I agree that Detours is probably dead and buried. I suspect that the decision was made that a self deprecating mess of toilet humor and pop culture jokes would be fine as a way of reminding people about a 30 year old property in order to keep merchandising it, but it runs counter to the main goals once they started seriously ramping up to make a new series of frontline movies. Publicly portraying Princess Leia as a whiny little Paris Hilton type b***h while amusing in the short term, does damage to the character once they planned to bring back Carrie Fisher in the role. And this spreads across the stable of characters. (I suspect that Lucasfilms would prefer that people think of the Emperors voice as that of the late Ian McDirmid and not Seth McFarlane). Lucas himself seems to love that sort of humorous homage. But I can see where Disney and those looking to the future might not be quite so fond of it.

I actually think Disney seems to be taking a longer view with SW. They seem to be pulling back from milking it every which way possible, and seem to be actively trying to avoid over saturation ahead of the new movies. I'm not sure that's a good thing, as it has cost us some great stuff, like TCW. But I'll take a wait and see approach still. I'll agree that I am not so thrilled with JJ Abrams, while his stuff is superficially like able I always find it shallow. I wish they had grabbed someone like Wheedon. What makes it worse is Abrams could essentially poop in a film can, and it is still guaranteed to be the highest grossing movie of all time.

RIP LucasArts.

http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/story/Disney_Shuts_Down_LucasArts_150959.asp

  On 4/4/2013 at 2:12 AM, Elrond said:

RIP LucasArts.

http://www.theforce....Arts_150959.asp

NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOO!

Disneeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

I believe Disney will want to OK all 2014 LSW sets? Will they shut down the CW toy line as fast as the TV series? Will they allow Episode III sets (remember the 3D version was planned and it might be TLC wanted to release a few sets, like they're doing this year with E II)?

For someone who is eagerly awaiting Phase II clones, this is all very unfortunate...

  On 4/6/2013 at 4:50 PM, Zzz said:

I believe Disney will want to OK all 2014 LSW sets? Will they shut down the CW toy line as fast as the TV series? Will they allow Episode III sets (remember the 3D version was planned and it might be TLC wanted to release a few sets, like they're doing this year with E II)?

For someone who is eagerly awaiting Phase II clones, this is all very unfortunate...

Unless LEGO had already started production on the 2014 sets when the other 3D releases were canned, I don't think we'll see a whole lot of Ep. III sets. They probably cursed Lucasfilm when they learned there wouldn't be any 3D release for AotC.

Same with TCW. We're probably going to get the last TCW sets in 2014. Even Hasbro has stopped the production of new TCW action figures.

  On 4/6/2013 at 5:43 PM, Elrond said:

Unless LEGO had already started production on the 2014 sets when the other 3D releases were canned, I don't think we'll see a whole lot of Ep. III sets. They probably cursed Lucasfilm when they learned there wouldn't be any 3D release for AotC.

Same with TCW. We're probably going to get the last TCW sets in 2014. Even Hasbro has stopped the production of new TCW action figures.

It's a difficult question whether or not they started working on those on a level that there's no turning back. And at what point Lucas/Disney/whatever Licensor will give the final go. And what compromise can be found in this specific situation regarding change of the licensor.

Altogether I just notice that my previous post had so many uncertainties included, which even most TLC employees will never even know about, that the entire post seems rather useless. I believe we just have to wait and see...

(But I agree with you that it's not the most happy ending for TLC having the shelfs full of Episode II sets but no one is really talking about the movie at all this year.)

  On 4/3/2013 at 5:13 PM, Elrond said:

#

Sure the original cast is returning but there's no way Disney is gonna make a trilogy with 60 yo main characters... which means they'll probably just serve as secondary characters or foils for a younger generation of actors. I'm not sure I want to see that [...]

I'm sure that I don't want to see that, and surely not at the expense of TCW. To me, it somehow feels like a huge step back. To invent a threat after the deaths of Vader and Palpatine feels pretty artificial to me.

  On 4/6/2013 at 5:43 PM, Elrond said:

Unless LEGO had already started production on the 2014 sets when the other 3D releases were canned, I don't think we'll see a whole lot of Ep. III sets. They probably cursed Lucasfilm when they learned there wouldn't be any 3D release for AotC.

But the reason there won't be a rerelease is because the Phantom Menace rerelease flopped, so it's a moot point. It is very unlikely to have had much of an impact on LEGO sales either way.

  On 4/6/2013 at 4:50 PM, Zzz said:

I believe Disney will want to OK all 2014 LSW sets? Will they shut down the CW toy line as fast as the TV series? Will they allow Episode III sets (remember the 3D version was planned and it might be TLC wanted to release a few sets, like they're doing this year with E II)?

For someone who is eagerly awaiting Phase II clones, this is all very unfortunate...

The licensor always ok's ALL released sets. So nothing new there. TLG has said that set choice is a mixed bag. Normally Lego and the designers do most of the set selection, but Lucasfilms always have a few requests or requirements that they desire to coincide with current projects. Figure it's an 80/20 or 70/30 split. I don't think that this will particularly change. If anything Disney/Lucas may give Lego carte Blanche for the 2014 releases and then shift the required subjects more to 2015 movie tie ins.

What will kill off TCW sets is not so much the lack of new episodes, as the lack of a network airing any of the episodes. I don't think Disney particularly cares if Lego makes more TCW sets, or Ep II sets. They trust Lego to know and make what will sell. I do think by the back half of 2014 we will see Lego shift to more OT sets to get ready for the new movies.

  On 4/6/2013 at 11:59 PM, def said:

But the reason there won't be a rerelease is because the Phantom Menace rerelease flopped, so it's a moot point. It is very unlikely to have had much of an impact on LEGO sales either way.

I'm not sure that's the reason. The original schedule was to have one movie each year (which means ROTJ 3D would have been released in 2017). I think the main problem here was that they were getting in the way of Disney's new plans.

TPM 3D made more than 102 million $ worldwide, it's not great but it's not that bad for a 3D rerelease, considering this is the weakest film of the 6. The OT rereleases would have probably made a lot more.

Edited April 7, 201311 yr by Elrond

  On 4/7/2013 at 12:24 AM, Elrond said:

I'm not sure that's the reason. The original schedule was to have one movie each year (which means ROTJ 3D would have been released in 2017). I think the main problem here was that they were getting in the way of Disney's new plans.

TPM 3D made more than 102 million $ worldwide, it's not great but it's not that bad for a 3D rerelease, considering this is the weakest film of the 6. The OT rereleases would have probably made a lot more.

I had read that they were not nearly as successful as they wanted, but I just looked it up and you're right, the official statement is that they took manpower away from the next movie.

And for the record, Attack of the Clones was the weakest movie

  On 4/7/2013 at 12:24 AM, Elrond said:

I'm not sure that's the reason. The original schedule was to have one movie each year (which means ROTJ 3D would have been released in 2017). I think the main problem here was that they were getting in the way of Disney's new plans.

TPM 3D made more than 102 million $ worldwide, it's not great but it's not that bad for a 3D rerelease, considering this is the weakest film of the 6. The OT rereleases would have probably made a lot more.

I think the 3d releases would have ended up stopping at RotS. The prequels were shot digitally and can be fairly easily manipulated. The OT was shot on film, the masters of which have not weathered the years well. Doing a 3d conversion of them would be a much more massive undertaking. Granted some of the work was done when they did the Special Editions, but those are still early 90's film conversion for the most part.

I think it is also mostly a resource and focus thing. Converting for a 3d re release was all well and good when that was a principle mechanism for keeping the merchandising juggernaut going. But once someone made the decision for a new movie trilogy the 3d stuff became pointless and needlessly expensive for a far lesser return.

I'm not really interested in the new trilogy SW movies as I doubt they will bring in enough success for the overall SW franchise. And I think this years Lego SW sets will probably be the last year I will be collecting Lego SW sets. But not too sure at the moment depending of what the 2014 sets will be like. I thought that George Lucas said himself that there won't be another SW trilogy at all, no matter what.

  On 4/7/2013 at 1:34 AM, Faefrost said:

I think the 3d releases would have ended up stopping at RotS. The prequels were shot digitally and can be fairly easily manipulated. The OT was shot on film, the masters of which have not weathered the years well. Doing a 3d conversion of them would be a much more massive undertaking. Granted some of the work was done when they did the Special Editions, but those are still early 90's film conversion for the most part.

Don't forget they also worked on it again for the 2004 (?) DVD release.

  On 4/8/2013 at 9:21 AM, AudiBobaR5-D2 said:

I'm not really interested in the new trilogy SW movies as I doubt they will bring in enough success for the overall SW franchise. And I think this years Lego SW sets will probably be the last year I will be collecting Lego SW sets. But not too sure at the moment depending of what the 2014 sets will be like. I thought that George Lucas said himself that there won't be another SW trilogy at all, no matter what.

Well technically, he's not making new movies, Disney is. I guess allowing Disney to make new movies was a central part of their deal (which is getting worse all the time).

Disney is making a "tabula rasa" policy, they are killing all ongoing projects even if do not actually interfere with the new movie.

Also, they said that the new movie will not use any established canon. I'm really worried about two things:

the perspective of no more OT sets after 2014 and, that all new sets could have a completely new aesthetic incompatible with current sets.

Now if you don't mind me saying this on here, but what will happen with SWTOR. Will Disney ever close that or not?

If Disney does stop producing OT sets after 2014, then I doubt they will be making money from OT fans because of the possible ending production of OT sets if they do so. Disney will possibly lose money than make money if they do what they said they might do because of the sequel movies from 2015 onwards

  On 4/11/2013 at 8:24 AM, legomas said:

Disney is making a "tabula rasa" policy, they are killing all ongoing projects even if do not actually interfere with the new movie.

Also, they said that the new movie will not use any established canon. I'm really worried about two things:

the perspective of no more OT sets after 2014 and, that all new sets could have a completely new aesthetic incompatible with current sets.

I thought that Disney simply said that anything not in the movies might or would not be viewed as cannon? The Lucasfilms archives on Star Wars cannon were an integral element that sold the deal to Disney. The main thing that will probably not survive the new movies is the post RotJ EU novels and comics.

Anything we will have some different aesthetics, which is normal (The PT clashes horribly aesthetically with the OT in many places. Especially anything having to do with Naboo.) I confess that Aesthetics of the new movies are what worry me the most. J J Abrams has not earned the respect of many SciFi and Starship fans in this regard. What he did to Star Trek remains unpopular. Here's hoping that he learned that lesson, or lets the Lucas ILM folks do their jobs.

  On 4/12/2013 at 4:50 PM, AudiBobaR5-D2 said:

Now if you don't mind me saying this on here, but what will happen with SWTOR. Will Disney ever close that or not?

If Disney does stop producing OT sets after 2014, then I doubt they will be making money from OT fans because of the possible ending production of OT sets if they do so. Disney will possibly lose money than make money if they do what they said they might do because of the sequel movies from 2015 onwards

I don't know hat Disney can simply kill SWTOR at this point. All they can do is not renew the license when it comes up for renewal. (Probably at the 5 year mark) Killing off SWTOR will be almost purely an EA action otherwise. My gut suspicion is that Disney does not have a lot of feeling regarding the TOR era stuff one way or another. They are just a line of video games. Not part of the A list primary product. If anything they will keep SWTOR around as a model of how they want to do SW games now. Licensed out to a third party and not in house like they did with Lucasarts.

The OT is not going anywhere. This is Disney. They never throw anything away. The OT may be de emphasized in media and marketing as they run up to the next trilogy. But that will not effect stuff like Lego sets. We will see fewer OT sets as the marketing push shifts, but hey probably will not vanish. Now TCW based sets may disappear. Cartoon based toys don't sell as well if the show is not airing.

I am a big SW fan and the only thing I am worried about is the story timeline. Lucas and all his companies have made sure that all the books, movies, games and comics fit together perfectly. Whatever movies Disney makes it has to fit in the Star Wars universe as it is now. When they start to tell stories that conflict with those in books, games, etc... the will kill the soul of SW.

All I hope and wish is that they will nto destroy one of the best universes created by anyone (holding hands with Tolkiens LOTR/Hobbit/Silmarillion , Game of Thrones and few more)

  On 4/17/2013 at 10:49 AM, large88 said:

I am a big SW fan and the only thing I am worried about is the story timeline. Lucas and all his companies have made sure that all the books, movies, games and comics fit together perfectly. Whatever movies Disney makes it has to fit in the Star Wars universe as it is now. When they start to tell stories that conflict with those in books, games, etc... the will kill the soul of SW.

This is a common myth. Disney has little to do with this. Lucasfilms and George Lucas himself have always kept the "movies" completely separate from the printed media EU. The publishing arm has worked hard to keep the books consistent, but he movies have never called back to the books, nor were they ever planned to. This was made clear when they first announced the new published novels, and that Lucas was letting other writers play with Star Wars, back in the 80's. George Lucas has never read any of the EU books. ( the comics actually have long had a better chance of getting referenced, because GL will look at the art, and sometimes pick out what he likes. That's how we got Ayala Secura in the PT.)

From the moment the first book hit bookstores ( Truce at Bakura?) we have always known that should Lucasfilms ever choose to do the sequel trilogy the books would not be held to. This was especially reinforced when the Thrawn trilogy came out a few weeks later. They further proved this when the PT and TCW came out.

Ok, well I hope they won't mess things up to much

I always smile when Mace Windu mentions the "Border dispute on Ansion" having read The Approaching Storm

  On 4/11/2013 at 8:24 AM, legomas said:

Disney is making a "tabula rasa" policy, they are killing all ongoing projects even if do not actually interfere with the new movie.

Also, they said that the new movie will not use any established canon. I'm really worried about two things:

the perspective of no more OT sets after 2014 and, that all new sets could have a completely new aesthetic incompatible with current sets.

OT is basically the only theme that was constantly released through all years. I think they won´t cancel OT, especially seeing how the new trilogy most certainly will be a continuation of Lukes adventures and the new tv show will probably bridge the gap between the OT and the sequels anyway.

PT and TCW are in a greater danger to get nothing after next year. But then again Disney planned to do a bunch of Stand-Alone movies in the universe. Those movies can´t all take place after ROTS so I could see some remakes of Clone Wars sets when they do, say, an Ahsoka film.

  On 4/17/2013 at 10:49 AM, large88 said:

I am a big SW fan and the only thing I am worried about is the story timeline. Lucas and all his companies have made sure that all the books, movies, games and comics fit together perfectly. Whatever movies Disney makes it has to fit in the Star Wars universe as it is now. When they start to tell stories that conflict with those in books, games, etc... the will kill the soul of SW.

Canon was always a mess and there were a bunch of stories that contradicted each other. The Clone Wars alone has at least three totally different parallel universes. Star Wars never had a soul because of the EU. I am glad Disney is deleting everything that happened after ROTJ. Except for Legacy this era didn´t bring anything new to the table and had it´s hand tied by virtue of Luke being unkillable and not being able to just retire. Regardless of what J.J. is doing with the new trilogy, it will be better than the Vong. And for everything before ROTJ the probably won´t care even a bit. It looks like they want to get rid of all those ties that kept the EU in stasis for all those years.

  On 4/17/2013 at 4:56 PM, Navy Trooper Fenson said:

OT is basically the only theme that was constantly released through all years. I think they won´t cancel OT, especially seeing how the new trilogy most certainly will be a continuation of Lukes adventures and the new tv show will probably bridge the gap between the OT and the sequels anyway.

PT and TCW are in a greater danger to get nothing after next year. But then again Disney planned to do a bunch of Stand-Alone movies in the universe. Those movies can´t all take place after ROTS so I could see some remakes of Clone Wars sets when they do, say, an Ahsoka film.

Canon was always a mess and there were a bunch of stories that contradicted each other. The Clone Wars alone has at least three totally different parallel universes. Star Wars never had a soul because of the EU. I am glad Disney is deleting everything that happened after ROTJ. Except for Legacy this era didn´t bring anything new to the table and had it´s hand tied by virtue of Luke being unkillable and not being able to just retire. Regardless of what J.J. is doing with the new trilogy, it will be better than the Vong. And for everything before ROTJ the probably won´t care even a bit. It looks like they want to get rid of all those ties that kept the EU in stasis for all those years.

I think the cannon from the OT and the PT is pretty much written in stone and will be carried forward. Disney is noted for milking existing properties, not rebooting them. It's why Lucas went with them. The PT will be downplayed a bit to lead up to post OT stuff, but isn't going to be gone. (Although do not expect to ever hear the word Mitochlorians mentioned ever again). Disney is hopefully not going to risk letting J J Abrams pull a ST style reboot. The reason is the merchandising empire. Something people do not realize about what happened with the JJA ST. Paramount was utterly thrilled with how the movie did in box office sales, and DVD sales etc. it blew them away. But it almost fatally killed their licensed merchandising lines. While nowhere near as big as SW, the ST license had been selling toys and junk for over 20 years. With JJ's new film, it all died suddenly. Projects were cancelled. A lot of the movie merchandise was dumped at discount or by some reports land filled. And it had a deep impact on the sales of the older franchise subjects. Paramount is trying to fix this with new licenses to Hasbro now, but they were a little spooked by it. Given that the SW merchandise juggernaut is several orders of magnitude above ST's, and tends to bring in more revenue than the films, they aren't going to mess with things too much.

TCW is in a more interesting position. I don't think we will see much reference to it in the new movies (unless JJ happens to have watched it and is a fan, you never know). But I don't think it is gone either. Dave Filoni is reported to be involved in the new animated TV series. If that is the case expect to see some TCW references and carry overs. However I doubt we will be seeing much more licensed TCW toys.

The published EU, novel and comics is mostly doomed. We may get lucky and see some references to high points carried over. Maybe Thrawn in some way (although not the same story). But otherwise it is all gone. The problem is Mara Jade. While one of the cooler characters in the EU, and in Star Wars, she is very incompatable with what had always been Lucas's vision for Luke. The stuff from between Empire and RotJ, namely Shadows of the Empire might stand as it was mainly created in house as a multimedia project, but the straight up novels? Heck no.

Weirdly I think some stuff from the various games has a greater chance of being used.

So annoying that Disney's gotten rid of TCW and LucasArts. Even if I disliked TCW and wasn't much of a gamer, I will miss them both. Especially LucasArts, a true icon.

Get ready for the Star Wars overdose. 1 film every year starting in 2015.

http://www.theforce.net/latestnews/story/Disney_Studio_Chief_Sequels_Spinoffs_Will_Alternate_Yearly_151130.asp

People are gonna be so sick of it.