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.