The quote “Money changes everything” seems to be becoming more and more relevant in today’s society. This was especially true with the recent change in control over the Star Wars franchise. Creator George Lucas reportedly sold the rights to the film series to Disney for $4.05 billion dollars.
Disney has announced that they already have plans to create three more films, and the first is set to be released in 2015. This came as a shock to Star Wars fans after Lucas had repeatedly told the press he did not want any more films to be made in line with his famous series.
Personally, I am very upset with this. When I was young, Star Wars controlled my life; one of my earliest memories was going to see Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in the theater. The movie touched every emotion a young boy of five years old could have and more. From then on, the series became more than just a movie to me; it became a way of life. For some time I actually thought I was going to become a Jedi and save the galaxy. Needless to say, I made a real attachment to the characters of the series as well as the story line.
When I heard of the recent sale to Disney, I was rather upset. In my opinion, Disney tends to make really clichéd movies with very generic, weak plots. The idea of them having control over my favorite movie series of all time sickened me.
I would also be very disappointed if Disney followed their normal routine of watering down movies. Typically, Disney makes movies that are geared toward children and almost completely removes adults and teenagers from their preferred audience; this could be a big problem for the considerable amount of Star Wars fans above the age of ten. Finally, I will probably throw a complete fit if Disney decides to use actors/actresses such as Zac Efron or Demi Lovato to play my childhood idols. Not only does their acting incredibly disappoint me, but I believe no one will be able to take the new movies seriously if they portray characters in the upcoming films.
Although there are many things I may be wary about, there are some positives that may come from the newest addition to the series. One thing that has always driven me crazy about movies is not knowing what happens after the film ends. After watching Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi countless times, I have many questions involving what happened to main characters such as Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia. In the Expanded Universe of Star Wars material, Han Solo and Princess Leia have children of their own which causes a whole other story line. Luke Skywalker finally becomes a Jedi Master in novels and comic book series and attempts to give new life to the almost dead Jedi Race. I for one am really hoping to see Disney take on these situations.
With the addition of these three films, the success of the Star Wars series could soar to even greater heights, or plummet into a sea of failure. No matter how awful the previews may appear to me, I know that I will most definitely see all three films in theaters. Although I believe George Lucas made a horrible mistake in choosing to sell the rights to Disney, the six original films will always remain on my list of favorite movies for many years to come.
