In 1977, George Lucas changed the world forever when he released his epic space opera, Star Wars. The groundbreaking film, now called Star Wars: A New Hope, spawned two sequels, and while each of these was helmed by a different director, they were both overseen by Lucas. This ensured the telling of a single, cohesive storyline that had its origins explored in the Prequel Trilogy, which spanned from 1999 to 2005 under George’s direction.
Of course, The Walt Disney Company has since taken over Star Wars for its retired creator and the lucrative franchise is now handled in an entirely different way, as stated recently by legendary actor Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). Speaking in an interview, he explained the following;
“George [Lucas] had an overall [story] arc [in the Original Trilogy]. If he didn’t have all the details, he had…an overall feel for where [it was] going. [The Sequel Trilogy is] more like a relay race. You run and hand the torch off to the next guy, he picks it up and goes. Rian [Johnson] didn’t write what happens in [Episode IX] – he was going to hand it off to…Colin Trevorrow and now J.J. [Abrams].”
What Hamill describes is true, and there are pros and cons to both approaches to filmmaking when it comes to that galaxy far, far away. George Lucas provides audiences with a comprehensive storyline, but he doesn’t always make the best choices behind the camera. He tends to repeat these mistakes in accordance with his creative vision, too, much to fans’ chagrin.
Conversely, Disney ensures fresh and original material behind the scenes, but the constant change in directors (who write the movies entrusted to them) has a negative impact on storytelling. From a purely narrative standpoint, the Sequel Trilogy is choppy and requires elaboration through novels and comics to have any sort of flow.
Luke Skywalker might’ve become one with the Force at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but it’s wonderful to see Mark Hamill still take time to discuss aspects of the films that prompted his rise to fame. He’s now been involved in two eras of Star Wars and it kind of makes you wonder, which one does he prefer more?