Will it Star Wars?

[LUVofDIS]

It's a land that would need to stand on it's own. I don't see people coming to WDW for any single entity, they will come for the whole thing. I would be fairly certain that WDW execs have a plan B for the hotel if people don't show up for the full immersion concept after a few years.

As for lifecycle, I am not sure movie lifecycle plays a part in the reason many guests enjoy a land, I know more people who don't like HP movies or Avatar movies but love the experience they had in the lands. Of course I know people who love HP and love the land. I don't recall anyone who loves the Avatar movie, hmm.

Anyways, seven dwarfs, though a single ride, is still popular, and how long ago was that movie out? People like the ride and probably careless what movie was tied to it. The Star Wars land needs to stand on its own. The rides will hopefully be set up so that the stories can be changed, I presume that they are mostly screens and simulators. Look how many stories Star Tours can do. All these screen and simulator rides should be setup so that the story can change, I am looking at you FoP, to keep it exciting change the story once in awhile or have multiple stories setup.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Episode 9...is DOA.

Who are we kidding here? Does anyone still think treverow was fired? I’m sorry...I think the internet got that right.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think Episode 9 is a lost cause for me personally. I'm excited for the Mandalorian series, and the Benioff/Weiss movies, I'm even gonna give Rian Johnson a second chance with his trilogy. But Episode 9 is dead to me. I couldn't give one iota about any of the characters.

You think rian Johnson is gonna be allowed anywhere near Star Wars again?

What executive would risk that?

 

[Damon7777]

1. Long term of character walk arounds is pretty good, they have been doing it since disneyland.
2. Popularity of modern star wars =/= popularity of classic star wars, which is what the land and hotel is emulating
3. Even if star wars fans don't show up, millions of others will because of the immersion of the attractions and the hotel.

~~~ Don't be too proud of that technological land Disney constructed; the power to initially draw guests is insignificant next to the power of a new and exciting open narrative based park addition~~~

 

[TwilightZone]

~~~ Don't be too proud of that technological land Disney constructed; the power to initially draw guests is insignificant next to the power of a new and exciting open narrative~~~

If so then pandora would be a failure.

 

[erasure fan1]

I think Episode 9 is a lost cause for me personally. I'm excited for the Mandalorian series, and the Benioff/Weiss movies, I'm even gonna give Rian Johnson a second chance with his trilogy. But Episode 9 is dead to me. I couldn't give one iota about any of the characters.

For me, it is the opposite. I think ep9 could fix a lot of the story points that a lot of people had a problem with. JJ has a lot to prove and I think he could do it.

You think rian Johnson is gonna be allowed anywhere near Star Wars again?

What executive would risk that?

Yup, Iger already "forgot" to mention him when talking about what new star wars was coming. It would be shocking if he is allowed work in star wars.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

For me, it is the opposite. I think ep9 could fix a lot of the story points that a lot of people had a problem with. JJ has a lot to prove and I think he could do it.
.

Abrams is not a strong finisher and never has been...the faith in him is completely miss guided.

But consider this:
1. He let ford off himself in a story arc that’s going nowhere.
2. They offed skywalker for a uselsss plot twist and now geekdom is kicking around the rumors that they now have to resurrect him? That’s so terrible.
3. They kept Fisher - who was awful - and she DIED.

But all that aside - old characters - the four new ones abrams introduced just don’t have any juice. They’re dull and flat and then Johnson made them even more so...

Can’t wait for that phasma 30 second cameo again


I believe little from rumors...but I believe this one:
Treverrow went in during story revisions or reshoots and said “this is complete !$&!$...there’s nothing to work with here”, Kennedy “fired” him in a rage, and abrams has no choice for his Hollywood Spielberg money train than to come in and protect his reboot for cash.

None of this would matter if there was one decent character and a coherent story arc.

There are none.

 

[Damon7777]

If so then pandora would be a failure.

That is one faulty conclusion you got going on there.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That is one faulty conclusion you got going on there.

I know...WDW is packed with people on planned longterm trips...because the Dak number went up...notice the others lagged a little - doesn’t mean that validates the land. It’s just more interesting for the people who were already going anyway.

A lot of the Star Wars traffic will be the same. “We should go to that new thing”

That doesn’t mean people won’t book trips for it...but they gotta sleep somewhere and at least Disney’s room inventory is finite.

 

[Astro_Digital]

Star Wars at WDW.
It will be much like anything else.
Super busy a year maybe two then have average lines.

Historically this has already happened Star Tours used to be always packed and now you should be able to get on Star Tours after a 10 minute wait. You add a few more attractions at first the crowds will be crazy but after awhile you will have no issues getting on any new attraction.

The themed hotel is going to be crazy expensive working people will never afford it.
Me even if I could afford it would not walk around pretending I am a Jedi.

Some facts about Star Wars,
Lucas was surprised it did so well
It is not Science Fiction it is pure Fantasy.

 

[geekza]

It’s that the 90’s leading up to the sequels had such good character studies on tv...TNG (one of the greatest shows ever...any type), DS9, and B5 were so well done...

I've found another B5 fan! It set the bar so high for me that it's sometimes hard for me to enjoy other Sci-Fi shows that don't have the same scope or ambition.

As for Star Wars, @Brad Bishop and I are very similar in our background with Star Wars. I was 5 when the first one came out and the memory of seeing it that first time is seared into my brain when other events from that time are long forgotten. While I didn't mind the Ewoks in 1983, as an adult they kind of annoy me. When the first trailer for Episode I aired on Entertainment Tonight, I had my VCR ready and invited buddies over to watch it. (Look, the Internet was still in its early days and the only online version of it was a teeny-tiny, badly-compressed file that I may or may not have watched too many times at work.) After hearing the first soundbite of JarJar that leaked, a sense of dread washed over me. Finally seeing the film on opening day, part of me was so full of adrenaline that I was seeing a new Star Wars film that I threw reason and taste to the side and kind of enjoyed it. The second time I saw it, there was no adrenaline and I realized just what a colossal misfire it was. During the build-up to Episode II, I convinced myself that the first one was a fluke and that it was because Lucas hadn't directed or written anything for a while. Plus, he had a co-writer on it, so it was bound to be better. It wasn't. In many ways, it was worse. By the time Episode III came around, I went to see it almost out of a fatalistic sense of wanting closure. While it was better than the first two Prequels, it wasn't great. Once it was over, my childhood enthusiasm for Star Wars that had defined so much of my formative years was pretty tarnished. I still loved (and continue to love) the original films, but I wanted to forget about the Prequels. When Disney bought Lucasfilm and immediately announced Episode VII, my thinking was, "This is a chance for a new start." I was cautiously optimistic. Still, when I went on opening night, I went with lowered expectations. Honestly, I had a great time. Yes, I wish that they could have had a more original plot, but I felt like the film captured the feel of the original films, where the Prequels hadn't, and I genuinely liked the new main characters. Rogue One I liked, as well, even though you can definitely feel that it is a compromised film. Episode VIII? I loved it. I loved that it allowed the characters to grow. I loved that it perfectly captured the reality that choices we make when we are young and ambitious, even if well-intentioned, can lead to disastrous consequences. Were there things I didn't like? Sure. Space Leia was dumb. Luke getting "up close and personal" with the ninnies of a space cow was disgusting. I would have liked to have seen more development of Benicio Del Toro's character so that his arc had more weight. I would have liked to have had some explanation about who Snoke was. Overall, though, I felt it took the franchise in a completely new direction, which is something that is lacking in nearly all blockbuster franchises these days. Solo? Didn't see it. Not interested. I already know what happens in it from dialogue in the OT and, to me, there's only one Han Solo. I don't fault anyone who likes it, I just have no dog in this fight, so I haven't bothered to watch it.

OK. Long-winded and you are forgiven for not reading it all. My point is, Star Wars has been a part of American popular culture since 1977 and, even through its ups and downs, it has endured. There is still a massive fanbase for it and, unless Disney totally screws the pooch, Galaxy's Edge will be a huge success for years to come. If you've ever been a Star Wars fan, even only as a child, the opportunity to visit a place where you feel like you've walked into one of the films is something we've all wanted at one time or another. This will give people that chance. Again, there's always the possibility that they won't pull it off, but I don't think that it will be because of a lack of public interest in Star Wars.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I have struggled since 1999 to understand how very intelligent, well funded people can continue to miss the mark consistently with this property.

Stop struggling. There are bad songs, sequels, and TV pilots everywhere. People thought they were good before they were released.

It’s very easy for a small roomful of people to convince each other of something.

the last few Star Wars movies haven't been received well

Episode 9...is DOA.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

, the opportunity to visit a place where you feel like you've walked into one of the films is something we've all wanted at one time or another. This will give people that chance.

Except I thought they decided not to do that, right?

Not like HP walking through the locations, but some kind of “generic space?”

 

[GoofZ]

Not that this has much to do with the thread as a whole, but I rather enjoyed The Last Jedi. And for the most part the movie was very well received by critics and made 1.3 billion dollars or so at the box office. So to say that it is a dead franchise is a bit of a cold take

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Not that this has much to do with the thread as a whole, but I rather enjoyed The Last Jedi. And for the most part the movie was very well received by critics and made 1.3 billion dollars or so at the box office. So to say that it is a dead franchise is a bit of cold take

There is a minority of extreme geeks who are very loud who have to over analyze every detail, and think scripts should be written for them. We ignore them, just like girls do IRL every day.

 

[righttrack]

Star Wars (in 1977) was unique because of it's throwback style of storytelling. It was a swashbuckling kind of epic, which unabashedly had heroes and villains do battle. There was the concept of honor, in the Jedi. It was everything a late 70s me-decade, New Hollywood film wasn't. One only has to look back at the sci-fi hit of the previous year, Logan's Run, or the action movie of the same time, Airport, or Marathon with it's noir aura. Only Rocky could have been so unabashedly "vintage" for lack of a better term.

Today all action movies have quite a bit of Star Wars (1977) in them. It's how storytelling has changed. Certainly with bigger visual effects, etc, but if you look at all the Marvel movies, they owe a debt of service to Star Wars. So Star Wars seems less special in that regard. I think like I always have about SWGE which is that there are people who are waiting with bated breath for this to open so they will visit. I personally did not schedule a WDW trip this year, to save it for next year. That's a rarity for me and my family. All in my family were in agreement of that--no WDW until SWGE opens! Once it does open, once the people like me make their way through it, it will become part of the parks and it will be part of the full WDW experience. People will discover Star Wars through SWGE just as they became interested in SWGE because of Star Wars. Both will pay dividends to each other. This is an investment, but it's blue-chip. There is no risk here. The only risk is that they mess this up.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Stop struggling. There are bad songs, sequels, and TV pilots everywhere. People thought they were good before they were released.

It’s very easy for a small roomful of people to convince each other of something.

So not really addressing the premise and the patronizing laugh face?
Boy you’re on this week...what else you got?

 

[Brad Bishop]

Star Wars (in 1977) was unique because of it's throwback style of storytelling. It was a swashbuckling kind of epic, which unabashedly had heroes and villains do battle. There was the concept of honor, in the Jedi. It was everything a late 70s me-decade, New Hollywood film wasn't. One only has to look back at the sci-fi hit of the previous year, Logan's Run, or the action movie of the same time, Airport, or Marathon with it's noir aura. Only Rocky could have been so unabashedly "vintage" for lack of a better term.

Star Wars (1977) also got something right: How to make an interesting/fun Sci-Fi movie.

If you think about the movies that came before that, they were a bore. 1970s Sci-Fi sucked until Star Wars. You have things like 2001: A Space Odyssey which just left you pushing through it and wondering what was going on. I know: Stanley Kubrick and there's some historical value to it but it's not a go-to movie on any given night.

People, at the time, were still fairly excited about space travel even though NASA ended the Apollo missing a few years before. We were going to get the "Space Shuttle" which seemed exciting and more practical even though it was, essentially, a low-altitude space mule. We all still dreamt of it taking us further.

Still, the movies of the time tried to capture that and made it all horribly boring. Star Wars was the first movie that really fixed that and made Sci-Fi exciting.

If you really think about it, overall, Star Wars movies are pretty bad, though. With the exception of Empire and Rogue One, they all kind of suck in their own way. Go back and watch IV - Luke is incredibly whiny throughout the entire movie. It's good because it was, as stated above, a kind of beginning for interesting/fun Sci-Fi movies.

If I were to watch a Star Wars movie tonight, it'd be Rogue One. I really think that's a great movie. There's parts of it that are a bit contrived like storing all of your data in a tower which has such a catwalk system that pointlessly makes it hard to get to what are, in effect, hard drives. Still, I enjoy that movie.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Star Wars (in 1977) was unique because of it's throwback style of storytelling. It was a swashbuckling kind of epic, which unabashedly had heroes and villains do battle. There was the concept of honor, in the Jedi. It was everything a late 70s me-decade, New Hollywood film wasn't. One only has to look back at the sci-fi hit of the previous year, Logan's Run, or the action movie of the same time, Airport, or Marathon with it's noir aura. Only Rocky could have been so unabashedly "vintage" for lack of a better term.

Today all action movies have quite a bit of Star Wars (1977) in them. It's how storytelling has changed. Certainly with bigger visual effects, etc, but if you look at all the Marvel movies, they owe a debt of service to Star Wars. So Star Wars seems less special in that regard. I think like I always have about SWGE which is that there are people who are waiting with bated breath for this to open so they will visit. I personally did not schedule a WDW trip this year, to save it for next year. That's a rarity for me and my family. All in my family were in agreement of that--no WDW until SWGE opens! Once it does open, once the people like me make their way through it, it will become part of the parks and it will be part of the full WDW experience. People will discover Star Wars through SWGE just as they became interested in SWGE because of Star Wars. Both will pay dividends to each other. This is an investment, but it's blue-chip. There is no risk here. The only risk is that they mess this up.

Fantastic analysis...funny how that actually contributes to the discussion

For me...the 1980’s and the last “great” era for American pop culture started right at that moment when the horns blasted and the scroll started...

It was a time of general societal content we haven’t seen since and Star Wars was kinda a banner carrier for it. It hasn’t translated as well in a changing media world.

But neither Lucas nor Disney has tried intelligently. Too much”I want to take it THIS way” and not “how do we keep this going?”

Leave arthouse film for the art house

 

[geekza]

Leave arthouse film for the art house

I don't think many people would consider the new Star Wars films as "art house" films. I'm curious as to why you feel that they've taken that direction.