Kevin Smith's Poignant Thoughts on Star Wars VII

With the announcement of Disney buying Lucasfilm, many celebrities have been offering their two cents on the news. But for Clerks director Kevin Smith -- renowned for his immense Star Wars love -- the potential for new Star Wars films meant something much more personal.

In a guest column he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter this week, Smith shared a story from his early days as a Star Wars fan. "Star Wars repeatedly is referenced in all the flicks I make because I grew up watching the George Lucas trilogy in the 1970s and early '80s," Smith begins. "But thanks to the toymakers at Kenner, no self-respecting Star Wars fan was ever content to simply watch the movies. Indeed, until the advent of home video a few years later, playing with Star Wars figures was about the closest a fan could get to seeing the movie again until it was rereleased in theaters."

Smith goes on to describe a boyhood friend named Pete, with whom he would play Star Wars. "Every summer day from 1978 to 1982, you could find me and Pete in his tiny yard, building a new Hoth or Tatooine, brushing ants off our bodies as we laid belly down in the dirt, making Luke Skywalker repeatedly kiss a girl who turned out to be his sister right before they swing from dental floss over the heads of stiff-armed Stormtroopers," he continues. "It shaped me as a storyteller and as a person."

"We'd create our own Star Wars adventures. The best story (and the only one outside of the movie canon that we'd repeatedly play) wasn't about Luke and Leia: It was about inexplicable fan-fave Boba Fett... The plot of our backyard adventure: Boba Fett gets trapped by robotic gunslinger IG-88 in a Star Wars universe time loop, sending him through all the movies as well as moments only referenced in the flicks."

But as Smith and Pete grew older, their interests of course changed. "As Pete and I hit our teens, we didn't play as much Star Wars anymore. I was onto girls, and Pete was replacing Star Wars with G.I. Joe figures.

"One morning shortly after Clerks happened to me, I got the absolute s#!t news that Pete King had been hit by a car in New York City. I asked how long his recovery would be only to learn the awful truth: Pete had died.

"Not a summer goes by when I don't think about Pete or our ongoing saga of Boba Fett lost in time. So when I heard about Disney's $4 billion Lucasfilm acquisition, naturally I had a brief, one-sided conversation with my former best friend.

"'We might finally get to see that Fett flick we always dreamed about, Pete,' I said aloud at my desk after I read the news."

In conclusion, Smith sums up his feelings on the announcement of Star Wars: Episode VII. "In a world where Disney needs to make back its investment, we may indeed see an all-Boba Fett film. And if the Force wills it, maybe it'll even be about Boba Fett lost in the Star Wars universe time stream. But even if it became the highest-grossing film of all time, it'd still never be as good as Pete King's version."

Source : ign[dot]com

Star Wars: The Clone Wars' Dave Filoni Comments on Disney Deal and the Show's Future

Since the announcement of Disney buying Lucasfilm last week, there’s been a lot of speculation and curiosity (mixed with some outright nervousness from fans) about what this might all mean for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While Lucasfilm has officially stayed quiet on the subject, there was a recent report stating that The Clone Wars is likely leaving Cartoon Network at the end of the current Season 5 – probably for Disney XD.

Today, The Clone Wars’ supervising director, Dave Filoni, released a statement about the new scenario, via a blog on the official Star Wars site. Filoni notes his early days working for Disney’s Television Animation Division on series like Kim Possible and Lilo and Stitch: The Series and writes very enthusiastically about Lucasfilm's new owners.

Exclusive clip from David Tennant's appearance on the next Clone Wars:

While he doesn’t go into the situation with the series potentially switching networks or give any new specifics on how much longer The Clone Wars will go (though we know work is underway on Season 6), he does end his blog with the following:

“I think this is an incredibly exciting time for all of us. I am being reunited with old friends of mine from my Disney days and getting ready, like all of you, for Episodes VII, VIII, and IX. When Revenge of the Sith was over, I found myself in the incredible position of carrying the torch forward. Now I can see the incredibly bright light that is the future of Star Wars. For those of you who are fans of The Clone Wars, do not worry. We have many stories left to tell, and every one of them came directly from George himself. Right down to the last one, where that thing with Ahsoka happens.”

Filoni obviously is implying in that statement that the very end of The Clone Wars -- and the fate of Ahsoka Tano -- has been decided upon by George Lucas, who, as Filoni has noted before, provides the scenario for pretty much every story arc for the series. So should we extrapolate then that the end point for the series has also been decided upon? We know there will be a Season 6, but is that it or does the ending come later? We shall see…

Source : ign[dot]com

Boba Fett Chimes in on Episode VII

We've heard what Luke Skywalker and Han Solo and Princess Leia have to say about Disney's recent buyout of Lucasfilm and Star Wars: Episode VII. But what about the saga's resident badass, Boba Fett?

In a recent interview with Unleash the Fanboy, actor Jeremy Bulloch, who originated the role of the famed Star Wars bounty hunter, offered his thoughts on the studio deal that transpired last week. "Obviously it came as quite a shock to everybody, there must have only been a few people who knew about it, but I think in general it really came as a surprise," Bulloch said. "I always felt that there was more of a story to tell after Return of the Jedi, and always hoped that they would go back and do an Episode VII. I hope it really is good, and that they go back and capture that 'wow' factor that made the trilogy so great."

Assuming Boba really did escape the clutches of that Sarlacc pit in Return of the Jedi, is there a chance Bulloch would reprise his role? "Realistically I'm sure if Boba Fett were to return they would go with someone younger, but I'm still fit and can jump around. I'd love to be involved in some way, maybe a cameo as an aging Bounty Hunter in the corner somewhere," he said.

What do you think? Would you like to see the return of Fett's iconic T-visor and jetpack? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Podcast Unlocked Ep. 75: Hayden Christian Andersen

Locksmiths Ryan McCaffrey, Mitch Dyer, and Destin Legarie talk about Disney buying Lucasfilm, the disappointing Assassin's Creed III, Halo 4, and if military games give gamers the wrong idea about war.

Download Podcast Unlocked Ep. 75. (MP3)

Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor at IGN. He’s also quite Canadian. Read his ramblings on Twitter and follow him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Mark Hamill Talks Star Wars: Episode VII

Following Disney's Lucasfilm buyout on Tuesday, Star Wars poster boy Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker himself) revealed that he -- much like everyone else -- was caught completely by surprise when he heard the big news.

"I had no idea that George [Lucas] was going to sell to Disney until I read it online like everybody else," Hamill told EW. "He did tell us last summer about wanting to go on and do [Episodes] VII, VIII and IX, and that [newly appointed Lucasfilm president] Kathleen Kennedy would be doing them. He seems to be in a really good place. He's really happy. And that's nice because I know that when we were making the movies, he was not a jolly guy on set. [Laughs]"

So what did Lucas have to say last summer about the third trilogy? "Last August, he asked Carrie and I to have lunch with him and we did," he said. "I thought he was going to talk about either his retirement or the Star Wars TV series that I’ve heard about -- which I don't think we were going to be involved in anyway... So when he said, 'We decided we're going to do Episodes VII, VIII and IX,' I was just gobsmacked. 'What? Are you nuts?!' [Laughs]"

Continued Hamill, "I can see both sides of it. Because in a way, there was a beginning, a middle, and an end and we all lived happily ever after, and that's the way it should be -- and it's great that people have fond memories, if they do have fond memories. But on the other hand, there's this ravenous desire on the part of the true believers to have more and more and more material. It's one of those things: people either just don't care for it or are passionate about it. I guess that defines what cult movies are all about. We'll see."

And as for the buyout itself? "I have mixed feelings about that, but [Disney hasn't] done badly by Marvel and the Muppets and Pixar," Hamill responded. "It's one of those big decisions that at first seems unusual but then the more you look at it, the more it makes sense."

According to a recent interview with Lucas biographer Dale Pollock, the original outlines for Episodes VII, VIII and IX called for an older Luke Skywalker. While this is by no means evidence of anything -- after all, those particular drafts might already be scrapped -- there is still a chance that Hamill could reprise his role in the new films. Of course, for now, this all remains under the bubble of fanboy speculation.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he still can't believe he can type "Episode VII" without having to add "Just Kidding." Geek out with him by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

George Lucas Reveals Destination of Disney Dollars

George Lucas has revealed what he plans to do with the many billions of dollars that he’ll make from the $4.05 billion sale of Lucasfilm to Disney.

Speaking to the The Hollywood Reporter, a studio representative explained “George Lucas has expressed his intention, in the event the deal closes, to donate the majority of the proceeds to his philanthropic endeavours.”

It’s not yet clear where he will direct the money, be it to a new foundation, the George Lucas Educational Foundation, or one of the many charities and causes he has previously supported.

Lucas also released a statement himself, saying “For 41 years, the majority of my time and money has been put into the company. As I start a new chapter in my life, it is gratifying to devote more time and resources to philanthropy.”

Chris Tilly is Entertainment Editor for IGN and wouldn't mind a couple of those Disney dollars. His idle chat can be found on both Twitter and MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones 3D Preview Footage Impresses

Lucasfilm is continuing with 3D conversions and rereleases of the Star Wars saga and this weekend at Star Wars Celebration VI, the first footage was shown from Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones 3D.

I was among those who was not impressed by the conversion of The Phantom Menace. It didn’t include that ugly, off-putting look that cheaply done conversions like Clash of the Titans have, but it also didn’t really impress as 3D – and it was hard not to wonder if it was just an innate limitation when it comes to converting old movies that were never intended to be in 3D.

However, based on what was shown at Celebration, the 3D in Attack of the Clones is a marked improvement. We were shown a long sizzle reel for the film, taking us through the movie via short clips, which showed off the 3D to an admirable extent.

In the opening sequence of the Naboo cruiser arriving on Coruscant, the ship truly seemed to be coming out of the side of the screen. And there was a lot of cool 3D visuals in the footage we saw of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s speeder chase through Coruscant – especially when Anakin leapt from the speeder down towards Zam Wesell, and Anakin himself appeared to be a physically present figure, falling away from the viewer into the distance.

I was also impressed by the waves on Kamino, which looked incredibly lifelike and ready to splash onto the audience in the establishing shots of the water-covered planet.

Some of the scenes from we saw weren’t quite as notable. The Droid Factory bit and the Yoda/Dooku lightsaber battle both looked fine, but unremarkable, from a 3D perspective. Still, overall, the sequences we saw from the 3D version really stood out and seemed like a giant step up from Phantom Menace.

ILM’s Dennis Muren (who worked on all six Star Wars films) and John Knoll (who worked on the Special Editions and the prequels) discussed the conversion process and how meticulous and time-consuming it was - about a year-long in total for each film. It involved going through the entire film and separating the elements and working to make sure the 3D looked correct and gave objects the proper amount of depth. In some cases, the shift in perspective in a scene has led to new digital work having to be done. An example was shown from the end of Attack of the Clones, as the 3D meant we were looking at Palpatine, Bail Organa and the other politicians looking down at the Clone Troopers from a slightly different angle, leaving blank spaces on the background which needed to be filled in, using the original matte paintings and backgrounds.

Since this whole process involves going back into a lot of the digital elements, Knoll admitted, “We might have archived things a bit differently if we knew we were coming back to it,” noting with Phantom Menace, they were dealing with elements from “13, 14 years ago. The backups only last so long. Sometimes the priorities on what you back up change over the time.”

Knoll said the process had been easier on Attack of the Clones than Phantom Menace, because, "The newer the film is the easier it is to go into the archives and recover things.”

That makes a lot of sense and probably accounts for some of the differences in the 3D visuals for the films, and hints at Revenge of the Sith 3D looking great too.

It’s less comforting in regards to the original trilogy, which obviously are much older films and lacking in as many digital elements that can be separated as easily. Still, if anyone can pull it off, it would be ILM.

Discussing why he felt it made sense to convert Star Wars into 3D, Knoll said, “The cool thing about 3D is it’s immersive,” noting it helped make you feel “You are there." He added, “What better universe would you want to have that feeling with than Star Wars?”

No release date has been announced for Attack of the Clones 3D, thought it seems likely it will be around the same time as the February release date The Phantom Menace 3D had this year.

Source : ign[dot]com