked book X or Y. They will still be there for you to read.

But again, do you want the writers to be trapped in the EU-verse, and everytime they come up with a good idea someone comes and tells them: Oh, you can't do that because of some sith that happened in one of the EU novels...
It would be silly and make the new trilogy itself a mess. The one thing we don't need right now is to have the writers limited by what they can do. Disney aren't going to take that chance, especially since they want to release more movies on a regular basis. Movies which need an audience. An audience which won't come back later if the new trilogy will have a confusing story line intended only for the "hard core" fans.

And let's face it, most of the audience going to see the movies will care about what happens on screen first and what happens in some novel second.

It's firmly established in the EU that Chewbacca died in Vector Prime, the first novel in the NJO era.

Now, since there are Star Wars fans that have only seen the films, what happens?

If they stick with established continuity, how do they address it without spending too much time on EU developments?

If he's still around, how again do they address it?

EU will be thrown out the window, it is not GL Level Canon. Chewie will have never died because that story will have never taken place. My opinion anyway.

Though i may get flamed for this from those who think otherwise.....

I believe his death was done well and hope that Episode 7 does not make his death non-canon.

AND

We don't need all the main characters of the OT (those that didn't die in the OT) to return in Episode 7 to make it a great film. So if chewie does not show up because he is dead....then that's fine by me.

Agree with you there. I thought that it was right in line with something that the character of Chewbacca could (and would) do if such a situation arose. I remember the first time I heard about it in a Star Wars Insider when I was a kid and when I read vector prime (the only EU book I ever read) it tore me apart. If they did something similar to that, though it would be heart breaking, it would be incredible.

AND

I also agree that not all the main characters need to return as long as they have Luke and explain away Han and therefore (Chewbacca) and Leia in a convincing enough way I will be fine.

*looks around*

I'd like to see the characters I was introduced to in the films continue in the films.

Anyone care what the EU says? No?

Me either.

It's also firmly established that the books are part of the EU, and have nothing to do with the movies. The movies have always do their own things and every once in a while, they'll throw in some EU character in a cameo just to appease EU fans. But I don't think anyone will refer to EU for anything related to the plot or character development.

Nothing to see here. Carry on.

I cannot agree with this statement given that George Lucas previously stated emphatically that there would be no more Star Wars films and that the EU was the continuation of the characters' stories. By principle the ST should adhere to the post-ROTJ EU.

Well considering we were told emphatically that there would be no more films after RotS and the EU was advertised as the story of the characters from the films, people obviously do care. So even though we paid for the product believing it was canon, just because Lucas sells his company to Disney we have to throw that all out? He gladly accepted our money, so, no: I won't simply accept a new fate for the characters of the films.

Well, feel free to take it up with Disney.

How silly would it look for the explanation of one of the iconic characters fate to be Han saying "oh, btw I still can't believe Chewie died on some random planet years ago doing something random".

With a press release by Disney for people to go read the book.

Will.Not.Happen.

I want a grey-haired Chewie!

I find it amazing coming here reading day after day about how the EU has to be followed. I honestly have no idea what makes people think they will have any bearing what so ever on the story of the ST.

No offense to anyone, but the EU was not written or thought of by GL so aside from the odd nod with a character or planet, I would bet the (moisture) farm that EU is thrown out the window.

In my opinion, Chewie isn't dead until we see it onscreen in an official Lucas SW movie.

Chewbacca will be back. Whether that means EU is thrown out of the window we'll have to wait and see.