SPOILER: The Acolyte -- Disney+ Star Wars -- begins June 5, 2024

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I agree that Lucas had no inclusive “plan” in 1974-75 when he started throwing it together.

The icons docu series does a great job of highlighting how he was scatterbrained and somehow didn’t pooch the whole thing in his approach. The best thing being he didn’t even have a story for return of the Jedi…not a word…when he has 200 ILM people building models and machines for “possible” effects. Hence the Death Star 2: electric boogaloo

But that does NOT excuse Disney’s just laughable misunderstanding of the appeal, the mythos, the fan dedication and the delicate game they chose to buy their way into.

It’s been a disaster. Almost worse than any of us could have imagined.

The “highlight” for me…other than some sequences of R1 and the last episode of season 2 of Mando…was the third teaser trailer for 7…

This one:



I don’t even know how they managed to cut that one? The source movie had zero of the same feel. That was Abrams pathetic corporate hack piece…and it’s been largely a parade of “creative” buffoons since.


And just to be clear…cause I wasn’t here then…I had little to zero doubts on 10/30/2012 that Disney buying Star Wars was a sure fire smash. George had given up and wallowed in self pity in a decade…and Disney had the deep pockets and gravitas to do it the right way and deliver.

Well we all miss the innocence of our youth, don’t we?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

In my opinion, hiring JJ and letting him do his whole mystery box thing was the root mistake. It’s not just that he didn’t coordinate with the other film makers, but he didn’t have any sort of actual idea of what he was setting up.

He chased the money. That was the motivation.

That’s the takeaway. And he just simply isn’t that good. As he toils in the basement of Netflix now

 

[sedati]

In my opinion, hiring JJ and letting him do his whole mystery box thing was the root mistake. It’s not just that he didn’t coordinate with the other film makers, but he didn’t have any sort of actual idea of what he was setting up.

The root mistake was the Fandom Menace being so loud and obnoxious that JJ was the only high profile director willing to take the considerable risk. I think Disney thought once they got the ball rolling they would have their pick of directors, but all had seen the abuse put on Lucas and didn’t want to put that hell on themselves.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I could say I should get X for the next 20 years just because I made Y for the last 20 years, and if I don't then I lost Z amount of money because I didn't make X. But that is not the reality of how the world works. So many factors both internal and external goes into that X value, many that are beyond your control, that you cannot even estimate it. I know many try, but this is why so many end up missing those targets because its unreasonable and quite honestly bad accounting. Its why companies don't go more than a few quarters ahead in their guidance. Too many factors to account for both internal and external, many that you don't have control over.

So you cannot just state SW should have made X and Disney lost Billions because they didn't meet that X value that you arbitrarily set based on what you perceive they should have made. And it shows that you are only thinking with emotions and not based on reality of how the world actually works.

I think I mentioned before that I have a couple of college buddies who work for danish brick makers for the last 25 years (sometimes information helps)…and they surely don’t waiver on the opinion that Star Wars has VASTLY underperformed under Disney.

There really isn’t a better bellwether on the planet…to be Honest.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The root mistake was the Fandom Menace being so loud and obnoxious that JJ was the only high profile director willing to take the considerable risk. I think Disney thought once they got the ball rolling they would have their pick of directors, but all had seen the abuse put on Lucas and didn’t want to put that hell on themselves.

I sorta agree

But I think the most ridiculous remake/reboot in history had Hollywood shaking they heads collectively like never seen

And theres the whole Johnson thing…not his B rate work…what happened with treverrow.

Anyone still believe he was “fired”? Oh to be a fly on that wall.

 

[Disney Irish]

I think I mentioned before that I have a couple of college buddies who work for danish brick makers for the last 25 years (sometimes information helps)…and they surely don’t waiver on the opinion that Star Wars has VASTLY underperformed under Disney.

There really isn’t a better bellwether on the planet…to be Honest.

And? That still doesn't prove your unsubstantiated claims of loss of potential revenue to Disney in the Billions. You have a gut feeling that is all, and more power to you for that. But that is not an accounting standard used by any company on the planet, not even Lego.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

I remember when Acolyte was first announced, it was described as almost a murder mystery, which it really wasn't.

Will be interesting to see if they eventually continue this story through books or comics

 

[Phroobar]

 

[flynnibus]

I remember when Acolyte was first announced, it was described as almost a murder mystery, which it really wasn't.

What are you talking about? If you were the characters it was... and we also didn't know for sure what the jedi did or why... until the end.

Unless you are the type that just wanted to spill the beans at the start of the story because you found it dumb to learn all the answers later.

 

[easyrowrdw]

While we're just talking Star Wars, I'm curious if anyone knows how Lucas planned to end the sequel trilogy. From what I've read, many of main elements of 7 and 8 (Kylo, Rey, Leia, and even Luke as a disillusioned hermit) were largely in line with Lucas's ideas. Disney added quite a bit (in 7) and did others much differently (not reuniting the original characters). But I've never seen anything about what was "supposed" to happen in the end. I can't imagine it was the same as how Disney ultimately did it, given how discordant 9 is with the other movies. Have Lucas's plans for the end ever leaked? Did he have any?

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

What are you talking about? If you were the characters it was... and we also didn't know for sure what the jedi did or why... until the end.

Unless you are the type that just wanted to spill the beans at the start of the story because you found it dumb to learn all the answers later.

The "mystery" was poorly telegraphed and not that interesting. This was really just a generic SW live action no different than most previous SW series.

 

[flynnibus]

This was really just a generic SW live action no different than most previous SW series.

Hot take...

 

[MisterPenguin]

In my opinion, hiring JJ and letting him do his whole mystery box thing was the root mistake. It’s not just that he didn’t coordinate with the other film makers, but he didn’t have any sort of actual idea of what he was setting up.

It's almost like he was.... LOST.

 

[Hawkeye_2018]

While we're just talking Star Wars, I'm curious if anyone knows how Lucas planned to end the sequel trilogy. From what I've read, many of main elements of 7 and 8 (Kylo, Rey, Leia, and even Luke as a disillusioned hermit) were largely in line with Lucas's ideas. Disney added quite a bit (in 7) and did others much differently (not reuniting the original characters). But I've never seen anything about what was "supposed" to happen in the end. I can't imagine it was the same as how Disney ultimately did it, given how discordant 9 is with the other movies. Have Lucas's plans for the end ever leaked? Did he have any?

Supposedly when GL met with Disney, he handed over his treatments for the new trilogy and said "Now picture this....somehow Palpatine has returned". Disney immediately cut him a huge check.

 

[Phroobar]

While we're just talking Star Wars, I'm curious if anyone knows how Lucas planned to end the sequel trilogy. From what I've read, many of main elements of 7 and 8 (Kylo, Rey, Leia, and even Luke as a disillusioned hermit) were largely in line with Lucas's ideas. Disney added quite a bit (in 7) and did others much differently (not reuniting the original characters). But I've never seen anything about what was "supposed" to happen in the end. I can't imagine it was the same as how Disney ultimately did it, given how discordant 9 is with the other movies. Have Lucas's plans for the end ever leaked? Did he have any?

Well it wasn't a requel which is what we got. A google search will come up with lots of stuff including Darth Maul's return.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

No, because a company in the 21st century doesn't work like that.

You want to call Stanford and explain it to them? I bet there’s a paper to come out of that wisdom, yoda

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Supposedly when GL met with Disney, he handed over his treatments for the new trilogy and said "Now picture this....somehow Palpatine has returned". Disney immediately cut him a huge check.

I don’t really doubt that…because he had lost all semblance of understanding at that point.

Just as when Disney told the original screenwriter of ep 7 “you can’t have Luke Skywalker…he’ll steal the whole movie!”

This stuff is actually too stupid to make up

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

If they cancel a show in a forest and no one is there to watch it…did it ever really happen?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

While we're just talking Star Wars, I'm curious if anyone knows how Lucas planned to end the sequel trilogy. From what I've read, many of main elements of 7 and 8 (Kylo, Rey, Leia, and even Luke as a disillusioned hermit) were largely in line with Lucas's ideas. Disney added quite a bit (in 7) and did others much differently (not reuniting the original characters). But I've never seen anything about what was "supposed" to happen in the end. I can't imagine it was the same as how Disney ultimately did it, given how discordant 9 is with the other movies. Have Lucas's plans for the end ever leaked? Did he have any?

Lucas was so shot that the only way he’d ever rebuild his street cred was if whoever he sold it to did such a disaster that he looked good in comparison

…in other news: Lucas street cred up in after hours trading by about 300% in 5 years