English: Opening logo to the Star Wars films (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Yesterday Disney dropped an atomic bomb right on the heads of the nerd community when they announced their purchase of Lucas Films and their plans to produce Star Wars Ep. VII. That’s right, you read correctly. Disney is making a new Star Wars movie, scheduled for release in 2015.
While no information on the film itself has been released, Disney execs claim that the film is ALREADY in early production stages.
Hordes of Fan Boys and Girls around the globe are speaking out against the a new addition to the 30 year old legendary saga. Some complain about the fact that making an addition to such a classic film is almost Taboo, while others believe that a mega-conglomorate like Disney will fail to give Star Wars the authentic care and attention that is required for such a pivotal new sequel. I myself am on the fence about this new movie. Even though I am a die hard star wars fan who believes that the series is perfect the way it is, I can’t help but be curious of what Disney can bring to the table.
Let me make one thing clear to those who don’t know (though judging by my audience, I doubt there are many), while the name Disney is associated with legendary children’s movies, the company is by no means limited to that tone of film. In recent years Disney has purchased several companies such as Marvel and Pixar, and as such, they have professionals who have created some of the most gripping recent hits (the Avengers, Iron Man etc). With a powerful company like Disney at the head of a potential billion dollar movie, it is a safe bet to say that the company will not be frugal in their use of resources at their disposal. As a result, if there was a company to give a Star Wars sequel its due diligence, I believe it would be Disney.
Now that the company aspect of this article is out of the way, I would like to touch upon what I am most curious to see. Story. We have seen the tale of Anakin Skywalker’s rise to power, fall to darkness, and ascension to redemption; we have seen the story of Luke Skywalker ending the reign of the Galactic Empire’s tyranny; we have seen the death and rebirth of the jedi order (at least in it’s initial stages). What are we going to see next? With such an expansive EU section, covered in books, comics and video games, the possibilities are nearly endless.
In a discussion with fellow nerd friend and co-author of the site, we came upon a theory of what the next segment of the Star Wars saga will be. The Yuuzhan Vong War.
Now, some of you fellow Star Wars fans may be shaking your heads. Why would they skip such a crucial era, the birth of the New Republic and the New Jedi Order. Surely they will show Luke going back to Yavin IV to start the Jedi Praxeum. Well, while that is indeed an important chapter of the Star Wars saga, it would mean the recasting of legendary figures, Luke, Leia, and Han. Perhaps Disney would think of this as a wise choice, but I am sure the fans will agree that recasting will lead to nothing but disaster. That issue would not arise with the Yuuzhan Vong war.
There is about 20 years between the end of Return of the Jedi and the Yuuzhan Vong invasion (25 ABY [After Battle of Yavin]). However, there was nearly the same amount of time between the end of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope (The Empire was formed in 19BBY [Before Battle of Yavin]). Because of this, the roles of Luke, Leia and Han will not have to be recast and while the actors are a little older than their character counter parts, Hollywood make up can hide it. Star Wars is clearly no stranger to time skips, and I believe that with the two gaps being nearly equal, it would provide for a more consistent flow between the trilogies (prequels-originals-sequels).
Along with that, the reconstruction of the Republic and Jedi order fails to convey the same sense of impending conflict as the YV war. Sure, there was the whole Dark Empire crisis with Palpatine’s clones but comparing that to the great YV war that brought the galaxy to the brink of Destruction makes Palpatine look like a Storm Trooper standing next to Death Star. It’s nothing.
So maybe the timing is perfect, but why should the Yuuzhan Vong be the enemy? What makes them so special? Well, if you haven’t read the book series revolving around the wars I suggest you hop to it. Seriously, it is one of the most gripping wars in the history of Star Wars. While the jedi and sith have been going head to head for thousands of years, they did not wreak nearly as much destruction as the Yuuzhan Vong did in their 4 year campaign across the galaxy. This war would successfully convey the intense conflict that we are familiar with in the previous films, and amplify it, as all of the beings in the galaxy (Jedi, Sith, Mando and Wookie) are forced to unite against this grave threat. During the wars we would see the introduction of new great characters, the death of old favorites, the revival of an anicent culture, and the war against the current one.
Master Skywalker vs the Vong
While I will not out right condemn Disney if they chose to cover a different portion of Star Wars history, I highly doubt they will make a movie that can be nearly as successful. One of my worst fears is a new Star Wars movie being nothing more than a sequel to the other films. We don’t need another sequel, we need a stand alone trilogy, one that does not alienate fans, but also brings in new elements to the story. The Great War of the Yuuzhan Vong can do that.
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Anyway, there’s my two-cents about the new Star Wars movie. If you think that there is a better era to cover, please leave your opinion in the comment section below. I hope you enjoyed this article, and remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TheNerdNexus.
