Michael Corvin

First, I loved TFA. Second, I'm not gonna defend Lucas because the prequels are at their core, shit, but I understand what the author is getting at (at least from the little that was quoted). The parts are better than the whole. Despite the horrid scripts and dialog, Lucas is good at world building.

To me the look and design of Kamino and Kaminioians(?) is probably better than anything in TFA. Mustafar was pretty awesome. Some of the creature designs are probably better than what's in TFA (Watto and Maul comes to mind). Jedi Starfighters were a nice add. Duel of the Fates is unrivaled.

So in other words, a lot of little things that don't add up to much when your story and dialog are shit. TFA on the other hand has a stronger script and direction, but lacks some originality. BB-8 is pretty kick ass though.

JoeyOhhhh

How much of that is really Lucas, and not some designer? Granted Lucas has to give the go ahead on the designs.

I will agree though that the designs and so forth are original, but jarring comparing it to the original trilogy.

rocket1312

While the designers are the ones coming up with the visuals, it pretty much all came from Lucas's direction. Even if it didn't, he was ultimately the one decided what designs were chosen. Everyone who has worked with him always speaks about the scope of his imagination. As for the prequels clashing with the OT in that sense, I honestly think that it came down to time and money. If some of the things he did in the prequels would have been possible in 70's/80's, I think we would have seen them.

Timber

Mustafar looked like shit, as did Kamino. Genosha, I liked the look of. Star Wars is at it's best when it's grounded in some sort of reality. The water worlds of TPM and AotC just didn't work for me. Hoth was fantastic, as was Dagobah but I also thought Star Killer Base looked cool and was something we haven't seen before.

Jay G.

Articles are speculating on how Carrie Fisher's death is going to affect Episode IX

http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/carrie...a-organa-role/
Will be interesting to see how they adjust.

windom

Maybe they'll have to bring back Billy Dee now. Although the clock is probably ticking on him as well. I blame George Lucas for waiting so damn long between trilogies.

milo bloom

I didn't want to say it but there it is. Even 10 years ago all three would have been in better health.

The other part of me wonders why they didn't film all of her and Mark's footage as soon as possible in case something like this happened.

But it will be interesting to see how they change the story - maybe it will even push them to go into a new direction, like how would the Resistance handle this.

resinrats

Maybe cast Fisher's daughter as Leia & age her with make-up. She does look like her and there were rumors of her playing young Leia. Probably wouldn't be seen as disrespecting of Fisher for her daughter to take over the role.

We're getting a new Han Solo actor so a new Leia isn't that hard to believe.

windom

Maybe Kylo Ren freezes Leia in carbonite just like Vader did to his father. He's a huge fan of Vader after all. That may be too traumatic for audiences - to see Leia in carbonite and never get out.

DVD Josh

To me, the story has precedence over the actor. I would not mind a re-cast. I know - blasphemy.

GoldenJCJ

I wonder if they'll make changes to Episode VIII so her disappearance in Episode IX won't be so jarring.

islandclaws

Or drag her VIII storyline out and repurpose footage into IX and come up with some way to produce a satisfying conclusion for the character.

story

This seems like the best route to go.

auto

Yep, best case they figure out how to kill her in the opening moments of episode IX. Maybe have her death launch the third act of the trilogy.

Josh-da-man

Maybe Leia wouldn't even need to appear in IX. By that film, I should think the new characters (Rey, Poe, Finn) should be front and center.

Unless they're planning another trilogy of X-XI-XII that would follow Rey, Finn, Poe, and new charactersand not feature any of the OT folks.

mcnabb

I read someone's idea to mention it in the Episode 9 opening crawl that she died and the Rebellion/Luke/Rey were mourning her death and appointed a new leader, etc. Episode 9 could be 2-3 years after Episode 8 to explain Leia succumbing to an illness.

Paul_SD

I think that is , from a dramatic stand point, dopey.

Her role does not seem to be that significant in these new films. It's much more in the realm of celebrity cameo, than a character that is front and center (like Rey). While it would be best for continuity if she could have finished, they could easily find other characters to perform her story functions (which amount to dispensing exposition and "here's the plan..." style pep talks.

Depending on how much extra footage they have of her from both VII and VIII, it is quite possible they can cobble something together to put her character in position for a sudden and violent death that can serve as either the start to IX, or the Second Act low point in that same movie.

While the opening crawl to VII augers that at some point Luke will be reunited with Leia and the rebellion, it would be bittersweet to have Luke make the journey back only to be not in time as the first order mounts a devastating surgical attack that (off camera) kills Leia and hundreds more around her. All that is needed here is one shocked reaction shot from Carrie interspersed with second unit footage of troops, explosions, etc. And then you cut quick to a shot of Luke as he, Kenobi-like, feels what is happening including the final death of his sister. Her characters death would be even more powerful intuited by Hamill's character as it happens, rather than being seen explicitly on screen.

Whatever is going to happen is going to no doubt require some extensive rejiggering to shift story duties to other characters, but I can't imagine that she would have figured much more than a General Dodonna-like role in the last chapter- especially not after how her age and change in appearance was received by fans in TFA. If anything, the producers were likely to dial her part back a little after that (as well they should have IMO.)

But this is a dramatic story (It's Star WARS for chrissake). Having the character die in bed or pausing the narrative so we can have a funeral scene is....Lame.

But then again, I always thought most of ROTJ's plot developments were seriously asinine, but it's the fans of that stuff that are most on board for these new films, so maybe they should just give you what you are asking for.

TGM

they'll never kill Leia off in a "violent death" now that Fisher has died.

Shannon Nutt

The Star Wars movies have already had TWO funeral scenes. One each for Leia's parents and in the third movie of their respective trilogies. Having one for her in Episode IX actually fits in properly.

Paul_SD

FWIW I got the feeling that Fisher was an astute enough dramatist, who had a low tolerance for sentimental BS, that she would recognize and champion whatever course worked best for the story.

A violent (off camera) death for a military commander is fully in tune with a story about a violent galaxy wide military conflict.

Paul_SD

And they probably will for her. Not so much because it's the best thing for the story, but because...fan service.

And the bonus is it rhymes like bad poetry which is par for the course for this saga.

auto

Killing her off in the crawl would be pretty tacky considering her importance in the series.

rennervision

Agreed. I absolutely hate it when major characters die offscreen. (Sarah Connor is another example.)

Bacon

I agree but killing off someone in any way would IMO be a bit tasteless no matter who it's done
Maybe they cut a lot footage from VIII that could be worked into IX and she can go out peacefully

Paul_SD

The story needs to be serviced- not the fan's tender sensibilities.

This has backed them into a bit of a corner and they need to artfully get out of it in a way that services the story being told.

I think she would understand- and probably prefer her character to go out like a boss and not a tender little hothouse flower.