In my recent articles I attempted to cover just how much the prequels made Star Wars a better saga; how the backstory George Lucas gave us deepened our understanding of the Star Wars galaxy, how his expansion on certain elements helped us to see more into certain key elements within the original trilogy and how the knock on effects of Anakin Skywalker’s turn to the dark side were resolved with Luke’s journey in Return of the Jedi. You guys all threw in your thoughts and opinions and it made for quite a great discussion on all things Star Wars as it currently stands.
In this next article, I want to look at how that might inform the all new sequel trilogy (and potentially beyond). What might be on the cards for Episode 7 and just how difficult Disney’s re-launch of the Star Wars Saga might be. I am going to ignore the expanded universe because I don’t want to see the new films tied to that history, the same way that Lucas was never tied to them for the prequels. I want to see if natural cycles and story themes within the existing six films can enable us to deduce what comes next.
The more I think about this, the more problems grow out of the idea of a direct sequel to the Star Wars saga but I think we have enough in the first six episodes to form some sort of structure of where this might go. Remember none of this is based on facts, because frankly beyond J.J. Abram directing and Kathleen Kennedy producing we have no real facts. All we know is George Lucas provided a treatment for the sequels and it will be Episode 7, implying we are carrying on from Episode 6, from back in 1983…
10. 30 Years
1983. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi ends. Luke Skywalker with the help of his dear old dad and his rebel friends have defeated the Empire. The Jedi have gained the ability to project themselves as blue ghosts to aid young Luke. Over in Coruscant, the people revolt against the dictatorship that has ruled them for the past couple of decades. All is right with the galaxy and it seems everybody wants to party because of it.
Now if this was 1987, you could probably predict that Star Wars Episode 7 would have Mark Hamill a few years older pushing his Jedi skills on as the rebellion form a new republic and go about cleaning up the mess the Empire left. Civil wars, getting the people back on side, all that stuff. But it’s not 1987, it’s 2013 (and it will be 2015 when the film actually hits) and because of that it presents the first problem for Disney – when to set this new episode.
I see the options as either:
- Straight after Episode 6 with a complete recast of the core characters (or maybe some Jeff Bridges Tron style CGI trickery).
- 30 Years after Episode 6 with the same actors.
Or hidden option No.3
- Straight after Episode 6 with a whole new group of characters somewhere else in the galaxy who sooner or later will catch up with our old characters after 30 years has passed over three films.
Now if rumours are to be believed Disney are actively pursuing Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford and all three are keen to get involved. This makes me think we’re hitting Episode 7 with option 2: 30 years after Episode 6 with the same actors. This is the choice that makes my little fanboy heart flutter the most even if it the one choice that proves the most problematic storywise for the project. I mean after all, a lot could have changed in 30 years. Which in turn means we are going to miss a lot of good stuff in the 30 years of Star Wars galaxy action we won’t get to see. It will be great to see Luke, Han and Leia again but questions over what happened with them for three decades that led them to wherever they are now will no doubt be raised. Which brings us to section 2, what will be the setting for Episode 7?
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24 Comments
For me the biggest mistake they are making is bringing back Luke, Leia and Han. Their story is done. The Skywalker Saga is over and the balance was restored. Move on. Bringing back these pensioners is a bad, bad move. Ford can just about cut it, Hamill and even more so Fisher, not so much.
There is a reason why the very best Star Wars fiction since the OT has had little to nothing to do with the original characters. Best story of all, Knights of the Old Republic. That’s what you need. A completely new direction. Same universe but move on for God’s sake.
I think if they hadn’t gone with the Episode 7 title I would agree but Episode 7 to me says SKYWALKERS.
Episode 7, and the return of the 3 of them, says to be that they want to cash in.
The very first paragraph (while I understand its your opinion) undermines this whole article.
The prequels diminished the saga with boring characters, terrible dialogue and yawn inducing political nonsense.
The clones element was wasted, storm troopers ruined and earth cadet made out to be a whiny spoilt brat.
I wish they weren’t canon. I really do.
I want Han et al in the next ones,if only to act as a bridge to the new characters. Hopefully one of the original characters will die to create some emotional heft.
“I want Han et al in the next ones,if only to act as a bridge to the new characters. Hopefully one of the original characters will die to create some emotional heft”.
Agreed. Like I said, I doubt Disney would drop serious cash on the old guys holding together the new trilogy but there’s certain tons they can be used for.
Why bring back the old trio? It’s a huge mistake. I’m sorry but who really wants to see Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia? She sounds like a man now. Mark Hamill looks like a frog and who wants to see Han Solo as the loving husband? Move on to a whole new story. Either KOTOR or the Skywalker kids GROWN UP…not as little kids or teenagers!
Honestly I could understand no Han or Leia (or very reduced role to support their kids – or new characters) but Luke is vital given he’s the last Jedi. If anyone hands over to torch it should be him. Old Hamill as a Jedi will be genius!
Personally, if it were up to me there’d be no more “episodes”…or Star Wars films in general. But it’s not up to me and as much as I dread that labeling a film “Episode VII” will ruin the story that episodes I-VI told and finished, I do agree that if it is to be called episode VII, it should have the original characters to bridge the gap. Otherwise the seventh part will be the first part of a new story and should be a separate entity altogether not named episode VII. Granted, it will be the start of a new story either way, but it should be born out of the consequences of what came before if it’s to be called episode VII. I’d love to see Mace Windu back on screen, but even if they did decide he didn’t die in episode III and came up with a reasonable explanation for where he was during episodes IV-VI, he’d still be about 50 years older. That’s assuming the gap between VI and VII is around the same in universe as it has been between the production of both. Maybe Mace would be better serviced in a spinoff. I’d also not be opposed to Yoda and Hayden Christensen’s Anakin making cameos as Force ghosts. It might even be fun to see some interaction between Hayden Christensen and Mark Hamill. I’d even accept Ewan McGregor returning as Obi-Wan’s ghost despite the continuity errors. Maybe there could be an explanation for it. Maybe he can appear as young or old as he likes because he’s not limited by his physical body any more and chose to appear older before for Luke’s benefit. Afterall, Anakin didn’t appear horribly scarred as a ghost even though he died that way. But I definitely think the biggest hurtle is going to be the villain. I agree that imperial warlords or any former imperial officers would be a cop out and it would demonstrate some lazy and convenient writing. I know Grand Admiral Thrawn from Timothy Zahn’s novels is seen as a great post-Return of the Jedi villain, but those novels were written before the prequel trilogy gave us a better understanding of how the Republic worked and, by extension, the Empire. The Grand Army of the Republic wasn’t loyal to Palpatine as such, but to the administration. After his death I don’t think I buy the expanded universe interpretation of imperial remnants lasting for so many years. Palpatine was the villain. The imperial military was not. They were simply men following orders like in any army. So I think once a new administration was established the imperial military as a whole would have been unlikely to fight it. And especially if this film does take place 30 years later, the empire should not be an issue any more. After all, the Empire was simply the Republic reorganised. The main villain should also not, even more so, under any circumstances be a Sith or a dark side Force user. To do so would completely undermine the original films and the point of Anakin Skywalker. Why make such a big deal about a chosen one bringing balance to the Force by destroying the Sith if they’re simply going to re-emerge again at some point down the line? Then the story becomes about destroying the Sith again and simultaneously makes the main narrative of I-VI pointless and becomes very repetitive. Unfortunately, I worry that the temptation to re-introduce a dark side Force user for the sake of throwing in lightsabre duels will be too great. I have no ideas personally about who or what the villain could be but that, in my mind, only re-emphasizes the fact that the last and ultimate villain was killed in Return of the Jedi and the story is done. I’d nearly say a villain could be unnecessary and the story could focus on other things, but then the title Star Wars makes no sense and it’ll be a hard sell for Disney. But overall, I am as worried about these films as I am curious.
Ewan wants to come back an reprise his role as Obi Wan but if he comes back as a goes they will have to do some serious make up work for him to look like an older Alec Guinness who sadly passed away years ago.
*Ghost
Although I agree that direct adapations from the novels should be avoided, I feel that the EU absolutely has to be acknowledged. For years we were told that there would be nothing post ROTJ so we were given the EU to tell us what happens. Fair enough, we accepted that. I understand if liberties need to be taken but in my opinion, if Han and Leia have children that aren’t named Jacen, Jaina and Anakin – It will do a complete disservice to not only the writers that created the EU but to all of the EU fanbase.
I’m a diehard so I’ll accept whatever they throw at me but the EU was endorsed by Lucas himself, therefore the events that were established have to be acknowledged for the films. A lot has been told 30 years post ROTJ, as a matter of fact that’s pretty much where the novels have left off. Let the new films fill that new gap while keeping everything that’s happened in the EU intact.
I completely agree. There’s so much canon established by everything in the EU. We can’t just throw that all away to introduce something that most likely wouldn’t even be half as good. If the film takes place in the future and there’s no mention whatsoever of Jaina, Jacen, Anakin, or even Mara and Ben, that’s just… I don’t know, insane. I (and many, many others) consider them a part of Star Wars just as much as Luke himself. Not to mention there would be a ton of conflicting canon, and Wookieepedia would probably explode.
Another fine article Marcus, keep ‘em coming, they’re really turning into required reading, but now my two cents;
I am increasingly skeptical about this new trilogy, I agree with your assertion that with the departure of George Lucas and the acquisition by Disney of his company and it’s assorted intellectual property, that ‘Star Wars’ is no longer distinct among the big-screen franchises, no longer one man’s vision of a singular epic multi-generational saga, made on his own dime and his own terms, it’s now property of a colossal entertainment conglomerate answerable to it’s shareholders, and if that doesn’t raise potential concerns right off the bat, I’ve got a rather beat-up landspeeder I’d like to sell ya…
I completely agree with your assessment regarding potential pitfalls in the overall story arc for the new trilogy, I trust the talent involved thus far in it that they have something really special that continues the story in a natural and engaging manner, but I don’t envy the task that lies before them, if these films are anything less than stellar, or if the story is a mere retread with added bells and whistles, the fans and audience at large are going to be baying for blood and a public crucifixion of all involved, I’m reasonably confident they’ll deliver, but boy…
Lastly, and I think most pertinently, I think it’s worth noting how these new films came to be and that should give us an idea behind the TRUE motivating principle behind them; between the so-called ‘special edition’ releases in 1997 and 2008, George Lucas was absolutely adamant that there would be no Episodes VII-IX, “the story is finished” he said on numerous occasions, then fast forward two years later to 2010 when the very first preliminary rumors about George planning a new trilogy began to filter out of Lucasfilm, also the time that George began making personnel changes at his company to ease himself out and prepare the company for his retirement and ultimate acquisition by an umbrella corporation, of which I firmly believe the story treatments/outlines he wrote for the new trilogy were intended as an enticing bargaining incentive to both grease the wheels for and sweeten the purchase of his company – buy Lucasfilm and get a brand new (and highly lucrative) ‘Star Wars’ trilogy into the bargain – and nothing more than that, it was commerce pure and simple, and for Disney who can recoup their $4bn purchase of Lucasfilm plus an additional bountiful return thereafter just on the strength of the ‘Star Wars’ brand (tarnished as it is) alone, it’s a no-brainer… in other words, it seems to me that the entire reason for this new trilogy’s existence is an entirely mercenary one, and that just was never the case before, even with the prequels, and that is most certainly a cause for concern.
Oh, and one more thing… shame on you for publishing a still of the Anakin’s ghost that’s from the appalling ‘revised’ DVD editions, poor Sebastian Shaw is turning in his grave…
The young Anakin ghost makes me think Lucas had Episodes 7-9 planned way before we all knew about it. The only way it used to make sense is that kids could identify with the fact that was Anakin from the PT, now with 7-9 coming, a Ghost Anakin seems likely to be able to return right?
Lucas had 1-9 roughly planned out very early on. Even when Shaw WAS the force ghost it has envisioned a continuation of the story. It was subsequently that he decided to stop at episode 6. The insertion of Anakin is nothing to do with 7-9 and everything to do with 1-3 and Lucas’ need to tie EVERYTHING together. It is the same reason we have so many ilogical references to the OT in the PT. He has a fetish for making things “circular”.
And there is zero need for Anakin ghost in 7-9. His arc is done. He has brought balance. End of story.
Ideally this is what I wanted to get based on Lucas’s ideas and thought processes:
1. The rebuilding of the Repiblic and Jedi with a conscious incentive to not repeat the mistakes of the past. The Jedi don’t live in an ivory tower. The Republic strives to stick to its ideals and not allow the bureaucracy and money-interests to influence the direction of the galaxy.
2. The way the Force has evolved throughout the Saga: If the prequels showed the knowledge of the Force transcending physical limitations and the orginals introducing redemption and transformation in the Force through love the sequels I think needs to go to a similar route to Dark Crystal in merging the Dark and Light Sides and possibly having some kind of resolution to Mortis as portrayed in the Clone Wars where the schism in Force philosophies is healed. I also want to see the Journal of the Whills make an appearance or finaly get explained.
3. The passing on of generations. Honoring the past but looking to the future.
4. A merging of OT and PT tones and sensibilities. And, no, not because of nostalgia but because it makes sense for the story. I want to see the used future begin a transition to a new civilized age and the dialogue tone get even more informal and unaffectated. More naturalistic because the culture dictates it.
What I’m afraid we’re going to get:
1. The casting out of Lucas’s treatments. I really think that Abrams and Arndt are gonna go with their own stab at recapturing A New Hope. But I get the feeling that the attitude is reboot and restore Star Wars and get back the older folks who have long since outgrown these damn stories anyway.
2. The badassization of Star Wars. I really think the quirkiness and goofiness is gonna be eliminated in favor of more motally ambiguous badasses who appeal to the older generation. Or, shudder, even a nihilistic kind of mindset where sometimes the heroes have to get ugly to get stuff done and worse even show scenes involving the wholesale genocide of less popular species cone for humor whose demise is commented postiively by heroic characters.
LUKE: (horrified) “They wiped out the Ewoks and Gungans, Han.”
HAN: “Well, geeze kid who’s gonna miss ‘em anyway?”
3. A nostalgia trip that alienates the next generation and prequel generation. I really, really think that Disney is working under a false assumption here. There are fans of the prequels and Clone Wars. Kids wear Captain Rex costumes and Ashoka Tano costumes as much as classic characters. Don’t forget about them. Don’t spend so much time trying to win fans back that you alienate the fans that have stayed loyal to Star Wars in other interations in the process. The fanbase is just going to continue to split and will grow even more contemptuous and dismissive and possibly even hateful toward the other. It will only get amplified if you kick out one set of fans in favor of another. Plus you’re justifying the boorish, bullying, attitude that has infected the fandom. Truly, I think it’s a small miracle that someone hasn’t punched out Jake Lloyd or Morrison at one of these conventions yet or caused a riot at the Why We Love the Prequels panel at Celebration or a Clone Wars Workshop. I truly think it’s only a matter of time before someone gets the idea to bring this kind of bullying attitude out of the virtual world and into a public domain…or worse.
Basically, I ask that Kathleen Kennedy keep in mind that Star Wars was made for the children and the inner child who lives in the heart of every adult. You forget that, you might as well forget Star Wars.
Yeah I’m really worried this will just be a love letter to Star Wars. Retreading all the things we loved, “improving” elements and trying to spell out why we love the franchise in annoyingly simple ways. J.J. did the whole ‘I love Speilberg’ thing with Super 8 and it just made me want to watch the films he was nodding to rather than just enjoy the film he was making (and it was sort of souless because of that as well).
Sorry it this was already mentioned, but should Chewie be back? Wouldn’t he have died by this time? They shouldn’t abandon fans of the EU and undo what has happened in the novels.
EU isn’t canon and can be dismissed where required.
Nothing is going to have the gravitas of the empire. I say you start with Han telling what happened right after episode VI. Vader killed a clone of the emperor. The real emperor was hiding somewhere with a bigger and badder super weapon and had some ulterior motivation for not crushing the rebellion. Either he was trying to lure a Skywalker in to somehow possess him/her in a bid for immortality or it was a trick to draw out the entire leadership of the rebellion. Han can be old drunk and grizzled living under a different name on some other backwater planet raising his children alone and poorly. The kids find some relic (Falcon, His medal from end of star wars whatever) His kids confront him about it and he is drunk enough to tell them. Tell them how their mother and uncle were killed (both with enough detail and flashbacks to give Mark and Carrie stuff to do.) Tell them all hope died when Luke the last of the Jedi was killed…(somewhere in here you can have a scene with one of or both of the kids having shown minor force abilities blossoming in them) Yadda yadda The kids are all about fighting back and Han who has been sobering up tells them not to be stupid with some cool lines a better writer can come up with) At some point a holo disc or manual written by Luke and kept by Han can fall into the kids hands…( We can get back to the force being something not quite as ridiculous as it turned into in the prequels so that it doesn’t overwhelm the story and character interaction) I don’t know…this is just off the top of my head. All I know is that any other “villain” they try to bring in will just seem dull and boring and they will know it and try to counter it with even more ridiculous action scenes…probably with Jedi and Sith hurling planets at each other. I just keep seeing a scene with a broken and bitter Han…Once a hero of the galaxy…now a sad drunk. Some great evil could come in I don’t know what could replace the feeling of the empire but the poor oppressed people could whisper stories of the heroes of the old days. Maybe Han was supposed to be dead. Of course he would have to die in one last heroic burst saving his kids and to pass on to them, the “new” cast some of our loyalty if for no other reason than we route for them to avenge Han’s death. It would have to be a really good flashback, followed by Han and children dialogue….then C3PO does something to blow Han’s cover and gets him killed cause that would just be funny. And only C3PO is there because that being the only “person” from the old gang left for Han to hang out with would also be funny. Han could wear a long braid of Chewie’s hair to remember him by and C3PO could scold him for it and maybe Han just beats the crap out of him…maybe C3PO gets tended to by the kids who hate their father (before finding out his true identity) and C3PO defends Han and says….Bah…I’m just rambling now. I do hope there’s an Empire strikes back mood from the beginning. The good guys have gotten an ass whoopin and have to come from waaay behind to emerge victorious.
I can’t see it starting like that.
The villian is the biggest issue though. They’ve got to have a hell of a set up for the new menace. Star Wars runs the risk of feeling like any other freak of the week bad guy set up now that the Empire are gone. And if they pull a Palpatine clone trick on us, they’ll have to sell it really well. I guess we know the tech is there and he had access to it for years but it runs the risk of undermining all thats come before if they go down that route. Also if he did clone himself they have to write off the gap between revealing that pretty well too.
Taking a step away from the discussion you guys are having on the subject… Marcus, that was the most well thought, well written and, let’s face it, SENSIBLE and realistic article I have ever read on star wars. I was reading along and nodding my head to most of it and liked how you wasn’t stuck on telling one side of the argument. Especially when you wrote about George Lucas, you was very fair on the delicate subject of George lol. Thank you for posting it, I really enjoyed it mate. :)
has anyone here actually read any of the books
George is still working on star wars and they got a dude that grew up with the original star wars and loved it to direct it I’m not worried but really I think it’s going to be the trailer that decides if people will go see it