It’s Time For LucasFilm To Leave Home

The amount of content in the Skywalker saga is starting to rival the story of Jason Voorhees.  Just as fans grew weary after seeing Jason end up on a spaceship, they are also growing tired of seeing some Skywalker wander around Tatooine for the millionth time. Upon Daisy Ridley’s return, Star Wars is preparing to have eleven films centered on “The First Family” of Lucasfilm.

It was announced at this years Star Wars Celebration that Daisy Ridley would be reprising her role as Rey.

With apologies to Daisy Ridley, this needs to end.  Three new movies were announced at this years Star Wars Celebration (Or as David Furr calls it on Cantina Happy Hour: “The Con to end all Cons”)  and in the most anticlimactic fashion, it was announced that Rey Skywalker would return.  I’ve seen Paw Patrol episodes that were more riveting than that announcement.

Once again, we are bludgeoned with yet another entry into the Skywalker family journal.  Enough is enough.  It is time to move on.

It’s An Understandably Conservative Play For Lucasfilm

I will admit that from a business standpoint, continuing the Skywalker saga makes sense.  Brand recognition is important. Few things throughout cinematic history are more recognizable than the Skywalker family tree.

The first six Episodes of Star Wars focused on the Rise, Fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. In the end, that was all that we really needed.

Continuing this storyline is the safe, conservative play.  Unfortunately, this is not the time for Lucasfilm to be safe, or conservative.  The fanbase is extremely divided.  The only thing that most of the fans can seem to agree on at this point in time is that Little Orphan Ani’s family has overstayed their welcome.

The horse that they are beating is dead to the point where small children are using it to put macaroni art together.

Episode VI Was The Perfect Closing Point

Return Of The Jedi was the perfect ending to the Skywalker lore.  Anakin succumbed to the Dark Side.  He suffered greatly, but in the end there was still good in him.  He destroyed the Emperor and restored balance to the force.

Anakin restored balance to the force in the end, and fulfilled his prophecy after all. The ending was perfect.

Joyous celebrations follow, the Ewoks feast on some Storm Trooper barbecue and Luke sees his father reunited with his mentors.  End scene, roll credits.  It was a masterful ending to a timeless cinematic journey.  Then the new trilogy happened. There were a lot of options to move to.  Lucasfilm could have explored the Old Republic (Something the fans have been clamoring for) explored the rise of The First Order and the collapse of the New Republic.  They could have revisited the Underworld concept that one of our writers recently covered.

To a lot of fans, The Skywalker saga ended back in 1983.  Lucasfilm should have read the room a long time ago and explored the many options that they have before revisiting it with a whole new trilogy.

Final Takeaway

Never in all of my years on this planet have I seen such a beautiful, extensive universe be created only to have 99 percent of it be ignored and neglected.  There are so many directions for LucasFilm to go with this powerful, beloved franchise.  Inexplicably, they always opt to stay in the same place and stick with the same story.

They have the keys to an entire galaxy, and all they want to do is hang out in their room. I’m not saying that Lucasfilm needs to reinvent the wheel right away.  You have to crawl before you can run free.  Just do something different enough to let the fans know that you’re putting in the effort.

When Bill Waterston realized that there were no more stories to tell with Calvin and Hobbes, his final comic strip had the iconic duo discussing a snowfall on New Years Day.  They talk about how it’s almost like the snow wiped everything clean, and they were ready for a fresh start.  It ends with the quote: “It’s a magical world, Hobbes Ol’ Buddy… Let’s go exploring!”

Bill Waterston seems like a smart guy.  Maybe he should be in charge of Lucasfilm.

Thank you for reading!  When I am not writing I enjoy spending time with my wife Barbara, my three year old daughter Frankie, and my loyal hound Marbles.  Please follow us on twitter @gnn_home.

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