JJ Abrams to direct new Star Wars

www.thewrap.com/movies/article/jj-abrams...film-exclusive-74596

I don't recall ever having a more indifferent reaction to a piece of nerd-news.

I really couldn't give a fuck about any non-gaming related Star Wars stuff any more. They're just pumping the franchise for all its worth.

i agree, one cookie cutter summer block buster coming right up

Hear, hear.

Star Wars used to be special. The two trilogies elicited love or hate and hold a very unique place for a generation of us.

Now, I'm guessing the whole franchise is going to turn into something like Pirates of the Caribbean or Fast and Furious. An endless amount of disposable summer block busters with nothing really separating them from the pack (or each other).

I'd rather watch that Tom Cruise Oblivion movie...

And yet Lucas has said numerous times that one of his sources of inspiration were the cheap movie serials like Flash Gordon that used to run in movie theaters on weekends for kids. So in a way an endless stream of summer films in the Star Wars universe would come full circle.

With the exception of one film the series has been pretty pulpy from day one.

S.

I don't know what you people are talking about. Cookie-cutter summer block busters (like the new star trek and ghost protocol) are awesome!

I blame Black Barney for this.

Sagrilarus wrote: And yet Lucas has said numerous times that one of his sources of inspiration were the cheap movie serials like Flash Gordon that used to run in movie theaters on weekends for kids. So in a way an endless stream of summer films in the Star Wars universe would come full circle.

With the exception of one film the series has been pretty pulpy from day one.

S.

Except Lucas didn't make cheap movie serials. He had tight control on the whole thing. It's one thing to be inspired by something, but SW ended up being something far beyond Flash Gordon serials.
(Oddly enough I prefer the 80s Flash Gordon movie to SW because I can watch it in one sitting. Well, that and the characters are a hoot. Big fan of a New Hope though.)

EDIT: How about re-theming Dune/REX with SW! Ha! Hutts, Black Sun, Rebels, Imperials, etc. It'd be great!

Anyway, speaking of Star Wars and gaming...Is FFG going to release a Star Wars game _without_ monthly payments? LCG, X-wing, and RPG are all core buys with expansions. Where's a 'Queen's Gambit' type game? or How about something like AGoT, but with SW factions (cooler if it was all various criminal factions). Anyway, seems they could make a cool, I dunno, actual boardgame.

Edit: How about re-theming Dune/Rex with SW..ha! Rebels, Imperials, Hutts, Black Sun, etc...it'd be great!

All I can say is--

FUCK YES

Jeff White wrote: Anyway, speaking of Star Wars and gaming...Is FFG going to release a Star Wars game _without_ monthly payments? LCG, X-wing, and RPG are all core buys with expansions. Where's a 'Queen's Gambit' type game? or How about something like AGoT, but with SW factions (cooler if it was all various criminal factions). Anyway, seems they could make a cool, I dunno, actual boardgame.

Jeff, I think their original license agreement was for everything, except board games. It was only for minis, card games and RPGs. It has been a long time since that announcement, so maybe I have faulty memory. I seem to remember people pointing this out and stating that we will definitely not be getting reprints on any of the good SW board games of the past.

As for the movie, I'll keep an open mind. I liked Abrams Star Trek, so hopefully this will be good too.

Hatch, you bastard, I hate cookie-cutter movies and actively try not to see them or give them business in any way.

I actually don't think this is necessarily a good choice for Star Wars (choosing Abrams) and here's why:

I don't think any of us necessarily want a reboot of Star Wars. I think we want a continuance. I want the same universe, the same style, just with a better script, that's all. Abhams is going to radically change the look and feel of the SW universe (something that Lucas has done right) and I think it's going to be weird.

Star Trek was okay to reboot because those series of movies had run their course and each time directed by someone new so there was nothing really to continue in terms of brand other than names on a piece of paper. That was a refresher. I think if Abrams decides to make the SW universe one infested with Rancors just cuz he likes monsters, that's not good.

Anyway, I'll see it but I think if you want to change the look and feel, you go with Del Toro over Abrams. Is that District 9 guy no good? Cuz if he's good and given money, that could be kind of cool too.

Oh well, we'll see what we'll see.

Black Barney wrote: I think if Abrams decides to make the SW universe one infested with Rancors just cuz he likes monsters, that's not good.

But we might get rancors punching x-wings on film!

ok, you guys got me looking around for info on this next film and I found this on the wiki:

"Media speculation also focused on the possible return of series stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams, Ewan McGregor and Samuel L. Jackson. Carrie Fisher was recorded on video stating that she would like to reprise the role of Princess Leia.[69] It was reported that Ford was open to returning to the role of Han Solo, and all three were "upbeat" to return.[70] Billy Dee Williams' character, Lando Calrissian, has been reported to be in Arndt's story treatment, and Williams has stated that he would be interested in reprising the role for the film.[71][not in citation given] Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy, said that he was open to the possibility of playing the character in Episode VII.[72] Samuel L. Jackson, who played Mace Windu in the prequels, also expressed his excitement and desire to return to the franchise.[73]"

I guess VII takes place after Return (duh) with actors possibly returning as older versions of characters, but if they're including McGregor and Jackson in them (as ghost I suppose)...it'll all seem a bit too much. Do we need _every_ character always involved? I wasn't a fan of chewie in the prequels either.

I am down for more Lando though.
The only character to argue with both vader and fett and survive.

Geez, you guys are a bunch of grouchy nerds today. I think a lot of people (not necessarily me) feel that the best Star Wars movie in the last 15 years was the Star Trek reboot, which felt a lot more like space opera than the franchise ever has before.

Abrams is a good choice. Super 8 and Cloverfield both have his fingerprints all over them, and those were well-liked enough. And as I said, the Star Trek reboot was basically Star Trek: Star Wars.

Black Barney wrote: I actually don't think this is necessarily a good choice for Star Wars (choosing Abrams) and here's why:

I don't think any of us necessarily want a reboot of Star Wars. I think we want a continuance. I want the same universe, the same style, just with a better script, that's all. Abhams is going to radically change the look and feel of the SW universe (something that Lucas has done right) and I think it's going to be weird.

Star Trek was okay to reboot because those series of movies had run their course and each time directed by someone new so there was nothing really to continue in terms of brand other than names on a piece of paper. That was a refresher. I think if Abrams decides to make the SW universe one infested with Rancors just cuz he likes monsters, that's not good.

Episode VI came out in 1983. A reboot (if that's what it is) is just as good as and probably better an option than trying to do a proper continuance of a movie that came out 30 years ago.

The best part is that I don't see any mention of Portman or Christensen. They brought nothing to the prequels.

Also, I heard that the plotline includes a reimagined Death Star (tentatively called the Death Nova) that can only be stopped by having two Jedi and one other dude paradrop from a rebel ship in space which totally works because the Death Nova is so big it creates a measurable gravitational force.