By now, I’m sure everyone knows I am a huge Star Wars fanatic. I have at times used Nerdlocker as a platform to talk about (and many times defend) the amazing universe and its creator George Lucas. Needless to say when Disney and Lucasfilm announced the buyout and continuation of the Star Wars film franchise, I was ecstatic. After a couple months though, I felt I needed perspective outside my nerd circle. I feared that I had convinced my closest friends that more Star Wars was the best idea ever. But is it?
Enter Joshua Budich. Fellow Star Wars Nerd and of course artist extraordinaire. I asked him several questions on the topic to see if I was alone.
Nerdlocker (NL): What are your thoughts about the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm?
Joshua Budich (JB): As a kid, one of the biggest attractions of Disney World was the Star Tours ride. I still love it! So, for me, Disney and Lucasfilm always seemed to naturally go hand-in-hand. So, now to hear that Disney has purchased Lucasfilm, doesn’t really surprise me at all. I don’t think Lucasfilm will lose it’s edge now that Disney is calling the shots (case-in-point of “edge already being lost’ness; the Prequels, Jar Jar, OTC Ewoks). I mean… Lucas’ films seems to be trending towards a Disney-esque (whatever that is) approach anyway. And now, that the Clone Wars cartoons are the only, and the biggest thing going for Lucas, there’s even a stronger case for Disney and Lucasfilm simply oozing together is one ginormous marketing and merchandising beast. Don’t get me wrong… The Clone Wars cartoons are the best thing I’ve seen come out of the Star Wars franchise in many many many years. They are, in many ways, everything I wish the movies were. So, to say that Disney and Lucasfilm weren’t inevitably destined for each other, would be naive.
NL: What are your thoughts on George Lucas in general?
JB: George Lucas may be the most important filmmaker of our time. Like any franchise, person, artist, whatever… sure, there have been bumps and failures along the way. However you slice it, if Lucas puts it out there, I’ll go see it, and chances are, I’ll do my best to find a way to like it too. What can I say? I’ve been hooked since the OTC, and I’ll be hooked ‘til my dying breath. And, the best part about it is, now I get to share that with my son, and he’ll ultimately share it with his son, and so on… What could be bad about that?
NL: Do you think this will be good for the future of the Star Wars franchise?
JB:If this deal means that Lucasfilm will live to see another day, provide more content for my son and I to share, give me more of the things I love about Star Wars… then absolutely! This is definitely a good thing! Disney and Lucasfilms, were not that different to begin with. I mean, there are already Disney-versions of every beloved Star Wars character (Mickey Skywalker, Donald Maul, Goofy Vader, the list goes on). Not to mention all the schlocky Stars Wars Tchotchkes you could ever dream of at just about every crappy store you could ever step foot in… There is no part of the Star Wars franchise that isn’t for sale! No shitty knick-knack you can’t buy. And, for all the crap that makes Star Wars look like a cheap sideshow, I still love it, I still talk about it, I still have tons and tons of this shit surrounding me every day!
NL: What storylines would like them to see them tackle?
JB:I read the books that follow the OTC, and I have to say, that I wasn’t super impressed, and I don’t think they need to be made into feature-length films. The really interesting stuff for me is all the historical stuff that takes place in games such as The Old Republic; tens of thousands of years ago, when Jedi were Jedi, and Sith were Sith. When epic battles really meant EPIC BATTLES! The force powers were greater, the saber combat was kick-ass, and this is stuff nobody’s seen on the big-screen. You want to kick-start the franchise? Start all over… Way way way back. And, for God’s sake do it right this time! No Jar Jars. No Ewoks. Let someone with the chops direct it, write it… Start fresh and show us something we’ve never seen before with the Star Wars franchise.
HERE HERE!!!! Thank you Joshua! I couldn’t have said it any better. If you get a chance, check out Joshua’s amazing Star Wars collection here and please support a great artist by checking out his website and store!
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