Star Wars Animated Films based on EU Novels & Comic Books

Why hasn't this happened yet, like how DC releases direct to video animated features like Batman Year One based on the comic book. I can see some of the novels being adapted, like the Thrawn trilogy, and have the original cast do the voices. And I know people would love to see a movie version of the Star Wars Old Republic video games. Why is Lucasfilm wasting time getting on this? There's some serious money to be made and would give fans a chance to see new SW movies without having to spend so much time and money compared to live action ones.

The animated books take time to produce, don't think the SW comic titles are that big a draw.  But Dark Horse did recently have an offer to get most of the SW comics in digital form for 100 bucks which is quite a bargain.

The farthest they've ever gone is comic book adaptations of some of the novels.

I'd love to see animated adaptations of the Tales of the Jedi comics - provided they aren't prequelized, of course.

^Me neither, or me too, or I too, or whatever.  I would love to see Splinter adapted especially, and would honestly like to see it remain faithful to the original story when there was no reason to get grossed out by Luke and Leia kissing and before we knew they were battling their own father.  I'd rather have it grab the feel of the Star Wars sequel it originally was intended to be instead of being changed to better fit with present day continuity.

Not to my knowledge.  My understanding is that George asked his ghostwriter Alan Dean Foster to pen a sequel that could be made into a film if the first Star Wars film did not succeed.  It takes place on a foggy swamp planet because it would be cheaper to film in a foggy set and Han isn't even mentioned by name (I don't think) because Harrison had not signed on for a sequel.  So while I'm not aware of a script being developed, the book was written with a movie in mind.

I'd have to look at my copy, but I think they make a very generic reference to "that smuggler" or something like that.  I'll get back to you.

EDIT: Looks like I'm wrong and there is one casual reference in the whole book to Han Solo by name.  Also one reference to simply a "smuggler who once thought as you do."  So still very minimal.

SilverWook said:

Those DC comics animation projects exist outside of whatever screwy continuity the books have between reboots anyway, so I don't see why a SW project can't be it's own standalone thing.

Ugh...the sick thing is you are right.  Even when I was a youth and the most recent EU release was the Crystal Star, I realized how stupid it was that all the stories were bound by an eternal Mandalorian bond to agree in every conceivable detail.

after the Clone Wars are done, I'd like to see the time period  between ROTS and ANH being explored. Nothing ongoing, just random 4 episode self contained story arcs, for example a young Luke Skywalker's first encounter with Obi-Wan, Darth Vader hunting down the last of the Jedi, Han Solo adventures, hopefully nothing that shrinks the universe down anymore than it has.

Having seen what the Clone Wars team are delivering in their 4th season it's almost to the point where I trust them with the original characters,  and in terms of merchandising it keeps both franchises going.