For this to work it needs to be accessible and not esoteric. You can't just assume that everyone has read the comics and novels that you have. Remember what happens when you assume.
That said, some of the ideas so far have been pretty good.
Very good job Eric!
I still think that we need a scene where Obi-Wan learns what happened to Anakin (without the movie actualy telling it to the audience... that's the tricky thing) Because otherwise there will be a plot hole in ROTJ where Obi knows and explain to Luke what happened to Anakin. I already said that before, but I really feel it is a major point to tied the NPT (new PT) to the OT.
astromech said:Octorox said:ChainsawAsh said:I like I and II a lot, but not so sure about III. I don't think there should be a Jedi Council at all. I also don't think we should introduce the Emperor idea so late - that should come during II, in my opinion. I also don't know what to think about us knowing the twins so early, though if there's one OT surprise we have to drop, that would be the one to drop.
I do, however, like the idea of them seeking Yoda's advice about the children.
I do like the Sith pirates thing, and if we need to use the Sith in some way, that's the way to do it.
I don't think we really ought to preserve any of the OT secrets. Everyone knows who Yoda is, everyone knows that DV is Luke's father and everyone knows that Luke and Leia are siblings. Who exactly are we keeping these secrets from? The whole point of the PT was to flesh out the backstory of the OT and show just how everything happened. How Anakin fell to the dark side, how the jedi knights were wiped out, how the empire rose, how Yoda ended up on Dagobah and how the twins were born and seperated. If you get rid of this How element then what is the point anyway?
If you want to just see how things happened, then you already have the Prequel Trilogy, flaws and all. By fleshing out the story, you also open opportunities to take things in slightly different directions, a 'What If?' scenario, so to speak. It's not looking to preserve the secrets of the OT, but to ensure that the PT tallies better with the OT instead of having contradictions or stupid ideas thrown in like midichlorians, or forcing the OT to make exceptions.This project, if it ever came to being, would be presenting things in a far different manner, so there is licence to move away from accepted routes. We all know the eventual answers, we just don't want them projected in such a clumsy and obvious manner.
I feel there were a lot of elements that warranted more investigation - the Clone Wars...what was the idea behind this, who was Darth Tyrannus, where does Dooku fit into things, why does Grevious know how to fight with sabers - was he a former Jedi and the prototype for Vader, etc...The PT has so many elements thrown into it that it becomes too messy ad confusing. Characters appear and disappear without explanation, everyone speaks with a formal tone and the Jedi, far from being the grand characters they should be, appear to be a police force with special powers and these symbiotic creatures living in them.
The fall of Anakin was also handled quite badly, going from one extreme to another with a lot of sulking inbetween. I believe it was pride that caused him to fall but pride should be displayed as much more than a sulking whinning person. A search for acception could also provide opportunities for Anakin's downfall. If he was really seeking acception from a family or group, then he would do things he thought would impress them. Recklessness comes from this devil-may-care attitude, from a wish to do something impressive. Flying through an advertising hoarding isn't reckless or impressive. It's stupid. Obi-Wan's 'failure' should be linked to this in some way. Perhaps he also has a stubborn pride that doesn't allow him to see things until too late. It was touched on in ROTS, but it should be more of his character - will he fail to be a good teacher, is he really as good as Yoda. Just how good was he...?
Should Palpatine really be an interloper...he seems to spend a lot of time trying to get Anakin without really doing a lot...Maybe he could be a Hitler type of character. An 'alien' who is trying to amass the 'perfect' Empire (as Hitler tried to do with his Aryan race, despite being non-Aryan in origin), without alien influence which ironically goes against what he is - an alien who has no accepted place in the galaxy...?
No I totally agree. What I'm saying is that I don't think that these prequels need to cover up the OT secrets.
OzoneSherrif said:Phantom Menace concept art. better than the farmer robes.
and sweet Republic starfighter concept art that actually looks less advanced
I got a page-a-day calendar yesterday called Star Wars: From Concept to Screen. They put the concept drawing/painting on the left, then a shot of the final design right from the movie beside it. There's a drawing of a probe droid and it looks like it's sneezing. :p
I wrote a short scene between Anakin and Obi-Wan aboard the spice freighter. It was just a thought I had to get across the characters of Anakin and Obi-Wan, and the information about the Sith pirates and the nature of Vader. I think it does a good job of getting a lot of information across in a short period of time, without having to build the Vader thing up over several movies as some have suggested would need to be done. Tell me what you think:
ChainsawAsh said:I wrote a short scene between Anakin and Obi-Wan aboard the spice freighter. It was just a thought I had to get across the characters of Anakin and Obi-Wan, and the information about the Sith pirates and the nature of Vader. I think it does a good job of getting a lot of information across in a short period of time, without having to build the Vader thing up over several movies as some have suggested would need to be done. Tell me what you think:
Rapidshare (can only be downloaded 10 times - if it gets DL'ed more than that and others still want it, I'll re-up it)
not bad. not bad. I'm almost warming up to the whole Sith pirate idea. I'm still adamant that Anakin be a bit younger though. He even seems young and naive in your portrayal of him. He should be 16 or 17 not yet truly an adult but old enough. It still unsettling that there could be a Vader other than Vader though. I have always thought of Darth Vader as a unique character, not only pirate leaders in a long line of pirate leaders. Anakin/Vader should be something the galaxy has never seen before, that strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies. Seeing that Vader is just another Vader diminishes his character for me.
Rather than having two Vaders, why not play up the dual-persona angle, without revealing that Anakin is Vader? In other words, keep Vader an off-screen villain who does terrible things, until Obi-Wan faces him and says "YOU are Vader?!?" Vader puts Obi in a Force-choke. Obi-wan tries calling out to Anakin, who last we've seen is on the same planet. Vader says "...is no more"
I think that would keep the suspense without all this multi-Vader silliness...
starwarsfan8376 said:Rather than having two Vaders, why not play up the dual-persona angle, without revealing that Anakin is Vader? In other words, keep Vader an off-screen villain who does terrible things, until Obi-Wan faces him and says "YOU are Vader?!?" Vader puts Obi in a Force-choke. Obi-wan tries calling out to Anakin, who last we've seen is on the same planet. Vader says "...is no more"
I think that would keep the suspense without all this multi-Vader silliness...
Yeah. That I like. The only Vader we see on screen should be Anakin.
But then who is Vader before Anakin becomes him? Or are we dropping the Dread Pirate Roberts angle?
You know of the rebellion against the Empire?
Erikstormtrooper said:But then who is Vader before Anakin becomes him? Or are we dropping the Dread Pirate Roberts angle?
a pirate. a former student of Obi-Wan. It doesn't matter.
I made short recording of ChainsawAsh's script. Pay no attention to the fact that my voice sucks, my Obi accent sucks and the recording quality sucks lol. Just wanted to maybe see how it would play out.
EDIT: No, it sucked to bad....
Octorox said:Erikstormtrooper said:Here's my daily does of a whole lot of nonsense. Some of it feels right, other parts clunky. In my mind, I keep seeing this as more of a series of comic books than animated movies, but that's purely due to logistics.
Episode I - (25 Years Before the Battle of Yavin)
Anakin (20)
Obi Wan (35)
Bail (25)
Owen (25)CRAWL:
A bitter conflict has erupted
throughout the Republic. After the
Galactic Senate's divisive decision
to abolish cloning, King Organa of
Alderaan has been assassinated by cloning
extremists, sparking the SECOND CLONE WAR.In desperation, the Jedi Knight
Obi Wan Kenobi is on a mission to
locate the missing prince of Alderaan.If the prince can be returned to
his home planet, there is hope that
reason and diplomacy can restore
peace to the galaxy.Concept:
I see this as kind of like the American Civil War, but sparked by a WWI-type assassination. After the assassination of their King, the people of Alderaan get an extreme case of bloodlust and start a war with the advocates of cloning (i.e., terrorists). These Clone forces (whatever we want to call them, they may include Mandalorians and/or shocktroopers) shouldn't really be clones themselves, just people who believe in the right to make clones if they choose to. Anakin is the "everyman" in the movie, in that all the exposition for us is directed at him.
Synopsis - 1st HALF:
The story starts as a spice freighter (spice is a substance of questionable legality) exits hyperspace over a random planet, only to drop right into the thick of a battle. The ship is suddenly struck by random blaster fire, the captain killed, and the navicomputer damaged. But the navigator Anakin skywalker - with the help of the ship's astromech R2-D2 - begins repairs. While the battle rages, Anakin restores main engines and begins a slow getaway, when he receives a distress call from another nearby ship. He weighs whether he should get involved, risking being caught for his spice smuggling. After a moment, he decides to go back for the rescue.
As he docks with the damaged republic ship, a dazed Bail Organa and injured Obi Wan Kenobi come on board. Kenobi demands they immediately jump to hyperspace to Alderaan. But Anakin explains about the navicomputer. Just then, the Clone Forces begin to attack, and Anakin takes the pilot controls. He manages to artfully evade the attackers. Kenobi is impressed, but he has concerns about their ability to get out alive. In desperation, Anakin begins to manually enter coordinates into the navicomputer. Stunned, Obi Wan asks what he's doing. Anakin explains that he "knows the way home". As he throws the hyperdrive switch, they make the jump to hyperspace, on the way to Tatooine. Obi Wan passes out from exhaustion and his injuries.
When Obi Wan comes to, he's in a small room, being nursed by Beru, Anakin's sister. He wants to immediately leave to continue his mission, but he can't get up due to his injuries. Beru asks who he is, and he explains about the Jedi, his mission, being sent by Yoda (I'm beginning to like the idea of referring to Yoda but not seeing him). Bail Organa is cooling his heels in the background. We haven't really gotten to know him yet.
After a few days, Obi Wan can amble around a bit with a walking stick, and he meets Owen Lars, a native of Tatooine. Owen was a friend of Anakin's who married Beru after father Skywalker died in the first Clone War. Owen and Beru now live on the Skywalker farm. Owen has little sympathy for Obi Wan, seeing what war has done to the skywalkers.
Bail comes in to talk to the recovering Obi Wan. We learn Bail's the reluctant heir who just wants to escape all this. He also thinks the war is justified and has no desire to stop it. Alderaan was ravaged by the first clone war, which was waged by an army of Clones known as shocktroopers. The shocktroopers were originally an experimental army for the Republic, but the cloning process was faulty, which caused the clones to go mad and mutiny. So in Bail's eyes, Alderaan is now doing what it must to protect itself. Obi Wan explains that the cycle of war will continue - retaliation after retaliation, until someone can put the past aside.
A few days later, Obi Wan can walk around on his own, and he's beginning to grumble about leaving soon. He makes his way to the garage, where he sees Anakin tinkering. As a navigator who floats between jobs, Anakin is mostly away from the farm, but he spends most of his time in the garage when he's home. Obi Wan notices an old helmet displayed on the wall. Anakin explains that it was his father's fighter pilot helmet in the First Clone War. He gave it to Anakin on his deathbed, saying he "wanted him to to have it", knowing the young boy's enthusiasm for piloting. Obi Wan discusses Anakin's piloting skill and his trick with the navicomputer. Anakin says he's just always had a natural ability for piloting and a sense of direction in space. Obi Wan thinks for a while. He asks Anakin if he's heard of the Force. Anakin responds that he's not a religious guy. He mentions how his mother was killed by Tusken Raiders while father Skywalker was off at war.
Obi Wan takes a closer look at what Anakin is tinkering with: a holonet projector. Anakin notices and says "I figured you'd want some news of what's going on out there". After a minute, Anakin gets the thing to work. He fiddles with the dials and receives a transmission: Alderaan is under attack from the Clone Forces! Obi Wan calls to Bail, who watches with dread. Owen and Beru come in as well. After a few moments of silence, Bail says he's ready to return to Alderaan with Obi Wan.
But Obi Wan and Bail have no way off the planet. Obi Wan, sensing a moment of aligned opportunity, asks Anakin to pilot them back to Alderaan in the freighter. With the navicomputer unable to calculate coordinates, Obi wan pleads that Anakin can use his natural ability - with a little assistance from Obi Wan and the R2 unit - to manually enter the coordinates. Anakin could help save untold lives.
When Anakin doesn't immediately say no, Owen balks. He asks how Anakin could even consider this after all that's happened, how he could willingly put himself in harm's way. Anakin looks at his father's helmet on the wall, then grabs it and says "let's go". After Anakin leaves with the others, Owen says "I have a bad feeling about this". Beru replies that Anakin must follow his heart.
SYNOPSIS - 2nd Half:
Tune in next time as our heroes get in over their head. Anakin uses his piloting skills to disable a clone force dropship, Obi Wan faces off against the dreaded shocktroopers in hand-to-hand combat, and Bail Organa decides to join in the fight. Can they stop the invasion of Alderaan before it's too late?
Episode II (20 BBY)Anakin (25)
Obi Wan (40)
Princess X (25)A beautiful young princess (along with her golden protocol droid) is kidnapped by the dreaded sith pirates and their leader, Darth Vader. Anakin (now a Jedi Knight) and Obi Wan do battle with the sith and rescue the princess, with Anakin apparently killing Vader. Obi Wan explains that Darth Vader was once a student of his, but later turned to the dark side and joined the Sith, a band of masked marauders whose identity and species is unknown. Obi Wan uses the story of Darth Vader as a precautionary tale to Anakin on the appropriate use of the force. As Anakin and the princess fall in love, the Sith Pirates attack once again with a mysteriously revived Darth Vader. Anakin falsely believes Princess X to be dead, and he foolishly rushes off into battle. When he never returns, he is feared to be dead.
Episode III (17 BBY)Vader/Anakin (28)
Obi Wan (43)
Princess X (28)
Luke (3)
Leia (3)The repeated attacks by the Sith pirates have led to isolationism and xenophobia in the Republic. A charismatic senator has been named as emperor to provide a more centralized leadership in response to the sith pirates.
Because of their mutual affection for Anakin, Princess X and Obi Wan have become parents, in a way, for the Skywalker twins, but their relationship remains plutonic. Darth Vader, however, has spies that report otherwise to him.
Jedi have been mysteriously targeted by mercenaries known as the Mandalorians. The Jedi council (minus yoda) is convened, and they decide that they must make a stand against the Mandalorian threat. While the Jedi are slowly eliminated, Obi Wan does some sleuthing and discovers that the new Emperor has been manipulating the Sith and Mandalorians to his own ends. In a confrontation with Vader, Obi Wan asks what has happened to Anakin, and Vader responds that he is dead. During the battle, Vader falls into lava, and Obi Wan leaves him to die. Obi Wan has lost hope in everything he once fought for and believed in. The emperor announces a truce with the sith pirates, and as a sign of goodwill, makes Darth Vader his right hand man.
Both Obi Wan and Princess X, still clinging to their bittersweet memories of Anakin, are unclear about what to do with the children. They decide to seek the advice of master Yoda on Dagobah. Surely, he will know how best to protect the children. We see their ship approach Dagobah. The end.
ANH (0 BBY)Vader (45)
Ben (60)
Luke (18)
Leia (18)
I like Episode I. Hate everything about II and III. Darth Vader should be the only Darth Vader and there should be no Sith pirates.
I like this idea for the most part. If anything it sells the multiple Darth Vader's for me... for the most part.
I think the marauders/pirates should be the newly reassembled Mandolorian Army... You could throw out the whole Mandalore title, and make the leader a Darth Vader. Sense I thought we were steering away from the EU we could ignore the Mandalore part, but I do think it could be cool to use the mandalorians, and the Republic's response is a clone army; much like the current prequels... Never had a problem with that... But we will have a time explaining how Darth Vader becomes an accepted member of the Empire later.
mrbenja0618 said:Octorox said:Erikstormtrooper said:Here's my daily does of a whole lot of nonsense. Some of it feels right, other parts clunky. In my mind, I keep seeing this as more of a series of comic books than animated movies, but that's purely due to logistics.
Episode I - (25 Years Before the Battle of Yavin)
Anakin (20)
Obi Wan (35)
Bail (25)
Owen (25)CRAWL:
A bitter conflict has erupted
throughout the Republic. After the
Galactic Senate's divisive decision
to abolish cloning, King Organa of
Alderaan has been assassinated by cloning
extremists, sparking the SECOND CLONE WAR.In desperation, the Jedi Knight
Obi Wan Kenobi is on a mission to
locate the missing prince of Alderaan.If the prince can be returned to
his home planet, there is hope that
reason and diplomacy can restore
peace to the galaxy.Concept:
I see this as kind of like the American Civil War, but sparked by a WWI-type assassination. After the assassination of their King, the people of Alderaan get an extreme case of bloodlust and start a war with the advocates of cloning (i.e., terrorists). These Clone forces (whatever we want to call them, they may include Mandalorians and/or shocktroopers) shouldn't really be clones themselves, just people who believe in the right to make clones if they choose to. Anakin is the "everyman" in the movie, in that all the exposition for us is directed at him.
Synopsis - 1st HALF:
The story starts as a spice freighter (spice is a substance of questionable legality) exits hyperspace over a random planet, only to drop right into the thick of a battle. The ship is suddenly struck by random blaster fire, the captain killed, and the navicomputer damaged. But the navigator Anakin skywalker - with the help of the ship's astromech R2-D2 - begins repairs. While the battle rages, Anakin restores main engines and begins a slow getaway, when he receives a distress call from another nearby ship. He weighs whether he should get involved, risking being caught for his spice smuggling. After a moment, he decides to go back for the rescue.
As he docks with the damaged republic ship, a dazed Bail Organa and injured Obi Wan Kenobi come on board. Kenobi demands they immediately jump to hyperspace to Alderaan. But Anakin explains about the navicomputer. Just then, the Clone Forces begin to attack, and Anakin takes the pilot controls. He manages to artfully evade the attackers. Kenobi is impressed, but he has concerns about their ability to get out alive. In desperation, Anakin begins to manually enter coordinates into the navicomputer. Stunned, Obi Wan asks what he's doing. Anakin explains that he "knows the way home". As he throws the hyperdrive switch, they make the jump to hyperspace, on the way to Tatooine. Obi Wan passes out from exhaustion and his injuries.
When Obi Wan comes to, he's in a small room, being nursed by Beru, Anakin's sister. He wants to immediately leave to continue his mission, but he can't get up due to his injuries. Beru asks who he is, and he explains about the Jedi, his mission, being sent by Yoda (I'm beginning to like the idea of referring to Yoda but not seeing him). Bail Organa is cooling his heels in the background. We haven't really gotten to know him yet.
After a few days, Obi Wan can amble around a bit with a walking stick, and he meets Owen Lars, a native of Tatooine. Owen was a friend of Anakin's who married Beru after father Skywalker died in the first Clone War. Owen and Beru now live on the Skywalker farm. Owen has little sympathy for Obi Wan, seeing what war has done to the skywalkers.
Bail comes in to talk to the recovering Obi Wan. We learn Bail's the reluctant heir who just wants to escape all this. He also thinks the war is justified and has no desire to stop it. Alderaan was ravaged by the first clone war, which was waged by an army of Clones known as shocktroopers. The shocktroopers were originally an experimental army for the Republic, but the cloning process was faulty, which caused the clones to go mad and mutiny. So in Bail's eyes, Alderaan is now doing what it must to protect itself. Obi Wan explains that the cycle of war will continue - retaliation after retaliation, until someone can put the past aside.
A few days later, Obi Wan can walk around on his own, and he's beginning to grumble about leaving soon. He makes his way to the garage, where he sees Anakin tinkering. As a navigator who floats between jobs, Anakin is mostly away from the farm, but he spends most of his time in the garage when he's home. Obi Wan notices an old helmet displayed on the wall. Anakin explains that it was his father's fighter pilot helmet in the First Clone War. He gave it to Anakin on his deathbed, saying he "wanted him to to have it", knowing the young boy's enthusiasm for piloting. Obi Wan discusses Anakin's piloting skill and his trick with the navicomputer. Anakin says he's just always had a natural ability for piloting and a sense of direction in space. Obi Wan thinks for a while. He asks Anakin if he's heard of the Force. Anakin responds that he's not a religious guy. He mentions how his mother was killed by Tusken Raiders while father Skywalker was off at war.
Obi Wan takes a closer look at what Anakin is tinkering with: a holonet projector. Anakin notices and says "I figured you'd want some news of what's going on out there". After a minute, Anakin gets the thing to work. He fiddles with the dials and receives a transmission: Alderaan is under attack from the Clone Forces! Obi Wan calls to Bail, who watches with dread. Owen and Beru come in as well. After a few moments of silence, Bail says he's ready to return to Alderaan with Obi Wan.
But Obi Wan and Bail have no way off the planet. Obi Wan, sensing a moment of aligned opportunity, asks Anakin to pilot them back to Alderaan in the freighter. With the navicomputer unable to calculate coordinates, Obi wan pleads that Anakin can use his natural ability - with a little assistance from Obi Wan and the R2 unit - to manually enter the coordinates. Anakin could help save untold lives.
When Anakin doesn't immediately say no, Owen balks. He asks how Anakin could even consider this after all that's happened, how he could willingly put himself in harm's way. Anakin looks at his father's helmet on the wall, then grabs it and says "let's go". After Anakin leaves with the others, Owen says "I have a bad feeling about this". Beru replies that Anakin must follow his heart.
SYNOPSIS - 2nd Half:
Tune in next time as our heroes get in over their head. Anakin uses his piloting skills to disable a clone force dropship, Obi Wan faces off against the dreaded shocktroopers in hand-to-hand combat, and Bail Organa decides to join in the fight. Can they stop the invasion of Alderaan before it's too late?
Episode II (20 BBY)Anakin (25)
Obi Wan (40)
Princess X (25)A beautiful young princess (along with her golden protocol droid) is kidnapped by the dreaded sith pirates and their leader, Darth Vader. Anakin (now a Jedi Knight) and Obi Wan do battle with the sith and rescue the princess, with Anakin apparently killing Vader. Obi Wan explains that Darth Vader was once a student of his, but later turned to the dark side and joined the Sith, a band of masked marauders whose identity and species is unknown. Obi Wan uses the story of Darth Vader as a precautionary tale to Anakin on the appropriate use of the force. As Anakin and the princess fall in love, the Sith Pirates attack once again with a mysteriously revived Darth Vader. Anakin falsely believes Princess X to be dead, and he foolishly rushes off into battle. When he never returns, he is feared to be dead.
Episode III (17 BBY)Vader/Anakin (28)
Obi Wan (43)
Princess X (28)
Luke (3)
Leia (3)The repeated attacks by the Sith pirates have led to isolationism and xenophobia in the Republic. A charismatic senator has been named as emperor to provide a more centralized leadership in response to the sith pirates.
Because of their mutual affection for Anakin, Princess X and Obi Wan have become parents, in a way, for the Skywalker twins, but their relationship remains plutonic. Darth Vader, however, has spies that report otherwise to him.
Jedi have been mysteriously targeted by mercenaries known as the Mandalorians. The Jedi council (minus yoda) is convened, and they decide that they must make a stand against the Mandalorian threat. While the Jedi are slowly eliminated, Obi Wan does some sleuthing and discovers that the new Emperor has been manipulating the Sith and Mandalorians to his own ends. In a confrontation with Vader, Obi Wan asks what has happened to Anakin, and Vader responds that he is dead. During the battle, Vader falls into lava, and Obi Wan leaves him to die. Obi Wan has lost hope in everything he once fought for and believed in. The emperor announces a truce with the sith pirates, and as a sign of goodwill, makes Darth Vader his right hand man.
Both Obi Wan and Princess X, still clinging to their bittersweet memories of Anakin, are unclear about what to do with the children. They decide to seek the advice of master Yoda on Dagobah. Surely, he will know how best to protect the children. We see their ship approach Dagobah. The end.
ANH (0 BBY)Vader (45)
Ben (60)
Luke (18)
Leia (18)
I like Episode I. Hate everything about II and III. Darth Vader should be the only Darth Vader and there should be no Sith pirates.
I like this idea for the most part. If anything it sells the multiple Darth Vader's for me... for the most part.
I think the marauders/pirates should be the newly reassembled Mandolorian Army... You could throw out the whole Mandalore title, and make the leader a Darth Vader. Sense I thought we were steering away from the EU we could ignore the Mandalore part, but I do think it could be cool to use the mandalorians, and the Republic's response is a clone army; much like the current prequels... Never had a problem with that... But we will have a time explaining how Darth Vader becomes an accepted member of the Empire later.
If we kept the Jedi being framed angle from the original prequels but moved it up the time frame and changed the circumstances (so they are being officially hunted for the whole of the last part) he starts off being seen as just a warlord but when the Jedi come to be seen as something to be exterminated by the general population Vader would be seen as a hero and a defender of the New Order.
I'm sorry to say that I feel my enthusiam for this project is starting to wane. For every great idea that comes up, there is at least one other that makes me shake my head at how this could be even worse than the OPT (original prequel trilogy). The story becomes overblown and overcomplicated and suddenly there is no way for it to work in three 2 hour movies. I'm trying not to be negative to anyone here, believe me I am hardest on my own ideas. I fight myself with "the 3 year old" method. Everytime i come up with a concept, I ask myself "WHY?" If I can explain it, I add the explanation and move on. If not, I try to work it out or I chuck the idea. Give it a try. See how it works for you.
Octorox asked why people are so bent on keeping the secrets of the OT. I think there are two reasons: logic and nostalgia. By logic I mean that the episodes ARE NUMBERED 1 though 6. You should be able to watch them in that order. Other movies have gone back to fill in the past, but they were supposed to be seen after the originals (look at the recent Underworld movie). There is just a logic to the idea of watching movies in the order they sit on a shelf. By nostalgia, I mean that many of us remember how we felt when we saw the OT. We want new viewers to have a similar viewing experience. I think that if Lucas had just named them and never numbered them, or just numered OT1-3 and PT4-6 (with a knowing look back) many of us wouldn't be as anal about it.
Now the big headshake of the day: Vader and the Sith Pirates. I just don't see how this can be a good idea. Maybe its because the last two POTC movies left such a bad taste. Pirates have always been basically anti-establishment. They make their living free from all control outside of society and steal what they need from it. I just don't see how the leader of pirates would become the right-hand-man of an emperor, a man in complete control. I guess they don't have to be very good pirates since we never see them in the OT anyway. AND don't we have enough to worry about with the Clone WarS that we have time for SPACE POTC. The worst part tho is making Vader now TWO students of Obiwan who turn to evil. Obiwan - WORST TEACHER EVER!!!!
Erikstormtrooper - I like your story arc for Ep1. Assassination of Leader of Alderaan. Returning the heir. Freeing the planet. I kind of got a laugh at "a spice freighter (spice is a substance of questionable legality) exits hyperspace over a random planet." Now picture Luke in ANH "My father didn't go off an idealist crusade and fight in the clone wars. He was a navigator on freighter transporting illegal contraband throughout the system." Ben-"That's what your uncle told you." Can't say I'm a fan of 2 and 3 because of all the pirate stuff.
ChainsawAsh, you have a good ear for dialogue. The conversation in your script flows very naturally. Much better than I could do. I've always been better at plotting than dialogue.
Egad...... I need to walk away for a bit. too.....much.....information........
I broke the post into two to make it more bearable. So if anyone is still interested in my POV, here is my idea for Ep1. I'm sure you will notice many of the ideas that have been discussed throughout the thread. (ask WHY? as freely as you want if you feel I missed something):
EPISODE 1: Attack of the Clones (seriously the titles work)
The crawl should contain information about a thousand generations of peace and justice and an expanding Republic of hundreds (thousands?) of worlds. A group of Senators, led by Oragana of Alderaan, block the admitance of the Mandalorians, because they have a slave labor force of clones. The Mandalorians have sworn that if they are denied, they will see the republic burn...
The camera settles on a beautiful planet. A large ship suddenly fills the air hitting the atmosphere. We change perspective to below looking up and see that there are many others hitting the atmosphere as well. Once they start to settle in the sky, we see hundreds of troops floating down from the sky (ala Boba Fett's rocket pack). We see them rounding up people and firing on others. We cut to the throne room. Someone rushing in to tell Organa, "There was no warning. How can this be happening?" Organa turns to his right-hand-man questioningly. The man suddenly pulls out a weapon and aims in at Organa. "Naveer?" The armed man responds, "Fool, I killed him weeks ago," and fires his gun.
We cut to Obiwan's eyes suddenly opening. This section is a bit of a slow burn. Obiwan packs a small bag, goes to a spaceport to find transport. He meets a captain of a spice freighter going the same way. The captain recognizes him as a jedi (so yes i think the should have a simple but recognizable look) and offers to give him a lift. Obiwan tells the captain that they should be cautious, something terrible has happened and how he must retrieve the heir to the throne of Alderaan. Many worlds along the edge of the republic fell to an "unknown" enemy and they will be flying close to the area.
During the trip they are stopped by a Clone ship (like WWII subs used to do on the high seas). The crew is collected in the hold. When the captain resists, he is killed. This sets off one crew member (Anakin, but you knew that) and he starts to kick ass. The Clones have a hard time laying a hand on him, because he seems to know what they are going to do. They almost get in a lucky shot, when Anakin is distracted, but Obiwan saves him just in time. Before the clone ship can react, Anakin has taken control of the ship, broken lose of the Clone craft, and made a daring getaway. When the excitement finally calms down, Anakin relinquishes control to the pilot. Obiwan is amazed that Anakin is NOT the ship's pilot. Anakin's response, "Flying always came naturally to me. I decided that I should work on navigational skills. All the fancy flying in the galaxy doesn't matter much if you can't find where you are going. Between any two points there might be a better course."
They arrive at their destination. Anakin takes Obiwan to visit his sister, Beru and brother-in-law, Owen. They are all moving out to one of the rim planets far away from the tensions with the Mandalorians. Beru and Owen will work the farm and Anakin is responsible for distribution. Obiwan tells his tale and Anakin decides he wants to help find this heir. Of course, the Clones attack (that ship they met must have been an advanced scout) and take the planet. Owen betrays the whereabouts of the heir for safe passage off world for he and his family. They are all captured (bad guys NEVER keep a promise). They evenually make good their escape. Anakin kills some of his captors during the escape. Obiwan has a difficult time reading the clones. Off world, Anakin is angry and refuses to talk with his family. Beru apologizes to Obiwan for Owen's actions and tells him where they are headed if Anakin ever forgives them. They go their separate ways.
Obiwan, Anakin, and Bail Oragana head for Coruscant, the Capital of the republic. En route, Obiwan talks to Anakin about NO KILLING (it wounds the force and yes that probably means no leather in the outfit and probably vegetarians as well) and to let go of his anger. "In life," he brings back Anakin's statement, "There is a better course." He tells Anakin that he can sense how strongly the force flows through him. Anakin could sense the intentions of the clones even when Obiwan had difficulty. Obiwan wants to take Anakin to be trained by Yoda after this is over. Anakin, being impatient, talks Obiwan into starting his training now.
When they arrive at Coruscant (how can we NOT show a senate of hundreds (thousands?) of worlds working together when our senate of 50 states has such a difficult time doing it), the senate is in an uproar, because of the blatant attacks into Republic space. A War Council has convened and an army is being raised. (Why would a republic of this size NOT be able to raise an army and NEED clones, PT?) We meet other jedis, who are protecting other world leaders. Maybe Anakin can meet a nice girl here that will be a little important if we get to make an Episode 2. The Jedi help in the planning, but will not go into battle. They are not soldiers, it is not their way. In the Council we learn that the Supreme Commander of the Mandalorian forces has taken up residence on Alderaan as a final insult to the man who refused their admitance into the republic. Bail insists on leading the attack to take back his world. Anakin convinces Obiwan that they MUST go back with Bail. How can the Jedi say that they stand for justice if they abandon Bail now? Obiwan goes against the other Jedi and goes with Anakin and Bail. Anakin's training continues while en route.
The final act is the battle for Alderaan. It should be understood that the republic is taking back all the planets that were taken at the same time. Anakin leads the attack against the ships in orbit around Alderaan, where he will show that he can learn control. Obiwan and Bail lead the forces that retake the palace. Obiwan will show that since he has a hard time reading the clones, he can be a bit reckless and unpredictable. Of course our heroes win the day. Big cheer...roll the credits.
Prepare yourselves for Episode 2 (and yeah this one could be called the phantom menace - it's where mysterious jedi who kill enter the story) ;-)
That was awesome, WheresBlackhawk
Y'know... Now that I look at it on screen. It does have several points in common with the original Ep1.
Planet invaded
Save the monarch
Meet the senate
free the planet
(space and ground battle)
hmmmmmm....i just left out the drag race.
now where can I fit that ... nahhhhhh! ;-)
Wow - that actually sounds like it could make a fantastic movie. I like it a LOT.
And the difference in your Episode I and Lucas' is maturity and respect for the original trilogy.
Oh, and what if C-3PO is Bail's protocol droid on Alderaan while R2-D2 is Obi-Wan's? They meet at the end of the movie (Threepio remains on Alderaan for the majority, and Artoo would be a small presence that provides the same plot device he provides so often in the OT - unlocking doors and deciphering computers, etc).
I'm not sure about the title, though. I know the PT's titles aren't bad (except AOTC), but I think we need to try to distinguish these from the PT in any way possible, including the name.
I almost want to start a draft of the script based on that outline ...
WheresBlackhawk, it was GREAT!
A sub plot about Owen like yours is needed in this new PT.
ChainsawAsh...I was joking about the titles. I know they would need to be changed. It was just amazing that they worked with the ideas that were falling into place.
3p0 could definitely be bail's. A protocol droid would be more useful in a time when the people would negotiate more. During the Empire, droids like 3p0 would not be as much in demand because the Empire would not negotiate, it would dictate it's will. Wouldn't it be cool to see a more confident 3p0 here? We could watch his life slowly chip away at his nerve-circuits, until he becomes that "perhaps we were made to suffer" droid we know and love. If we go with fact that Bail is offworld during the invasion because he has no aspiration to rule, 3p0 could be having a pretty good and stable life. He could be very vocal to Bail about not going back, even moreso about leading the attack to take back Alderaan.
R2...hmmm...Obiwan doesn't seem to remember ever owning a droid. I don't think owning such things really works with this almost monastic interpretation of the Jedi. How about R2 belonging to Anakin's captain? We can see that R2 is a different kind of droid, because he would be devastated by his master's death. Maybe he follows Anakin and becomes his droid out of a sense of loyalty (Anakin DID step up when his master was killed after all). Here's an introduction idea:
When Obiwan gets on the freighter, he goes to the bridge with the captain. There we see the captain go through his preflight asking questions of the pilot, anakin, anyone else you think is important and R2 who would be entrusted with engines, lifesupport, anything else that seems like R2's bag. There could be a nice exchange where something isn't ready and the captain says something "Its your job to hold this bucket together. Why do you think I keep you around?" R2 beeps a bit. The captain chuckles, "Yes, you WERE the cutest R2 unit in Ardmobar." The captain pats his dome.
This kind of exchange would show that there is something different and special about R2. Luke never saw such devotion in a droid. We should make use of that character trait.
Just so people know where I was planning to go next -- Most of my ideas for the sequels stem from one line by Obiwan, "I was ONCE a Jedi knight, the same as your father."
WheresBlackhawk said:ChainsawAsh...I was joking about the titles. I know they would need to be changed. It was just amazing that they worked with the ideas that were falling into place.
3p0 could definitely be bail's. A protocol droid would be more useful in a time when the people would negotiate more. During the Empire, droids like 3p0 would not be as much in demand because the Empire would not negotiate, it would dictate it's will. Wouldn't it be cool to see a more confident 3p0 here? We could watch his life slowly chip away at his nerve-circuits, until he becomes that "perhaps we were made to suffer" droid we know and love. If we go with fact that Bail is offworld during the invasion because he has no aspiration to rule, 3p0 could be having a pretty good and stable life. He could be very vocal to Bail about not going back, even moreso about leading the attack to take back Alderaan.
R2...hmmm...Obiwan doesn't seem to remember ever owning a droid. I don't think owning such things really works with this almost monastic interpretation of the Jedi. How about R2 belonging to Anakin's captain? We can see that R2 is a different kind of droid, because he would be devastated by his master's death. Maybe he follows Anakin and becomes his droid out of a sense of loyalty (Anakin DID step up when his master was killed after all). Here's an introduction idea:
When Obiwan gets on the freighter, he goes to the bridge with the captain. There we see the captain go through his preflight asking questions of the pilot, anakin, anyone else you think is important and R2 who would be entrusted with engines, lifesupport, anything else that seems like R2's bag. There could be a nice exchange where something isn't ready and the captain says something "Its your job to hold this bucket together. Why do you think I keep you around?" R2 beeps a bit. The captain chuckles, "Yes, you WERE the cutest R2 unit in Ardmobar." The captain pats his dome.
This kind of exchange would show that there is something different and special about R2. Luke never saw such devotion in a droid. We should make use of that character trait.
Just so people know where I was planning to go next -- Most of my ideas for the sequels stem from one line by Obiwan, "I was ONCE a Jedi knight, the same as your father."
I was thinking that R2 could be technically owned by the order, not by Obi-Wan although it is in use by Obi-Wan. then technically what Obi-Wan said was true, from a certain point of view....
WheresBlackhawk, that was quite good. From my perspective, you definitely have the right vibe. The only thing I feel is lacking is a sense of Anakin's past. I feel his past neds to be marked with profound sadness in some way.
I look forward to your ideas for episode II.
About keepng the secrets (Vader=Anakin, Yoda's identity, Leia=Luke's sister) I wonder if it's worth botherwing with. After all, we can never replace the official prequels, and knowledge of these secrets is widespread outside of fan circles. So why not just use it to our advantage, or use it for some drama?
You know of the rebellion against the Empire?
The reason I'm so for keeping the secrets is that when I first saw the prequels, the fact that George didn't even bother was one of the biggest disappointments for me. If we're going to say that people should watch them in chronological order (which the numbering "Episode I," "II," and "III" seems to suggest), we should at least make them in such a way that they could be watched that way if someone who's never heard of "Star Wars" sees them in that order.
ChainsawAsh, sometimes I think we are the only two people here on the same page.
ErikStormtrooper, you are correct in noting that there is no "profound sadness" in Anakin. I do not want to turn him into Bruce Wayne. Look at the OT, Luke was not an angry person, but his anger came out of frustration for his lot in life, his training taking to long, and not being able to do something when he knew his friends were in danger. I am intending to use frustration as part of the "seduction" to the dark-side (remember the easiest solution is not always the best and that the dark side is easier and quicker, something a reckless soul can be attracted to). It could make the dark side even a bit attractive to the audience (How impossible is it for us to stay at peace when you see life kicking you around?). The other reason I am not focusing on Anakin's past is because I really like ChainsawAsh's bait and switch idea from way back in the thread: All of the important Anakin info should be in this trilogy, BUT THE MAIN CHARACTER IS OBIWAN. We see him do EVERYTHING he needs to do to protect the Republic ( more on this in Ep2 and 3) and still fails. That's why years later Obiwan brings A NEW HOPE into the story.
