A question to Disney aficionados

[Satka]

Hi guys,

Since the big Disney/Lucasfilm announcement, so many questions, hopes and fears are circling my mind.
Here's one of them.

I have never been a Disney person, meaning I find they treat subjects and characters in a bland way, with little room for shades of gray.
But I suppose this opinion could be biased by my lack of Disney knowledge.

So I'm asking those of you who do know their Disney ... would they have produced "Revenge of the Sith", with the padawan killing, the immolation scene, Order 66? Are there example of such operatic drama in Disney movies?

 

[Brad_Bane]

Well, Disney does release PG-13 films now, starting with the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and Sith was PG-13, so I'd say they'd release it. I have a feeling that Disney won't be meddling too much in the affairs of LucasFilm, just as they appear to be hands-off with both Marvel Comics and Marvel Films, and even Pixar, now and then. Of course, Star Wars now belongs to them, and they can do with it as they please. I think the biggest idea of how Disney will approach LucasFilm's properties is to watch how Marvel Films' upcoming slate of films pans out. If they retain that same high quality as those produced by MF pre-Disney, then I'd say we, as fans, will be okay with Episodes VII-IX and whatever comes our way (please, Joe Johnston's Boba Fett movie!).

 

[The_Chosen_1]

Keep in mind that The Walt Disney Company doesn't release all of their films under the "Disney" banner. In fact, Touchstone Pictures (a Disney-owned production company) releases plenty of adult-oriented content. So does ABC. The Marvel films are another example, as Brad_Bane pointed out; you don't see the "Disney" logo attached to any of those projects, but as the parent company Disney is still reaping the profits.

I expect future Lucasfilm productions to be the same way. The information released so far indicates that, similar to Marvel, Lucasfilm will operate as its own production unit.

 

[Satka]

OK thanks for the clarifications guys ...
I definitely had an simplistic approach of the Disney/Lucasfilm relationship

I feel more confident now.

 

[Robfb]

While it is true that Disney has the Touchstone brand (the new movie Lincoln will be released under that banner), I'd say this is too much of a prominent acquisition to be labeled as such.

My guess is it will still have the Lucasfilm brand for VII. But you do raise an interesting point. This first new movie will set the tone for all future releases. While I am sure they will have creative control there is tremendous pressure on Disney leadership to justify the $4B investment. I am sure the execs will have their say. They want that preteen male market so they can't be too heavy with the content. But they don't want it dull either. Tough balance!

But Disney hasn't really shied away from adult sequences in recent years. There are several scenes in Dead Man's Chest and At World's End I would not want my kids seeing until well into their teen years.

Also consider that they have Guillermo del Toro directing their second attempt at Haunted Mansion movie. The first one which featured Eddie Murphy and which was fairly family friendly bombed at the box office. Del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth promises it to be terrifying. As a long time Haunted Mansion fan I am disappointed with that approach, but that's just the way it is.

 

[The_Chosen_1]

My guess is it will still have the Lucasfilm brand for VII.

...I'm pretty confident that all future Star Wars projects will bear the Lucasfilm brand. Star Wars and Lucasfilm are far too synonymous at this point to try and disassociate the two.

 

[Eric_Geller]

...I'm pretty confident that all future Star Wars projects will bear the Lucasfilm brand. Star Wars and Lucasfilm are far too synonymous at this point to try and disassociate the two.

Star Wars projects will continue to bear the Lucasfilm brand just like The Avengers started with a Marvel logo and not a Disney one. Disney is just the parent company. Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm actually produce the content and have their logos at the top of the films.

 

[The_Chosen_1]

Star Wars projects will continue to bear the Lucasfilm brand just like The Avengers started with a Marvel logo and not a Disney one. Disney is just the parent company. Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm actually produce the content and have their logos at the top of the films.

Exactly. It takes some understanding of business partnerships like this one to understand how things will work moving forward; if folks research the Marvel deal, they'll have a good idea of how Lucasfilm will operate under Disney.

 

[banistersmind]

One question that I've been pondering and please forgive my naievete here, but will the Disney acquisition have any affect on the fan community at all. Will Disney seek to stop fan sites such as Rebel Scum or the Force.Net or seiously curb their activity? Will they stifle the production of fan fiction or even activities like the 501st?

The other consideration I've been wondering about is whether the advent of more Star Wars themed attractions or even the stand alone parks that are going to result from this deal are going to affect employee conditions at those attractions. The Disney parks have had a reputation of treating their work force pretty poorly at their theme parks and I just wonder whether Lucas' well known sense of fairness will translate into changing the culture at the parks.

These are fairly esoteric considerations I know but I'm interested to know what people in the community think.

 

[Xforce]

One question that I've been pondering and please forgive my naievete here, but will the Disney acquisition have any affect on the fan community at all. Will Disney seek to stop fan sites such as Rebel Scum or the Force.Net or seiously curb their activity? Will they stifle the production of fan fiction or even activities like the 501st?


These are fairly esoteric considerations I know but I'm interested to know what people in the community think.

The other consideration I've been wondering about is whether the advent of more Star Wars themed attractions or even the stand alone parks that are going to result from this deal are going to affect employee conditions at those attractions. The Disney parks have had a reputation of treating their work force pretty poorly at their theme parks and I just wonder whether Lucas' well known sense of fairness will translate into changing the culture at the parks.


Disney is a marketing and merchandising machine (as was LFL) I can not see them messing with a good thing. I would guess they will not step on any fan sites or club activity since it only helps promote there new brand.

Lucas will have no say in the parks, they already have had MANY star wars rides Star Tours, jedi training camp. I know people that have worked in the parks and loved it. Disney is known for being STRICT with employee behavior and appearance and they do that for guests experience. I think the parks are my biggest excitement to this merger

 

[Xforce]

Hi guys,

Since the big Disney/Lucasfilm announcement, so many questions, hopes and fears are circling my mind.
Here's one of them.

I have never been a Disney person, meaning I find they treat subjects and characters in a bland way, with little room for shades of gray.
But I suppose this opinion could be biased by my lack of Disney knowledge.

So I'm asking those of you who do know their Disney ... would they have produced "Revenge of the Sith", with the padawan killing, the immolation scene, Order 66? Are there example of such operatic drama in Disney movies?

They also own touchstone films and have produced rated r movies. They just protect the disney name and only put that on rated Pg and G mostly

 

[Sheldon]

Yeah there`s Disney proper then there`s there the what they own - two very different things. All starting with Splash and then evolving into all mainstream genres.