Star Wars: The Force Awakens [** SPOILERS FROM POST 4472 ONWARD **]

david75

I'm sorta dreading the prospect of 'another' film all about Jedi. They should bring it back to the adventure story aspect. A whole new trilogy about some young jedi having to go against all the odds doesnt appeal to me.

I have to say that Hamill looks great. Compare the recent pictures of him to how he looked over a year ago in Sushi Girl and it's worlds apart. He looks at least 10 years if not 15 younger.

Adamantium

Mickeroo wrote: »

They should have left the tennis balls in. Would have been better than jar jar binks. Probably would have had more charisma than Hayden Christenson too.

py2006

I've heard Harrison Ford saying on a few occasions that he thought Han Solo should have died at some stage of the original trilogy. Do you think may be he will be killed off in the new film? To me he has shown reluctance to be part of the whole Star Wars thing over the years since and perhaps he only agreed to do this one if he is killed off?

Rumour has it that he will have quite a leading role in this one compared to the other original cast too.

pixelburp

py2006 wrote: »

I've heard Harrison Ford saying on a few occasions that he thought Han Solo should have died at some stage of the original trilogy. Do you think may be he will be killed off in the new film? To me he has shown reluctance to be part of the whole Star Wars thing over the years since and perhaps he only agreed to do this one if he is killed off?

Rumour has it that he will have quite a leading role in this one compared to the other original cast too.

I'd say its a very strong possibility, given it fits his character type: Luke and Leia would be big parts of the new republic, and I couldn't see Han Solo being comfortable in the peacetime; mind you, Ford insisting Solo be killed off implies he still gives a damn about his work. Along with Bruce Willis, he seems like a Hollywood star that simply couldn't be bothered these days.

Tony EH

Ford wanted Solo dead in 'Return of the Jedi'. Lucas refused, in a move that would almost have me forgive his other mistakes.

I think if Solo dies in the next trilogy, the interweb will have to be switched off, due to the impending meltdown that would occur.

He's easily the best character in the whole series.

Adamantium

pixelburp wrote: »

I'd say its a very strong possibility, given it fits his character type: Luke and Leia would be big parts of the new republic, and I couldn't see Han Solo being comfortable in the peacetime; mind you, Ford insisting Solo be killed off implies he still gives a damn about his work. Along with Bruce Willis, he seems like a Hollywood star that simply couldn't be bothered these days.

If this is true it might be because Ford only wants to do one episode, and the producers want to use Ford's bigger boxoffice appeal to help things get kickstarted. If he's only going to be in one episode and be killed off by the end of VII then I can see why they'd beef up his role in this episode, and save more of Luke and Leia for VIII and IX. Maybe he'll be one of the top generals in VII and we'll mostly see the new war through his eyes and a military lenses like in the OT, rather than a more Jedi-centric focal point like in the PT. That actually sounds better to me anyway.

Would also go more in the direction I like, Han Solo, an aging general fighting wars in a galaxy still torn apart, leading, (rescuing his daughter and a crowd she has fallen in with maybe) a new cast(drifters maybe) on a adventure in an where era Jedi aren't fit for much of anything or have no place and are gone back to their reclusive (aka not sitting in a governmental palace) buddhist samurai roots, thanks to Luke Skywalker. WAY in the background. Gosh that sounds like a pretty novel way of doing things. I like that. PAY ME

Spoonman75

Principal photography begins in Abu Dhabi next Tuesday 13 May.

http://ie.ign.com/articles/2014/05/11/star-wars-episode-vii-set-to-begin-filming-may-13-in-abu-dhabi

Larry Wildman

Han Solo is hardly a general in the true sense of the word and why would he have any issue with it being peacetime?

david75

I'd agree, Solo would feel out of place, but it being thirty years later, i'm sure that restlessness will have passed by now..

Adamantium

So they're on their way

Via Bad Robot's twitter:

They've changed the Episode font to something more resembling the originals and less like the polished operatic font of the prequels. It looks very adventur-ish

pixelburp

Could just be an affectation for the filming, but it'd be nice if it carried through into the official, public marketing. Funny how the simple touches can imbue a little more goodwill towards a project.

Adamantium

A dubious rumour but...

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/05/15/new-star-wars-rumors-include-original-trilogy-re-release-on-blu-rayvod-and-more/

Here’s a kind of convoluted rumor for you to chew on as we continue to wait for no news about Star Wars: Episode VII. According to an interesting e-mail we’ve intercepted, and which purports to come from within Disney’s marketing department, the studio are planning to re-release A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi on DVD/Blu-Ray/On Demand in their original form, without all the things George Lucas changed for the “Special Edition” releases back in 2004.

The new trilogy is going to be very closely tied to the original (and not so much the prequels, if you’re reading between the lines) and will be marketed as a direct sequel to those, so this particular re-release strategy makes a certain sense.

Going forward and looking at the much bigger picture, there are more dubious rumors to consider, like Disney potentially phasing out the prequel trilogy by lumping them in with the “Legends” non-canon fodder. This has apparently been the subject of gossip near Disney, though it’s very possibly just that – gossip amongst the worker bees. Anyway, it would allow for a reboot of sorts, with new prequel movies featuring Yoda, Darth Vader, etc.

But like I said, that rumour is much more dubious. Sure, they probably don’t want people to think too closely how disappointing the last three Star Wars films were in the run up to a new release, but to erase them from canon… would be a totally different story.

For now, though, there is room to remain hopeful about a new original trilogy re-release.

The thought of the prequels being kicked to the curb warm my black heart.

Yeti Beast

I'd prefer if they forget the 2004 edition and go back prior to 1997....

HAN SHOT FIRST!

Soft Falling Rain

It'd be pretty difficult to treat the prequels as non-canon. They're not like books or comics, films are harder to eradicate from the minds of people. Especially when they were always treated as canon until "it didn't suit the suits" at Disney to treat it as such anymote.

CatInABox

If Disney are going to release the original films, they'll have to work out a deal with Fox to do it.

It's weird. Disney own the rights to the films themselves, but fox retain the rights to distribute the films.

Still, money to be made for both companies, so I'd say it'll go ahead, and gain an awful lot of fan credit for Disney as well.

Tony EH

I may be wrong, but I think that was part of the deal Disney got.

The revenue and good will generated such a move would be enormous.

It's what every fan has been asking for, since DVD was invented.

McLoughlin

So the original films are the VHS of the films released in the 80's then before the 95 VHS reissues and 97 special editions.

I think I still have the 80s VHS releases.

Sad Professor

McLoughlin wrote: »

So the original films are the VHS of the films released in the 80's then before the 95 VHS reissues and 97 special editions.

I think I still have the 80s VHS releases.

They were released on Laserdisc and non-anamorphic DVD as well.

Tony EH

I can only watch the original versions of 'Star Wars' and 'Return of the Jedi'. 'The Empire Strikes Back' got away with minimal changes. The versions that Lucas tacked onto the last boxset I rebuilt to get rid of their non anamorphic state, so I don't have to zoom or bugger about with settings when I stick it into the player.

There's still the drop in quality however, but I'll take that over the abuses that Lucas heaped onto the films any day of the week.

That Jabba scene in 'Star Wars' is just bloody awful and as for 'Return of the Jedi', that picture is just unwatchable in the "special" edition.

If Disney are smart they'll release blus of the films, cleaned up and devoid of the worst elements of the Lucas abuse. It would be great to have the extra X wings, cleaned up model work, etc, but lose those shitty added, "extra", scenes and I'll be a happy boy.

Sad Professor

I think they should be the true original theatrical versions. No “Episode IV” in the opening crawl, no corrected lightsabers, no cleaned up effects, nothing. Just the films exactly as they were on their theatrical release. If they want to include the various different Special Editions via seamless branching on separate discs, great, but after all the crying for the theatrical cuts that’s exactly what we should get.

norrie rugger

Star Trek TOS was able to do it, with rerendered effects or original on the same discs

rockbeast

Tony EH wrote: »

I can only watch the original versions of 'Star Wars' and 'Return of the Jedi'. 'The Empire Strikes Back' got away with minimal changes. The versions that Lucas tacked onto the last boxset I rebuilt to get rid of their non anamorphic state, so I don't have to zoom or bugger about with settings when I stick it into the player.

There's still the drop in quality however, but I'll take that over the abuses that Lucas heaped onto the films any day of the week.

That Jabba scene in 'Star Wars' is just bloody awful and as for 'Return of the Jedi', that picture is just unwatchable in the "special" edition.

It's a disgrace to filmmaking. I cringe every time Han "steps" over Jabba's tail. I can't believe any alleged storyteller and SFX guru would believe that scene works:mad:

karaokeman

CatInABox wrote: »

If Disney are going to release the original films, they'll have to work out a deal with Fox to do it.

If Disney are going to release the unaltered trilogy (assuming it still exists) it won't be until Lucas passes away as he really, really doesn't want people to see the theatrical versions. Kind of sad when he was the one who testified against the colorization of black and white films even by the filmmakers.

Tony EH

It's out of his hands now though.

Sad Professor

karaokeman wrote: »

If Disney are going to release the unaltered trilogy (assuming it still exists) it won't be until Lucas passes away as he really, really doesn't want people to see the theatrical versions. Kind of sad when he was the one who testified against the colorization of black and white films even by the filmmakers.

That's not true. He released them on DVD just not in anamorphic. He was opposed to the expense and effort involved in restoring versions he believes are inferior. But even without the sale to Disney I think he would have come around eventually.

Theboinkmaster

Sad Professor wrote: »

That's not true. He released them on DVD just not in anamorphic. He was opposed to the expense and effort involved in restoring versions he believes are inferior. But even without the sale to Disney I think he would have come around eventually.

But alot of the shots are already cleaned up, all the ones which were never changed. So surely that's 70%+ maybe? Empire was the least messed with su surely 90%+ of that is already restored it's just a matter of going to the altered scenes and cleaning them up.

karaokeman

Sad Professor wrote: »

That's not true. He released them on DVD just not in anamorphic. He was opposed to the expense and effort involved in restoring versions he believes are inferior. But even without the sale to Disney I think he would have come around eventually.

Well according to this link, it is the anxiety Lucas faced while watching the original theatrical version that made him reject fan demand for it to be released:

http://www.hitfix.com/motion-captured/dont-expect-to-see-the-original-editions-of-star-wars-on-blu-ray-any-time-soon

The important bits are as follows:

"I sat behind Lucas at a screening of the 1977 film at the Egyptian theater once, and as he realized that the print they were showing was the original unaltered version and not a special edition, he began to sink lower and lower in his chair, his discomfort visible."

"He was in physical agony by the end of the screening, and he spoke afterwards about how hard it is for him to look at that version of the film."

Also note, the author infers Lucas is likely the only one who still has the original cut in anamorphic format so unless he hands it over to Twentieth Century Fox Disney will not be able to put out a blu-ray themselves.

Granted Lucas does change his mind quite a lot, considering how many times he claimed to never have a plan for Episodes VII-IX, and/ or stated they would never be made, and look now.

Gbear

karaokeman wrote: »

Well according to this link, it is the anxiety Lucas faced while watching the original theatrical version that made him reject fan demand for it to be released:

http://www.hitfix.com/motion-captured/dont-expect-to-see-the-original-editions-of-star-wars-on-blu-ray-any-time-soon

The important bits are as follows:

"I sat behind Lucas at a screening of the 1977 film at the Egyptian theater once, and as he realized that the print they were showing was the original unaltered version and not a special edition, he began to sink lower and lower in his chair, his discomfort visible."

"He was in physical agony by the end of the screening, and he spoke afterwards about how hard it is for him to look at that version of the film."

Also note, the author infers Lucas is likely the only one who still has the original cut in anamorphic format so unless he hands it over to Twentieth Century Fox Disney will not be able to put out a blu-ray themselves.

Granted Lucas does change his mind quite a lot, considering how many times he claimed to never have a plan for Episodes VII-IX, and/ or stated they would never be made, and look now.

Lucas sounds like a case study in a psychology textbook.

karaokeman

Gbear wrote: »

Lucas sounds like a case study in a psychology textbook.

Lucas is a very controversial individual, as much as I respect him. Would you believe Lucasfilm discontinued the 70% complete unaltered trilogy when the 2011 blu-rays were announced. Its clear he is desperate for the special editions to be the only circulating versions of Star Wars and will stop at nothing to make sure the fans see as little difference from that standard as possible.