Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens confirmed for 2015 as Disney buys Lucasfilm

[Guest]

Some bullshit for the day, The Rock wants to play a role in the new Star Wars franchise.

 

And some sad and good news for Clone Wars fans. Season 5 will be last season but episodes that were intended for Season 6 will be released somehow.

[Guest]

Force March? Disney to Release a 'Star Wars' Movie Every Year

 

It’s been eight years since the release of Revenge of the Sith, a long time to go without watching someone Force Lightening someone into a crisp. This isn’t as long as the sixteen-year wait between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace. Now it seems that fans of the Star Wars universe won’t have to wait nearly as long between movies. According to ComingSoon, Star Wars fans—who have resisted the moniker Star Warriors—will be getting one new movie each year, starting in 2015.

 

ComingSoon reports,

 

Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm announced today at CinemaCon in Las Vegas that Star Wars: Episode VII will hit theaters in the summer of 2015 and that every summer after that will offer a “Star Wars” film, alternating with one of the standalone films.

 

In other words, Episode VII should air summer 2015 and Episode VIII will air 2017. In 2016 and 2018 we’ll be grabbing a bucket of popcorn and watching non-trilogy Star Wars movies.

 

The Twitterati are already concerned that there will be a Star Wars overload, that the movies will be “force marched” out as fast as Disney can make them. After all, Disney isn’t typically known for pumping out entries in a franchise this rapidly (Pirates of the Caribbean notwithstanding). Actually, I suspect this is a move to get the most out of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and especially Harrison Ford, while they can. (Personally, I’m hoping for more Billy Dee Williams.)

 

But I counter that this is exciting news. As we’ve known to since February, Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote The Empire Strikes Back, is on board for the stand-alone films and is consulting on the final trilogy.

 

How many movies will we ultimately be getting? Always in motion is the future. But it’s likely that Disney will want a return on its investment: The House of Mouse paid $4 billion for George Lucas’ property.

 

The seven Star Wars movies (both trilogies, plus The Clone Wars) have earned almost $4.5 billion internationally—not adjusted for inflation. But this figure does not include the sales of merchandise, which Lucas also sold to Disney as part of the deal. Merchandise sales, which Lucas famously retained in his deal with 20th Century Fox for the production of the original Star Wars movie, were what gave Lucas the financial independence he needed to finance The Empire Strikes Back and all subsequent movies himself.

 

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/04/17/force-march-disney-to-release-a-star-wars-movie-every-year/

 

Aw man, why do I think they are gonna spoil the franchise every time? Still, I'm excited. Possible spin-offs mentioned across the internet are Yoda, Boba Fett, Han-Solo, Obi Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Maul. Take anything, at least 2 Spin-offs will be made for 2016 and 2018.

[King 277]

Man, talk about milking something for every penny.

[BRM 220]

Something they're already doing, pretty well i may add with Marvel.

[Guest John Hancock]

I don't know if I've ever had this much irrational hatred for a series of films I've not even seen, and don't yet exist, since they announced the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

[dsrchris 190]

Just need to add Mickey Mouse to this scene:

 

[video=youtube;TfMkvnyLYU4]

[Maxximus 353]

Disney is a money grabbing, soulless, CIA funded, Illuminati brainwashing, child indoctrinating cult. Everything they touch is evil and corrupt.

 

This is why I'm usually a fan.

 

I can honestly say I'm not really looking forward to this next series of films. At least Lucas won't be involved so there is hope. A New New Hope.

[Guest John Hancock]

As long as they keep their theme parks running, Disney can work as many Chinese children to death as they want, it's just, man, Star Wars, I loved Star Wars :(

[Maxximus 353]

Yeah it's all a spectacle now. Yoda, Kermit and Mickey Mouse are all pals. And Jedi.

[Guest]

If they ever decide to do a Yoda Spin-off, then I will hate Disney till I die. Everything about Yoda species is supposed to be a secret and if they ever cash in on that...then f**k them to hell.

[Guest Ciaran The King]

Loved the originals and Revenge of the Sith but I fear the franchise could be ruined with non stop Star Wars films, too much of a good thing quickly turns too bad

[Guest]

Where the heck is the search function?

 

Anyways not much news as of yet but some little things that came out of the shareholders meeting for Disney and from Starwars.com

 

Starwars.com has posted cameras roll May 2014. The release also goes on to say "It has also been confirmed that Star Wars: Episode VII is set about 30 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and will star a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces. No further details on casting or plot are available at this time."

 

Nothing else has really been confirmed other than R2-D2 being in it.

 

Other than that I've heard recent rumours of the following names that are possibly in it:

 

- Lupita Nyong’o

- Ed Speleers

- John Boyega

- Jesse Plemons

- Matthew James Thomas

- Ray Fisher

- David Oyelowo

- Michael B. Jordan

 

As for more famous names and older rumours that are probably way out of reach, I've heard Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zac Efron, Michael Fassbender, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Saoirse Ronan, Jack O’Connell.

[Guest]

They've started shooting in Abu Dhabi, which probably means the planet of Tattooine is in. Plus, it looks like they are building soem AT-AT's!

 

http://www.starwars-union.de/bilder/news_2014/20140416-abu-dhabi-at-at-3-sm.jpg

[Guest]

IT'S OFFICIAL. Low and behold the Star Wars Episode VII cast.

 

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-04/enhanced/webdr06/29/12/enhanced-592-1398790258-1.jpg

 

 

Harrison Ford - Han Solo

Carrie Fisher - Princess Leia

Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker

Anthony Daniels - C-3PO

Peter Mayhew - Chewbacca

Kenny Baker - R2-D2

 

and the new cast:

 

John Boyega

Daisy Ridley

Adam Driver

Oscar Isaac

Andy Serkis

Domhnall Gleeson

Max von Sydow

[Maxximus 353]

Is anyone at all upset that all the extended universe stuff and video games are no longer canon?

 

I don't see what the big deal is. Nothing from the games or books will be as good as what JJ Abrams is gonna do.

[Guest Yodahew]

Thrawn trilogy. The fact they are disregarding that annoys me. No chiss in the star wars universe?!? Criminal.

[Guest John Hancock]

Is anyone at all upset that all the extended universe stuff and video games are no longer canon?

 

Everyone who really respects the Star Wars canon outside of the first three films is a great big loser, so no. The prequels completely weren't even in canon with the first three as it was, so f*ck video games and comic books and all that. If they can't even keep their story straight for six films, there's no hope.

[Maxximus 353]

That should be the subtitle of Star Wars VII: No More Hope.

[Guest John Hancock]

I have hope in it being a good film, just because George Lucas has been cast back unto the Nether World from whence he rose, but the people worrying about the Star Wars canon are just being silly when there isn't any Star Wars canon. Ever since the last three abortions, it's been contradicting itself constantly, in really stupid, obvious, pointless ways.

[Maxximus 353]

As a big fan off JJ Abrams I'm looking forward to it. I like some star trek but I wasn't in any way offended by Abrams' reboot and sequel. I thought they were fine. Well the first one was good. The second wasn't that great. Makes sense, Abrams' isn't a star trek fan but he likes star wars so I'm excited to see what he's gonna do with the story. I bet there's daddy issues and maybe some time travel.

 

As far as the canon issue goes, I don't care one way or the other. I'd prefer to see new stories with new people and maybe some old faces here and there in a universe rich with possibilities being sculpted by a great storyteller with a fondness for the source material. Bring on the lens flare in a galaxy far far away. And a smoke monster!