I’m of the opinion that new blood will bring new vision to Mr. Lucas’s creation. No, things won’t be the same. Is that necessarily a bad thing? I certainly don’t want to detract from his imagination; he’s a consummate idea man, but Mr. Lucas has kept tight control of his Star Wars universe for far too long, methinks, and it has suffered for that. In my view, the three prequel films, for instance, could have benefited greatly had he ceded the directorial reins to others more capable than he. After all, arguably the best Star Wars film (and I know there are some who disagree) was directed by Irvin Kershner, not George Lucas. As such, it cannot automatically be concluded that Mr. Lucas’s absence—he won’t be completely absent; he’s said he will continue to be a creative consultant—will negatively affect new Star Wars projects.
Some say that “independent” Mr. Lucas has sold out. That getting out of the business was all about the money, or that he compromised his vision through joining his company with corporate Hollywood, vis–à–vis the ultimate show business conglomerate, the Walt Disney Company, which some fear will meddle with LFL’s recipe for success. To that, I say he sold out long ago, with the making of the very first merchandising deals. The act of selling his companies is merely the culmination of the long, drawn-out process of selling out that began in 1977. To the fear that Disney will tinker, I can only point to their myriad other subsidiaries—they have a record of leaving well enough alone. So the man wanted to retire and get some money through selling his assets. Has he not worked hard? Does he not deserve to reap the reward of his success? I say yes, unreservedly. Selling LFL, etc., was, if nothing else, an incredibly astute business decision. But it’s more than that. It’s the creation of a living legacy.
Legacy is a term more often associated with politicians than showbiz folks. It’s a notion that I find to be incredibly egotistical, and even abhorrent. People in “The Business” are undoubtedly egotistical, though, and Mr. Lucas among them. Therefore, it is no surprise that he should want his creation to be cultivated and perpetuated even in his absence. Passing the torch allows that to happen as long as there is a demand for the product. If we have learned nothing else from this decades-long ride it is that there is a seemingly insatiable demand for all things Star Wars. For me, personally, Star Wars has been comatose and on life support for years. I lost interest shortly after Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005. The fact that the prequels did not live up to my expectations contributed to that, as did the fact that much of the Expanded Universe material is so poorly written that it cannot even remotely be considered anything approaching literature. This has the potential to change that for me; anticipation is born anew.
Will Star Wars passing from The Flannel One’s hands into those of Disney have the same effect that the loss of Ian Fleming and eventually Cubby Broccoli had on the James Bond franchise? Will its essence be irrevocably altered? Only time will tell.
