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Star Wars Prequels Media Movies Sci-Fi Television

Star Wars TV Show, And An Unmade Trilogy 346

Posted by timothy from the make-your-trilogy-or-no-allowance dept.
Necromutant writes "Mark Hamill comments about Episodes 7, 8, and 9 really got everyone's attention. Mark told those in attendance what Lucas told him the third trilogy would be about. Also confirmed today officially, a Star Wars television show coming in the future. -- I don't know if I should be happy or scared..."
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Star Wars TV Show, And An Unmade Trilogy More

Star Wars TV Show, And An Unmade Trilogy

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  • A big stick and a dead horse (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Izago909 ( 637084 ) * <tauisgodNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:01PM (#10221925)
    Lucas is going to milk this story for all it's worth. He won't be satisfied until Star Wars is the campiest sci-fi series ever put on film. If he would have stopped after the first 3 movies, he would have been remembered as one of the greatest sci-fi producers ever. After the first 2 new episodes came out, the franchise has started to become the ass end of sci-fi jokes. I don't see another 3 improving the image of the series.

    • Re:A big stick and a dead horse (Score:5, Insightful)

      by sqmagellan ( 548766 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:06PM (#10221950)
      I can see another triology helping the Star Wars genre, but only if Lucas steps down as either Writer or Director. Sure, he can make some wonderful special effects, but he needs more creative imput if he plans his new saga touching more than just the most hardcore of fans.

      • Re:A big stick and a dead horse (Score:4, Insightful)

        by JudgeFurious ( 455868 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @03:27PM (#10222384)
        I can say only one thing about the viability of three more "sequels" following these "prequels" and that is they would have to be absolutely incredible films to even have a chance to pull the franchise up to even ground level.

        If you look at them in their intended sequence then you've got (And I don't care how good he makes Ep3) a very childish and frankly not very good story starting with Ep1 progressing to what the majority of people consider to be "the good ones" in Eps 4, 5, and 6. Of course Jedi wasn't up to Empire and really that's where things started getting pretty silly with those furry little previews of the abortion to come but we mostly tend to just lump those three movies together and call them "good" while we look at the prequels and call them (rightfully so) "lousy".

        So if there ever were to be a trilogy of sequels then they'd have to be far more adult targeted in nature to even have a chance and they'd have to be the coolest friggin Star Wars movies ever to clean the taste of "Phantom Menace" out of our mouths. They would need to grow up and be serious (probably overly serious) and in effect age with thier audience to make most Star Wars fans happy. Then when the whole nine were viewed in order the story would get better and more serious as it moved along.

        I don't see Lucas being capable of doing it. No way can he miracle up the ability to churn out three great pictures now. He is what he is, just a guy who had one really great idea, an excellent techician of film, a great editor, and a crummy director who's managed to pull a few pictures off.
      • He just let Peter Jackson direct them. And, preferable, let ANYONE else write them. A slashdot committee could come up with a better script than he did for the prequels.

        Sadly the fact that Jackson has his own special effects workshop will probably preclude that from happening. :(

    • Re:A big stick and a dead horse (Score:5, Insightful)

      by bravehamster ( 44836 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:30PM (#10222107) Homepage Journal
      Star Wars is NOT sci-fi!

      It's fantasy.

      That is all.

      • Fantasy is a sub-genere of Sci-fi. It was a reinvention of the dead heroic myth genere in the late 19th century after science fiction writers like Jules Verne (!) proved that the novel-reading audience would read blatantly not-true stories.

        Any definition you use for the difference between fantasy and sci-fi can be bent or broken by numerous excellent works, even though each subgenere is distinct into itself.

        So, "Science Fiction" has three subgenres:

        Fantasy, like LOTR or my own (unpublished) novel. Wil

        • No, Fantasy and Science Fiction are both subgenres of Speculative Fiction (and so is Alternate History). For example, it is generally agreed that the sf in rec.arts.sf.written stands for Speculative Fiction.

          Your idea doesn't really make sense. There's nothing scientific about fantasy. Doing the opposite and calling science fiction a subgenre of fantasy would also seriously piss off quite a few people.

          • Re:A big stick and a dead horse (Score:4, Informative)

            by Planesdragon ( 210349 ) <slashdot@ca s t l e steelstone.us> on Saturday September 11, 2004 @04:23PM (#10222650) Homepage Journal
            Your idea doesn't really make sense

            It's not my idea. Leave USENET and go talk to a bookseller -- like the GM or owner of a local bookstore. Odds are that they'll be able to backup my statement.

            "Speculative Fiction" isn't a historic genere. It's an attempt to redefine "S/F" to mean something broader, and it does make more sense than "Science Fiction". But it's still not a classic genere, and you probably won't find "Speculative fiction" as a section in a bookstore.

            • A Question (Score:3, Insightful)

              by metalhed77 ( 250273 )
              I know nothing of this at all. But it would seem to the casual observer that sci-fi should be a sub-genre of fantasy. Quite simply, where's the science in a fantasy tale about elves and faeries etc.?

              I'm of the belief that if it isn't this way allready it damn well should be for sanity's sake.
        • Fantasy is a sub-genere of Sci-fi.

          Um, yeah. Right.

          Would you please be kind enough, pointing out the scientific parts of LOTR, The Belgariad or The sword of truth (bad series)? These are afaik, prime examples of what is considered Fantasy.

          Sure, not all stuff that people label Science Fiction is that scientific either, but at least SF mostly tries to tell us what might happen in the future and what technology, society and science of the era might have evolved into.

          SF could be seen as a genre of Fantasy,

        • Re:A big stick and a dead horse (Score:4, Insightful)

          by Oligonicella ( 659917 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @07:52PM (#10223895)
          "Fantasy is a sub-genere of Sci-fi. It was a reinvention of the dead heroic myth genere in the late 19th century after science fiction writers like Jules Verne (!) proved that the novel-reading audience would read blatantly not-true stories."

          Oh, really? Then E.A.Poe (1809-1849) wasn't writing fantasy? Gulliver's Travels (1675) isn't fantasy?

          Ummm, bullshit.

      • Re:A big stick and a dead horse (Score:5, Insightful)

        by adolfojp ( 730818 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:40PM (#10222157)
        Sadly, I've got no mod points, so I will post instead.

        I agree 100%. Star wars is fantasy. The only diference between SW and Lord of The Rings type of movies is the background. One is technological and the other is not. Considering that this background is in another galaxy in another time frame it doesn't imply any future technology, but a mere definition of its alien background and status quo.

        There is no science behind star wars light sabers, ships, force (except the midiclorian mistake) or anything else in the universe. It is the analogy to magic swords, horses, unicorns, olifants and whaterer mechanical doomsday devices you might want to add.

        Just because it has blinking lights doesn't make it sci fi.

        Cheers,

        Adolfo
        • yep - all those fantasy horses in those western/sci-fi's were crazy. just crazy.

        • Re:A big stick and a dead horse (Score:4, Interesting)

          by ultranova ( 717540 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @03:56PM (#10222526)

          There is no science behind star wars light sabers, ships, force (except the midiclorian mistake) or anything else in the universe. It is the analogy to magic swords, horses, unicorns, olifants and whaterer mechanical doomsday devices you might want to add.

          Just because it has blinking lights doesn't make it sci fi.

          Actually, yes it does. Sci-fi, even "hard" sci-fi, introduces devices that cannot be manufactured at current technological level. Since these devices cannot be yet manufactured, their existence in future, as well as inner workings, are pure speculation.

          Simply because some author is good at giving "science-like" explanations about how things work in his universe doesn't make those things any more scientifically sound than any other sci-fi props. Don't be fooled by technobabble :).

          Think of it this way: There is some science behind magic swords - namely, the inclined plane (the cutting edge forms a wedge) and the fact that pressure increases as the surface decreases (which is why the blade cuts). There is also some unscientific things (the magical properties). There is a lot of science in several sci-fi spaceships (rocket engines, closed hull) and lots of unscientific things (faster-than-light drives in almost all of them, positronic robot brains - why would these be any different from normal electrons ?). It's just a matter of degree.

          • Actually, yes it does. Sci-fi, even "hard" sci-fi, introduces devices that cannot be manufactured at current technological level.

            "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" - Arthur C. Clarke.

            Now the magic abilities of LOTR & similar fantasy is presented as innate abilities of (some of) the 'people' who populate the world.
            Compare this with the Jedi, force users and adepts. Until the 'midichlorians' were introduced, this was accepted as certain people being able to tap into
            • You may choose to define it however you want, but to the average English-speaking person it is precisely the technobabble and backdrop that make the difference between sci-fi and fantasy.

              There's a genre jargon definition of sci-fi that is along the lines of having a rational explanation for how things work, but in English it means having blinkenlights and cool tech instead of dragons and magic wands. The only real difference between a blaster and a magic wand is a technobabble/backdrop one, but it turns o

      • Star Wars is NOT sci-fi!

        It's fantasy.

        I'm less certain.

        American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition (by way of dictionary.com):

        A literary or cinematic genre in which fantasy, typically based on speculative scientific discoveries or developments, environmental changes, space travel, or life on other planets, forms part of the plot or background.

        The OED:

        Imaginative fiction based on postulated scientific discoveries or spectacular environmental changes, freq. set in the future or on other planets and

    • I posted this the last time this subject came up, but it's so funny that it deserves repeating. JK Rowling's hilarious offhand comment [jkrowling.com] about George Lucas:

      Q: Will there be a book about Harry's Mum and Dad, about how they became friends and how they died?

      A: So it would be "Harry Potter: Episode One". [Laughter]. No, but a lot of people have asked that. It is all George Lucas's fault. You won't need a prequel; by the time I am finished, you will know enough. I think it would be shamelessly exploitative to do that. I am sure that Mr Lucas is doing it only for artistic reasons, but in my case I think that by the time you have had the seven books you will know everything you need to know for the story.

      "Artist reasons" -- She is hilarious.

      • To be fair to Lucas (Score:2, Interesting)

        by rsilvergun ( 571051 )
        he always intended to do the prequals. Well, that's not quite true. The original script was too long, so he skipped to the middle. It's not surprising to seem him go back and finish making the rest of the script. Moreover, it's got nothing to do with art. I really think Lucas just wants to make the movies. This is actually a problem. I think he entered into the project without a clear picture of what he wanted to do; and instead just has a bunch of cool ideas that have been floating around in his head for y
        • George Lucas didn't invent the prequel-- he was imitating the epic style of starting the action "in medias res". Virgil, for instance, devotes the second book of his Aeneid to describing events (the fall of Troy) that predated the narrative in the first book (Juno's storm, and the landing of the Trojan fleet in Africa).

          Moreover, Asimov's two prequels predate Lucas's prequels.

        • What irked me was that in one interview with Lucas and a couple of other Hollywood heavyweights (I think Copola was there, as well as someone else extremely famous...it looked like an old homes get-together, seriously!), Lucas mentions that he didn't want to direct TPM. But then he said all his (ass-kissing, upsucking) friends told him he could do it, no, he /should/ do it, so he did.

          Now maybe I'm reading way to much into this one offhand comment, but something about the way he said it made me think that L

    • Re:A big stick and a dead horse (Score:5, Insightful)

      by dukerobillard ( 582741 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:36PM (#10222136)
      He won't be satisfied until Star Wars is the campiest sci-fi series ever put on film.

      Jeez, he should have been happy in 1978, then.

    • You must have missed that Return of the Jedi movie, then. At 13 years old, I could not believe what I was seeing on the screen. After Empire I expected magic out of that third movie. Biggest Letdown Ever.
    • This would be a prime opportunity to make a completely different final trilogy - to complete the story and provide another feel. The first set was funny, adventurous and believeable - adolescent, even. The second was for a younger stage of life. What could the third be like? Starting with the feel at the end of the current storyline, using new technology, becoming more serious with the story and portrayal? Not so much an apology as a completion. Their quality scales may have been reversed, but then so

  • Heh (Score:5, Funny)

    by cbrocious ( 764766 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:02PM (#10221928) Homepage
    Has anyone else wondered if there's a competition between Star Wars and Star Trek as to who can drive their respective franchises into the ground farther and faster?

    • Re:Heh (Score:5, Funny)

      by Coryoth ( 254751 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:17PM (#10222033) Homepage Journal
      Has anyone else wondered if there's a competition between Star Wars and Star Trek as to who can drive their respective franchises into the ground farther and faster?

      I think a Star Wars TV series is a great step forward. Rick Berman has been well ahead of Lucas for years now, due to the sheer volume of crap that can be produced with a weekly TV show. As hard as Lucas has worked, particularly with the new reworked special edition versions for DVD, Berman has, what, 5 seasons of Voyager behind him (okay, disregarding time travel, holodeck, and other "it never really happened episodes, maybe only 1 or 2 seasons)? You just can't compete with that sort of thing. While continuing to make some of the worst Star Trek feature films ever, Berman has been pumping out Enterprise.

      But that's all going to change. Lucas has wised up. His glory years (Caravan of Courage, and Battle for Endor anyone?) are behind him, but he's still capable of of making everything cutesy and pointless for no good reason. Given an opportunity to get crap on air on a weekly basis can really bury the franchise - you only need to look at Droids, or the Star Wars Christmas Special to see what truly amazing things Lucas can do with the TV medium. That level of spectacularly awful work could undercut Berman's years of effort in under a season.

      Star Wars' prospects are definitely looking up (or down, as the case may be).

      Jedidiah.
    • Because future lovers of campy sci-fi will agree than Roddenberry would have come out of retirement to beat Rick Berman into a pile of goo. Therefore, everything after DS9 (which got bad enough as it is... but still, Episode one went past all that) doesn't really count.
    • Has anyone else wondered if there's a competition between Star Wars and Star Trek as to who can drive their respective franchises into the ground farther and faster?

      That's "to boldly drive their respective franchises into ground that no other franchise has ever been driven."

      It needed a nice Roddenberry misplaced modifier. ;)

    • Re:Heh (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Masque ( 20587 )
      It's still a competition for the silver medal, however, after the last two Matrix films set a world record in the 200 Minute Suck.

      • Re:Heh (Score:5, Funny)

        by shigelojoe ( 590080 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @04:10PM (#10222587)
        It's still a competition for the silver medal, however, after the last two Matrix films set a world record in the 200 Minute Suck.
        That number can't be right, because I distinctly remember Trinity's death scene from "Matrix Revolutions" being at least five hours long.
    • Star Trek was the first to be driven into the ground. Anyone who can give up on Star Trek has already done so, but there are still optimists for Star Wars.
    • And yet, J. Michael Straczynski [imdb.com] who has produced what I think is the best Sci-Fi televison since the Twilight Zone and Trek TOS, can't get any more of his B5 ideas on TV.

      It's sad to see Trek limp along while the B5 Universe has so much potential.

      wbs.

  • I know... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by dfn5 ( 524972 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:03PM (#10221934) Journal
    I don't know if I should be happy or scared

    Be afraid. Be very afraid.

  • Scared or happy? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by slavemowgli ( 585321 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:05PM (#10221947) Homepage
    Scared. Definitely scared - maybe I'm a pessimist, but I think that this will be just more commercialization.

  • A Bink's Tale (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Ch3schir3 ( 812115 ) <cheschireNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:06PM (#10221952) Homepage
    So we watch 4,5,6, and think its about Luke. We watch 1,2,3, and realize that its about Vader. We watch 7,8,9 and maybe we will finally realize it's just about an old man who doesn't know when to let someone else take over.

  • I always wanted to do this... ;) (Score:5, Informative)

    by grm_wnr ( 781219 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:07PM (#10221954)
    Server's going down. Here's the text:
    Mark Hamill Talks Star Wars Epis. 7, 8, & 9 Source: Scott Chitwood Friday, September 10, 2004 This past Wednesday, ComingSoon.net had the opportunity to attend Lucasfilm and Fox Home Entertainment's roll-out of the "Star Wars Trilogy" DVD set (Coming Sept. 21st.) One of the surprise guests at the event was Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. He ended up being one of the highlights of the presentation as he enthusiastically recalled humorous anecdotes about the making of the original films, working with Kevin Smith, seeing TROOPS for the first time, and more. However, his comments towards the end about Episodes 7, 8, and 9 really got everyone's attention. Mark told those in attendance what Lucas told him the third trilogy would be about. Hamill also went into detail about Lucas' original plans for those films, when they would be made, and more. Plus, Lucasfilm's Jim Ward confirmed that a "Star Wars" TV series is on the way in the near future (though he didn't say when it would be set). We thought you might like to hear Mark Hamill's comments in his own voice. Simply download this 5 minute MP3 file and enjoy! It's only 2 MB in size:
    MARK HAMILL TALKS STAR WARS EPISODES 7, 8, & 9 [nexcess.net] Check back soon for more on this presentation as well as a full review of the DVD set. Look for Q&A sessions with "Empire Strikes Back" director Irvin Kershner, DVD guru Van Ling, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, and more!
    Only 2MB, eh? Let's see if you can handle it...
  • heh, getting nuked already, the mp3 download just brings up google here

  • he (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Spytap ( 143526 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:09PM (#10221974)
    Mark told those in attendance what Lucas told him the third trilogy would be about.
    How Long ago did Lucas tell Mark Hamill about this, was this sometime back when they were originally filming?

    • 1976! (Score:2, Informative)

      by rd_syringe ( 793064 )
      This isn't really news at all. Mark doesn't say what the next trilogy is about. I'm not sure why it's being reported that way. He just talks about how Lucas asked him to do four trilogies total. This was back in 1976. Mark mentions being in Episode 9 and handing his light sabre off to the new Jedi. Nothing more.

  • Ob. Spaceballs Reference (Score:5, Funny)

    by DarkHelmet ( 120004 ) * <<ten.elcychtneves> <ta> <kram>> on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:10PM (#10221976) Homepage
    Star Wars Ep 7: The Search for More Money

    Think Mel Brooks would actually mind that?

  • A great disturbance in the Force. (Score:5, Funny)

    by torpor ( 458 ) <ibisum@@@gmail...com> on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:11PM (#10221987) Homepage Journal
    It was like a million geeks crying out in unison, then suddenly disappointed.

  • Mirror of mp3 (Score:5, Informative)

    by vanadium4761 ( 203839 ) * <jason@vallery.net> on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:12PM (#10221994) Homepage
    here [vallery.net]

  • Charlie Rose interview (Score:5, Informative)

    by captaineo ( 87164 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:12PM (#10221997)
    In George Lucas' interview with Charlie Rose two days ago, he very firmly stated "no more Star Wars movies," he wants to do other films. Take that for what it's worth...
    • Maybe its just George Lucas who isn't doing another star wars movie. Maybe he decided to let someone else do the work. And maybe, just maybe, pigs fly.
    • he very firmly stated "no more Star Wars movies"

      Yeah, "American Graffiti: Episode 1 - Opie Goes Cruising for Chicks"

    • He's said that before. Several times. Shortly before announcing the next Star Wars film.

      I remember back in 1977, Lucas swore up and down that the original Star Wars was a standalone film and there absolutely would NEVER be a sequel, because he didn't believe in sequels, period (he said something to the effect that only losers with no ability to create new material ever made sequels). Then Star Wars became a big hit -- and suddenly it was the first of a trilogy, and soon afterward was transmogrified into th

  • Money (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Viceice ( 462967 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:17PM (#10222028)
    Dispite all the rants, If Episodes 7, 8 and 9 were made, they'd all do well at the box office. So is there any reason why they won't do it?

    Good creative shows have been pulled because of money and stereotypical, nonsensical tripe put in replacement all in the name of money.

    So whats makes SW diffrent?

    • I think the difference is that, despite what we think of the latest movies, (I believe) George Lucas really cares about the movies he's making. I think they are exactly what he wants, exactly how he envisions them (as opposed to, apparently, the original three). He is putting a tremendous amount of effort into these projects to realize his vision and probably is getting burned out in the process.

      It's just too bad for us that his "imperfect" versions of the stories from the 1977-1983 timeframe are the ones
      • Good point about Lucas' motivation. But your comment about him being "burned out" is unfounded. If you watch the upcoming Empire of Dreams, you'll see just how much pressure he was under to get the first film out. The studio was fighting him all the way, effects shots weren't working, and by the time it was over, he was expecting a bomb that would end his career. Now, he calls the shots. It's his schedule, his money (Fox doesn't pay for production, they only distribute) and his vision. Honestly, the m
      • >>I think the difference is that, despite what we think of the latest movies, (I believe) George Lucas really cares about the movies he's making.

        Kind of reminds me of Rush [rush.com] in a way. Geddy Lee has said more than once that they don't care what the critics say, they just write and record songs that they want to play.

        And there are plenty of Rush fanboys (myself included) who will run out and buy their records every 2 years or so, no matter how badly everyone else thinks they sound.

        wbs.

  • tv based on brian daley novels? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by welloy ( 603138 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:18PM (#10222035)
    This could be great. If Lucas et al took something like the brian daley [tripod.com] novels (Han Solo at Stars' End, (1979), Han Solo's Revenge (1979) and Han Solo and the Lost Legacy (1982)) --stories that involved the SW characters but not really the plot line of the movies-- and made a bunch of television episodes out of them that could be really interesting. That could give lots of very creative people a great way to flesh out the rest of the SW universe and provide some neat backstory, without worrying too much about stepping on the Canon of SW. How neat would it be to see Lando and Han back in the bad old days smuggling spice or gambling for each other's ship? Or following Biggs through the Academy? Or watching the Empire take over a planet or two?

    The problem is of course, most all TV shows and movies produced are crap. And I dont think the SW TV show is any more or less likely to be crappy TV than any other sci-fi/fantasy show.

    • If you like Brian Daley, check out the NPR Audio Series [amazon.com] done by Brian. Especially the first one of Star Wars. If the TV series is 1/2 as good as these tapes, It will be worth watching.

    • Re:tv based on brian daley novels? (Score:5, Funny)

      by dspeyer ( 531333 ) <dspeyer.wam@umd@edu> on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:29PM (#10222102) Homepage Journal
      Han Solo at Star's End?
      Han: I'm here for the money, and I'm going to get the money.

      First Speaker: [looks skepticla]
      Han: On second thought, I really just want to be with Leah. Bye!
      First Speaker [to novice]: HE'll be a happier man, but he'll never threaten The Plan again.
      Novice: Is it always that easy?
      First Speaker: Yes
      Seems sort of silly, doesn't it?

      Really, the power of the Force is nothing compared to the power of psychohistory.

    • I'd rather see Zahn's books as TV miniseries. The Thrawn trilogy, and the later duo about the Camaas debacle.

  • Was Mark Muzzled? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by victor_the_cleaner ( 723411 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:18PM (#10222038)
    What I find strange about this article is that supposedly Mark made these comments on Wednesday of this past week.

    On Friday, Mark did two live radio interviews in my market to promote the upcoming DVD releases. In both interviews the host asked about the next trilogy. Although he did not give the same answer word-for-word, he basically said, "I don't know, most of the time the fans know more than I do"

    Did Mark say too much on Wednesday and was told to keep his mouth shut?

  • If Lucas has half a brain (Score:5, Interesting)

    by multiplexo ( 27356 ) * on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:19PM (#10222047) Journal
    and can contain his ego he'll option Timothy Zahn's series of Star Wars novels, hire someone else to direct, put his name on it as executive producer and then STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM IT! . The Timothy Zahn novels, along with Alan Dean Foster's Splinter in the Mind's Eye were the best Star Wars novels written. For those of you who haven't read them they are:

    Heir to the Empire [amazon.com]

    Dark Force Rising [amazon.com]

    The Last Command [amazon.com]

    There would be problems with the fact that the actors are older than their characters are portrayed in the Zahn books, but hey, George is a wizard with CGI, let's see him do something useful with it instead of creating more characters like Jar-Jar Binks or editing the cantina scene so that Greedo shoots first.

    • Parent post is 100% right; the Zahn novels are excellent. Remember that even though the Emperor died there is still a vast beauracracy and military operating in the imperial mode to run the galaxy. After RotJ there wasn't an instantaneous happy new Republic. For those of you who haven't read them, do so if you want good sci-fi.

    • The Timothy Zahn novels, along with Alan Dean Foster's Splinter in the Mind's Eye were the best Star Wars novels written

      This garbage is the best ?!? Good I didn't read the others then. When reading the first one I was reminded on why I stopped reading fantasy after puberty. As for the 2nd book, it was so dumb and lacking any kind of ideas or plot that I gave up halfway. If a book is exceptional, I keep it; if it's good I give it to my friends. Those 3 ended up in a landfill. Saying it's better than Jar-Jar

    • But Greedo shoots at the same time now!

  • Ah... (Score:5, Funny)

    by iamdrscience ( 541136 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:20PM (#10222050) Homepage
    I would like to coin a new phrase for Lucas's continued desecration of Star Wars: "Beating a dead tauntaun".

  • Holy cow (Score:4, Funny)

    by Eric(b0mb)Dennis ( 629047 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:21PM (#10222056)
    Holy cow, hopefully they'll make it a reality TV show... I can see it now...

    Six strangers live inside the star wars universe (A huge studio in Hollywood) for six months, where they can become a bounty hunter, pod racer, force-user (only for the very gifted!) Smuggler (Please, no real 'spice' or other illegal substances on the set) among many other professions!

    Each 'period' consists of a voting day, where each player votes "the most annoying" player off the studio.

    The winner recieves royalty rights to the Star Wars franchise after George Lucas has died, but 50% of the profits MUST be used to beautify his burial ground.

  • A better idea... (Score:4, Funny)

    by iamdrscience ( 541136 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:23PM (#10222071) Homepage
    I could do without a star wars TV show. I would be much more interested in a show starring "The Star Wars Kid [jedimaster.net]".

  • The Lucas Problem (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Nom du Keyboard ( 633989 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:24PM (#10222076)
    The Lucas Problem is that he is considered such a God (or Jedi Master) of science fiction films that no one dares tell him when he's wrong about something. And everybody's wrong some of the time.

    I'm certain that is the only reason Jar Jar Binks ever survived being edited out of Episode 1 is that no one would dare say to George, "Uh, George, you may not have realized it, but this character is nothing more than an offensive racial stereotype that will not go down well with anyone."

    • I'm certain that is the only reason Jar Jar Binks ever survived being edited out of Episode 1 is that no one would dare say to George, "Uh, George, you may not have realized it, but this character is nothing more than an offensive racial stereotype that will not go down well with anyone."

      I'm sure that in his godliness he is gives less importance to listening, caring, or tolerating such advice. I'm quite certain the man is literate, and if he reads anything besides the Star Wars fansite claptrap, he is sur
    • I'm certain that is the only reason Jar Jar Binks ever survived being edited out of Episode 1 is that no one would dare say to George, "Uh, George, you may not have realized it, but this character is nothing more than an offensive racial stereotype that will not go down well with anyone."
      I've seen plenty of 8 year olds whose favorite Star Wars character is Jar Jar Binks. I guess it just goes to show who Lucas considers to be his audience.

      -a

      • Re:The Lucas Problem (Score:3, Interesting)

        by glsunder ( 241984 )
        Uh, guess what age 1/2 the people who obsess over star wars were when ep 4 came out. I'd be willing to bet alot of them/us grew up in the 70s and 80s. Jar Jar isn't any worse than the ewoks were. Heck, he's a better actor than the guy who played aniken in ep 2.
    • People are constantly telling him what they think is wrong. That's why we get Greedo shooting first. That's why the Ewok song gets cut (yes, I liked the Ewok song. It's a God damn childrens' movie people). Watch the commentary on Ep2. People bitched left and right about Yoda kicking ass. Did it rock? Yes, I think that it did. Lucas sucks most when he listens to his critics.

      This isn't to say Lucas is some genious who ought to be left along to create. For God's sake, somebody should have pointed out that i
  • I wonder if they're bring Bea Aurthur [stomptokyo.com] back for this one, too? On the bright side, given how low the bar was set for the Star Wars Christmas Special, we're pretty much assured that anything that's done for TV by George is going to be better. (OK, bright side in the brown dwarf star sense.)

  • Transcript (Score:3, Informative)

    by Martin Blank ( 154261 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:39PM (#10222152) Homepage Journal
    I got the file, and aside from a mention that Lucas originally told him that there would be three trilogies, and asking him on the earlier set if he wanted to be in Ep9 (to be made around 2011), there's nothing new in there. It's a lot of talk about what went on behind the scenes in standard studio politics.

  • Animated Zahn (Score:3, Interesting)

    by qui-bay ( 265670 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @02:44PM (#10222173)
    Make an animated series

    CGI the ships etc...

    Hire as many old & current cast members to do the voices.

    One hour long each episode. If they did the Zahn books like this they could have an entire series plotted out and it would be a huge hit.

    Also, needs to be an HBO series. With Lucas' stand on not wanting to be influenced by studios, wouldn't it make sense to not want censors or suits influenceing the product? I'm sure HBO does much of the same, but I bet they would steer his old ass into a great product.

  • Inside Scoop; Episodes 7 8 & 9 (Score:5, Funny)

    by Teahouse ( 267087 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @03:00PM (#10222252)
    Episode 7 (The Voyage Home): Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is now old and broke. After 2 decades of training new Jedi, he now sits around on Dagoba all day complaining about humidity. One day he is contacted by his geriatric friend Han Solo (now King of a planet called Indiana). He tells Luke that a new Sith named Darth Glukas has developed a time machine and has sent back a droid called THX1138 to kill young Anakin in a time-period called "EPISODE 1". Solo explains that if THX1138 isn't stopped, Anakin and his servant Jar Jar Binks will be killed, thus making Luke cease to exist. After a long and perilous journey (where they encounter humpback whales for some reason) Luke and Solo defeat THX1138, but learn on their return that that was Darth Glukas' plan from the beginning. Now Glukas can create an army made entirely of something he calls "director's cuts" and steal all the money in the universe. This will allow him to buy the entire republic and restore the empire. Luke and SOlo are bummed out as we begin;

    EPISODE 8 (Lost in Space); Luke and Solo must defeat Darth Glukas' army of director's cuts, but they have no idea where they are or even WHAT they are, so they begin searching randomly throughout the worlds of the republic. They come across a planet and discover a family of beautiful humans who claim they are called the Robinsons, and their ship is the "Jupiter 2". Although the ship they have looks nothing like the one in the republic database, and the Robinsons are far too pretty and have the vacuous acting talent of bannana slugs, they do point out that they have seen the dark side. They point our geratric twosome in the direction of Darth Dr. Smith, who is Darth Glukas' apprentice. Smith doesn't look human at all, but he does look a helluva lot better than the crappy paint on Darth Maul (and he does have the cool black robe) so our duo fights with Darth Smith and strike him down for questioning. After Darth Smith stops whining about his injury "Oh the pain, the pain!" He tells them Darth Glukas and the directors cuts can be found on a planet called Skywalker Ranch and that Darth Glukas will surely defeat them and buy the entire republic unless our heroes can get more help. Off they go

    EPISODE 9 (Finally over); Luke and Solo go to get help. They stop at the planet of Angles, where they find Princess Leah (in tight vinyl) and her band of female jedi (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu). Accompanying them is Leah's Obi Wan (jedi teacher), Obi Wan Morpheus and his assistant Neo. All 8 of them fly to planet Skywalker Ranch and confront Darth Glukas, but alas, Glukas has a suprise for them. He has THREE young apprentice siths working for him. Darth Elrond (Hugo Weaving), Darth Psycho (Crispien Glover), and Darth Bitch (Demi Moore). An epic battle ensues where almost everyone dies while fighting in slow motion with lots of wire fighting and physics-ignoring acrobatics. In the end, Luke and Glukas are the only ones left. Luke tells Glukas he has lost, but Glukas laughs and says "Lost? My boy you have much to learn about the dark side. I have been following your every move throughout this entire epic with hidden cameras. Your every action has been a part of a thing I call reality television, and I have already made my billions on this tripe. All is lost. I now have the money to buy the republic."

    It all does seem lost, but then, Luke informs him; "It is you who has lost Glukas, I have known about your treachery all along, and informed the one force in the universe more powerful than you." From the wings enters Obi Wan Schlocky- Ending (Stephen Spielberg) "I thought you might try a "sad" ending Glukas, I have prepared for this moment with a series of horrible sequels of my own. We can't have people believing that any story can end without a happy ending! This is my mission, my destiny." With that, Obi Wan Schlocky-ending pulls out his glowing blue......checkbook and buys the entire Star Wars series, (copyright, and merchandising!) with the money he made from Indiana Jones 4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10 a

  • partial transcript (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Q: if george decided to do a 7,8,9 - would you do it?

    MH: He talked about doing 7,8,9. You know when I first did this, it was four trilogies. 12 movies! And out on the desert there's big time between setups 'cause of whatever, ya know, the robots are... can you imagine robots rolling mechanically- oil on sand in the desert? That's the kind of stuff you don't [inaudible] we should prepare for this, so they're digging out sand and putting planks and moving the cameras so you can't see he's on wood. Lots
  • comingsoon-hamill-swdvd1.ogg [amateur-intelligence.org]

    It's .ogg

  • Text better than voiced words... (Score:3, Informative)

    by aepervius ( 535155 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @04:09PM (#10222585)
    Can't somebody here write up a quick summary of what is said in the MP3 by Hammil ? I dunno for you all, but 1) I can't access the web site in the article summary 2) anyway the MP3 I downloaded from a mirror is so down in quality that as a foreigner which understand only oxford english, it is useless to me.

    My kingdom for a quick summary in WRITTEN WORD. Ok maybe not my kingdom but at least my thanks...
  • I predict that "Star Wars: The 4:3 edition" will last only as long as the Star Trek animated series did. If not shorter. Chip H.

  • The Biggest Threat to Star Wars is.. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by darthtrevino ( 812116 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @04:48PM (#10222785) Homepage
    Fanboys. Seriously, just let Lucas do his thing. Every time ANYTHING is posted about Star Wars, all the posts are of the tone: I'm not buying **** until Lucas releases the original originals without Digital anything, straight from the masters!!!

    Honestly, let it go. If you want to complain about the pillaging and raping of a franchise, go complain about Star Trek.

  • Also confirmed today officially, a Star Wars television show coming in the future. -- I don't know if I should be happy or scared..."

    Happy or scared? Let me see if I can help you out. I have here a very old VHS tape of a made-for-TV Star Wars program called The Ewok Adventure. Let me just load that up and take a look...

    . . .

    Phew! Okay...

    I would say, scared. Definitely scared.

  • Transcript (Score:5, Informative)

    by Antony-Kyre ( 807195 ) on Saturday September 11, 2004 @08:51PM (#10224175)
    http://www.iesb.net/movies/movie90904.htm [iesb.net]

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