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George Lucas' comments re his Sequel Trilogy

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 (Edited)

I found this quote interesting from George Lucas:

"[My sequel trilogy] was going to get into the microbiotic world. But there's this world of creatures that operate differently than we do. I call them the Whills. And the Whills are the one who actually control the universe. They feed off the Force .... Of course, a lot of the fans would have hated it, just like they did Phantom Menace and everything, but at least the whole story from beginning to end would be told."

In my opinion it assumes the majority of fans (us) are incapable of enjoying any star wars stories outside of the kind of formula established in the original trilogy… and that is why so many didn’t like the Phantom Menace. To me it just shows how out of touch George Lucas is. Ultimately what anybody wants is a good movie, aye? Interesting, watchable characters (from good acting), who can take us on a journey that is fascinating and maybe, even, moving. George Lucas himself has freely criticized the Hollywood studio system over the years, for not producing movies to acceptable standards, by making them with poor creative processes. Now surely with the mega $$$ and resources Lucasfilm has, I don’t see it as unreasonable to expect well made films (maybe not masterpieces, but solidly entertaining none the less)… I don’t believe in supporting something just because its Star Wars! Any movie has to earn our support. Also I’ll just say I am cool that some people like certain star wars movies that I don’t like and vice-versa. Even with some of the star wars movies I like, I can see elements of poor movie making, drifting in and out. Poor movie making deserves criticism. And if George Lucas didn’t like the criticism he received, then he shouldn’t have created all the hype. If he or Lucasfilm don’t want criticism, make better movies.

I don’t like fan bashing and I don’t like arrogance. I like good movies. This is all my opinion though, and I appreciate your opinion. If you have something you’d like to add, please do… Please Episode 9 be good!

 

Mode Edit: a link to the above quotes from George Lucas on what were his Sequel Trilogy plans, can be found here:-

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/06/george-lucas-episode-vii-episode-ix-1201974276

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It sounds like another name for Midichlorians. Basing a whole movie, nay, a trilogy, on that? Certainly interesting, but I don’t think it would be any good.

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I agree, I’d need a huge amount of convincing to see a movie like that. I have to question how true the quote actually is. But these days it wouldn’t surprise me if George Lucas said it.

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Handman said:

It sounds like another name for Midichlorians. Basing a whole movie, nay, a trilogy, on that? Certainly interesting, but I don’t think it would be any good.

If it involved Luke & co. shrinking down to microscopic size, then fighting giant CG midi-chlorians in blue screened atomic space … I dunno, it might’ve.

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That would be so bizarre, I’d have to see it.

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The whole Lucas problem is a simple one - the things he likes about Star Wars are not the things the fans (generally speaking) like about Star Wars. This isn’t hyperbole, it’s pure math. He was famously 30% happy with Star Wars (a 1978 Rolling Stone interview confirms this and the SEs spell it out conclusively) and 100% happy with The Phantom Menace. The fan percentages run the opposite way.

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Lucas wanted to double down on Midichlorians?!

That’s like betting all your chips on a 12 in Blackjack.

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Actually, that seems kind of interesting. I would love to see those stories, hopefully one day in some other form.

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pittrek said:

Actually, that seems kind of interesting. I would love to see those stories, hopefully one day in some other form.

Well, you know Disney do already own a similar property… look out for this in Summer 2025… HONEY, I SHRUNK THE JEDI.

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Matt.F said:

pittrek said:

Actually, that seems kind of interesting. I would love to see those stories, hopefully one day in some other form.

Well, you know Disney do already own a similar property… look out for this in Summer 2025… HONEY, I SHRUNK THE JEDI.

More like Inner Outer Space.

And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns.

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I’m just confused about the Whills suddenly being microbiotic. How do they write a journal in that case?

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In Chris Taylor’s book “How Star Wars conquered the universe” he says this about Lucas’ very earliest attempt to formalise the story in 1973:

Lucas saw an ancient order of galactic guardians called Whills. We wouldn’t get to see them; they would be chroniclers in the background. The whole movie would be drawn from a book we never see, a book he could keep fleshing out for years if this little space thing worked. “Journal Of The Whills,” he wrote “Part 1. This is the story of Mace Windy, a revered Jedi-bendu of Ophuchi…”

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Does he mean microscopic or macrobiotic??

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Here is another interesting quote from George Lucas. It can be heard on the Return of the Jedi 2004 DVD audio commentary. During the infamous Jedi Rocks scene in Jabbas Palace he says this:

I’m still amused by people that somehow think that when you use cyber technology or digital technology in movies that suddenly it’s fake. But when you look at the scene in here like Jabbas palace. Now there are some digital characters in here, but they are no more less fake than all the other characters are in here. Is a digital character more fake than a big fat rubber character? (laughs) I mean there is nothing real here at all. And it’s hard to say that a rubber character has more integrity than digital character. What i tried to do is make the characters become believable. So they look realistic enough to where you have a suspension the disbelief and accept them as characters, not as tricks. Which is what they all are.

From a philosophical stand point he might be right: cg or rubber - it is a fictional character, hence not real. But Lucas totally undermines the visual quality of both tricks. A rubber character looks more believeable than a CG character, due to his physical nature. Amazing how Lucas, who calls himself a filmmaker, fails to realize the crucial argument why his PT cg characters always got ‘meh’ feedback than his OT rubber characters.

Rogue One is redundant. Just play the first mission of DARK FORCES.
The hallmark of a corrupt leader: Being surrounded by yes men.
‘The best visual effects in the world will not compensate for a story told badly.’ - V.E.S.
‘Star Wars is a buffet, enjoy the stuff you want, and leave the rest.’ - SilverWook

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Tangential to the comment above… I just watched the deleted scenes and making of documentary on THE LAST JEDI blu ray.

The number of stunning practical creatures created for the Canto Bight sequence is incredible, and it seems only around half of these marvellous creations are actually shown in the finished movie.

And yet… the on-screen Canto Bight sequence does heavily feature a CGI leprechaun character putting the coins into BB-8. It’s shockingly fake, and never remotely convinces as belonging to the tangible environment we see around it.

So what was a problem in 2004 - whether George admitted it or not - remains a problem even in 2018.

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I’m really curious what he meant by that. Would it like Osmosis Jones or something, cuz that sounds like Star Wars.

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I only want to see a midichlorian trilogy if Terrance Malnick gets to direct it.

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Why is it that when I look him up, I can’t find anything about him beyond passing mentions. No page Wikipedia or IMDb.