Is it Still Fun to be an Online Star Wars Fan? The Road to The Rise of Skywalker

*This will be a two-part series. The first details my thoughts on Lucas and the Fandom as the Sequel Trilogy was made. The second part I go on record with how I think Rise of Skywalker will change the online fandom world. 


Part 1: Lucas in the Shadows


“You know the prequels are bad movies, right?” 


My friend looks over at me as we get ready to play another round of Street Fighter Turbo. (Or something. I can’t quite recall because it doesn’t matter. My friend, who we shall call Morpheus to protect his identity, always kicks my butt at fighting games.) I have always been a prequel apologist. I have never not liked a Star Wars movie. Sure, there are cringe-worthy moments, and some Star Wars movies have more of them than others. But they are all DUMB. 


Isn’t that why we love them? 


No, there’s something more than Ewoks, and Wookies, and Gungans (Oh my) that makes these films endearing to millions. It’s because they successfully dig deep into a core mythology of humanity felt deep within every soul. This mythology brings with it certain expectations depending on our age. When George Lucas says the films are aimed at twelve-year olds, it’s not because the themes and motifs are immature. (Or because a ten-year-old gets to “accidentally” blow up a warship.) It’s because it is within this age group that this type of mythology matters the most. To the rest of us, we are supposed to let go of our hardened adult mannerisms and return to that age to re-learn the key lessons. Some of us are better at doing so than others.

I shrug. “They have their moments.”


“No,” My friend says, grinning. “Come on. Admit it. They’re pretty bad.”


I shrug, not really admitting anything, but I let him take my knowing smile for what he will.

This is a short conversation I recall before The Force Awakens came out. Everyone (including the Disney led Lucasfilm, unfortunately) was still kind of worried about a “repeat of the prequels” in those days. Half a decade later, and prequel memes dominate the internet—certainly more than any meme from the original trilogy. The prequels have suddenly become this revered and treasured event. We’ve forgotten how we as fans treated Jake Lloyd, Ahmed Best, and George Lucas himself. We psychologically scarred all three. Hayden Christianson decided to leave acting, and Lucas would eventually sell his franchise . . . 


And then history sort of repeated itself, but for much different reasons. This time, Lucasfilm could anticipate how the old generations of fans might react compared to the new if there were things they didn’t like about the new trilogy. And therein is the common misconception with how the sequel trilogy got made.


Hot Take: Lucas didn’t sell his franchise for money, or because he was tired of Star Wars and trusted it to a family friendly company. He sold it to finish his story while being shielded from the onslaught should the final three films not be well received. 


As an author, it baffles me sometimes that people think Lucas didn’t put exact story conditions into the contract of the sale. This is a man who went back and forth at least three times on how much of his story he could finish. Three times he said “No More Star Wars.” And three times he changed his mind and it returned anyway. What is more, it is easily forgotten his grand vision always included nine films (1). 


Now all of this is speculation based on what I would want, placing myself in Lucas’ shoes, but keep in mind most of the actual contract between Lucas and Disney has been kept a closely guarded secret. The move to finish his story free of repercussions had drawbacks. 

•         He would have to give over an extreme amount of creative control, as his core outline probably had to be very general.
•       He wouldn’t be able to take credit for things if they went well. At least not until all three were done. (More on this later) 
•       He was able to place long-time Lucasfilm veteran Kathleen Kennedy in charge, and had a say in choosing the directors. (We know this because the way JJ Abrams was approached and hired is very detailed.) However, history would show that the Disney owned Lucasfilm could still rearrange those directors as they saw fit.  

These drawbacks would eventually lead to Lucas feeling betrayed with The Force Awakens. (And it is very important to point out it was only with The Force Awakens). Disney’s CEO Bob Iger would later express regrets in his book, “The Ride of a Lifetime”: (2) over making Lucas feel this way. The betrayal was because the Disney led Lucasfilm decided to:

•       Cut important political moments (entire essays and videos can be done on this).
•     Structure the film in such a way as to make it nearly beat-for-beat like the original Star Wars movie (Titled: A New Hope)
•      Use nostalgic ships like the M. Falcon and X-wings rather than brand new ones.

And yet, the core story remained intact. How do I know this? Because it was easy to reference in two books. “The Art of Star Wars: Force Awakens” and “The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” (3) (4)

Unfortunately, the internet in general took the comments out of context, and for people who hang on every word from Lucas or pine for every scrap of information on Star Wars, when The Last Jedi failed to please them, these comments became ammunition. 

Suddenly, a story with a clear plan seemed like a story where everyone was just winging it. It didn’t help when Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) was replaced by J.J. Abrams for the final instalment in the Sequel Trilogy. To fans in which The Last Jedi made feel jaded, this and many other factors were a sign of a lack of communication between Disney leadership and its directors. However, Lucas always remained in the shadows, consulting on everything. 

And then there were the spin off movies – “Rogue One and Solo” (Both subtitled “A Star Wars Story). These were generally a very messy filming affair. Why? Because Lucas didn’t leave any conditions for them. There was no outline, and it was the first time anything like them had ever been attempted. These two films require their own essay, but they added to the appearance of disorganization. 

Mark Hamill added fuel to the fire by publicly sharing his initial doubts and reactions to the story. Having met Mr. Hamill and person, I can tell you he wears all his emotions on his sleeve and he doesn’t mince words. But again, words were taken out of context. Nobody cared (especially those who felt rage at Episode 8) how he came to appreciate the direction his character took, only that he fundamentally disagreed at first. 

And so, a conflict that started brewing with The Force Awakens ignited into a full-blown online war after The Last Jedi divided the fanbase. It wasn’t a fan war that lasted a month or two after Episode 8. Oh no. It rages still. Anyone posting a video or article about Star Wars does so at extreme peril. Many I am sure, sought to gain fame or notoriety off of this war. One prime example is the leaks. The war is so hot, that leaked script information making its way onto the internet is thrown in the face of any unwary YouTube user who watches a lot of Star Wars content. Usually, the leaks are pointed at with the words “Disaster” in the title. 

All of this goes on with fans forgetting how Lucasfilm deliberately leaked critical information in the original trilogy. Darth Vader was to tell Luke “Obi Wan killed your father.” 

Only a select few knew the true line, “I am your father.” Not even Mark Hamill. Not until it was time to film the scene. The setting, situation, set up, result of the duel . . . all of that was leaked truthfully. And fans that loved spoilers ate it up. This was in a time when there was no internet. But now . . . the Disney owned Lucasfilm must be even more wary. Yet, I do not put it past them to be any less successful with their information warfare, because there is a man in the shadows who knows better. This ain’t his first rodeo folks, and he has placed his faith in people who are really good at managing the secrets. (Some of the same people who kept Baby Yoda a secret) 

It hasn’t been fun the last two years to be a Star Wars fan on the internet. But there is hope. The Rise of Skywalker, the Monomyth of Joseph Campbell . . . and George Lucas. 

References

1. “The Making of Return of the Jedi” (1983) Hosted by Carrie Fisher

2. Iger, Bob. “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company”

3. Szostak, Phil “The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015)

4. Szostak, Phil “The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017)

Go to Part 2