New Star Wars films from Disney: SPOILERS WELCOME

[Passdagas the Brown]

I love my whiny friends. They make me want to get away from them and do stuff.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Meanwhile, Jake LLoyd, the much-maligned child actor who played Anakin Skywalker in TPM, apparently thinks he still pod-racing:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morn ... -arrested/

(It's actually quite a sad story, and I do feel sorry for him.)

[Beutlin]

Meanwhile, Jake LLoyd, the much-maligned child actor who played Anakin Skywalker in TPM, apparently thinks he still pod-racing

I never really got the hate for that kid. Sure, I have seen way better performances by child actors over the years but ultimately I would say that the scriptwriters are far more to blame here. Lucas apparently thought that children needed a child protagonist to enjoy the movie. An odd sentiment indeed.

That said, I have no sympathies for all those grown-ups who bad-mouthed that kid. I mean how low can you sink?

[Passdagas the Brown]

Jake Lloyd's story is incredibly tragic. He was ridiculed in school by his peers after TPM was released and widely panned, and then he endured years and years of harassment from bitter Star Wars fans who obviously entirely missed the generous spirit and hopeful perspective of the original trilogy. There are a few interviews with him, as he got older, that show a real bitterness and sadness in him. Heart-breaking.

And of course TPM's failings wasn't the fault of a very young child. It was the direction and script. Liam Neeson, an excellent veteran actor, acted like a block of wood in the film, and he was generally left alone.

And even if Lloyd WAS the single element that tarnished the film, that does not give one the license to relentlessly harass a child.

Disappointing how awful humanity (and fandom) can be sometimes.

[River]

Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor were left alone too. Perhaps because they had a body of work behind them that couldn't be ignored.

I had no idea Lloyd had to take so much crap for that movie. That's ridiculous. It's not his fault Lucas couldn't direct his way out of a wet paper bag.

[Beutlin]

Liam Neeson, an excellent veteran actor, acted like a block of wood in the film, and he was generally left alone.

How dare you, Sir, to speak ill of revered Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, how dare you? In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, I demand satisfaction.

[Primula Baggins]

Some of the wooden acting was direction from Lucas. He did not want open emotion. Ewan McGregor, at least, said more than once in interviews around that time that he had to fight to be allowed to display even a hint of emotion. IIRC, Lucas believed that feeling and showing no emotion was part of the Jedi way.

He could possibly have been setting that up as leading to the ensuing disaster, but it did not make for good cinema, particularly given the caliber of some of the actors he was wasting.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Jake Lloyd's story is incredibly tragic. He was ridiculed in school by his peers after TPM was released and widely panned, and then he endured years and years of harassment from bitter Star Wars fans who obviously entirely missed the generous spirit and hopeful perspective of the original trilogy. There are a few interviews with him, as he got older, that show a real bitterness and sadness in him. Heart-breaking.

And of course TPM's failings wasn't the fault of a very young child. It was the direction and script. Liam Neeson, an excellent veteran actor, acted like a block of wood in the film, and he was generally left alone.

And even if Lloyd WAS the single element that tarnished the film, that does not give one the license to relentlessly harass a child.

Disappointing how awful humanity (and fandom) can be sometimes.

It's even sadder than I realized. I read today that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was 19 and was treated and had moved forward with his life, but recently stopped taking his medication and before being arrested after the chase with the police, attacked his mother, accusing her of ruining his life.

[Beutlin]

Where has that scoundrel Passdagas the Brown fled to after insulting Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn? I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Clearly, he is hiding from you, the craven fiend!

[Primula Baggins]

Don't underestimate the POWAH of the Dahk Side.

[River]

You are not a Jedi yet.

[axordil]

But I was going to go into Toshley Station for some power converters!

[Primula Baggins]

So there are other films gearing up, including one that's an origin story for Han (which would be coming out in December 2016), and one that tells the story of the Rebel task force that stole the plans for the first Death Star. So we get to find out what a Bothan looks like.

It's interesting that both are set at or before the time of A New Hope, meaning that we could see at least glimpses of some OT characters when they were younger (or still alive ).

[Inanna]

Just wanted to pipe in to say - oh mi god PtB - awesome stuff.


---------------
GNU Terry Pratchett

[Primula Baggins]

Posting to correct that the anthology film coming out in December 2016 is Rogue One, which I'm guessing is the one about the Death Star plans. The Han Solo film is apparently scheduled for May 25, 2018, and there are two others in early development. These are "side" stories (such as origin stories) that will explore aspects separate from the main story that begins with The Force Awakens.

[Passdagas the Brown]

A new behind the scenes video that's just...the feels...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTNJ51ghzdY

And it includes our first look at a kick ass "General Leia Organa."

Man, this is looking very, very good.

*runs away from the scary-looking Qui-Gon Jinn fangirl in the corner*

[Beutlin]

*runs away from the scary-looking Qui-Gon Jinn fangirl in the corner*

Hey, I am a fanboy!
And running away will not save you. I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for some droids, I can tell you these are not the ones you are looking for. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you apologize to Qui-Gon now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will death-star you.

EDIT: Changed a verb to make it sound more ominous. I stand by what I wrote though. Everything is fair in war, love, and fictional character insults.

[Primula Baggins]

Hey, I'm pretty sure death threats are against the Laws & Customs here. . . .

And what I came here to post, after seeing the trailer PtB linked to—

—Hey, there's no actual alphabet for giggles and squeaks of delight. O. M. G. I. Cannot. WAIT.

[River]

And running away will not save you. I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for some droids, I can tell you these are not the ones you are looking for. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you apologize to Qui-Gon now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will death-star you.

A Liam Neeson fan I see. Or a follower of memes. Either way, I salute you. Excellent crossover. Two thumbs up.