Okay, this is a really half-way realized thought, but I’ve grown convinced over the course of the last two movies that the whole thing should have been handed over to someone else to write and finish (including chapters 6-9) and that Lucas should have quit while he was ahead. Frankly, I can honestly say I preferred Howard the Duck to these last two movies (Blasphemer that I am). At least it knew what it was.
So, who, WHO should have been allowed to finish the Star Wars Saga?
Steven Spielberg?
Peter Jackson?
Joss Whedon?
Sam Raimi?
Can any of our esteemed Cinemafiles give reasons who and who not? and Why and Why not?
The best thing to come out of the Star Wars family recently was Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars. I’d probably let him take a crack at it. For live action, maybe Ridley Scott.
Not only who, but why? What would they bring that Lucas should have, but didn’t. In what ways do you think it would have been changed?
Some interesting suggestions so far. Quinten Tarrentino being the most interesting. All those foul mouthed Jedi and Sith running around. And of course you’re going to have the one Jedi:
“How come I get the Pink Light Sabre?”
“Because you do.”
“Hey, how about we trade?”
“No, nobody’s trading, I got the blue, he got the red, you got the pink, now shut up!”
Nobody can do action as well. Cameron’s treatment (the original) of Spiderman was perfect. Stan Lee referred to it as flawless. The reason Cameron did not go on to direct was because he got tired of waiting for the legal wrangling that went on when trying to initially secure the rights to make the movie. Cameron lost interest (after years) and went on to other projects.
Sony finally stepped in and threw an ass load of money at it and got the rights. They gave the nod to Raimi. I’m sorry, but these movies sucked under Raimi, and I am still deeply pissed that Cameron wasn’t able to make his masterpiece.
Spiderman, IMHO, is just another in a long line of super hero movies that have been ruined.
I guarantee you if Cameron (who writes everything he directs) had taken pen to paper with the new Star Wars movies, they would have all been easily as good as Empire.
Cameron’s Scriptment.
I just found it, but haven’t read it myself yet. Still, I’d worry about the dissimilar treatments of two woefully different franchises. But I’ve enjoyed both director’s movies in the past.
As you can see, many of the ideas developed in Cameron’s treatment were used in the actual film. The concept of Peter’s web slinging abilities being biological, a few of the elements regarding his uncle Ben, etc.
There seems to be more of Peter’s struggle with his new identity and power here than what ended up being in the final first film. Raimi took parts of Cameron’s treatment and made changes that he saw fit to make. A great deal of the final film is taken from elements of Cameron’s original treatment. You can credit him for a lot of the direction Raimi’s film took
My only quibble is that I feel like, overall, they should have just stuck closer to his treatment instead of going in the new direction that they went. I can only imagine what Cameron’s final draft and subsequent final print would have been like.
Frankly I thought Spidey II was just about perfect and beat down Spidey I (which was pretty good). I don’t think Cameron had much to do with the sequal.
As to the main question, perhaps Peter Jackson would be able to do a pretty solid 6-9 epic.
The problem with Kevin Smith (and yes, he’s an uber fan), but can he do a movie like Star Wars? He’s great at comedy, but he’s turned in a clunker when he tried to do something a bit more serious (if a romantic comedy can be called more serious).
Good thinking on Kevin Smith. We’d finally get to see Darth Randall. Silent Bob would actually have jedi mind powers. “Chewie, what a wookie” from the clerks soundtrack would have to be on this soundtrack as well.
I’d have to seriously go with Peter Jackson. He made incredibly gorgeous sets, environments, backdrops, etc. without having to resort to this 99.9% digital background crap that Lucas seems to be so enamored with.
Truth be told, I’d even take Tito Jackson over Lucas right now.
Kevin Smith couldn’t direct his way out of a wet paper bag nor does he have any sense of visual aesthetics. That, alone, would be the kiss of doom for any Star Wars directed by him.
I’d have to second, third, whatever the recommendations for Peter Jackson. That man can do no wrong in my books.
