Lucasfilm updates: Star Wars 9 & Indiana Jones 5

[Truth66]

A couple of interesting pieces of news I saw this morning.

The first was that Lucasfilm has terminated the director for Star Wars episode 9.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/09/lucasfilm-fires-the-director-of-star-wars-episode-ix/

The other news from Lucasfilm is that the Mutt Williams Character Indi's son won't be in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 movie.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/indiana-jones-5-disney-release-date-harrison-ford-shia-labeouf-mutt-return-sequel-reboot-a7930056.html

I wonder if they're going to kill off Indi like they did with Solo.

[Ubik]

A couple of interesting pieces of news I saw this morning.

The first was that Lucasfilm has terminated the director for Star Wars episode 9.

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/09/lucasfilm-fires-the-director-of-star-wars-episode-ix/

The other news from Lucasfilm is that the Mutt Williams Character Indi's son won't be in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 movie.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/indiana-jones-5-disney-release-date-harrison-ford-shia-labeouf-mutt-return-sequel-reboot-a7930056.html

I wonder if they're going to kill off Indi like they did with Solo.

Wow. Lucasfilm/Disney seem to have an itchy trigger finger right now in terms of firing directors. Not too bothered about it either way in terms of the director in question. The thing that does worry me a bit is thatI see a lot of 'creative differences' between the directors hired and Lucasfilm. It brings me back to an earlier point about this films been made by committee. If they don't allow people to put their stamp on these films I doubt we're ever going to get a truly outstanding Star Wars film, just solid fan pleasing films. It's a shame.

I had hoped they would take more chances on the spin-off films, but look at the shenanigans on Han Solo. Interesting directors replaced with 'reliable' yet uninspiring Hollywood fare.

[sense8ional]

I was speculating Trevorrow was removed because The Book of Henry was very badly received, but it seems it's really just "creative differences".

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/colin-trevorrow-as-director-star-wars-episode-ix-1035463

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that script issues have continued to be a sore spot throughout Episode IX’s development, with Trevorrow having repeated stabs at multiple drafts. In August, Jack Thorne, the British scribe who wrote the upcoming Julia Roberts-Jacob Tremblay movie Wonder, was tapped to work on the script.

Sources say that the working relationship between Trevorrow and Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy became unmanageable. Kennedy, who had already been through one director firing/replacement on the Han Solo spinoff movie, was not eager for a sequel and tried to avoid this decision.

Basically Lucasfilm replaced Derek Connolly, Trevorrow's scripting buddy, in August with Jack Thorne since the script wasn't coming together, and I guess Trevorrow didn't like the new direction and decided to leave.

Meanwhile, Rian Johnson talked again about having (near) complete creative control for 8: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/n...e-canto-bight/

Also in the issue, Johnson describes the complete freedom he had to take The Last Jedi in whatever direction he chose, without having to follow a roadmap laid out by either J.J. Abrams or Lucasfilm.

"The perception of these films is that they’re all planned out on a secret sheet of paper in advance, but that’s just not the case," he says. "I wasn’t given an outline of where it goes or even a list of things to hit. It really was just, ‘Okay, what’s next?’”

“I was terrified coming into this that I was gonna be like Barton Fink and have a script that was due six months ago and I'm still on page three writing about fishmongers. But it’s the most fun I’ve ever had writing something. The whole experience was incredible: just tapping into my ten-year-old self. Even though it’s Star Wars, the whole thing has felt bizarrely similar to my experience making Looper or Brick or The Brothers Bloom.”

He is one of the studio's top choices to replace Trevorrow on 9: http://deadline.com/2017/09/rian-joh...ow-1202162109/

EXCLUSIVE: Put Rian Johnson atop the short list of directors who might replace the recently departed Colin Trevorrow in Star Wars: Episode IX. Insiders said that nothing is done yet, but that prospect is certainly in the air right now. The Looper helmer fit seamlessly into the Lucasfilm machine, which is no small feat given the number of star directors who’ve been chewed up and spat out under the “creative differences” line in exiting Star Wars movies.

...

When Deadline revealed that the Looper helmer was being hired to take on Star Wars, the original intention was for him to direct two movies. Stay tuned. It might come to pass.

[Ubik]

Meanwhile, Rian Johnson talked again about having (near) complete creative control for 8: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/n...e-canto-bight/

Also in the issue, Johnson describes the complete freedom he had to take The Last Jedi in whatever direction he chose, without having to follow a roadmap laid out by either J.J. Abrams or Lucasfilm.

"The perception of these films is that they're all planned out on a secret sheet of paper in advance, but that’s just not the case," he says. "I wasn’t given an outline of where it goes or even a list of things to hit. It really was just, ‘Okay, what’s next?’”

“I was terrified coming into this that I was gonna be like Barton Fink and have a script that was due six months ago and I'm still on page three writing about fishmongers. But it’s the most fun I’ve ever had writing something. The whole experience was incredible: just tapping into my ten-year-old self. Even though it’s Star Wars, the whole thing has felt bizarrely similar to my experience making Looper or Brick or The Brothers Bloom.”

He is one of the studio's top choices to replace Trevorrow on 9: http://deadline.com/2017/09/rian-joh...ow-1202162109/

That's really good to know. Nice to hear that it isn't as I'd perceived it to be. Johnson is a solid director, Brick was an awesome film.

[sense8ional]

Well, where there is smoke, there is fire. I do think the directors of these generally don't have a lot of creative control, like you think too, but I also think that in this specific case Johnson's and Lucasfilm's visions aligned, so from his perspective Johnson was given creative control.

So I'd say both statements are true. And yeah, I am excited about seeing what Johnson did with 8!

[Truth66]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Disney going against one of the fundamentals on what Lucasfilm was based on?

Lucas created Lucasfilm to allow him the creative freedom to make the kind of movies that he wanted to make. Now many know the countless challenges that he had to battle, including having to pay fines and leaving the writers and directors guilds.

[Ubik]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Disney going against one of the fundamentals on what Lucasfilm was based on?

Lucas created Lucasfilm to allow him the creative freedom to make the kind of movies that he wanted to make. Now many know the countless challenges that he had to battle, including having to pay fines and leaving the writers and directors guilds.

I guess, but it's not really anything to do with Lucas anymore is it? But your point remains valid, that there's no too much micro-managing of these films. Remains to be seen how it will pan out. The Han Solo film will be an interesting litmus test.

[sense8ional]

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Disney going against one of the fundamentals on what Lucasfilm was based on?

Lucas created Lucasfilm to allow him the creative freedom to make the kind of movies that he wanted to make. Now many know the countless challenges that he had to battle, including having to pay fines and leaving the writers and directors guilds.

It is my understanding, from everything I have heard, that Disney has largely let Lucasfilm do as they please (well, as long as the films continue to make money of course). Creative decisions are made by Lucasfilm and their internal Story Group, not Disney, just like Disney has let Marvel Studios do as they please. (Kevin Feige will bring them massive profits every quarter, why mess with what he has created?)

Had Lucas remained head of the company, could perhaps individual writers and directors get more creative control than they do now? I don't think so. Lucas even started editing films he didn't direct (Star Wars V & VI) to fit "his vision"... and that's not so in the hope of them becoming more profitable, as they were edited long after they left the theaters... no, it's because he feels he *owns* them.

If Lucasfilm existed to serve the filmmaker, that filmmaker was Lucas alone, not anyone else...

[Ubik]

If Lucasfilm existed to serve the filmmaker, that filmmaker was Lucas alone, not anyone else...

Yep, and that's exactly where things went very wrong. Lucas got too big for his boots and seemed to conveniently forget that Star Wars was a group effort, made great by numerous contributors. His undiluted early script for A New Hope is pretty god awful. He owes a lot to other creators, not to mention Akira Kurosawa! Cough! Splutter!

[sense8ional]

J.J. Abrams returns as co-writer (with Chris Terrio) & director for Episode IX.

http://www.starwars.com/news/j-j-abrams-to-write-and-direct-star-wars-episode-ix

[Ubik]

J.J. Abrams returns as co-writer (with Chris Terrio) & director for Episode IX.

http://www.starwars.com/news/j-j-abr...ars-episode-ix

Meeeehhhhhhh.

[Truth66]

J.J. Abrams returns as co-writer (with Chris Terrio) & director for Episode IX.

http://www.starwars.com/news/j-j-abr...ars-episode-ix

Seriously! Does this mean that Episode 9 will be more like a remake of Return of the Jedi, like The Force Awakens was almost like a remake of A New Hope?

[Ubik]

Seriously! Does this mean that Episode 9 will be more like a remake of Return of the Jedi, like The Force Awakens was almost like a remake of A New Hope?

I sincerely doubt it, but Abrams has yet to impress me with a film. His TV work is pretty great on occasion (Fringe), but not so much with film. He's reliably inoffensive and pedestrian.