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Prequel Rewriters - Questions to think about

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 (Edited)

I started compiling a list that I thought we could work on together of basically the questions you must answer before you can start on a prequel rewrite.  My thought is to keep this thread as the summary of the questions (and stickied, probably) and then individual questions can be discussed and argued in individual threads.

Here are the questions I've come up with... please feel free to add other questions.  I'll be adding others as I think of them too.

The Setting
    The War
        Are you focusing on the Clone Wars?
            YES:
                Who are the Clones?
                How does the War pertain to them?
                What about the Clone Wars would cause Obi-Wan to refer to them as an "idealistic crusade"?  What were the ideals?  How was it a crusade?
                How does Cloning become irrelevant by the start of Episode 4?
                How is cloning limited to the point that the whole story doesn't get consumed by the idea of clones replacing major players?
            NO:
                What is the "war" setting for your story?  Yes, there has to be a war... it's called Star Wars.
                What/when are the Clone Wars if you are ignoring them in your story?  How do you validate Leia and Ben's claim that he and Luke's father fought in the Clone Wars for Bail Organa?
        Is the War 'Symmetrical' (i.e. WWII) or is it 'Asymmetrical' (i.e. Iraq War or the OT Empire vs Rebellion)
            If Symmetrical:
                How does War work exactly?  How does hyperspace affect a galaxy wide war?
                Does your story feature "soldiers"?  Who are they?  Are the main characters soldiers in the War?  Leia's and Ben's comments seem to indicate that they were.
                Who are the armies?  Does the Republic have its own army, or do each of the independent planets have their own armies?  Who is the enemy large enough that this is a full scale war?
            If Asymmetrical:
                Who is the larger force?
        What are the objectives of both sides in the War?  What are they fighting over?
        When did/does the War start?
        How does the War end?
 
Continiuity to the OT:
    Do you show Obi-Wan receiving training from Yoda?
    Do you show Anakin receiving training from Obi-Wan?
 
    Are Obi-Wan and Anakin friends?  When do they have the chance to establish this friendship
    
    How many years before Episode 4 does your story take place and how old are the main characters?
        If Luke/Leia's mom is pregnant at any time in your stories, then that must be within 18 years of the beginning of Episode 4.
    How will you handle the surprises in the OT?  Will you set out to protect them from a chronological viewer?  Or will you show them happen?
        Will you show Yoda?
        Will you show that Luke has a twin sister?  Named Leia?
        Will you reveal that Anakin becomes Darth Vader?   
            If not, how will you protect this surprise?  It must be some way that when the viewer sees Darth Vader in ANH, that he doesn't assume or even begin to wonder if that is Anakin under there.
            Will you employ the "Other Apprentice" ruse?  That suggests that Obi-Wan had an apprentice named Darth Vader that turned to the Dark Side and killed Anakin?
 
  Will you have surprises in your new PT?  Will it affect anything that we thought we already knew in the OT?  Be careful, you will most likely just tick people off, unless it is done EXTREMELY well.
  How does the Jedi/Dark Jedi/Sith conflict play into the back story of the War, if at all?
    If it doesn't, then how does Anakin end up falling to the Dark Side and becoming Dark Lord of the Sith?
    If it does, then how does the Galaxy allow for a Dark Jedi/Sith/Palpatine to be left in charge of the Empire when all is said and done?
    How many Jedi are we talking about here?  A handful like the OT?  Two-three handfuls like the GPT?  Or a lot a lot?
    How many Dark Jedi/Sith?  Please say not 2 per movie.
    What kind of powers do the Jedi/Dark Jedi/Sith have beyond those seen in the OT? 
    What is the Galaxy's general response to Jedi?  Are they all assumed to be heroes?  Or are people more like Han where they think that it's all religious nonsense?
    How do your Jedi dress?  (Please say it's not in "I'm disguised as a hermit" robes.)
    How organized are the Jedi?  Are they like a police force in space (like the Green Lantern Corps?) or are they more like wizards that are off doing their own thing and maybe have some form or correspondance or a council every now and then?  Or something less than that?
Where does the Empire come from?  From within the crumbling Republic or without?  If from within, are the forces that cause the crumbling also responsible for the War and are they manipulating to create an Empire as in George's PT?
 
How do the droids fit in to your new story, if at all?
    Probably shouldn't have strong connections to Anakin or Obi-Wan (i.e. The "main characters")
 
How is Anakin seduced by the Dark Side?  What convinces him to serve the Emperor, the Empire and the Dark Side for 20+ years before allowing Luke to show him the error of his ways.
Who is the main protagonist in your films?  Luke is clearly the main protagonist in the OT.  In my opinion, the gPT has problems because the protagonist changed with the movie billing: E1 - QuiGonn Jinn, E2 - Obi-Wan Kenobi, E3 - Anakin.
- I clearly think that Anakin should be the main protagonist as a point of comparison that Luke is the protagonist of the OT.  However, I am running into trouble, probably the same way George did, because I have Obi-Wan finding Anakin.  In the OT, Luke finds Obi-Wan.  This right off the bat seems to set up Obi-Wan as the character making choices, making things happen, driving the story... AKA the Protagonist.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

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Interesting stuff, xhonzi. I've been meaning to compile a list of quotations from the OT worth considering for anyone who wants to write an alternate prequel series. I'll get down to it once I have a free minute - I'm very busy these days.

Also, I'm interested to hear how you would answer these questions. I liked some of your ideas from the Star Wars animation topic.

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 (Edited)

Yeah, I've been intending to show my hand here soon.  I'm sure you'll all hate it... :) 

I just didn't want to look like I was monopolizing this forum... any more than I already do.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

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Time

xhonzi said:

I just didn't want to look like I was monopolizing this forum... any more than I already do.

Username: xhonzi
Join Date: October 30, 2005
Last Online: May 24, 2010, 3:09 PM
Post Count: 2015

Join Date: July 23, 2009
Last Online: May 24, 2010, 3:08 PM
Post Count: 4159

Ha!  I suck tons more than you!

(that post-count-to-time-here-ratio is rather embarrassing, now that I look at it...probably because of posts like this one)

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I meant the Script Writing Forum, specifically.  Take a look at the thread list and tell me you don't see an obsessive compulsive theme.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

Author
Time

Even the threads that weren't started by me were moved here by my request.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

Author
Time

I knew what you meant, but I still maintain I suck more than you.

Suck it, me!

Author
Time

Fine.  Suck it with.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Woo-hoo!!!

Wait...

(does this qualify for the "Reasonable Question / Unhelpful Answer" category yet?)

Author
Time

Added a few Jedi/Dark Jedi questions.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

Author
Time

I'd like to take a crack at this by way of my first post:

Setting: I will be focusing on the Clone Wars, which I envision as a series of counterinsurgency operations by the Republic against the restive Outer Rim Territories. The (mostly non-human) inhabitants of the Outer Rim have been ruthlessly exploited for centuries by megacorporations based in the affluent Core systems, and are finally provoked to violence by Sith agents, who supply the insurgents with surplus Republic arms and munitions and train them in guerrilla warfare. The Sith, who have been in decline for centuries, have discovered a way to quickly replenish their numbers -- i.e., by exhuming the mummified corpses of ancient Dark Side practitioners, cloning their remains, and binding their restless spirits to the resulting bodies using an artifact known as the Kyber Crystal. (Clone bodies being otherwise mindless lumps of flesh.) They proceed to detach thousands of systems from the fringes of the Republic and launch terror attacks against the heavily-populated central planets. This instigates a military reorganization within the Republic, as the militias of the various constituent systems are federalized and attached to the small standing Army and Navy. It also leads to general paranoia, anti-alien bigotry, and an intensification of police powers -- i.e., the foundations of Imperial rule. Bail Organa and other scions of the old aristocracy oppose these measures on principal, which leads to their gradual marginalization as Palpatine and his corporate allies stir the populace with jingoistic propaganda.

Continuity: The prequels begin 24 years BBY. Anakin is 18, as is Lady Breha, the woman who will eventually bear his children. Breha is a member of the prominent Antilles family of Corellia, which seeks a political alliance with House Organa of Alderaan. To that end, Breha is betrothed to Prince-Regent Bail Organa, and although she falls in love with Anakin during the course of Episode 1, she marries Bail as her duty dictates. This serves both to establish romantic tension between the characters -- since they cannot openly express their feelings for one another and can only consummate their love by cuckolding the heir to an influential noble family -- and to leave the paternity of Breha's offspring uncertain until the last possible moment. Anakin's fall to the Dark Side comes about due to the pernicious influence of his father, Kane, who is a low-level crime boss and a complete douche bag. Kane murdered Anakin's mother (one of the many women he impregnated during his long career as a spice smuggler -- Owen Lars is a bastard by a different mother, and thus Anakin's half-brother) during a drunken rage when Anakin was a toddler. Anakin has suppressed the memory, but has recurring nightmares of the incident, which the principle villain -- Lord Malus -- exploits to provoke Anakin to murder Kane. Malus then blackmails Anakin into furthering the Sith's agenda, threatening to reveal Skywalker's secret to the Jedi if the young Knight does not submit to his will. Unexpectedly, Malus orders Anakin to kill him in the presence of Chancellor Palpatine, whom Malus' spirit then possesses with the aid of a surviving Kyber shard. (The focus of Episode 2 is the uncovering and destruction of the Kyber.) The Sith Lord thus gains control of the supreme executive office in the Republic and Anakin, under the moniker Darth Vader, becomes a lauded galactic hero, as the man who finally brought Malus to justice and ended the Clone Wars! The possession of Palpatine is, per Malus's plan, witnessed by several Jedi, who attempt to kill the Chancellor once they realize what has happened. This leads, of course, to the Great Purge, which Anakin (as Vader) carries out during Episode 3 in order to preserve his newly won status and fame (which he feels will finally convince Breha to abandon Bail and become his wife) and bury the last shred of guilt he feels for murdering his father. When Anakin goes to claim Breha, however, she presents him with an infant daughter: Leia. Anakin, whom Malus/Palpatine prophesied would have a son (who would be a danger to his father if not raised in the Sith ways), refuses to believe the child is his, instead attributing her parentage to Bail. Enraged, Anakin disowns Breha and nearly kills her, but is stopped by an old Jedi friend (not Obi-Wan, who has absconded with Luke to Dagobah to seek counsel with Yoda), whom he kills instead. Mortified, Anakin withdraws to Sullust, where Obi-Wan finds him after depositing Luke with the Lars family on Tatooine. The much anticipated final duel takes place there among the planet's lava fields, Anakin (who has already accumulated various cybernetic prostheses during the Purge) sustains the devastating injuries that confine him permanently to his mechanical suit, and Obi-Wan returns to Tatooine to watch over Luke.

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   I have been, and would need to continue, pondering the saga on the most basic levels. To this point, I've almost completely disregarded the EU. I've paged through 'SITME' and read one of the Han Solo adventures. They were enjoyable and well written sci-fi, but they were affecting my perception of the OT. They seemed unreliable as a source of info about the trilogy.

   My sources (before '86) were the movies, novelizations, and 'Dune' (my father gave me his copy in the summer of '77, without explaining why.) NF sources were 'Skywalking', Toynbee's 'A Study Of History',  Architect Speer's 'Inside the Third Riech', documentaries, and other books on history and mythology. But, above all, what I saw on the screen.

  

  The Force: It seems to be a mash-up of all religious traditions. But for the mono-theistic religions, it seems to be The Power or The Spirit with all aspects of "Personhood" removed. More recently, theologians and scientists have been describing the universe as a sort of "Energy Field" of rippling information (or Wisdom.) All the forces binding, present to preserve or save, everthing in the U is a manifestation of this "Force." It could be called "The Logos" by which all is maintained and kept from chaos and destruction. People who respect and abide by the wisdom find a right path to life, those who turn their backs on it create their own or other's destruction. It's amazing, the way GL was able to distill these spiritual insights for a movie. 

   I LOVE Midi-chlorians! Mitochondria-chlorophores, micro-scopic symbiotes that transform energy into forms useful to the host, BRILLIANT!! It is the most ingenius, and, at the same time, the most unfortunately employed metaphore/plot device in cinema history. I wouldn't want a PT fan-edit to be bogged down by the problem-but still- WOW!

   The Prophecy:  Shakespeare, Oracle Of Delphi, all great. We have witnessed so many failed prophecies and prophets that the business is very suspect. I don't think we understand the astounding, cosmic power one would have if a prophecy of the fate of the Galaxy could be proven demonstrably true to anyone of average or above rationality. Those who held such understanding in good time would hold the keys to the future. The Jedi were blind, confused, disagreeing, and discredited because of their inability to correctly interpret a true prophecy. Imagine the power and ability They would have held if someone had provided the correct, provable interpretation in time. Their Graces, whatever their faults, limitations and past failings, would have become the most powerful rallying point for every rational being of any good will they could contact throughout the Galaxy. They might have been able to prevent the cataclysm from the outset. Failing that, they might have greatly mitigated the horror for large regions of the galaxy.

      The Jedi masters went down the wrong path because they accepted the prophecy on it's face.  They were not certain that there might be another way for The Force to be true to itself and the galaxy.  They insisted upon limiting The Force to their own pitifully limited understanding. In a sense, that is the most terrible form of blasphemy.   

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 (Edited)

xhonzi said:

        Are you focusing on the Clone Wars?
            YES:
                Who are the Clones?
                How does the War pertain to them?
                How does Cloning become irrelevant by the start of Episode 4?
                How is cloning limited to the point that the whole story doesn't get consumed by the idea of clones replacing major players?
            NO:
                What is the "war" setting for your story?  Yes, there has to be a war... it's called Star Wars.
I'm considering having cloning be used by various alien species in varying degrees. It will be believed that the process cannot work for humans (which explains the Empire's hatred of aliens). Among the species using cloning will be the Gran, perhaps Rodians, any many others TBD. They won't be a unified force nor all fighting for the same reasons. There will be local skirmishes as well as strikes against the Republic. The use of clones will increase military conflict around the galaxy which creates instability.
        Is the War 'Symmetrical' (i.e. WWII) or is it 'Asymmetrical' (i.e. Iraq War or the OT Empire vs Rebellion)
            If Symmetrical:
                How does War work exactly?  How does hyperspace affect a galaxy wide war?
                Does your story feature "soldiers"?  Who are they?  Are the main characters soldiers in the War?  Leia's and Ben's comments seem to indicate that they were.
                Who are the armies?  Does the Republic have its own army, or do each of the independent planets have their own armies?  Who is the enemy large enough that this is a full scale war?
            If Asymmetrical:
                Who is the larger force?
        What are the objectives of both sides in the War?  What are they fighting over?
        When did/does the War start?
        How does the War end?
For Episode I, my thinking is along the lines of America leading up to the Civil War. The Clone Wars will be significant but the real war won't erupt until Episode III. It will be a messy civil war with strained political allegiances. The objectives of the Republic/Empire is the consolidation and use of power and on the other side are those who resist.
 
Continiuity to the OT:
    Do you show Obi-Wan receiving training from Yoda?
    Do you show Anakin receiving training from Obi-Wan?
 
    Are Obi-Wan and Anakin friends?  When do they have the chance to establish this friendship
Anakin will receive training from Obi-Wan. Much time will be given to establishing their friendship, starting near the very beginning.
    
    How many years before Episode 4 does your story take place and how old are the main characters?
        If Luke/Leia's mom is pregnant at any time in your stories, then that must be within 18 years of the beginning of Episode 4.
    How will you handle the surprises in the OT?  Will you set out to protect them from a chronological viewer?  Or will you show them happen?
I envision Anakin being in his early 20s. Obi Wan closer to 30. The pregnancy won't may not be revealed. The romance between Anakin and [Padme?] will be tastefully presented.
        Will you show Yoda?
        Will you show that Luke has a twin sister?  Named Leia?
        Will you reveal that Anakin becomes Darth Vader?   
            If not, how will you protect this surprise?  It must be some way that when the viewer sees Darth Vader in ANH, that he doesn't assume or even begin to wonder if that is Anakin under there.
            Will you employ the "Other Apprentice" ruse?  That suggests that Obi-Wan had an apprentice named Darth Vader that turned to the Dark Side and killed Anakin?
No Yoda in the PT. We won't know about Luke or Leia in the PT! Nor will it be revealed that Anakin is Vader. Just as Luke went alone into the cave on Dagobah, so will Anakin go alone to face his fate. He will thereafter be considered dead.
It will be probably established that Obi Wan has trained unnamed others. Obi Wan shall face Darth Vader in order to avenge the loss of Anakin and he can call Vader " his former apprentice." But the utter change in their relationship and the fact that Obi Wan actually treats Anakin as dead should quiet all but the most conspiratorial of minds.
  Will you have surprises in your new PT?  Will it affect anything that we thought we already knew in the OT?  Be careful, you will most likely just tick people off, unless it is done EXTREMELY well.
No surprises that violate the OT but the story will take on greater dimension. The motivations of many of the characters in the OT will be take on a greater richness.
The challenge with ANY PT is that it necessarily changes our perception of the OT. When one starts with A New Hope for the first time, one wonders stuff like 'who in the world is this Obi Wan? Is he related to this Ben guy? What is the extent of the force?' It slowly unfolds for us. But if there is a PT, we know that Obi Wan is definitely Ben. We already know about lightsabers and mindtricks. Plenty of these points are minor, but our perception and experience of IV necessarily changes if we watch a I, II, III first. I am very mindful of any loss of the original experience. Part of it is pure nostalgia but there is also a substantive change.
For any PT to be successful, we must unlearn what we have learned to a certain extent.
  How does the Jedi/Dark Jedi/Sith conflict play into the back story of the War, if at all?
    If it doesn't, then how does Anakin end up falling to the Dark Side and becoming Dark Lord of the Sith?
    If it does, then how does the Galaxy allow for a Dark Jedi/Sith/Palpatine to be left in charge of the Empire when all is said and done?
    How many Jedi are we talking about here?  A handful like the OT?  Two-three handfuls like the GPT?  Or a lot a lot?
    How many Dark Jedi/Sith?  Please say not 2 per movie.
    What kind of powers do the Jedi/Dark Jedi/Sith have beyond those seen in the OT? 
The depiction of Sith has become overwrought. Anakin falls to the dark side because he takes the side of power rather than peace. There won't be tons of Jedi, just enough to show they aren't exactly near extinction. The use of the force will accord with its depiction in the OT.
    What is the Galaxy's general response to Jedi?  Are they all assumed to be heroes?  Or are people more like Han where they think that it's all religious nonsense?
    How do your Jedi dress?  (Please say it's not in "I'm disguised as a hermit" robes.)
    How organized are the Jedi?  Are they like a police force in space (like the Green Lantern Corps?) or are they more like wizards that are off doing their own thing and maybe have some form or correspondance or a council every now and then?  Or something less than that?
Where does the Empire come from?  From within the crumbling Republic or without?  If from within, are the forces that cause the crumbling also responsible for the War and are they manipulating to create an Empire as in George's PT?
The Jedi will be viewed as Han Solo and Admiral Motti viewed them. I am not certain how they dress, perhaps however they please. The Jedi will be the independent wizard types. As suggested up above, the Empire comes from within. It will be the result of a convergence of many competing desires, not a carefully orchestrated manipulation of everything in the galaxy.
 
How do the droids fit in to your new story, if at all?
    Probably shouldn't have strong connections to Anakin or Obi-Wan (i.e. The "main characters")
 
How is Anakin seduced by the Dark Side?  What convinces him to serve the Emperor, the Empire and the Dark Side for 20+ years before allowing Luke to show him the error of his ways.
Yes, the droids are there! Senator Organa makes great use of them. Also, there shall be no memory wipe of 3PO.
As for Anakin's seduction to the Dark Side and his service to the Empire for 20+years...it is because Anakin follows his ideals.

The blue elephant in the room.

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Added a "Who is the Protagonist" question to the bottom.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

Author
Time
 (Edited)

@Xhonzi -- I don't think you've filled out your own Questionnaire here?

Edit: NVM, I guess this was just supposed to be of help and not to be answered in the post.

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arkham618 said:

I'd like to take a crack at this by way of my first post:

Setting: I will be focusing on the Clone Wars, which I envision as a series of counterinsurgency operations by the Republic against the restive Outer Rim Territories. The (mostly non-human) inhabitants of the Outer Rim have been ruthlessly exploited for centuries by megacorporations based in the affluent Core systems, and are finally provoked to violence by Sith agents, who supply the insurgents with surplus Republic arms and munitions and train them in guerrilla warfare. The Sith, who have been in decline for centuries, have discovered a way to quickly replenish their numbers -- i.e., by exhuming the mummified corpses of ancient Dark Side practitioners, cloning their remains, and binding their restless spirits to the resulting bodies using an artifact known as the Kyber Crystal. (Clone bodies being otherwise mindless lumps of flesh.) They proceed to detach thousands of systems from the fringes of the Republic and launch terror attacks against the heavily-populated central planets. This instigates a military reorganization within the Republic, as the militias of the various constituent systems are federalized and attached to the small standing Army and Navy. It also leads to general paranoia, anti-alien bigotry, and an intensification of police powers -- i.e., the foundations of Imperial rule. Bail Organa and other scions of the old aristocracy oppose these measures on principal, which leads to their gradual marginalization as Palpatine and his corporate allies stir the populace with jingoistic propaganda.

Continuity: The prequels begin 24 years BBY. Anakin is 18, as is Lady Breha, the woman who will eventually bear his children. Breha is a member of the prominent Antilles family of Corellia, which seeks a political alliance with House Organa of Alderaan. To that end, Breha is betrothed to Prince-Regent Bail Organa, and although she falls in love with Anakin during the course of Episode 1, she marries Bail as her duty dictates. This serves both to establish romantic tension between the characters -- since they cannot openly express their feelings for one another and can only consummate their love by cuckolding the heir to an influential noble family -- and to leave the paternity of Breha's offspring uncertain until the last possible moment. Anakin's fall to the Dark Side comes about due to the pernicious influence of his father, Kane, who is a low-level crime boss and a complete douche bag. Kane murdered Anakin's mother (one of the many women he impregnated during his long career as a spice smuggler -- Owen Lars is a bastard by a different mother, and thus Anakin's half-brother) during a drunken rage when Anakin was a toddler. Anakin has suppressed the memory, but has recurring nightmares of the incident, which the principle villain -- Lord Malus -- exploits to provoke Anakin to murder Kane. Malus then blackmails Anakin into furthering the Sith's agenda, threatening to reveal Skywalker's secret to the Jedi if the young Knight does not submit to his will. Unexpectedly, Malus orders Anakin to kill him in the presence of Chancellor Palpatine, whom Malus' spirit then possesses with the aid of a surviving Kyber shard. (The focus of Episode 2 is the uncovering and destruction of the Kyber.) The Sith Lord thus gains control of the supreme executive office in the Republic and Anakin, under the moniker Darth Vader, becomes a lauded galactic hero, as the man who finally brought Malus to justice and ended the Clone Wars! The possession of Palpatine is, per Malus's plan, witnessed by several Jedi, who attempt to kill the Chancellor once they realize what has happened. This leads, of course, to the Great Purge, which Anakin (as Vader) carries out during Episode 3 in order to preserve his newly won status and fame (which he feels will finally convince Breha to abandon Bail and become his wife) and bury the last shred of guilt he feels for murdering his father. When Anakin goes to claim Breha, however, she presents him with an infant daughter: Leia. Anakin, whom Malus/Palpatine prophesied would have a son (who would be a danger to his father if not raised in the Sith ways), refuses to believe the child is his, instead attributing her parentage to Bail. Enraged, Anakin disowns Breha and nearly kills her, but is stopped by an old Jedi friend (not Obi-Wan, who has absconded with Luke to Dagobah to seek counsel with Yoda), whom he kills instead. Mortified, Anakin withdraws to Sullust, where Obi-Wan finds him after depositing Luke with the Lars family on Tatooine. The much anticipated final duel takes place there among the planet's lava fields, Anakin (who has already accumulated various cybernetic prostheses during the Purge) sustains the devastating injuries that confine him permanently to his mechanical suit, and Obi-Wan returns to Tatooine to watch over Luke.

 

This is really good, I don't know how I missed it before. Your ideas for the backdrop of war greatly coincide with mine. The only thing I would have reservations about is that Star Wars, I believe, still needs to be somewhat of a family-friendly film. I don't know if having Anakin's father spreading his seed and murdering women falls in line with that. I like the Kyber Crystal idea, I also had similar ideas in using it with cloning. Where I got hung up was that if you allow cloning of Dark Jedi, you have to ask the question, why didn't the Sith just make millions and easily take over the galaxy? I think how you may have addressed it here is that only one soul or mind can transfer, which seems like a good idea to me. My only real complaint is that I prefer that all of the later suprises, like the identity of Vader, Luke, Leia and Yoda should remain a secret to preserve some of the best scenes in Star Wars and one of the best scenes in cinematic history - "No, I am your father." (IMO, LOL)

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Are you focusing on the Clone Wars? 

Yes. The initial outbreak of conflict in the war makes up the plot of the first film. The worst struggles for the Republic make of the story of the second movie, while the last prequel features demonstrates how the war ended, and the immediate aftermath of it on the Republic. 

Who are the Clones? 

The clones are specifically those of various criminals, pirates, and various disenfranchised peoples from systems in the Outer Rim.

How does the War pertain to them? 

They are initially recruited and later led by a remnant of Mandalorians who do an initial attack on the Republic in the first film, and shortly afterward start a full fledge invasion. 

How does Cloning become irrelevant by the start of Episode 4? 

Various cloning facilities are purposefully destroyed or sabotaged by the clone armies to prevent the Republic from learning how to replicate them, with Mandalorian leaders being the few who genuinely know the specific nature of the process. What materials and science the Republic forces are able to get their hands are confiscated and end up in the hands of those loyal to Palpatine, who's hinted at keeping and potentially utilizing the technology himself.   

How is cloning limited to the point that the whole story doesn't get consumed by the idea of clones replacing major players? 

Both cloning and providing weapons/ships to individual clones take a great deal of resources to do. Mass production of clones (necessary to get the amount of armies necessary for an invasion of the Republic) leads to ones not as healthy, intelligent, and resourceful as natural people. The invading fleet relies largely on sheer numbers for a long period. The gradual whittling away of resources needed to create clones destroys the numbers of the Mandalorian Coalition. 

Are the main characters soldiers in the War?   

Kenobi and Anakin both serve in high positions, technically serving under Republic Supreme Admiral Bail Organa. (Bail later retires from military service in favor in public office as the war winds down). 

Who are the armies?   

The Republic has a large unified fighting force of conscripted citizens of systems, and paid officers, many led by specifically by the Jedi, though some infighting between various planetary groups does hamper initial Republic efforts. The Coalition forces are more loosely organized, with massive units commanded by Mandalorian leaders, with the original Outer Rim soldiers underneath, and the clones serving as raw infantry. 

Who is the larger force? 

The Mandalorian Coalition initially outnumbers the Republic forces, but are gradually whittled down to resistance units by the end of the war. 

What are the objectives of both sides?  

The Coalition simply wants to take over the galaxy, with a specific aim of defeating the Jedi. The Republic is simply defending itself and aiming to imprison or eliminate the Mandalorian leaders, while containing the clone threat.  

When did/does the War start? 

A series of odd and unknown attacks/skirmishes take place on the outskirts over a year or so, initially thought to be raids by criminal gangs and pirates. The first major attack occurs roughly 26 BBY, the time of the first film. Jedi and Republic forces are able to beat invaders back, its soon realized that many, many more will be coming soon enough. The initial smaller encounters are later referred to as the First Clone War, with the major battles several months afterwards seen as starting the Second Clone War. 

How does the War end? 

Republic forces are able to wear down the Coalition and destroy their cloning resources over time. Many non-Mandalorian soldiers end up outright surrendering and/or deserting the cause, and end up anonymous on various Republic planets, an action freely condoned by Palpatine who states that such loss in numbers will end the war sooner. Some express concern at this, noting that large numbers of unlisted people in the Republic unable to get real employment, will likely turn to crime. (Its suggested that the amount of illegal spice trade, smuggling, bounty hunting, and slave trafficking will skyrocket soon enough)

The Mandalorian leaders finally agree to a ceasefire and put forth negotiations for their surrender via an initial treaty. The Jedi, distrustful of Palpatine, keep the conference a secret temporarily to prevent his interference. Both groups are destroyed when Palpatine (given the location by Anakin) orders his secret forces to destroy the station their where the negotiations are taking place. Palpatine deceives the Senate and explains that the Coalition double crossed the Jedi and that secret Mandalorian sympathizers will be taken care of, a move he uses to wipe out any remaining Jedi he can locate. 

Do you show Obi-Wan receiving training from Yoda? 

No, though the former mentions several aspects of his own training and specifically what he's passing on to Anakin. 

Do you show Anakin receiving training from Obi-Wan? 

The latter half of the first film and first act of the second film show Kenobi training him. In a contrast to Luke, who's questions and learning applied to the nature of the force, Anakin with his intuition picks up those aspects quickly and his education lies more in the application and temperance of the Force's use. 

Are Obi-Wan and Anakin friends?  When do they have the chance to establish this friendship? 

The two are very close, gaining a kinship shortly after they first meet. The two in fact complement each other quite well, with Kenobi in fact being the more playful, laid back mentor in contrast to Skywalker's more serious minded student. Anakin almost always refers to him as "Ben" and sees him as an supportive older brother. While initially approaching each other with some reluctance in the opening act of the first film (Ben seeing Anakin as a bit too intense, and Skywalker seeing him as too lax) they grow over the film as friends with their mutual dedication to justice and peace. 

How many years before Episode 4 does your story take place and how old are the main characters? 

The first film takes place about 25 years prior to a New Hope. The second film is two years afterwards, and the third film three years after that.  

Will you show Yoda? 

Yes, but he appears gradually as the trilogy goes on. Viewers see only his face in the first movie, and his actual size isn't demonstrated until Anakin finally meets him in the second movie. While seemingly aloof and distant initially he becomes warmer and kindlier over time. He acts somewhat similar to Kenobi in the original films, as a wise mentor to both Ben and Anakin. He is the Jedi with the most awareness of how troubled Skywalker is, though even his does not know to what degree. 

Will you show that Luke has a twin sister?  Named Leia? 

Yes. In the third film Anakin and Ben initially believe that Mother Skywalker and her unborn child are killed in a attack in the war. This tragedy eventually drives Anakin to be tempted by the Dark Side and the power of Palpatine. Following his turn and injury in the lava pit, Kenobi, Yoda, and Bail Organa discover that Mother Skywalker is alive, with two healthy young twins. The attack did however do damage do her during birth, and she's given less than a year to live. She goes with to Alderaan to live out her final days with the soon to be adopted Leia, and Kenobi promises that he will watch over Luke at Tatooine. 

Will you reveal that Anakin becomes Darth Vader?   

Yes. Darth Vader in terms of theme and metaphor really exists as the darker, more cynically pragmatic part of Anakin's psyche that grows as the Clone Wars go on. The battle for his soul begins to appear in the second film and takes center stage in the last film. The turn to the Dark Side signifies Vader's victory and the ruthless actions afterwards signifying the betrayal of Skywalker's compassion and empathy.  

Will you have surprises in your new PT?  Will it affect anything that we thought we already knew in the OT?   

Not really surprises, as much as playing with expectations of characters. Even though Anakin is the one who eventually turns, he comes across as a bit more likable than Ben at times. Because "Sidious" as a concept does not exist, Palpatine appears initially as a weak willed populist dismissed by most as being easily manipulated by others. Darth Vader, rather than a literal person or simply what Anakin becomes, is more of a internal dark voice within Skywalker. The nature of the dirty "used future" in the galaxy is demonstrated to be a result of the Clone Wars and its aftermath. The prequels really serve to demonstrate how different the galaxy once was. 

How does the Jedi/Dark Jedi conflict play into the back story of the War, if at all? 

(The"Sith", specifically a whole group of original Dark Side counterparts do not exist, with a quasi exception in Palpatine, who's unique in using such abilities without ever being a Jedi)

The nature of Dark Jedi and the power of the Dark Side exist largely in myth, or so it seems. The Jedi have not dealt with those who have turned for hundreds of years, and not dealt with powerful ones for even longer. The dangers of the Dark Side are taught, but not with the same sense of urgency and warning as in the OT. The greater worry with Jedi is simply getting caught up in the petty politics of the Republic, but a looming issue is the strength of their connection with the living Force. Being too involved with non-Jedi matters appears to be a more obvious worry than being turned. Anakin himself has a somewhat limited understanding of the true dangers of the Dark Side. 

How does the Galaxy allow for a Dark Jedi/Palpatine to be left in charge of the Empire when all is said and done? 

The Republic was simply completely unprepared for a user of the Dark Side like Palpatine to exist. Almost all of those who were sensitive to the Force were either Jedi, half-hearted wielders lacking training(and thus power), or were simply unaware people who didn't understand what they had. None of the Jedi expected a user of the dark side to be as educated and powerful as Palpatine was, especially given that Anakin was the only one of them who ever really spent any time with him and someone who most (Skywalker and possibly Yoda aside) dismissed as a weak President of the Senate who seemed to cater to popular demands. 

How many Jedi are we talking about here?  A handful like the OT?  Two-three handfuls like the GPT?  Or a lot a lot? 

There are at least a dozen or so Jedi for each populated system. They begin to lose their numbers a bit during the conflict, but largely because a great deal of training is suspended or slowed down during the Clone Wars. The Emperor wipes most of them out towards the end of the war.  

How many Dark Jedi?  

None, except for Palpatine and eventually Anakin. 

What kind of powers do the Force Users have beyond those seen in the OT?  

Much of the powers of the Jedi are based on intuition and sense rather than the superpower like nature seen in Lucas' prequels. Being able to realize the amount of ships before sensors do, predict enemy movements, and more heightened detection with the senses. Occasional telekinesis, but much more focus on mental rather than physical befitting the status of those serving as commanders rather than direct soldiers. 

What is the Galaxy's general response to Jedi?  Are they all assumed to be heroes?  Or are people more like Han where they think that it's all religious nonsense? 

The Jedi have a mixed reputation in the galaxy. While some praise them as defenders of the Republic, many also show considerable skepticism towards their ways, primarily because they often act independent of the Senate and are remarkably covert and secretive. The vast majority of those in the Republic have never seen a Jedi, let alone how they use their abilities. This isolated nature of them later is shown as mistake by Yoda, who laments that the Jedi lost their connection to the living Force, and by extension, the Republic. 

How do your Jedi dress?  

There are varieties. Visually, the lower ranked Jedi wear more elaborate clothes, with visual inspiration from both ancient Samurai and Templar Knights. The Jedi Masters wear more simplistic attire, with Yoda in dark green, Obi-Wan in navy blue/black and Anakin in white/light tan. 

How organized are the Jedi?  Are they like a police force in space or are they more like wizards that are off doing their own thing and maybe have some form or correspondance or a council every now and then?  Or something less than that? 

The Jedi exist more as a in independent group of religious samurais, serving largely as diplomats and peacebuilders, only acting as soldiers/knights as a last resort. High ranking Jedi communicate with the Senate and system leaders, with decisions made largely internally amongst them. Even on individual planets and stations, the Jedi generally stay isolated, occasionally interacting when necessary. When the war finally occurs, the Jedi serve more as generals and commanders. 

Where does the Empire come from?   

The Empire emerges in many ways as a result of the frustration of the people in the Republic. The lack of law enforcement in the Outer Rim territories and growing sense of separation between the average citizen and those in the Senate creates great disenchantment throughout the galaxy. Once Palpatine is made President he manages to be so inoffensive to the various factions in the Senate that he ends up with no real enemies, and no real allies.

However, Palpatine's position as President does place him in charge of specific funding for the war, and through various secret investments and machinations, a majority of the Republic army ends up being loyal to him and his associates. At the end of the third film, with the Clone Wars over, and with military control at his side, Palpatine is easily able to transform the Republic and declare himself Emperor, pledging that they will never be invaded by any foreign force again, and claiming that he will still value the input of the Senate. Many citizens support this transformation. 

How do the droids fit in to your new story, if at all? 

Artoo and Threepio make a quick cameo in each film, with a running gag of the two seemingly about to be involved with the main characters, but never do as they get caught up in their own adventures. They're nice bits of comic relief to provide some lighthearted moments in the midst of the drama. 

How is Anakin seduced by the Dark Side?  What convinces him to serve the Emperor, the Empire and the Dark Side for 20+ years before allowing Luke to show him the error of his ways. 

The continual trauma and losses of the war take a major toll on Anakin as time goes by. As he loses friends and companions to the conflict he grows more and more cynical of the nature of the Republic and of the power of the Jedi. As he and Ben begin to grow apart a bit, his wife and future child become the lynch pin of what optimism and hopes he still has left. When he believes he's lost them, the compassion and idealism of Anakin Skywalker turn into the cynicism and ruthless efficiency of Darth Vader. His faith in everything shattered, the quicker and easier path of the Dark Side offered by the Emperor, one that can get him the results the light sight could not, becomes too tempting to resist. He will have peace and order in the galaxy at any cost. Only when seeing the genuine faith, idealism, and love of his son, does he realize that there is and always was another way.  

Who is the main protagonist in your films?  

Anakin serves as the main protagonist, with the story starting and ending with with his point of view. Obi-Wan however is the Han Solo-esque deuteragonist, and is the second most important character in the films. When he and Anakin are split, he gets a large focus. Both characters change throughout the movies, though ultimately Skywalker drives more of the plot than Kenobi.

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@CWBorne - So the Mandalorians originally have the clone technology? Or the criminals, pirates, disenfranchised? I'm a little confused about the clones. And why doesn't the Emperor use the cloning technology in the OT? Or are you going the GL route and making stormtroopers clones?

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Sorry I wasn't clearer. Yeah its basically said that the Malalorians create or discover cloning technology and put it to use. When they're killed off, the secret to their rapid method of cloning largely dies with them. 

Truth be told the Emperor getting a hold of it in some form is really more of a "Dark Empire" shout out than a critical plot point. I'm considering dropping it and just sticking with the above point about the technology was simply lost. 

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I guess it's my turn:

The War

Yes, the Clone Wars are focused on in my prequels. The Clones are slave laborers and soldiers controlled by technologically advanced cyborg-machines with cloning technology. The Clones attack the Outer Rim territories in search of a lost artifact needed for the cloning process that would, in effect, save their race. The distrust of machines in the Outer Rim planets, such as Tatooine, is a result of the wars.

There are a series of wars which are bit complex. As the Outer Rim planets have no organized military they appeal to the Galactic Republic for military aid. The Galactic Republic Senate has almost become completely controlled by corrupt aristocracies left over from the Galactic Kingdom. These power-hungry aristocrats see this as an oppurtunity to control trade with the natural resource-laden Outer Rim planets, specifically Tibanna gas mining.

After a series of wars, the Republic armies are crippled and with the advice of certain corrupt Senators, Mandalorian pirates are hired as mercenaries to help finish the Clones in exchange for them being authorized to set up organized crime operations and control trade in the Outer Rim. Those Senators of course would, of course, have a hand in the pot. This backroom deal is sold to the moral Senators as a last ditch effort liberating force.

After these events the Outer Rim territories are in bad shape as they no longer have any standard of living or control of their own well-being. Gangsters and corrupt politicians have total control in the territories of disenfranchised aliens and refugee clones. Without rights, the outer planets can only protest and retaliate in the form of terrorism which creates animosityand xenophobia between those planets and the Galactic Republic.

After the assassination of the populist Chancellor of the Republic by a group of political conspirators, the Senator who assumes power enacts new laws made to combat terrorism along with totally replacing the destroyed Republic armies. The new Chancellor, through executive orders, makes himself Emperor and attacks the terrorist cells in the Outer Republic, thus completely taking over the entire galaxy as sole ruler.

Continuity to the OT:

All surprises are left intact in the trilogy. Characters like Yoda are mentioned but never seen and do not have large roles. Anything said in the OT to be true, is. The episodes are meant to be seen in order.

The Sith are involved in the wars and heavily influence them as well as Anakin's turn to the Dark Side. They are sworn enemies of the Jedi and resurface after many years from their defeat in the Jedi-Sith war which took place during the times of the Galactic Kingdom. The Jedi have not been an organized council since after the Sith were defeated.

Palpatine is not a Sith. There are force-users who are not Jedi and not Sith. There are no rules of two, or rules against attachment or specific dress for Jedis. The Jedi do not operate in the traditional ways of the past when the force was religion.

The droids are owned by King Organa and are in the prequels. Obi-Wan, Amidala (not Padme), and Anakin are the main protagonists.

Themes:

(I'll add this later. No time. But this is important.)

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I had written a lengthy concept for an alternate Star Wars prequel series, but I've changed my mind on many of the details.

Just running this by anyone who cares to offer feedback!

 

Are you focusing on the Clone Wars?

How does the War pertain to them?

Yes. The villain is a clone.

The primary antagonist of the series is a young, calculating Mandalorian leader, Sar Terus. For generations the warlike Mandalorians had kept their conflicts reserved to territorial disputes within their solar system, but when Sar succeeded his father as leader of the largest of the Mandalorian clans, he declared himself Mandalore - ruler of all the Mandalorian clans.

After forming them together as a single empire, he turned his attention outward to the wider galaxy. By forming a coalition with lesser powers - including the criminal Hutts - he began to conquer and subjugate more and more worlds. Eventually, his attention turns to Alderaan. By invading it, he brings himself into conflict with the Galactic Republic in what would later be called "The Clone Wars", which is where the story of Episode I begins.

In Episode II, however, we discover that Sar is not who he seemed to be. After being captured by the Galactic Republic, medical scans of the injured Sar reveal that his genome is that of a clone, not of a "birth born" (a lil' THX-1138 4EB reference there). From this information, the Republic is able to conclude that the Mandalorians have been the victims of an insidious hoax. Their intelligence shows that the original Prince Terus was not a clone, meaning he was likely replaced at some early stage by the current "Sar Terus".

After watching Metropolis, I thought this doppelganger plot worked a little better than an entire clone army.

How does Cloning become irrelevant by the start of Episode 4?

How is cloning limited to the point that the whole story doesn't get consumed by the idea of clones replacing major players?

Creating long-living clones is an extremely invasive and difficult procedure in this universe. The host from which the genetic information is extracted would be forced to undergo repeated - often painful - operations. Anything less than this produces inferior copies with very short lifespans.

As such, cloning is generally not attempted for anything other than medical purposes, such as organs for transplanting. To actually clone a complete, sentient creature is dangerous, cruel and (within the Galactic Republic) illegal.

Is the War 'Symmetrical' (i.e. WWII) or is it 'Asymmetrical' (i.e. Iraq War or the OT Empire vs Rebellion)?

The Mandalorians, along with the coalition they have formed, initially have forces roughly equal to that of the Galactic Republic. Once militarisation of the Galactic Republic begins to take place, however, they are overwhelmed.

Does your story feature "soldiers"?  Who are they?

The Mandalorians employ a diverse range of troops, all of them with a penchant for disintegration weapons. The coalition allied with the Mandalorians has its own troops who vary depending of their planet of origin.

The Galactic Republic also has a standing army of ostensible peacekeepers.

Are the main characters soldiers in the War?  Leia's and Ben's comments seem to indicate that they were.

Yes. Anakin Skywalker is a starpilot operating in the outer-rim before encountering Obi-Wan, a low ranking general in the Republic's military who takes a shine to him.

What are the objectives of both sides in the War?  What are they fighting over?

The Manalorians have a declared expansionist policy which threatens the Republic.

How does the War end?

The trials of the war lead to a transformation of the Republic. These transformations lead to military gains but societal losses. Increased militarisation, lower tolerance of dissent, a military draft, an increasingly ineffectual democratic system etc.

As the society around him changes, so does Anakin's attitude and beliefs. The more dire the war, the more zealous and frustrated the previously idealistic starpilot becomes. All of this, of course, contributes to his fall.

In short, the Republic "wins" by destroying itself.

Do you show Obi-Wan receiving training from Yoda?  

No. Yoda is mentioned but does not appear. Yoda has gone into exile after an earlier Jedi conflict which is alluded to. Obi-Wan is his last apprentice.

Obi-Wan may communicate with Yoda via telepathy after Anakin's fall, but Yoda will never appear on-screen.

Do you show Anakin receiving training from Obi-Wan?

Yes.

Are Obi-Wan and Anakin friends?  When do they have the chance to establish this friendship?

Anakin is roughing it in the outer-rim when Obi-Wan discovers him and recognises his exceptional yet wasted talent. Obi-Wan's adventurous and irreverent attitude proves infectious and helps Anakin escape his rut - which is a feeling of guilt for having left his brother behind in order to follow his principles.

Initially Anakin is skeptical of Obi-Wan's religious beliefs and the mysterious sect he claims to be a member of. After witnessing the power of the Force first-hand (and recognising the influence it has had in his own life), however, his skepticism begins to fade and he cautiously starts down the path of the Jedi way. At the beginning of the relationship, it is clearly one-sided. Obi-Wan has the optimism and the means to achieve their shared goals.

But as their friendship continues, Anakin shows his particular skills (greater pragmatism, in terms of outlook, and saving Obi-Wan's life, in terms of actual events) and the two come to be equals. By the conclusion of Episode I, the two have come to depend on each other.

How many years before Episode 4 does your story take place and how old are the main characters?

I have yet to work out the exact chronology, though I would like to make it so that Obi-Wan is older in Star Wars than the present Lucas chronology suggests.

How will you handle the surprises in the OT?  Will you set out to protect them from a chronological viewer?  Or will you show them happen?

I'm not yet sure.

The story of Darth Vader's fall to the Dark Side seems to me to be the most interesting and meaningful story the prequels could tell, so to not include it seems to be missing out on a major opportunity. However, if you're thinking in terms of the saga generally, it may be worthwhile to preserve the mystery behind Vader's identity.

I have thought about making the saga into seven movies - three prequels, three original films and one epilogue. The three prequels would bear the original films in mind and conceal any important facts while the epilogue would deal with Anakin's fall explicitly.

Will you have surprises in your new PT?

Sar's identity as a clone may surprise some, especially once it is made clear who created him and why. In this I preserve one of the ideas I think worked in the prequels, which is that of the Supreme Chancellor orchestrating events to create the Galactic Empire.

Sar would have been trained by Palpatine and, in the process, developed a filial loyalty to his creator. However, Palpatine would reject his creation once he comes to acknowledge Anakin's greater power, which would drive the disgraced Sar into a furious personal vendetta against Anakin.

How does the Jedi/Dark Jedi/Sith conflict play into the back story of the War, if at all?

Not very much. The history and nature of the Sith would be dealt with briefly in conversations between Anakin and Obi-Wan in a Jedi sanctuary, but only to illustrate the danger of falling to the Dark Side.

When the Chancellor is revealed to be a Sith, we would understand at once what that means. Ideas of "revenge" or "ruling the galaxy once more" wouldn't come into it, though. He would simply be revealed as a power hungry sorcerer.

If it doesn't, then how does Anakin end up falling to the Dark Side and becoming Dark Lord of the Sith?

Having been made to feel desperately powerless during the wars, Anakin would come to desire power. Initially his goals would be pure - greater influence would mean he would have more opportunities to relieve suffering victims and combat aggressors - yet, eventually, power itself would come to be coveted and rigid order his goal.

The Emperor presents himself as representing order and an end to "destructive conflict". Seeking release from his trauma, Anakin would be easily seduced by the Emperor and the idea of absolute stability. Over time, this would transform Anakin into the vindictive character we know from the original trilogy. Anybody who stands against him is seen as perpetuating disorder and therefore prolonging his suffering.

One of the teachings of the Jedi which Anakin forgets is a somewhat Buddhist attitude of "let be". "The more you try to control the universe, the more you antagonise it, the more separate from it you become. The more you try to assert yourself master of reality, the more it rebels against you. You must not feel that you are master or servant of the universe - in truth, you are one."

How many Jedi are we talking about here?  A handful like the OT?  Two-three handfuls like the GPT?  Or a lot a lot?

The Jedi would of course be more numerous now than in the original trilogy, though their numbers would still be few and their order broken. Obi-Wan would allude to a more Arthurian past where the Jedi formed a unified council of great heroes, including Yoda, but those golden days are gone. Now, after a massive conflict, the Jedi are broken up. There remains a central authority, but their power is diminished and many Jedi now go their own way, trying to enact the teachings however they can.

Obi-Wan is one of those Jedi. He decided that the best way he could do good in the galaxy was by joining the Galactic Republic's military and helping to fight injustice. Others follow different paths, acting rather like lone Samurai. In Episode I, he would return to a major Jedi sanctuary and convince a group of orthodox Jedi to defy the council and assist him in liberating Alderaan from its invaders.

What is the Galaxy's general response to Jedi?  Are they all assumed to be heroes?  Or are people more like Han where they think that it's all religious nonsense?

The Jedi are mythic figures, spoken of in awe by some, in fear by others and with cynicism by others still.

Yes, many do doubt their existence.

How do your Jedi dress?  (Please say it's not in "I'm disguised as a hermit" robes.)

How they would dress isn't of much interest to me, though I will say that this idea that Obi-Wan's robes in the original trilogy are a disguise is probably a misconception.

See pic:

Who is the main protagonist in your films?

Tough call. Obi-Wan certainly takes the lead in most respects, though Anakin is more the everyman who develops most as a person.

I'd prefer to think of it as something of a buddy film, but if I had to choose, I'd go with Anakin.

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        Are you focusing on the Clone Wars?
Yes, but only in Episode One.
                Who are the Clones?
The clones are lizard-like invaders from another galaxy.
                How does the War pertain to them?

                How does Cloning become irrelevant by the start of Episode 4?
The type of cloning the clones in episode one do wouldn't work on any other speices. Plus a plot point in Episode One is for the main characters to destroy the clone's cloning facilities.
                How is cloning limited to the point that the whole story doesn't get consumed by the idea of clones replacing major players?
The Clones are pretty much just evil bad guys out to destroy and conquer the universe.

 

                What is the "war" setting for your story?  Yes, there has to be a war... it's called Star Wars.
In Episode Two and part of Three, there is sort of a 'cold war' going on between certain systems which would eventually lead into the formation of the Rebellion
How do you validate Leia and Ben's claim that he and Luke's father fought in the Clone Wars for Bail Organa?
Prince Bail Organa is the leader of the fleet that is sent to wipe out the clone forces. Obi and Anakin are amongst several people who fought in the war.

Continiuity to the OT:
    Do you show Obi-Wan receiving training from Yoda?
No. Yoda will not be seen at all in the prequels. He will be spoken of, but never seen.

    Do you show Anakin receiving training from Obi-Wan?
Yes.
 
    Are Obi-Wan and Anakin friends?  When do they have the chance to establish this friendship
Yes they are friends, and they establish that friendship pretty much as soon as they meet. Obi-wan is shot down over the planet Tattooine and crashes. Anakin saves his life by pulling him out of the flaming debris, which then explodes. Obi then saves Anakin's life at some point in episode one as well.
    
    How many years before Episode 4 does your story take place and how old are the main characters?
Episode One takes place 30-40 years before 'Episode 4'
Episode Two about 20-30 years
Episode Three about 10-20 years
        If Luke/Leia's mom is pregnant at any time in your stories, then that must be within 18 years of the beginning of Episode 4.
    How will you handle the surprises in the OT?  Will you set out to protect them from a chronological viewer?  Or will you show them happen?
        Will you show Yoda?
No
        Will you show that Luke has a twin sister?  Named Leia?
No
        Will you reveal that Anakin becomes Darth Vader?   
No
            If not, how will you protect this surprise?  It must be some way that when the viewer sees Darth Vader in ANH, that he doesn't assume or even begin to wonder if that is Anakin under there.
            Will you employ the "Other Apprentice" ruse?  That suggests that Obi-Wan had an apprentice named Darth Vader that turned to the Dark Side and killed Anakin?
 

  Will you have surprises in your new PT?  Will it affect anything that we thought we already knew in the OT?  Be careful, you will most likely just tick people off, unless it is done EXTREMELY well.
Palpatine would be revealed to be a very young man in his 20s in Episode Two (He is absent from Episode One except for maybe a brief moment when he could show up.)

  How does the Jedi/Dark Jedi/Sith conflict play into the back story of the War, if at all?
    If it doesn't, then how does Anakin end up falling to the Dark Side and becoming Dark Lord of the Sith?

    If it does, then how does the Galaxy allow for a Dark Jedi/Sith/Palpatine to be left in charge of the Empire when all is said and done?
I dunno, I'm still trying to work those bits out.

    How many Jedi are we talking about here?  A handful like the OT?  Two-three handfuls like the GPT?  Or a lot a lot?
Just a handful like the OT

    How many Dark Jedi/Sith?  Please say not 2 per movie.
Quite a few dark jedi are around. They in fact are wiped out, along with all the Jedi knights by Darth Vader
    What kind of powers do the Jedi/Dark Jedi/Sith have beyond those seen in the OT? 
Not much different from the OT really.
    What is the Galaxy's general response to Jedi?  Are they all assumed to be heroes?  Or are people more like Han where they think that it's all religious nonsense?
Sort of a mixture of both.

    How do your Jedi dress?  (Please say it's not in "I'm disguised as a hermit" robes.)
They dress in sort of a cross between Armour and Nazi uniforms.

    How organized are the Jedi?  Are they like a police force in space (like the Green Lantern Corps?) or are they more like wizards that are off doing their own thing and maybe have some form or correspondance or a council every now and then? Or something less than that?
They are like Wizard-y Space Police Knights (If that makes sense...) They tend to go off and do their own thing.

Where does the Empire come from? From within the crumbling Republic or without?  If from within, are the forces that cause the crumbling also responsible for the War and are they manipulating to create an Empire as in George's PT?
 
I'm still working on that
How do the droids fit in to your new story, if at all?
They won't really be in the story.
 
How is Anakin seduced by the Dark Side?  What convinces him to serve the Emperor, the Empire and the Dark Side for 20+ years before allowing Luke to show him the error of his ways.
Still working on it
Who is the main protagonist in your films?  Luke is clearly the main protagonist in the OT.  In my opinion, the gPT has problems because the protagonist changed with the movie billing: E1 - QuiGonn Jinn, E2 - Obi-Wan Kenobi, E3 - Anakin.
- I clearly think that Anakin should be the main protagonist as a point of comparison that Luke is the protagonist of the OT.  However, I am running into trouble, probably the same way George did, because I have Obi-Wan finding Anakin.  In the OT, Luke finds Obi-Wan.  This right off the bat seems to set up Obi-Wan as the character making choices, making things happen, driving the story... AKA the Protagonist.
Obi-wan and Anakin will sort of be 'duelling protagonists'. Obi-wan is arrogant, and a bit of a hot head, whilst Anakin is calm and focused, although he is a very angry man at times (for understandable reasons.)

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    FOCUS ON CLONE WARS?

    Yes. In ep1, Clones and originals fight together in hordes to spread their ideology to other systems. The clone supporters on the invaded planets join in.

    HOW DOES CLONING BECOME IRRELEVANT BY ANH?

     Accelerated aging could be a consequence of the cloning process - they die off. They might be expensive to produce well, so when the Empire gains greater control they are willing to use originals for a constabulary force.

     HOW IS ClONING LIMITED?

     Cloning Force-wielders might not have the optimum effects or too expensive for the very few strong Force-wielders it produces. Only a handful will become very strong.

    OBI TRAINED BY YODA- ANI TRAINED BY OBI?

     No and Yes. If they must be consistent with the OT, Obi would be the "Kay" character and already a master. 

    HOW MANY YEARS BEFORE ANH? HOW OLD ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS?

     Ani and Pamey 17 to 30 in ep1, Obi/Kay about 40.

    18-22 years before ANH.

    HOW ARE THE SURPRISES PROTECTED?

     5 ep saga. 34125 viewing order. Sister-maybe Yoda-yes

     SITH-DARK-REBEL FORCE WIELDERS?

     Yes. Dark jedi are decieved and drawn in to protect their homeworlds. They decieve themselves partly. Lust for the power of taking revenge and make things "good" and jealousy for what they value drag them deeper into corruption.

      Rebel Jedi: OBI-Kay and Pamey and another apprentice rebel to help the free-worlds who want to stop both the clone empire and a too powerful Republic that could fall to the Stol or others. Pamey becomes the founder of the OT Alliance.

     Sith: Yes. No formal rule of two. The Sith compete to draw in as much dark side power as possible. The ultimate Sith master draws far more than any other. Willing to tolerate multiple apprentices in theory but in practice it boils down to two. They kill each other off in competition. The Sith is an ancient sect that believes the "True Light" only becomes clear and focused within the greatest darkness (Lusts for power and posession over others) They claim they are the true Lightsiders. Concealment and confusion of what they truly are, and thier true aims, are articles of faith with them. Fooling people is an expression of power and they delight in it.

     HOW MANY JEDI?

     No more than 3000, no less than 800.

     GALAXIE'S RESPONSE TO JEDI.

      Only a minute fraction of the trillions in the galaxy ever see a Jedi in action. Widespread disbelief in their power. The Jedi hate to display force ability unnecessarily. Leads to pride and lust and fear and rejection. Frees leaders want Jedi assistence. Cents claim to want their help but leaders want them gone to rule the galaxy. Stol and Clone Party want them dead as representing old order.

    HOW DOES THE EMPIRE RISE?

    Very suddenly (Like many revolutions) The Stol keep representation in the Senate and are supported by many other worlds which favor a move to a clone galaxy incrementally or some by revolution. In ep1 the opposition to the clone supporting worlds is a disparate group of interests. Civil war in and over coruscant (DZ and here). Desperate turn to Sen palp and sen Tarko who were barely seen as two voices among many in ep1. Call in the new Pru fleet and army. A three or four way duel with Denon Palps and Yoda or Kay (POTC CW AOTC).

    JEDI DRESS?

    Robes at least for the masters (Judicial branch as well as spiritual). Might do black. Could do a different cut. under the robes, for fighting, a uniform that might enable survival in space for short periods.;/ High boots. Might always wear gloves (space and protect hands in duels) All looks medieval and retro-spacey.

   MAIN PROTAGNISTS?

   Ani and Pamey both. Third and fourth movies up the ante from Luke centric ANH. Obi-Kay is also important. 'AG' sort of thing folowing different pairs as much as possible. Ep 1 the droids have a strong point of view and stay together as much as possible.