Spoilers All Things STAR WARS - News, Speculation & Spoilers Thread

[JD]

Look, I understand what it's like to be an executive in Hollywood

You do? Have you worked in Hollywood?

. But I can't say it looks good from the outside when a project that's already been announced is canceled,

Cancelling a project is going to do a lot less damage to the company than fully project a disaster.

or directors are fired during filming,

It's better to fire a director than either leave in a director who is difficult to work with or who has not been delivering a project.

and directors aren't given any freedom.

Big studio franchise movies are not the place to go for freedom. These kind of things are fully controlled by the studio and the producers, they just have to much at stake to just let directors come in and do whatever the hell they want. And things like Marvel and Star Wars, they're going to want to keep an even tighter hand on things to keep things consistent, and when necessary to make sure things are being set up for future movies. They basically operate more like TV shows now, which is why some of the most successful directors for these kind of movies are former TV directors, like the Russos, because they're used to working that way. Yes, there are occasionally directors who they bring in for their unique style, like Rian Johnson, but even they're not really given complete freedom, everything they do still has to go through the producers.

I'm pretty sure that's a false standard simply because Marvel has never hired a director that went massively off script or ridiculously over budget. They most certainly have had directors who were heavily involved with projects leave before filming started due to creative differences. Edgar Wright comes to mind. Scott Derrickson with the Doctor Strange sequel.

Didn't they go through 3 or 4 different directors for Blade before they finally decided to put it on hold?

Studio intervention is what saved Rogue One. Even the Darth Vader hallway scene, which most people consider to be the highlight of the film, came at studio insistence late in the process.

Despite what some people think, studio intervention isn't always a bad thing.

A shame we didn't get to see that story play out.

Yeah, that would have been pretty cool.

 

[oktay]

You do? Have you worked in Hollywood?

No, what I mean is that in Hollywood, there are always project meetings and only a small part is approved.

Cancelling a project is going to do a lot less damage to the company than fully project a disaster.

I was going to say I disagree with that. But considering the damage The Acolyte's franchise has done, I understand what you mean. Look, for someone who doesn't know anything about Hollywood, who only knows that there are a lot of meetings in Hollywood and that not every project gets a green light, and who doesn't know how major Hollywood companies operate, the cancellation of announced projects and the firing of directors during filming casts a negative image of Lucas Film. Furthermore, as a casual viewer who isn't fully familiar with the workings of Hollywood companies, I'd love to see a Star Wars film of their own style from the directors mentioned above.

It's better to fire a director than either leave in a director who is difficult to work with or who has not been delivering a project.

Rather than firing someone, if there are disagreements between a major studio and a director from the outset, it's better to understand from the start that they can't work together and then leave by mutual consent. I'd also like to see the directors' own versions of the Han Solo film. It would be a funny and entertaining film, for sure.

 

[fireproof78]

and who doesn't know how major Hollywood companies operate, the cancellation of announced projects and the firing of directors during filming casts a negative image of Lucas Film

From a surface level analysis, certainly.

 

[JD]

No, what I mean is that in Hollywood, there are always project meetings and only a small part is approved.

There's a lot more than that to being a producer.

I was going to say I disagree with that. But considering the damage The Acolyte's franchise has done, I understand what you mean.

What damage has it done? As far as I can tell Star Wars is still doing fine.

Look, for someone who doesn't know anything about Hollywood, who only knows that there are a lot of meetings in Hollywood and that not every project gets a green light, and who doesn't know how major Hollywood companies operate, the cancellation of announced projects and the firing of directors during filming casts a negative image of Lucas Film.

I'd say it casts a negative light on the director/directors, since they're typically the ones who are at fault.

Furthermore, as a casual viewer who isn't fully familiar with the workings of Hollywood companies, I'd love to see a Star Wars film of their own style from the directors mentioned above.

There's still plenty of the directors styles in the movies we got.

Rather than firing someone, if there are disagreements between a major studio and a director from the outset, it's better to understand from the start that they can't work together and then leave by mutual consent.

It's not always that easy, sometimes it doesn't become clear until filming actually starts that things aren't working out. They spend months, sometimes even a year or longer, working together on preproduction for these movies and you can't always tell that a person's directing style isn't going to work out until filming actually. And we do have dozens of examples of them understanding from the start that they can't work together and leaving by mutual consent.

I'd also like to see the directors' own versions of the Han Solo film. It would be a funny and entertaining film, for sure.

From everything I've read, their version of the Han Solo film was a disaster, and that was why they were fired. If it was actually worth watching, they would've been allowed to finish it,

 

[oktay]

What damage has it done? As far as I can tell Star Wars is still doing fine.

I think the show has damaged the universe in terms of quality. Beyond that, I think the quality of work produced in the Star Wars universe is poor. In general, I think animated Star Wars shows are better than live-action works.

 

[GhoulEddie74]

Andor and the first two seasons of The Mandalorian would politely though firmly disagree with you.

 

[oktay]

Andor and the first two seasons of The Mandalorian would politely though firmly disagree with you.

I said a few pages ago that the first two seasons of The Mandalorian and Andor were good.

 

[Campe]

I don't think The Acolyte was bad per se. It was average at best, but had some very interesting ideas that could have, given the opportunity to be fleshed out, been very interesting for the saga as a whole. Qimir being the first Knight of Ren is one of those. I'll admit "the power of one..." thing was a little silly, but it wasn't quite as terrible as some make it out to be.

 

[Set Harth]

I think the show has damaged the universe in terms of quality.

You're entitled to your opinion but I find it somewhat difficult to comprehend.

I don't think The Acolyte was bad per se.

It was good, so I would also argue that it wasn't bad per se.

I'll admit "the power of one..." thing was a little silly, but it wasn't quite as terrible as some make it out to be.

Force-users pooling their efforts somehow never made it into the films but it's been a thing in the cartoons and other media for many years.

 

[oktay]

There's a lot more than that to being a producer.

What damage has it done? As far as I can tell Star Wars is still doing fine.

I'd say it casts a negative light on the director/directors, since they're typically the ones who are at fault.

There's still plenty of the directors styles in the movies we got.

It's not always that easy, sometimes it doesn't become clear until filming actually starts that things aren't working out. They spend months, sometimes even a year or longer, working together on preproduction for these movies and you can't always tell that a person's directing style isn't going to work out until filming actually. And we do have dozens of examples of them understanding from the start that they can't work together and leaving by mutual consent.

From everything I've read, their version of the Han Solo film was a disaster, and that was why they were fired. If it was actually worth watching, they would've been allowed to finish it,

Your current positive outlook on Lucas Film's management has me a little annoyed. But let me think about your discussion. Yes, if not adhering to the script on Han Solo would harm the character's journey, of course they have the right to make changes to the directors.

There's still plenty of the directors styles in the movies we got.

I don't understand what you mean?

I find it interesting that Star Wars fans today don't seem to agree on any particular movie or show other than the first OT. The same goes for Star Trek.

 

[oktay]

You're entitled to your opinion but I find it somewhat difficult to comprehend.

I think it harms the canon in terms of both quality and the age of some characters.

 

[Set Harth]

Which characters?

 

[oktay]

Which characters?

Ki-Adi-Mundi

Ki-Adi-Mundi

Ki-Adi-Mundi was a Force-sensitive Cerean male and a Jedi who was active during the High Republic. He was a member of the Jedi High Council during the last decades of the Galactic Republic. Following the outbreak of the Clone Wars after the First Battle of Geonosis, Mundi became a Jedi General...

starwars.fandom.com

 

[Set Harth]

How does his age harm the canon? He's obviously not human and nothing in the prequels established him to be a member of a short-lived species.

 

[oktay]

How does his age harm the canon? He's obviously not human and nothing in the prequels established him to be a member of a short-lived species.

I know that canon books and comics were also mentioned.

 

[Set Harth]

So this thing was contradicted by the show? I don't see that as any great loss or fatal wound to the franchise...

 

[Campe]

I'm confused. The issue is a continuity error with a non-canon source regarding a tertiary character's age? FFS, there have been continuity errors or odd leaps of logic that we just shrug and ignore in mainline canon sources regarding major characters.

 

[Tuskin38]

Ki-Adi-Mundi

He never had a canon birth year, the Acolyte didn't change anything in that regard.

Yes, he had a birth year in Legends, but that was never brought over to his canon lore before The Acolyte aired.

 

[GhoulEddie74]

Well, now Ki-Adi-Mundi's a lot older than we previously thought him to be. Legends is now Legends for a reason.

 

[FredH]

I really don’t understand why people apparently see The Acolyte as bad. It’s a dark show with characters more complex than Good/Evil, if that’s what people object to, but to my mind that’s very much a feature, not a bug. And nobody seemed to mind that, over on Andor.