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Star Wars Prequels Media Movies

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Rumors 723

Posted by CmdrTaco from the let-the-rumors-start-flying dept.
Stop reading if you're spoiler paranoid. ChazeFroy writes "The actor who played Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, Peter Mayhew, will be in Episode III. Of course, this has been previously reported and comes as no surprise. However, TheForce is reporting that Mayhew's contract contains a stipulation that he must also appear in Episodes 7, 8, and 9. This was first reported in the British movie magazine Hot Dog, whose December issue with this news just hit US newstands."
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Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Rumors More

Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Rumors

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  • Better be Zahn's Trilogy. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Xeriar ( 456730 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:37PM (#7989938) Homepage
    Or there will be hell to pay. Nothing else was worth reading.
    • I will take anything other than Terry Brooks.

      I was surprised EP1 didn't have some sort of wise overseer who wouldn't tell people what he knew, only what he thought they needed to know.
    • The Zahn Trilogy was extra special, but there are a lot of worth stories to tell in the Star Wars universe. I'm really enjoying the 22-volume New Jedi Order series. That's been just great!

    • Re:Better be Zahn's Trilogy. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by the Man in Black ( 102634 ) <jasonrashaad&gmail,com> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:42PM (#7990045) Homepage
      I'm with seeing Thrawn & Co. up on the big screen, but only if George Lucas steps his monkey ass down as writer and director and let's someone talented handle it. He can be Executive Producer and just sit in the back eating corn chips and cackling.
    • Or there will be hell to pay. Nothing else was worth reading.

      A good novel seldom makes for a good movie.
      There's simply not enough time in a movie. A good novella or short story is what you really need, else you need an expert at chopping -- the better the novel is, the harder it gets, cause in a really good novel, everything is essential.

      Regards,
      --
      *Art

  • Episode III better rock (Score:3, Insightful)

    by mirio ( 225059 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:38PM (#7989950)
    If Episode III isn't incredible, Mr. Lucas can forget about any other Episodes.

    • Re:Episode III better rock (Score:5, Funny)

      by SpaceRook ( 630389 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:50PM (#7990182)
      Special Edition new scenes = sucked.

      Episode 1 = sucked.

      Episode 2 = sucked.

      Episode 3 = ?


    • I don't know why they even bother to make episode III. Episode II held my "worst current movie" title for a long time, until I saw the Matrix sequels.

      Episode II was so bad, that the only thing that made it watchable was to insert sarcastic comments in the style of MST3K.

      I'm afraid the Star Wars franchaise has now joined the ranks of the James Bond and other movie franchaises, where people go to see it simply as a mindless distraction, and not a single person in the audience expects to take it seriously.
      • I totally agree. I tried to watch Attack of the Clones the other day on HBO and couldn't sit through it. The dialogue is just inane. I don't think story writing is Lucas's forte. He's a great scene builder. He can create the 'feeling' of a 'rebellion' or an 'evil empire' or a 'mysterious jedi cult' but the fact that Mark Hamill could star as Luke Skywalker and not completely ruin the first three movies means there was no acting involved in playing the part. No acting was required because there was

    • Re:Episode III better rock (Score:5, Funny)

      by Waffle Iron ( 339739 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:52PM (#7990214)
      If Episode III isn't incredible, Mr. Lucas can forget about any other Episodes.

      I disagree. No matter how many horrible sequels he puts out, millions of dorks will shell out their money for each one just so see for themselves how bad it is. If they fail to see one, they'll miss out on all the fun when their friends bitch about how bad it was.

      • Re:Episode III better rock (Score:5, Funny)

        by gamgee5273 ( 410326 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:59PM (#7990329) Journal
        So, you're saying I'll see you in line, eh?

      • Re:Episode III better rock (Score:5, Interesting)

        by dasmegabyte ( 267018 ) <das@OHNOWHATSTHISdasmegabyte.org> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:45PM (#7991010) Homepage Journal
        Agreed. I hated Episode 1. I hated Episode 2. I have even extended my hate to Return of the Jedi.

        And yet, I will see Episode 3, and I proudly GM the Star Wars d20 RPG (in a campaign based around the Old Republic era seen in KotOR, thus preventing the players from having to meet up with any damn gungans). If they make a sequel trilogy, even if it isn't based on Zahn's great books, I will go see it. Though I think they can't help but drawn on these guys...come one, Luke and Mara Jade? The tsalmiri? Leia hiding out on a planet of violent assassins, playing up her father's infamy? Even Lucas can't deny that's good stuff!

        What can I say? Star Wars is a pleasant fantasy realm that cannot be stifled even by the ineptitude of its creator. I *like* the Star Wars universe, midichlorian bullshit and all.

    • Re:Episode III better rock (Score:4, Insightful)

      by UrgleHoth ( 50415 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:54PM (#7990253) Homepage
      I saw 4-6 in the theaters, watched them many times over again through the years. I saw 1 in the theater once. Have not watched it again. Have not seen 2. I've mostly lost interest in whatever happens next, but I'd bet money that 3 is going to suck donkey balls (or if it were a stock, I'd short it)

      Troll me if you will, but there are lots of peeps out there who like(d) SW feel the same way.

  • Sequel Names... (Score:5, Funny)

    by H0NGK0NGPH00EY ( 210370 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:38PM (#7989954) Homepage
    Star Wars Episode 7: Milking the Cash Cow
    Star Wars Episode 8: Beating a Dead Horse
    Star Wars Episode 9: Please God, Make it Stop Already!

  • Who cares (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Microsift ( 223381 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:38PM (#7989959)
    Episode VI, I and II have all been mediocre, so why would anyone even bother seeing episode III much less VII, VIII, or IX?

  • force powers (Score:5, Funny)

    by bludstone ( 103539 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:39PM (#7989972)
    The force is strong with me. I see these movies coming out, and thousands of voices scream out in excitement, followed by anger.

    The future is always cloudy.

  • Oh great (Score:5, Funny)

    by wizarddc ( 105860 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:39PM (#7989974) Homepage Journal
    7, 8 and 9? I must be one uninformed geek. I thought I only had 1 more disapointing movie left to watch.
  • Yeah, but the last three movies are going to be a re-write of LotR.

    Here's hoping for another Return of the King!

    -Adam

  • 3 times the crap! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Sean80 ( 567340 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:40PM (#7989992)
    I'm sorry but I'm just sick of George Lucas raping my fond childhood memories of the first 3 Star Wars movies, and my wallet. Isn't it enough that he's created 2 incredibly bad movies in a row?

    I have to say, as much as I love Star Wars, I will have to seriously think about even going to see Episode 3. I'm not terribly hopeful. 3 more movies just doesn't fill me with any joy any more. From a worldwide love to a worldwide joke. Now -that's- a screwup.

    • me too, but it's all about branding. <theoretical_analogy>you don't buy MS products because they're good, you buy them because they're well known</theoretical_analogy>

      So how many people will probably see episode 3 even though 1 and 2 sucked? I probably will. How many will see 7, 8, and 9? i might, might not... I feel 6 wrapped things up enough that I wouldn't be needing to see 7, 8, or 9 to satiate my curiosity. but Star Wars is a popular brand, so a lot of people will see them.

    • Re:3 times the crap! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by gamgee5273 ( 410326 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:07PM (#7990455) Journal
      Your childhood memories? I was four when the first movie came out. I saw it in the theaters (hell, I saw the Star Wars Holiday Special when it premiered on TV). And you know what? The new movies are the same calibur as the old ones. if you can't watch the old ones for what they are - a schlocky space opera - then you're doing a disservice to all of the movies and just shouldn't go any longer.

      I, on the other hand, have no problem letting ANOTHER person tell HIS story the way he sees fit. I either like it or dislike it - I don't take it as a personal attack on my childhood.

    • i hate the prequels as much as the next guy... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by *weasel ( 174362 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:15PM (#7990595)
      ...but how do the prequels rape the fond memories of your childhood? I mean, sure episode 1 sucks - but episode 4 and 5 are still hella good.

      Unless you mean the prequels made you realize how lame the series already was by episode 6. How hokey episode 4 was, and how the pinnacle of the series was directed and largely rewritten by people other than Lucas. That could understandably rob you of fond memories. Of course, just watching them again older and wiser would probably have done that.

      I could also understand the anger if you were referring to the Greedo-shooting-first destruction of the original series called the 'Special Editions'. But you're not.

      my pet theory is that the special editions, and episodes 1, and 2 are precisely the kinds of movies Lucas wanted to make from the beginning.

      episode iv represented his first shot, and doubtlessly had piles of constructive criticism and rewrites. then it was proven a cash cow, and the sequel was given to a different director and featured much more rewriting. (largely hailed as the pinnacle of starwars). Then Lucas got control back, and turned out Jedi.

      After more time and money, he skull-f#cked the original trilogy with the special editions. then came episode 1 and the truth was unavoidable. episode 2 was salt on a gaping wound.

      Without actual creative criticism, Lucas just doesn't churn out the movies we always thought he wanted to make.

      It's like the Wachowskis. They probably rewrote the first Matrix a dozen times and were making huge changes even to the shooting script. But who's going to slow down the process of making sequels to a cash cow by saying 'Whoa, guys - you've got some pacing issues that need to be fixed here, and some lame ass dialogue'?

      No-one in Hollywood.

      • No, 4, 5, and 6 were much better (Score:5, Interesting)

        by GuyMannDude ( 574364 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @06:25PM (#7991541) Journal

        Unless you mean the prequels made you realize how lame the series already was by episode 6. How hokey episode 4 was, and how the pinnacle of the series was directed and largely rewritten by people other than Lucas. That could understandably rob you of fond memories. Of course, just watching them again older and wiser would probably have done that.

        I hate to tell you this but I *have* watched the original trilogy since I was a kid. In fact, I probably watch the original trilogy about 3 times every year. I still enjoy them. You may argue that my positive feelings about those films are because I'm remembering my childhood or something. But I think they were substancially different than the new stuff.

        Why? The characters. The original trilogy had likeable characters who were really giving it their all to take back the galaxy. Solo was a great guy. You could feel for what Luke was going through. Leia was clearly struggling with how to give all the parts of herself equal time. The rebellion doesn't have much but, boy, do they have heart! The Jedi, on the other hand, strike me as really a bunch or arrogant elite who seem to not be doing a very good job of anything. Anakin is just a spoiled brat. Obi Wan seems to have some ability but he never gets awfully worked up about anything. Yoda and Mace just sit around looking pensive and occasionally whip out their lightsabres. I wouldn't want to sit down and have a beer with any of those guys. They're just do damn boring.

        Now let's look at the villans. Sure, in the original series the stormtroopers could never shoot straight but you knew that Vader was running the show most of the times and so it seemed like the Empire had a real chance of crushing the freedom fighters. In Ep 6 we see that Vader is starting to weaken a bit but then we're introduced to the Emperor who is even more powerful than Vader. *This* guy really knows his shit and he seems to delight in tormenting Luke. To put it simply, the bad guys were fearsome and competant. Now look at the bad guys from Ep 1 and 2. Darth Maul was cool but never really given a chance to say much. The Viceroy and the other Trade Federation weenies seem utterly incompetant. And Palpatine and Dooku have yet to do anything really horribly dispicable. It's hard to get worked up about these bad guys.

        So there you have my theory. Characters are what makes the difference between the old and the new trilogy. Basically the old one had characters you could love and hate. The new one just has a bunch of guys dancing around in a CGI videogame.

        GMD

        • Re:No, 4, 5, and 6 were much better (Score:5, Insightful)

          by stwrtpj ( 518864 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @07:31PM (#7992271) Journal
          The rebellion doesn't have much but, boy, do they have heart!

          Agreed.

          The Jedi, on the other hand, strike me as really a bunch or arrogant elite who seem to not be doing a very good job of anything.

          Also agree, but are you saying this made Ep I/II bad? Granted, I and II had problems, but this is not one of them. Yes, the Jedi are a bunch of stuck-up, arrogant buttheads. That's one of the main points of the movie. We're likely to see this play out more in Ep III. Much of the Jedis' downfall is by their own hand. They got too used to their power and to the status quo to see more than a few inches in front of their face. You're supposed to doubt them at this point.

          And Palpatine and Dooku have yet to do anything really horribly dispicable. It's hard to get worked up about these bad guys.

          I think that's one of the reasons why people have trouble with Ep I/II. We're essentially seeing the story out-of-sequence. We started in the middle of the story, where the battle lines were very clearly drawn, and everyone had already put on their white or black hats. In Ep I/II, this has not happened yet. The ones that become or pave the way for the great villians of the later movies have no choice but to act in secret. To me, Palpatine's machinations in the Senate echo the events of the rise of the Nazi party to power and Hitler's ascension to Chancellor (hell, even the title is the same!) in Germany circa the 1930s.

          I sometimes wonder how people might have reacted had the movies been produced and released in the actual chronological order that the events happen. It might have garnered a different reaction. Yeah, the screenplays could have been better written, but I think the overall story still plays well, and would have played better in the proper sequence.

      • My pet theory is that the special editions and episoes 1 and 2 are precisely the kinds of movies Lucas wanted to make from the beginning.

        Yep, I've gathered that. In early drafts of the first Star Wars script, the hero is named "Anakin Starkiller" and the plot is much, much closer to The Phantom Menace. Evidently people reading the initial script told Lucas that the story was just a big, sprawling mess that needed to have a much tighter focus around a single hero, who had to really be heroic. So Lucas we

    • Re:3 times the crap! (Score:4, Interesting)

      by sebi ( 152185 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:16PM (#7990612)
      Enough with the "rape-of-childhood-memories" bullshit already! I am so fucking sick of all the drama queens pretending that somehow a film they saw at the age of x+20 has the power to erase both the joy experienced at the age of x and the times spent pretending to be Han Solo.

      That has already happened and unless George Lucas goes around lobotomising his audience there is no way it can un-happen. If you feel that your wallet has been raped then maybe you shouldn't have bought the DVD or the action figures. Spending money on a movie ticket is like forced sex to you? Someone has to get their sense of perspective checked and it is not me.

      Needed to get this off my chest. So much in fact that I will throw in an extra point for the moderators to take away from me.

  • Why did it take for this magazine to get to the US for this information to get widely publicized?

    Anyways... 3 more Star Wars movies just doesn't excite me as much as it might have. After seeing Lucas sodomize the Episodes I and II like he did, I can't imagine he's going to have some great revelation (*cough*Jar Jar binks needs to die*cough*) and make three great movies.

    Lets guess at some titles:

    Episode 7: Jar Jar Strikes Back
    Episode 8: Jar Jar Has Kids
    Episode 9: The Destruction of the Star Wars Fan Base
  • The petition would be :

    George, you've got the content control, it's your universe, you define it. BUT, someone else writes the scripts and dialogue, someone else produces it, and someone else directs it.
  • At one point (about 3 years ago) i coulda swore i read that Peter Mayhew had died. I was bummed.

    Nice to see he's in good shape otherwise.

  • Sequence (Score:3, Funny)

    by nightsweat ( 604367 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:41PM (#7990015)
    First, was IV, then V, then VI, then of course, I, next II, and soon III.

    Now VI, VII, and VII. Star Wars - teaching Roman numerals to whole new generation.

  • StarWars.com USED to show eps VII, VIII and IX (Score:3, Interesting)

    by bluethundr ( 562578 ) * on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:41PM (#7990022) Homepage Journal
    I remember back in around 1996 seeing slots for eps I,II,III,IV,V,VI and VII,VIII,IX on the StarWars.com homepage. Though a recent trip to the WayBack Machine seems to refute that memory. But they only go back to Dec 30th of '96 and my memory of VII,VIII,IX is a pretty clear one I'm adamant of having seen. But, interestingly enough Lucas had made some pretty clear statements that he NEVER intended to make a VII,VIII,IX trilogy. But I chalk those statements up to the same sort of Soviet revisionist history that made Greedo shoot first.

    However, as we all know, the prequels don't hold a CANDEL to the originals. Maybe Lucas is FINALLY starting to realize this and hoping to restore the franchise to it's former glory, removing the tarnish of eps I and II. If that be the case, I truly hope that he can. Truly.
    • Thank you, groups.google.com ...

      "Revenge of the Jedi"... Episode 6 in the Star Wars saga, has
      just finished filming, according to some friends I have down in
      Arizona.

      The release date for us humans that want to see it is
      still the summer of 1983. I guess it takes that long to score
      all the music, do all the film-editing, prepare all the promo
      material, and all that junk.

      I wish Lucas & Co. would get the thing going a little faster.
      I can't really imagine waiting until 1997 to see all nine parts
      of the Star

  • Original Trilogy DVDs (Score:3, Funny)

    by Complicity ( 30481 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:42PM (#7990036)
    If you thought that you were going to have to wait a long time to get the original trilogy DVDs before...

  • Contracts... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Whispers_in_the_dark ( 560817 ) * <rich,harkins&gmail,com> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:42PM (#7990044)

    However, TheForce is reporting that Mayhew's contract contains a stipulation that he must also appear in Episodes 7, 8, and 9.

    IMNAAA (not an acting agent), but isn't this just the sort of thing that gets tossed into lower-paid actor's contracts when a studio is simply hedging its bets? I like the 'bacca as well as the next dude, but he is probably paid less than, say Harrison Ford, on average. It seems likely to me that it wouldn't cost the studio much (if anything) to obligate him in this regard.

    Now, if the face-time Ep. 6 folks (Ford, Fisher, Hamilton, et al.) start getting signed into contracts like this then we would be talking.

  • Too Old (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jlechem ( 613317 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:43PM (#7990065) Homepage Journal

    I wouldn't take stock in this. How old is George Lucas now, 55 60? It takes him roughly 8-10 years a trilogy. He'ld be in a wheelchair by the time he finished the next ones if he even lived that long. I would think he wants to move on and do other things. And who would play all the original roles. All the main actors have not aged well and it would be very shitty to not have Mark Hammil reprise his role as Luke Skywalker or Harrison Ford play Han Solo.

    • Re:Too Old (Score:5, Insightful)

      by steveha ( 103154 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:09PM (#7990472) Homepage
      All the main actors have not aged well

      Funny you should say that. I remember, years ago (around the time of Episode V), George Lucas was asked if the main actors would be back for episodes VII, VIII, and IX; his reply was "sure, if they can be made to look old enough." The implication was that he wanted to set the final trilogy a few decades after the end of Episode VI.

      On the other hand, his more recent comment was that he "Never really had a story" for the final trilogy.

      On the gripping hand, it's clear that not having a story never really stops him. I refuse to believe that he planned all along for young Skywalker to build C-3PO, for example. I refuse to believe that during filming of Episode IV that he had already planned that Darth Vader would have grown up on Tattooine. I strongly suspect that the whole Luke/Leia being brother/sister was invented after he already had finished Episode IV. He just makes stuff up and sticks it on.

      Star Wars is great not because of George Lucas, who got the ball rolling, but because of the contributions of so many people. The sets, costumes, and effects represent man-years of work by many people. At this point you could take Star Wars out of George Lucas's hands and make new movies. (Sadly, they might be better movies for that; George Lucas's recent track record isn't great.)

      I predict we'll see Episodes VII, VIII, and IX someday, no matter what George Lucas says now. And we'll probably see other movies as well. (I'd like to see some "Jedi Academy" movies.)

      steveha
      • I predict we'll see Episodes VII, VIII, and IX someday, no matter what George Lucas says now. And we'll probably see other movies as well. (I'd like to see some "Jedi Academy" movies.)

        Totally. If not sooner, then the day after Lucas dies his heirs will sell the rights to the Star Wars universe for $1 billion (or so) to Fox and they'll start making the movies again. They won't stop until Episode XVII (or so).

        And then after they've gotten every last dollar out of the movie seriies, they'll turn it into a 3

  • It just won't be the same if not... (Score:5, Funny)

    by milkman_matt ( 593465 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:45PM (#7990100)
    The actor who played Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, Peter Mayhew, will be in Episode III.

    Well I would HOPE SO! If anyone but Peter Mayhew played Chewbacca I just don't think it would pass... I mean, it takes some serious talent to walk around in a big furry costume for a while... And while they're at it they better get the same people for C3P0 and Vader or this movie just won't quite work!

    -matt

  • Mark Hammil responds... (Score:4, Funny)

    by TrollBridge ( 550878 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:47PM (#7990130) Homepage Journal
    "Oh thank God! I'll may yet eat another meal that wasn't first deposited in a dumpster!"
    • He's also been quite successful on the stage. A CNN article a few months back had him saying that he was very happy with the distance he's created between Star Wars and the rest of his very-well established career as an entertainer. Not that he's not proud of his earlier work, but it's not the kind of thing an actor wants to hang his hat on forever.

  • CA$H (Score:5, Informative)

    by Malicious ( 567158 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:48PM (#7990162)
    Incase any of you didn't know, regardless of how much you/we think EP I & II may have sucked, they still raked in a wack of cash [yahoo.com] domestically:
    Episode I: $431,088,295
    Episode II: $310,675,583

    I think what we're seeing here are at least + 741,000,000 reasons Lucas is considering 7,8,9.

    • Re:CA$H (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Boing ( 111813 )

      Episode I: $431,088,295
      Episode II: $310,675,583

      You're still right, but I'd like to clarify something... Ep 1 had a budget of $115,000,000. Ep 2 had a budget of $120,000,000. Not exactly chump change. They were both extremely profitable, but you should factor the cost of making movies of this magnitude.

      Still, the fact that they were that profitable despite the fact that I and everyone I know thinks that they're an affront to the quality of the original trilogy tells me something important (though h

    • Re:CA$H (Score:5, Interesting)

      by AgentUSA ( 251620 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:18PM (#7990635)
      But when you adjust for inflation:

      Star Wars - $979 million
      The Empire Strikes Back - $547 million
      Return of the Jedi - $524 million
      The Phantom Menace - $475 million
      Attack of the Clones - $310 million

  • The Death Script (Score:5, Funny)

    by Dracolytch ( 714699 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:49PM (#7990170) Homepage
    "I felt a great disturbance in movie buffs... as if millions of viewers suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced."

    Most likely their own organs went into revolt. Geeks everywhere left Episode II with their brains subconciously chanting: "If you are so stupid to watch the next one, I will KILL YOU!"

    ~D

  • didya hear that? (Score:5, Funny)

    by EvilStein ( 414640 ) <.ten.pbp. .ta. .maps.> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:50PM (#7990184)
    It was the sound of millions of Star Wars fans yelling "Can we FINALLY see Jar Jar DIE? Please!?" :P

  • Chewbacca Strikes Back? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by H8X55 ( 650339 ) <jason...r...thomas@@@gmail...com> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:51PM (#7990202) Homepage Journal
    "The actor who played Chewbacca in the original Star Wars trilogy, Peter Mayhew, will be in Episode III. Of course, this has been previously reported and comes as no surprise. However, TheForce is reporting that Mayhew's contract contains a stipulation that he must also appear in Episodes 7, 8, and 9.

    Why bother with him then? If ever a character could be played by someone else it would be Chewbacca! No recognizable voice, or face, or anything. Just a 6'6" guy in a wookie costume with sound effects added in after the fact. I don't mean to be rude to Mr. Mayhew, but what leveridge does he have?

  • 7,8 & 9 (Score:4, Funny)

    by ackthpt ( 218170 ) * on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:55PM (#7990268) Homepage Journal
    TheForce is reporting that Mayhew's contract contains a stipulation that he must also appear in Episodes 7, 8, and 9.

    Nothing a few million $ couldn't rectify.

    So what would Episodes 7-9 be like...

    <Daydream Sequence>

    Star Wars, Episode 7: A New Threat
    Synopsis: Luke and Leia get married and head off on a honeymoon, leaving Han Solo and Chewbacca to watch over selection of the new senate. Han Solo gets bored and starts hyperspace download site of music and video content against the wishes of the immensely powerful IGRIMPAA (Inter Galactic Recording Industry and Motion Picture Artists Association), a thinly veiled group of thugs and bandits who have kept entertainers in thrall. Big cruisers appear out of hyperspace around Coruscant and Jar Jar Bings, in their employe serves subpoenas, furthering audience animosity.

    Star Wars, Episode 8: Just An Awufl Mess
    Synopsis: Luke and Leia return to Coruscant and find the IGRIMPAA firmly running things, Han Solo and Chewbacca rotting in prison and several worlds in outright rebellion. Luke procedes to reform a Jedi council, but finds space cruiser bombs going off all over the place. President Jar Jar Binks attempts to alay Luke's concerns, until it's found Leia has an ePod loaded with bootleg tunes from Naboo. Jar Jar reveals well kept secret that he is master of dark side and cuts off Luke's other hand in epic lightsabre battle. Han and Chewy come to rescue and all flee to the a distant world only to find another massive Deathstar built with IGRIMPAA profits.

    Star Wars, Episode 9: Last of the Red-Hot Jedi
    Synopsis: Luke and Leia's child, Xyzzy, demonstrates great skill with the force and greater skill with the source, hacks into DeathStar and shuts it down, in a bit of a special effects let-down, just see big ball with lights go out, no explosion. Luke and Leia return to Coruscant, along with Han and Chewbacca and in a final battle Luke duels with Jar Jar, both slice each other in half and last threat is brought to an end, except for offspring of Skywalkers, who demonstrates a slight inclination to power and position and a bit of an angry streak. We've been here before, no?

    </Daydream Sequence>

  • Dialogue for Episode III: (Score:5, Funny)

    by kjdames ( 588423 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:56PM (#7990282)
    Peter Jackson: Your powers are weak, old man.

    George Lucas: You can't win, Peter. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

    C-3PO: R2 says that the chances of episodes 7-9 surviving are 725 to 1. Actually R2 has been known to make mistakes... from time to time... Oh dear...

    C-3PO: Sir, the possibility of successfully extending this series is approximately 3,720 to 1!

    Lucas: Never tell me the odds!

  • These stories will come after the "New Jedi Order" (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Warlock7 ( 531656 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:56PM (#7990284)
    Episodes 7, 8 and 9 are supposed to deal with a character that is supposed to be introduced in Episode 3. These episodes will take place after the New Jedi Order series. That allows for Lucas to use the original stars (Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, etc.) and place them into the timeline approximately 30 years after A New Hope which is right around the end of the Yuuzhan Vong series (NJO). This is perfect. In 2007 these performers will be 30 years older than they were when they took the roles in the first place. This gives a lot of credibility to the whole concept.

  • Horrible, horrible, yet we can't look away (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Mr. Neutron ( 3115 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @04:58PM (#7990323) Homepage Journal
    Star Wars movies are becoming like a horrific accident scene. Terrifying and excruciatingly painful, yet we feel compelled to watch. I'd like to do a survey:

    1. What percentage of geeks expect to see EpIII?
    2. Of those going to see EpIII, what percentage expect it to be anything other than a suckfest?

    Anticipated answers:

    1. 95%
    2. 1%

    If GL makes VII-IX, you KNOW everyone is going to go. How can he pass up the chance to make that much money on what amounts to another 9 years of playing with cool toys without any need to work on boring stuff like sympathetic characters or realistic dialog?

  • This is evidence of very little ... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Unordained ( 262962 ) <unordained_slashdotNOSPAM@csmaster.org> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:04PM (#7990400)
    -If- there are three more movies made, -and- they need someone to play Chewie, -then- he'll be the one to do it if still around, and he can't refuse. This in no way stipulates that they -must- make three movies, or even that they -will- ... only that he would be required to play Chewie if they ever again need someone to do so.

    It's a great way to give both actors and the audience some hope for more movies, and it lets them worry a little less about the 'how' of making more movies by already having actors lined up and contracts signed. Sheesh. Can't you boys be a little more skeptical?

  • What the fuck is WITH you people? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by DesScorp ( 410532 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:11PM (#7990518) Journal
    So Lucas may do another trilogy. Good on him. But hang on....Slashdot readers dissaprove! "He's just trying to gouge us, he's destroyed my fond childhood memories", etc, etc, lather, rinse, repeat.

    Pull your heads out of your asses. If you don't like the movies, don't go see them. Star Wars belongs to Lucas. He created it, he owns the empire, and if he wants to film himself slinging handfulls of his own shit at a Slashdot logo, and call it Episode 7, he can.

    I doubt we'll ever see those movies, but I'd like to see them get made. And I wont cry on the Internet that they're not the same as the original trilogy. Which kind of makes sense, being that the original trilogy is two decades old. People change, the industry changes, ideas change, technologies change. Get over it. Go watch Lord of the Rings again if you want purity. More than likely, some of you whining peckerwoods will be watching Yet Another Tentacle Rape Hentai flick.

  • Look at him... (Score:4, Funny)

    by KermitAndLadyHoliday ( 668175 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:21PM (#7990678)
    he's heading for that small movie.

    H: I think I can get him before he gets there...he's almost in range.

    (the small movie begins to take on the appearance of another trilogy)

    B: That's no movie. It's Episode III.

    H: The trailer's too good to be Episode III.

    L: I have a very bad feeling about this.

    H: Yeah, I think you're right. Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power. (the ship begins to shudder) Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power!

    L: Why are we still moving towards it?

    H: We're caught in the Lucas beam! It's pulling us in!

    L: But there's gotta be something you can do!

    H: There's nothing I can do about it, kid, I've already seen Episodes I and II. I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight!

  • NOOOOOOOO! That's impossible... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by adrianbaugh ( 696007 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:22PM (#7990697) Homepage Journal
    Why would he do this? The whole point of a story is it has a beginning, a middle and an end. The original trilogy had that. Okay, so the beginning was a bit ropey: this ship appears from nowhere and starts blasting, and there's these two droids that we know little about.
    But that's how stories often work best - they throw you in at the deep end so it's exciting and you have to think and work out what's going on. Okay, the prequels fill out the early story a bit for the hardcore fans, but nobody in their right minds, new to the series, would sit through 6+ hours of dross just to understand what the secret plans R2 had were, or to have the "I am your father" surprise ruined for them.

    But while the prequels just made the series a bit worse, the sequels would be awful. Even if you think the beginning of the middle trilogy requires some fleshing out, the end is very good. It's a final, definitive end: the bad guy is dead and the galaxy is on the road towards stability. But for gods' sake, we don't need to see it get there. Star Wars became a parody of itself a long time ago, and that's a crying shame because before it was spoilt it was very, very good.

    I've wasted four hours of my life on I and II: I suppose I'll waste two more on the off-chance that Boba Fett does something cool, or that Jar-Jar meets a spectacularly bloody end, but that's it. No more. If III is of the same quality as I and II I can't believe Lucas has the nerve even to bring it out, now that LoTR has shown us what can be done with the SF/fantasy epic genre.

  • To fix Star Wars (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Krieger ( 7750 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:24PM (#7990729) Homepage
    Would require re-doing 1-3, and at least in my mind 6. The ewoks were an abomination, and represented a massive sell-out to "childrens" movies.

    He was right on with the first two, a G movie for all audiences, with enough plot and depth for older audiences, yet enough cool stuff to captivate children, as well as a reasonably straightforward plot arch (ala Joseph Campbell).

    So many mistakes were made in the making of the first two (and I'd wager third) that it's hard to even pretend it's the same series. What makes it the most comical is that with tweaks to each of those stories they could have been grand. My favorite example is Anakin slaughtering all of the Raiders after finding his mother seconds before her dying (way out in the realm of possibility). More realistic would have been to have him sneak in, rescue her, only to have her get shot and then die in his arms and have him return with his rage to wipe them out.

    I'm certain that thoughts like mine have been bouncing around Star Wars fans heads. Without copyright being what it is now, enterprising producers would be able to try and correct these wrongs inside of the fans lifetimes (at least with the founders copyright).

    At this point I think I'll see Star Wars III at the dollar theater, and if it's better then a steaming pile I'll rent it and watch it on someone's surround sound setup.

  • How about Peter Jackson does VII-IX? (Score:5, Funny)

    by MattW ( 97290 ) <matt@ender.com> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:29PM (#7990799) Homepage
    Call me crazy, but Jackson handled LOTR with about the most love and care and achievement I could ever expect from making it into a Hollywood trilogy.

    So, if Lucas doesn't want to do VII-IX himself, that's fine, but how about he let Jackson take over? You end up with a vastly superior sequel trilogy, and we'd probably get the movies 1 year apart instead of 3.

  • Some suggestions for Mr. Lucas (Score:5, Interesting)

    by nomadicGeek ( 453231 ) * on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:46PM (#7991023)
    You have been disappointing us. While many of us grew up with your movies and loved them, things have been steadily going down hill.

    1. Hire some real writers. You got help with Empire and it was the best movie to date. Don't try to do it yourself, you're real talent lies elsewhere.

    2. Hire another director. Get somebody like Peter Jackson who can film the trilogy all at once. We don't like waiting years between movies. 1 year max between releases.

    3. If it's cute. Leave it out. No more muppet'y characters like the Ewoks. No more frickin' Jar Jar type characters. I just can't take it. If you would like, I will offer my services for free. You can run this stuff by me and I will tell you if it sucks.

    4. Give it an edge like Empire. Your loyal fan base is getting older. We want a real plot without all of the inconsistencies that you have written yourself into in the last two movies. Remember, we're adults now. We we love the world and the characters that you created for us but we really want to experience it on an adult level. I'll say it again. No more Jar Jar's.

    5. Concentrate on what you really do best. Keep pushing the state of the art in film production. Push ILM to make the movie better while producing it faster and cheaper than anyone has ever done. Bring the costs of producing epic style movies down to a more reasonable level so that even more young artists can expose us to their visions without having a $100 million bank roll. The less expensive it gets, the more variety we will have.

    6. Don't concentrate on making a blockbuster. Just make the best movie that you can and show it to us. We will pay to see it. You don't have to have product tie ins everywhere we go. No more cheesy market deals. No more Jar Jar's (did I already mention that?)

    7. I want the new trilogy to hit DVD before I start collecting social security. Besides if you get off your ass on this, you can sell the previous movie on DVD right before you release the next movie. Easy advertising. (Don't do like LOTR though and release a 'normal' DVD and hold out the good one for a month or two. We like that about as much as we adore Jar Jar).

    7. Use your influence and $$$ to get us completely digital theaters. We all want to see the new movies on a crystal clear screen that isn't going to be completely degraded the 3rd and 4th time we go to see it. (This assumes that you make them good).

    You know what. Forget it all. I'm still pissed about the whole Jar Jar thing.

    • Re:Some suggestions for Mr. Lucas (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Schnapple ( 262314 ) <tomkiddNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @08:04PM (#7992620) Homepage
      Don't do like LOTR though and release a 'normal' DVD and hold out the good one for a month or two. We like that about as much as we adore Jar Jar
      Hold on there - we're all complaining that Lucas won't put out the original Star Wars movies on DVD, just the special editions. However, Peter Jackson puts out the original and extended editions of the LOTR movies and we shit on him? Plus, we're told in advance about the extended editions, they're not sprung on us years later.
      Use your influence and $$$ to get us completely digital theaters.
      Buy a $100K projector for each of the 3,000+ screens he wants to show it on? That alone would cost $300 million at least.

  • Hot Dog Website (Score:3, Informative)

    by Gossy ( 130782 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:53PM (#7991121)
    Has anyone noticed just quite how bad the Hot Dog [hotdogmagazine.com] site is?

    The "Current issue" and "Back Issue" link to 192.168.1.100/... addresses for crying out loud!

  • New Star Wars joke... (Score:3, Funny)

    by cmeans ( 81143 ) * <chris.a.meansNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @05:56PM (#7991179) Journal
    Why was EP VI afraid of EP VII?

    Because VII VIII IX!

  • Plot is NOT an issue in more SW films (Score:3, Insightful)

    by belgar ( 254293 ) on Thursday January 15, 2004 @06:15PM (#7991452) Homepage

    As anyone who's read the Star Wars storyline [randomhouse.com] as it continues past the 4/5/6, if Lucas uses these as a baseline for more movies, rejoice your ass off.

    The stories (for the most part) have great depth, a wealth of plot scenarios to choose from (which might be the biggest stumble to what to make for sequels), and continue the stories of the principals through the next 30 years (kids, getting old, death, etc.). It actually makes the characters a helluva lot more believable.

    Hats off to the editors who have made EVERY story that followed the movies tie into one another -- their consistency checks have got to be brain numbing, they're so thorough. That alone has made the stories a lot of fun to read.

    And the authors include some well-known names in modern sci-fi, including James Luceno, Michael P. Kube-McDowell, and Michael Stackpole.

    So, go read some dead tree, and see what kind of potential there is for three (or more!) sequels from Lucas. Let's just hope he uses some of the material available to him, instead of striking off on his own.

  • Pirate. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by DarkHelmet ( 120004 ) <mark&seventhcycle,net> on Thursday January 15, 2004 @06:17PM (#7991467) Homepage
    I for one plan to download a copy of Episode III off the net to boycott it sucking.

    And if it somehow ends up being good, I will then go see it in the theatre.

    This is how I use piracy to get rid of that silly geek factor that allowed Episodes 1 and 2 to make 400 million+. I will not support a movie by paying for it if it's not any good.

  • I've got a great idea for an ending (Score:4, Insightful)

    by character sequence ( 601293 ) on Friday January 16, 2004 @07:49AM (#7996718)
    We could end the film where somebody - get this - in a small spaceship flies up to the big enemy ship and - this idea is so good - blows it up from the inside using minimal fire power. Oh wait, we already did that three fucking times!

    • Ok, and here's some content to flesh it out:

      -An evil supervillain too arrogant to hire a 6 year old to spot obvious flaws in his plan
      -Obnoxiously saccharine aliens
      -An equally obnoxious kid
      -Bad guys who aim like drunkards
      -Good guys who can't get their shit together enough to make sure the bad guys don't keep coming back

      Stir vigorously, bake at 320 degrees and voila.

      Or, as the man said in the song, "...but there's this contract I had to sign, that I'll be making these movies till the end of time..."

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