News - From 2015 there will be a new Star Wars film every year

[amdavies]

Star wars has always been used as an advertisement for the merchandise, that was Lucas' true genius. He obviously can't write or direct and there's a better than reasonable chance that Star Wars itself was saved in the editing room. Indeed it's telling that the only Lucas to win an Oscar for Star Wars isn't George but his ex-wife Marcia, who won it for editing.

In terms of likely film quality, Disney is the best thing to happen to the Star Wars franchise since RotJ. Lucas was trying to constantly tinker with the original trilogy when it didn't need it. He couldn't let go of "his" films when it was obvious that they'd out grown him, like trying to lock up a 30 year-old child when they'd already got married and had a place of their own to live.
Will Disney merchandise the life out of the films ? Absolutely. It's what George would've wanted and no different at all from the ethos of the first 6. My hope is that, in exchange for the obvious cash-in, we'll also get films the quality of the first three rather than the complicated mess of the most recent ones.

[Spud1]

Well the single saving grace here could be that JJ Abrams is involved. Granted his film work isn't amazing when starting out from a pre-existing storyline (Star Trek and MI:3 were both good films on their own right, but nothing to do with the franchises themselves) but with the exception of Fringe his TV work has been exceptional.

He can bring new life to star wars even when working with the constraints of Disney.

[.havoc]

Something that I'm sure most of you are aware of, but Disney have bought Lucasfilm but its not to say that Disney themselves will be making the movies. I would imagine Lucasfilm will probably have a lot of control over them, much like Marvel and the various movies under that brand (Avengers, Iron Man etc etc).

And as Spud just mentioned, under the directorship of JJ Abrams (new Star Treks) - he could hopefully be looking to bring a darker version out...who knows...

[crossy]

Following Michael Arndt's Episode VII, Episode VII and IX will be written by Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg respectively.

Typo? Shouldn't that be "Episode VII, Episode VIII and IX" ?

Kasdan was involved in the script writing on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg is best known for writing work on Guy Richie's Sherlock Holmes reboots.

Thought the scripting on Richie's two Holmes films was pretty darned good, so if the same writer is doing a Star Wars then it could be worth standing in line to see.

As for the standalone spinoff films various sources have put forward rumours and hearsay about what the subjects may be. The films are said to feature stories of characters we know from the Star Wars universe; there should be movies dedicated to Yoda, a young Han Solo, Boba Fett and perhaps a "Seven Samurai" style Jedi movie.

Can we get John Woo, or even Lee Tamahori, to do the Jedi movie. Woo, especially, could make it really spectacular. Unless, of course, Jackie Chan fancies a go.

Just minimise the numbers of Ewok's and definitely, absolutely, no Jar Jar Binks.

[wasabi]

Given the picture at the top and the lame piece of bland awfulness that was the John Carter film, I'm not expecting great things. Hope to be proved wrong though.

[bear jesus]

This makes perfect sense, somehow hexus picked up on this 17 days late... It is my only hope.

[Grimley]

Dont mind as long there isnt any Jar Jar Binks or characters like him.

[landowindu]

at least one of the side films is being written by lawrence kasdan, the writer of empire strikes back