The Star Wars Franchise Thread

[webhead2006]

If this should be moved to the agnst thread ap/colors please move it. But I thought this news desreved its own thread.

Breaking star wars news!!!:
http://superherohype.com/news/articles/173421-disney-to-acquire-lucasfilm-star-wars-episode-7-coming-in-2015

Disney to Acquire Lucasfilm, Star Wars Episode 7 Coming in 2015! by SuperHeroHype October 30, 2012 Share this story

In a stock and cash transaction

The Walt Disney Company announced today it has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm and is planning Star Wars Episode 7 for 2015! In a later conference call, Disney revealed that they are planning a new trilogy starting in 2015 with a new movie coming every other year. They were also asked about "Indiana Jones," but said that they were going to concentrate on the "Star Wars" franchise for now. This is following such big purchases as Pixar and Marvel Entertainment. Here is the full press release:

Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

"Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas," said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. "This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney's unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value."

"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. "It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products."

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and "evergreen" Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.

Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.

The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm's legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world's top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney's strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney's very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company's unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney's portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company's ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world's highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.

In the first video below, George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy discuss the future of the "Star Wars" movies. The second video features both Iger and Lucas talking about the acquisition

I never expected to see this while lucas was still alive. I expect to see franhisce sold after death and all that. Curious to see what will happen now with comics/toys/cartoons and of course future films.

[James Stocks]

First time I read about this I immediately thought, "Good for them, I don't give a shit about Star Wars 7, I want Disney to push for a restoration project for the original trilogy." That's all care about now. Beyond that, I've been done with Star Wars since the prequels.


Anyway, my ranking of the films.

1. The Empire Strikes Back
   
2. Star Wars
   
3. Return of the Jedi
   *chasm*
   
4. The Phantom Menace
   *BIG FUCKIN' CHASM*
   
5. Revenge of the Sith
   
6. Attack of the Clones

[thecolorsblend]

24 hours ago, I'd have told you the most likely outcome was that Katie Lucas would take over for George officially after his death but unofficially... what time is it? So yeah, this is a pretty big curve ball.

I don't see this as a bad thing. The House of Mouse would sell Mickey action figures that shit out lightsabers if they thought people would buy them so as far as the oh-riginal, unaltered trilogy, there is (wait for it!) A NEW HOPE!!

That's basically all I want from Star Wars anymore. Just give me the original versions for sure of the original trilogy (but ideally all of the movies) and that'd be it for me.

[webhead2006]

Well for the films its more who the writers are, setting/characters and who directs the films. On how much I am into seeing those future films. I am interested to see what will happn. As long as its good stufff. But I too would love to see disney do/release a set of unaltered original films and could see that as a option. But probably not to closer to when 7th film comes arround. But I am still shocked as hell with the news. Pixarr, marvel now star wars in the same house who would have thought that.

[James Stocks]

The fact that they already have a writing team really shows how Disney is not being hesitant on jumping the gun. There's little to no restraint but I guess I can't blame them given the cash cow they're now sitting on.

[webhead2006]

Who knows with writing thing this though. We don't really have all the details on how long kennedy/lucas plans been in motion. Along side with selling to disney. Plus as lucas said he always been in good with disney. So hopefully they treat it well and don't just hire hacks to cash in fast aand all. And look we all where crrazy when disney bought marvel and things been well there. So sw probably be treated well there.

[thecolorsblend]

The fact that they already have a writing team really shows how Disney is not being hesitant on jumping the gun. There's little to no restraint but I guess I can't blame them given the cash cow they're now sitting on.

What "restraint" should they show? And jumping the gun? Apparently work has been under way since July or August. They're announcing the next movie will come out in 2015. In effect, we have two years until the next one comes out. I don't know in what Bizarro world that's not enough time to make a movie.

Here's some quick math for you. The Clone Wars show debuted in 2008. The kids who were six years old when it premiered are now about ten. They'll be about twelve when Episode 7 comes out. An entire generation is basically PRIMED for a new Star Wars film at this point. Disney is making the right call in getting a new movie together sooner rather than later.

And as far as the obligatory rankings...

02- A New Hope
03- Attack of the Clones/Revenge of the Sith
04- ROTJ/Phantom Menace

If you don't know what #1 is either by common sense or by process of elimination, let me know so that I can ban you right away. And my definition of Star Wars is pretty straight forward- if it's not a live action movie released theatrically between 1977 and 2005, call it whatever you want but it ain't Star Wars.

[webhead2006]

For me ranking is so hard. But def put original series over prequels. Though my all time top film of series so far is empire always liked thaat one the best. And totally agree with colors timing and how long it takes to do prep and filming this is in the with time. As to how films will be is the question we will have to wait and see.

[thecolorsblend]

Still, this all does bring up a few things.

For starters, they're doing 7, 8 and 9. You have to wonder what new avenues for conflict, new types of villains and so forth are left on the table. Lucas used up quite a lot of ideas in the original six movies. The first four or five years of the EU show us just how little drama there is to be mined in fighting the Empire's scraps. I don't understand why people are all over Tim Zahn's nuts because his books were pretty lame. So if we must get a new trilogy, I honestly have no clue who the new baddies should be. I hope to fuck that we don't see the return of the Sith; Anakin vanquished the Sith in the films. It's done. So we need to find something new.

I honestly don't know who the leads could be. There's arguably something to be said for picking back up with Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie... but is there? I think Ford is on record saying he's done with Han Solo. Carrie Fisher is no spring chicken. Hamill... yeah, I could see him being interested in a second helping of Luke Skywalker, perhaps leading a new Jedi Order or some such. But here again is room for a major problem. A centerpiece of the prequels was how fucking idiotic it is for the Jedi to put themselves into subservience to any government. So one hopes Luke would take that lesson to heart and keep the Jedi separate from whatever government takes over from the Empire.

Anyway...

EDIT- Oh, and John Williams is basically retired now. Is it really a Star Wars movie if someone else does the music? I just don't know...

[James Stocks]

The fact that they already have a writing team really shows how Disney is not being hesitant on jumping the gun. There's little to no restraint but I guess I can't blame them given the cash cow they're now sitting on.

What "restraint" should they show? And jumping the gun? Apparently work has been under way since July or August. They're announcing the next movie will come out in 2015. In effect, we have two years until the next one comes out. I don't know in what Bizarro world that's not enough time to make a movie.

I said that without knowing it has been in development since July, and the remark was directed at Disney jumping at the opportunity before the ink even dried.

[webhead2006]

Well they could always play into the comics/expanded book stuff. Like those stores of han and leia kids and the bad guys they faced. Or going into the future more yrs and yrs away. Or any number of other stuff from comics/books. Never read to many of them myself and the ones I did been yrrs and forgotten the details on. Plus whose to say they might expand on story ideas/old scripts/drafts lucas had from past when he first was thinking of 7 through 9.

Also stock its not really cashing in before ink is dry. This is always the norm when one compa buys out another and they discus plans for future stuff. Does it always go as plan no. And plans and projects change. Plus as we said before we don't know how long this deal been being worked out. So all these plans and what not probably where already set and under dna to contract was officially signed and sealed.

[thecolorsblend]

I said that without knowing it has been in development since July, and the remark was directed at Disney jumping at the opportunity before the ink even dried.

Okay. So they bought a new property and they're eager to dive into it. What's the problem exactly??

[Apologist Puncher]

Imagine how many big-name directors would be chomping at the bit to direct a new 'Star Wars' film....

[thecolorsblend]

Imagine how many big-name directors would be chomping at the bit to direct a new 'Star Wars' film....

There's a lot of possibility here. If it's a CG-animated Pixar thing... holy fuckin Moses...

But you can also stick to live action released under the Lucasfilm banner and, as you say, have your choice of talent to direct it. A bounty hunter movie could fit any number of Hollywood directors. Or here's one, Episode 0 showcasing the first Sith/Jedi war and how the Jedi Order came into an alliance with the Republic.

[James Stocks]

I said that without knowing it has been in development since July, and the remark was directed at Disney jumping at the opportunity before the ink even dried.

Okay. So they bought a new property and they're eager to dive into it. What's the problem exactly??

I never said there was a problem.

Imagine how many big-name directors would be chomping at the bit to direct a new 'Star Wars' film....

Bet you that J.J. Abrams is going to be blowing a lot of executives for this gig. Then again I bet every aspiring director is.

[webhead2006]

I wouldn't mind jj him, whedon, maybe gore from pirates films and guys simular to them is who I be happy with. I just wouldn't want to see singer, ratner, joel schomakerr types touch star wars. Or more likely we probably will see some up and coming guys like folks who did chronicle, planet of the apes, and others simular young guys.

[Apologist Puncher]

With Disney targeting 2015 for 'Star Wars VII', expect the Bros. Warner to change the 'Justice League' release to the following summer. Unless they are raving retards....

Oh. Yeah.

[thecolorsblend]

I wouldn't mind jj him

Mmm, I don't think so. I'm not such a big Trek fan that Abrams apparently knowing only Wrath of Khan when it comes to Trek bothers me. But a similar approach with Star Wars would probably result in a trilogy of Empire lovefests. As much as I like that movie... no thanks.

whedon

My beef there is he tweeted something about wanting to see the Yuuzhan Vong invasion adapted into movies. First, you'd have to make a fuckton of modifications to that storyline in order to bring it to the screen. One obvious deletion would have to be Anakin Solo... the one really interesting character from that series... who ended up getting bumped off because Lucas didn't want people confusing "Anakin Solo" with "Anakin Skywalker". Pfah! Second, and maybe I'm in the minority here, I didn't think the New Jedi Order story felt AT ALL like Star Wars. Sure, it had some cool characters, cool plot twists and all that but it lacked the lighthearted, breezy feel of the movies. Third, I want Whedon to stay on the Marvel side.

With Disney targeting 2015 for 'Star Wars VII', expect the Bros. Warner to change the 'Justice League' release to the following summer. Unless they are raving retards....

Oh. Yeah.

Eh. Depends on when exactly each movie's coming out I guess.

[thecolorsblend]

I should add that my main caveat with modern Star Wars fandom is the mandatory acknowledgement that George Lucas is completely full of shit. I love Star Wars, I love Lucas, it's all great... but the man is completely full of shit, he's made this entire thing up as he went along and this Disney news is proof.

How many interviews has Lucas given where he said he'd "always" conceived of Star Wars as a six-film saga spanning the birth, life and death of Anakin Skywalker? It's the motherfucker's equivalent of "hope and change" or "roads and bridges".

But now all of sudden he's somehow managed to find his story treatments for 7, 8 and 9? What happened to this being only a six film saga? Was he lying then or is he lying now? Would it kill him to just give a straight answer for once?

Fandom needs to accept that George Lucas improvised Star Wars as he moved along, the story evolved in the telling of it and little or nothing was planned out in advance. But beyond that... Lucas needs to accept all that shit himself.

[Apologist Puncher]

Eh. Depends on when exactly each movie's coming out I guess.

Does it matter when it's up against both 'Avengers 2' AND 'Star Wars VII'? Sorry, but sticking ANY major tent-pole release the same year as those two is suicide.

[webhead2006]

i do agree with ap on wb should change release date. cause marvel probably naping the prime may slot, and i could see star wars being in june or july frame. And those two spots alone would be nuts to put jl in there between or after both films are out. Though on jl front i still doubt we will actually see it happen. The wiser move still would be get mos 2 out possibly in 2015 or trying for reboot batman/solo flash or ww film then bump jl to following year. So it gives wb more time to work things out and decide what direction dc film series will be and all that.

As for whedon comment colors said didnt know his thoughts on post jedi stories he likes/dislikes. For me i ws more going with him cause he is a good solid type of director i would want to see on this. Same goes for JJ i want someone who has the talent and skills and fan pull they have. Then getting some totally fresh young director or a hack director taking charge. Though since kennedy will be overseer i dont see a hack director being picked. But who ever does take up directing ep 7 and future films i want to see them do sw to justice.

Colors who is it you would want to see helm episode 7? and what plotline would you want to see adapted if they did draw from any of the in cannon comics/books set post jedi era? Or would you want to see some totally original stuff and jump over the post jedi cannon comics/book stories?

I dont know all the post jedi stories off hand but i heard cannon wise from post jedi to about 40 yrs later has been covered in many comics/book lines. So if we are only set some short time post jedi it would be nice to see some of those stories adapted on screen and would make sense to do some if they were to get luke/leia/han and others from the old movies to appear.

[thecolorsblend]

Eh. Depends on when exactly each movie's coming out I guess.

Does it matter when it's up against both 'Avengers 2' AND 'Star Wars VII'? Sorry, but sticking ANY major tent-pole release the same year as those two is suicide.

Hadn't thought of the Avengers 2 thing, actually. I take it back, you're right, a release during that window is a bad idea. Delaying it a year is probably the better option. Gives more development time anyway, which the haters and Apologists have been bitching about the lack of.

And to forestall their obvious accusation, there's no shame in delaying it either. JLA is an unproven proposition. Avengers has a billion in the bank and, all told, I think the six Star Wars movies have grossed something like $2 billion themselves. Delaying the movie isn't cowardice, it's good business sense.

Still, there is a sense in which Disney would be competing with itself that summer now.

Colors who is it you would want to see helm episode 7? and what plotline would you want to see adapted if they did draw from any of the in cannon comics/books set post jedi era? Or would you want to see some totally original stuff and jump over the post jedi cannon comics/book stories?

That's the whole point, I can think of all kinds of shit I don't want to see. No Sith. Anakin destroyed the Sith and sacrificed his life to do so. That sacrifice should mean something. No Sith.

No Imperial remnant. Maybe I've just read too damn many Star Wars books but the "threat of the Imperial remnant" long ago lost its luster for me.

Star Wars is all about spectacle and action. I want lightsaber battles, breakneck races, narrow escapes, cliffhangers, all that shit.

And... I want to see Han, Luke, Leia and Chewie again. Accept no substitutes. As cool as some of the stories about Jacen, Jaina and Anakin Solo may be (for some), I personally don't give two craps to ever see movies about them or other offspring. Bring on the originals or go home.

I dont know all the post jedi stories off hand but i heard cannon wise from post jedi to about 40 yrs later has been covered in many comics/book lines.

You have heard correctly.

So if we are only set some short time post jedi it would be nice to see some of those stories adapted on screen and would make sense to do some if they were to get luke/leia/han and others from the old movies to appear.

No it wouldn't. Those stories tend to be retreads of the original trilogy. Several of them bring back the concept of Death Star-like superweapons that get defeated/destroyed/disabled by the end of the book. It's a matter of time until some twit asks "have you ever read any EU stuff?" Yeah, bitch, some comics and a lot of novels.

"Oh, well you're not reading the right EU stuff." Yeah, I read the Grand Admiral Thrawn and New Jedi Order books. And you know what? THEY'RE CRAP TOO. So get out of my face with your little EU professional fanfic, nobody cares.

Is ALL EU material crap? No. The Brian Daley Han Solo trilogy, the Ann Crispin Han Solo trilogy, Cloak of Deception by James Luceno, Shadows of the Empire by some fucking guy, those are all pretty good. Dunno as they're movie-material but they're pretty good. But the rest is mostly PRODUCT designed to keep the Star Wars brand alive. And that's fine, whatever. From the bottom of my cold, black, dead Republican heart, I don't begrudge George Lucas making zillions off book sales and licensing deals. "After all, we are not Communists." That said though, let's not pretend any of that stuff (except MAYBE SOTE) is germane to what Star Wars is all about.

My point here is that I fully expect (and hope that) Disney will steamroll the EU continuity. A reboot, in my opinion, is not only inevitable but desirable. We have a complete canon of six films now. Why not use that as a springboard for a new EU? No Mandalorian bullshit, no Emperor clones, Boba Fett died in the Sarlacc, Chewie is still alive, etc. Restart the sum bitch from the ground up using ONLY the continuity from the movies and nothing else. Let's see where this sucker goes.

[webhead2006]

wouldnt rebooting/wiping out post jedi comics/books/etc.... cannon kinda be not in the best interest in the brand and all that. Also would alienate fandom from old/new fans. Since for all that stuff is official to the sw universe and all. Now would all the books/comics make a good new series of films yes/no but i dont see the point in wiping away everything and starting anew. Maybe the best way to go about it would be have the new series be set intermetting within that 40 yr period but we only allued to/refrence and see bits and peices of the cannon stuff. While wrapping the new series in an original storyline?

But back to writers and directors to tackle the new films would any one want any of these folks invovled:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/15-potential-writers-new-star-wars-385434

15 Potential Writers for the New 'Star Wars' Films
7:00 AM PDT 11/2/2012 by Joshua Stecker
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108
With the latest trilogy slated to begin in 2015, there's a new contender for the most coveted writing gig in Hollywood. Here's a wish list of potential writers who might fit the bill.
George Lucas has "mapped out" three new Star Wars films, according to Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger. Who will continue the saga of the Jedi and the Sith?

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Lawrence Kasdan
Kasdan wrote the script for the best-reviewed film in the Star Wars saga, Episode V -- The Empire Strikes Back. His script, mixed with Irving Kershner's direction, set the bar so high that any new Star Wars film will be compared to it. His last credited foray into the Star Wars universe was the video game Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire in 1996. He's still active, having written and directed this year's Darling Companion, starring Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline.

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Damon Lindelof
He was one of the first notable screenwriters on Twitter to chime in on the Disney sale, tweeting, "My twitter feed: 38%: 'You should write the new Star Wars!' 47%: 'Don't f***ing touch the new Star Wars!' 15%: Undecided." (He has followed with many other Star Wars-related tweets since.) He's a fan favorite, though he's lost a little street cred with his past few projects: Prometheus wasn't necessarily well received (he co-wrote it with Jon Spaihts), Cowboys & Aliens (which he co-wrote with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) bombed, and there's always that whole Lost ending. In any case, Lindelof's relationship with Disney is strong, and he's an incredibly talented writer who's more than capable of handling the intricacies and vast history required by any scribe charged with the franchise. Who knows, maybe the Force is strong with this one.

Kevin Smith
Arguably, the godfather of the "Pop Culture Star Wars Reference." Smith's acerbic dialogue in his 1994 debut Clerks, which included a memorable scene about the fate of independent contractors working on the Death Star, opened the floodgates for the off-kilter Star Wars reference. But Smith's dialogue tends to be heavy on vocabulary and lacking in brevity, so it might not work for an action feature. Instead, Smith's talents could be put to great use if Lucasfilm did a TV or web spinoff focusing on the denizens of the cantina on Tatooine. Call it The Cantina Conversations and let the more obscure characters like Ponda Baba (aka Walrus Man) and Zutton (aka Snaggletooth) wax poetic on the health benefits of blue milk or the mating habits of Jawas. Comedy gold.

Joss Whedon
At this point, Lucasfilm can give Whedon Howard the Duck and fanboys would be salivating at the chance to see it. Whedon's trademark wit would be a breath of fresh air. He's revered among geeks and is proud of that moniker, so for him to get involved in any capacity with the Star Wars franchise would be an incredible advantage. But Whedon has more than his fair share of projects lined up at Disney (the sequel to Marvel's The Avengers, the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series), so even if he wanted to put his Jedi skills to work, it probably would be awhile.

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Robert Kirkman
With The Walking Dead breaking ratings records, it might be the perfect time for the show's creator to branch out and turn his attention toward something not so lifeless. Kirkman already has his geek credentials, getting his start in comic books (The Walking Dead started off as such). He's a distinct new voice on the scene and carries with him an ever-growing fan base that certainly would celebrate a move toward science fiction, especially within the Star Wars universe. Bonus points: Dead Jedi tend to return as ghostly holograms.

Max Landis
Landis is kinetic energy personified and would provide a healthy shot of adrenaline and youthful vigor to the Star Wars mythos that many critics say were lacking in the prequels. The son of writer-director John Landis, Max has made no bones about his geek credentials. The Chronicle scribe already has a healthy thirst for science fiction and recently entered the comic book realm, penning a story in DC's Action Comics. Whether he could operate as seamlessly within the parameters of the Star Wars universe remains to be seen.

Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Whatever these two screenwriters touch (with very few exceptions) seems to turn to money in the bank. They're the writing team behind Michael Bay's Transformers and J.J. Abrams' Star Trek franchises. They sent Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible III, and they're behind the sci-fi TV hit Fringe. They know how to weave high-concept stories into something a mainstream audience can appreciate. Their reboot of the Star Trek franchise was lauded as the perfect blend of a classic tale with a fresh take. Could they do to Star Wars what they did with Star Trek?

Lana & Andy Wachowski
The Wachowskis have proved they can create specific and interesting worlds, even with other people's intellectual properties (Cloud Atlas). Their success with The Matrix trilogy put them on this generation's short list of great sci-fi writer-directors. As writers, a Wachowski exploration of new realms in the Star Wars universe would, at the very least, be a fascinating take. Additionally, from a directorial point of view, witnessing a Jedi/Sith battle through the lens of the Wachowskis might be absolutely incredible.

Christopher & Jonathan Nolan
With The Dark Knight trilogy done and the Man of Steel/Superman reboot on the way, Christopher Nolan seems to be neck-deep in the DC Universe. Most of the Nolan brothers' work has been rooted in gritty reality, which is what made The Dark Knight trilogy so popular -- but perhaps would be a stretch for the Star Wars universe. They do have experience dealing with merchandising, an area Iger told investors was a priority for Disney.

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Jon Spaihts
A new voice on the block, Spaihts co-wrote Ridley Scott's Prometheus, which -- depending on who you ask -- was either "brilliant" or "a mess." But he's proved that he can create a universe with multi-layered characters from a known franchise. His 2007 Black List script Passengers drew high praise as an excellent space thriller but was never produced. Spaihts could be the kind of new talent the Star Wars universe needs for its new generation of fans.

Quentin Tarantino
It would be big, bold and brash -- and maybe just what the Star Wars franchise needs. This new trilogy presumably will continue the story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, since Lucas reportedly conferred with Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher about making Episodes VII, VIII and IX a year ago. Han Solo with Tarantino's dialogue just might make the entire universe implode.

Wes Anderson
The wildest of wild cards but also arguably the most interesting on this list. Every Anderson film is an entirely new universe, built from scratch and yet completely palatable and unique. He might not be the perfect fit for a Star Wars feature, but give him some of the ancillary characters and let him have at it. At the very least, it would be a fun ride to hop on.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-star-wars-movies-director-384731

15 Potential Directors for the New 'Star Wars' Films
8:15 AM PDT 10/31/2012 by Jordan Zakarin
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541
Could it be J.J. Abrams? Matthew Vaughn? "Harry Potter" helmer David Yates? With all of Hollywood likely to want the job, here are some real choice options.
Now that the shock that Disney is buying Lucasfilm and producing three new Star Wars films -- news that froze some megafans like Han Solo in carbonite -- has worn off, it's time to look at the future of the franchise with clear eyes. The fact that creator George Lucas will not direct the films and that Kathleen Kennedy will produce them opens up a wide world of possibilities.

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PHOTOS: The 'Star Wars' Universe: $20 Billion Worth of Toys, Rides, Books and Games

J.J. Abrams
He's already revived one iconic space-based franchise, in Star Trek, and is wrapping work on its sequel. Would he do another? Well, he always was more of a Star Wars fan growing up. Abrams is the current king of TV sci-fi, having launched such shows as Alias and Lost, and has had other big-screen successes as director of Mission: Impossible III and producer of Cloverfield and Mission: Impossible IV -- Ghost Protocol. He also has worked with Kennedy's longtime partner, Steven Spielberg, on their '80s-style monster film, Super 8, which came out in summer 2011.

Jon Favreau
A lifelong fan of the force who had a voice role in the Clone Wars animated series, Favreau has major cred with Disney and geeks for his work in launching the critically beloved Iron Man franchise. Mixing grit with humor and gadgets, the series helped launch the current Marvel cinematic universe; there would be no Avengers without Iron Man. Oh, and he produced Avengers, too. Although Cowboys & Aliens didn't really hit, it did provide him with the chance to work with a Star Wars legend in Harrison Ford. He's set to direct an adaptation of Jersey Boys, though, presumably, a chance to direct Star Wars films would be too good to pass up.

Joe Johnston
Another Marvel vet, Johnston directed its Captain America to strong critical and commercial success. He has worked with Kennedy on Jurassic Park III, which he directed, and has had a career-long relationship Lucas, as he provided character designs and special effects to the original Star Wars films. He did the same for Raiders of the Lost Ark, winning an Oscar. He's also written a Star Wars book.

STORY: What a New 'Star Wars' Movie Might Look Like

Christopher Nolan
The man that's redefining the modern comic book franchise, Nolan might be wary to get involved in another geeky venture with a classic predetermined story. But he will be out of his DC duties soon -- he's producing Man of Steel but not Justice League -- and aside from exec producing cinematographer Wally Pfister's directorial debut, he doesn't seem to have much on his docket.

Matthew Vaughn
His X-Men prequel First Class was adored by fans of the series (and did relatively well financially), and his genre-busting Kick-Ass was a fan favorite with a sequel on the way. He's shown he can do grit, with Layer Cake and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He was at one point in talks to direct Thor for Disney, so he at least knows its executives.

David Yates
The man who took over and finished the Harry Potter series, Yates has proved that he can handle a beloved franchise, elevate its content and make big money in the process. His Potter films were at the same time dark and family-friendly enough, a difficult line to balance. Yates also has had considerable success in TV work, both in the U.K. and U.S.

Alfonso Cuaron
Another Harry Potter director (Prisoner of Azkaban), Cuaron has his own space drama, Gravity, coming out next year. Sure, that's a bit different than Star Wars -- this film will have Sandra Bullock and George Clooney drifting through space -- but it's sci-fi nonetheless. He also produced Pan's Labyrinth, which had monsters galore, and his Children of Men and Y Tu Mama Tambien proved he can add plenty of edginess to his scripts.

Zack Snyder
A bit of a polarizing figure in the fan community, Snyder made the hits 300 and remake of Dawn of the Dead but also the maligned Sucker Punch and the divisive Watchmen. He's behind the new Superman film, which will either send him to the next level or sink his bonafides. Like most directors of his generation, he's also a huge Star Wars fan.

Josh Trank
An up-and-coming director, Trank had a surprise hit with last year's Chronicle, a fresh take on the sci-fi genre with a small budget and dark subject matter. Practical special effects in the film, about high school students who gain special powers from toxic waste, were strong, and the project won him the new Fantastic Four job. That might get in the way of the Star Wars project, however.

Duncan Jones
His breakout indie hit was, fittingly, titled Moon, so you know he's got a thing for space (also, having David Bowie -- Ziggy Stardust himself -- for a father probably helped nurture that). His second film, Source Code, showed a more Hollywood aesthetic though still dealt with high concepts and special effects. He obviously never has worked with a budget like the one Star Wars commanded, but he's young and talented and has been considered for genre work, including Man of Steel and Dredd.

Brad Bird
A two-time Oscar winner for his work with Pixar, Bird made the transition to live action with aplomb as director of the megahit Mission: Impossible IV -- Ghost Protocol. His Pixar work means he's a trusted Disney hand, and his M:I creds means he can handle someone else's franchise. He's got preproduction on the period film 1906 under way, but hey, this is Star Wars.

Drew Goddard
Another lifetime Star Wars fan, Goddard co-wrote and directed the long-delayed hit Cabin in the Woods, showing he can helm a genre film with humor and serious monsters. His co-writer on that film just happens to be Joss Whedon, who is now the go-to guy at Disney/Marvel; he's long been a Whedon apprentice, having written on Buffy and other TV shows. He's also working with Spielberg, as writer of Robopocalypse, so he's got connections with some very influential people in the Disney-Kennedy spheres.

Seth MacFarlane
Yes, really. The Family Guy animation king is a lifelong Star Wars nut -- he has made several special Star Wars episodes of Family Guy -- and busted out into live-action film with the megahit Ted. Sure, he's raunchy, but one has to assume he'd respect the material. And being Oscar host can't hurt his recognition factor, right?

Guillermo del Toro
A man with his iron in many, many fires, del Toro is a master at monster films and sci-fi. But is he too offbeat for this mainstream franchise? He nearly directed The Hobbit, but that fell through because of scheduling. He produces a ton of films and has Pacific Rim on the way, but if he could strike a balance between his own interests and the franchise's requirements, he'd be a big hit with fans.

George Miller
The oldest guy on this list but a real option. He's rebooting his own Mad Max film, was an option on Justice League for DC and directed both Happy Feet movies and the sequel to Babe, the film about the talking pig.

[James Stocks]

I should add that my main caveat with modern Star Wars fandom is the mandatory acknowledgement that George Lucas is completely full of shit. I love Star Wars, I love Lucas, it's all great... but the man is completely full of shit, he's made this entire thing up as he went along and this Disney news is proof.

How many interviews has Lucas given where he said he'd "always" conceived of Star Wars as a six-film saga spanning the birth, life and death of Anakin Skywalker? It's the motherfucker's equivalent of "hope and change" or "roads and bridges".

But now all of sudden he's somehow managed to find his story treatments for 7, 8 and 9? What happened to this being only a six film saga? Was he lying then or is he lying now? Would it kill him to just give a straight answer for once?

Fandom needs to accept that George Lucas improvised Star Wars as he moved along, the story evolved in the telling of it and little or nothing was planned out in advance. But beyond that... Lucas needs to accept all that shit himself.

I do believe Lucas had a sort of outline for the entire saga, it's just he made up the details as he went along like how he had to create Yoda because he killed off Ben Kenobi in the first movie, that kind of improvising obviously worked. He probably did have ideas for VII, VIII and IX, but felt he no longer had the energy to move onto those and just quit while he was ahead saying the story was over. With Disney being so eager to jump onto Star Wars flicks, Lucas probably thought "eh, why the fuck not? I'm getting four billion" and gave them his ideas, which Disney might look at as some kind of endorsement while calming down fans that it's approved by the franchise creator instead of a committee, (like how Nimoy appearing in Abram's Trek is basically a way to tell nerds that it's a legit Trek film).

[thecolorsblend]

A Leigh Brackett draft of Empire surfaced a few years ago. It's basically the smoking gun that Lucas had MAJOR plot points that weren't planned out. Exhibit A- "I am your father". Um, not in Brackett's draft, he wasn't. We're not talking about a single page of dialogue here either. At one point, Luke goes into the cave to be tempted by the Dark Side and confront that vision of Darth Vader. Who shows up out of thin air to give him support and comfort? Daddy Skywalker.

Between that and the twincest, nobody will ever convince me Lucas had planned the major story beats of the series ahead.

The thing is that the story he ended up telling in many ways is better than that which he set out to tell (ie, the prequels changing from being "the adventures of young Obi-Wan" to "the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker"). There's an impressive amount of creativity going on there but it's willfully being covered up because Lucas has some kind of screwed up pride issue about this stuff all being developed decades in advance.

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