News Benioff and Weiss Leave Star Wars

[Jayson1]

I am also excited for The Mandorlain and final season of Clone Wars. Not excited but not dreading the other stuff. The movie just fills like another movie and the other tv stuff sounds okay but more pumped for the MCU shows. Unless they use Vadar on Obi-1 then that would be special. Jason

 

[Campe]

Honestly? I'm a little Vader-ed out.

 

[DarthPipes]

As much as I enjoyed Game of Thrones, I was never a fan of some of the very questionable storyline decisions that D&D made.

 

[fireproof78]

Honestly? I'm a little Vader-ed out.

Same. Tired of Vader.

 

[valkyrie013]

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This fan one was epic in a vader obiwan showdown.. but yeah.. enough with the Empire era, do something like 1000 years before or 1000 years after..

 

[Starscream2112]

They will probably fast track Rian Johnson's Trilogy.

 

[fireproof78]

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This fan one was epic in a vader obiwan showdown.. but yeah.. enough with the Empire era, do something like 1000 years before or 1000 years after..

It is both epic and showcases what is wrong with lightsaber duels.

 

[EnderAKH]

I honestly do not understand the references to contracts. Hollywood is a creative endeavor and operates in a different way. You know who had a contract? Joss Whedon. For both Batgirl and Wonder Woman. He left BOTH projects. Why? Just couldn't come up with a story he wanted to tell. It didn't mean that whoever the execs were at Warners were incompetent, it meant Joss just couldn't crack the story. It happens with creative people. Movies change producers, writers and directors ALL THE TIME. It is no reflection on the execs, it just happens. Benioff and Weiss found a deal they were more excited about where, presumably, they would get more creative freedom to do whatever they wanted. What is Kennedy suppposed to do, sue them for breach of contract? How is THAT going to get the best out of creative people? Plus it poisons the well for future working relationships. In Hollywood contracts are primarily there to determine what kind of work you do, establish deadlines, and figure out how much you get paid for it. It's not like a contract in the private sector with a non-compete clause, etc. There is literally nothing to see here. They got a better deal that allowed them more money and more creative freedom. Who WOULDN'T jump at that?

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I honestly do not understand the references to contracts. Hollywood is a creative endeavor and operates in a different way. You know who had a contract? Joss Whedon. For both Batgirl and Wonder Woman. He left BOTH projects. Why? Just couldn't come up with a story he wanted to tell. It didn't mean that whoever the execs were at Warners were incompetent, it meant Joss just couldn't crack the story. It happens with creative people. Movies change producers, writers and directors ALL THE TIME. It is no reflection on the execs, it just happens. Benioff and Weiss found a deal they were more excited about where, presumably, they would get more creative freedom to do whatever they wanted. What is Kennedy suppposed to do, sue them for breach of contract? How is THAT going to get the best out of creative people? Plus it poisons the well for future working relationships. In Hollywood contracts are primarily there to determine what kind of work you do, establish deadlines, and figure out how much you get paid for it. It's not like a contract in the private sector with a non-compete clause, etc. There is literally nothing to see here. They got a better deal that allowed them more money and more creative freedom. Who WOULDN'T jump at that?

how do you know he had a contract.. ? And also it's not like they announced he was doing..my memory could be wrong, but while the trades were reporting it, the studio didn't announce such projects. that;s the difference

 

[fireproof78]

It is no reflection on the execs, it just happens.

Way to rational for this thread.

 

[EnderAKH]

how do you know he had a contract.. ? And also it's not like they announced he was doing..my memory could be wrong, but while the trades were reporting it, the studio didn't announce such projects. that;s the difference

Because he was working on the screenplay? https://variety.com/2018/film/news/joss-whedon-batgirl-why-he-left-1202784808/ Per WGA rules, you cannot work on a screenplay in this manner without being under at least a one step deal. They currently have a big push about this in the WGA called "No writing left behind." You do not work on a project without a contract and having money benchmarks built into the deal (so much up front, so much on delivery of the script, so much for a second draft, etc).

 

[USS Firefly]

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This fan one was epic in a vader obiwan showdown.. but yeah.. enough with the Empire era, do something like 1000 years before or 1000 years after..

Wow that looks great!

 

[Awesome Possum]

Game of Thrones changed TV forever. Saying otherwise is just being clueless.

We can’t judge that yet since we haven’t seen any long term effects. It hasn’t even been off a year, it could easily be forgotten in a few years.

 

[Jayson1]

I'm not sure Game of Thrones changed tv but I do think it old school in that it was appointment tv in away that you don't see that often anymore. First since early Walking Dead days. Jason

 

[Qonundrum]

It is both epic and showcases what is wrong with lightsaber duels.

Or it is more proof the franchise had no plan and made it up as it went along, contrary to "the fandom menace" that claims otherwise.

Also, time and resource constraints (not to mention all the edits made to it shortly before its release, something else TFM forgets) made the 1977 original a bit harder and slow. It still wowed audiences, though even in 1977 and given how movies were made it's still possible to tighten it without feeling like a retcon and that remix is good, if not a tad drawn out and overly long but they're editing clips, rehashed audio, and using body doubles to cleverly simulate what might have been. But both characters are said or implied to be old, but neither talks about the Force being beyond corporeal limitations until 1980. The flinging of rocks out of nowhere is as bizarre as it is retconned; The franchise was still very new and not yet even remotely developed (Leia was a love triangle interest back then, not biological sister she'd frenchkiss in 1980 but then claim she always knew he was her brother in 1983 - whoops), which is also how the lovely 1978 Holiday Special got made. Nor were movies back then littered with drunken sailors melodramatically bansheeing "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" incessantly. Or the sappy cliched muzak upon Luke finding Benewtoy's corpse. If the script and acting are good enough, what else is truly necessary to get the audience to really appreciate it? It all feels increasingly hokey, but for different reasons.

And I don't think it's a completely fair comparison because it was made on a tight timeframe and budget and later sequels fleshed out grander stuff, which upends - albeit so slightly that it doesn't make apocryphal - what was shown in 77. And we do know Vader was the younger of the two so he would ultimately still have his Force-wielding faculties, and his gloat of how he's now the master doesn't fall apart either way.

Plus, Real fencing is best at the emotional level, which SW77 was trying hard to set up Obi-Kenner and Darth Playset with. The scripting could have been tighter but it was passable. The remake is remarkably well done but is still drawn out too long, to the point it's not much better than a coliseum with blue, green and red sticks flopping about inanely with that purple one screaming "Hey, look at meeeeeee!" though nobody's going to deny the purple hue did more to that scene (if not entire movie) than anything else, least of which that dreadful line about the sand. But, seriously, a lone purple sword fresh out of a Monty Python sketch, that's what it looked like. Unintentionally.

But TESB in 1980 nailed it with the emotionally tight confrontation anyway and that may have been in the mindset of those making the 1977 original, in which case what could have been done within constraints that would still be in line with what 1980 put out? Either way, those tidbits are proving the video to not be incorrect. Then again, so did TFA, a movie that's flawed in other ways but certainly knew to avoid the PT's penchant for big wide shots with a million glowsticks like at an ecstasy addicts' rave - it looked extremely silly and was in no way shape or form "epic".

YMMV.

 

[Tuskin38]

According to a Vanity fair reporter, they left their Star Wars project before they got that Netflix deal

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsLeaks/comments/dp5tzk/the_storm_podcast_benioff_and_weiss_were_out/

 

[Campe]

It seems strange to me that a duo of writers would be let go from a project, in a town that talks, and signed to a nine figure deal three months later. I'm not saying its not true. I don't know. I am simply an observer and have no more inside knowledge than anyone else here.

I'm just saying it seems strange.

 

[kitik]

the apparent insider info:

On a Patreon-only episode of The Storm podcast (formerly Storm of Spoilers) Joanna Robinson (primary GoT reporter for Vanity Fair, also covers Star Wars and Marvel) reported that the decision to remove B&W was made in May, before the Netflix deal. She says (according to Disney sources) that it was a “soft” removal and was not announced in order to allow B&W to shop their services elsewhere. She suggested that B&W’s comments about GoT last weekend at an event in Austin may have sped up the announcement.

ALSO, her sources have told her that Feige will be reporting directly to Iger on his Star Wars project, not to Kathleen Kennedy. Apparently, Disney has its eye on Feige to steady the franchise. However, she said that does not necessarily mean that KK is being fired, and Feige’s role may be in a consulting capacity.

 

[fireproof78]

I never trust these sources.

 

[Campe]

It always helps me to see this all timelined out. I'm including all post-TRoS-related film stuff here. EDITED: Unintentionally forgot to put in the Feige announcement. Added.

November 7, 2017 - It is announced that Rian Johnson will create his own Star Wars trilogy.

February 6, 2018 - On Starwars.com (it appears article is no longer available but date per Wookiepedia), it is announced that David Benioff & D.B. Weiss will create their own Star Wars trilogy.

April 13, 2019 - Per an EW interview with Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration, Rian Johnson and Benioff & Weiss's projects were still in development. She also states: “As they finish Game of Thrones, they’re going to segue into Star Wars... They’re working very closely with Rian.”

May 7, 2019 - Three new release dates of Star Wars films are announced for December 16, 2022, December 20, 2024 and December 18, 2026.

May 14, 2019 - At the Disney Upfront, CEO Bob Iger announces that Benioff & Weiss' first installment of their Star Wars trilogy will be released in 2022.

May 19, 2019 - Game of Thrones finale airs. Fan backlash ensues.

Late May 2019 - Per Joanna Robinson, decision is made to remove B&W from Star Wars.

July 19, 2019 - Benioff & Weiss skip the final GoT ComiCon panel.

August 7, 2019 - Netflix signs Benioff & Weiss to a nine figure development deal per Deadline.

September 10, 2019 - In an interview with the Evening Standard, about his new Star Wars trilogy, Rian Johnson speaks of Lucasfilm: "“The truth is they’re still figuring out their schedule, their game plan, so if it’s possible for me to squeeze in another film before or while working on that, I will.”

September 26, 2019 - It is announced that Kevin Feige is developing a Star Wars film.

October 9, 2019 - In a video interview tweeted by BangShowbiz, Rian Johnson says about his trilogy: "Well we’ll see. I’m still talking to Lucasfilm, they’re figuring out what they’re doing and we’ll see what happens. But I’d be thrilled if it happens, and I’m working on my own stuff too.”

October 22, 2019 - Rian Johnson says in an EW interview: "Did I say 'if'? Oh god... I have no update at all. But I'm still working with Lucasfilm on it, and they're figuring out when they do what and everything."

October 27, 2019 - Benioff & Weiss admit they had no idea what they were doing with GoT at Austin Film Festival.

October 28, 2019 - It is reported that Benioff & Weiss leave Star Wars.

---

The timeline does make sense for the most part, but so much happens in May 2019 that it feels as though its kind of a whiplash effect. You get the release date and know whose up first to bat then within two weeks, if Joanna Robinson is to be believed, its all taken back like that because bad fan reviews. Game of Thrones was a huge win for HBO despite the backlash. It was a ratings champion and a prestige winner for the network. And yes, probably much of this was despite Benioff & Weiss based on the news out of the Austin Film Festival but that they were able to get the deal they did from Netflix despite the backlash. Despite the rumored being fired from Lucasfilm. If all of this is true, they are the biggest con artists out there. So I guess it really doesn't matter on the how or the why. They're gone. Let's see what they can do with Netflix! Or not!

What this does potentially do is open up the door for Rian Johnson, a series I really did not think was going to happen. With the other Star Wars films being announced and a perceived push to have the D&D trilogy go first, it didn't seem likely. Despite what some believe, he does seem firmly entrenched in the Lucasfilm stable even with The Last Jedi backlash if that's the way all parties choose. But he is now free after the press tour for Knives Out and they can potentially hold that December 2022 date. And if the whole D&D getting let go happened in May did happen, maybe Johnson did know that and he's been waiting in the wings.

Also, the addition of the Feige film might be the first one in December 2022. We just don't know. Its all speculation at this point.