After watching the Star Wars prequels, I think everyone agrees that the new Star Wars trilogy is safer in any hands but those of George Lucas. And yet, if things had happened differently, we could now be anticipating/dreading Lucas’s version of Star Wars Episode VII (now Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Lucas confirmed he had begun planning the next three Star Wars films, but that he only planned to direct the first one. Episode VII would have been released in May 2015, then he would have sold Lucasfilm, perhaps so he wouldn’t feel tempted to direct. But Lucas realized this trilogy would be another ten-year commitment, which is admittedly a ton of work. Disney entered the picture at the right time, and Lucas realized it would be better for him not to develop the new trilogy at all, leaving it completely to others. Of course, Lucas remains a consultant on the movie, but maybe that’s how it should be: offering some new ideas or reference that the actual creative team can choose to use or ignore as they please. Read more…
What’s Strange Magic, you might ask? That’s a very good question! I wouldn’t have been able to answer that question until just recently. Out of the blue, Lucasfilm revealed a CGI animated film, with story by George Lucas, that is coming on in January. It’s a comedy-adventure film with plenty of singing, about two different side (fairies and goblins) being separated until a love potion begins to bring both sides together. Don’t expect for the trailer to tell you that, though! Also, releasing a trailer so close to release with very little promotion doesn’t exactly bode well. Oh, and all that music, but no “Strange Magic” by ELO? Come on, it’d be perfect! Read more…
If you haven’t seen the 2010 documentary The People vs. George Lucas and are a Star Wars fan, you’re missing out on a great examination of the lack of relationship between George Lucas and his fans. I thought it covered its bases pretty well, but apparently the filmmakers think there’s more to say, so they’ve announced The People vs. George Lucas Episode II and scheduled its release for December 2015, just in time for Star Wars Episode VII. In this documentary, they hope to examine further developments in the relationship between George Lucas and his fans, including the sale of Star Wars and Lucasfilm to Disney, as well as the future of the franchise without George Lucas. Read more…
Still reeling from Disney buying Lucasfilm earlier this week? Yeah, me too. There’s a lot of good news here, some uncertainty, but most of all I’m excited. I’m feeling a little like a fanboy again at the prospect of new Star Wars films – or should I say, the prospect of new Star Wars films that could be good. More good news? George Lucas has made all of us who ever complained about the prequels looks like whiny children. He announced that he’ll be giving the majority of the money from the 4.5 billion dollar Disney deal into a foundation to support education and education issues. Do you think he dropped the mic and strutted offstage after the announcement, too? Read more…
In news that took me a while to wrap my head around, today the Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in cash and stocks. Disney now owns not only Lucasfilm, but also Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound, and LucasArts, as well as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and numerous other properties. This is a pretty big deal, and I’m not entirely sure how to take it. What conflicts my opinion even further is the news that Disney is planning a new trilogy of Star Wars movies. Read more…
I’m not sure how many of you have been keeping up with Ridley Scott’s Prophets of Science Fiction — not every cable provider carries the network it airs on — but it’s been a pretty good season so far. The season’s coming to an end, but what better way than to feature the man behind the force itself, George Lucas. The season finale airs tonight at 10 PM Eastern on Science.
George Lucas has been jumping about promoting Star Wars Episode I in 3D, and recently did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The interviewer, I assume, wanted to give George one last chance to repent (or something) but instead he just went further into the deep end. When asked about the ‘ruckus’ over Han or Greedo shooting first, George said something plain silly. Read more…
Posted by Gia Manry on Jun 13, 2011 in Cinema, Fandom
Okay, it’s not really a full film, just a trailer — but seriously, can we please start up a Kickstarter project to fund a full-length feature? I love the joking conspiracy theory that the George Lucas from the original Star Wars prequels and Indiana Jones was kidnapped and replaced with a pod!George who released the prequels and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. What’s not to love? Read more…
Prior to the availability of Youtube, there is little to no chance that viewers can see foreign commercials that well known people can be involved in. Certainly in the United States, unless with a right fee, you really wouldn’t catch popular and established celebrities selling commercials. However if you are in a country like Japan, you’ll see many celebrities selling Japanese products. Like Bill Murray in the movie Lost in Translation. You can see Arnold Schwarzenegger selling instant cup ramen, Leonardo DiCaprio selling a car, Brad Pitt selling a cell phone, with enough money, the choice is clear. Consider these following commercials starring George Lucas. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 30, 2010 in Star Wars
As publisher of Fanboy.com I’m the eternal marketing target of every entertainment company from small one man indie comic book publishers to major Hollywood studios and after many years I’ve come to see that the master of the industry is George Lucas. While everyone in the entertainment trade can learn something from him I think there are broader lessons that he can teach anyone in business about salesmanship. Here are the lessons I’ve been able to draw from one of the most financially successful independent producers of all time: Read more…
I’ve been thinking a lot about those often (and not unfairly) maligned films known collectively as the Star Wars prequels– episode I (The Phantom Menace), episode II (Attack of the Clones), and episode III (Revenge of the Sith) –due to the subject coming up in a couple of interviews, and I’ve been thinking about the anger and hatred George Lucas receives from a particular set of Star Wars fans. Here’s why he doesn’t deserve it…kind of. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Mar 3, 2010 in Star Wars
This video featuring Tim Kring of Heroes and Peter Hirshberg makes a very interesting point about the The Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978: Their thinking is that even though the special was quite bad that the genius of it is that George Lucas is inventing what they call “transmedia storytelling” — the concept of using multiple mediums to tell a story. Their example is that by introducing Boba Fett that Lucas expanded the Star Wars universe and was then able to introduce the bounty hunter as a toy and then in the next film. Read more…
Recently while a good friend was telling me about the advantages of seeing Avatar in 3D IMAX over just plain 3D I couldn’t help but mention how much I hated “the plot” of the film. My friend then challenged me that while the twists-and-turns of the Na’vi may have been overly predictable that in fact the first Star Wars film was just as telegraphed. Read more…
In this brilliant video David Lynch brings us back to early 80s when he turned a chance to direct Return of the Jedi. Lynch gives us an interesting insight which is that Lucas doesn’t like to direct his own films. Not mentioned in this clip is that Lucas was a huge fan of Eraserhead which came out in 1977. Of course Lynch would go on to tackle science fiction with the film Dune in 1984 — and while the film had his vision was part of that film it didn’t do too well at the box office.
It was nothing less than a historic moment when director George Lucas decided to feature a trash compactor scene in Star Wars: Sure Stanley Kubrick broke ground in 2001: A Space Odyssey by showing a bathroom scene — but it look the bold vision of Lucas to take us dumpster diving into a space station the size of a planet (or small moon if you want to quibble). And that why the Franklin Mint, err Gentle Giant Products has decided to commemorate this milestone in cinematic history with the Star Wars Trash Compactor Bookends Statue. Read more…
It’s ironic that just as Paramount is rebooting the Star Trek franchise with some high quality content that Lucas is starting the run the Star Wars franchise into the ground. A good example of this is this teaser trailer for the videogame which will be based on the the animated cartoon Star Wars: The Clone Wars. You now have an entire game based upon a side story, granted it’s not as bad as the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, but it’s getting closer all the time. Read more…
At first I had my doubts — but the one thing that won me over to the up and coming Star Trek film is the trailer — to be blunt it kicks ass! So as a fanboy who’s been following the show forever when I read that there was a comic book attached to the film (Star Trek Countdown) I was psyched. But then I glanced at the cover and I was in shock: The illustration looks like a bad tracing from a photo featuring some of the worst Photoshop coloring work I’ve ever seen in my life. I realize the cover is trying to match the posters for the film, but couldn’t they have put more than just ten minutes worth of work into it?Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 23, 2008 in Star Wars
There’s this part of George Lucas that I love who does this great work, and then there is the dark side of the source: You know what I’m talking about — it’s that greedy guy who for the sake of a buck will let bad idea slip through like the Ewoks or Jar Jar just to rake in a few marketing bucks. Well George the greedy is back and Star Wars: A Musical Journey is set to hit the stage in London on April 10th, 2009. Amongst the featured travesties will be a kick line of Stormtroopers and singing Wookiees ruining the work of John Williams.
Frankly I wasn’t that crazy about the last three Star Wars films (three words: Jar Jar Binks) but of there are two things that George Lucas still knows how to do well it’s merchandising and preproduction art. These illustrations are for the upcoming second PC MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic — and I must say the images do inspire one to want to play with this mega multiplayer online title.
Prior to the availability of Youtube, there is little to no chance that viewers can see foreign commercials that well known people can be involved in. Certainly in the United States, unless with a right fee, you really wouldn’t catch popular and established celebrities selling commercials. However if you are in a country like Japan, you’ll see many celebrities selling Japanese products. Like Bill Murray in the movie Lost in Translation. You can see Arnold Schwarzenegger selling instant cup ramen, Leonardo DiCaprio selling a car, Brad Pitt selling a cell phone, with enough money, the choice is clear. Consider these following commercials starring George Lucas. 
