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Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Rumors
Stop reading if you're spoiler paranoid. ChazeFroy writes "The actor who played Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, Peter Mayhew, will be in Episode III. Of course, this has been previously reported and comes as no surprise. However, TheForce is reporting that Mayhew's contract contains a stipulation that he must also appear in Episodes 7, 8, and 9. This was first reported in the British movie magazine Hot Dog, whose December issue with this news just hit US newstands."
Or there will be hell to pay. Nothing else was worth reading.
I am a science fantasy fan
If Episode III isn't incredible, Mr. Lucas can forget about any other Episodes.
Star Wars Episode 7: Milking the Cash Cow
Star Wars Episode 8: Beating a Dead Horse
Star Wars Episode 9: Please God, Make it Stop Already!
Do not read this sig.
Episode VI, I and II have all been mediocre, so why would anyone even bother seeing episode III much less VII, VIII, or IX?
My other sig is extremely clever...
The force is strong with me. I see these movies coming out, and thousands of voices scream out in excitement, followed by anger.
The future is always cloudy.
no
7, 8 and 9? I must be one uninformed geek. I thought I only had 1 more disapointing movie left to watch.
Th
I have to say, as much as I love Star Wars, I will have to seriously think about even going to see Episode 3. I'm not terribly hopeful. 3 more movies just doesn't fill me with any joy any more. From a worldwide love to a worldwide joke. Now -that's- a screwup.
Realizing I through III will not turn out to be the worshipped saga he had hoped for, and since LotR now defines the high-quality fantasy saga, George wants another shot to redeem it all?
Now VI, VII, and VII. Star Wars - teaching Roman numerals to whole new generation.
the major advances in civilization are processes which all but wreck the societies in which they occur - A.N. White
I remember back in around 1996 seeing slots for eps I,II,III,IV,V,VI and VII,VIII,IX on the StarWars.com homepage. Though a recent trip to the WayBack Machine seems to refute that memory. But they only go back to Dec 30th of '96 and my memory of VII,VIII,IX is a pretty clear one I'm adamant of having seen. But, interestingly enough Lucas had made some pretty clear statements that he NEVER intended to make a VII,VIII,IX trilogy. But I chalk those statements up to the same sort of Soviet revisionist history that made Greedo shoot first.
However, as we all know, the prequels don't hold a CANDEL to the originals. Maybe Lucas is FINALLY starting to realize this and hoping to restore the franchise to it's former glory, removing the tarnish of eps I and II. If that be the case, I truly hope that he can. Truly.
Quod scripsi, scripsi.
If you thought that you were going to have to wait a long time to get the original trilogy DVDs before...
- c -
IMNAAA (not an acting agent), but isn't this just the sort of thing that gets tossed into lower-paid actor's contracts when a studio is simply hedging its bets? I like the 'bacca as well as the next dude, but he is probably paid less than, say Harrison Ford, on average. It seems likely to me that it wouldn't cost the studio much (if anything) to obligate him in this regard.
Now, if the face-time Ep. 6 folks (Ford, Fisher, Hamilton, et al.) start getting signed into contracts like this then we would be talking.
I wouldn't take stock in this. How old is George Lucas now, 55 60? It takes him roughly 8-10 years a trilogy. He'ld be in a wheelchair by the time he finished the next ones if he even lived that long. I would think he wants to move on and do other things. And who would play all the original roles. All the main actors have not aged well and it would be very shitty to not have Mark Hammil reprise his role as Luke Skywalker or Harrison Ford play Han Solo.
Hold up, wait a minute, let me put some pimpin in it
No, no books yet. But back in the day Lucas always claimed that this was a nine part story.
The never ending "Police Academy" holocost
A goal is a dream with a deadline
Well I would HOPE SO! If anyone but Peter Mayhew played Chewbacca I just don't think it would pass... I mean, it takes some serious talent to walk around in a big furry costume for a while... And while they're at it they better get the same people for C3P0 and Vader or this movie just won't quite work!
-matt
I don't understand it. Surely any of the actors playing a character whose face is hidden and voice isn't used (i.e. Chewbacca, R2D2, or Darth Vader) is completely dispensable. Why is it such a big deal to keep Peter Mahew? The only qualification for someone replacing him would be height!
"Oh thank God! I'll may yet eat another meal that wasn't first deposited in a dumpster!"
There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.
Just because Mayhew wants his part secured for future episodes does not mean that there will be future episodes. It would be no different then Elijah Wood securing his role as Frodo to keep another actor, say Keanu Reeves or Paul Reubens, from being cast in as Frodo in the future.
I thought I remember hearing Lucas never wanted to write them?
:o)
Well, we're in luck then. They might actually be watchable.
Episode I: $431,088,295
Episode II: $310,675,583
I think what we're seeing here are at least + 741,000,000 reasons Lucas is considering 7,8,9.
0110100100100000011000010110110100100000011000100
"I felt a great disturbance in movie buffs... as if millions of viewers suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."
Most likely their own organs went into revolt. Geeks everywhere left Episode II with their brains subconciously chanting: "If you are so stupid to watch the next one, I will KILL YOU!"
~D
This sig has been enciphered with a one-time pad. It could say almost anything.
I can only hope that Lucas will at some point realize that special effects cannot save a bad story. Especially when everything is in gharish cartooney colors.
If it's not on fire, it's a software problem.
It was the sound of millions of Star Wars fans yelling "Can we FINALLY see Jar Jar DIE? Please!?" :P
I thought that Chewbacca played a key role in the OJ case.
That's "Mr. Soulless Automaton" to you, Bub.
"The actor who played Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, Peter Mayhew, will be in Episode III. Of course, this has been previously reported and comes as no surprise. However, TheForce is reporting that Mayhew's contract contains a stipulation that he must also appear in Episodes 7, 8, and 9.
Why bother with him then? If ever a character could be played by someone else it would be Chewbacca! No recognizable voice, or face, or anything. Just a 6'6" guy in a wookie costume with sound effects added in after the fact. I don't mean to be rude to Mr. Mayhew, but what leveridge does he have?
Apparently, there will be a scene in episode VII where Chewbacca addresses the governing council on Cashyyyk. Mr Lucas is developing a Wookie language expressly for this purpose. The grammar and vocabulary will be available before the release so that die hard fans can follow along without reading the subtitles.
A republic cannot succeed till it contains a certain body of men imbued with the principles of justice and honour.
Nothing a few million $ couldn't rectify.
So what would Episodes 7-9 be like...
<Daydream Sequence>
Star Wars, Episode 7: A New Threat
Synopsis: Luke and Leia get married and head off on a honeymoon, leaving Han Solo and Chewbacca to watch over selection of the new senate. Han Solo gets bored and starts hyperspace download site of music and video content against the wishes of the immensely powerful IGRIMPAA (Inter Galactic Recording Industry and Motion Picture Artists Association), a thinly veiled group of thugs and bandits who have kept entertainers in thrall. Big cruisers appear out of hyperspace around Coruscant and Jar Jar Bings, in their employe serves subpoenas, furthering audience animosity.
Star Wars, Episode 8: Just An Awufl Mess
Synopsis: Luke and Leia return to Coruscant and find the IGRIMPAA firmly running things, Han Solo and Chewbacca rotting in prison and several worlds in outright rebellion. Luke procedes to reform a Jedi council, but finds space cruiser bombs going off all over the place. President Jar Jar Binks attempts to alay Luke's concerns, until it's found Leia has an ePod loaded with bootleg tunes from Naboo. Jar Jar reveals well kept secret that he is master of dark side and cuts off Luke's other hand in epic lightsabre battle. Han and Chewy come to rescue and all flee to the a distant world only to find another massive Deathstar built with IGRIMPAA profits.
Star Wars, Episode 9: Last of the Red-Hot Jedi
Synopsis: Luke and Leia's child, Xyzzy, demonstrates great skill with the force and greater skill with the source, hacks into DeathStar and shuts it down, in a bit of a special effects let-down, just see big ball with lights go out, no explosion. Luke and Leia return to Coruscant, along with Han and Chewbacca and in a final battle Luke duels with Jar Jar, both slice each other in half and last threat is brought to an end, except for offspring of Skywalkers, who demonstrates a slight inclination to power and position and a bit of an angry streak. We've been here before, no?
</Daydream Sequence>
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
A few typos; it should have read:
Star Wars Episode 7: Beating the Cash Cow
Star Wars Episode 8: Milking a Dead Horse
Star Wars Episode 9: If There Were A God, It Would Have Stopped Already
George Lucas: You can't win, Peter. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
C-3PO: R2 says that the chances of episodes 7-9 surviving are 725 to 1. Actually R2 has been known to make mistakes... from time to time... Oh dear...
C-3PO: Sir, the possibility of successfully extending this series is approximately 3,720 to 1!
Lucas: Never tell me the odds!
Typos... that's just how I role.
Episodes 7, 8 and 9 are supposed to deal with a character that is supposed to be introduced in Episode 3. These episodes will take place after the New Jedi Order series. That allows for Lucas to use the original stars (Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, etc.) and place them into the timeline approximately 30 years after A New Hope which is right around the end of the Yuuzhan Vong series (NJO). This is perfect. In 2007 these performers will be 30 years older than they were when they took the roles in the first place. This gives a lot of credibility to the whole concept.
Star Wars movies are becoming like a horrific accident scene. Terrifying and excruciatingly painful, yet we feel compelled to watch. I'd like to do a survey:
1. What percentage of geeks expect to see EpIII?
2. Of those going to see EpIII, what percentage expect it to be anything other than a suckfest?
Anticipated answers:
1. 95%
2. 1%
If GL makes VII-IX, you KNOW everyone is going to go. How can he pass up the chance to make that much money on what amounts to another 9 years of playing with cool toys without any need to work on boring stuff like sympathetic characters or realistic dialog?
dinner: it's what's for beer
-If- there are three more movies made, -and- they need someone to play Chewie, -then- he'll be the one to do it if still around, and he can't refuse. This in no way stipulates that they -must- make three movies, or even that they -will- ... only that he would be required to play Chewie if they ever again need someone to do so.
It's a great way to give both actors and the audience some hope for more movies, and it lets them worry a little less about the 'how' of making more movies by already having actors lined up and contracts signed. Sheesh. Can't you boys be a little more skeptical?
So Lucas may do another trilogy. Good on him. But hang on....Slashdot readers dissaprove! "He's just trying to gouge us, he's destroyed my fond childhood memories", etc, etc, lather, rinse, repeat.
Pull your heads out of your asses. If you don't like the movies, don't go see them. Star Wars belongs to Lucas. He created it, he owns the empire, and if he wants to film himself slinging handfulls of his own shit at a Slashdot logo, and call it Episode 7, he can.
I doubt we'll ever see those movies, but I'd like to see them get made. And I wont cry on the Internet that they're not the same as the original trilogy. Which kind of makes sense, being that the original trilogy is two decades old. People change, the industry changes, ideas change, technologies change. Get over it. Go watch Lord of the Rings again if you want purity. More than likely, some of you whining peckerwoods will be watching Yet Another Tentacle Rape Hentai flick.
Life is hard, and the world is cruel
...but how do the prequels rape the fond memories of your childhood? I mean, sure episode 1 sucks - but episode 4 and 5 are still hella good.
Unless you mean the prequels made you realize how lame the series already was by episode 6. How hokey episode 4 was, and how the pinnacle of the series was directed and largely rewritten by people other than Lucas. That could understandably rob you of fond memories. Of course, just watching them again older and wiser would probably have done that.
I could also understand the anger if you were referring to the Greedo-shooting-first destruction of the original series called the 'Special Editions'. But you're not.
my pet theory is that the special editions, and episodes 1, and 2 are precisely the kinds of movies Lucas wanted to make from the beginning.
episode iv represented his first shot, and doubtlessly had piles of constructive criticism and rewrites. then it was proven a cash cow, and the sequel was given to a different director and featured much more rewriting. (largely hailed as the pinnacle of starwars). Then Lucas got control back, and turned out Jedi.
After more time and money, he skull-f#cked the original trilogy with the special editions. then came episode 1 and the truth was unavoidable. episode 2 was salt on a gaping wound.
Without actual creative criticism, Lucas just doesn't churn out the movies we always thought he wanted to make.
It's like the Wachowskis. They probably rewrote the first Matrix a dozen times and were making huge changes even to the shooting script. But who's going to slow down the process of making sequels to a cash cow by saying 'Whoa, guys - you've got some pacing issues that need to be fixed here, and some lame ass dialogue'?
No-one in Hollywood.
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
he's heading for that small movie.
H: I think I can get him before he gets there...he's almost in range.
(the small movie begins to take on the appearance of another trilogy)
B: That's no movie. It's Episode III.
H: The trailer's too good to be Episode III.
L: I have a very bad feeling about this.
H: Yeah, I think you're right. Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power. (the ship begins to shudder) Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power!
L: Why are we still moving towards it?
H: We're caught in the Lucas beam! It's pulling us in!
L: But there's gotta be something you can do!
H: There's nothing I can do about it, kid, I've already seen Episodes I and II. I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight!
Why would he do this? The whole point of a story is it has a beginning, a middle and an end. The original trilogy had that. Okay, so the beginning was a bit ropey: this ship appears from nowhere and starts blasting, and there's these two droids that we know little about.
But that's how stories often work best - they throw you in at the deep end so it's exciting and you have to think and work out what's going on. Okay, the prequels fill out the early story a bit for the hardcore fans, but nobody in their right minds, new to the series, would sit through 6+ hours of dross just to understand what the secret plans R2 had were, or to have the "I am your father" surprise ruined for them.
But while the prequels just made the series a bit worse, the sequels would be awful. Even if you think the beginning of the middle trilogy requires some fleshing out, the end is very good. It's a final, definitive end: the bad guy is dead and the galaxy is on the road towards stability. But for gods' sake, we don't need to see it get there. Star Wars became a parody of itself a long time ago, and that's a crying shame because before it was spoilt it was very, very good.
I've wasted four hours of my life on I and II: I suppose I'll waste two more on the off-chance that Boba Fett does something cool, or that Jar-Jar meets a spectacularly bloody end, but that's it. No more. If III is of the same quality as I and II I can't believe Lucas has the nerve even to bring it out, now that LoTR has shown us what can be done with the SF/fantasy epic genre.
"'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'"
- JRR Tolkien.
You say Lucas is 60 now (that's in 2004)... if so, then how will he be 66 in 2012, *eight* years from now?
Would require re-doing 1-3, and at least in my mind 6. The ewoks were an abomination, and represented a massive sell-out to "childrens" movies.
He was right on with the first two, a G movie for all audiences, with enough plot and depth for older audiences, yet enough cool stuff to captivate children, as well as a reasonably straightforward plot arch (ala Joseph Campbell).
So many mistakes were made in the making of the first two (and I'd wager third) that it's hard to even pretend it's the same series. What makes it the most comical is that with tweaks to each of those stories they could have been grand. My favorite example is Anakin slaughtering all of the Raiders after finding his mother seconds before her dying (way out in the realm of possibility). More realistic would have been to have him sneak in, rescue her, only to have her get shot and then die in his arms and have him return with his rage to wipe them out.
I'm certain that thoughts like mine have been bouncing around Star Wars fans heads. Without copyright being what it is now, enterprising producers would be able to try and correct these wrongs inside of the fans lifetimes (at least with the founders copyright).
At this point I think I'll see Star Wars III at the dollar theater, and if it's better then a steaming pile I'll rent it and watch it on someone's surround sound setup.
Casablanca: Bogart decides to stay but never gets a job. Bacall kicks his lazy ass off the couch and into the street.
Citizen Kane: Kane finally realizes that he needs therapy and later goes to a yoga retreat in Tahiti.
Catch-22: Most of the airbase crew are arrested and shot for insubordination. Yosarian surrenders the entire base to some Italian villagers.
It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
No mention of whether James Earl Jones does the voice of Vader in any of the new/touched-up scenes. I get that it's Hayden in the un-masked scene...just as it wasn't James Earl Jones. But what about other scenes?
And...does James Earl Jones do the (masked) voice of Darth Vader in Ep III? Or will we not see Vader (as we see him in Ep IV) in Ep III? Perhaps just a mangled Anakin, or an early version of the Darth Vader mask.
Hmm..I remember reading long ago, either in a fan magazine or something (maybe the book version of Star Wars?) that Anakin became disfigured, requiring the mask & prostheses, when Obi Wan threw him into a volcano. I hope Lucas remembered that (if it was in the book or in any way "official").
My main gripe about Ep I-II was the lack of continuity with Ep IV-VI -- like Lucas had forgotten the "vision" he'd come up with originally (supposedly he'd sketched out ALL NINE episodes before filming Star Wars). I guess he's fixing it now by modifying Ep IV, V, and VI. Sigh. Better than nothing I suppose...
Call me crazy, but Jackson handled LOTR with about the most love and care and achievement I could ever expect from making it into a Hollywood trilogy.
So, if Lucas doesn't want to do VII-IX himself, that's fine, but how about he let Jackson take over? You end up with a vastly superior sequel trilogy, and we'd probably get the movies 1 year apart instead of 3.
[Princess Leia torture scene in Death Star]
The floating torture droid has been removed and replaced with a TV and DVD carousel player...
[Vader places Ep's 1-3 and 7-9 in carousel]
Vader: [finger poised over Play button] So Princess, where is the Rebels' secret base?
--- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
It appears that code isn't the only thing subject to re-writes. Time to opensource SW and let's make 1000 different versions of it.
"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
You have been disappointing us. While many of us grew up with your movies and loved them, things have been steadily going down hill.
1. Hire some real writers. You got help with Empire and it was the best movie to date. Don't try to do it yourself, you're real talent lies elsewhere.
2. Hire another director. Get somebody like Peter Jackson who can film the trilogy all at once. We don't like waiting years between movies. 1 year max between releases.
3. If it's cute. Leave it out. No more muppet'y characters like the Ewoks. No more frickin' Jar Jar type characters. I just can't take it. If you would like, I will offer my services for free. You can run this stuff by me and I will tell you if it sucks.
4. Give it an edge like Empire. Your loyal fan base is getting older. We want a real plot without all of the inconsistencies that you have written yourself into in the last two movies. Remember, we're adults now. We we love the world and the characters that you created for us but we really want to experience it on an adult level. I'll say it again. No more Jar Jar's.
5. Concentrate on what you really do best. Keep pushing the state of the art in film production. Push ILM to make the movie better while producing it faster and cheaper than anyone has ever done. Bring the costs of producing epic style movies down to a more reasonable level so that even more young artists can expose us to their visions without having a $100 million bank roll. The less expensive it gets, the more variety we will have.
6. Don't concentrate on making a blockbuster. Just make the best movie that you can and show it to us. We will pay to see it. You don't have to have product tie ins everywhere we go. No more cheesy market deals. No more Jar Jar's (did I already mention that?)
7. I want the new trilogy to hit DVD before I start collecting social security. Besides if you get off your ass on this, you can sell the previous movie on DVD right before you release the next movie. Easy advertising. (Don't do like LOTR though and release a 'normal' DVD and hold out the good one for a month or two. We like that about as much as we adore Jar Jar).
7. Use your influence and $$$ to get us completely digital theaters. We all want to see the new movies on a crystal clear screen that isn't going to be completely degraded the 3rd and 4th time we go to see it. (This assumes that you make them good).
You know what. Forget it all. I'm still pissed about the whole Jar Jar thing.
Ha! We'll never get original Star Wars DVDs. If we're lucky we might get that modified 20th aniversary crap (I'm not a fan of modified films), but it's debatable to call that lucky.
No more madness! Stop these horrid movies! Hope Fox'll make Firefly instead.
FIREFLY RULES!!!
...about the devastating results of too many alterations?
Has anyone noticed just quite how bad the Hot Dog site is?
The "Current issue" and "Back Issue" link to 192.168.1.100/... addresses for crying out loud!
Year: 2038 Headline Star Wars Episode 9 Completed. Episodes I through VI redone to remove inconsistencies ( just under nuclear disaster caused by 32 bit date rollover ) 01 Anakin is now an Ewok in all episodes 02 Jabba The Hut actually molests Princess Leia 03 ...
Seems Star Wars will never be finished..
Eat at Joe's.
Why was EP VI afraid of EP VII?
Because VII VIII IX!
Give a hand, not a hand-out.
As anyone who's read the Star Wars storyline as it continues past the 4/5/6, if Lucas uses these as a baseline for more movies, rejoice your ass off.
The stories (for the most part) have great depth, a wealth of plot scenarios to choose from (which might be the biggest stumble to what to make for sequels), and continue the stories of the principals through the next 30 years (kids, getting old, death, etc.). It actually makes the characters a helluva lot more believable.
Hats off to the editors who have made EVERY story that followed the movies tie into one another -- their consistency checks have got to be brain numbing, they're so thorough. That alone has made the stories a lot of fun to read.
And the authors include some well-known names in modern sci-fi, including James Luceno, Michael P. Kube-McDowell, and Michael Stackpole.
So, go read some dead tree, and see what kind of potential there is for three (or more!) sequels from Lucas. Let's just hope he uses some of the material available to him, instead of striking off on his own.
What does it mean to wake out of a dream
and be wearing someone else's shorts?
BNL, Born on a Pirate Ship (1998)
And if it somehow ends up being good, I will then go see it in the theatre.
This is how I use piracy to get rid of that silly geek factor that allowed Episodes 1 and 2 to make 400 million+. I will not support a movie by paying for it if it's not any good.
/^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
Unless you mean the prequels made you realize how lame the series already was by episode 6. How hokey episode 4 was, and how the pinnacle of the series was directed and largely rewritten by people other than Lucas. That could understandably rob you of fond memories. Of course, just watching them again older and wiser would probably have done that.
I hate to tell you this but I *have* watched the original trilogy since I was a kid. In fact, I probably watch the original trilogy about 3 times every year. I still enjoy them. You may argue that my positive feelings about those films are because I'm remembering my childhood or something. But I think they were substancially different than the new stuff.
Why? The characters. The original trilogy had likeable characters who were really giving it their all to take back the galaxy. Solo was a great guy. You could feel for what Luke was going through. Leia was clearly struggling with how to give all the parts of herself equal time. The rebellion doesn't have much but, boy, do they have heart! The Jedi, on the other hand, strike me as really a bunch or arrogant elite who seem to not be doing a very good job of anything. Anakin is just a spoiled brat. Obi Wan seems to have some ability but he never gets awfully worked up about anything. Yoda and Mace just sit around looking pensive and occasionally whip out their lightsabres. I wouldn't want to sit down and have a beer with any of those guys. They're just do damn boring.
Now let's look at the villans. Sure, in the original series the stormtroopers could never shoot straight but you knew that Vader was running the show most of the times and so it seemed like the Empire had a real chance of crushing the freedom fighters. In Ep 6 we see that Vader is starting to weaken a bit but then we're introduced to the Emperor who is even more powerful than Vader. *This* guy really knows his shit and he seems to delight in tormenting Luke. To put it simply, the bad guys were fearsome and competant. Now look at the bad guys from Ep 1 and 2. Darth Maul was cool but never really given a chance to say much. The Viceroy and the other Trade Federation weenies seem utterly incompetant. And Palpatine and Dooku have yet to do anything really horribly dispicable. It's hard to get worked up about these bad guys.
So there you have my theory. Characters are what makes the difference between the old and the new trilogy. Basically the old one had characters you could love and hate. The new one just has a bunch of guys dancing around in a CGI videogame.
GMD
watch this
We could end the film where somebody - get this - in a small spaceship flies up to the big enemy ship and - this idea is so good - blows it up from the inside using minimal fire power. Oh wait, we already did that three fucking times!
Karma: Nonnegative