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

thegreengoblin

Some interesting news about the lead-up comic to the film, called Shattered Empire, which is released in September. It all sounds quite similar to Zahn's Heir to the Empire...the Empire wasn't finished after the demise of the second Death Star, internal struggles, etc. At least there's no mention of taxes and trade federations!

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Star-Wars-Connect-Return-Jedi-Force-Awakens-72370.html

Good news round-up here also

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/456257-star-wars-news-roundup-for-july-2-2015

py2006

When news broke that the old cast were returning I mentioned to friends and on here that I thought that

Han Solo would die or be killed off because of Fords reluctance to discuss star wars over the years and that he felt the character should have been killed off in the original trilogy.

Now it would appear that the above opinion (of not only mine) is starting to move to rumour to almost leak.

veganrun

No new trailer until the autumn and no clips or anything expected at Comic Con.

http://www.rte.ie/ten/news/2015/0707/713119-star-wars/

thegreengoblin

Han Solo spin-off film confirmed...

http://www.starwars.com/news/christopher-miller-and-phil-lord-to-helm-han-solo-anthology-film

J Mysterio

thegreengoblin wrote: »

Han Solo spin-off film confirmed...

http://www.starwars.com/news/christopher-miller-and-phil-lord-to-helm-han-solo-anthology-film

I dont like the idea of these spin offs. It feels like it cheapens Star Wars somehow. Is the further trilogy not enough? Its gonna make a **** ton of money.

Oafley Jones

J Mysterio wrote: »

I dont like the idea of these spin offs. It feels like it cheapens Star Wars somehow. Is the further trilogy not enough? Its gonna make a **** ton of money.

Heaven forbid that someone would sully the name of Star Wars with spin offs. They'll be selling Star Wars merchandise next. But seriously, they've got Miller and Lord doing this. The masters of making good movies from terrible ideas.

J Mysterio

Well I for one thought the Lego film was ****. I dont know what else they have done but it irks me.

Synode

J Mysterio wrote: »

Well I for one thought the Lego film was ****.

What the hell is wrong with you dude

FunLover18

Oafley Jones wrote:

Heaven forbid that someone would sully the name of Star Wars with spin offs. They'll be selling Star Wars merchandise next. But seriously, they've got Miller and Lord doing this. The masters of making good movies from terrible ideas.

I really hope there's a scene where young Han goes into Jaba's office and Jaba says "ok Han we're going to try you on you first solo [PUN] run with you as the main guy. People have worked with you on a team before and they seemed to really like you even though you just made wise cracks and were a bit of dick, so here's a **** load of money to go smuggle goods in a fun, exciting way that definitely won't turn us into enemies. Oh and don't run into the empire [winks]"

I actually really like Lord and Miller but I'd prefer see them do something more original.

Tony EH

J Mysterio wrote: »

Well I for one thought the Lego film was ****. I dont know what else they have done but it irks me.

Synode wrote: »

What the hell is wrong with you dude

I guess he just doesn't know that everything is cool when you're part of a team.

.ak

Hmm, my fear is it's gonna be a bit too slapstick with them. But I'm cool with as much Star Wars media as they can throw at us. Some of it will stink, but some of it will hopefully be great.

robdonn

.ak wrote: »

Hmm, my fear is it's gonna be a bit too slapstick with them. But I'm cool with as much Star Wars media as they can throw at us. Some of it will stink, but some of it will hopefully be great.

But wouldn't you prefer waiting a little longer and getting nothing but awesome?

.ak

robdonn wrote: »

But wouldn't you prefer waiting a little longer and getting nothing but awesome?

That'll never happen. One must remember the commercial identity of Star Wars... it's a product designed to make money. Disney aren't about making an oscar winning piece of stunning cinema and art. They want to sell. Now that doesn't translate into making garbage, I have faith some of the product they'll dish out will be really good, the Force Awakens and Rogue 1 already sound like they're going to be really sound products... But after that there's plenty of scope of being average or kiddish and just something to pull in the cash.

Rebels is a brilliant example - awful TV show, but the kids will love it and it'll sell toys and merch. However, the first series of Clone Wars was fantastic. It's just the way of the SW product; some of it will be top notch, some of it will be garbage, you'll never have it all the way you like or think it should be, especially as they target different demographics.

robdonn

.ak wrote: »

Now that doesn't translate into making garbage

Have you ever seen a Transformers movie? :P

But I do agree about how the quality will effect the targeting of different demographics. When Phantom came out I was 12 and loved it, but as I grew older with each prequel release I just started to hate it.

But the problem is that this didn't happen with the original trilogy, they stand up to watching 40 years later (Ewoks withstanding). They have a quality that transcends demographics, whether intentional or not, and this is something that has been lacking from anything Star Wars since.

People always throw out the line that Star Wars is a kids' movie, but it's not. It is neither a kids' or adults' movie, it told an epic adult story that kids could enjoy.

doubledown

Just watch this. We are in very good hands.

Official release of the SDCC2015 behind the scenes reel...

http://youtu.be/CTNJ51ghzdY

Gbear

Comic con panel.

It looks this all comes naturally to Boyega.

He's gone from being a bit of a nobody with some credit for a few small performances to effortlessly dealing with the wailing hordes of SW fans.

MisterAnarchy

doubledown wrote: »

Just watch this. We are in very good hands.

Official release of the SDCC2015 behind the scenes reel...

http://youtu.be/CTNJ51ghzdY

They must be commended for going for real sets and animatronics instead of the cgi rubbish used in the last 3 films.
It looks excellent.

.ak

doubledown wrote: »

Just watch this. We are in very good hands.

Official release of the SDCC2015 behind the scenes reel...

http://youtu.be/CTNJ51ghzdY

I know they're aiming at the "we hate the prequels because of the cgi" crowd but I can't help but feel if they keep even just a small bit of their "promises" it's going to be spectacular. I actually felt a bit emotional watching that! I think there is a certain truth that Star Wars has a part in everyone's history for better or worse, and perhaps trying to narrow in on that will make it a commercial success instead of just trying to be bigger and better (ie where they failed with the prequels)..

I'm very excited.

bilston

Who needs CGI!

The most frustrating thing is that there is a good and important story to be told in the prequels and I just wish we could pretend the prequels were never made and then have them remade! Even Revenge of the Sith which I personally liked was spoiled by CGI, notably the light sabre battle between Anakin and Obi Wan on Mustafar where you literally had no idea what was going on at times. In saying that it worked well for the fight between Yoda and Sidious which I thought was spectacular so it does have its place.

robdonn

One of the things that I love about the Behind The Scenes video is a clip where it apparently shows them using the same face-tracking techniques that they would normally use to animate a CGI characters face, but instead using it to animate an animatronic face. So cool, I've never seen it being used like that before.

They're still going to have CGI characters, like the Lupita Nyong'o character, but it'll be nice to see a good mixture of techniques. Bringing it back to the good old days of Jurassic Park.

Antar Bolaeisk

Must not get excited, must not get excited...

pinksoir

Yup. Got pretty emotional watching that. Love seeing animatronics and proper set design.

pixelburp

Yeah, I do find myself really trying not to get hyped up for this, yet every little morsel of info or footage amps up the excitement just another notch. The Behind-the-Scenes footage didn't help, it brought a boyish smile to my face to see all the props, sets and puppets being wheeled out. There is definitely something weirdly ... compelling about the Star Wars universe on film, it's easy enough to understand why it speaks to so many people so deeply. It has an oddly mythological energy to it that other franchises don't seem to possess.

TheDoc

I'm just hopeful that as cinema has evolved and so with it cinema goers, these films can make an attempt to do some clever story telling and expand a bit on what is some incredible things in the universe.

Re-watching the six films recently became evident how "dumb" they were, in a sense that everything was put in front of you, and in your face. When I re-watch the six, I find the most compelling part of the story how the prophecy was interpreted originally, to how it actually played out. Obviously only achieved after they did the prequels.

The games and some books have gone into the universe in an incredible way and for me brought out stories much more interesting and compelling then the films. I'm worried it will be a very dumbed down to take in the kids, which is fair enough I know why Disney bought it, but there is such a great opportunity to have a complex film in that universe and I always fear I'll only see it through the games.

Like you just "take for granted" from the first three films that the Empire is a bad thing, and the rebels are a good thing. And its made out very "good vs bad". There was a genuine chance to question the Jedi and their place in the republic, only for a terrible actor and script to completely ham it up.

Have to say not as overly hyped for this as I thought I would, probably because the more I watch Star Wars, the less favourible I see them. I'll go see this no doubt, and really hope that it delivers, but right now other stuff has me more hyped then this, which technically should be impossible for me.

.ak

Ah but that's the beauty of it, it's supposed to more akin to fantasy than it is sci-fi; the knights, the evil lords, the good vs bad, black vs white... That's what makes SW so special. It's when you start complicating it (midichlorians), that's when it loses it's speciality.

I hope they keep it simple. Disney are know how to tell a simple story well. I'm not too worried. I just hope they keep things a bit moody.

Mickalus

I watched the ComicCon panel discussion there via Youtube (https://youtu.be/xzhcC4BbFuI and https://youtu.be/paCXKQN_TRU), they didn't give anything away really (Except for Domhnall Gleeson He was Funny.) but they did mention 'The Story' a good few times.....> It's all about the story.

JJ and Lawrence Kasdan talked a bit about their process for writing, Harrison Ford talked about his reading of the script and how he thought it was a great story.

They made all the right noises for me.

py2006

I'd love to get a private screening of this or a showing for just decent honest SW fans.

My last few cinema experiences have been ruined by teens/early 20s talking, messing, texting with no regard for those who want to sit down and enjoy the movie.

Icepick

robdonn

py2006 wrote: »

I'd love to get a private screening of this or a showing for just decent honest SW fans.

My last few cinema experiences have been ruined by teens/early 20s talking, messing, texting with no regard for those who want to sit down and enjoy the movie.

Maybe someone with some cinema friends could arrange a boards screening. :P

tony stark

Good aul Gleeson Jnr referring to himself as British-"I'm British so I'm the bad guy". Ewwwhhh hopefully Chewie rips his arms off in the first scene!!!!!