The Force is strong with these ideas…I have foreseen it.
When I first heard that the Star Wars franchise was being bought by Disney, I had my reservations. On the one hand, I wasn’t sure what a giant corporate conglomerate would do to my beloved series. I soon realized that this was the absolute best thing that ever could have happened for fanboys and fangirls like us. After all, Disney not only has a long and rich film history, but also has a proven track record of marketing their products in a way that guarantees brand recognition decade after decade. In short, I truly believe the future of the franchise is in the PERFECT hands.
The franchise (which has seemingly slowed to a crawl as of late) has also been given a new lease on life.
Since the buyout, development on several new film, TV and EU projects have all exploded in just a few shorts months! When Disney announced they would immediately begin production on a brand new Star Wars movie, Episode VII (a direct sequel to the original trilogy) was a given. In addition to this however, Lucasfilm has confirmed that three “non-saga” related origin flicks are also in the works. While these are something I’d definitely love to see, the backstories of Yoda, Han Solo or even Boba Fett aren’t necessarily at the top of my list. With the huge wealth of content that makes up the expanded universe, I actually have my own picks for the first three spin-offs Disney should produce.
Now gaze into my holocron and read on…
Golden Age of the Sith:
The latest we’ve seen to a fully fleshed-out story depicting the several millennia leading up to the OT, has been in recent games like The Old Republic (set in a time when the Sith’s Empire was at their peak). Now let me be crystal clear, I’m not suggesting they produce a video game licensed film (as we already know how well those go over). It’s just that the sight of 1,000s of Jedi clashing with 1,000s of Sith on a battlefield (in a very Lord of the Rings kinda’ way) would look pretty freakin’ sweet. I’d suggest pulling from the myriad of Sith comics as your guide in this case.
Star Wars Infinities:
This is by far my favorite line of Star Wars graphic novels. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, allow me to explain just how awesome they are. Imagine a “what if” scenario depicting the alternate timelines of Episodes 4-6. A New Hope reveals the aftermath of Luke’s torpedo failing to destroy the Death Star, while Empire Strikes Back paints an even grislier fate for young Skywalker (seeing him freeze to death on Hoth and never receiving his Jedi training). Return of the Jedi takes first prize, as we see Leia make an appearance in the Emperor’s throne room alongside her brother (and a VERY different end for Vader/Anakin this time ‘round).
Shadows of the Empire:
I dare say this could be the most well-known (and beloved) piece of EU ever created in the Star Wars saga. Detailing the events that take place in the period between Empire and Jedi , Shadows of the Empire took us deeper into the galaxies underbelly than ever before. With familiar faces (like the Emperor, Luke, Vader, Boba Fett and more) all making appearances, a rash new mercenary and a nasty Prince are truly the stars. Spinning off graphic novels and a classic video game, a Shadows adaptation would allow us to journey back into the original trilogy we all know and love (with many of the original characters having to be recast to depict their younger counterparts of course). In short…MAKE THIS MOVIE LUCASFILM!
While you may not agree with my picks in particular, that’s the great thing about the Star Wars universe! No two lists are alike. Plus, there is SO much more content floating around that’s just ripe for the plucking. Naturally not all of it can make it to the silver screen, but perhaps in time we’ll see a resurgence on both the gaming and comic fronts that delve into the EU source material a little deeper (much as it did during the hot period of the ‘90s).
One thing is for sure: I’m not looking this gift horse in the mouth. No matter what films actually end up being made…the next few years should prove eventful for all Star Wars fans across the galaxy!