George Lucas sits down with The Hollywood Reporter: "The controversy over who shot first, Greedo or Han Solo, in Episode IV, what I did was try to clean up the confusion, but obviously it upset people because they wanted Solo [who seemed to be the one who shot first in the original] to be a cold-blooded killer, but he actually isn’t. It had been done in all close-ups and it was confusing about who did what to whom. I put a little wider shot in there that made it clear that Greedo is the one who shot first, but everyone wanted to think that Han shot first, because they wanted to think that he actually just gunned him down."
[more inside]
posted by 2bucksplus
on Feb 10, 2012 -
259 comments
Did 'Star Wars' become a toy story? Producer Gary Kurtz looks back “The toy business began to drive the [Lucasfilm] empire. It’s a shame. They make three times as much on toys as they do on films. It’s natural to make decisions that protect the toy business, but that’s not the best thing for making quality films.” He added: “The first film and ‘Empire’ were about story and character, but I could see that George’s priorities were changing.” (
via)
[more inside]
posted by octothorpe
on Aug 12, 2010 -
131 comments
Lucasfilm Animation is currently developing an all-new animated Star Wars series. Not
that one, a new series. And no relation to
the holiday special (
1978) or
Ewoks, the
animated series (
1985), or even
Droids:
The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO (
1985). The new
new series is set to feature creative involvement from Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, creators and executive producers
Robot Chicken, writing from The Daily Show's Brendan Hay, produced by Jennifer Hill (
The Backyardigans), and directed by Todd Grimes (
Back at the Barnyard). Unlike
the Clone Wars animated series, the latest venture into animation will be
one more humorous in tone and aimed at younger kids. Pre-School to Kindergarten aged kids young, and
the working title is believed to be "Squishies" (
or not).
posted by filthy light thief
on Apr 6, 2010 -
76 comments
“Until the recent Great Rebellion, the Jedi Bendu were the most feared warriors in the universe. For one hundred thousand years, generations of Jedi perfected their art as the personal bodyguards of the emperor. They were the chief architects of the invincible Imperial Space Force which expanded the Empire across the galaxy, from the celestial equator to the farthest reaches of the Great Rift.
Now these legendary warriors are all but extinct. One by one they have been hunted down and destroyed as enemies of the New Empire by a ferocious and sinister rival warrior sect, the Knights of Sith.”
- The first draft of Star Wars...
was awful.
posted by Artw
on May 25, 2009 -
149 comments
A look at the (likely terrible) CGI
Star Wars prequel hitting theaters this autumn.
The "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" movie is expected to run around 100 minutes and pick up between episode II and III. Anakin Skywalker is not yet Darth Vader. The story will then continue in 30-minute smallscreen installments.
posted by incomple
on Feb 11, 2008 -
106 comments
Grand Unification Theory: Salavon's work has been mentioned on MeFi before, but I thought in honor of the trilogy finally being released on DVD this week, I'd post a link to this very awesome piece of art using every single frame from Episode Four.
posted by glenwood
on Sep 20, 2004 -
11 comments
At last, "THX-1138" with green-glowing, computer-generated robot factories! George Lucas's first movie, the namesake of his
sound system, is coming to a theater near you, with a new 3D effects facelift, and a chilly, incomprehensible
Flash site. Will his
"original vision" of this 1971 dystopia be realized at last, or will his additions clash with the
stark San Francisco subway tunnels, like so much Yes music in a "Metropolis"
re-release?
posted by inksyndicate
on May 22, 2004 -
27 comments
DVDs are bad for business? They are, according to the producer of "Attack of the Clones." Although it seems to me that every week I hear about a new box-office record being shattered, Rick McCallum says such things as:
"I don't think there's a single movie that can survive on box office gross alone; it just doesn't exist anymore" and my favorite:
"Literally, our very lives are at stake now. George and I are just praying that we can finish 'Episode III' in time, before it's all over."
What do you think? Legitimate concern, or more ridiculous whining by millionaires lobbying to place restrictions on technogy?
posted by eas98
on Oct 22, 2002 -
56 comments
"All democracies turn into dictatorships -- but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon or Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea... It isn't that the Empire conquered the Republic, it's that the Empire
is the Republic."
George Lucas talks about the politics of his new Star Wars films.
posted by tranquileye
on Apr 23, 2002 -
19 comments
What the in duck? With Episode II coming soon, I'd decided to peruse all sorts of different places in search of as much information as I could and found this online, has anyone else seen it as well?
Anyway, it's good to see that folks that work for Lucas have a sense of humor.
posted by SentientAI
on Apr 22, 2002 -
9 comments
Lucas: Powerful reteller of myth - or galactic gasbag? Salon has a scathing review of Lucas' claim that the basis of the Star Wars saga is in "man's oldest stories" and that he was guided by Joseph Campbell.
"With 'Star Wars' I consciously set about to re-create myths and the classic mythological motifs," Lucas says. "I wanted to use those motifs to deal with issues that exist today."
Hogwash, says author Steven Hart. Star Wars is based not on "The Odyssey" or the "Upanishads", but on Asimov, Heinlen, Herbert and other 20th century S.F.
posted by rshah21
on Apr 10, 2002 -
32 comments
It's official: Jedi can't, and never could have been, an official religion. There were emails going around New Zealand and the UK claiming if there were enough who listed it as a religion, it could be official, but that's not the case.
posted by paladin
on Apr 17, 2001 -
4 comments
Slow day at the office? Recreate those great Star Wars moments with your own
origami Tie Fighter (amongst many other things).
posted by Markb
on Mar 26, 2001 -
0 comments
A Very Wookie Christmas. I'm speechless in horror. This actually happened? This actually made it to the airwaves? Thank heavens Lucas is keeping it deeply, deeply hidden forever.
posted by dnash
on Dec 5, 2000 -
26 comments
Cyberpal, i couldn't disagree more. ESB is actually the best of the 4 SW movies because the characters aren't encumbered with destroying the Death Star or flying back and forth to Naboo by way of Tatooine and Coruscant. A New Hope and Return end all happy with medals and Ewoks. i like the tougher ending of ESB, especially as i get older. it was a little depressing when i was a kid, but, hey, i'm not one anymore.
posted by Sean Meade
on Jul 24, 2000 -
5 comments
The fans have spoken and Lucas has listened. Seems that Episode I is coming out on DVD after all. And Lucas says the web campaign on various sites encourage him to change his mind. How does this affect popular politics on a grander scale? And when will politicians jump on board the bandwagon?
posted by eljuanbobo
on May 3, 2000 -
3 comments
I wouldn't normally post a job announcement URL here on MetaFilter, but this one is different because
it may be every young web jedi's dream. Industrial Light and Magic is looking for web and database people. Can you imagine the street cred you'll have when you get to build the pages for the SW movies and trailers months before anyone gets to see them? I wonder if Lucas would force you into some sort of solitude, so you wouldn't leak any juicy info
to others.
posted by mathowie
on Feb 7, 2000 -
5 comments
