I came across a good topic last night for share day. J.J. Abrams could be the director of the new Star Wars films by Disney. Can he do both Star Wars and Star Trek? He is a very good director and I think he can pull it off, but some people are asking the question. That is in the same realm as actors playing more then one comic book character. It has been done, not always on a good note but it has been done. I would love to talk to him about an idea that I have had for years, it deals with a cross over of the three great "Stars", Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica . I would love to see that one hit the big screen, but back to the question at hand. What do you think, can he pull it off? Some rumors are that the new Star Wars will start with an older Luke running a Jedi Academy, and others say that it will be a complete new set of characters. I forgot the name of the book I read a long time ago, but it was about Han and Leia's twin's adventures when they were at the academy. That would be a cool way to go. Let us know what you think.
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If he can’t, I don’t see him having a very LONG career!
I think he could pull it off. There are much MUCH worse directors out there.
As for the setting/story. The expanded universe already has a ton of possibilities for them to choose from. The new Jedi order, the Vong War, the old republic etc.
I know there’s going to be a lot of nerd rage flying around, but I think this could be a good thing. I was very apprehensive about the new Star Trek, but I wound up really enjoying it. I think that if he brings the same enthusiasm to Star Wars, and everybody takes a breath and realizes that he’s not out to ruin the franchise, everybody will be a winner.
I think he’ll do a good job, but I do have some reservations. Looking at some of his high points; Lost – Didn’t care for it, but I know a lot of people who did and said it was good. IT just wasn’t my thing. Fringe – Started watching it, stopped because it seemed like the type of show fox would cancel early. However I did like what I did watch and have heard a lot of good things about it – I’ll watch it on netflix or something.
Star Trek. I really liked the Trek movie, I think he did a great job casting it and getting the characters right. However, I felt that the plot was pretty weak – it just seemed like an excuse to reboot the franchise in an alternate reality so they could tell their own stories without affecting the main continuity in case Paramount wanted to revisit the later story line. And he did do a good job at that, like I said, the plot just seemed weak. And also, some of the sets were just lazy. They used a brewery as the set for the Enterprises engineering section. A brewery. It was really bad.
But, overall I did like it, and felt that he has the potential to tell a good Trek story. I guess we’ll see in May.
So, overall, I think he’ll do fine with the Star Wars franchise, as long as he sticks with what is, and doesn’t try to re-imagine the universe in his own way. There will be other directors doing SW movies and they will need to maintain some continuity. We don’t want every director coming in and changing things again.
Since Star Wars sacrificed scientific accuracy, internal consistancy, character developement and common sense in the name of SPECTACLE, I maintain that Abrams (may he die slowly and painfully from testicular cancer!) already DID Star Wars, just using the names (and ONLY the names!) of the Star Trek characters. Ptooie!
I enjoyed the Star Trek reboot. I wasn’t in it for the plot in as much as kicking back and enjoying the ride. Going to take a “wait-and-see” attitude toward the new Star Wars.
To me the Star Trek world is more straight forward and is set within our future. The Star Wars world is fantasy filled. Star Trek was in a way an easy reboot, just a little snip in the time line and it awaken a new direction to go.He went back and started it over. Same characters but they are able to travel a new road. He did do that good, I was afraid they were going to follow the old line and just put in new actors to play the roles. Which I don’t think it would of worked if they did. But, when it comes to Star Wars, there is no way that he can go back and start it over again.
It would collapse it all if he tried to do the reboot with Star Wars. The characters no mater who plays them are to set in stone, it is like a stone wall each character builds it and if you miss with any of them the wall will fall. He can branch out from what is already there, or pick it up where the other movies left off. One thing that will make or break the movie is the special effects, if they miss it up there, there will be no turning back. Lucas has set a very high bar in the effect department, and that is what everyone will be expecting to see. All and all I think Star Wars is a bigger ball of fire then he had his hands on with Star Trek. This one can burn him to the ground and leave nothing standing for him or Disney if they miss it up.
Oh, thanks!!! I was feeling alone there…
His Star Trek is an awful Star Trek movie. What it is, in reality, is an average Star Wars film.
This was to be expected. He himself didn’t hide the fact that he always disliked ST, while he loved SW.
That’s not to say that ST > SW either. These are just different.
SW is fantasy, and aims for pure entertainment, action and fun.
ST is science fiction, and tackled social issues, while trying to send a message of peaceful coexistence.
In SW and the new “trek”, conflicts are resolved by blasters first and foremost (this is why vador being luke’s father was great, because it broke that manicheism and muddled things). The bad guy is evil, you blast him, that’s great. ST emphasized the importance of trying to live together, to understand each other, and to make peace.
I’m Star Wars fan through and through, but I have to admit being more than a little skeptic and suspicious of this whole new film trilogy thing… No matter who directs. Only if they put Tim Zahn into the writing team, I’ll breathe easy, because he if someone can crack a brilliant Star Wars story.
As long as JJA gets his alternate universe jones done without messing up any characters, I’ll most likely love it. Or maybe he and Spielberg could make a deal–Spielberg does an alternate universe movie while JJA does just aliens with the new Star Wars? Everyone needs to do something else once in a while.
“Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights” is the name of the book series focusing on the twin children of Han and Leia (Jacen and Jaina) at Luke Skywalker’s new Jedi Academy. I liked the series. Seeing that on film could be fun. I’m open to seeing what comes of it.
It can’t be any worse than Phantom Menace.
I have to admit that I liked the Star Trek movie. Yes, the plot was a little weak, but overall I enjoyed the movie. It would have been really easy for them to go in and save the Vulcan homeworld at the last minute, but they didn’t. The let the entire world be destroyed forever changing the franchise. That was a bold move. Something that could have gone very badly for him. And as far as charging in blasting the bad guy, remember, Kirk did offer to help the Romulans even after they destroyed an entire planet and most of the federation’s fleet.
I am going to reserve judgement on the Star Wars project until I have a little more info. Like when the story will take place exactly. I saw on the news this morning that the title will be Episode VII, but that doesn’t tell us anything.
I’m inclined to take this with a grain of salt: if it’s true, he would be over-extending himself horribly.
Personally, I think he’s done it already, and that he’s a bit over-promoted: not only is he all over Hollywood now, but everyone is imitating him. (Which, in turn, means that they’ll get JJ Abrams no matter WHO they hire!) And I don’t really think he’s a very good storyteller: I never got into “Alias” or “Lost,” and while I liked some of the ideas he came up with for “Star Trek,” I felt that the plot was quite weak.
Overall, I think Star Wars doesn’t really *need* him, even if he were available. And if they did take him, it would be an unprecedented honor, a kind of which NO one is really worthy: handling both of America’s great sci-fi franchises. It’s like winning 3 Best Actor Oscars: it just shouldn’t be done.
I loved the “Young Jedi Knights” series, by Kevin J. Anderson. However, Disney has already said they’re not using ANY of the expanded universe material, so that’s not happening…
As far as J. J. Abrams is concerned, I really, REALLY hope not!
Just as long as they dont get that guy M Shamalamadingdong or whatever involved. I actually liked the new Trek movie, and some one said something about episode 1, but I think it was the best out of 1, 2, and 3. I wish they kept Maul around or at least longer. I liked Vader as a kid in 1 and I know he was suppsed to go bad but I couldnt tell if it was the character or actor in 2 and the 3 but he just seemd kind a douche to me. It would be cool to see mark come back to play an older luke, im sure he could use the money. Not too many people made it out of SW. Some movies define or kill a career even if they are great.
Okay one more quick note, I looked up this guy on IMDB and all the movies he has been involved in I only semi liked 2 of them, New Trek and one from back in early 90’s. I wont say which one because I don’t want to lose cool points LOL. I hope he does well.
@Tool, I don’t think Mark is hurting to much for money he has done voices for a lot of cartoons. He does one of the best Jokers out there.
Im sure he’s not LOL I just haven’t seen him in too much else, there was that Jay and Silent Bob incident. That’s cool he does VO.
Okay yeah I just looked up Mark Hamill on IMBD as well to see what he’s been up to and he has been busy LOL. I seen the voive of Joker on there several times and other things that surprised me. I love IMDB
IMDB is the coolest. It really surprised me when I found out that he did the voice of the Joker. I would of never put him with that voice.
Mark Hammill was also The Trickster in the short-lived but entertaining The Flash television show.
I’m holding a cautiously optimistic stance on this one. To echo (but in a more lighthearted way) Skybandit’s comment, I’m not worried about Abrams ability to do a Star Wars movie as he already did it when he directed Star Trek (although I actually enjoyed that one).
his movies are great: Mi:4, Super 8, Star Trek. that being said he is a boring choice for SW. I would have like to se something out of left field. in 1977 SW was an odd movie that nobody thought would matter. A pastiche of old Western and Samurai films set in space directed by that guy who made a hot-rod movie. thats what this new franchise needs: outside the box thinking.