What if the Star Wars Prequels were never made?
- Thread starter Andrela
- Start date
orwelans II
Banned
Probably not, but it would certainly be somewhat less popular. Some tv show might be made to tell the story of Anakin Skywalker instead. McGregor and Portman already had some notable roles under their belts, so their careers would probably be okay.
Greenville
Banned
We could see a sequel trilogy of films showing what takes place after Return of the Jedi.
I eventually could also see a reboot as well with the franchise being sold to another party, not necessarily Disney, which does this.
I eventually could also see a reboot as well with the franchise being sold to another party, not necessarily Disney, which does this.
samcster94
Banned
I can see this, the prequel tv series(think OTL Clone Wars as a model, where it is animated).
The OTHER 7 8 9 of Legends canon as films or at least a tv series is definitely possible.
Would Star Wars be popular enough to get a TV series though?
Remember that Return of the Jedi came out in 1983 and the Phantom Menace in 1999.
If the prequels aren't made, then it is more than 16 years since the last movie.
Would a franchise that has been dormant for nearly two decades get a TV series suddenly? I kinda doubt it.
Remember that Return of the Jedi came out in 1983 and the Phantom Menace in 1999.
If the prequels aren't made, then it is more than 16 years since the last movie.
Would a franchise that has been dormant for nearly two decades get a TV series suddenly? I kinda doubt it.
It depends.
I think its worth pointing out that the Star Wars special editions released in 1997 smashed all box office expectations and dominated cinemas for about two months (never mind the massive amount of merchandise and subsequent video sales).
Now in part this was drumming up enthusiasm for the prequels that would be released two years Later - so perhaps it wouldn't happen - but it points to the fact that the original trilogy (if altered) was good and very capable of amassing a huge wave of new fans.
I was an 10 year old at the time but I remember it being all Star Wars all the time.
So to my mind if this happens and the prequel's don't Star Wars will still have revived its position in terms of popular culture. For a while at least.
I think its worth pointing out that the Star Wars special editions released in 1997 smashed all box office expectations and dominated cinemas for about two months (never mind the massive amount of merchandise and subsequent video sales).
Now in part this was drumming up enthusiasm for the prequels that would be released two years Later - so perhaps it wouldn't happen - but it points to the fact that the original trilogy (if altered) was good and very capable of amassing a huge wave of new fans.
I was an 10 year old at the time but I remember it being all Star Wars all the time.
So to my mind if this happens and the prequel's don't Star Wars will still have revived its position in terms of popular culture. For a while at least.
Could happen. Hollywood isn't exactly known for fresh ideas, and reviving something after that much time means it's new to an entire generation of viewers.
What would work against Star Wars in that case is it's too well known due to its cult following.
As for the OP, yes I think there would have been something else. Star Wars was as big as Star Trek and just as popular, it was a cultural icon and won't fade.
Again, it's not super-known. Look how popular Star Wars is in OTL, it's a mega-franchise.
samcster94
Banned
That was a failed series brought back highly successfully due to a good core concept that worked well in a post 9/11 environment.
Not too many years earlier, a failed movie got turned into a 7 season show 4-5 years later{smaller time space, but still} with SMG critically acclaimed to this day(also a good concept).
Putting aside the reasons for why, in the nineties, George Lucas decides not to personally pursue any more Star Wars films... presuming this doesn't somehow completely butterfly the current trend for studios resurrecting preexisting IP in the form of sequels, reboots and the like, I have a hard time believing that further cinematic installments will never be produced. Eventually, Lucas will probably sell the rights to someone at some point (not necessarily Disney, of course - remember, butterflies), and that studio will immediately greenlight another trilogy.
Then again, Lucas was the guy who was passionate about producing a Prequel trilogy. Any other studio would just give the fans what they think they want: a continuation of the stories of the Original Trilogy characters (this is exactly what Disney did, after all). A movie might be made about the Clone Wars (which probably, ITTL, go exactly how all the fans assumed it went prior to AotC, with the clones being the bad guys) and Anakin's descent into the Dark Side, but it'll probably be relegated into a single spin-off movie, rather than a whole trilogy.
Then again, Lucas was the guy who was passionate about producing a Prequel trilogy. Any other studio would just give the fans what they think they want: a continuation of the stories of the Original Trilogy characters (this is exactly what Disney did, after all). A movie might be made about the Clone Wars (which probably, ITTL, go exactly how all the fans assumed it went prior to AotC, with the clones being the bad guys) and Anakin's descent into the Dark Side, but it'll probably be relegated into a single spin-off movie, rather than a whole trilogy.
Deleted member 100251
It would've been done so much better! Imagine a hybrid of the prequels, the 2004 animated one, and the 2008 CGI one!
This extremely important as this is one of the biggest reasons why the prequels got a massive go ahead. The 97 special release of star wars was HUGE and created an entirely new fan base of and reinvigorated an old one. That and Lucas was dead set on producing a prequel trilogy. For it not to happen, something would have to happen to Lucas. Either he becomes physically unable to direct the movies or dies.
If this happens it butterflies alot, with the franchise either remaining off Hollywood and the budding EU bringing in the hardcore fan base OR the rights are picked up immediately by someone else and we see movies similar but not the same as OTL.
Realistically, if the rights do sell, it is possible Disney can grab them as they are just coming off a very hot period in 97 and this is time when Eisner, the CEO at the time, was buying up property. This would prove interesting because Eisner almost drove Disney into the ground and you could end up with an either or of Star Wars being able to keep Disney out of the hole in it found itself in the early 2000s or Eisner's meddling and poor decisions actually end up with a medicore or even WORSE trilogy then OTL.
Yeah, Lucas had always wanted to make a prequel trilogy, although it could have gone the way the original Sequel Trilogy did and never see the light of day.
I wonder if someone else (Disney?) gets the rights to Star Wars because of the incapacitation of Lucas, if we'd ever see a film adaption of the Thrawn Trilogy.
Greenville
Banned
Honestly, I think a reboot of the franchise did make sense. I would completely change the backstory of Luke Skywalker and the other Jedi to give them more of a role in the series.
Instead of being raised by his aunt and uncle on Tatooine, Luke after he was separated at birth from his mother and twin sister, was taken to train with Obi-Wan in the Jedi arts on another world. Leia was sent to train with Yoda at a young age as well. During their time in training Obi-Wan and Yoda work quietly together to secretly rebuild the numbers of the Jedi to several dozen individuals in secret and recruit Force sensitives across the galaxy.
Bail Organa does call out to both Jedi after learning of the existence of the Death Star to destroy it. With the help of some of their Jedi pilots, the rebels do manage to destroy the station and achieve a victory. Obi-Wan is probably killed leaving is a section of the remaining Jedi Knights to become isolated from where to find Yoda and other survivors of the order for several years.
Darth Vader learns that his former master, in fact, created a new order of Jedi training in secret and becomes more personally involved in the search for the Rebellion headquarters which could still move to Hoth. Yavin could also remain undetected as Rebel Central too because the main protagonists don't fly back there and allow themselves to be tracked.
A secret communication calls the spirit of Obi-Wan to guide his students to Degobah, where others are being trained as Jedi. Some of their numbers are captured by the Empire and lead them to disobey and to be killed or captured themselves in a trap set up by Darth Vader. Luke is amongst them and learns, in fact, Darth Vader is his father.
Upon returning to the secret Jedi Academy for training, Luke confronts Yoda and Obi-Wan for this apparent deception in front of the others. Like before it remains peacefully resolved. Yoda also remains peacefully on his deathbed.
Working with the Rebel Alliance, they learn the Emperor is, in fact, present at the Imperial Palace on Coruscant meeting with Darth Vader. They stage a guerilla attack aimed at destroying the palace and eliminating both Vader and the Emperor at the same time. Many Jedi ally with this effort. The first wave of the attack turns out to be a trap designed for the fleet to be picked off by the Imperial Navy.
When it doesn't go as planned, some of the Jedi fully trained land at the Imperial Palace where they do have a confrontation with Vader and the Emperor. The scattered forces of the Rebel task force eventually regroup after evading the Empire and with reinforcements make a successful decapitation strike on the capital. Because of his son, Vader is still redeemed and destroys the Emperor.
The Rebellion rejoices and those who survive this encounter with the Empire go on to restore the Jedi Order under the protection of the New Republic.
If we do go into a sequel series of films with it, Luke has trained a brand new academy, one of his students is recruited by warlords that rule over the Empire, sells out its location for power, and it's destroyed. The surviving Jedi once again are forced to go into exile and start over again.
Instead of being raised by his aunt and uncle on Tatooine, Luke after he was separated at birth from his mother and twin sister, was taken to train with Obi-Wan in the Jedi arts on another world. Leia was sent to train with Yoda at a young age as well. During their time in training Obi-Wan and Yoda work quietly together to secretly rebuild the numbers of the Jedi to several dozen individuals in secret and recruit Force sensitives across the galaxy.
Bail Organa does call out to both Jedi after learning of the existence of the Death Star to destroy it. With the help of some of their Jedi pilots, the rebels do manage to destroy the station and achieve a victory. Obi-Wan is probably killed leaving is a section of the remaining Jedi Knights to become isolated from where to find Yoda and other survivors of the order for several years.
Darth Vader learns that his former master, in fact, created a new order of Jedi training in secret and becomes more personally involved in the search for the Rebellion headquarters which could still move to Hoth. Yavin could also remain undetected as Rebel Central too because the main protagonists don't fly back there and allow themselves to be tracked.
A secret communication calls the spirit of Obi-Wan to guide his students to Degobah, where others are being trained as Jedi. Some of their numbers are captured by the Empire and lead them to disobey and to be killed or captured themselves in a trap set up by Darth Vader. Luke is amongst them and learns, in fact, Darth Vader is his father.
Upon returning to the secret Jedi Academy for training, Luke confronts Yoda and Obi-Wan for this apparent deception in front of the others. Like before it remains peacefully resolved. Yoda also remains peacefully on his deathbed.
Working with the Rebel Alliance, they learn the Emperor is, in fact, present at the Imperial Palace on Coruscant meeting with Darth Vader. They stage a guerilla attack aimed at destroying the palace and eliminating both Vader and the Emperor at the same time. Many Jedi ally with this effort. The first wave of the attack turns out to be a trap designed for the fleet to be picked off by the Imperial Navy.
When it doesn't go as planned, some of the Jedi fully trained land at the Imperial Palace where they do have a confrontation with Vader and the Emperor. The scattered forces of the Rebel task force eventually regroup after evading the Empire and with reinforcements make a successful decapitation strike on the capital. Because of his son, Vader is still redeemed and destroys the Emperor.
The Rebellion rejoices and those who survive this encounter with the Empire go on to restore the Jedi Order under the protection of the New Republic.
If we do go into a sequel series of films with it, Luke has trained a brand new academy, one of his students is recruited by warlords that rule over the Empire, sells out its location for power, and it's destroyed. The surviving Jedi once again are forced to go into exile and start over again.
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