Star Wars without 20th Century Fox fanfare? -- Will Disney drop Fox from new films?

[Disneyhead'71]

That actually played at the theater when I saw Star Wars IV in '77.

 

[prberk]

Seriously, are people really getting this nitpicky already?
Who cares about what company's logo shows before the opening crawl?

I agree with

For people like me who grew up with these movies there is a very strong emotional response to hearing that 20th Century Fox fan fare and having I fade into the Lucasfilm logo. It's become a part of Star Wars. I know there is nothing that can be done about it, and in the end it's no a huge deal, but I can understand how people feel about it.

and

There is no question that you are correct. Every time I heard the 20th century fanfare I expected John William music follow. The sounds are so ingrained within the Star Wars community that the THX sound and the 20th Century Fox fanfare were even used before the start of the Fireworks at the Last Tour to Endor. The crowds reaction speaks volumes.

I know that the change does not affect the stories of the movies, but this is also both art and business. And even business marketing recognizes that there are powerful emotions sparked by music and imagery. Sure we can get past it, but this is not "nitpicky" to many of us. It's one of those details that Disney fans like to say so often is important.

Here is something to consider: Some time ago, before they bought NBC/Universal, Comcast tried to buy The Walt Disney Company. Suppose they had been successful, and they decided (as they would have had the right to) to re-release Snow White or The Lion KIng (or even make a sequel to them) with the Universal logo before the movie, saying "Universal Pictures" presents "The Lion King"... and then made The Universal Channel, showing reruns of "The Mickey Mouse Club" with the Universal logo before the film, with "Universal's Mickey Mouse" cartoon shorts between shows?

Now, do you get the emotional connection? They certainly have the right to do anything with their properties that is legal. But some things will seem awkward, and will always touch a special place in the hearts of many people when changed.

 

[prberk]

I haven't gotten over them getting rid of this:

I've actually never seen that before, but our local theatres have always been mostly chains (even in the '70s), which all had their own corporate-logo versions of a "And now our Feature Presentation" type of clip. I am in Virginia. Currently most our theatres are Regal Cinemas, which have a rollerocoaster-in-space approach, passing some random popcorn and Coke before docking for the feature presentation. In the '80s we also had a chain called Fairlane-Litchfield Cinemas, which were related to a beach resort chain in South Carolina, and they had a "Feature Presentation" clip that had groovy acoustic guitar music playing over a vista of sea oats at the beach welcoming us into the movie.

But the king of all "Feature Presentation" clips for me growing up was not at the movies: It was the one on HBO that started in a house, left through the window, and backed up into space, to a circle of shooting stars that finally revealed the HBO logo, and the "Feature Presentation" wording. It had a great sound-track, too. Anyone remember that?

(Sorry for the thread drift, but I think it speaks to how the logos can have visceral connection for us.)

 

[Master Yoda]

I know that the change does not affect the stories of the movies, but this is also both art and business. And even business marketing recognizes that there are powerful emotions sparked by music and imagery. Sure we can get past it, but this is not "nitpicky" to many of us. It's one of those details that Disney fans like to say so often is important.

Here is something to consider: Some time ago, before they bought NBC/Universal, Comcast tried to buy The Walt Disney Company. Suppose they had been successful, and they decided (as they would have had the right to) to re-release Snow White or The Lion KIng (or even make a sequel to them) with the Universal logo before the movie, saying "Universal Pictures" presents "The Lion King"... and then made The Universal Channel, showing reruns of "The Mickey Mouse Club" with the Universal logo before the film, with "Universal's Mickey Mouse" cartoon shorts between shows?

Now, do you get the emotional connection? They certainly have the right to do anything with their properties that is legal. But some things will seem awkward, and will always touch a special place in the hearts of many people when changed.

The THX sound and the 20th Century Fox music elicit an almost Pavlovian response in me. This is in no doubt due to me watching the Star Wars movies hundreds of times. I know that this conditioned response is not unique to me.

Now I can guarantee you that I am not going to loose a moments sleep over what music or what studios logo appears before Episode 7-9. However, if Disney somehow pulls some strings and gets the 20th Century fanfare in front of Episode 7-9, they will get major, major brownie points from me.

 

[Matt_Black]

I can understand. With talk about making new Indy movies, I'm not sure that the castle logo lends itself well to the opening logo transition gag tradition, which was always a neat touch for the Indy films, and it would be a shame to lose it for future films.