SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Writers Talk Early Backlash And How Expectations Have Changed For Star Wars Films

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Writers Talk Early Backlash And How Expectations Have Changed For Star Wars Films

Solo: A Star Wars Story screenwriters Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan have been discussing the pre-release fan backlash to a project like Star Wars as well as how fan expectations have changed. Check it out.

News
By FromACertainPOV - May 21, 2018 01:05 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars
Source: CineBlend

Solo: A Star Wars Story has yet to release and while it’s been getting positive feedback from critics the film has come under fire by some Star Wars fans online, some even since the film's announcement. While this is nothing new in the age of the internet and popular culture, fan discourse surrounding the  franchise has become particular toxic in recent days with last year's The Last Jedi notoriously enraging a very vocal group of fans to an almost ridiculous point.

However you want to refer to or judge this kind of commentary it has become a part of the process for a Star Wars film nowadays, a fact that the films co-writer Lawrence Kasdan - who also brought us Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens - is very aware of. 

Speaking to CinemaBlend however, he revealed it's not something that he takes seriously.

“I understand it, but I don't take it that seriously. I've seen both sides. Every one of these movies, it was never like this back in Empire. In the last years, you see all of this prognosticating, but no one's seen anything. I always think, 'Well, if the movie works, the movie works.' Three minutes in, no one remembers any of that if the movie's working. If the movie's not working, then everyone's sitting there like 'see? I thought this would suck.'"


Building from this, Jonathan Kasdan who also serves as writer on the Ron Howard directed spin-off film spoke about how fan expectations for Star Wars films have evolved just as much as the franchise itself has, now being a far cry from its simple Buck Rogers-esque entertainment. 

“You know, it's funny. It's really a new reality from the one that these movies are born out of. I was thinking about this last night, as I was trying and failing to go to sleep. The original Star Wars is like a B summer matinee movie. There was no expectation on it to be anything but terrible, and it was great and cool, and it began a tradition. These movies are historically relegated to pulp and popcorn... So now they sit in the culture where they're the most divisive bit of moviemaking that can be. It's a really funny irony at the core of it."


What do you think of the Kasdan's comments? How do you feel about the pre-release fan response to Star Wars films? Leave your thoughts below.
 

 

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CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 5/21/2018, 1:47 AM
I doubt it will be as controversial as last jedi. Probably more like rogue one. I am expecting an ok film at best, a nice breakaway from all the drama. I do think they should aim for good films and not just accept divisivness as something that happens anyway.
Origame
Origame - 5/21/2018, 2:53 AM
@MrBillCipher - It really doesn't sound like that's what they're saying. It's just they know the backlash is coming no matter what. Heck, there was criticism when this movie was announced. So this whole thing is an uphill battle for acceptance with the fans.
Forthas
Forthas - 5/21/2018, 1:56 AM
Fan backlash can be something that is self inflicted. I hope to heaven that people give the film a chance. But during the run of the Last Jedi, it seemed as though the people behind the franchise ignored and at times insulted fans. There should have been more of a public effort to acknowledge the problems with Last Jedi and reassure fans that the franchise would correct those mistakes instead of the "we will do what we want" attitude that was palpable.
BloodyBed
BloodyBed - 5/21/2018, 6:42 AM
@Forthas - the thing is though...

They didn’t make any goddamn mistakes!
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 5/21/2018, 7:46 AM
@BloodyBed - For you...
Ragnarocknroll
Ragnarocknroll - 5/21/2018, 9:02 AM
@Forthas - I'm a fan and I didn't feel insulted by The Last Jedi. I loved it.
I really wish these so called 'Star Wars fans' didn't speak for ALL Star Wars fans when they talk about their disdain for TLJ.
Forthas
Forthas - 5/21/2018, 10:05 AM
@Ragnarocknroll
@BloodyBed

But for those that did think there were mistakes, it should be something that the producers should acknowledge. For some reason people in the fandom accepted Force Awakens just fine. So they CAN make films that appeal to the broader audience.

I think the insult was subtle in that they refused to admit the film was divisive and that the problems stemmed from audience "expectations"...It did not.
BloodyBed
BloodyBed - 5/21/2018, 1:20 PM
@Forthas - it sure as hell seems like people dislike it because of their expectations.
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 5/21/2018, 3:58 PM
@BloodyBed - No people dislike i because it had poor character development, had a overly political preachy tone, made absolutely no sense in terms of what was established in Force Awakens and just wasn't fun. Not even a single lightsaber battle and it ruined established characters and replaced them with unlikable idiot characters that you just end up not caring about. The biggest Villain was killed off by the smaller villain who has already been shown that he is far from a threat in the first movie after being defeated and then berated. A villain with no clear goals other than he wants to be evil because his grandaddy was evil. It's just not engaging. And it's already been admitted by Rian Johnson himslef that there's no plan they are making these up as they go along so no wonder it's all a mess.

That's a lot more than people simply disliking it because of expectations, the only expectation people had is wanting to see a good movie, The Last Jedi wasn't that.
Ronan3Accuser
Ronan3Accuser - 5/21/2018, 2:00 AM
SupermansTrunks
SupermansTrunks - 5/21/2018, 3:56 AM
Just give the film a chance jesus christ
boiling
boiling - 5/21/2018, 4:08 AM
@SupermansTrunks -
BloodyBed
BloodyBed - 5/21/2018, 6:47 AM
@SupermansTrunks - oh I will, just... not at the theater
Reaper87
Reaper87 - 5/21/2018, 12:18 PM
@BloodyBed - Download FTW!!!!
BloodyBed
BloodyBed - 5/21/2018, 1:21 PM
@Reaper87 - more like HBO ftw
LaserKing
LaserKing - 5/21/2018, 4:13 AM
I enjoy these movies BUT would have like to have seen the old guard lead the charge in the early ones and hand it over to the newer ones to carry on. I think they missed the chance to bridge old and new by letting our older heroes be more heroic.
Kyos
Kyos - 5/21/2018, 7:45 AM
I'm way more interested in the box office performances of both Solo and Episode IX than I am in the movies themselves. Yay modern Star Wars!
EclipceR
EclipceR - 5/21/2018, 8:03 AM
They act surprised about how divisive this saga has become, yet they fail to acknowledge the horrible screen writing and agenda pushing narrative of the leads and Twitter responses. If you call your demographic sexist white fat bigots, then you’re going to have division. Shocking I know!
elchupanibre5
elchupanibre5 - 5/21/2018, 5:06 PM
I've been pondering the idea that the original Star Wars film and its sequel were lightning in a bottle. We started to see the future issues with expanding the Star Wars universe in ROTJ, but because that film concluded Luke's hero journey story so perfectly, most fans let it's mistakes slide. The prequels exposed the issues with expanding on the lore not just from the film makers perspective but also the fans. I honestly believed that Disney (with its unlimited resources and talent) could expand on the lore in a satisfying way... but unfortunately they've gone down controversial routes with the characters/story which has divided the fans.

As someone who dislikes the direction of the sequels, I wish I could at least respect the "bold choices" Disney Lucas film has made with the sequel films... but what is there to respect? I see more incompetence than actual planning. They essentially soft rebooted ANH, then destroyed its own continuity in TLJ, hurting popular characters in the process... all while publicly shaming a portion of the fans who pointed out its very clear flaws.

Disney will of course continue to push out more SW films as long as there's a market for them. They will use their marketing/merchandising genius to over-hype their films/TV/books/comics but the reality is that the once illustriousness of the Star Wars brand is gone. If we're being honest, the fan morale behind this sequel trilogy and side stories is currently at about the same level as the prequels in the early 2000's which isn't anywhere near Disney wants it to be. Who knows, maybe IX or a completely new series away from the Skywalker's can salvage this but I currently doubt it. I hope I'm wrong.

As much as a part of me believes sequels to the OT could've worked with better planning and respect for the originals, I've began to give in to the idea that maybe there was nothing any studio could have done to improve/build upon the original Star Wars. Maybe it should've just remained as a film series of its time, much like Back to The Future for example. I know this sounds selfish, but I believe that Star Wars should've lived and died with George Lucas. Now a large portion of us are left to sit back and witness its withering corpse get milked to death by Disney Corp and it's share holders. I guess this is an ironic form of karma towards those fans (like me) who pummeled Lucas for attempting to expand on his story the way he wanted to. Touché, George. Enjoy the $4 billion + stocks and thanks for the memories.
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