The Star Wars Thread

[Hero-of-Time]

Crazy that the series is now 20 years old. I still think its one of the best Star Wars series to spin off from the movies. Animation is top tier and it was impressive how much they were able to do in such a short runtime. I loved General Grevious in this. The character that was potrayed in the movies was garbage in comparison.

[Julius]

In a move that seemingly came out of nowhere, but is fully deserved, Dave Filoni has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Lucasfilm! Per Vanity Fair:

Quote

"I'm setting up what seems to be a larger conflict with the Imperial remnant" Filoni says. "That conflict can't just mirror what we've seen before. It has to take on a different shape. It can't just be the Empire versus what looks like the Rebellion, or even the Republic. It has to be visually different."

That's one of the choice quotes of the article, and while I don't think it's an actual dig in any way at the sequels and I can enjoy certain aspects of those films for what they are, I think it highlights one of that trilogy's biggest weaknesses, which is that in its design ethos it does just look so visually similar to the original trilogy when compared to something like the prequels. 

Which is to all say: I guess this means TIE Defenders might be about to be back on the menu 

[bob]

I've made this point before. You've got shows and films all over the timeline, but it's hard to say when they take place because the overarching plotlines are so similar.

[Hero-of-Time]

I'm still torn on the announcement of Filoni being CCO. On the one hand I thought Rebels was an absolutely amazing show (finally watched it this year) that was full of jaw dropping moments, great characters and emotional scenes. It has become one of the best pieces of SW media I've seen in a while. On the other hand I thought Ahsoka was hot garbage and a total waste of time.

[Julius]

1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said:

On the one hand I thought Rebels was an absolutely amazing show (finally watched it this year) that was full of jaw dropping moments, great characters and emotional scenes. It has become one of the best pieces of SW media I've seen in a while.

1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said:

On the other hand I thought Ahsoka was hot garbage and a total waste of time.

I personally really enjoyed it, but I also think it's probably the most fan service we've had in these live-action Disney+ shows to date, so, I mean, I can understand it. Outside of a few characters (returning and/or with an entire animated series to depend on for characterisation) I also think it has the general Mandoverse issue of some stilted acting and bland lines. 

Have you watched Andor yet H-o-T? I think it is by far and away the best written, acted, directed, and overall executed live-action Star Wars show so far, and I think probably my favourite (/the best) live-action Star Wars anything since Rogue One and parts of The Last Jedi. 

1 hour ago, bob said:

I've made this point before. You've got shows and films all over the timeline, but it's hard to say when they take place because the overarching plotlines are so similar.

Oh yeah, absolutely. I still think it's crazy that they haven't been using opening crawls more to set up the time periods of these live-action shows by referring to the films, and I find it really funny that the one time they have used any sort of reference on-screen, it was in a show which is a prequel to a film that the protagonist dies in. 

For something as lore-heavy as Star Wars can be, I think they've really dropped the ball on this and, purposely or not, have gone the MCU direction of releasing a lot of content without having said content during their runtime make clear for newcomers/more casual fans when what they're watching is going on. 

And when you remember that George always  used to say that franchise is for children...I don't know, I think it speaks to a bit of a wider issue with the franchise since Disney took over that when and where possible, why shouldn't these stories be made more easily accessible to children, newcomers, and more casual fans? 

[Hero-of-Time]

@Julius nah, I've not watched Andor yet, mainly because I really disliked Rogue One. Sorry.

[Happenstance]

Rogue One and Ahsoka were both great, Andor never really clicked for me.

[Hero-of-Time]

33 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

Rogue One and Ahsoka were both great, Andor never really clicked for me.

Have you watched Rebels?

[Happenstance]

7 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Have you watched Rebels?

I started it a year or so ago but it was another one that never really could keep my attention. I struggle with Star Wars animated shows.

[Hero-of-Time]

1 minute ago, Happenstance said:

I started it a year or so ago but it was another one that never really could keep my attention. I struggle with Star Wars animated shows.

Shame. It reminds me very much of Deep Space Nine in that it starts off quite light with single episodes and stories that don't really connect that much but it eventually ditches that format, becomes pretty dark and just turns into one continuous storyline with no filler.

[Happenstance]

Just now, Hero-of-Time said:

Shame. It reminds me very much of Deep Space Nine in that it starts off quite light with single episodes and stories that don't really connect that much but it eventually ditches that format, becomes pretty dark and just turns into one continuous storyline with no filler.

I don't really know what it is. I know from various recaps etc that I like the stories from them but I've just never been able to stick with any animated Star Wars show that I've started.

[Hero-of-Time]

@Julius have you watched this yet?

Amazing work done by those involved.

[Julius]

On 12/30/2023 at 8:52 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

@Julius have you watched this yet?

Amazing work done by those involved.

I think I've watched some of their update videos over the years but didn't realise it had come out! Thanks for making me aware, just finished watching it through a first time, and it's already time to watch it a second time me thinks  

The fan TCW animators are getting into such a great space so quickly, I really hope it pushes LucasFilm to animate some of the cut arcs from latter seasons of the show like Son of Dathomir before fans inevitably attempt to do it themselves! 

[FalcoLombardi]

Would be cool if they animated the Quilan Vos + Asajj Ventress arc. (spellings on the names?)

[Julius]

The Mandalorian & Grogu is a set for cinemas and will begin production in 2024, spearheading the new feature development slate. Per StarWars.com: 

Quote

The Mandalorian and Grogu are embarking on a new adventure — to movie theaters.

Directed by Jon Favreau, and produced by Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, and Dave Filoni, The Mandalorian & Grogu will go into production in 2024.

“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” said Favreau. “The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”

"Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen," added Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm.

The Mandalorian & Grogu will lead Lucasfilm's ongoing feature-development slate, including films helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, and Dave Filoni, who is also currently developing Ahsoka Season 2, among those in the works.

This is the Way. 

Super weird. According to Deadline, Mando S4 is still in development, so I'm guessing this is a reaction to the strikes delaying just about everything on their end and wanting to get something out of the door ASAP – but that it now seems to be at the front of the pecking order doesn't exactly instill confidence when it comes to all of the upcoming films. Guess my main hope would be Ludwig returning to score this? 

Also, this is the first official confirmation we've had of Ahsoka S2 – yes, as a footnote in this announcement. That's pretty bizarre. 

On 1/4/2024 at 4:48 PM, FalcoLombardi said:

Would be cool if they animated the Quilan Vos + Asajj Ventress arc. (spellings on the names?)

Would love to see Dark Disciple animated! 

[Hero-of-Time]

I wasn't big on season 3 of Mando at all and so I'm not sure how to take this news. I suppose it does makes sense from a popularity point of view. The Mando franchise still has a lot of pull and so it would be probably seen as a safer option for a movie than trying to get something else out the door.

[lostmario]

Grogu ruined Season 3 for me. They just shoehorn him into everything and I'm just bored of the character.

Season 2 ended perfectly but nope, they had to find a way to have him there at the beginning of Season 3.

Not sure this is the solution to Lucasfilm / Disney's problems. I think it'll end up doing similar numbers to what Solo did.

[Hero-of-Time]

10 minutes ago, lostmario said:

Not sure this is the solution to Lucasfilm / Disney's problems. I think it'll end up doing similar numbers to what Solo did.

Solo is one of my favs of the modern SW films. Probably because I had zero expectations before watching it.

[Julius]

I enjoyed Mando S3, even if I do think it's pretty much objectively the weakest of the three seasons we've had so far (I mean, one of them has to be ), but I do agree with the general sentiment that...

12 hours ago, lostmario said:

Grogu ruined Season 3 for me. They just shoehorn him into everything and I'm just bored of the character.

There was a moment in S3 where they added a new potential iuse for Grogu which I was excited to see play out...and it was over before it really had a chance to begin. 

Spoiler

Him being housed in IG-11 should've been semi-permanent I feel, or something I hope they choose to return to. It shouldn't have just been a gag that lasted an episode or two. 

Imagine we end the show in 5 years or whatever, Din has died/retired, we get a shot of an IG droid wearing a Mando helmet with a poncho traipsed over its torso, the wind blows ever so slightly...and we see Grogu in the hotseat once again. The idea of a powerful Force sensitive choosing to be a Mandalorian in the body of his protector, wearing the helmet of his father figure, and potentially using that as a mech suit is both funny and super intriguing to me  

 

12 hours ago, lostmario said:

I think it'll end up doing similar numbers to what Solo did.

Man, I'd be shocked if that were the case. Solo was sent out with the explicit purpose of dying at the feet of everything around it - it was sandwiched square in the middle of what, Infinity War, Deadpool 2, Incredibles 2 and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom? Yeah, it's a Star Wars film, but it didn't get a massive marketing push or the time to rake it in with a December release as many Star Wars films have before it. It also released a few months after The Last Jedi, which was, well, fanbase-splitting at best, and I think plenty were still reeling from that. 

Solo did approx $400m worldwide, and with Mando & Grogu being the first Star Wars film to hit the silver screen in 5+ years by the time it lands, the reception of the show, I imagine it being a continuation of the story and not a side hustle...I'd be surprised if it didn't do $700m+. Will it do $1 billion, as I'd argue every Star Wars film is positioned to very easily do, at least compared to the competition? I don't know. I also wonder if they'll adopt a parallel pay-per-view model as we saw during the height of COVID for people to rent it through Disney+, and thinking about this particular film, I can't help but worry a little bit for Filoni's live-action directorial debut with the movie which will seemingly end this entire New Republic era story. Then again, idk, fans of the animated stuff would go to bat for it I feel and probably watch it enough times to get over that line  

12 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Solo is one of my favs of the modern SW films. Probably because I had zero expectations before watching it.

I haven't actually gone back to revisit Solo since the first time I watched it (when it dropped on blu-ray), but while I didn't come away absolutely loving it, I do feel the lack of expectations really softened that blow for me. As Huber would say: swimming in 7s  it's also just a much more jolly time than I feel the other Disney-produced Star Wars films have been

[Julius]

Trailer for the third and final season of The Bad Batch, streaming from 21st February, and opening the season with a three-episode premiere:

 

Edited January 22 by Julius

[EEVILMURRAY]

On 12/30/2023 at 8:52 PM, Hero-of-Time said:

@Julius have you watched this yet?

Amazing work done by those involved.

It's a bit jarring it goes from motion picture McGregor to bootleg Hayden. Pick a lane and stick with it boys!

[Julius]

We have release dates planned for the next three Star Wars movies, courtesy of the latest Disney slate: 22nd May 2026, 18th December 2026, and 17th December 2027. 

First film is almost certainly the recently announced Mandalorian and Grogu, meaning we'll have had three years between the finale of S3 and the release of the film continuing the story, which is wild to think about. Star Wars turns 50 in 2027, so I'm guessing that'll be the film in the first Jedi, and that the 2026 film will be Rey's? 

All makes me question...what will they have to show at Celebration next year? 

[Hero-of-Time]

The Phantom Menance returns to theaters this year to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Amazing movie poster.

[Happenstance]

Might have to go see that, always had a soft spot for Phantom Menace.

[bob]

I kind of want to go and see pod racing on the big screen again.