What if the prequels were made in the 80s?

Hello gentle star folk,

My friends and I did a thought experiment a while back: what if George Lucas continued after Return of the Jedi and made a new Star Wars movie every three years, meaning the prequels would have been released in 1986, 1989, and 1992. Who would have been cast? How would the different actors, available technology and, frankly, George’s sensibilities general exhaustion have changed what those movies were?

So we just did an episode of my podcast about it, and it was one of the most fun ones we’ve done. I figured if anyone else in the world would enjoy this discussion, it’d be members of this forum.

Here’s the episode link: https://www.trashcompod.com/prequels-1986-what-if-the-prequels-were-made-in-the-1980s/ (a transcript is available there as well)

But this one in particular benefits enormously from the YouTube version to put faces to actors names, so here’s a link to that directly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3xLMTyICc0

I’m pretty confident either Ron Howard or John Korty would have directed Episode I (1986).

What do you think of our choices?

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah I was in the headspace of imagining who George actually ended up working with on other films during that time, and didn’t think it was a leap to think he’d end up working with some of the same people. Basically anyone from Willow, Howard the Duck, Tucker, etc.

But I think my favorite picks ended up being for Jar Jar 😉

I also had fun imagining who might direct, operating under the premise that he’d still be a little burnt out and have other priorities like building his companies and raising his kids.

accidental double post, but I will use the opportunity to ask that you upvote the vid on YouTube or rate us on your podcast platform of choice 😉 or follow the links here: https://www.trashcompod.com/reviews/new/

I interview this board’s own Hal 9000 a few weeks back: https://www.trashcompod.com/i-made-some-special-modifications-myself-fan-edits-with-hal-9000/

And I just recorded a cool interview with one the main member of Team Negative 1 that should be coming out in August.

Sorry if I’m coming across as too self-promotion-y, I’ve just been working really hard on this and I’m quite proud of some of the work we’ve done.

I haven’t listened to the podcast as yet, but do find the notion of a Prequel Trilogy made in the 1980’s fascinating. Even if done as a “cheat”; the same story of the Prequels as we got them from 1999-2005. Fewer effects, likely a Jar Jar suit or puppet as an extension of what could be achieved with the puppet Yoda, and actual sets for the actors to react to see and immerse themselves in.

A more believable, character based story, moving at a more brisk pace when the story actually demanded it instead of walking around green/blue screen sets seemingly not quite sure how to act or react, or even move. A lot more immersive than some of the badly dated shots and scenes from the actual Prequels.

Drama, I think they call it. With a lot less contradictions and discrepancies between the Original Trilogy too. And more people around Lucas who would reign him in, or simply say no, where he “may have gone too far in a few places”.

That would be my hope anyway.

Exactly! I think you’ll enjoy our pod if you get a chance to listen to it 😉

speakhard said:

Exactly! I think you’ll enjoy our pod if you get a chance to listen to it 😉

I’m halfway through and I love it! ❤️
 

Your Andor review looks interesting, if it is half as good as your ‘Prequels in the 80s’ podcast then you’ve got another new subscriber.

www.trashcompod.com

‘Thoughtful takes on Star Wars from the VHS generation.’ - I love that as a sideline. And your 80’s logo. Very much my thing.

Oddly, the phrase “trash compactor” is never used in A New Hope, or anywhere else in the OT. But I suspect a lot of people are absolutely sure it is.

Superweapon VII said:

I used to stan for Kenneth Branagh, but James Spader is now who I picture as my ideal young Obi-Wan.

Interesting pick, right?? I’ll pass along your approval to Russ 😉

Juno Eclipse said:

speakhard said:

Exactly! I think you’ll enjoy our pod if you get a chance to listen to it 😉

I’m halfway through and I love it! ❤️
 

Your Andor review looks interesting, if it is half as good as your ‘Prequels in the 80s’ podcast then you’ve got another new subscriber.

‘Thoughtful takes on Star Wars from the VHS generation.’ - I love that as a sideline. And your 80’s logo. Very much my thing.

So glad you enjoyed it. We’re coming from a very specific POV but we like to have an open mind!

Channel72 said:

Oddly, the phrase “trash compactor” is never used in A New Hope, or anywhere else in the OT. But I suspect a lot of people are absolutely sure it is.

True enough–but it’s in the script!

Also we’re launching our second, prequel-focused season next week on Tuesday, May 9!

Val Kilmer as Anakin sounds pretty cool.

But I’m not sure about Lucas’ perception of Anakin around the mid 1980s. I agree he would almost certainly have conceived of Anakin as probably around 19 or 20 rather than a little kid. But I’m not sure if Lucas’ 1980s Anakin would simply be a translation of Hayden Christiansen into a 1980s equivalent (i.e. some 80s teen heartthrob/bad boy type).

The only definitive clue about Lucas’ actual mental image of Anakin around 1983 is the fact that Lucas cast Sebastian Shaw as elder Anakin. Shaw’s brief performance suggests Lucas perceived of Anakin as British, maybe because Kenobi was British and Lucas thought of Anakin as coming from the same world/environment as Kenobi. Gary Oldman (mentioned in the podcast) sounds like a possible candidate. Some of the actors mentioned for 1980s young Kenobi may also have been considered for Anakin by Lucas.

I used to imagine Anakin as something like a young Malcolm McDowell (although he was much too old to actually play Anakin in the mid 1980s.)