Lucas Torpedoes STAR WARS Expanded Universe

[Space Commander]

SPACE COMMANDER'S GIRLFRIEND clearly loves SPACE COMMANDER, and recently queued up in WH Smith's to buy me SFX Magazine's Lucasfilm Special "Director's Edition"... without me asking her to!

On page 19, STAR WARS creator George Lucas talks about the Expanded Universe; additions to the STARS WARS legend provided by other writers.

Back in 1991, Timothy Zahn released the first book in his trilogy of novels continuing the adventures of Luke Skywalker AFTER Return of the Jedi. Personally, I thought that Zahn had done a truly excellent job of capturing the feel and the spirit of the original STAR WARS films.

After Zahn, many other writers joined in. One of my personal favourites is Tales of the Bounty Hunters which was edited by Kevin J Anderson, in which my fave STAR WARS characters, 4-LOM & Zuckuss, star in their own little adventure.

However, in recent years, the Expanded Universe has taken a different direction. Gone are the happy-go-lucky stories of the early 1990s. A new gaggle of writers are telling stories in which ALL of Luke's hard work in the original movies is completely undone, one of Han and Leia's children is murdered, and the remaining two children split the galaxy down the middle, causing a violent and bloodthirsty civil war that makes the original STAR WARS stories look like a children's birthday party.

When The Phantom Menace was panned back in 1999, George Lucas said quite clearly that STAR WARS was not supposed to be like the TERMINATOR movies, and personally I agree with him.

DON'T GET ME WRONG! I love TERMINATOR! But it sure as heck isn't family-friendly as STAR WARS was always intended to be.

So..., back to page 19.

Lucas says;
"I've left pretty explicit instructions for there not to be any more features. No Episodes VII - IX, because there isn't any story. I mean, I never thought of anything! There have been novels about the events after Episode VI, which aren't at all what I would have done. The story is the tradgedy of Darth Vader. That's the story. Once he dies, he doesn't come back to life, the Emperor doesn't get cloned, Luke doesn't get married..."

And so, just like that, he has swept the Expanded Universe aside. And when it comes to those recent, violent stories that makes all of Luke's efforts during the original movies amount to nothing whatsoever, I can't say I blame him.


SPACE COMMANDER

[paul463]

I can't say I blame him.

I think he is right to say this IMHO the six films told the story (again IMHO to varying degrees of success I'm thinking episodes 1 &2)

[Thundershot]

It's about time Lucas did something about the situation,I don't know about any one else,but I had a real feeling of completion after episode 3..I felt that the story has now been told & that it was time to let go..

[Crimson Rage]

I actually agree with Lucas here. The whole point of the films is that goodness will always triumph over evil and the battle starts within ourselves.. If people are going to turn the franchise into another tawdry "all sci-fi must be nihilistic and mean-spirited" cliche then they can't really have a clue.

[FireChief420]

I really don't care what GL has to say about the EU.
He has had his say with his six films.
The SW universe will live on as long a Lucas Licensing does.

[Chopper]

Lucas has too and froed for a long time, but short of "Splinter of the minds eye", I've not read any of the novels. His original idea was about Luke Starkiller, not Vader. That aside he did what he intended and I enjoyed the ride. The new Clone Wars cartoons are VERY reminiscent of the feel of the original trilogy imho and a great watch. End of the day its his movies, his licensing and his ideas. He can do what he wants. The whole dodgy Jedi offspring thing has probably been the reason I've not read any.

[Quickfire]

They've given the original Starkiller name for Luke to the Sith in the new Force Unleashed game ...

Oh where did it all go wrong. Oh yeah, back in Phantom Menace when it was revealed that sensitivity to the Force is genetic rather than intuitive. Metaclorians my arsch.

Fk that. Do you think survived Bloodhound because of his Mersey genes?

[Space Commander]

End of the day its his movies, his licensing and his ideas. He can do what he wants.

Precisely.


SPACE COMMANDER

[Quickfire]

End of the day its his movies, his licensing and his ideas. He can do what he wants.

Precisely.


SPACE COMMANDER

Though it might be the interests of global good karma if he removed the prick that has grown forth from his forehead since building the Skywalker ranch back in 84.

Although there was a brief revival in the 1990s



Anyway, where's Ken Korda when you need him?

[Space Commander]

Funny clip, Quickfire !
I take it YOU won't be tuning in to the new CLONE WARS series then? Ha ha!
Post 1984, eh? I quite liked WILLOW... Val Kilmer's Madmartigan was meant to be a proto-Jedi, apparently...


SPACE COMMANDER
PS. MERRY CHRISTMAS, Quickfire, old boy!