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It doesn't surprise me that Disney did this. Star wars has been pretty popular at the Disney parks for a while now. What I think is interesting in the Kinect Disneyland Adventure game they couldn't get the rights to the Lucas Films so whle you could see the Star Tours and Indianna Jones ride buildings the signs that told you what they were, were left blank

BenAvery wrote:Re: Willow

Normally, I stay away from fantasy epics until they are finished. You're saying it's worth the time? I may seek them out . . .

I would say it's more that I found them worthwhile. There are aspects about the book that are problematic. Something huge happens between the Prologue and the first chapter of book one, Shadow Moon, that tended to alienate a lot of fans; if you don't like what you see there, then you might not like the rest of it. The prose is Chris Claremont's, I found it to be ponderous and overwrought often, even on occasions when it needed to be punchy and dynamic; he's very descriptive, too; I had my moments where I thought he was overdoing it. There's also a problem with the consistency of a couple of tiny details, a meticulous reader will pick up on these oddities and they will grate against the need for attentiveness to detail.

The story line or plot progression had some distinctive quality to it that absolutely felt like George Lucas' guiding hand, the same hand that constructed Star Wars 1977 and The Empire Strikes Back, but also the same that came up with The Phantom Menace. There's a raw creativity there, and a willingness to play rough with his characters. The books were coming out just before the SW Prequels, and they offered hints of what was coming thematically and story-wise, good and bad.

The first book is the really weak link; it not only has the thankless job of setting up a new paradigm for Willow's world and characters, it is a bit gaudy and shockingly unevenly paced. The second book Shadow Dawn is where the series hits it's stride; it is there that Elora Danan goes through her Hero's Journey (think Joseph Campbell, if your familiar with how George Lucas uses his conceptual constructs). The final book is a great fantasy epic conclusion, which ties things tightly to the original movie that inspired them, bringing the series full circle.

There definitely not for everybody, though.

Rickster wrote:Now what exactly does did Disney buy? Was it just the Lucas film company or is it everything Lucas owns (thx Lucas arts etc.)

To be clear, Disney bought all of Lucasfilm which includes: Lucasfilm Ltd. (movies company), LucasArts (games company), Industrial Light & Magic (special affects company), and Skywalker Sound (sound company).

We're recording a massive feedback episode for Strangers and Aliens tonight (on the 15th) and have a poll about how people feel about the whole Disney/Star Wars . . .

http://strangersandaliens.com/2012/11/poll-what-do-you-think-about-the-disney-purchase-of-lucasfilmstar-wars/

Please, vote in the poll and let us know what you think!

(And if you leave us a voice message or comment, I'll do my best to get it into the show.)

~ Ben

WhiteBoy wrote:
To be clear, Disney bought all of Lucasfilm which includes: Lucasfilm Ltd. (movies company), LucasArts (games company), Industrial Light & Magic (special affects company), and Skywalker Sound (sound company).

Am I the only one a little bit excited that this also means Monkey Island?

~ Ben

It looks like J.J Abrams is going to direct it

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2013/01/24/j-j-abrams-set-to-direct-star-wars-episode-vii/

Makes perfect sense. He's said that he was more of a Star Wars fan than a Trek fan, and look how great he did with Trek! Would LOVE to see him work on a sci-fi property he's already a fan of.

2 spin off movies have been announced Boba Fett and young Han Solo

Lame. They'd be better off doing completely original story prequels in the "Old Republic" era.

I don't know. They could have a potential good shot with boba Fett. He's got some history in the novels, any of which could be adapted or used as source material. As for young Han solo, there's several novels that chronical some of his early years.

Paeter wrote:Lame. They'd be better off doing completely original story prequels in the "Old Republic" era.

Well these are some of the obvious choices, which makes them the movies to do in order to make insane amounts of money. An obvious idea is not necessarily a bad idea, it doesn't preclude taking chances and being more experimental down the road.

Don't worry. One of the original ideas for developing the SW franchise was to do three trilogies (9 movies) and other movies dealing with the origins of the Jedi and the origins of the Republic; so maybe those old concepts will be dusted off. There might still be an Old Republic era movie.

If they do a young Han Solo movie, I vote for Nathan Fillion.

Drew.Rub wrote:I don't know. They could have a potential good shot with boba Fett. He's got some history in the novels, any of which could be adapted or used as source material. As for young Han solo, there's several novels that chronical some of his early years.

I agree, but these stories would take place in a Star Wars universe without Jedi, right? I realize it's a rich universe, but the Jedi concept is what really makes it unique. Leaving it out would leave a pretty big gap in my enjoyment, or at least in my expectations for a "Star Wars" experience.

Paeter wrote:I agree, but these stories would take place in a Star Wars universe without Jedi, right? I realize it's a rich universe, but the Jedi concept is what really makes it unique. Leaving it out would leave a pretty big gap in my enjoyment, or at least in my expectations for a "Star Wars" experience.

So, supposedly the rumor is that what's canon in the novel fries will be a separate canon from what's in the films. Kind of a bummer.

As for the idea of "a universe without Jedi", the answer is yes, if its set in the Empire/Rebellion period. Both the Old Republic and the New Republic have a fair number of Jedi, albeit less in New Republic. But, despite the apparent plethora of Jedi in those two eras, it should still be noted that Jedi were supposed to be rare, like maybe one Jedi Master and or Knight per system. I wish I could remember where I had read that, but the occurrence of a Jedi encounter was supposedly a rare thing.

Maybe that means I can make my movie Mosablanca the characters and plot of Casablanca set in the Star Wars universe

Heh... crazy. I just had a guy call me *at work* to ask my opinion about the new movies. (For those that don't know I founded Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki. It wasn't just some random phone call.)

WhiteBoy wrote:Heh... crazy. I just had a guy call me *at work* to ask my opinion about the new movies. (For those that don't know I founded Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki. It wasn't just some random phone call.)

You are responsible for me wasting hours of my life. Thank you.

Also, a unrelated between Revenge of the Sith and The New Hope movie with Bobba Fett could just involve Fett tracking down a number of Jedi who managed to be missed in the Purge.

My pleasure.

And I definitely like that idea about Boba Fett. I haven't played it, but in the game The Force Unleashed you play an apprentice of Vader's who is hunting down the rest of the Jedi.

WhiteBoy wrote: (For those that don't know I founded Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki. It wasn't just some random phone call.)

I'd totally forgotten about that! I just gave geek cred to your last two posts in recognition of your immense geekitude. My hat off to you, sir.

Woot... I appreciate the geek cred!