Lucasfilm Makes It Official: Star Wars: Expanded Universe Is Dead
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
Sooo...if the Expanded universe doesn't matter, then when is Lucasfilm going to give me back a massive chunk of my money that I paid for all these Star Wars Books, Games, and Comics that I purchased with the understanding that I was reading what was happening in the Star Wars universe. Since I seem to have been immersing myself in a series of events and actions that transpired in a totally different yet completely identical universe complete with identical characters...hmm, I paid for Star Wars media, not 'It's just like Star Wars!...but not really, but we won't tell you that.' media...
Seriously, this is simply ridiculous.
Yeah, sure, whatever no extended universe, so then why set your story a few decades after the end of the last (chronologically speaking) movie?
You could write some really interesting stories in the direct aftermath of the whole Rebellion, maybe find out what happens after the Rebellion declares 'Mission Accomplished'? It surely couldn't just be as simple as killing one person and then the war is over, right? It would be more complicated and intricate, since of course a Galaxy spanning Empire would have untold millions of worlds and countless beings within it, surely they ALL couldn't have been oppressed slaves? What if some honest and good people actually liked the Empire? Maybe some people really did see the Rebellion as rebels and terrorists?
See how the galaxy reacts to this defeat of a tyrannical despot? Maybe something gritty dealing with Galactic Politics and the Rebellion trying to become a government fueled by the memories of how the Old Republic failed utterly while trying to grapple with the failures and shortcomings that restoring a 'pure' republic would bring back?
Or something philosophical dealing with the rebirth of the Jedi, seeing the Idealistic Jedi that we saw in Luke after he was trained by Kenobi and Yoda (Who gloss over all the slave armies, interstellar warfare, child slavery and brainwashing/indoctrination) while struggling against galaxy whose last description of the Jedi were ruthless killers trying to overthrow the government?
Maybe that would be a good idea for a story-line...something dramatic...
Oh, wait, I know, it's the old 'keep the name, but do whatever the hell we want' strategy. Never-mind my ideas there...I'm only a writer. Much better ideas come from Directors who specialize in using lens flare to give me migraines. Set it a while after and then the other six movies don't even matter, we can do whatever we want then!
ADDENDUM:
Hmm, and looking back on it, I may have just written an outline for a better trilogy then we're ever going to see...
Seriously, this is simply ridiculous.
Yeah, sure, whatever no extended universe, so then why set your story a few decades after the end of the last (chronologically speaking) movie?
You could write some really interesting stories in the direct aftermath of the whole Rebellion, maybe find out what happens after the Rebellion declares 'Mission Accomplished'? It surely couldn't just be as simple as killing one person and then the war is over, right? It would be more complicated and intricate, since of course a Galaxy spanning Empire would have untold millions of worlds and countless beings within it, surely they ALL couldn't have been oppressed slaves? What if some honest and good people actually liked the Empire? Maybe some people really did see the Rebellion as rebels and terrorists?
See how the galaxy reacts to this defeat of a tyrannical despot? Maybe something gritty dealing with Galactic Politics and the Rebellion trying to become a government fueled by the memories of how the Old Republic failed utterly while trying to grapple with the failures and shortcomings that restoring a 'pure' republic would bring back?
Or something philosophical dealing with the rebirth of the Jedi, seeing the Idealistic Jedi that we saw in Luke after he was trained by Kenobi and Yoda (Who gloss over all the slave armies, interstellar warfare, child slavery and brainwashing/indoctrination) while struggling against galaxy whose last description of the Jedi were ruthless killers trying to overthrow the government?
Maybe that would be a good idea for a story-line...something dramatic...
Oh, wait, I know, it's the old 'keep the name, but do whatever the hell we want' strategy. Never-mind my ideas there...I'm only a writer. Much better ideas come from Directors who specialize in using lens flare to give me migraines. Set it a while after and then the other six movies don't even matter, we can do whatever we want then!
ADDENDUM:
Hmm, and looking back on it, I may have just written an outline for a better trilogy then we're ever going to see...
The (Knights of)Old Republic will still most likey be still considered canon still it has absolutely no impact on the timeline of the film(s) or any future canon they make up, (KO)TOR also gives so much well written background and history to delve into for these and future projects it would silly to write it off.
Kinda sad, but we all saw this coming. While I admit the EU is a mess it had some genuinely good stories. I'm pretty sure that only post-RotJ will be stamped on (KotOR has no bearing on anything in the film's era). I hope Disney sees sense and adapts the most popular elements of the EU (Thrawn, Mara Jade, Outbound, Rogue and Wraith, Katarn); I'd enjoy seeing some Dark Empire too. But they got Abram's writing VII so I doubt they're that smart.
I'm also kinda ticked off that a huge chunk of my library has been reduced to "fanfiction I paid for" and half my childhood has been wasted on a universe that will wither and die as Disney's replaces it. Thus is life I suppose.
I'm also kinda ticked off that a huge chunk of my library has been reduced to "fanfiction I paid for" and half my childhood has been wasted on a universe that will wither and die as Disney's replaces it. Thus is life I suppose.
Well the whole point of the prequels was to show how things could not be seen in black or white, The Jedi were so caught up in their own rigid and controlling doctrine they became insensitive and callous towards human emotions and the Sith were sometimes victims of circumstance rather than evil. It was meant to be the tragic fall of Anakin Skywalker who was a good person who lost one of the people he truly loved and was going to lose the other simply because of the Jedi's unmoving and flawed mantra. Darth Sidious simply gave Anakin the odd nudge, it was the Jedi who made him fall. Those films were meant to show the tragic story of why Vader was who he was and why he saved Luke in the end. Instead we got JarJar"F*cking"Binks, the Gungun's and a screenplay/script which played out like some brain damaged monkey wrote it using its own fecal matter and spoon.FFHAuthor said:
I barely know anything about what happened after ROTJerky so i am not sure how to feel
They make a jedi school and fight some sith and clones of the emperor and then tyranids, uh, i mean yuzan vong invade from beyond the void
The jedi knight games were in there? dang, i gotta finish mysteries
They make a jedi school and fight some sith and clones of the emperor and then tyranids, uh, i mean yuzan vong invade from beyond the void
The jedi knight games were in there? dang, i gotta finish mysteries
I always liked Timothy Zahn's books best, but the rest of the EU was garbage. Overpowered characters, lame plots, misuse and misunderstanding of the Force, every single character that got so much as a SECOND of screen time suddenly becoming somehow tangentially pivotal to the movies... bleah.
For those that really care, I'm with what some others have said: just consider the EU an alternate timeline. I'm reasonably sure that'll get endorsement from the higher levels.
For me, the best thing that came out of the EU was Zahn himself. Heir to the Empire was my first introduction to his works, but he's had a long and varied career outside Star Wars that surpasses those books. I think his latest was the Quadrail series; try reading that sometime.
Now, when's that next movie come out again? I need to preorder tickets.
For those that really care, I'm with what some others have said: just consider the EU an alternate timeline. I'm reasonably sure that'll get endorsement from the higher levels.
For me, the best thing that came out of the EU was Zahn himself. Heir to the Empire was my first introduction to his works, but he's had a long and varied career outside Star Wars that surpasses those books. I think his latest was the Quadrail series; try reading that sometime.
Now, when's that next movie come out again? I need to preorder tickets.
Unless I'm missing something, only the post-RotJ is going the way of the dodo. Kyle Katarn first appeared in Dark Forces, which takes place before RotJ. Of course his subsequent development is theoretically going down the drain, but the character should still be part of the canon.
I'm not too annoyed by this myself, I honestly found the post-RotJ EU to be a bit ridiculous and low-quality. The exception being the Thrawn Trilogy. Despite being pretty thick fan service at times, it was well-written and had great characters. I'm happy that the books will at least still be published because it would be a shame if they were to disappear completely.
I'm not too annoyed by this myself, I honestly found the post-RotJ EU to be a bit ridiculous and low-quality. The exception being the Thrawn Trilogy. Despite being pretty thick fan service at times, it was well-written and had great characters. I'm happy that the books will at least still be published because it would be a shame if they were to disappear completely.
I feel like I have dodged a bullet in never really caring about this series. I have a greater emotional investment in Kyle Katarn than anyone who has appeared on screen.
It will be awesome watching this new cannon come out will be something special. Like watching an adult bird eat something and then regurgitate it back out for the waiting baby birds.
It will be awesome watching this new cannon come out will be something special. Like watching an adult bird eat something and then regurgitate it back out for the waiting baby birds.
So Rogue Squadron just never happened. Okay. Know what my episode seven is now? Watching rogue squadron 2 missions on youtube. That's what it is now.
Wedge Antilles is my personal favorite anyways. The guy gets by on pure skill with a starfighter and by god he is badass.
Oh but the force unleashed is canon. Great, good move on that one. Writing that wouldn't impress a FIFTH GRADER is now official star wars canon. Very good. The official star wars is trash now, I will be hanging with rogue squadron in the extended universe. The good part of the extended universe.
Although this does officially mean that boba fett really did suck. So that's funny again, at least.
Wedge Antilles is my personal favorite anyways. The guy gets by on pure skill with a starfighter and by god he is badass.
Oh but the force unleashed is canon. Great, good move on that one. Writing that wouldn't impress a FIFTH GRADER is now official star wars canon. Very good. The official star wars is trash now, I will be hanging with rogue squadron in the extended universe. The good part of the extended universe.
Although this does officially mean that boba fett really did suck. So that's funny again, at least.
Boba Fett sucked and *best Brian Blessed voice* CHEWBACCA'S ALIVE!?!Racecarlock said:
I wouldn't be at all surprised if at some point down the road they publish a few new "Star Wars Legends" branded novels or comics (because "DOLLA DOLLA BILLS yo") but right now I think they're more worried about the casual fans picking up tie-in material and being confused because it contradicts the latest movies.
They want to make those casual fans transition into tie-in devouring hardcore fans as easy as possible. Disney knows most of the people who love the old EU will grumble but ultimately roll with it. So I wouldn't look to see anything new from the "Legends" line for several years at least.
Did you hear that?
No, not the sounds of thousands of Star Wars fans wailing in impotent rage. That's normal.
The other one, that sounds like a gurgling whimper.
That's Disney, happily choking the life out of Star Wars geek culture: the good and the bad.
Remember: They don't care. They will never care. So neither should you.
No, not the sounds of thousands of Star Wars fans wailing in impotent rage. That's normal.
The other one, that sounds like a gurgling whimper.
That's Disney, happily choking the life out of Star Wars geek culture: the good and the bad.
Remember: They don't care. They will never care. So neither should you.
They didn't "discard it" They made to branching paths, kinda like Star Trek did with the new movies. They couldn't just make movies out of the EU otherwise it would have just been retelling things. Even things like Avengers and X-men don't use the EXACT comic references to add some surprise and excitement.MinionJoe said:
I like the EU too, and it's still going to be there to be enjoyed, I think the self-entitled fan boys who thinks everything Lucas, LucasArts, or Disney does that isn't just Episode IV V and VI and General Thrawn is evil
Oh also I see a lot of people comparing Star Trek's handling of canon with Star Wars and that's an interesting comparison to make but there are a few problems with it. You know which Star Trek novels and comics are canon? Exactly NONE of them.
"Canon" is a little funny and not necessarily crucial when it comes to Star Trek. For a long time the canonicity of one of the actual shows (The Animated Series) was denied. And I believe Gene Roddenberry once said something to the effect of him not considering a lot of episodes in the original Star Trek's 3rd season canonical. Basically, if it's not a TV episode or movie it's just officially published fanfiction.[footnote]And you can usually just ignore any particular episode you don't like in most of the series without any real consequence. Because the overarching narrative is intentionally vague and open-ended. Just like Wagon Train.[/footnote] There are series within this fiction obviously, but not anything so grand and unified as the SW:EU.
Star Trek never really needed a unified "Expanded Universe" like Star Wars did. Because the episodic format of most of the TV shows allowed new adventures to be plugged in without much fuss. "Yeah this novel takes place between episodes so-and-so, whatever." And starting in the early 1980s there was almost always new live action content coming, usually in the form of one weekly TV show or another. So Trekkies weren't as starved for new content as Star Wars fans were by the mid 90s, when the Thrawn trilogy really kicked off the EU as a publishing phenomenon.
As for Star Trek, there have been stabs at "expanding the universe beyond the TV shows", notably the "New Frontier" series. But really there are so many series to choose from that already have a built in audience there's still not much need.
"Canon" is a little funny and not necessarily crucial when it comes to Star Trek. For a long time the canonicity of one of the actual shows (The Animated Series) was denied. And I believe Gene Roddenberry once said something to the effect of him not considering a lot of episodes in the original Star Trek's 3rd season canonical. Basically, if it's not a TV episode or movie it's just officially published fanfiction.[footnote]And you can usually just ignore any particular episode you don't like in most of the series without any real consequence. Because the overarching narrative is intentionally vague and open-ended. Just like Wagon Train.[/footnote] There are series within this fiction obviously, but not anything so grand and unified as the SW:EU.
Star Trek never really needed a unified "Expanded Universe" like Star Wars did. Because the episodic format of most of the TV shows allowed new adventures to be plugged in without much fuss. "Yeah this novel takes place between episodes so-and-so, whatever." And starting in the early 1980s there was almost always new live action content coming, usually in the form of one weekly TV show or another. So Trekkies weren't as starved for new content as Star Wars fans were by the mid 90s, when the Thrawn trilogy really kicked off the EU as a publishing phenomenon.
As for Star Trek, there have been stabs at "expanding the universe beyond the TV shows", notably the "New Frontier" series. But really there are so many series to choose from that already have a built in audience there's still not much need.
...Because no new Star Wars stories were imagined to be coming out and people wanted to see the story continue. You take what you can get.Zachary Amaranth said:
[quote/]
Is it any more disrespectful than rewriting the canon every few years as Lucas has done?
[/quote]
In some ways no, but it's still on a larger scale and it's still an action Lucas was nice enough to never take.
[quote/]
I think you're inferring more than anything else.[/quote]
I'll just come right out and be honest: I'm incredibly lazy. I read Bob's news article without actually going to the site itself and reading the full post. I completely retract my statement about them being dismissive as the post shows that they clearly are not.
To be honest, I think Bob could have done a better job representing what Lucasfilm had to say.
I think it's better off this way, theres no way Disney would do the EU justice, if the new movies are junk then the community can ignore them and continue to enjoy the far better stories made by fans, if their good then you've got 2 sets of great star wars stories. This way everyone wins.