Years ago, Star Wars was raking in major revenue from the box offices, but ever since “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” in 2005, the Star Wars series has been dormant and the possibility of future movies seemed bleak. It was announced last Tuesday, however, that The Walt Disney Co. bought Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion and is planning on continuing the Star Wars series. Star Wars fans everywhere, me included, were astounded by this news, and I for one was incredibly enthusiastic.
Few things are better than hearing your favorite movie or show is not over as you previously thought. So when I heard that the seventh installment of Star Wars was set to be released in 2015, I ran to mark the calendar. Shortly after, though, my joy was followed by skepticism, and I pondered over whether or not Disney would be able to do the series justice. While sequels and revivals are always good news initially, they sometimes do not live up to expectations once they are released. Therefore I came up with a checklist of what I believe to be essential for sequels and revivals to be successful.
First, the central characters from the original series should be present in further developments in order to maintain the authenticity; extra points if members of the original cast are used. Second, there should not be extensive deviations from the main plot. Although these are new installments, their plots should not digress too much from what fans are comfortable with. For example, the sequel to Legally Blonde was not as well received in theatres because it changed the premise and was largely focused on Elle’s dog, Bruiser, rather than on Elle herself. I believe that if entertainment is working and if it is popular among the fans, then there is no reason to change it. Lastly, I think that in order for a sequel or a revival to be successful the creator of the original production must be on board. This is because no one knows the fans better than the person who is creating material for them. Therefore, the creator will make sure there are no extensive deviations from the original product and also make sure the new producers are releasing something the fans will like.
Now with those in mind, consider the announcement made on Tuesday. It was said that the trilogy will continue with the story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, all original characters, although probably not with the original cast. The seventh episode will go beyond Return of the Jedi, which was episode six, and continue where the plot left off. After Episode 7, it is said that Disney plans to release a new Star Wars movie every two or three years, and George Lucas, the original producer of Star Wars, will serve as creative consultant in the new movies. Incredibly enough, Disney fulfilled my checklist, hopefully an indication of the success of the next Star Wars installment.
Further indication that Disney will create an epic new Star Wars is the way Disney handled “The Avengers.” Disney bought Marvel Entertainment in 2009 right after Marvel had major success with “Iron Man” in 2008. Following Disney’s takeover of Marvel, movies were released such as “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” “Captain America” and also “The Avengers.” Most of these were successful in the box office and “Iron Man 2” and “The Avengers” were especially fantastic.
So while Disney is under a lot of pressure to fill the Mickey Mouse sized shoes of the popular entertainment companies it purchases, it is proving itself able to do an ideal job and hopefully will continue to do so.
Another concern of mine, though, even after the fulfillment of the checklist, is the possibility of Star Wars fans becoming jaded after the eighth and ninth installments. There is a wearing effect, and I am afraid that Disney, along with Lucas’ help, may not be able to produce quality Star Wars blockbusters year after year, and fans may begin judging the movies harsher as more of them are released. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 2015 because only time will reveal if Disney can keep the Star Wars series thriving. I, for one, am very hopeful.
Meredith Berger’s column normally appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at m.berger@cavalierdaily.com.
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