Some more contradictions and a bit more hypocrisy from George: Lucas is on record as suggesting doing the New Jedi Order books as the Sequels. Years later he then backtracked and claimed that was not the way he would have done it, despite it being his own actual suggestion (it also a project he worked on and contributed to). And then, rather hypocritically, years later Lucas actually used some of those early NJO ideas for his own Sequel Trilogy film treatments:
Don’t forget the version of the Sequels… that were novels (back in 1999):-
In 1999, an interview with George Lucas in Wired magazine, titled ‘Grand Illusion’… just a few months before the ‘Vector Prime’ book (from the ‘New Jedi Order’ series of novels) - began being heavily promoted (with tv advert and poster campaigns), a series of novels which Lucas himself was involved in and contributed to…
^ Grand Illusion - the full article at Wired.
A little more background info can be found here:-
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/hr1tnz/behind_the_scenes_the_making_of_the_new_jedi
and the Total Film interview with George below from 2008:
“And now there have been novels about the events after Episode VI, which isn’t at all what I would have done with it. The Star Wars story is really the tragedy of Darth Vader. That is the story. Once Vader dies, he doesn’t come back to life, the Emperor doesn’t get cloned and Luke doesn’t get married.”
~ George Lucas, Total Film Magazine Interview, 2008
When George later changed his mind and decided to try his hand on the Sequels film, his own treatments were based some of early New Jedi Order novel ideas discussed in the article below, notably the conception of the NJO and aspects of other familiar EU stories. George himself had also contributed to the NJO books, having a number of meetings with the authors, instigating changes to the plot and characters, giving feedback, and making suggestions:
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/hr1tnz/behind_the_scenes_the_making_of_the_new_jedi
The text in the above article is a ‘spoiler’. To see the text appear, double-click on the space where the text should be, to see it. Or click here for a screenshot of the article: https://i.imgur.com/6n1rNdM.png
In Summary…
In 1999:Interviewer: “What about the reports that Episodes 7, 8, and 9 - which exist in novel form - will never reach the screen?”
George Lucas: “The sequels were never really going to get made anyway, unlike 1, 2, and 3, where the stories have existed for 20 years. The idea of 7, 8, and 9 actually came from people asking me about sequels, and I said, “I don’t know. Maybe someday.” Then when the licensing people came and asked, “Can we do novels?” I said do sequels, because I’ll probably never do sequels.”
George also contributed to the New Jedi Order books, having a number of meetings with the authors, instigating changes to the plot and characters, giving feedback, and making a number of other suggestions implemented by the NJO writers.
In 2008:
George Lucas: “And now there have been novels about the events after Episode VI, which isn’t at all what I would have done it”.
Around 2011-12:
When George later changes his mind and decides to now try his hand at the Sequel Trilogy, his own later treatments are based some on those same novel ideas, notably the conception of the New Jedi Order, and also some other aspects of familiar EU stories.
As I’m one of the people being quoted here, I’d add more to this. Firstly, The Expanded Universe was never a part of the Official Star Wars canon in the first place. Disney didn’t 'decanonize a thing. George Lucas always maintained they were seperate universes, and that only his direct works made up the official Star Wars canon. There are no contradictions with regard to Lucas.
NJO was not his idea, and his involvemenet in it was extremely limited, not creative, and only as a favor to Lucy Wilson, whom he had a long and close relationship with prior to her moving over the Lucas Licensing.
Creators of the New Jedi Order also speak about this.
There are hundreds of quotes and interviews, some on TV that show that Lucas’s involvement in the EU was extremely limited and ceased almost entirely when he began the Prequels, that he didn’t consider the EU canon or a part of his Canonical Star Wars universe. Quotes below -
and
There are 100’s more quotes like this. There was some confusion due to contradicting quotes earlier on, but they were addressed in spades. Lucas personally set the Official Star Wars canon to the 6 films and The Clone Wars series. That’s it.
We don’t have to like that, but, we don’t get to change it.
These quotes are just to try and answer to some of the confusion. - People can like whatever they want, they can head-canon whatever they want. No one is wrong for liking or disliking anything. Those are subjective view points. These quotes only speak to the official nature of things as Lucas decreed.
I won’t be checking back. Use the quotes however you like, and discuss them amongst yourselves if you wish.
I personally only care about what Lucas decreed. That’s my view point. I enjoyed alot of the material from the EU, even knowing it wasn’t actually canonical and I still play the games [Been playing SWTOR for the last 8 years].
All I’d add is that from everything that I have read, and like I said, there are 100’s more quotes like this, Lucas was consistent as hell. - I personally see the EU the same way I see Disney, Not in keeping with Lucas’s vision and not canon as far as the Maker himself is concerned, but, as to the creative worth of those things, that’s up to each individual to decide for themselves and is totally subjective. I would never gainsay anyone’s right to like or dislike anything. Even those people who think Disney’s garbage is good. =p
May the Force be with you.
What a post!
Is it the same lengthy content as you posted on the previous page of this thread?
But I was not talking about canon or Disney. I also did not say the NJO was George’s idea.
I was simply highlighting that George actually suggested in 1999 doing Sequels as novels because he would never do Sequels as films.
Then nearly a decade later George stated novels isn’t the way he would have it - despite him actually suggesting it.
Then four years later using some of those same NJO Sequel novel ideas for his own later Sequel film treatments.
That was all.
As for your claim “Lucas was consistent as hell” - the above evidence highlights George Lucas is not consistent at all. As does the OP and theme of this thread.
(Unless you are talking about the EU/canon? I do not know enough to comment on that, but that was not what I posted about.)
Although this link, with quotes and citations, does highlight George Lucas’ significant input and involvement for the NJO:
https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsEU/comments/hr1tnz/behind_the_scenes_the_making_of_the_new_jedi
MTFBWY too.