Send rumors to SuperShadow . . . Corrections to FireForce . . . Suggestions to EonComing This Week (Jan. 25 to Jan. 30) : A Lucasfilm source confirms whether C3PO is computer generated or whether he is an "animatronic" creature created in the LFL "props" dapartment for Ep. 1 (1 - 26 - 98) . . . and we take an insider's look at the "bidding war" for the distribution rights to the prequel trilogy (1 - 27 - 98) . . . and, out of all the "products and services" offered by Lucasfilm, which ones earn the most money? (1 - 30 - 98)
Mon., Feb. 2, 1998
I have some observations that I think will be helpful for us and a question. I think that Vader does not let Boba Fett shoot Chewie because he and Leia were the bait for Luke. (Ed. Note; Correct) Chewie is old enough to appear in the prequels. On the SW screen saver, it states that Chewie is a slave, before he met Han, who was an imperial officer and Han freed him. Maybe we will not see this part of Han's life, but Chewie's. When the bartender said " we don't serve their kind here" in ANH, could be due to "racism" against droids, but what if somewhere in the history of the Republic, droids cause such a disgrace, maybe due to the Force or other sort of power, that made them even more dangerous than the creatures at Mos Eisley Bar. Mon Mothma could be the "mother" of the rebellion, but she and Ben had a age proportion similar to the casted characters that will perform the Queen and Ben.
It will be nice to see some large scale Jedi fight, like Medieval fights, and if there are they may be similar to the ROTJ fight at Jabba's ship, because a bloody fight couldn't make a PG category. Also, I think that a big "HIT" for the Emperor (and not bloody) could be blowing a "Jedi Convention Center" (Hypothetical name) during a meeting, like Alderaan explosion. A PG-13 classification to the Episode 1, will limit the amount of public that will see the movie, so a PG movie will be tried to be done, if beating records is considered. 1. When the Emperor said "the son of Skywalker" at that time we are not supposed to know that Darth is Anakin, 2. The Emperor thinks that the old Anakin, inside Vader, is completely dead. I do not remember Vader calling Luke "Son" in front of the Emperor, but when he is alone with Luke, Vader gives us a hint of his good feelings (as parent feelings), had not completely left Vader heartless, obviously this is not compatible with the Dark side. I don't get why Luke's face appears on Vader's head after the dark cave scene, can you explain this? (Source: J.)
Sun, Feb. 1, 1998
Sun. Jan. 25 Brad Cook says: Why are people so obsessed with trying to read into every line of the films and make it relate to the prequels? Answer: This is because the trilogy is the only thing we have to extract ideas from. By watching the movies we can conclude a lot more than listening to some rumors that are said to be from the prequel set. If I had to choose between just a rumor and an idea that is backed up by one of the movies I'd go for the last one. (Source: Frumentuviris)(Ed. Note: The so-called "leaks from the Episode 1" set are among the most unreliable sources and rumors on the Net.)
Tarkin is such an enigma. I wonder if Mr. Lucas is going to explore this character more in the prequels. (Source: Jas Saj)
The following is from the Star Wars screen saver:
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away good and evil battled to determine the fate of the Universe. The struggle is chronicled in Star Wars, nine episodes which depict the reign of the Empire and a small, brave band of rebels who threatened to topple it.
The middle three of the story was told in Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. We followed a young farm boy, Luke Skywalker, and his commitment to the Rebel Alliance. We watched as Luke learned about the force from Obi-wan Kenobi and Yoda, and felt his pain when he discovered that Darth Vader, the most highly regarded commander in the Imperial Navy, was his father.
The Star Wars Saga actually begins 40 years before Luke has the pivotal meeting with Obi wan that send him down the path to his destiny. The first three episodes begins with the friendship of a young Ben Kenobi and Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker. When Ben meets Anakin, he sees that he's a talented pilot, is very strong with the Force and decides to train Anakin in the way of a Jedi. But the Emperor senses Anakin's growing power, and determined to harness it for the Empire, sways the young Jedi to the Dark Side. Anakin Skywalker ceases to exist, and his place Darth Vader emerges.
The new movies will feature all the action of the first three. Much of the drama, however, will revolve around betrayal-- between friends and within the Empire. In this part of the story, things are not always as they seem and you never quite know who the good guys and the bad guys are. I plan to start the screenplay for episode one by the end of 1994 and release the prequels by the year 2000.
-George Lucas"
Okay that was really groovy. Did you notice that when George talks about Ben in the first Trilogy he calls him Obi Wan Kenobi. However, when George talks about Ben in the new movies he, calls him Ben Kenobi. Could Obi Wan Kenobi be a clone of Ben Kenobi? . . . I think I know who owns R2D2!! I feel that it is Anakin Skywalker. The reason is . . . have you noticed that R2D2 and Darth Vader never encountered each other? Mr. Lucas kept those two separated in the old Trilogy. I don't know why, but maybe because Vader thought R2D2 was destroyed somehow and he soon forgot about the Droid. I guess we'll find out in May of 1999 (Source: James The Jedi Base Web Master of Star Wars Fans Confederation)(Ed. Note: The use of cloning could be what contributes "to things not always being as they seem and you never quite know who the good guys and the bad guys are." And you are probably right about Anakin owning an R2 unit in the prequel.)
From what I have seen so far, it appears that everyone expects Lucas to jam all his good ideas in the first film: aquatic conflict, Mandalorians, Clone Wars, etc. What if the Clone Wars don't start until Ep 2 and what if the water battle isn't used until Ep. 3? Lucas has to save some cool ideas for the other prequels. (Source: Russian Rouge)
I don't know where I read this (I believe it was the Art of Star Wars), but Lucas said after the surprise success of ANH, he commissioned a full size "Falcon" to be built. He thought the expense was justified as he planned to use the prop in the remaining eight films of his nine film cycle. This was of course back in the days, when he planned all nine films to be made by 2000. Also from a narrative point of view it makes no sense for Anakin to be the main star of the prequels. Why, well a) he will change actors by the second episode(not like Luke) and b)how can we sympathize with a hero(who will lead the narrative) that turns bad for whatever reason. The Queen is the far more obvious choice as young Miss Portman will be in all three films (like Luke), will be the right age (we shall see her grow and mature through out the trilogy, like Luke) and will provide us with a sympathetic view of Anakin as changes from boy into man. On top of the above Lucas had a female lead in his earliest drafts of Star Wars, and as we all know never throws away an idea. I think it will also provide the same but different mood Lucas wants for these films, particularly if our heroine sacrifices herself (Braveheart "tear-jerker" style) for her children, thus providing the hopeful yet tragic ending Lucas wants. Sorry George! (Source: Nicus)
What do Yoda and the Emperor have in common? First, they are the only two Jedi Masters we have seen. Two, they both are very old, Yoda being 900 and Palpatine being about 100 (as rumored). Number three is a weird thing, I honestly don't know what to make of it. This has bothered me for years, and may be right by saying me and George may be the only two to have noticed it. Notice the foreheads of the two Jedi Masters. They both have weird bumps on them. The Emperor hides most of it with his hood, but it is clear on Yoda's head. What does this mean? I have no idea, but it's interesting. Maybe it's their age, maybe it is because they are Jedi Masters, or MAYBE they have both had their hands on the Kibur Crystal. This may sound insignificant, but it is interesting to notice this. (Source: Liner) (Ed. Note: It is rumored that in the trilogy Palpatine is in his eighties and looks even older because of the negative impact that the dark side has had on his body)
Back when Jedi came out in 1983, Fox made the cineplexes charge more for Jedi than for the average movie. I hope Lucas doesn't take advantage of the immense popularity of the prequel and charge an arm and a leg for tickets. Although he could probably charge $ 20 and I would still go see the movie several dozen times. (Source: One with the Force)
Many people may think that the clone wars means that the clones are the enemy. The clones may have originally been created to fight for the OLD REPUBLIC or such. They may have been used on the GOOD SIDE. The CLONE WARS may not even include the clones as warriors. It may have been political. Personally, I would like to see an army cloned many times to increase it's size so that it could fight in a battle where the odds where not in their favor because of the massive size of the enemy. It would be an interesting twist if some major characters were cloned such as Kenobi. The statement, "a certain point of view" could certainly relate to the viewpoints from the different perceptions of the clones. TO EACH HIS OWN view. What was it that changed Kenobi's name from BEN to OB-WAN anyway? One can only wonder. THIS is the kind of info. that Lucasfilm will NOT release in any way until May of 1999. (Source: Mike Solo)(Ed. Note: Clones of the major characters could create a lot of chaos and confusion because you could never be sure whether you were talking to the good or evil clone of say Kenobi or the young Queen. And your right, Lucasfilm is not going to release any info. regarding the Clone Wars.)
Whoever mentioned the anti-technology theme in Star Wars should be given a pat on the back. I never really thought about that before, except for the Ewoks' triumph over the might of the Imperial forces--who relied mainly on high technology and minimal brain power. The reason that Lucas probably did this was that he had lost faith in technology. He was in a car crash in his youth, and this changed his entire outlook on life. So maybe he distrusts technology (then again, he founded ILM . . .), but the prequels may be just the opposite. Since we are in the days of the Old Republic, we may see some planets that refuse to embrace the higher forms of technology (what I mean is, that they do not want computers to control their lives, as we are finding out today . . .). They just want to live a normal, peaceful, life and not have to worry about their droids breaking down. It would have quite a dramatic impact to see these people crushed under the might of technology, as thousands of other worlds are, and the Empire takes the reins... (Source: Sameer Ketkar) (Ed. Note: Alderaan could be one of the planets that rejects technology for the various reasons that you have mentioned . . . )
The annotated screenplays definitely suggest that at least at one time, Lucas was toying with the idea of having Ben being cloned: "In the fourth draft [of ANH] . . . the heroes arrive directly in the hangar of the Massassi Outpost and are greeted by Zan Dodonna [who tells Kenobi] he thought he was dead. Kenobi replies 'Maybe I was'." (Source: Birdman) (Ed. Note: A few weeks ago, I suggested that some of the most ridiculous rumors will turn out to be true. So George might just make Ben a clone to "surprise" the audience. George has a very peculiar sense of humor)
I think it makes perfect sense that the stormtroopers are good guys in the prequels because they wear white. Good guys always wear white. Stormtroopers don't become evil until Palpatine takes over the Republic. (Source: Evergreen Gene)
All this talk about Titanic and the remarkable business that it is doing is growing tiresome. Yes this is a great film and yes it is probably going to gross over $400 million in the states I am 27 years old and to those that don't remember the impact of Star Wars let me remind you. USA today printed an inflation adjusted top 20 films of all time a while back and wouldn't you know it Star Wars with inflation adjusted grossed more then $600 million remember average ticket prices in 77 were $3.50 vs. today's rates of over $6.50. If Lucas can recapture that intensity of the first Star Wars and generate interest in the non Star Wars fan expect to see unreal box office revenue. (Source: Hild) (Ed. Note: By the time Episode 1 is released in May 1999, George will have spent over 5 years in pre- and post-production of the prequel. So it should be an awesome movie and the best Star Wars film yet)
At the Jedi Academy in the prequels, we are probably going to see species from all over the galaxy training to be Jedi and I, for one, hope that C3PO trains to be a Jedi. But forgets this because he has his memory erased after the third prequel. (Source: Bandicoot)
The following are suggestions for a title to Episode 1 as sent in by many readers:
Visions of the Force, Heroes of the Republic, The Jedi Republic, Sons of the Force, Golden Age of the Jedi, Galaxy of the Force, Child of the Force, Fate of the Republic, Oceans of the Force, Invasion of Alderaan, Decisions of the Force, Keepers of the Holocron, Watchers of the Force, Knights of the Realm, Children of the Force, Queen of the Republic, Night of the Jedi, Enter the Sith, Raiders of the Force, Clones of the Republic, Warriors of the Force, Disturbance in the Force and The Clones of Destiny. (Source: Many Readers)
Sat., Jan 31, 1998
A Lucasfilm informant tells us exactly why the names circulating the Internet for prequel characters are not the real names that will be heard in the film:
"By the way some of you use names like Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul, it appears that some of you either believe these names are legit or use them cause those are the only names made available so far . . . but let me tell you why those names are not the true names for the characters in the prequels . . . For each scene where certain character name(s) and planet name(s) were spoken on camera, George took at least 3 takes using different names for each take. One name is the real one and the other two are disinformation. If a name is spoken by a creature that either doesn't move its mouth (i.e., droids) or CG (computer generated) "synthetic beings" then the real names will be dubbed in by George in the editing room . . . George also did this with pivotal dialogue that was spoken . . . So these names were linked to the official Star Wars site as a joke and to make everyone think maybe there is something to them after all. Remember http://www.blueharvest.com/ was acquired by Lucasfilm as a domain name and use to link to the official site and as we all know Blue Harvest was the "code name" used for ROTJ . . .
So the rumors you see and read on fan sites are not to be taken seriously, but they sure are a whole lot of fun to read. To maintain maximum secrecy about the final story, George has resorted to filming fake scenes and distributing false scripts to crew members. Hence, those that claim that Lucasfilm is not engaged in a disinformation campaign are in a state of total denial . . . Also, it's true that Lucasfilm employees have a sense of humor about the gazillion Episode I rumors that have flooded the Internet . . . We realize that 95% of the 3,200 plus Star Wars fan sites in existence are maintained by kids and college students so most of you guys are too young and too naive to realize exactly how incredibly sophisticated and ingenious the secrecy tactics employed by Lucasfilm are. I guarantee you that the real character names, the real prequel script and the description of what the CG creatures really look like will never hit the Net unless George permits it." (Source: Anonymous Lucasfilm Informant)
Fri., Jan. 30, 1998
"Everyone thinks that Lucasfilm makes a billion dollars a year and that just isn't true . . . Ironically, the "film production division" of Lucasfilm has made zilch over the past 8 years. The last profitable movie that Lucasfilm produced prior to the Special Editions was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and that was 1989. So if the company was financially dependent on the film division for survival then we would have been out of business years ago . . . I.L.M. is one of the more well-known Lucasfilm companies, however, it does not make very much money. The effects business is highly competitive and profit margins for the entire industry are very low. You would be surprised at how little I.L.M. profits from its work . . . Skywalker Sound pretty much exists to continually improve the audio portions of films and TV. It certainly isn't making George rich . . . LucasArts, on the other hand, is a cash cow. It is among the Top 3 PC CD-ROM game producers in the world and brings in ten of millions in profits each year, but without the Star Wars title of games this division of Lucasfilm would be struggling . . . But, by far the most profitable division, is Lucasfilm Licensing. They have signed a billion-dollar deal with Pepsico, deals with Hasbro and Galoob worth hundreds of millions of dollars and countless other licensing deals. The amount of money that licensing will bring in over the next 10 years will be unfathomable . . .
Forbes Magazine estimated that George is worth $ 2 billion, which is extremely misleading. Also, some people believe that the selling price of Lucasfilm could be as high as $ 5 billion because the "Star Wars" franchise is a near infinite source for wealth . . . And regardless of what people say, George has not exploited Star Wars in a greedy manner. If George were greedy, we would be producing Star Wars 10 instead of just Star Wars 4. George doesn't have billions of dollars that is simply what somebody is willing to pay George to buy Lucasfilm. It is purely his net worth on paper . . . George has a very small personal fortune compared to someone like Steven Spielberg who does have over $ 1 billion in cash, stocks, property and other investments . . . Instead, of investing in stocks, real estate and other highly-profitable ventures, George pours all his money back into Lucasfilm . . . There is a fear that Lucasfilm will eventually be sold to one of the big studios when George is gone, but hopefully that won't happen. Because if it did, Hollywood would ruin the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises just like they ruined all the other ones like Batman, Jaws, Superman, Rocky, Rambo, etc." (Source: Anonymous Lucasfilm Informant)
While surfing for Star Wars Prequel rumors, I come across sites claiming to know the "real" names for prequel characters, what the characters are going to look like, the story line to the movie and other stuff. I think 98% of it is bogus and is fan-created stuff that they wish would be in the prequels. (Source: Gus) (Source: If your visiting fan sites around the Net thinking that they are spoiling the film for you guys, then not only are you being deceived by those prequel web sites, your also fooling yourself. If we had to depend on the Internet to spoil the movie for us, then we wouldn't be spoiled at all. Lucasfilm employees don't give out the real names, the script or descriptions of what prequel characters are going to look like. Fan web sites are pure entertainment and 98% of what they post is what they wished would be in the film (i.e. Mandalorian Super Commandos battling Jedi Knights in Episode 1). So rest easy. The secrets of Episode 1 are safe. Trust me. Also, Lucasfilm employees rarely surf the Net for prequel info. When they do surf the Net, the last thing on earth they want to surf for is prequel stuff. They are surrounded by Episode 1 all day and certainly don't won't to be bothered with it at nights or on weekends. Working on the prequel is grueling and gets old after awhile. It is sort of like having apple pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It tastes good, but gets old real quick.)
Just wondering: If Anakin is supposed to be living with Liam Neeson's character (Qui-Gon Jin), is the implication that Neeson's character is Papa Skywalker?? Where does the family name originate I wonder? Who are Anakin's parents? Is he adopted also?? Doesn't ANY Skywalker get to be brought up by their OWN parents!
I remember in Courtship of Princess Leia Isolder has a thought about how Skywalker got his family name while he is watching Luke 'levitate' himself down from the sky. Could Anakin's original name be Anakin Jin? I Suppose it could be possible that the Skywalker name originated with Anakin after a similar incident within the prequels...don't bet on it until you see in the flick, right? (Source: db) (Ed. Note: If Liam is Anakin's father, then his name can't be Qui-Gon Jin. Allegedly, the French Premiere pics that hit the Internet several months ago supposedly revealed that Liam is Anakin's father. According to Rick, the real name of Liam's character and what he does in Episode 1 are still a complete secret from the public. Once again until we see the film assume that everything you read on the Net is a rumor because George can change his mind on the direction Episode 1 should take at the drop of a light sabre (so to speak). A rumor that is true today can become false tomorrow and rumors that were false yesterday could be true today. The plotline to Episode 1 is extremely flexible and malleable and will undoubtedly undergo many changes in the editing room).
It is OBI-Wan, not OB-1. They idea of him being a clone is dramatic, but let's not jump to conclusions. If the name OB-1 is in print on something official, well then just maybe. (Source: Mike Solo) (Ed. Note: The "Ben is a clone" rumor is one of the oldest fan-created ideas in existence. It has been circulating the WWW for years and is as false today as it was 3 years ago. Whoever thought that one up should pat themselves on the back.)
Could the green alligator lizard-type creature seen in A New Hope Special Edition cantina scene possibly be Jar Jar, the new CG character that will be seen in the prequels? This could be a brief preview of this neat character. (Source: Bryan) (Ed. Note: The only people on earth that know what Ahmed Best's CG character looks like are the guys and gals working on Episode 1 at I.L.M. and none of them has leaked any info. to the Net. So the likelihood of this character "looking like a lizard" are remote.)
A lot of people have been talking about the Falcon and Chewie being in the prequels. It would be too inconsistent for this to be true. That means that Chewie may be with Ben in the prequels? Impossible! Ben does tell Luke in the Cantina that "Chewbacca here is the first mate on a ship...", but Chewie calls him an "Old Fossil in the Death Star control room. Besides, wouldn't Chewie tell Han that he knows Ben? As for Vader, it may actually be possible if he knows Chewie. At the Carbonite Chamber, Vader purposely stops Fett from shooting the wookiee. Hmmm. Then again, he tortures him earlier. Chewie would also recognize the two droids, especially Artoo, since he is always in this form. So, the only possibility is that Chewie knows Anakin, but it's a long shot.
As for the Falcon, who could possibly pilot it? Not Jabba, the slug would never ever fit! It can't be Ben, he said he never heard of it in ANH (I don't buy that he's lying about THIS), and it isn't Anakin, he would have recognized the ship on the Death Star. I would think that if he knew the ship that he'd put together that his old buddy Ben was on the same ship he used to pilot. I don't think Chewie's the pilot because it was Lando's. Besides, if Chewie had flown it before Lando, wouldn't HE be the Captain and not Han? So, I don't think the Falcon is in the prequels, but Chewie may be. If he is, it is probably in a scene that involves his home planet where he may interact with Anakin. (Source: Liner)(Ed. Note: George made stuff old in the trilogy for a reason because it gives that stuff a history. George purposefully made the Falcon and Chewie old enough to be in the prequels if he wants to put them in the new films. We believe that anyone or anything, that appeared in the trilogy and that is old enough to be in existence during the prequels, will have at least make a "cameo" appearance in the prequels.)
It may be true that none of the post-ROTJ ideas from the novels and comics are going to be in the prequels, but SOTE (Shadows of the Empire) is not post-ROTJ. It occurred in between Empire and ROTJ. Swoops, the Outrider and other creations from SOTE appeared in the special editions. Hence, I bet that Prince Xizor will be in the prequels while Thrawn (a post-ROTJ) creation will not be. (Source: Sealy) (Ed. Note: George has a great amount of respect for SOTE and he says it is a story he wishes he could have made into a movie. So it is not surprising that many of the ideas from SOTE made appearances in the special editions.)
In regards to the idea someone posted on a Star Wars TV show. I would love to see a TV show about Star Wars. I think the best bet would be a series based on X-Wing. This would be an entertaining series about rebel pilots (perhaps Rogue Squadron or the new Wraith Squadron even) and their battles against various enemies. These enemies of course could be new ones or ones we've already seen. Just a thought. And: GEORGE, if you are listening, keep up the great work and have them create a TV show!!!! (Source: LordDarth1)(Ed. Note: A Star Wars cartoon series based on the prequels is inevitable and will most likely be a daily TV show appearing on Fox TV. The biggest problem George has with this type of show is maintaining quality. A daily cartoon series requires a minimum of 65 new shows a year (a weekly series requires anywhere from 12 to 24 new shows a year). Hence, it can be very difficult to maintain the story quality to the level that George would require. At the last word we heard, this cartoon series will likely be centered around the adventures of the Jedi Knights during their days of valor in the Old Republic. However, if fan interest in sufficient, Lucasfilm could produce both a daily and a weekly cartoon series. Maybe, the weekly show could feature the adventures of the pilots of the Rebellion like Rogue Squadron)
Thurs., Jan. 29, 1998
"Jabba gave Han the ship in return for a huge delivery of spice or something. " No, Solo won it from Lando in a sabbac match. However, it seems likely that Jabba is familiar with the Falcon, from his dealings with Solo, and quite possibly the smugglers who used it before him. Unless he has an extremely poor memory, it seems likely that he didn't know Lando previously, however, otherwise Calrissian's attempt to infiltrate Jabba's house guard would have been ill-advised. (Source: Ceri)(Ed. Note: According to West End Games (SW role playing game), it is rumored that some Jedi Knights piloted the Falcon although no one has ever been able to prove this assertion. The Falcon might be used in Ep 3 to smuggle some Jedi Knights to safety.)
I know that Owen is supposed to be brothers with Ben, but what if that isn't Star Wars canon. There is a rumor that Anakin will have a sister named Ellie. Maybe, Ellie is in fact the working name for what will eventually be Beru in the movie. Maybe, Beru is Anakin's sister. If this is true, it would explain a lot. (Source: Liner)(Ed. Note: That's an interesting theory. It is rumored that Ben told Luke that Owen resented Luke being "forced" on him and Beru to be cared for . . . but who knows?)
The pictures at the official site in the story on Roger Christian are old. First, I've seen them elsewhere. The picture of Kenobi's home is from his home in ANH. So is the picture of the Millennium Falcon. (The picture is distinctly ANH, as the Falcon interior looked much different in ESB. If the Falcon were used in the prequels, it would probably look different again.)
Notice that R2D2 is propped up on a wooden block in both pictures. This suggests that the pictures were not taken specifically for release to the public. They are quite likely pictures that Christian himself took to document his work way back in 1976. Professional designers always visually document their work, especially when its unusual. Notice that these pictures show parts of the sets unseen in the films. These pictures are included in the story because they are the best visual documentation that exists of these now destroyed sets.
Switching subjects to droids and the Force...The reason it is hard to accept that R2D2 might be a Jedi is because one of the themes of STAR WARS films is that nature and spirit are morally superior to technology. (See my page on the subject at http://hamp.hampshire.edu/~jbfF95/swtech.htm) As cute as R2 is, he's a machine, and therefore can't embody the divine good of the Force. I suppose that doesn't mean the rumor isn't true, but it does explain why the rumor is hard to accept.
Actually I think one of the interesting things to me is whether the subtle anti-technological theme in STAR WARS will still be present in the prequels. It's twenty years later now, and maybe George Lucas' sensibilities have changed. What do your readers think? Will the villain in the prequels still be cold mechanical villains like the Death Star (or cloning?)?? Or will technology be more of a good guy in the new films? (Source: Joel Frangquist) (Ed. Note: Someone at Lucasfilm has a sense of humor. That's for sure. They know that whatever they post on starwars.com is going to create a zillion prequel rumors)
The blue R2 Unit at the official web site is R2 D2. They say so below a caption of him walking through the desert . . . Look guys, I know the makers of these S.W. books might not have known what there talking about. But it clearly stipulates in SW the role playing game that droids cannot be force sensitive! The idea of a droid interacting with the Force is pretty darn silly anyway. Droids have more of a personality in Star Wars, they are all sentient creatures, even the Falcon's computers. But it also is stated over and over that it is just a result of programing.
Yoda talks about the Force relating to living things, and a droid, however life like, is not a living thing. And don't talk to me about dead things manipulating the Force. Now I'm not going to freak out about it if there is a droid using the Force in Star Wars, but I have faith that Gorge Lucas isn't THAT corny. (Source: Megalodon)(Ed. Note: Concerning droids using the Force: Are the novels and the role playing game inconsistent on purpose (a.k.a. disinformation) or did this "inconsistency" slip by the Lucasfilm staff in charge of Star Wars continuity and canon. That is a big error on their part. . . In the interview that precedes ROTJ: SE, George said that he put a musical number in ROTJ because he thought it would be funny to see one in a S.W. film (We weren't laughing). So don't be too surprised if we see similarly "corny" scenes in Episode 1 (i.e., burping creatures and other such things that George enjoys)
Why do some people find it so hard to believe that R2 may have been owned by Obi-Wan? I know Obi-Wan said in ANH, "I don't seem to remember ever owning a droid. Very Interesting." Isn't it interesting how he says 'very interesting?' I think he did own R2 in the prequels. He lied to Luke about his father, why not lie to him about R2. (Source: BobHag)(Ed. Note: We bet that the prequels are going to show that the only times Ben wasn't lying to Luke were when he was quiet. That's an exaggeration of course, but Ben thought the deceit was necessary in order to make sure that Luke would successfully fulfill his destiny)
Are Darth Sidious and Senator Palpatine (Emperor) one and the same. (Ed. Note: Why would Lucasfilm use a code name for Palpatine when Rick has already stated that Palpatine is in Episode 1? You only use code names for characters when you don't want people to know their real names and/or that the character is in the film) . . . Why is it that you always think that Owen Lars and Obi-Wan Kenobi are brothers. They are NOT brothers. If there is a family connection, then it is Beru, Owen's wife. Neither Owen nor Obi-Wan carry the Skywalker name. And since Owen and Beru are Luke's Aunt and Uncle, Beru must be Anakin's sister!! Watch the Trilogy again and pay attention to what they are saying (Ed. Note: Ben and Owen are borthers. Multiple S.W. guides and novels state that they are related. If their not brothers, then Lucasfilm is using all the info that has been published about Star Wars as disinformation. We don't believe they would do that to us) . . .
Something really seems to be wrong with 3PO in the old trilogy. He is afraid of everything!! What makes him afraid? Was he beaten up pretty badly, or maybe had his memory erased? Hmmm. Here's an idea: Maybe he starts off as a human being, is killed off, his memory is put into a robot's brain, moved from robot to robot, melted down, blasted, reborn etc., continues being a servant of the royal family, then later, in Episode 3, his memory is finally erased, but his personality remains intact? Far-Fetched? Perhaps. But Lucas did say he would be in an Earlier form. Nobody is ever going to believe this. I don't believe it. I am definitely reaching here . . . Mon Mothma is not Luke and Leia's mother. When Luke tells Leia that he is her brother and asks about mom, she replies that mom was sad and that she had died. She is dead before episode 4 even begins. So when does 'mom' die? Is that what sends Anakin over the edge? He's supposed to marry the woman in episode 2. He's going to be a LITTLE upset when she dies. And will it be Obi-wan's fault? (Source: BFG9000)
I keep reading my SW Screen saver stuff and I just can't get a few things out of my head. First off, I think the Screen saver is fairly reliable. Lucas himself has penned something in it about the prequels that I can't find...(Got any clue how to find it?). Anyway, here goes...
About The Clone Wars: It states that Kenobi notices Anakin's Force abilities during the Clone Wars and other adventures, so if the Clone Wars don't take place in the first movie we may not get to see too much of Anakin and the force in Ep. 1. It also says that Kenobi took Anakin's wife and children into hiding after Anakin's fall into the lava pit. Therefore, the children are born when he and Kenobi duel. Probably Ep. 3 ending. I kind of agree with a piece I read on your site earlier about Palpatine called Luke "the son of Skywalker" and not your son-to Vader. Could Vader be a clone of Anakin after he fell in the pit of lava? Kenobi does pull him out but Kenobi could leave him for dead. Just a thought. (Source: Steely)(Ed. Note: The screen saver does present a lot of good info about the prequels (i.e. Palpatine's discussions with Anakin convinced Anakin that converting to the dark side would be beneficial for him and his pregnant wife . . . someone claims that if you leave the screen saver on for 40 minutes or so, a special message about the prequels appears on this screen. We can't confirm this to be true)
The ordinance (stuff coming out of the guns) of the prequels is along the lines of the BlasTech that Solo sports during the ALS trilogy. The main difference is the actual time it takes to build up to a blast (around .4 of a second ) This is supposed to inspire a feeling of age in the films, personally I think it's a duffer of an idea. The sound won't feel right. Opinions? Speculation: the "War Below The Waves" will also feature new effects of blaster-fire (steamed-Mon Cal, boiled-Wookiee, etc......)(Source: The Fool Who Follows)
Wed., Jan. 28, 1998
There has been recent talk concerning how George & Co. are going to market Episode I. The consensus (per an anonymous source) is that they will hold off until approximately the turn of the new year to begin in earnest. I agree with this totally . . . don't burn people out. The movie is marketing itself enough for now with websites such as this. Watching the Super Bowl this week, however, showed me a very good way to spark some serious anticipation when the time does come. A short preview during this game is the best way I can think of to kick off the countdown toward May of 1999. Where else can you get a larger and more captive audience than in the most watched event of the year? (Source: Hammes) (Ed. Note: The expensive nature of advertising during the Super Bowl may be what keeps George from promoting Episode I during the game)
There's been a lot of talk about Obi Wan being a clone, and an equal amount of talk about Owen Lars' relation to Kenobi. What if both of them are clones???? OB1 and O1LRS. Then when Obi Wan said that Lars was his brother, it would be true, "from a certain point of view". (Source: Beech Street)(Source: According to someone who sent in an earlier rumor, the Dark Horse Comic's Dark Empire stated that clones are short-lived beings, which means that the Ben and Owen that appeared in ANH could not be clones. BUT the Dark Horse concept of clones may not be adopted by George even though supposedly it was approved by Lucasfilm)
Here's a few not so wacky things to add. Everyone's looking for comparisons between the Prequels and King Arthur's court, but they should also look to the silver screen for inspiration. The book Skywalking The Life and Films of George Lucas states, "Lucas wanted the sexual rivalry between Han and Luke over Leia to duplicate the classic screen jealousy of Clark Gable and Leslie Howard over Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind." (p.144). Now we know where Leia got her name. A few other clues found in Skywalking include names which might be included in the Prequels. Mace Windu is described as "a revered Jedi-bendu of Opuchi who was related to Usby C.J. Thape, padawaan learner to the famed Jedi." (p. 134) There are two villains in the original story, "General Darth Vader and Valarium, the Black Knight." (p. 135) The Force is said to have "a good side called Ashla (reminiscent of Aslan, the lion and Christ symbol in author C.S. Lewis's famous Narnia books), and the Bogan, or para-force, representing evil." (p. 145) And, the Kiber Crystal is described as "a small diamond like object that intensified the power of the Force, good or bad." (p146) Was that loud stampede I just heard the sound of millions of Star Wars fans rushing out to buy this book, or pull it off their bookshelves? (Source: Hotala)(Ed. Note: Supposedly, if you leave the screen saver on for 40 or so minutes, a secret message about the prequels appears)
Has anyone read the Dune series. Does anyone agree that there are many similarities between the two series. Jabba the Hutt is clearly "Leto 2, from "God Emperor of Dune". The talk of spice shipments, Luke living on a desert planet. The first Dune book came out in 1967. This must have been one of Lucas's many influences. Just a thought. Herbet once said he came up with 116 similarities between the two series. Hey George what do you think? (Source: Fedaykin)(Ed. Note: George borrowed ideas from a million and one sources when he was writing Star Wars)
It is clearly stated In EMPIRE that Han won the ship from Lando Calrission, a card player and scoundrel. Now, if the Calrissian family is in the prequels, it is clearly they who would have the Falcon and not Jabba. (Source: BFG9000) (Ed. Note: The people who own the Falcon in the prequels may surprise you)
Tues., Jan. 27, 1998
An insider look at the "bidding war" for the rights to distribute the prequel trilogy:
"Lucasfilm is in no hurry to award the rights to distribute the prequel trilogy. The longer the wait the better the terms will be in favor of Lucasfilm. That decision does not have to be reached until it is time for the official trailer to be released, which means fourth quarter 1998. However, if Lucasfilm can iron out the deal they want now, then the deal might be completed soon, but don't hold your breath . . . The bidding for the trilogy will be similar to the "bidding war" for the toy merchandising/licenseeing rights. Lucasfilm will use all the Hollywood studios against each other to drive up the bargaining to get an extremely lucrative deal . . . The question becomes how much is a studio willing to shell out to secure the rights to the prequels . . .
A fledgling studio like "Dream Works" would be willing to take a slight loss in distributing the prequels in order to give them legitimacy and an extremely powerful bargaining chip with theater chains . . . the studio(s) that get(s) the rights will be able to use the prequels to get better, bigger and more screens for the other films that the studio will release over the next 5 or so years and a greater portion of the box-office pie for their other films . . . If the studio promised you (a theater owner) that you would be guaranteed a print of the prequel if you agree to showcase their new Jackie Chan flick on your biggest screen would you do it? Of course, you would. No sane theater chain is going to blow the opportunity to win the rights to exhibit the prequel . . .
Theater owners realize that the prequel is going to be a monster black hole that will swallow the vast majority of film revenues during its first month of release. The concession revenues and spin-off business for other movies showing with the prequel will be staggering . . . So which studio is going to win? Well, Fox gets the first crack. After negotiations are finished with Fox, Lucasfilm will consider offers from other studios. If Fox can match or better any of these other offers, then Fox will distribute the prequels . . . One reason a studio might be willing to lose money on distributing the prequels is to keep a competitor from getting the rights to the prequels. Fox, for instance, doesn't expect to profit from the prequels. They have already publicly stated that they have already earned their profits from the Star Wars franchise (estimated at more than a billion dollars). That is why Lucasfilm received the vast majority of the money earned by the special editions last year . . .
What will the deal look like? Will it be a 50/50 split of the rental revenues (the amount of money that theater owners pay to the studio distributor out of the box-office gross) as rumored? Hardly. More like in the neighborhood of a 90/10 split (or higher) in favor of Lucasfilm. Or 100% may be given to Lucasfilm with Lucasfilm guaranteeing to reimburse the studio for "reasonable" promotion and distribution costs. George is an extremely frugal man and is not going to approve a zillion-dollar promotional budget by a studio that is financed by the profits earned by the prequel. The billion dollar deal signed with Pepsico and other licensees will provide the bulk of the promotion of the prequels . . . In 1999, expect to see a zillion commercials from Pepsico companies and other licensees to flood the airwaves. By May 25, 1999, only the dead want know that a new Star Wars film is coming . . .
So when all is said and done, the studio that distributes the prequels will probably take a slight loss from the deal, but will more than make up for this by being able to get bigger, better and more screens for their other films. Also, they will be able to negotiate a higher percentage of the box-office gross from theater owners for their other films . . . A sliding scale will be used to allocate who gets what from the box-office gross of the prequel. The studio distributor negotiates a deal with the theater chains. For example, a theater chain may offer a 90/10 split in favor of the studio for the first months release of the prequel. If you say: "No way that's unheard of and never has been done before!" then your wrong. That is exactly what happened back in 1977 when Star Wars became such a monster hit. Some theaters were so desperate to get a print of Star Wars that they gave Fox a ridiculously favorable split of the box office (90/10 split in favor of Fox in many instances) and guaranteed to exhibit the film for weeks and weeks. Court battles erupted between theater owners to see who had the legal right to exhibit the film. It was brutal to say the least . . . During the first 7 days of release, perhaps 90% of the box-office gross will be given to the studio distributor. The studio will start subtracting its distribution and promotional cost from this share (if that was part of the arrangement with Lucasfilm). After these costs are subtracted, whatever money is left over will be turned over to Lucasfilm. The studio and Lucasfilm may recoup all their costs in the first week of the films release . . .
So if the prequel earns $ 200 million in its first week of release, then the studio will receive about $ 180 million of this from the theater chains. The studio can then subtract its promotional and distribution costs, which probably will be capped at $ 100 million or so and the remaining $ 80 million goes to Lucasfilm. Or Lucasfilm might require the $ 60 million plus budget of the prequel to be recouped before the studio gets any money . . . nobody knows what the final deal will look like. Lucasfilm will likely require a non-disclosure agreement by the studio distributor because Lucasfilm is very private about financial matters . . . George is already embarrassed by the billions that he is going to earn from the prequels, but George needs those billions to complete the massive expansion of Skywalker Ranch that is planned . . .
So how many screens will the prequel debut on in North America? George is torn between the desire to let as many fans/movie patrons as possible see the film in its first few days versus his desire for the film (his baby) to be shown only on the best, digital screens (to maximize the presentation that has been so carefully created by all the geniuses at LucasDigital). The choice is ultimately George's and George's alone. If he chooses a mass release, then the prequel will be seen on 7,000 plus screens beginning on Tuesday, May 25, 1999 (the day that Star Wars debut in North America in 1977). If he goes for a "digital theater" release then the prequel will debut on less than 3,000 screens since less than 3,500 digital screens are expected to be in existence by May 1999. If George chooses a mass release, then you all get to see the film in the first few days. If he chooses a limited release on only digital screens, it could be several days (possibly weeks) before you get to see the film . . .
The financial difference will be staggering. A 7,000 screen release means the prequel will earn $ 225 million plus ($ 32 million per day) easily in its first seven days. A 3,000 (or less) screen release means the prequel will take in much less, perhaps "only" $ 150 million ($ 21.5 million per day) . . . If you have an opinion on this matter then call 1 - 800 - TRUE - FAN or LucasArts at 1 - 800 - 782 - 7927 (even if the people answering the phones don't want to be bothered with this decision or have no control over it. If you cause a big enough ruckus, it might just get George's attention.)." (Source: Anonymous Lucasfilm Employee)
From all I have read so far: Here is my "guess"-timate of the prequel story line: The film opens with a spectacular space battle that culminates in the successful invasion and take over of the young Queen's planet by an army of CG alien creatures. The young Queen flees the invasion and heads for Tatooine to get the help from one of her father's former generals, Liam Neeson. Anakin shows off his incredible piloting skills in a drag race. He returns home the victor of this race. The young Queen crashes on Tatooine and is found by a young Jedi Knight, Ben Kenobi, who is visiting his brother, Owen Lars. Ben takes her to Liam Neeson, who is living with his wife, Shmi, and Anakin in a very humble home. Liam, Ben, Anakin and the young Queen head to Mos Eisley to find a ship to take them to Coruscant so that Liam can gain the aid of the Jedi Knights to defeat the aliens who have captured the young Queen's planet. They hire a ship piloted by Ahmed Best's CG creature to take them to Coruscant. Liam takes Anakin because Anakin has never been to the galactic capital, Coruscant.
The group arrives on Coruscant and tells the Jedi Council of the dilemma. The Council informs the group that they want to get involved but can't doing anything without the Senate's approval. . The young Queen seeks out a friend of her family, Senator Palpatine. He convinces the Senate to vote on a decree that orders the Jedi Knights and the Old Republic military to free the young Queen's home world from the invasion. Some in the Senate don't want to get involved in the personal bickering between the young Queen's world and the alien invaders, but a majority of the Senator's do want to get involved. While arguments are raging in the Senate, we see Kenobi train as a Jedi and we learn a great deal about the history and powers of the Force from Yoda. We get to see a motley group of humans and aliens training to be Jedi Knights at Yoda's Academy. At the end of the movie, a great "aquatic" battle ensues and the bad guys are defeated. I'm sure more actions and scenes occur than what I have described, but that's my opinion of what happens in Episode 1. (Source: Bad Rad Chad) (Ed. Note: Not bad, Chad. Kind of cool having Palpatine appear to be a good guy in Ep 1. How accurate is your story? Well, considering that George is still "tweaking" and "modifying" the plot line as we speak, your version is probably as close as anybody else's. But in the immortal words of George: "Don't bet on it until you've seen the film.")
It is rumored that the opening shot of Ep 1 mirrors the opening of Ep 4. We see a small ship pursued by larger ones. Hundreds of fighters exit the larger ships and destroy the small ship, which is headed for the young Queen's home world. We see these fighters and larger ships surround the young Queen's home world and attack and capture it. The young Queen is barely able to escape this attack . . . (Source: Rusty Travis) (Ed. Note: It appears that most of you are convinced that the young Queen's home planet is attacked and captured in Ep. 1)
Is the young Queen from Alderaan? I think she might be. Ben hid Luke on Tatooine, which was his father's, Anakin, birth place. So why not hide Leia on her mother's home world of Alderaan? (Source: Veg Truce) (Ed. Note: That makes some sense. But why did Luke keep his last name of "Skywalker?" Is Ben just plain stupid or did Vader permit Ben to hide Luke on the condition that Luke would forever remain on Tatooine and would never train to become a Jedi Knight? Otherwise, it makes no sense why Ben didn't change Luke's last name to "Lars" or something. After all, Leia's last name was changed to "Organa." The real reason that Luke is named "Skywalker" is that prior to writing the Empire screenplay; Vader was not a "Skywalker" and Vader was not Luke and Leia's father. Later, when penning the script, George and Lawrence Kasden decided that it would be interesting if they made Vader Luke and Leia's father. Read Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays for more info. on this subject . . . )
What if Palpatine thinks that Anakin is dead after his battle with Ben in Ep 3? This would explain why Palpatine calls Luke the "Son of Skywalker" and not "your son"in Empire. Or maybe Palpatine considers the old Anakin to be "dead" once Anakin has turned to the dark side and Vader has taken his place. (Source: Alan)
If Palpatine had kids prior to becoming Emperor, did he have them killed in order that they would not be a threat to him? I wonder if Palpatine ordered Vader to kill his own son, but instead Vader faked the death and told Ben to vanish with Luke and never be seen again. This explains why Vader is on his hands and knees while talking to the Emperor in Empire because once the Emperor learns that Luke is alive Vader is scared that the Emperor may kill him and Luke. (Source: Ken Fisher) (Ed. Note: That sounds reasonable. Palpatine betrayed many so why not have Vader betray Palpatine by saving Luke. That would be a fitting irony)
If you read the screenplay to ANH: SE, it states that the Outrider is seen leaving the Mos Eisley space port. So why not have Thrawn and Xizor and other ideas from the post-ROTJ novels in the prequels? Until Mr. Lucas publicly states that he will not use any of these ideas then I think he will use them in the same way he used the Outrider. This would be a cool way to tie all the various aspects of the Star Wars universe together. (Source: Viper) (Ed. Note: When asked if he reads the novels, George says: "No comment." (and he claims that he has no time to play the games). It is possible for the prequels and the new Star Wars stories to co-exist without any of those ideas and concepts appearing in the prequels. Some of you hate the idea of seeing Xizor in the prequels, but, likewise, some of you are going to hate the hairstyles in Ep 1 and some of you are going to hate seeing a 9-year-old boy being the "hero" of Ep. 1. While Thrawn and Xizor will probably not be seen in the prequels, you can bet that their "race" or "species" will be represented in the Galactic Senate)
The short serial films of the early 20th century had a tremendous impact on the film making of George Lucas. Probably the most popular serial was Flash Gordon, which inspired George Lucas' Star Wars. The slanting title effect, used in Star Wars, giving the "story thus far" was a direct tribute to the serial format, Lucas used a clip from Buck Rogers of the Twenty Third Century to begin his first feature length film, THX-1138. Most serials took place during the Second World War, they projected an unquestioning devotion to rightness, loyalty and integrity. They also took place in a kind of fantastic and eerie world best resurrected in Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark where the Nazis are consumed by the unknown terror which is the power of the ark. It is this power of the unknown, the possibility of manned rocket flight or domination of a foreign power, dangerous and fascinating possibilities that movie audiences were forced to deal with. Thankfully we can look back at the strange speculations of these films and have a good time in the same way that I'm sure people fifty years from now will watch Independence Day on some two dimensional view screen and wonder how we could have been all so gullible. (Source: Stranger)
Prequel News: Titanic is now the 10th highest grossing film in North America with $ 274.6 million with no end in sight. Titanic is likely to become the first film to gross over $ 400 million in its first release . . . The unprecedented success of Titanic has altered the official projection for Episode I at the box office instead of earning between $ 375 to $ 450 million in North America, Lucasfilm now expects the film to earn anywhere between $ 425 to $ 525 million.
LucasArts News: Congrats to all the guys/gals at LucasArts! They report that they are receiving over 500,000 visitors (hits) at LucasArts.com each day! Soon one of the LucasArts programmers will tell us about the Episode I PC and Platform (N64, Playstation) games and why we won't be given any official news on the development of these revolutionary games until 1999. Check back here soon for exclusive Episode I LucasArts info!
Mon., Jan. 26, 1998
"The CG (computer generated) Threepio is a myth just like many of the other rumors regarding the use of CG technology in Episode 1 . . . CGI is not being used for every single aspect of Episode 1. It is still too expensive to make everything CG . . . George only uses CG when he can't achieve his vision by a cheaper means so your readers are correct . . . George only has about $ 65 million to spend on Episode 1 and with over 1500 SFX shots there is no way all of them can be CG especially Threepio . . . The "beginnings" of Threepio is seen in Episode 1 and what that means is that a "robot creature" was created, inexpensively, by the props department. The "form" that George wanted Threepio to take in Episode 1 is one that did not require and was not designed to be worn by a human like Anthony Daniels . . ." (Source: Anonymous Lucasfilm Employee)
As stated earlier by somebody else, some droids can use the Force. 4-LOM, in the "Tales of the Bounty Hunters," was faintly Force sensitive and foresaw himself training at Luke's Jedi Academy. (Source: Paul) (Ed. Note: Why is it so hard to accept that some droids may be Force sensitive?)
Get ready for some crazy hairstyles (I don't mind that), some bizarre plot twists (I can get over that), some old flying pieces of junk (I would love that) and an 8 year-old flying a spaceship (I would hate that!) (Source: Digital D) (Ed. Note: Back in the mid-1970's, everyone, except George, thought that "The Star Wars" was a stupid idea that was going to set his career back. No one understood George's vision and apparently some still don't understand it . . . If George had listened to his critics and not made Star Wars, then . . . well, let's not think about that. Episode 1 has been playing in George's head for the past 20 years and now he is finally able to put it on screen. No matter how good the film is; George knows that it is impossible to satisfy every single fan, but the results will still be the best film of the decade)
Anybody else noticed that in the lastest prequel pics at the offical site all have an R2D2 in them? I think this is Lucas trying to fool us, especially the picture titled Kenobi's home, is R2D2 Kenobi's droid?. More interesting is the picture of the Falcon's interior. Again and R2D2 stuck in the picture. Perhaps this isn't an "old" picture but a new shot from the prequels, although I think there is as much chance of Mon Mothma being Luke and Liea's mother as the Falcon being in the prequals. Remember Leia knew her mother, at least enough to know she was always sad. I doubt keeping "Mom" Mothma a secret from Leia who grew up in the senate, and an intergral part of the rebellion happened. Mon Mothma probably knew Leia's mother, but thats about it. Who knows, maybe Bail Organa remarried Anakin's wife, and Liea is his step daughter, after Anakin was reported dead? (Source: Grm) (Ed. Note: Lucasfilm has never stated that the blue R2 unit seen in those official pics is the same R2 unit that is owned by Luke in the original trilogy. The blue R2 unit we see in all those prequel pics is described as a "familiar" looking droid. No one is trying to trick you. You just need to read very, very carefully. So who owns Luke's R2 unit in Episode 1? The answer to that question is still a mystery regardless of what anyone tells you . . . Leia only remembers images and feelings of her mom. She never states that she remembers what her mom looks like . . . It may be unlikely that Mon Mothma is Luke and Leia's mother. but until we actually see the films then anything is possible)
Where does it actually state that the Jedi Knights defeated the Mandalorian warriors during the Clone Wars. (Source: Talon) (Ed. Note: Good question. I'm not sure, but the novelization of Empire might have raised that history . . . )
Sun., Jan. 25, 1998
More of a comment than a rumor. I think it is very poor reasoning to exclude the possibility of droids using the Force because of their being machines. Only a closed mind would conclude that because the Force is only used by living creatures that machines are excluded. Human beings, from a certain point of view (the correct one), are machines. Remember that Lucas has a bee in his bonnet about looking at things from the traditional point of view: life/death, race, luck/chance, etc. Having a droid Jedi Knight would be a perfect way to express this. (Source: Chewy-C)
I wish that fans would stop comparing SW to religion. Sometimes the comments sound so naive that it makes the best prequel rumors page on the net look amateur. If George Lucas is alluding to religion then it is up to each individual to discern for themselves what the message is. Now then. *getting off my soap box* I actually think that if some of the rumors I have read are true, then Episode I will be disappointing. I hope that there is no attempt to introduce second tier SW fandom favourites like Thrawn and Xizor into the film. I will personally boycott the movie if this is the case.
Also if you are reading this George, please make sure that there are no Babylon 5 lookalikes in this flick. There are some picture of some Squid heads and other plastic gaudy colored species that disturb me. SW is supposed to be real, so no bright plastic colors please. Also whoever is doing the set designs please make sure that the lighted daub motifs on the Death Star walls from Episode IV are alluded to in Coruscant or wherever they should be; make sure they don't look like the ones in Jedi.
What else on my shopping list? Yes of course. The light sabres and the lazer bolts should emit incidental lighting. This is the only thing that was absent from the Special Editions. This would truly make for a satisfying visual experience. Just imagine Ewan McGregor in a murky swamp, light sabre lit up; we can see the soft glow on him and on the trees, and even shafts of light as shadows are cast from the blade. This simple (complicated) effect would really impress people, I think. One last picky thing. McGregor's hairstyle better not be as described. The guy looks much better WITH HAIR (Source: HARDBODY)
Someone mentioned that Kenobi fought a clone of himself and that many people believe that the clone won this battle. What is more likely is that Kenobi himself won the battle, but took on the identity of the clone in order to hide from the slaughter of the Jedi. This would help to explain why he was not hunted down and was believed dead (for example by Tarkin in ANH). (Source: Dark Helmet)
'Towering Inferno' had a theory about the colors of the stormtroopers. Well, this theory is way off, at least according to George Lucas. Lucas said, in one of the interviews before the THX videos, that the Empire was dull colors, such as black, white and grey. The rebels were Earth tones. Their ships are orange, gold and red, whereas the Empire is all grey. The color contrast can really be seen in ROTJ, when the rebels are dressed in camoflauge, while the stormtroopers are in their usual armor. It has nothing to do with the prequels, just standard good vs. evil stuff. (Source: Smad The Star Wars Prequel Pic Page)
Owen -in ANH- is wearing similar Jedi Knight robes as Ben's. From what I have heard, Owen and Obi-wan are only brothers geneticly from cloning and that Ben is putting the weight on his shoulders of the mistakes that were made by the Jedi Knights and that Owen (O-Wan--minus the B suffix) is a Jedi Knight that went into hiding. (Source: Oasis2000)
I here that Winona Ryder and Leonardo DiCaprio are being considered to take over the roles of the young queen and Anakin Skywalker for Episodes II and III due to the story moving 10 years or so into the future after Episode I. Others are also being considered. Also, I'd like to point out that by the time episode II is released, the clone wars won't be as interesting then as it would be if it were released now due to the rapid advances in that field of study. Cloning might be old news by then. Maybe I'm dead wrong about this. Since It's Star Wars, it may not matter. (Source: C. CUBA.)
This is more of a question than a suggestion. In Empire, during the carobonite freezing scene when Chewbacca starts throwing stormtroopers around, why does Darth Vader stop Boba Fett from firing at him and Leia. Fett looks at Vader as if he can't believe it and Leia also stares at him This moment is the one thing in the Star Wars trilogy which I have never been able to figure out and I would appreciate suggestions as to what the meaning of it was. (Source: 7SCG)
Someone wrote an interesting paragraph or two about the mystique that built up around SW even (perhaps especially) for those who'd never seen it. As a SW who lived in Australia when the first film came out, and in England for Empire and Jedi, I remember the richer kids at school whose dads had been on business trips to the States and brought back figures and vehicle toys from the new film (especially for Jedi) which had already opened in the US. In those days when kids had nowhere near the same sort of ready access to media previewing films that hadn't opened over here yet, these were our only hints about the new films. I remember trying to fill the gaps in my knowledge with imaginative scenarios that involved things that looked like a 2-legged AT-AT (the scout walker) and small bear-like creatures (ewoks) whose good/evil alignment was unknown (but one assumed they were neutral or goodies). The A-wings, the Imperial Guards........it seems so strange now, trying to remember what it was like when you had no idea what roles these things would play in a film whose plotline one could only make a shaky guess at.
On other matters....... It's interesting how Luke drifts, almost unnoticed, out of the love triangle in Empire and Jedi. Like a priest, he seems to forsake any thought of women to enter into a relationship with the Force (God). Thereafter, he cannot possibly play a traditional "leading man" role in the story, and Solo clearly picks up that mantle. Luke in Jedi is radically different from the "naive adventurer" in ANH - he's serious and solemn, he doesn't make blunders, he has self-assurance borne of confidence. When Solo asks Leia (of Luke) "You love him.....don't you?" We wouldn't for a moment think that she did or could, even if the brother/sister plot development had never happened. Luke becomes more plot device than character, a pawn of prophecy rather than his own person (albeit a very interesting one). (Source: Ceri)
Without having done media studies to back myself up, I don't think I'd be out of line in saying that Episode I could make over 1 billion world-wide. What is the best way to take financial advantage of this? Can one buy shares of Lucasfilm? If so, would that be the best way to go? Or should we invest in Kenner? Or the movie distributer (whomever that turns out to be)? I thought you might have an insight on this. And you don't have to worry about me passing such knowledge along to anyone else. I want to reap the benefits sharing with as few as possible. (Source: Chewy-C)
In regards to the star wars prequels, I believe that very little of what is seen, pictures or otherwise, will be used in the films. Though these pictures may be real pictures and not misinformation, Lucasfilm could be releasing them because they are the "alternate" story lines being used to hind the true story from "prying eyes"so to speak. I believe that we will not no anything until the movies are released. (Source: LordDarth1)
You mentioned "some jedi that went into hiding"... I don't believe a Jedi would hide, unless he had a mission or commitment (Ben watching over Luke, Yoda training him...). I believe they will face an open fight (even thou it may not be an organized, army battle), or, maybe, betrayal. How lond it took to hunt jewish people durning the war? Only a few months. And Jedi Knights may appear in a large number, maybe not even as big as (bad example, I know) the Green Lanterns. Considering the number of Jedi, against the number of Sith Lords (about the same as the Jedi's), plus bounty hunters and an army of galactic proportions, anihilation would not take long... (Source: Nique)
Your budget comparison between Lucas and the typical Hollywood executive is misleading. Lucas' $80M does not include the $50M marketing fee and $40M distribution cost. The would bring Lucas' total to $170M. (Source: Smad The Star Wars Prequel Pic Page)
By saying that Anakin is the Hero of Episode 1, I hope George means the same as C-3PO and R2-D2 are the Heroes of the entire saga... (Source: Digital D)
I watched EMPIRE for the nine hundreth time, and I noticed something really strange for the first time. After Luke chops off Vader's head in the dark cave on Dagobah, Yoda and R2 wait for him outside. R2 beeps something. Yoda looks up. R2 continues to beep a little. Yoda listens and then says, "Heh." At first I thought R2 was concerned for Luke, and Yoda saw the vision Luke saw, BUT was it really that R2 said something to Yoda (possibly about something in the prequels)? If you watch that part again, you'll see what I mean. Very interesting... and random! (Source: Rob)
Why are people so obssessed with trying to read into every line of the films and make it relate to the prequels? For example: Luke not reacting in horror to the sight of the rancor. So that means he knew of it? Not necessarily. That was his reaction within the context of that scene in that film. Of course ewoks won't be a part of the Senate. Nobody in ROTJ obviously knew what they were. Again, Leia's line was within the context of that scene.
Or 3PO's line "I never knew I had it in me" in ROTJ. Again, why are people trying to read more into that line than needs to be read? When Luke used the Force to levitate him in the chair, 3PO thought he really was doing it. The line was simply meant to be humorous. That's all. And about the Size Does Not Matter thing: One of Lucas's recurring themes (and he has said in interviews that he introduces themes, builds on them, and then repeats them in the SW films) is that of the unlikely hero, or the hero being the one you least expect. Who would expect a plucky astromech droid to be brave enough to carry out an important mission so that the Death Star could be destroyed? And who fixed the hyperdrive on the Millenium Falcon at the end of TESB? And who would have thought that some furry, primitive aliens could help overthrow the Empire in ROTJ? So, basically, I think Anakin will be another variation on the theme (think of the legend of King Arthur and how he was a simple boy who was really the heir to the throne of England; who would have thought he could have pulled Excalibur from the rock?) in Episode I, and, in the context of all 6 films ultimately being one story, he will serve as the introduction of that theme. Like a young King Arthur, he will be a unassuming boy living in simple circumstances, unaware of his true potential until it is awoken in some way.
Yeah, Willow is a variation of that theme too, but I don't think Lucas wants Anakin to be the hero because he's trying to make that idea work. He's making this film in the context of what he's done before. Again, he said in an interview (I believe it was one of the TV things, like the Making of the SE's or something like that) that he's introducing themes and then repeating and expanding on them through-out the movies. Think of it that way. And as for how much time Ep 3 covers, I'm betting that it will take place over the span of a week or less, just like the original films (although the timeline in TESB is kind of muddy). We'll probably see an example of a Jedi or two being hunted down and killed, so that we get an idea of how ruthless Vader is, but we won't see that over and over again. I'm thinking that as Ep 3 starts, the extermination has already begun and we learn that fact in the roll-up. Remember, Lucas doesn't show you every last thing that happens in his universe; he likes to allude to stuff that happens off-camera so that you can imagine what it was like. (Source: Brad Cook)
Watch A New Hope : SE and pay close attention to when Greedo meets up with Han. If you closely read the text at the bottom of the screen (tranlation of what Greedo is actually saying) it says something along the lines of "...Jabba may only take your ship." This of coarse means that Jabba knows of the Falcon and what it can do (Speed, hidden compartments, etc.). How would Jabba know this unless it ounce belonged to him? I think this is positive proof that the Falcon belonged to Jabba and that maybe Jabba gave Han the ship in return for a huge delivery of spice or something. Remember, that is why Jabba is looking for Han . . . because Han dropped a shipment of spice in fear of getting boarded by Imperials. Sounds very, very likely to me, how about you? (Source: Chris)
R2D2 and C3PO are definitely going to be in the prequels. It is most likely that they'll be hangin' around Ben and Anakin A LOT. How can that be? Ben doesn't remember owning a droid, nor does he recoginze 3PO or R2. Some say the two will be in different forms, but I don't buy that theory. It is possible Ben recognizes them and keeps it quiet for Luke, but he really doesn't have a good reason to do that. As for Anakin, he NEVER sees R2 in the trilogy. He does (interstingly enough) shoot the crap out of him in the trench, but he's probably too far to recognize one out of the many R2 units he's seen in his life. It would have been cool if Luke willingly flew his X-wing with Artoo to the second death star, and Vader seeing his old droid again. Maybe that would be some more incentive to be good again. I don't know. But why doesn't he recognize 3PO at the carbinite chamber? That's the only time (I'm pretty sure) the two are together. Now, why doesn't 3PO recognize BEN? It could be because 3PO's memory was erased. On his Star Wars CCG card, it says something about his memory being erased or something. Maybe he AND R2 got them erased, that would explain why they don't recognize Ben, Anakin, or even Luke's last name being Skywalker. After all, Owen did ask Luke to erase their memories the day after they bought him due to all that "Obi-wan Kenobi gibberish". I don't think Artoo was erased though, only 3PO. I have a gut feeling Artoo knows what's up and Threepio doesn't. R2 is always on his "mission" and Threepio just goes along. R2 knows a lot, but why won't he tell anyone? Maybe because he's a droid and he was programmed to shutup by Ben or Yoda so he wouldn't put the twins in danger. So, my only conclusion is that 3PO's memory was erased and possibly R2's. Then again, R2 could be in on it with Ben and not be saying anything. Why does George make it so tough? Because he rules! (Source: R. Smith)
I was just wondering that will there be much space scenes at all in the prequels? From what I have read and heard so far, they are planning big aqua / land battles, but my favorite scenes in the Trilogy were the impressive space scenes (like the end battle in ROTJ). Does anyone have any idea of these (computer generated space ships would be fabulous)?
Also, I agree with that Mon Mothma is most likely the mother of Leia and Luke. In Cinescape magazine (vol. 3, number 3), they state: "[...] But several members of the Republic's High Council are dubious of Palpatine's stated objectives, and seek to block his election. These senators include Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and other representatives who eventually form the Rebel Alliance. Among the members of this coalition of powerful political forces is likely to be the woman who will marry Anakin Skywalker and bear his children, Luke and Leia." (Source: The Swordmaster Joonas Linkola's Page
Just looking over your site, and there's a few things . . . Droids CAN'T use the Force. "Life creates it. Makes it flow" -Yoda "Luminace beings are we, not this crude matter" -Yoda. "An energy field created by all living things" -Obi-Wan. I think these guys know what they're talking about!! When 3P0 mentions "I never knew I had it in me" it was just a humorous line, showing 3P0's ignorance that Luke was using the Force to try and scare the Ewoks. As for living beings not the only ones able to use the Force (I sight your use of Obi-Wans spirit). Obi-Wan transcended to a higher plane of existence with the Force. You might say he became one with the Force. Anyway, just a few things for you to consider......your review will be up at "A Guide to the Star Wars Web Universe" shortly (Source: Michael Michael's Star Wars Homepage! Home of the Ewok Safari!
How old is Jabba in ROTJ anyway? Will he be a baby in Episode I ? If so, will he be a big baby or an itty bitty baby slug, er, Hutt? Maybe we'll see how he got his power. Maybe he'll be the "ewok" of Episode I . You know what? For a long time now I've been wishing and hoping that there would be, by some great miracle, a Star wars TV show. Now here me out. Don't laugh. I would love for there to be a live action action/drama set in the star wars universe. Possibly a "Young Han Solo Chronicles". If Lucas does not wish to use Han Solo, he can invent a new character who has adventures in the star wars universe not directly related to the main characters. Of course the writing would have to be superb. Or maybe Mr. Lucas would be willing to create an animated series set in the star wars universe using all new characters in completely new adventures. But the show would not be targeted for little kiddies. It would be for young adults and up. Not that I want graphic violence. I just would like a serious animated series similar to the likes of Robotech and The Adventures of Batman and Robin. PLEASE MR. LUCAS!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!! PLEASE!! PLEASE!! (Source: Limakat)
Watch the Star Wars Insider #36, page 15: As said many times before: George likes continuity, but watch the hair-styles the man and the woman have. We know what people thought about Leia's hairstyle in ANH, is he going to continue that? (Source: Frumentuviris)