October 30th, 2012 / 9:35 pm
Film
A D Jameson
Film
On the inevitability of more Star Wars films
| film | year | production budget | worldwide gross |
| Star Wars | 1977 | $11 million | $775,398,007 |
| The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | $18 million | $538,375,067 |
| Return of the Jedi | 1983 | $32.5 million | $475,106,177 |
| The Phantom Menace | 1999 | $115 million | $1,027,044,677 |
| Attack of the Clones | 2002 | $115 million | $649,398,328 |
| Revenge of the Sith | 2005 | #113 million | $848,754,768 |
| $404.5 million | $4,314,077,024 |
Net profit: 3.9 billion dollars.
And that’s just ticket sales.
Update: My friend Ghost Mouth just sent me this:
That’d be brilliant. But we could never be so lucky…
This really doesn’t bother me. In fact I’m glad they’ve at least gotten it away from Lucas. I’m vaguely looking forward to the movies — original trilogy is a lot of fun, but it won’t be hurt by more, and maybe the new ones will be fun too. (Probably not, but that’s okay.)
It doesn’t bother me, either. Indeed, getting the franchise away from Lucas is one of the best things that could happen, I think. For one thing, someone other than the Beard is going to write these new films! (Presumably, someone who can actually write.)
If I were Disney (and, sadly, I’m not), I’d pull out all the stops for Episode 7, even going so far as to hire some director everyone adores. Edgar Wright? James Gunn? Nah, but someone beloved. (Of course, even if that happens, eventually it will all begin to suck again.)
I myself never doubted for a second that there wouldn’t be more Star Wars films. Six feature films is actually very few for such a successful franchise. Look at how many Bond movies there are.
I just figured the new ones wouldn’t happen until after Lucas died.
A friend suggested Brad Bird to direct on Twitter. That, plus an unexpected writer, would be pretty great, I think. The way they’ve dealt with Marvel has been encouraging, but I suspect if we looked into it we would find out that has a lot to do with letting Marvel’s actual people have a lot of input in who gets what jobs.
For my part I thought Lucas would make the next three himself. So this is a real relief!
No more parodies?
http://www.starwarsuncut.com/
i saw The Beard at the mall one time with who must have been his daughter (?)
(no disrespect re: daughter, TB)
: b
I thought the “Disney-fication” of the last Stars Movies was the problem. What are the chances Disney would allow a roguish Han Solo to wax Greedo before he pulls the trigger?
I hope Pixar takes over.
I’m a huge fan of that movie. I’ve been working on a lengthy essay/analysis of it ever since it came out…
I also really like this one, wrote a lengthy analysis of it here.
It is true that one of the nobler things about Lucas has been his graciousness when it comes to folks parodying / paying homage to his movies. (He even makes the sound effects available at Starwars.com, to help people make them.)
I vote for Irvin Kershner. I’m sure Disney can make that happen.
No! Wait! Christopher Fucking Nolan!
An ex-girlfriend of mine once flew back to the States from Iceland sitting behind Matthew Barney and his daughter with Björk. She said they spent the whole flight coloring.
i work three blocks from pixar two days a week
i’ve been trying to get a field trip arranged there for my students for months! to no avail
That’s great, hadn’t seen that one.
Disney track record of sci-fi in wake of Star Wars: The Black Hole and Tron.
Jeremy and I were trying to list all the good 2000s films. And one of the things we wrote was “everything by Pixar.”
(Well, except those Cars movies.)
I’ve always liked The Black Hole.
Now Disney will finally want to adapt all my Black Hole/Star Wars fanfiction…
The beginning of up is one of the best short films ever made
Ew money is so fucking gross.
“Gross” is definitely the right word.
At first I was happy about this. I mean, it’s better than being entirely in Lucas’ hands—but then I got to thinking about it, and how tacky Disney might make it, and though I’d still rather have it with Disney than purely Lucas, the best would’ve been Warner Brothers.
I really wish Warner Brothers had acquired this. That studio consistently puts out quality movies that appeal to my taste. I want excellent, mature, PG-13 Star Wars movies, and I’m not sure Disney will supply that.