GEORGE LUCAS: What are his plans for the third trilogy?

[Whofan]

The Vong do get a small mention in the original Knights of the Old Republic game, where a character recalls asteroid fighters, or something along those lines.


They're also mentioned in the Rogue Planet and Outbound Flight novels which takes place between TPM and AOTC, but not seen.

 

[Sindatur]

I think a better point of comparison is the Lord of the Rings films - not that Lucas fares any better here. They're both epic film trilogies set in exotic fantasy worlds which are big on spectacle - but I don't think I'm ruffling any feathers to suggest Jackson's films far outpaces Lucas when it comes to story and characterisation.

Well, of course, Jackson's films are adapted from source material that the original and masterful author spent decades of his life perfecting [from 1914 to 1949, if you count the development of what became the backstory]. Even though Jackson hacked it up, it had such a long way to fall that--well--it still came out superior to the Prequel Trilogy [in terms of story and characterization].

In other words, and in short, the lion's share of the credit on this score goes to Tolkien, not Jackson.

Heh, Lucas has spent decades "perfecting" his Star Wars films too

 

[Galileo7]

It will probably happen only when Lucasfilm needs the financial reward of the releases and merchandising of a third post-ROTJedi trilogy. Maybe after they finish with the financial reward of the releases and merchandising of animated Clone Wars ends and the untitled live-action series is produced(scripts are written).

 

[RandyS]

what about the yuzhan vong in a new prequel?

Oh good God no.....

To quote Comic Book Guy:

"Worst. Villans. Ever."

 

[Broccoli]

what about the yuzhan vong in a new prequel?

Weren't the prequels bad enough? Do we really need another one?

 

[Set Harth]

Episode Zero.

 

[RandyS]

I think a better point of comparison is the Lord of the Rings films - not that Lucas fares any better here. They're both epic film trilogies set in exotic fantasy worlds which are big on spectacle - but I don't think I'm ruffling any feathers to suggest Jackson's films far outpaces Lucas when it comes to story and characterisation.

Well, of course, Jackson's films are adapted from source material that the original and masterful author spent decades of his life perfecting [from 1914 to 1949, if you count the development of what became the backstory]. Even though Jackson hacked it up, it had such a long way to fall that--well--it still came out superior to the Prequel Trilogy [in terms of story and characterization].

In other words, and in short, the lion's share of the credit on this score goes to Tolkien, not Jackson.

Heh, Lucas has spent decades "perfecting" his Star Wars films too

AKA "The Neverending Story".

 

[Temis the Vorta]

what about the yuzhan vong in a new prequel?

Weren't the prequels bad enough? Do we really need another one?

A do-over would be nice, as long as Lucas hires some competent help this time.

 

[Whofan]

I'm not sure if Lucas would ever do that....but I suppose it could happen at some point in the future, if somebody decides to remake the whole saga or something like that (Probably after Lucas's passing).

The only other example I can think of a official 'do-over' recently is the Exorcist beginning movies, which I think were the same thing just reedited. Not sure about that though.

That being said, AOTC and ROTS did seem at times to 'apologize' for TPM, (Such as Jar-Jar's shortened screen time) but developed problems in other areas. Same goes for the Transformers films.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Making more money.

/thread.

 

[Broccoli]

Making more money.

/thread.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Well, of course, Jackson's films are adapted from source material that the original and masterful author spent decades of his life perfecting [from 1914 to 1949, if you count the development of what became the backstory].

I guess he needed another few decades.

You mean Lucas needed more time to perfect Star Wars?

Heh, Lucas has spent decades "perfecting" his Star Wars films too

To say

Tolkien > Lucas​

isn't itself an insult to Lucas. The problem is that the PT was the best he could come up with.

 

[Guartho]

Well, of course, Jackson's films are adapted from source material that the original and masterful author spent decades of his life perfecting [from 1914 to 1949, if you count the development of what became the backstory].

I guess he needed another few decades.

You mean Lucas needed more time to perfect Star Wars?

No, I mean LoTR was too long and far from perfected. That doesn't mean Tolkien ≤ Lucas by any means.


Sorry, had to pause for a bit after saying that out loud. Anyway, Tolkien is still a better writer than Lucas by several orders of magnitude.

Also, just a word of warning if you're one of those people that was outraged at the exclusion of a pointless character like Tom Bombadil from the Jackson films quit now because I will not take anything you say about LoTR seriously from then on.

 

[Set Harth]

You can't do Tom Bombadil.

Tom Bombadil turns the whole thing into a musical.

Kind of like Renaissance Faire meets Cop Rock.

Thus no Barrow-wights either.

 

[sojourner]

^I walked out of FOTR when I realized they cut out Bill Fearny.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I guess he needed another few decades.

You mean Lucas needed more time to perfect Star Wars?

No, I mean LoTR was too long and far from perfected. That doesn't mean Tolkien ≤ Lucas by any means.


Sorry, had to pause for a bit after saying that out loud. Anyway, Tolkien is still a better writer than Lucas by several orders of magnitude.

Also, just a word of warning if you're one of those people that was outraged at the exclusion of a pointless character like Tom Bombadil from the Jackson films quit now because I will not take anything you say about LoTR seriously from then on.

I never implied that The Lord of the Rings is perfect, either. I didn't say he spent decades of his life working on it until it was perfected.

Just to be clear, saying that someone spent decades perfecting something doesn't imply that he or she could complete the process and make it perfect. Quite the contrary. When the process of perfection takes an extended amount of time, it can be interrupted. All it implies is that real progress was made towards perfection.

So, perfect? No, of course not.

Too long? We will never agree about that. More like not long enough. But it not being long enough will never be rectified, and nor should it; nothing his son publishes can serve as a substitute for what can never be. Saying that the work is not long enough is actually just about the highest praise.

I don't recall posting my opinion about Tom Bombadil anywhere on the Internet, ever. Your estimation that I would hold that character up as a reason to condemn the adaptation doesn't suggest that you'd have any luck guessing what my opinion on him might be, or guessing what my reasons for condemnation actually are. In any case, I didn't select those reasons just to assure that anyone would approve of them.

 

[Guartho]

Sorry my sense of humor didn't translate well in text. I wasn't trying to wind you up or anything. The Tom Bombadill thing is supposed tO be funny as I've seen more than one comic book guy-esque declarations that the movies are awful solely for his absence.

I just meant it like "If you're one of those guys there's no hope of us havin a discussion about LotR.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Sorry my sense of humor didn't translate well in text. I wasn't trying to wind you up or anything. The Tom Bombadill thing is supposed tO be funny as I've seen more than one comic book guy-esque declarations that the movies are awful solely for his absence.

I just meant it like "If you're one of those guys there's no hope of us havin a discussion about LotR.

Naw, OK, that's fine. It wouldn't have blipped on my radar at all, were it not for the use of the phrase "word of warning", which I didn't believe was warranted. But we're fine.

Discussing why I didn't like the adaptation is one of those things that I would find exhausting, contentious, and ultimately both fruitless and pointless. That's why I've decided not to post about it, at least for the foreseeable future. The film trilogy is made [The Hobbit's on its way as a two-parter, last I read], I can let it go, and it certainly does have the merit of fostering an increased acceptance of the sort of genre I devote a lot of time and energy to. If anyone thinks I've gotten into heated arguments over Star Trek and Star Wars.... (And, yeah, that's intended to be humorous.)

I'll just close off my participation in this little digression by quoting Lex Luthor.

Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it's a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.