Relief or disappointment? Joy or sadness? Ecstasy or depression? The news that George Lucas has told the world he won’t be making another Star Wars film is bittersweet.
Lucas told the New York Times in an interview about his new movie Red Tails that he wouldn’t be making any more Star Wars films:
“Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”
Fanboys can be so cruel.
Lucas was also stung by criticism about him changing the original trilogy for different releases:
On the internet, all those same guys that are complaining I made a change are completely changing the movie. I’m saying: ‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.’
Lucas has stated that Red Tails will be his last blockbuster, with the possible exception of another Indiana Jones film. While the news that the Star Wars films are essentially over makes a part of me sad, what I really want to see is a tightly edited version of the prequel trilogy. You know, minimise Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace and whiney Hayden Christiansen in Attack of the Clones. Not adding stuff in like he did with the originals, but taking stuff out.
If he did that, I think I’d be a lot less unhappy with how the whole saga ended up…
light487
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:08 AM“Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”
Haha.. true.. but if he didn’t go back and rewrite/rework the old films, I think that the criticism wouldn’t have been as bad as if he had just let sleeping dogs lie.
‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.’
In your own loungeroom, sure dude.. I can understand that. It’s like repainting the Mona Lisa with a frown instead of a smile. Yes, it may be how you wanted it.. but it’s now bigger than you, the artist.. it is now “owned” in the minds of countless people.. and you’ve just ruined those dreams and ideas.
Sylver
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:08 AMIf he made a movie like Saw, except starred Jar Jar Binks in it, I’m sure it would be a best seller and he would receive lots of praise and we could get another Star Wars movie.
Isn’t this a little bit petty though? It honestly sounds like a hissy fit to me.
“Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”
;_;
I appreciate your movies, but you’re a sook!
Commander Sheppard
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:11 AMgood.. the last three were terrible
Dan
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:21 AMI think everyone should realise, it is not their star wars, it is his. He owns it, he makes it blah blah. If all the “fans” didn’t like the remakes, then they didn’t need to watch them. It’s because of them the real fans don’t get to see the rest of the star wars story. Thanks guys, you are to blame, hope your life was worthit. Yes Jar Jar is annoying, but I would put up with him any day with the knowledge of having another 3 star wars films.
light487
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:28 PMThe problem with this statement is that it is now nearly impossible, and to a certain extent illegal, to obtain copies of the originals. It’s one to bring out a new “Director’s Cut”.. and entirely different matter to ban the sale and stocking of the old version. If no one cared about the chanegs, it wouldn’t matter.. but the very fact that there is this very article and many other like it over the years suggests that there is a real issue at hand in this, not just a handful of fanbois having a whinge.
Sam
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 1:03 PMI think that’s actually a pretty fair point.
Best comparison I can make, is when labels re-release albums from the pre-digital era.
It’s not unusual to have extended editions – with early/demo/studio-run-through versions of songs, unreleased material, etc – however the original album fundamentally remains the same.
Pearl Jam’s remastered version of Ten is probably a great example of this – the whole thing was re-mixed by Brendan O’Brian in a more contemporary fashion (along with other extras), however the original album still stood alone on its own disc un-tampered with (aside from the remastering).
I don’t think anyone is suggesting Lucas doesn’t have a right to modify his previous works, but I do think revisions like these are best used as a companion piece, rather than a replacement.
Richard
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 12:29 AMExactly. They’re “fans” because they liked the films and want to see them. Lucas however has decided he doesn’t want to allow people to get access to them through his restricting of what is available out there on the market.
The reason Lucas gets all this negative attention isn’t so much because he updated the films, but rather he updated them and more or less took away the originals and denied people the option of watching both.
SeanC
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:24 AMEpisodes 4, 5 & 6 are great on the whole, 1,2 and 3′s story, overall is also fine. My objection is with the script and the acting.
Entilzha
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:26 AMWoot hopefully some else will do the Thrawn story then.
Osiris Fox
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:32 AMSad :(
Barry
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:51 AMI’mvery sad about this that George has bent over for his work. Star Wars is first and foremost HIS and it is his HIS CREATION. We have been given the honour and pleasure of experiencing because of George.
I admire George for his decisions that he has made and his work and this includes Howard the Duck movie which I very muched liked. His work and vision has shaped movies today in so many ways and please remember, if it wasn’t for Star Wars and ILM then there wouldn’t be any Avatar Movie.
I only hope this doesn’t stop him from making movies or any Star Wars television shows. The universe that he created with his employees is still as rich today as it was first released.
Dave
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:57 AMUnfortunately this won’t stop him from cashing in and re releasing all the old movies in 3D!
I would love to see some of the books based after the movies come to life but I don’t think it will happen any time soon. They’ll just keep making clone wars crap.
Barry
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:08 PMThere was a rumour of a live action television series based on the Star Wars universe but I’m not sure if they will be based on books. The only thing I do know is that it won’t have any main characters in them. I hope it still goes through because they can base them on the books
Entilzha
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:24 PMJust as long as they recast Princess Leia.. damn Carrie Fisher looks freaky these days
Barry
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:44 PMNo Main Characters as they have already had their adventure told.
mike
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:05 PMYou can actually watch better versions of the prequals (and various other films). Check out Fanedits.org. A great site with the talented editors. There is an awesome version of episode 2 that runs 48 minutes and is in the style of imagined 40′s scifi. all sepia and washed out tones!.
TSH
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:18 PM“Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”
*ka-ching!*
“oh, that’s why”
One day, Lucas will release a Star Wars box set entitled: “whatever, you’ll buy it anyway edition”. And like everything else Star Wars, he’ll have to build an extension on his moneybin for it.
I don’t blame him for Star Wars sucking. I blame the fans for putting up with it.
Azza
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:19 PMGeorge, instead of having a big hissy fit, pass it on to Christopher Nolan. He’s proved that he can still honour the existing fiction, yet bring it to a modern audience.
attila
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:22 PMYeah, they are “his movies” but if (for example) Picasso had decided 30 years later to come back and draw smiley faces all over Guernica don’t expect me to be happy about it.
Ozoneocean
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:48 PMGood example!
John
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:36 PMWakey, wakey. This story was everywhere, yesterday.
Ozoneocean
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:47 PMSounds like a great deal for everybody.
Max
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:52 PMDon’t worry George, nobody wanted you to make another one anyway.
All we want is for you to release the originals on Blu-Ray.
Chinosts
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 1:06 PMI wonder if George Lucas has taken any time out and played SWTOR for a bit… Now that is what compelling storylines, great acting and cool characters with believable dialogue based in the Star Wars universe is all about…
Please please please George.. hand over the reins to the Star Wars movies to someone else who is more capable of doing it justice.. You started it all off nicely with the movie Star Wars but then…..
Kris
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 2:52 PM“While the news that the Star Wars films are essentially over makes a part of me sad, what I really want to see is a tightly edited version of the prequel trilogy. You know, minimise Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace and whiney Hayden Christiansen in Attack of the Clones. Not adding stuff in like he did with the originals, but taking stuff out.”
So true
Virt Atomican
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 5:01 PMThey are just movies. Not even particularly good movies. The amount of emotion that gets expended on how these movies were or weren’t edited is simply ridiculous.
Spock
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 2:42 AMLucas is a nigger anyway
jamall
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 9:11 AMAnother f*cking Indiana Jones movie? Did you understand what that South Park episode was trying to tell you?
freddysserpent
Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 9:21 PMWhat can I say Han shot first (I liked it that way) and the CGI of Jabba the Hut that was added to the Millinium Falcon scene was crap
Ash
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 10:17 AMRemove a lot of the CGI in Ep1-3 and reshoot them with a bit of reality please. Too much CGI makes me puke.