themandalorianwolf:

Alternate sequel pitch ideas

Above all other criticisms for Disney Star Wars movies, the top ones I’ve seen are this:

The Old characters are mishandled and used as springboards for the new.

The New characters are underdeveloped and in the shadows of the old.

Both criticisms have some truth in them.

It’s hard to balance new character when so many people are concerned about the old, and it’s hard to balance old characters when so many people are interested in the new characters.

Disney tried, the key word is tried, to balance both, but honestly it hasn’t worked out all that well. It’s admittedly hard to balance telling a new story, while also trying to fill in gaps from an old story. At least in my opinion, but maybe I’m wrong. Regardless, let me pitch 2 separate sequel trilogy ideas.

Pitch 1: A sequel trilogy that focuses on the old characters

The main plot would focus around Grand Master Jedi Luke Skywalker, Military Commander Han Organa-Solo, and Chancellor of New Republic Leia Organa as they try to maintain peace in the galaxy, fight the growing threat that is the returning Empire, and protect their families. The Empire has been reborn into the First Order and is led by Supreme Leader Snoke, Grand Marshal Rae Sloane, and Fleet Admiral Thrawn.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Protagonists:

Luke Skywalker: Skyguy Jr, Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, father and teacher of Rey Skywalker, husband of Mara Jade, and king of dad jokes. With age comes wisdom, and Luke has matured greatly over the years, but he still hasn’t lost the spirit of the courageous boy from Tatooine.

Han Organa-Solo: Still the lovable scoundrel, only in a uniform, Han leads the New Republic Military with his long time friends Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian. Han’s marriage to Leia is still going strong, and they have two children together, Ben Organa and Kaydel Organa.

Leia Organa: Leia is still kicking ass and taking names, though these days it’s more on a political level than physical…sometimes. Leia has a deep rooted network of spies that she formed to watch over the Republic, and of course check in on her children who followed in their father’s footsteps and became smugglers. She blames them for the gray hairs.

Antagonists:

Snoke: An ancient former Sith emperor from the Old Republic days. Snoke had been left in the unknown regions of space attempting to find a way to return to the Galaxy. The remnants of the empire had given him that means, and now his empire, the First Order, will take back the galaxy. His Sith Apprentice is Armitage Hux.

Rae Sloane: Leader of the First Order’s Military, wife of Iden Versio, and mother of Captain Finn Sloane, Rae works to finally complete the mission she has started in the days of the Empire. Though she does internally wonder if her loved ones are still fighting for a just cause.

Thrawn: Leader of the First Order’s Navy, and ambassador for his people, Thrawn’s alliance is more so about the safety and preservation of his home planet than actual domination of other worlds. Though he has no care or love lost for the New Republic.

The support cast:

Rey Skywalker, Jedi Padawan to her father Luke Skywalker. She is currently going through the trials to become a Jedi Knight. Rey inherited her mother’s purple lightsaber, and her father’s droid R2D2, which follows her everywhere.

Finn Sloane, son of Rae Sloane and Iden Versio. Finn is a captain within the First Order struggling with his morality and an awakening of new found force abilities. Finn would eventually deflect, as would his mothers, in EP-VIII and join the Jedi in IX.

Poe Dameron, ace pilot in the New Republic, son of war heroes Kes Dameron and Shara Bey, and trusted spy for Leia Organa. Shara Bey is alive in this. Poe would eventually become a general.

Ben Organa, a smuggler in the Outer Rim, son of Han and Leia. Ben is a non force user and started a smuggling crew made up of Rose Tico, Jacen Syndulla, and his sister Kaydel Organa. Ben and Kaydel would eventually get into politics like their mother.

Armitage Hux, Sith Warrior and apprentice to Snoke. Armitage was trained in the dark side ways of the force since he had snapped as a child and killed his abusive father.

The benefit of doing this, is that we actually get to see that what the OT characters accomplished after ROTJ, and their suffering and losses weren’t for nothing. They did get a happy ending with families, and in the end everyone is given one last opportunity to see the old heroes go on one last ride until they give the keys to the franchise to the new generation.

We get to see Luke as a the kind hearted and dorky master we knew he’d be. We get to watch him train his daughter and have a family. We see Han Solo as the gruff Military leader who is a father to his soldiers. We get Leia’s Life work and struggles finally rewarded and watch as her dreams of a free galaxy come true. Rey has a happy family and we actually get to see her train to be a powerful Jedi. Finn has his mothers and we see his struggles as an elite Stormtrooper with morals. Ben isn’t a little shit ruining his parents lives. Poe’s parents have a prominent role. The villains can still be compelling and interesting in an ancient evil like Snoke, A morally gray commander like Rae Sloane, and a pragmatic older Thrawn.

The trilogy good have a heavy focus on family, growing up and growing old, accepting our positions in life and also discovering new ones. There could be heartbreak, redemptions and losses, but it would still feel like the original Star Wars movies people know, as well as something new.

Pitch 2: A sequel trilogy that focuses on the new characters

This main plot would take place 30 years after ROTJ, but it wouldn’t focus on the OT characters, instead the main plot would focus on a new generation. Mandalorian bounty hunter Finn, Aspiring Smuggler Rey, and New Republic Spy Poe Dameron are three strangers from very different walks of life, who happen to find a new Sith Empire in the unknown regions of space that threatens galaxy.

Director: Taika Waititi

Protagonists:

Finn: A bounty hunter with a conscience, and a reluctantly strong connection to the force, Finn is a simple man just trying to make his way in the galaxy, and make some credits while doing it. Finn is in exile from Mandalore, for killing the last Mandalore Leader dishonorably. Though he claims it wasn’t him. Finn is rogue with a heart of gold, but won’t think twice about shooting someone dead if he’s pushed.

Rey: An aspiring smuggler who was born and raised on Nar Shaada after her parents died protecting her from slavers. Rey does dangerous jobs for the Hutts as she tries to buy her own ship and hire a crew. Rey is distrusting of strangers and a potential force user… and kleptomaniac.

Poe Dameron: An ace spy for the Republic who was sent to the Outer Rim on an recon mission for the New Republic to gather intelligence. Poe is a secretive person and will often tell the truth from a certain point of view and lie to allies of it means keeping the Republic or his friends safe.

Antagonist:

The Sith Empress: One of the last survivors of the thought dead species Sith. Her birth name was Phasma, but often times she is only referred to by her title as Empress.

Kylo Ren: A Sith warrior that was born on the world of Korriban and serves as a master in the new Sith Empire. Kylo is obsessed with the stories of the ancient Sith Darth Revan and wishes to achieve the same power as they had.

Armitage Hux: A Sith Inquisitor raised by his hateful father who taught him what it means to be Sith. Hux is now conspires to overthrow the Sith Empress.

Supporting cast:

Rose Tico, who is Rey’s best friend, mechanic, hacker and co-pilot on all of their jobs for the Hutts.

Maz Kanata, who owns a Catina on Nar Shaada and serves as Finn’s informant on new bounties and reluctant confidant. (No, Lupita Nyong’o will not be in CGI).

Chewbacca, a Wookiee General working alongside Poe in looking into the troubling rumors not the Outer Rim.

Kaydel Organa, a New Republic spy working alongside Poe and Chewie to discover the secrets of the Outer Rim.

The benefits of doing this trilogy is that we get to develop these new characters without having to worry about the handling of the OT characters. The original characters still get their happy ending and don’t have to be dragged into another adventure where they have to suffer and lose anymore than they already had to in the originals. This also gives Star Wars a chance to branch out with entirely new concepts and ideas. There could even be cameos from the original characters. Leia wishing Poe good luck at the start of VII, almost like a Meta wink to the new trilogy. Han Solo teaming up very briefly with Rey in VIII, and teaching her change is good if it’s for the right reasons, and Luke Skywalker giving his green lightsaber to Finn in IX, as a way of passing the torch and saying he’s worthy of this chance.

We don’t start with the desert force user, The old Jedi mentor, or the captured rebel. Instead the heroes are a force sensitive Bounty Hunter, a Smuggler working for the Hutts, and a New Republic Spy. The antagonists aren’t old men in robes or fallen Jedi, and there’s no more Stormtroopers. Instead we have the Sith, that were barely even explored in the movies.

Finn can be an outright badass, who learns to accept who he is and learn the Force, Rey can actually face challenges and not be stuck in a mystery arc of where she comes from, Poe can have his personality shown from the start and be a part of a trio. Kylo doesn’t need to have some connection to the old characters, Hux doesn’t need to be in charge of Stormtroopers, and Phasma can be a badass main female villain. There would be a strong emphasis on found families, finding your place in the galaxy, and the thrill of starting a new adventure, even if it’s unknown and different.

In conclusion:

I think both of these trilogies could have gone over better than the ones we got. While I do love aspects about the sequel movies, and I still love TFA a lot, I would be a liar if I said there wasn’t obvious flaws in them narratively.

The truth is at the end of the day, you can’t have it both ways. Some people didn’t want to see the original caracters dragged into the sequel movies just to watch see them broken, alone, then die. Some people didn’t want the new characters to be in the shadows of an Old story of Empires, Stormtroopers, Skywalkers, and have their own backstories ignored.

Doing a follow up sequel series where we got to watch the old characters thrive and finish what they started once and for all, while also slowly introducing the new characters to take over after that, would have worked. This trilogy would have been a safe option, but it would’ve made a lot of people happy and still made a shitload of money.

Doing a follow up sequel series where we get to watch the new characters develop and find their place in the Star Wars universe on their own, while having the OT characters have decent and respectable cameos, would have worked as well. This trilogy would have been a risky option, but it would’ve impressed a lot of people with the originality, and it would still make a lot of money.

Basically you can’t have your cake and eat it too. I still love Star Wars, and I will still watch the movies, because it’s been with me since my family showed it to me when I was a wee little shit. I just hope going forward, Lucasfilms start focusing on being more decisive on where they want to go with the future of Star Wars movies. If you want to bring back something old, you need to show it respect. If you want to do something new, you need to give it the time to develop.