'Game of Thrones' creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to write and produce new 'Star Wars' film series
I love Star Wars. But I think the fatigue is finally setting in.
When Disney purchased Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012, we knew that the studio would be pushing for much more Star Wars content over the next decade. We knew that a new trilogy was in the works, and we knew that Kathleen Kennedy intended to make several spin-offs and sequels that would be separate from the Skywalker storyline. But I don't know if I ever anticipated things in the Star Wars galaxy getting this crazy. In the time since The Force Awakens launched the new era of the franchise in 2015, Lucasfilm has released one Star Wars film each year. Rogue One hit theaters in 2016, The Last Jedi graced the silver screen in late 2017, and the trend will continue this year with the troubled Solo: A Star Wars Story in May. From there, the direction of the series is a little more murky. J.J. Abrams' Episode IX will be ready for Christmas 2019, but in addition to that saga finale, we also have a new trilogy from Rian Johnson, a possible Obi-Wan spin-off, and a whole potential array of individual Star Wars stories. Oh, and now there's another series in the works.
Just moments ago, Lucasfilm announced that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, creators of the award-winning Game of Thrones, will be writing and producing a new series of Star Wars films for Lucasfilm. Here's what Kathleen Kennedy had to say about Benioff and Weiss joining the franchise:
"David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today. Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting."
Benioff and Weiss added a statement of their own:
"In the summer of 1977 we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we've been dreaming of it ever since. We are so honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of Game of Thrones is complete."
No word on the release dates for these movies, and nothing from Lucasfilm on whether or not Benioff and Weiss will direct these films as well. Twitter buzz has expressed disappointment at Kennedy's resistance to hiring female directors or filmmakers of color, but this announcement does actually leave the door open for that possibility. Regardless, this press release does make one thing very, very clear- Star Wars is not slowing down.
Look, here's the thing, we all know how Disney operates. I live in a household of Disney Parks fanatics, but we're not blind to the fact that Disney is all about the money. If they can make a buck off something, they're gonna do it. So it was crazy to think that they'd ever handle Star Wars in moderation. They're going to inundate the market, and they're going to give us more Star Wars than we can possibly handle. In a way, this really isn't much different from Kevin Feige's approach at Marvel, but there's a massive discrepancy in the way we process it all. The Marvel Cinematic Universe releases two or three films a year under the impression that it's all part of one connected story. None of this Star Wars stuff is connected in any way- the main saga is its own thing, the stories are their own thing, Johnson's trilogy is its own thing, and what Benioff and Weiss are doing appears to be distinct as well.
So what we're getting is a bunch of assorted Star Wars installments without any real endgame in sight- beyond making money, of course. I'm not saying that there isn't real artistic merit to these projects, but it just feels like Lucasfilm is making as many Star Wars movies as they can just to prove that they can. One Star Wars movie a year is already plenty. But what happens when Johnson and Benioff/Weiss are working on their projects at the same time? The marketing blitz is going to be maddening. Star Wars movies have always been cultural events, but Disney seems determined to turn it into just another powerhouse franchise.
And they have to be careful. I don't doubt that all of these films will be big hits, but without any real variance in genre or tone, audiences could eventually get burned out.
But here's the saddest part- I know I'll be there on opening night for whatever Star Wars film comes next.
When Disney purchased Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012, we knew that the studio would be pushing for much more Star Wars content over the next decade. We knew that a new trilogy was in the works, and we knew that Kathleen Kennedy intended to make several spin-offs and sequels that would be separate from the Skywalker storyline. But I don't know if I ever anticipated things in the Star Wars galaxy getting this crazy. In the time since The Force Awakens launched the new era of the franchise in 2015, Lucasfilm has released one Star Wars film each year. Rogue One hit theaters in 2016, The Last Jedi graced the silver screen in late 2017, and the trend will continue this year with the troubled Solo: A Star Wars Story in May. From there, the direction of the series is a little more murky. J.J. Abrams' Episode IX will be ready for Christmas 2019, but in addition to that saga finale, we also have a new trilogy from Rian Johnson, a possible Obi-Wan spin-off, and a whole potential array of individual Star Wars stories. Oh, and now there's another series in the works.
Send a raven. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are going from Westeros to a galaxy far, far away.... https://t.co/Iys1SJnhNI pic.twitter.com/UPNFBlX2cU— Star Wars (@starwars) February 6, 2018
Just moments ago, Lucasfilm announced that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, creators of the award-winning Game of Thrones, will be writing and producing a new series of Star Wars films for Lucasfilm. Here's what Kathleen Kennedy had to say about Benioff and Weiss joining the franchise:
"David and Dan are some of the best storytellers working today. Their command of complex characters, depth of story and richness of mythology will break new ground and boldly push Star Wars in ways I find incredibly exciting."
Benioff and Weiss added a statement of their own:
"In the summer of 1977 we traveled to a galaxy far, far away, and we've been dreaming of it ever since. We are so honored by the opportunity, a little terrified by the responsibility, and so excited to get started as soon as the final season of Game of Thrones is complete."
No word on the release dates for these movies, and nothing from Lucasfilm on whether or not Benioff and Weiss will direct these films as well. Twitter buzz has expressed disappointment at Kennedy's resistance to hiring female directors or filmmakers of color, but this announcement does actually leave the door open for that possibility. Regardless, this press release does make one thing very, very clear- Star Wars is not slowing down.
Look, here's the thing, we all know how Disney operates. I live in a household of Disney Parks fanatics, but we're not blind to the fact that Disney is all about the money. If they can make a buck off something, they're gonna do it. So it was crazy to think that they'd ever handle Star Wars in moderation. They're going to inundate the market, and they're going to give us more Star Wars than we can possibly handle. In a way, this really isn't much different from Kevin Feige's approach at Marvel, but there's a massive discrepancy in the way we process it all. The Marvel Cinematic Universe releases two or three films a year under the impression that it's all part of one connected story. None of this Star Wars stuff is connected in any way- the main saga is its own thing, the stories are their own thing, Johnson's trilogy is its own thing, and what Benioff and Weiss are doing appears to be distinct as well.
So what we're getting is a bunch of assorted Star Wars installments without any real endgame in sight- beyond making money, of course. I'm not saying that there isn't real artistic merit to these projects, but it just feels like Lucasfilm is making as many Star Wars movies as they can just to prove that they can. One Star Wars movie a year is already plenty. But what happens when Johnson and Benioff/Weiss are working on their projects at the same time? The marketing blitz is going to be maddening. Star Wars movies have always been cultural events, but Disney seems determined to turn it into just another powerhouse franchise.
And they have to be careful. I don't doubt that all of these films will be big hits, but without any real variance in genre or tone, audiences could eventually get burned out.
But here's the saddest part- I know I'll be there on opening night for whatever Star Wars film comes next.
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