UPDATE: In a shocking (not) turn of events, Lucasfilm has denied this. But hey, we don’t mind fan fiction, so the original entry and pics remain below:
A TFN reader spotted this treatment for Star Wars: Reclamation today on the IMDB message boards. The poster claims to be an ex-Lucasfilm employee, but obviously nothing about this is in any way verifiable.
The Reclamation treatment lays out a Star Wars story set about 15 years after Return of the Jedi. It features mostly all-new characters, but the description of Leia Organa is, shall we say, very interesting:
A post-Emperor universe where Han and Leia aren’t even together? Where at least Leia’s ancestry is kept secret? Where there are Jedi who survived the purges but no mention of Luke Skywalker? Although at least one of the other character descriptions is rather curious…
As always, I am deeply skeptical about this whole thing, but it’s certainly food for thought – even if it does turn out to be nothing more than a rejected pitch, an attempt to troll gullible EU fans or just someone’s cleverly-presented fanfic.
Like I’ve said before, it’s time for Expanded Universe fans to get used to the idea that something like this – by which I mean a post-ROTJ that’s completely different from the one in the books and comics, not necessarily this specific setup – might actually be what happens in the sequels. Chances are that, yes, this instance is a big old fake. But the possibility that the sequels will give us a new post-ROTJ universe is very real.
Check out the full treatment below the cut.
Why do I feel this has SuperShadow, or someone just as delusional, behind it?
I call fanfic.
“no mention of Luke Skywalker?”
Unless it’s a red herring, it seems pretty clear that “The Shade” character is Luke.
Doublesith: “Although at least one of the other character descriptions is rather curious…”
;)
Also: “Bonteri”? As in Lux and Ahsoka’s kid?
Sound awesome but yeah no mention of Luke is beyond fail, unless the shade is Luke ? well i dont like that. I think we all see Luke as jedi grandmaster.And no mention of solo or skywalker kids :(
I actually kind of love the idea of taking a complete 180 from the established EU, and the idea of Luke pulling a late Paul Atreides.
Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way convinced this is valid. But they aren’t bad ideas, IMO.
Yeah it really is in marked contrast to pretty much every established EU character point. Not saying that that’s a bad thing, but I think it might alienate some die-hard EU fans.
Some die-hard EU fans are going to be alienated no matter what they do.
Totally reads like fanfic, but I’d watch the hell out of it. And Luke is totally “The Shade.”
True. I just think it seems too far fetched to be an official Lucas Animation product.
Reclamation is the worst name ever. Hoax
So…this seems like it is either someone’s fan fiction joke or an intentional Disney red herring to deflect people’s attention. My vote is on option #2.
Honestly I’d prefer something a bit closer to established EU, at least in regards to Luke being head of the Jedi Order and there being a New Republic. Everything else is gravy.
Interesting setup. I’d love to read it – in a fanfic! But I don’t think or hope this is ‘real’.
Shade is definitelty Luke, though. Nice idea he’s chosen a different path than the rest of the Jedi. The thing about it that fits with what we know about the ST, is that it should be about moral and philosophical problems – and that would kinda be easier if he’d be outside the whole thing.
Some of it feels outside the normal fan fiction style direction. But then other parts read sort of weak, like Lando’s daughter and the Mando with a mechanical hand. But if it were real, there would be some weak parts in the proposal that needed to be worked out.
If it had some art with it, we’d know if it were legit or not.
I think that concept for Luke reads within the “Heroes on Both Sides,” theme rather well. Last time I spoke to Filoni, he was really enamored with that concept. That part is either really well done or just a great connection made by a fan. I like it because Luke rejects the failings of the Jedi, he does not align himself with a politic body, which is exactly what he should do. The Jedi failed for that very reason. He fights for both sides, for life.
What is also cool about that concept is it puts him at odds with Leia. He’s effectively fighting against her at times from the sound of this.
Digging into the poster’s past:
Claims openly to have worked at these places:
The account has been in use since 2006 with posts here and there over time.
I would imagine this person is still under an NDA and could get in serious trouble if this is real.
Assuming they’re not just outright lying about their work history, because that cannot be that hard to trace by someone with the proper access… Like, say, a Disney/LFL lawyer.
So: Either the treatment is BS.
Or their work history is.
Either or. Or probably both. ::shrug::
Luke being known as “the Shade” is about as ridiculous as Willow changing his name to Thorn.
Not to mention:
And even if this was/is/will be real, who knows how much it could have/has/will change anyways. But if Sky Bonteri being a child/grandchild of Lux and Ahsoka certainly would be interesting. She might have stories/knowledge/holocrons of Ahsoka’s time with Anakin: great to see Luke n Leia get their hands on that.
Still a fun concept, fan-fic or not.
wow, that was hilarious to read. The name alone just makes it sound like a hoax – i’m pretty sure they wouldn’t pick a title where the main connotation relates to sewage.
Two words: fan fiction.
This shouldn’t be taken seriously. Posted on IMDB message boards, cannot be confirmed… besides, I wouldn’t be surprised if these employers had to sign something saying they wouldn’t reveal anything.
The Shade seems to be Luke Skywalker, and I doubt they would ever make a story where Luke isn’t there to rebuild the galaxy, and is instead attacking both sides.
Also, the fact there is a Bonteri there is ridiculous. Lux Bonteri is probably one of the least interesting Clone Wars characters, and his family would all of a sudden be the only link between this show and TCW? This has to be a hoax.
OK, if Kala Calrissian is 15, and this is set a decade after the fall the Empire, then Lando already had a kid during the timeline of the OT. Wow. I guess he’s a playboy so it’s possible he may not have even realized he had a kid. Or perhaps Kala isn’t his daughter, but a niece or something. Wild.
The thing that seems weirdest to me is a Chiss Imperial General. Zahn ripoff much? I don’t know, that more than anything makes me think it’s a hoax. Why would Lucasfilm take a character clearly influenced by Thrawn when they could just use Thrawn? Why go there?
I find it more believable that they’d include a Bonteri descendant. If Filoni and Clone Wars people are involved I’d suspect they WOULD do such a thing. We see it other genres – when creators get to work in two eras of Star Wars, they’re always bringing in the kids of random characters they wrote about in earlier eras. It can be annoying, actually.
I’m playing with this because it is fun. I’m not buying it, but I’m not entirely dismissing it. But I will play devil’s advocate for it, for fun.
That said, this would be the first time in the spoiler game that a premise was leaked, was convincing, and had images of the leaked pages too. Maybe my memory is failing me, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen a leak similar to this other than call sheets found in the trash.
What’s even weirder is that it is presented as being a TV show. If you’re going to go for a prank, why not go big? Why not go straight for Episode VII? That’s how you get the big attention, not a TV show. Sure, aim low to seem authentic, but that’s usually not the way a hoax works.
Any ways, I do like the idea of Lando, undercover in Jabba’s Palace for a year or a few months at least got down and dirty. Maybe he never know about the kid. She was raised by the mother, someone from Jabba’s palace and that explains why she’s a ship thief involved with the underworld.
I personally hope this is real. But if it isn’t, it wouldn’t surprise me either.
Leia’s ‘scandulous indiscretion’ That’s gotta be Han Solo – sacked off in pursuit of her political career…
Certainly a lot of really good, unique and strong conflict among all the characters though! I would deffo watch it!
On the one hand, it smells of Supershadow. On the other hand, it’s so different from anything that it might actually be true.
What I like:
1. Luke and Leia have roles that are vastly different from their post Endor EU selves, and that’s the highest compliment I can think of. And Luke as a Robin Hood character? Sure, why not. :-)
2. The Jedi aren’t welcomed back with open arms.
3. Mon Mothma is Supreme Chancellor. Yes, please.
4. The whole Union thing: With the imperial army starting out as Lincoln’s “Grand Army of the Republic”, this is a nice twist that feels right.
What I don’t like:
1. The droid army. I’m sick and tired of droid armies, and if this were true, it could mean that a Grievous type person might be the main bad guy in Episode VII. Which is the worst idea ever. Get rid of the sci-fi stuff, go back to sorcerers and dark knights. That’s Star Wars. The rest is just… Urgh…
2. The Mando guy. No. No, thanks. Really: No.
3. The Calrissian girl. In this draft, she seems like a complete Mary Sue (worse than Ahsoka in the first couple of episodes).
4. Kiffar, Talz, and Chiss. Sounds like the kind of name-dropping that Luceno has perfected in recent years.
All in all: If it’s an actual treatment, it has potential. Lots of nice twists and interesting conflicts. If it’s bogus, it’s the good kind of bogus: inventive and out of the box.
Excellent point, Greg.
Could be the treatment was a genuine proposal by someone more familiar with Clone Wars era stuff. But the existence of a treatment doesn’t mean it will come to be. Plenty of unfilmed scripts sitting idle in Hollywood, probably more treatments get rejected.
After reading through… I atually think there’s a fair chance it’s a genuine proposal. However, it sounds horrible. One thing I really enjoyed about Leia is she wasn’t the stereotypical skeletons in the closet politician, and with Luke his straight forwardness and honesty were a big part of the appeal. So the whole “Shade” bit is pretty off putting. Also, would love to see smaller scale exploration of the non-war side of the universe…
Just to point out that the one-armed Mandalorian character is named Manco, which in Spanish, literally means “one armed man” or “one handed man”
My first thought on reading the Mando bit was that he was Luke, but… Ick. Do not want. And then I kept reading.
Of course, I guess some people are saying the Shade is Ahsoka, which… Erm? I think the astromech bit is what pins it on Luke above the Mando, but I suppose it’s possible. (Maybe they’re in cahoots?) Still, I’d think having a possible Luxsoka kid is more than enough connection for that.
Manco is also the name Eatwood’s character was known as in For a Few Dollars More.
I’m starting to think this might be, or have been, real; usually the disavowal has come along by now.
Patience: It broke over a weekend, it’s still mostly on fan sites and blogs and it’s not even business hours in San Francisco yet.