Help Me Disney, You’re My Only Hope
The Walt Disney Company is set to acquire Lucasfilm through a cash and stock transaction: totaling a sum of $4.05 billion. I know what you are all thinking and so lets get down to it. Yes that includes the rights to the Star Wars franchise, including Episode Seven, which is “targeted for release in 2015.” Good thing too — George Lucas will finally have the money he needs to retire. Co-chairman Kathleen Kennedy will be taking over Lucas’ position and will be bringing her impressive resume to the new Star Wars film. She is currently producing Indiana Jones V and Jurassic Park IV (don’t get me started on those franchises though). If you are looking for a breath of fresh air into the franchise via producer, my Magic 8-Ball says “definitively no.” However, it was wrong a couple times before. One thing is for sure: she, like Lucas, is a great business person, so I’m sure we’ll see a lot of merchandising.
Remember when Lucas said he wasn’t going to ever make Star Wars sequels? I guess he was only halfway lying since he only got the ball rolling on this one. With the box-office success Disney has had with their new Marvel franchise (and Pixar in 2006), it’s not impossible to think that they can milk their new cash cow in 2015. However, if it is anything lasting is another question entirely.
Older blurb I wrote on Lucas… I think it is even more poignant today with so many remakes.
Okay, let me make something clear: as a nerd and film geek, theorist, whatever — there is a large list of reasons I do not like the newer Star Wars episodes (1-3). My reasons are not drawn from nostalgia, as Lucas has voiced in defense of their creation; a mantra overused by filmmakers to support mediocre remakes and sequels. I can accept that children might like Jar Jar Binks, but that does not mean the films are good, or that generational motives are the only grounds on which they’ve been criticized. Furthermore, nostalgia has not helped me like any of the terrible films I loved growing up. On the subject of fans being critical of Star Wars, Lucas had this to say during his interview with John Stewart: “It’s a work of fiction, it’s a metaphor, it’s not real, and therefore you can either not like it, like it… it’s whatever you would like it to be.” I think that pretty much answers any questions you have about art and content.
We would love to hear your thoughts below…
Jeremy Shattuck
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