Quote:
Originally Posted by Superturtle
(Post 14664514)
I'm pretty sure I've seen you explain this before, but can I ask why the production of this trilogy feels so messy? There didn't seem to be an outline or plan for the 3 movies to be cohesive and RJ just kind of ignored where JJ was intending to go.
|
I'm prepping for a 2 day road trip to KC and normally, I'd have the time to go into great detail but I'm pretty much pressed for time tonight.
Long story short: KK was hired, Episode VII and Rogue One were greenlit immediately, with plans for a Boba Fett and Obi Wan movie as their initial four films. Everything collapsed, writers and directors were hired and fired, the Boba Fett film was dumped because Josh Trank was a disaster, the Obi Wan film didn't have a focus and no one in town wanted to deal with Episode VII due to the huge shadow of the franchise.
George had started his version of VII with Michael Arndt (which was rejected), which had some similarities with TFA (Kira was replaced by Rey, so Qi'ra was used for Solo) but once Abrams was hired after 7 other directors turned them down, he didn't like Arndt's story and sensibilities so he was fired.
KK then suggested Abrams work with Larry Kasdan and they both decided to reboot the franchise while laying groundwork for VIII and IX. JJ made a huge deal out of moving to London and threatened to quit but was coaxed into staying on, but it messed with him so much emotionally that he dropped out of VIII and IX, then Rian Johnson was hired to "do his thing" for VIII & IX.
Johnson was dumped from IX shortly after the divisiveness of TLJ and Colin Trevorrow was hired for IX to write and direct. Trevorrow didn't like the same aspects of TLJ that most Star Wars lifers didn't like and after requesting multiple times to have RJ make changes to TLJ so that Luke's story wouldn't end with TLJ, he was fired.
Meanwhile, Lord & Miller were doing 50 takes a scene and angering the hell out of Larry Kasdan, who finally put his foot down and had them fired. Ron Howard did George a solid and was brought in to reshoot the entire film and partially recast it (George was on set quite a bit for Solo as well). Stephen Daldry was hired for the Obi Wan movie but since no one, and I mean no one, wanted anything to do with IX, KK went back to Abrams, then in an effort to oversee everything, decided that Obi Wan could wait and would work better as a TV series (and I wholeheartedly agree with that decision).
People at Lucasfilm really hated what RJ had done with TLJ, so there was a collective sigh of relief and a feeling of "JJ's going to 'Right the Ship'" with Episode IX. From all accounts, he's done just that but how that plays with the audience is yet to be seen.
There's a lot more to it than that but my time is limited. I'll be sure to add as much as I can after the holidays, which will give everyone who's interested a chance to see the new film, digest it and have questions that I will do my best to answer. :)