Disney's Titling Problem With Its Star Wars Movies

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Disney's Titling Problem With Its Star Wars Movies

Posted by timothy on Thursday July 4, 2013 @09:58AM from the what-occupies-the-mind dept.

An anonymous reader writes "When George Lucas produced his Star Wars movies, he subtitled them 'Episode I,' 'Episode IV' etc. But that style will become inappropriate and confusing with Disney producing a new Star Wars movie each year, observes blogger Christopher Knight: 'Those were individual chapters of one story in an epic fantasy setting. And it suffices for that one multi-generational epic on film. Except now, there is the intent to produce several stories in that same setting. And they aren't necessarily going to pertain to the tale of the Skywalker family from Anakin to Luke to whoever it will be in the next trilogy.' Knight's solution is to retroactively amend the titles of Episodes I through IX to reflect it being the Skywalkers' saga, just as Lucas retroactively subtitled the first movie to be Episode IV."

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Peh. by Black+Parrot · 2013-07-04 10:00 · Score: 5, Insightful

They should just name them after the action figure each one is made to sell.

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1. Re: Peh. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 10:29 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  You misspelled. "Pez".
2. Re:Peh. by pitchpipe · 2013-07-04 10:46 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Jar Jar Strikes Back??? NOOOOOOOOOOOO...
  
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  Look where all this talking got us, baby.
3. Re:Peh. by Billly+Gates · 2013-07-04 11:17 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Well better than Darth mouse!
  
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  http://saveie6.com/
4. Re:Peh. by MightyMartian · 2013-07-04 11:26 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Meesa thinking a movie about da Binks family is mooie mooie good. Nowsa that I'm a traitorous bastard who sold da Jedi and da Republic up da river, it could be called Revenge of da Binks!
  
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5. Re:Peh. by HornWumpus · 2013-07-04 16:18 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Jar Jar grows up to be Jabba the hut. Radioactive pizza/time machine/black hole/kessel run if need be for story line.
  
  --
  John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
6. Re:Peh. by dintech · 2013-07-04 21:15 · Score: 2
  
  Since they've already gone into full corporate sell-out mode, I suggest Disney take some advise from Electronic Arts. Similar to the Madden, NHL and NBA games, they should just name it Star Wars 2014, Star Wars 2015 etc. At least it's not going to make things worse.
7. Re:Peh. by jellomizer · 2013-07-05 01:45 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Why not just drop the Episode nonsense from the movies.
  It isn't like anything you will do will stop a bunch of Raving Sci-Fi lunatics from complaining about it anyways. Even though they complain about it they are going to see it anyways.
  That said, the biggest problem with Ep I-III, wasn't the special effects or Jar-Jar, but the fact we never really liked Anakin Skywalker. Yes we knew he will go to the darkside, but I wanted a character who I didn't want to go to the Dark Side, and the transition of Jedi Knight to Sith Lord should have been a tragic one. Not
  "Oh you are the Sith Master!"
  "Yea, wanna join the Dark Side, I'll give you a cool name"
  "Sure, sounds good, let me throw Samuel L. Jackson out the window"
  "Good, your name is now Darth Vader"
  "Sweet!"
  
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8. Re:Peh. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-05 06:33 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  The big problem is nobody had any character development. The audience couldn't connect to the characters and therefore didn't give a crap what happened to them. It was actually somewhat of a relief when whiny Anakin ended up limbless and burning (I had a big grin on my face). When Padme died, it was a "meh" moment; I didn't care about either of them. Lucas really messed up by even making Episode I because the entire thing was a big waste of time. We didn't need to see Anakin as a toddler. We didn't need a comic relief character like Jar-Jar when we already had C-3PO. We certainly didn't need a completely worthless character like Qui-Gon Jinn. There also should have been far fewer Jedi, making them much more rare and individually more awesome, but also weaker as a whole.
  
  Episode I should have presented Anakin as a likeable, young adult and his entire past as a slave on Tatooine summed up as a reflective moment in a couple of minutes. Obi-Wan should have already been a Jedi Master, Anakin his Padawan, Padme a fellow Padawan and Palpatine a member of the Jedi high council when viewers are first introduced to them. That would have allowed a lot more time to show Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme's relationship build and become something that viewers would begin to develop an attachment to. Obi-Wan and Anakin get into some scrapes together, while Padme and Anakin have a realistically portrayed chemistry immediately, culminating in them hooking up at the end of the movie. Palpatine, in his own arrogance and madness, commissions the creation of a secret clone army to seize power.
  
  Episode II should have furthered Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme's development while also, ever so subtly, hinting at Anakin's temptation towards the dark side as he learns more about his own extraordinary abilities. Luke and Leia are born, creating an even stronger bond between Anakin and Padme. Palpatine unleashes his clone army and those loyal to him upon the galaxy, killing off most of the Jedi and getting his forces entrenched. At the end of the movie, Obi-Wan and Anakin confront Palpatine, but are handily defeated. Anakin gets captured but Obi-Wan escapes. This fuels Anakin's desire to become more powerful as quickly as possible, while giving him a twisted respect for Palpatine and a misplaced disrespect for his own master, Obi-Wan. Palpatine uses his power to begin warping Anakin's mind, construction of the Death Star commences and the Empire is formed.
  
  Episode III should begin a number of years later, perhaps five years. Led by Yoda, the last remaining Jedi and newly formed Rebellion wages a guerilla war upon the Empire. Obi-Wan has spent most of his time searching for Anakin, but is greatly hindered by the current state of the galaxy. In the meanwhile, Anakin tracks down Padme and she contacts Obi-Wan to tell him the news. Anakin and Padme spend the night together, but after years of Sith indoctrination and training, he attempts to take her and the children away in order to present them to Palpatine. When Padme resists Anakin's seduction, he attempts to just take the kids, forcing Padme to attack him. Out of pure reflex, Anakin kills Padme. Obi-Wan shows up to find Anakin still there, distraught over what he's done. When Obi-Wan tries to appeal to the good still in Anakin, the two get into a heated argument over Anakin's perception of Obi-Wan and the Jedi being weak next to the power of the dark side. They battle and Obi-Wan ends up severely wounding Anakin. Obi-Wan takes the children and Anakin off-planet to the hidden Rebel based where Yoda is currently located. Upon arrival, Anakin is placed under medical care. Unknown to them all, Palpatine has been tracking Anakin through the force and an entire fleet of Star Destroyers shows up, bombarding the whole planet. The Rebels are forced to flee and everyone gets separated. Luke ends up on a transport with Obi-Wan, who takes him to be cared for by a couple on Tatooine. Leia ends up on a transport with Bail Organa. Anakin ends up on a transport that is captured by the Empire. The Rebel planet is wiped of all life. Yoda, filled with guilt and feeling responsible for what happened, becomes a recluse on Dagobah. Under Palpatine's order, Anakin is rebuilt into the Darth Vader we all know. Palpatine cackles evilly.
Just rename everything by anarcobra · 2013-07-04 10:08 · Score: 5, Funny

The movies formerly known as star wars.
Retroactively? by sayfawa · 2013-07-04 10:09 · Score: 4, Interesting

Didn't the original scrolling intro always say "episode 4"?

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1. Re:Retroactively? by CaitlinAnnPatton · 2013-07-04 10:12 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Didn't the original scrolling intro always say "episode 4"?
  Not in the original showing of the film. The "Episode IV" part was added later when the film's popularity made it viable for a sequel. OR something like that.
2. Re:Retroactively? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 10:15 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Didn't the original scrolling intro always say "episode 4"?
  Nope, that came later.
3. Re:Retroactively? by Animats · 2013-07-04 10:53 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Didn't the original scrolling intro always say "episode 4"?
  It did when I saw the original theatrical release on opening day in1978. Seeing that go by, I thought they were showing a serial out of order by mistake.
4. Re:Retroactively? by Chris+Mattern · 2013-07-04 11:39 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  It did when I saw the original theatrical release on opening day in1978.
  Except that Star Wars premiered in 1977. And it did not say "Episode 4" when it did. I was there, and it didn't. It did get a 1978 re-release, but "Episode IV" was not placed into the title crawl until the 1981 re-release (after The Empire Strikes Back proclaimed itself "Episode V" in its original 1980 release).
5. Re:Retroactively? by icebike · 2013-07-04 12:07 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Why change anything?
  We still reference dates with BC/AD, what wrong with negative Episode numbers, and even decimal versions if they decide to squeeze something between two others?
  Or betting yet, just let it end, and use their imagination to come up with something totally new and different rather than changing one digit in the title and slapping a brand new copyright date on the same old movie.
  
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6. Re:Retroactively? by plover · 2013-07-04 13:07 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  No, it did not. You are misremembering it because it was changed and has been seen in that form so many times since.
  The Episode IV moniker was added to the film later.
  He's obviously confused or deranged. Next he'll be claiming something outlandish, like "Han shot first" or something equally absurd.
  
  --
  John
7. Re:Retroactively? by Anubis+IV · 2013-07-04 16:53 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  More like a reason to strip his geek card. Not only was he off by a year (opening day was May 25, 1977), but he's outright wrong or misremembering the episode number being there. They didn't add "Episode IV: A New Hope" until Empire Strikes Back came out a few years later (it wasn't even there for the 1978 re-release, which is what he may be thinking of). The original film, when first released, was simply titled "Star Wars" and nothing else. No episode numbers, no "A New Hope", no nuthin'.
8. Re:Retroactively? by Darinbob · 2013-07-04 18:16 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  The studio did say 9 very early on, after the initial release. However based on how they scripted things on the fly in the next two films, even changing major story lines, I seriously doubt Lucas had things planned out beyond a rough idea. The first movie is clearly a standalone one, and roughly follow the thematics parts of The hidden Fortress instead of being open ended.
9. Re:Retroactively? by wonkey_monkey · 2013-07-04 19:21 · Score: 2
  
  Then you didn't see it in the cinemas on opening day in 1978. Or you're not remembering the opening day screening.
  Or he doesn't live in the US, like 96% of the people on the planet.
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
10. Re:Retroactively? by mwvdlee · 2013-07-04 19:38 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  They just make up an original title and fit it into the timeline without a need for serial numbers.
  To me there seems no good reason to deviate; release episodes VII, VIII and IX, then don't use episode numbers for the rest of the movies.
  Considering Disney plans to release a new one every year it's not like people are going to care much for any release beyond the "planned" third trilogy.
  
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11. Re: Retroactively? by Sqweegee · 2013-07-05 01:15 · Score: 2
  
  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/alternateversions
  It list all the alterations ever made, which makes for a very long list. There was a whole lot of changes made between the 77, 78, and 81 releases but are hidden in with all the new ones. Terrible record keeping and Lucas' habit of destroying old versions and footage makes it tough to watch the old releases, side by side. I remember seeing different versions of the opening crawl.
  "When the original theatrical version was first released, it was simply titled Star Wars.The opening crawl was changed to "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" during the 1981 re-release. According to Sterling Hedgpeth, Lucasfilm film archivist: "I found a box with all the positive elements for the 'revised' opening crawl, and the assorted trim boxes are dated from October through December 1980. This, then, is consistent with the view that Episode IV: A New Hope was added for the first time to the opening crawl for the April 10, 1981 re-release." "
12. Re: Retroactively? by N0Man74 · 2013-07-05 01:59 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Citation please! I clearly remember "Episode IV" appearing in the scrolling intro to the original, 1977 release and until someone can give me non-anecdotal evidence to the contrary I am sticking with what I know I saw,
  I can't tell if you are just extremely arrogant, or just clueless as to just how incredibly susceptible the human brain is to false memories. I don't even trust all of my own memories, let alone yours.
13. Re: Retroactively? by TWiTfan · 2013-07-05 02:21 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  You only believe you did. Memory is fluid, and yours has changed. The "Episode IV" was NOT there at the premiere. In 1977, they hadn't even begun planning a sequel, much less the idea of a "trilogy of trilogies." It was there in the 1981 re-release.
  
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14. Re:Retroactively? by Hognoxious · 2013-07-05 04:29 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  In those days the delay between US and UK releases was huge. Sailing ships were at the mercy of the weather, steamships were in their infancy and the only relaible thing about them was that they were unreliable. Then there was the redone dialog (adding "please" and "thank you" all over) and conversion for right-handed projectors.
  And don't get me started about Australia. They have to reshoot the whole movie in a mirror because the spools turn the other way. In fact they still haven't got round to doing "Cocktail", which many say is a mercy.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
How about this by MonkeyPaw · 2013-07-04 10:09 · Score: 5, Insightful

How about this? Stop making stupid Star Wars movies and come up with a new idea.

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1. Re:How about this by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 10:17 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  come up with a new idea.
  Disney? Come up with a new idea? Hahaha, oh wow, are you kidding? They've finished sucking classical childrens stories dry, and now they've moved on to modern culture, Disney hasn't had a single original idea since the ink dried on Steam Boat Willy.
2. Re:How about this by phantomfive · 2013-07-04 10:39 · Score: 2
  
  Incidentally, I feel like I've seen more Star Wars related things since Disney took over than in the previous five years combined. The marketing power is strong with this one.
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
3. Re:How about this by Billly+Gates · 2013-07-04 11:20 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  come up with a new idea.
  Disney? Come up with a new idea? Hahaha, oh wow, are you kidding? They've finished sucking classical childrens stories dry, and now they've moved on to modern culture, Disney hasn't had a single original idea since the ink dried on Steam Boat Willy.
  What are you talking about? Disney has re-innovated Star Wars quite well. Just look at the new characters introduced in episode 7?
  
  --
  http://saveie6.com/
4. Re:How about this by OhANameWhatName · 2013-07-04 11:35 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  come up with a new ide
  Quit living in the past. Modern film making is about certainties. If you try to come up with a new idea, what if it didn't work?
  
  The studios need to know precisely what's going to happen before they even try. That's why you stick with the same formula over and over again and the only new content is derived from best selling works. That way you know what's going to fail and what's going to succeed.
  
  Risk is not an option.
5. Re:How about this by GodfatherofSoul · 2013-07-04 13:17 · Score: 2
  
  Disney was a cool, innovative entertainment company while Walt was alive. He was the Pixar of the mid 20th century. It was long after his death that Disney turned into the "milk parents company." Disney still churns out the occasional hit like The Lion King, but most of their releases are shamelessly accountant-driven.
  
  --
  I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
6. Re:How about this by mjwx · 2013-07-04 13:53 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  come up with a new idea.
  Disney? Come up with a new idea? Hahaha, oh wow, are you kidding? They've finished sucking classical childrens stories dry, and now they've moved on to modern culture, Disney hasn't had a single original idea since the ink dried on Steam Boat Willy.
  This.
  
  Why do you think Disney supports copyright extensions/abuses with such reckless abandon?
  
  Because they dont want people doing to Disney what Disney did to Hans Christian Anderson.
  
  --
  Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
7. Re:How about this by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 14:06 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Disney hasn't had a single original idea since the ink dried on Steam Boat Willy.
  Perhaps not even then...
8. Re:How about this by blackraven14250 · 2013-07-04 14:23 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  The Lion King was substantially ripped off too, from Kimba the White Lion. What, you thought Disney actually did anything original?
9. Re:How about this by Stormwatch · 2013-07-04 16:30 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Disney hasn't had a single original idea since the ink dried on Steam Boat Willy.
  Are you implying that Steamboat Willy was original? Nope! It was a parody of Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill Jr.
  
  --
  Circumcision is child abuse.
10. Re:How about this by _Shad0w_ · 2013-07-04 21:41 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Also Hamlet and Macbeth.
  
  --
  Yeah, I had a sig once; I got bored of it.
Just use the A.D. notation . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · 2013-07-04 10:09 · Score: 5, Funny

. . . you know, like A.D., as in, "Anno Disneyi" . . . ?
. . . and BCE . . . "Before Crap Era" . . .

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1. Re:Just use the A.D. notation . . . by plover · 2013-07-04 13:18 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  . . . you know, like A.D., as in, "Anno Disneyi" . . . ?
  . . . and BCE . . . "Before Crap Era" . . .
  BCE == Before Copyrights were Eternal.
  
  --
  John
Reboot! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 10:09 · Score: 2

Star Wars: 2015
Star Wars The Next Generation
Star Wars The Dark Night
Star Wars 2: Electric Boogaloo

Or my favorite, how about just:

Star Wars

but in an alternate universe. Hey it worked for Star Trek!
I don't get it... by lrsach01 · 2013-07-04 10:23 · Score: 4, Insightful

What's the problem? There is almost 40 YEARS of novels and they never seem to have any trouble.
I recently embraced the New Imperialism by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 10:23 · Score: 5, Funny

So in my view the Rebel Alliance are not freedom fighters, but terrorists. Leave it to Disney to make movies celebrating horrific, terrorist acts against the forces of the democratically elected galactic government. It's sickening.
1. Re:I recently embraced the New Imperialism by WhiplashII · 2013-07-04 10:56 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  They destroyed the planetary mineral extractor! All aboard were killed! Hundreds of thousands of civilian contractors perished in the explosion!
  These terrorists must be STOPPED!
  
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2. Re:I recently embraced the New Imperialism by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 11:43 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Don't forget about the Endor Holocaust
3. Re:I recently embraced the New Imperialism by joe_frisch · 2013-07-04 11:44 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Actually they could do some really nice movies showing the story from the other side. The legitimate government of the galaxy battling an unholy alliance of slavers, smugglers, and terrorists being manipulated by a secretive theocracy.
  How many contractors died on death-star 2? The terrorist alliance tricked neolithic "ewoks" into a suicidal assault on an imperial base, just as a distraction. (OK, personally I don't mind ridding the universe of Ewoks, but it wasn't nice).
  Was there even an attempt at a recall election for the chancellor? No, they went immediately to assassination because they found out that he belonged to a rival religious group.
  All I really want though is 2 hours of the opening battle from episode 3......
4. Re:I recently embraced the New Imperialism by SuperKendall · 2013-07-04 11:54 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  How many contractors died on death-star 2?
  All the ones that didn't care Alderaan had been blown up by the first one.
  
  --
  "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
5. Re:I recently embraced the New Imperialism by gignac.adam · 2013-07-04 12:43 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Alderaan shot first...
Will Lucas ever be satisfied? by fizzer06 · 2013-07-04 10:30 · Score: 2

Go on and do it, do it,
Do it 'til you're satisfied,
Whatever it is, do it,
Do it 'til you're satisfied.
Re:Star Wars II: The Search for More Money by JustOK · 2013-07-04 11:05 · Score: 4, Funny

Or why not "Star Wars That Sucks" ?
Not nearly specific enough

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How did they name those 2 Ewok movies? by taxman_10m · 2013-07-04 11:14 · Score: 3

Why should this be any different?
1. Re:How did they name those 2 Ewok movies? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 15:56 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Oh god I hope it's very different.
Truth in advertising by PopeRatzo · 2013-07-04 11:43 · Score: 5, Funny

They could just name the last six movies, "The.Star.Wars.Saga.dvdrip.engsubs.aXX0" and I'm not sure anyone would notice.

--
You are welcome on my lawn.
1. Re:Truth in advertising by thegarbz · 2013-07-04 13:20 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Oh I hope Disney gets sued by aXX0 for trademark infringement.
Re:Star Wars II: The Search for More Money by gagol · 2013-07-04 13:08 · Score: 2

What about "Star Wars that sucks the balls off a dead moose" ?

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Tomorrow is another day...
I've got it! by evilviper · 2013-07-04 15:09 · Score: 3, Informative

I've got the PERFECT name for the next Disney-produced Star Wars film:
Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money
You're welcome.

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Makes no sense by wonkey_monkey · 2013-07-04 19:31 · Score: 2

Knight's solution is to retroactively amend the titles of Episodes I through IX to reflect it being the Skywalkers' saga
To what?
Episode I: Anakin Begins
Episode II: Anakin In Love
Episode III: Anakin Goes Bananas

--
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Re:Star Wars II: The Search for More Money by mrchaotica · 2013-07-05 03:27 · Score: 2

A mouse once bit my sister...
(Oh, how I wish Slashdot had proper special character support!)

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