Can recasting Star Wars work?

[ChrisIII]

Kind of wonder if retconning things could make things worse-for example, the utter mess that is the Terminator sequels after 2.

Although in that case they do have a sort of excuse with the series dealing with time travel and alternate futures since the beginning, something SW has occasionally dabbed in but never to the extent of say, Trek.

[Gray Lensman]

Kennedy learned the wrong thing from the failure of Solo. The film had to be extensively reshot, with an expensive to hire replacement director, and all this and worse gets out to the public, poisoning the well, so to speak, about the film before it even gets into the editing room. Then they do next to zero advertising for it, and release it while recession effects are still in force, and sandwiched in between 2 highly anticipated surefire blockbusters to boot, and she thinks the real reason for the failure was recasting?

[godisawesome]

But it didn't. The novels kept the story going, for what that's worth, and then the sequels took a giant dump on all of them. And now that should be fixed and these guys deserve a proper sendoff, even if it's set years earlier in the fictional timeline.



Recasting is likely the best choice for any project that focuses on the OT. The cgi is fine for cameos, but is likely still too time consuming and expensive for main character stuff, even if the process gets smoothed out enough to escape the uncanny valley.

Kind of wonder if retconning things could make things worse-for example, the utter mess that is the Terminator sequels after 2.

Although in that case they do have a sort of excuse with the series dealing with time travel and alternate futures since the beginning, something SW has occasionally dabbed in but never to the extent of say, Trek.

Star Wars has always had a certain amount of fluidity in continuity; basically, unless it’s either something the audience witnessed on-screen themselves a massively discussed plot point, it’s generally up for almost total reconstruction around that.

And sometimes, even being on screen doesn’t actually protect stuff - Han shooting first and the other special editor in changes for instance, or how much TLJ blatantly and crudely tried to rewrite almost every TFA character’s story and personality.

There’s a lot of breaking “the spirit” of storytelling choices about Han, Luke, and Leia post-ROTJ that could be done if the desire was there. The tricky part, though, would be ensuring that the story told was worth the drama the fanbase will have over it, and that you still nail the characters correctly, something that LFL might be right to doubt themselves on right now.

Kennedy learned the wrong thing from the failure of Solo. The film had to be extensively reshot, with an expensive to hire replacement director, and all this and worse gets out to the public, poisoning the well, so to speak, about the film before it even gets into the editing room. Then they do next to zero advertising for it, and release it while recession effects are still in force, and sandwiched in between 2 highly anticipated surefire blockbusters to boot, and she thinks the real reason for the failure was recasting?

Yeah, the recasting wasn’t the issue beyond requiring more marketing than the film was going to get for being a comparatively modest entry in the series. I still think it was a little bit of a warning sign that they were so confident that Han Solo was a character who could carry a big budget blockbuster simply off his own popularity rather than Luke; these *are* immensely popular characters, but they were designed as ensemble characters.

[Jokerz79]

But it didn't. The novels kept the story going, for what that's worth, and then the sequels took a giant dump on all of them. And now that should be fixed and these guys deserve a proper sendoff, even if it's set years earlier in the fictional timeline.



Recasting is likely the best choice for any project that focuses on the OT. The cgi is fine for cameos, but is likely still too time consuming and expensive for main character stuff, even if the process gets smoothed out enough to escape the uncanny valley.

Here's a concept you just watch the original trilogy when it comes to Luke, Leia, and Han. I feel the Prequel films ruined the backstory of Anakin Vader went from Badass to whiny bitch. So, what do I do? I don't watch them. The old EU was never canon per George Lucas himself, so the novels and comics don't mean much and like I said the sequels you don't have to watch.

[ChrisIII]

Kind of more curious about Lord and Miller's version of SOLO since they produced Cocaine Bear which had Alden in a fairly large sized role.

[Ascended]

Star Wars has always had a certain amount of fluidity in continuity; basically, unless it’s either something the audience witnessed on-screen themselves a massively discussed plot point, it’s generally up for almost total reconstruction around that.

And I'm fine with that. It's given us some crap changes, true, but good ones too. And I think it adds more layers (points of view, if you will ) to the narrative either way.

I'm obviously less fond of the direct retcons, like Lucas deciding Han didn't shoot first. Retcons like that never solve or improve anything.

Here's a concept you just watch the original trilogy when it comes to Luke, Leia, and Han.

When I'm watching stuff, yeah that's largely what I do. I don't support or watch things I don't enjoy (though I've been known to turn on a prequel or sequel when all other options have been exhausted). But if we're talking about the franchise as a whole, like we are right now, you gotta look at the whole picture don't you?

Totally agree with you about Anakin. Vader got done dirty by those movies. But then Clone Wars spent seven seasons building around it and adding context, and it repaired Anakin's character. The prequels are still bad movies but Anakin himself doesn't suck as much. Is it such a sore spot that fans would want something similar for the OT after the sequels did to them what the prequels did to Anakin? Same situation, and all I'm asking for is an hour-long D+ special.

And I don't put much stock in novels or comics either, even the current stuff that's supposed to be canon (which is why I said 'for what it's worth'). At best I consider that Schrodinger's canon; both in and out of continuity until a film/show confirms it either way.

[Jokerz79]

I'd just rather them go forward or rather backwards than concentrate on the Skywalker Era and potentially muck it up more.

By backwards I mean the Old Republic which had all the best Siths Bane, Revan, Malak, Traya, Malgus, Nihilus, Naga Sadow, & Tenebrae/Vitiate/Valkorian.

Explore the Great Hyperspace War the Various Sith and Jedi Wars and the Mandalorian Wars.

[ChrisIII]

Kind of curious what Disney's plans are for that era.

Of course we have the High Republic but that's fairly close in the timeline to the movie era, sort of the last great era of the Jedi and the Republic before decline set in (Possibly orchestrated by Palpatine's predecessors-I think THE ACOLYTE will cover some of that).

There is of course the Dawn of the Jedi movie but with Mangold's Indy V flopping I wonder if Disney is having second thoughts. I think Josh Trank and Colin Tremorrow were removed in part because their other films flopped?

They have of course at least mentioned the Sith lords from the old EU, most recently the Eye of Sion in Ahsoka being a reference to Darth Sion from KOTOR II.

[Ascended]

I'd just rather them go forward or rather backwards than concentrate on the Skywalker Era and potentially muck it up more.

I'm down for exploring the setting's past. Also down for exploring its future beyond Rey. Lot of cool stuff in the past we've never properly explored, lot of interesting things the future could bring.

Honestly the Imperial era, from the Clone Wars to post-Endor, is something I'm ready to move beyond (aside from the occasional project of course, still good stuff to do here), and I'd like to move a few centuries not just a few years. But I'd like to make sure matters are properly settled in the Imp era before moving on, and I don't think they are. Not until we get one more adventure with the OT that does them the justice the sequels took from them.

Kind of curious what Disney's plans are for that era.

I'm curious if Disney has any plans at all for any era right now, or if the chaos both in Hollywood generally and Disney specifically has thrown everything off the rails. Again.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

It's still doable but still a gamble. The post original era before the sequels gives you a good 30+ years to explore with a different group of actors.

[Ascended]

I think the franchise covers a solid forty-fifty year spread? From the start of the Clone Wars to Exogul it's basically a full lifetime anyway, and a whole lot happens and changes. The time from the Clone Wars to post-Jedi has been super heavily explored.

But one of the fun things about stuff in the old Old Republic (to my very limited experience with it anyway) is how different it can feel, while still feeling like Star Wars. A time jump would let us see what comes of the whole Imperial-Final Order era, with enough distance to also feel unique, make some big changes, and get out from the shadow of the Skywalkers. Could be a hell of a fresh start/jumping on point, and we don't have to abandon the more familiar stomping grounds (I wouldn't take that deal at all) to get it.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I think the franchise covers a solid forty-fifty year spread? From the start of the Clone Wars to Exogul it's basically a full lifetime anyway, and a whole lot happens and changes. The time from the Clone Wars to post-Jedi has been super heavily explored.

But one of the fun things about stuff in the old Old Republic (to my very limited experience with it anyway) is how different it can feel, while still feeling like Star Wars. A time jump would let us see what comes of the whole Imperial-Final Order era, with enough distance to also feel unique, make some big changes, and get out from the shadow of the Skywalkers. Could be a hell of a fresh start/jumping on point, and we don't have to abandon the more familiar stomping grounds (I wouldn't take that deal at all) to get it.

I'm fond of the High Republic stories so I don't mind exploring other eras.

I just meant in terms of the thread question. Rather than remaking the original trilogy, I rather just tell new tales set after episode 6 with new actors.

[Ascended]

I just meant in terms of the thread question. Rather than remaking the original trilogy, I rather just tell new tales set after episode 6 with new actors.

Yeah I don't want the originals remade either. I just want one more good adventure with the originals. I wouldn't complain about getting more than that of course, and as long as the recasting was good I'd be fine with new actors. The cgi works, but I don't think it's at the point where you could hang a whole show or movie on it.

[j9ac9k]

R2-D2 should be recast as a border terrier. Screw A.I.

[Jokerz79]

R2-D2 should be recast as a border terrier. Screw A.I.

1930's C3PO and R2