So we know the next Star Wars movie is supposed to be top, top secret, that’s a given. But some people involved in the next film just can’t seem to help themselves, and quite a few people like Carrie Fisher also have diplomatic immunity.
First of all, Simon Kinberg (X-Men: The Last Stand) spoke to the L.A. Times about the spin-off movies he and Lawrence Kasdan (Empire Strikes Back) will be working on, because Disney is hoping to release a Star Wars movie every year in-between the three main ones. (The Star Wars movie that JJ Abrams will direct is being written by Michael Arndt, who also wrote Toy Story 3).
Kinberg said, “I’ve worked in franchises where they have a long legacy, like the X-Men, where you have a big fan base, and you have a lot of material to draw from. But I haven’t worked in anything like Star Wars. It’s definitely like the cultural referent for our generation. So it’s daunting and exciting.”
In addition, Kasdan told the Times that even with having written Empire and Return of the Jedi, “I’m trying to start fresh. There are certain pleasures that we think the saga can bring to people that they’ve been missing, and we’re hoping to bring them that, and at the same time, have them feel that it’s all new.”
Kinberg similarly said that even though it’s all pretty early in the game, “the spirit of the original movie is the thing I fell in love with, so it’s the spirit of that that I think will guide us.” Kinberg is also shooting for a more character driven approach.
“I think what worked so well in all of the Star Wars movies is the characters,” Kinberg said. “I think the reason that they’re different than other science fiction or other genre movies is because George created a universe of people that you wanted to go back and see over and over again. I loved Han, I loved Leia, I loved Luke.”
As Mark Hamill recently said at a screening for Return of the Jedi, he’s hoping the next Star Wars movie will have a healthier balance of CG and practical effects, which got a big round of applause from the audience. It’s a trip to think that by the time the next Star Wars is in theaters, Hamill will be 63 years old, the same age as Alec Guinness when the first Star Wars hit theaters. (Giant Freakin Robot pointed this out to us, and it’s a very interesting fact, except it now made us feel much older).
Going in a more character driven direction with less CG would indeed be a great way for the next Star Wars to go. And of course, we’d love it if the new Star Wars movies captured the spirit of the original. While it’s not possible to bring that spirit back entirely, even if JJ Abrams and company can bring back even a fraction of that spirit, they should still be in good shape.
