Ok folks Cinescape ran a story from Lucasfilm saying basically that there are no problems. I really hope they are right, but...
NEWSFLASH: Lucasfilm officially announced for months that Ewan McGregor would not be in the Prequels.
Lucasfilm is not the most honest news source in the world. Let's face it folks. I'm not saying the piece is true, never did. Actually the spy, Holden Caulfield's purpose in sending me the story was to disprove it. Holden is in the studio system. Holden has people at Lucasfilm. Holden is legit, but he himself questioned this information. He knows the person he got it from is legit, he's just hoping that bad information was passed to him. So he contacted me. I checked with some of my Prequel people, and didn't hear back. So the whole point of the posting was to get someone who worked on the project, who's been writing me for a long time, to tell me it isn't true. To have one longterm Lucasfilm spy say, "No Harry, that isn't true." That hasn't happened.
But let's take a look at this. Let's say it is true for a second here. Would Lucasfilm come out and say, "We have had some depth of field problems with our equipment and we'll have to reshoot a massive amount of film, because we failed to utilize the normal checks and balance systems that the industry as a whole abides to." or would the budget mysteriously sky rocket from $70 million to $110 million. Many reshoots would be blamed on Ewan being... under the weather (which noone really noticed at the time).
This is most likely the number one most anticipated film in the history of cool films, from a publicity standpoint the film must be perfect. Not one crink in it's invincible armor. Because BILLIONS of Dollars are at stake. Companies are investing their entire futures on this film. It has to be perfect. So all reshoots will be 'planned from the beginning' because they will be shooting in a new 'non-linear format'.
There are crinks in the Prequels armor, there are problems, but the property is so holy that noone can or will allow themselves to perceive a problem.
I know where y'all are coming from, I have the original one sheet by the Hildebrandts hanging above my bed. It's been there for eons. I've stared at it endlessly. The Falcon lays atop my monitor, the magic eight ball Yoda guides me in the decision making process, and more often than not, John Williams is conducting from the foot of my bed ala me stereo. The simple perfection of Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back. The disappointment I felt with Return of the Jedi, forgotten simply because the first two films made me dream of adventures a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. They made my eyes go misty, my heart soar and they became an alternative universe for my childhood.
The Prequels are one of the reasons I started this site, people like myself, Brian Linder, Scott Chitwood, Tinman, T-Bone, Chris K., etc etc... run sites that run info on these films so we will be the first to know. I have met Scott, Darin and Brian in person. We talked for hours about these projects, and we all know there have been problems. If they all came out, they could tell you how there are things we all know about this franchise that... scares us a little. However, all of us, including me, give that film more room than any other, simply because we need a film that will make us dream of adventures in far off galaxies. That will just make us dream period.
I've seen the official plot synopsis, no I don't have it. The spy that showed it to me took it with him/her. I have also seen all the designs for the aliens, robots, ships and creatures. Those lizards with the shield generators on their backs that theforce.net talks about... I've seen em. They look pretty cool. The 'transforming' robots, well not quite the way the Virtual Edition has them, they are actually more spider like. Glen can back me up on all of this. It was not convincing, nor was it sucky. It's all in that "well let's see what they do with it" sorta realm. At the same time there is no film I anticipate more. No film I want to be greater. This is it, this is the film I've stood in lines my whole life to see. It needs to be great. If it isn't, then I (and I stress that personally), I need to know whether or not that faith and that energy is misplaced.
If this film doesn't do it, if it doesn't deliver, if Jake Lloyd really is Mannequin Skywalker like I've heard from some sources, then there are going to be a lot of let down people. By acknowledging and possibly identifying these problems... well perhaps sites like this one, theforce.net, jedinet, cinescape, etc.. can help the film avoid the pitfalls that lay in front of it.
Remember, we all yelled at the top of lungs that Greedo firing first was a sacrilege. Nothing happened. We all yelled about Han not casting a shadow on Jabba, nothing happened. Sure perhaps Fox rushed the release, or perhaps Lucasfilm doesn't want to see or hear about problems.
Gary Kurtz was forced out because he told Lucas no repeatedly on EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Next came RETURN OF THE JEDI. When you no longer listen to those that say no, or you surround yourself with people that say only yes, there can be... problems.
I'm hoping all of this, the speculation of focus, blue screen, etc are true. Because I'd hate to think that all the reshoots are about not understanding the story or the characters the first time around. Whatever the case may be, the budget was increased by $40 million. When all else fails Deepthroat said follow the money. That's where the truth lies. (ironic spelling?)
