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Will director be the best thing to happen to the franchise in a while?
LOS ANGELES (AP) This may sound sacrilegious to the legions of hardcore "Star Wars" fans, but having J.J. Abrams direct "Episode VII" will be a vast improvement and the best thing to happen to the franchise in a very long time.
Bing: More about J.J. Abrams | More about 'Star Wars'
Yes, it was incredibly cool in 2005's "Episode III Revenge of the Sith" to see the completion of Anakin Skywalker's transformation from plucky, love-struck teen to the embodiment of all that is deeply evil in the galaxy as Darth Vader to hear him take that first raspy breath from beneath the iconic black helmet. But George Lucas' prequels were, for the most part, soulless, airless affairs and a far cry from the imagination and rough-hewn, can-do thrills of his original trilogy.
Video: J.J. Abrams honored to be directing new 'Star Wars' movie
You don't go to a "Star Wars" movie and watch it 18,000 times, then camp out in front of a theater with your homemade light saber and Yoda sleeping bag waiting for the next one for the smart, complex dialogue or well-drawn characters. But with Abrams at the helm and Oscar-winning "Little Miss Sunshine" screenwriter Michael Arndt crafting the script, there is some hope (a new hope, if you will) that the series finally will be infused with a deeper sense of humanity.
Lucas was correct in calling Abrams "an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film" in announcing the selection of a director in a late-night news release on Friday. And when he told the world in October that he was selling his Lucasfilm empire, including the lucrative and beloved "Star Wars" franchise, to The Walt Disney Co. for $4.05 billion, Abrams was at the top of many fans' lists of dream directors.
He certainly was at the top of mine when I pondered what sort of fit various filmmakers might be for this material. Back then, I wrote that Abrams was "the most obvious choice, really. His sci-fi bona fides were already beyond reproach, and he solidified them with his reimagining of the 'Star Trek' franchise in 2009. ... This just makes sense all around."
It's true. If you look at the way he handled the redo of that other revered space series, it might provide some clues as to what his "Star Wars" might look like. Abrams clearly aimed to please the broadest possible audience by remaining faithful to the "Star Trek" mythology in some ways while shaking it up in others; the film made nearly $386 million worldwide and the follow-up, the 3-D "Star Trek Into Darkness," is due out May 17. Some fans were thrilled that he would boldly go to such daring places while some purists balked at the vast departures he took. And that might be true of the response "Episode VII" will get in 2015, when it's scheduled to come out; people tend to get proprietary when they're so emotionally invested in the stories like this.
Abrams' "Super 8" from 2011 is another great example of his grasp of, and reverence for, the wonder that can accompany the best science fiction experiences. His homage to late-'70s, early-'80s Steven Spielberg productions is full of childhood innocence and the excitement of storytelling. And as he demonstrated with these films as well as his contribution to another beloved franchise, 2006's "Mission: Impossible III," the man knows how to direct an action sequence. He also happened to work with Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound on post-production on all the films he's directed, so a comfort level already exists from an effects perspective.
He's a busy guy these days, though. Between steering these two massive franchises, he also has many other projects in the works through his production company, Bad Robot. Among them: a recently announced biopic of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, a possible "Cloverfield" sequel and the post-apocalyptic television series "Revolution." As talented and visionary as he is, who knows how good of a juggler he'll be?
But "Star Wars'" influence on Abrams is well-documented, which is cause for optimism; he probably won't come up with some all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza with Jar Jar Binks at the center. And he spoke of it as recently as Saturday night at the Producers Guild Awards, where he accepted the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television for the groundbreaking series he created, including "Felicity," ''Alias" and "Lost."
He said being chosen to direct "Episode VII" is "as surreal as it is exciting." Asked what kind of spin he might put on such well-established material, he acknowledged that it was early in the process, but said: "I want to do the fans proud. I want to make sure the story is something that touches people. And we're just getting started. I'm very excited."
Others in the industry already are excited, as well. "Modern Family" co-star Eric Stonestreet said at the Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday night that he was looking forward to Abrams' "Star Wars" based on the success of his "Star Trek."
"I have faith," Stonestreet said. "I'm hoping J.J. does J.J., because nobody else is doing it that well."
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In honor of 'Fast & Furious 6,' horror/sci-fi on the road
"Duel" (1971): This early Steven Spielberg thriller was made for television but was later expanded for theatrical release in Europe. Dennis Weaver plays a traveling salesman who is caught in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a massive tanker and its unseen driver, who seems intent on running Weaver to his death. Based on a story by Richard Matheson, this gripping and lean shocker will keep you watching the rear view mirror the next time you're on a lonely road.
"Horror Express" (1972): We're going to jump briefly from cars and trucks to trains for this Spanish-British production that put Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Telly Savalas on the Trans-Siberian Express with an ancient frozen ape creature that is actually the hiding place of an alien entity from another galaxy. By the time it starts turning everyone on the speeding locomotive into zombies, you'll be hooked by this wild, over-the-top horror/sci-fi/runaway train mashup.
"Death Race 2000" (1975): Roger Corman produced this now-classic sci-fi satire, set in a future fascist America where the annual Transcontinental Road Race provides the ultimate in violent reality TV to keep the masses distracted. The more pedestrians you kill, the more points you acquire. Crashes and chases ensue -- and all of it seems eerily plausible these days.
"Race With the Devil" (1975): Two couples accidentally stumble upon a satanic ritual and are pursued in their RV across Texas by the cult. Peter Fonda and Warren Oates are the menfolk, Loretta Swit and Lara Parker are the ladies, and the movie builds a decent amount of tension while also delivering some knockout chase scenes.
"The Car" (1977): Notice how a lot of these movies are from the '70s, when films based around autos were very popular? "The Car" is as simple as it gets: A black Lincoln Continental begins laying waste to the citizens of a small Utah town. Why? It's possessed by a demon, silly. James Brolin plays the lawman tasked with stopping the infernal machine. Look for future "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" sisters Kyle and Kim Richards as his daughters.
"Damnation Alley" (1977): This cheesy post-apocalyptic film was based loosely on a novel by sci-fi great Roger Zelazny and follows four men as they travel in 12-wheeled Landmasters across "Damnation Alley," the devastated heartland of what was once America that is now populated by freakish weather and giant mutated insects. The Landmasters almost outshine the actors -- Jan-Michael Vincent, George Peppard, Paul Winfield and others -- in one of two sci-fi films released in 1977 by 20th Century Fox. This one was supposed to be the hit. The other? "Star Wars."
"Mad Max" (1979) and "The Road Warrior" (1981): Australian director George Miller delivered some of the finest action sequences of their time in these brilliant first two entries in the "Mad Max" trilogy, starring a young Mel Gibson as a cop who lives through the collapse of society to become a near-mythic hero. The slamming automobile action in "Mad Max" paved the way for the climactic extended chase in the second film, surely one of the greatest in modern cinema.
"Maximum Overdrive" (1986): When the director -- who happened to be Stephen King -- calls his own picture a "moron movie," you know you're in for either a painful sit or an enjoyably bad time. Sadly, "Maximum Overdrive," which first-time (and only-time) director King based on his short story "Trucks," leans closer to the former. The idea of trucks, cars and other vehicles and machines coming to life and coming for us is a fun one, but King just sends it all into the ditch.
"Drive Angry" (2011): Car-chase movies with a supernatural or sci-fi slant dropped off the pop culture radar for a long time, but director Patrick Lussier and star Nicolas Cage tried to bring them back with this 3-D exercise, which does feature some well-staged automobile action but an ultimately dull story. Cage does the same loony schtick he's been doing for the past decade, while William Fichtner races off with the picture as the demonic Accountant.
Be prepared for moments between Plutarch and President Snow
During a Stella Artois-sponsored media event at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, "Catching Fire" director Francis Lawrence revealed that the film, while keeping very faithful to the book, will also feature some entirely new scenes:
"Lots of new stuff—new cast members, new action, a new arena and a fantastic story. There's very little that's been taken out—there's some additional scenes with some of the characters," says Lawrence, who specifically mentions new moments between Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and President Snow (Donald Sutherland).Could the still image shown above be from one of the scenes?
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Jennifer Lawrence has revealed, when asked about how "Catching Fire" compares to "The Hunger Games," that, "Visually, it's a lot bigger this time. We get a little deeper into The Capitol as Katniss is trying to get her life back together."
As the book is written from Katniss' perspective, we only see The Capitol as she does. We'd definitely be fascinated to see more of what goes on behind President Snow's closed doors.
"Catching Fire" is out in theaters Friday, November 22.
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