Rumors. Jedi News continues their chat with Jedi Master SQL, this time addressing 3-D and the state of rumormongering.
Whatever. I’m not even sure where this originated, but apparently there are rumors that they may be ‘de-aging’ folks for Episode VII? Sounds more like something born out of speculation – and the early hopes for a Heir to the Empire adaption – than anything truly serious. I wouldn’t put use of digital de-aging techniques totally out of the equation (flashbacks/dreams/visions?) but I don’t put any stock in a whole movie full of it.
Big no. Yes, there are rumors, but no one has yet leaked pictures of the Episode VII Millennium Falcon. Like the one on our earlier post, the ‘leaked’ construction pictures are from The Empire Strikes Back. I mean, come on now. At least try, folks.
I’ve heard the de-ageing rumour as well, but not sure the tech is at the stage where you can make Hamill, Fisher and Ford look as they did 30 years ago, at least not convincingly. Personally I’m hoping it’s set 30+ years on, the BIG THREE are just cameos and we meet a new family of characters. We’ll see.
It’s huge, huge jump to get the audience to accept it for a whole film. We know what they look like now, and what they looked like then. There’s no room for error with audiences on this sort of thing… Note that digital characters have only been really considered effective for non-humans (LOTR, POTC) and/or exaggerated cartoon-type things (Pixar, Disney.)
And I really can’t see them doing it on EpVII, when they have such huge expectations to meet and have really been emphasizing that it’s going to be less obviously CGI. I can totally buy that ILM is working on perfecting the technique, and maybe we’ll see some kind of side/mini-thing utilizing it, maybe to fill in backstory, or internet/dvd extras, things like that. But right out of the gate? In most of the film? Not counting on that.
Tron: Legacy (another Disney film) pulled it off fairly well, de-ageing actor Jeff Bridges.
I’m sure ILM can do it if need be.
That Tron: Legacy thing is right next to The Polar Express in the Uncanny Valley Museum. No pass.
I know this is a stretch, but so is all other speculation at this point, so I’ll just say it. Am I the only one who thinks Episode VII might seriously be an adaptation to Heir to the Empire? I know Lucas has said that it’s an original story and it’s about the next generation, but the rumors are sounding so similar to HttE.
Take the June casting call with the 7 characters for example. Those 7 descriptions matched up almost perfectly with Luke, Han, Leia, Mara, Thrawn, Karrde, and C’boath. And then you have the less solid rumors like Obi Wan being in it (like HttE) and the ones coming from Hasbro and Del Rey.
There are more examples, but I don’t want to make a lengthy post. I just thought I would share my thoughts.
People have been saying the TTT ‘should’ be EpVII since the thing was published, but it’s not going to happen.
They’re great books, but they are beyond unsuitable to be movies. While I won’t be surprised if elements of TTT show up, I really, really doubt we’ll see an actual adaption, and if we do it’s not going to be as an Episode. (My ranty thoughts on the matter from a year and change before EpVII was announced. It’s kind of a pet peeve.)
I agree that it would be practically impossible to make a faithful adaptation of TTT for the sequel trilogy. It would be better suited for a CGI mini-series if anything, and even that would be difficult. Still, I just can’t shake the feeling that we may be getting an adaptation of Heir to the Empire as EpVII. A lot would have to change or be cut out, but I’m not ready to discount it as a possibility.
Either way, using CGI or make up to de-age the actors by thirty years could ruin the trilogy if it’s done wrong. And there would be way too much controversy if they recast the main characters. I guess the biggest evidence against the idea is that it would be too much of an unnecessary risk.
When I ran it, I tried my best to leave the possibility open, while letting it be known I didn’t buy it.
Three other webmasters heard it, and three different sources have brought it up now. So I knew the rumor was floating out there. I figured it was better to hit it heard on than to let it come out from some place else that stated “this is what is happening, this is the film you are going to get.”
I feel it is kind of absurd but we live in a world with absurd possibilities. Is this crazy enough that it just might be true? I think George Lucas was daring enough to try it. I just don’t think a production that has gone out of its way to let old disenfranchised fans they’re using “Original Trilogy” techniques when possible has any desire to go this route.
Honestly, I’m mostly tired of hearing this rumor and I figured it was better to get it out there than to keep having it brought up, especially if it isn’t anywhere near accurate.
I think it might have grounding in the old rumor that George Lucas was buying up movie star likenesses to make films with them “using his new technology.” I kept that connection to myself in most of my conversations about it because I didn’t want to enhance the rumor and make it appear to have foundations in things we’ve heard before.
So there we have it. Hopefully it helps us shoot it down or figure out where it stems from. I doubt either will happen, but you never know.
I think it might have grounding in the old rumor that George Lucas was buying up movie star likenesses to make films with them “using his new technology.” I kept that connection to myself in most of my conversations about it because I didn’t want to enhance the rumor and make it appear to have foundations in things we’ve heard before.
Everyone remembers that rumor, but the denial? ;)
Anyway, if as Tricia said, some of this did originate at the JC EpVII forum… That place can be an incubator of crazy theories. Like I said before, I don’t doubt ILM would be playing with the tech, but making it the basis of a whole movie – at least one with as much riding on it as EpVII – is rather far-fetched.
Firmly agreed.
I agree with Mark. Ep 7 does not need to focus on the Big 3 – in fact why bring them back unless their is a big payoff for doing it. Must be story driven, and we ready to move on as a franchise.
I would stake my house on the fact that not all 3 will return, if any.
The anti-aging and Falcon stories have floated about all summer with no one really claiming them as theirs. One of these rumours, that becomes a rumour on the rumour.
As for anti-aging – a few pints works on me every weekend. Then on a Sunday it comes flooding back.