RJ Trilogy The Rian Johnson Trilogy

Absolutely agree. I think Rian has a major point. Up until now, things have REALLY been held close to the OT. Rebels is laden with the OT- appearances and references to the characters throughout- it is telling the story leading up to it, as was the PT, which was a story of the where the OT antagonist is the protagonist, and how that change came about. R1 was a story about how something in the OT came about. Solo is about an OT character. TFA was modeled from the OT; the ST is a continuation of the same story.

I don't think the EU is terribly relevant to what he is saying.​

Rian is talking about film, and there is nothing truly separate from the saga in films (or TV for that matter); they have all been held closely up until now with the OT. He is writing s story that is in the GFFA, and holds the essence of SW, but is entirely new, which is a great idea, and a necessary one with SW expanding it's content so much. Repetition of the same old tie ins cannot continue; that kind of repetition just gets too creatively stale when it is used so many times. There is great opportunity in a vast galaxy to bring totally fresh stories to really invigorate SW. It is exactly what I wanted when Disney announced they had bought SW.

 

Pablo's said a couple of times that what we're getting now with the new films is pretty close (in terms of broad strokes - saga sequels and stand-alones directed by different directors) to George's original vision for SW filmmaking, until he got burned out after ESB and wrapped everything up quickly with ROTJ.

 

There’s a really old interview (I think it was a Rolling Stones one) where Lucas makes clear his plan is/was (I can’t remember) to have different directors make their own SW films and compare them to one another.

 

Yes, I would love to see the story go back in time to the start of how the Jedi/Sith came to be.

 

It’s only as creatively stale as the creators let it be.

Star Wars fans are odd in their obsession with “eras,” and their perception that making films in the same era is an indication of creative laziness. Regarding the argument that continuing with dark times/ OT-era films will become creatively stake, it’s like arguing that continuing to produce films set during the 1930-1960s period on Earth will lead to creative staleness. Just doesn’t hold water.

The truth is that the Galaxy is massive and there are millions of different stories to tell across it. Heck, you could tell a million very different stories set during the same YEAR.

The test is about creating more storytelling depth. In terms of “eras,” there’s vertical depth and horizontal depth. The former is about showcasing all kinds of different characters, locations, stories, angles and genres during a similar time period. Creatively that gives the GFFA a stronger illusion of richness and reality. The latter is about expanding the historical depth of the GFFA by exploring different time periods.

I’m all for both, mind you. Which is why I’m very excited about Rian Johnson’s trilogy, Solo, and a possible Kenobi film. And why I really want both an origin of the Jedi film or series, AND a possible underworld TV show set in the seedy underbelly of the dark times. It all creates a richer GFFA tapestry.

I just want this “telling OT-related stories is creatively lazy” critique to die. How creative they are, or are not, is up to Lucasfilm and its chosen directors. And so far, they’ve done a pretty good job of making these stories feel creatively fresh. Particularly those stories (Rogue One, and I’m hoping Solo) tied directly into OT narratives, which are doing an admirable job of playing with different genres (war and heist), and fleshing out different classes of the GFFA population (soldiers and criminals).

The time to get concerned is when the OT formula of pulpy banter and pop-myth becomes repeated too many times. Give us new styles, new substances, and new genres of films to chew on, and Star Wars will never get stale.

 

I'm not worried about RJ, his set of movies will be very good and probably even better than TLJ.

 

1) I didn't say the bolded statement, that is yours. I don't have any problem with what they have done so far; you won't find "creative laziness" in anything I said. Yes, I believe if 20 years from now, they are still telling stories that nurse directly from the milk of the OT, and still reference and involve the same characters, that would get creatively stale; I think Disney/LFL would agree, and that is one of the reasons they are stepping outside of it; you are, of course, free to disagree. No, it is nothing like comparing films from 3 decades on earth, because those don't have to continue to reference the same characters and stories. What I was saying was it would be a lot more exciting to have something unrelated to the current saga, but still captured the essence of SW, which is exactly what they are doing..

2) It's NOT all about eras. The GFFA clearly would be large enough (galaxies are rather large) to tell stories that happen in remote areas where we might not have any idea what era it is in relation to the saga; if what Rian describes is true, this could well be the case. It could be some remote area where no one knows what the force is, and a character discovers his force sensitivity, and what it means (that is just a random example, no idea if it will be anything like that).

 

Makes sense. We don't really disagree, after all. My response was technically to your post, but I was addressing a broader debate in the fandom, which often devolves into "era camps." I just think that there remains enormous storytelling and creative potential in showing different facets of the dark times, and seeing that galactic conflict from multiple angles. In that sense, LFL has only scratched the surface of the dark times/ OT era. Though I also see extraordinary potential in going way off that beaten path, either geographically to regions untouched by the galactic conflict, or likewise to ancient eras only hinted at to date.

In short, all eras and conflicts in the GFFA hold enormous storytelling potential. Which is why I simply can't prejudge these decisions. Heck, so many ridiculed the Solo movie, and now most fans seem to think it's looking great. In the end, execution will always be key, no matter what the story is.

 

Yep, we do pretty much agree. I was negative on the Solo movie at first; not because I didn't think it could be good, or that I wouldn't want to see it, but because it looked at the time like they were only going to explore the OT era, which I would have found disappointing because when Disney bought SW, I was excited about the prospect of really off-the-beaten path visions of the GFFA that didn't involve the OT era. Now that I know they have a broad vision of SW, and are going to explore a lot of different notions, I am thrilled about Solo, because I know I'll get to have my SW cake and eat it too.

 

Such an amazing time to be a fan. Which is why I'm bewildered by those who are so upset, and threatening to boycott the whole enterprise. There's literally something for everyone in the forthcoming slate.

 

It's such a stupid threat though...because everyone knows those threatening to boycott any of the films will still be there opening night!

 

I really wish those claiming they are through with the saga would just walk away for a bit. Just go, stop trying to ruin it for everyone else and find something enjoyable and positive to focus on. Maybe at some point there will be a film that draws them back in again. But if the boycott crew would quietly vote with their absence that would be great.

 

Right. If you're threatening to boycott, actually follow through with that threat and go away.

 

Like X1000

 

I love that we're getting something different with each film. Keeps it fresh.

 

ROFL

 

I was on the same page of that idea too. Millennia into the future. Knights of the New Republic. Different imperial Empire factions as well in honor of both the classic and sequel trilogy too.

The Old Republic as well. Can you imagine dozens if not hundreds of movies and TV shows of both eras, which would. choose if you had to pick?

 

I get the feeling Johnson is going to go way out there away from the timeline or find a small scale (yet still trilogy-able) story set in a time period we already know. Also I'd put 20% on he's going to go completely Force-less and just make it more underworld / non Force users. Guy likes his noir detective stories (And we got a bit of noir / classical film flair in Canto Bight)

Or he's doing the Broomboy trilogy.

 

Force users may be more peripheral than they are in other SW stories, but I doubt it will be a situation where they don't exist in the story at all. They are too much a part of the GFFA to totally leave out IMO.

 

I think Johnson described the Force as like gravity in the Star Wars universe; something that should be understood as always being there and having some sort of influence, even if it isn’t in an overly showy kind of way.

 

Yeah. Like Yoda and Obi-Wan said from the beginning, it's a mystical energy field connecting everything.

 

Right on for the both of you. Every franchise regardless if it's star wars and other entertainment has its good and bad movies and its not the end of a franchise you love. Especially Star Wars, I enjoyed the last jedi and I wonder if we are going to another galxey with the new Rian Johnson trilogy.

 

We're not going to another galaxy, we're just seeing a part of that hasn't been in the movies yet. The way the official announcement phrased it was, "[...]Johnson will introduce new characters from a corner of the galaxy that Star Wars lore has never before explored." So, same galaxy, different corner.

 

Ok cool I can dig it.

But it also feels like Rian Johnson wants create something not seen in the Star wars lore before, both legends and current canon.