Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: New Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon getting Aug. 15 WB theatrical release

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-12-2008, 06:27 PM:

From today's IMDB:

Lucasfilm plans to introduce its upcoming animated TV series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars with a 90-minute 3-D theatrical version on August 15, the company said Monday. Somewhat surprisingly, the film will be released by Warner Bros. rather than 20th Century Fox, which released all of the previous Star Wars features. The TV series, however, will air on the Cartoon Network, a corporate sibling of Warner Bros. In a statement, Warner distribution chief Dan Fellman said, "This is a breakthrough project, returning Star Wars to the big screen in a completely new way while beginning an exciting new chapter in George Lucas's legendary saga. We immediately felt that it would be a fantastic theatrical event and are thrilled to be bringing it to moviegoers."

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 02-12-2008, 07:36 PM:

Nothing else I've read, including the story on starwars.com indicates that this will be in 3D. I'm thinking that's an error on the imdb's part.

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 02-13-2008, 02:13 AM:

Cartoon Network had been running a "2-D" animated Star Wars series a year or so back...

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-13-2008, 03:39 PM:

Here's a blog entry from the Orlando Sentinel website's movies blog.

It's animated, to set up a next generation animated TV series that will be on Cartoon Network and later TNT.

I say next generation because, well, they've gone this route before with some quasi-Japanese looking animation. This looks to be more Beowulf-like, if not in 3D, with or without motion capture.

I rather liked the last animated Star Wars 2D traditionally animated thing on Cartoon network (2003), though it was mighty thin on story. I fully expect this big screen event to be something less than the hype. And there will be hype. Guessing that the big screen release is merely an afterthought and a stunt. Can they convert it to 3D?

Thirty new episodes of this, to follow the movie. Look at the listed voice cast. They have Anakin but no Hayden Christensen? Probably a good move. His voice is the least interesting thing about him. Distinct, but nasal and flat.

Hmm. Whether it's a "stunt" or not, it'd be nice to have a guaranteed crowd-generator in August.

Will this be traditional hand-drawn animation? Or is it computer-animated? IF the latter, maybe that's where IMDB got the "3D" from.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 02-13-2008, 04:54 PM:

It's CGI. There's a trailer and some behind the scenes stuff over at starwars.com. I really liked the last series, and I'm excited about this one too. There's a whole new creative team, which includes a lot of TV people, obviously. I've heard rumors that Kevin Rubio, who created the classic fan-film TROOPS is on the writing staff, and Bruce Timm, who is responsible for BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES is one of the directors.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 02-15-2008, 09:24 AM:

It'll be 3D for sure...can you say Hannah Montana opening week gross? [Wink]

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 02-15-2008, 11:50 PM:

The trailer...

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=10894856

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-16-2008, 09:27 AM:

Outside of the human faces, it looks a lot like the last 3 movies.

Instead of the TV show, Lucas should just start making a SW cartoon every 2 or 3 years. With TV, it'll be in and out in 2 or 3 seasons.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 02-16-2008, 02:41 PM:

It looks like he's headed in the opposite direction. Work has already begun on the live-action Star Wars TV series, which apparently will focus on Boba Fett. After a year, he hopes to spin-off another series, and then do another one after that, so eventually there will be 3 or 4 series going on simultaneously.

I went to the big Star Wars convention in LA last year, and the CLONE WARS director, Dave Filoni, was there to unveil the show. He said that the tone they're aiming for is that of the original movie. They want it to be fun and adventurous with a sense of humor.

He's also a huge Star Wars geek, having read all the books and stuff. There was this great story that he told, about a meeting he had with Lucas, where Lucas said something like, "And then Kit Fisto can come in and do such and such." Filoni said, "No, that won't work, because at that point in time, according to issue #2 of the comic, Kit Fisto is being held captive by the evil Gungans on Endor (or whatever)." Lucas' response was. "Come on now, Dave. Are you gonna take this seriously, or not?"

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 03-15-2008, 06:03 AM:

I swear, every time I read about Lucas, it seems that making movies is only to make money. Do any of his quotes in this article imply the desire to make a good, interesting movies?

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press - LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) --

Fans never seem to get their fill of "Star Wars," and George Lucas is happy to oblige.

Lucas offered a glimpse into the latest creation in his sci-fi universe at the theater-owners convention ShoWest on Thursday, showing a sequence from "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," a computer-animated movie due in theaters August 15. It will be followed by a TV series of the same name, to air on the Cartoon Network and TNT this fall.

The movie came about as an afterthought while Lucas was developing an animated TV show of the same name. That show debuts this fall, but Lucas figured it was ripe for big-screen treatment, too.

"You've got the whole assembly line built, and then you say, 'Hey, we can make up something,"' Lucas said in an interview. "It was like old-time movie making. What I love about television, it's like Monogram Pictures or the old studio system, where a couple guys come to work and they sit and have some coffee and go, 'Why don't we make a movie about such and such? OK, fine.' And at the end of the day, it's pretty much on its way."

Set in the years between episodes II and III -- "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith" -- of the big-screen "Star Wars" chronicle, the movie and series present fresh adventures of Jedi warrior Anakin Skywalker, his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and other colleagues.

The movie introduces a female Jedi, Ahsoki, who is Anakin's young apprentice.

"It's like 'Band of Brothers' in space, with Jedi," Lucas, 63, said. "You can tell lots of stories. They come up all the time."

Lucas said he plans to produce at least 100 hours worth of TV episodes of "Clone Wars."

He also is moving forward with a live-action "Star Wars" TV show focusing largely on new characters removed from the Skywalker family. That show will be set in the decades between "Revenge of the Sith" and the period when the original film, 1977's "Star Wars," takes place.

So can fans ever get enough of "Star Wars"?

"I don't know," Lucas said. "I'm thankful every year that it keeps going."

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 03-15-2008, 08:31 AM:

To counter that, I read another quote from Lucas yesterday where he said that he's producing RED TAILS right now, which is a movie about the Tuskegee Airmen. He said that after that, the only movies he'll make will be movies he directs, and they will all be esoteric art house pictures which play on one or two screens for a week. That sounds very interesting.

Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 03-15-2008, 09:46 AM:

And what's wrong with making money? Especially when his only source of income is voluntarily given by fans. What are you really saying? "Hey... don't use the resources you have." or "Don't be productive" or "Your company is becoming too efficient" or "Don't hire people and give them work to do."

An honest man can get rich following a very simple formula: Just produce the good and/or service that people want to buy. A lot of other filmmakers in Lucas' position would have quit a long time ago. It's too bad so many of us think there's something wrong with his character.

quote: John Walsh
Do any of his quotes in this article imply the desire to make a good, interesting movies?

Yes! All of them!

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-15-2008, 10:09 AM:

quote: Greg Anderson
And what's wrong with making money?

I think the nature of Lucas' comment below is what seems to be the troubling thing:

quote: AP News Article
"You've got the whole assembly line built, and then you say, 'Hey, we can make up something,"' Lucas said in an interview. "It was like old-time movie making. What I love about television, it's like Monogram Pictures or the old studio system, where a couple guys come to work and they sit and have some coffee and go, 'Why don't we make a movie about such and such? OK, fine.' And at the end of the day, it's pretty much on its way."

I don't think "making money" is the troubling part.

The bad thing is really this notion that any sort of creative endeavor can be turned into an assembly line, mass production, bolt-turner type of task. Very often, people who are not creative at all and have no understanding of what goes into creating art, music and literature are the same ones coming up with these assembly line scenarios.

As much as I would like to be able to sit at my desk and crank out a great looking graphic design as fast as I can draw on paper and click mouse buttons it never works like that. You wind up having to search for something to inspire better ideas and inspiration so you can arrive at a better solution -rather than crank out some tired old crap.

LOTS of movies and TV shows are already made in an assembly line manner, due largely to low budgets and tight deadlines. The quality of the product ends up suffering. Soap operas, certain DVD series and the endless supply of grade F straight to video movies in action, horror and soft porn genres make up a lot of that product. All very forgettable. Great movies require some significant time be spent on the story and script.

The redeeming parts in Lucas' plans is Lucas overseeing the work himself. At least he is a creative talent instead of just some MBA bean counter. And he's working from a specific saga rather than quickly cranking out movies about just anything. His "art film" projects might do well if he's working from scripts that were developed thoroughly rather than something rushed out of Final Draft Pro at the last minute.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 03-15-2008, 10:51 AM:

I think the assembly line comment is taken a bit out of context. I think what he's saying is that he has all of the pieces in place so that when a good idea comes along, there isn't the usual lag time associated with pre-production. He's got a team of talented people whom he can turn to at any time in order to develop a quality product.

The other thing to keep in mind is that he does still take the time to get to that "assembly line" point. This show has been in the works for about 3 years. Even more development is being put into the live-action show. He says he plans to have the entire first season written before he even starts shooting.

And yeah, he'll make a lot of money, which will allow him to do his art films.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-18-2008, 09:43 PM:

Back on topic: The movie is definitely not in 3D according to this newer imdb article.

3-D 'Clone Wars'? It's Not Happening, Says Lucas

Although numerous filmmakers and studio executives have been forecasting that 3-D movies will become the wave of the future, with several animation units being converted to 3-D productions exclusively, George Lucas has not joined the 3-D boosters' club. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly magazine, Lucas said that his August 15 release of the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the theatrical version of his Cartoon Network series, will not be presented in 3-D, despite numerous reports to the contrary. His reasoning? "Well, you know, it's expensive," he told the magazine, "and we felt that everybody kind of looks at the downside: It would cost twice as much to do it in 3-D as it did to do the movie in the first place. So you say, "Well, gosh, do you think we're going to get that much more out of it?" Nevertheless, Lucas maintained that he still intends to make good on converting his original Star Wars movies into 3-D. "It's just that technically it's a much harder thing to pull off than we thought."

(Mike again) I wish he'd just forget turning the old SW movies into 3-D. I saw a sample clip of Episode IV in 3-D at a convention a couple of years ago (in digital) and it was fantastically underwhelming. He'll get a lot of bad reviews on this project if it goes forward.

Posted by Jonathan Worthing (Member # 803) on 03-19-2008, 04:43 AM:

Same [bs]

Different day

As if I need an excuse to watch less TV.

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 03-19-2008, 07:01 AM:

quote: Mike Schindler
He's got a team of talented people whom he can turn to at any time in order to develop a quality product.

He should have turned to them to do his prequels, then.

I have felt for a long time he is only interested in making money. That's why he goes back to the Star Wars well over and over and over and over and over...

He has graced us with fine films (Willow, American Graffiti, and (yes, I'll say it) Howard the Duck), but he has worn out the Star Wars franchise. A groundbreaking cinematic effort, a really original and imaginative idea. He has turned it into a money-making machine that people continue to lap up. I don't get it, and I never will.

quote:
"You've got the whole assembly line built, and then you say, 'Hey, we can make up something,"

This quote, to me, says that he doesn't care about the quality of the product. It screams that he feels he can just take the premise, make something up, and sell it. Why not, he's already spent the cash to build the factory, he might as well pump something out of it. It should sell whether it's good or bad. I shall refer to any further Star Wars "products" as the Lucas Edsel.

Posted by Jonathan Worthing (Member # 803) on 03-19-2008, 07:13 AM:

[thumbsup]

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 03-19-2008, 09:55 AM:

quote: Anslem Rayburn
He has graced us with fine films (Willow, American Graffiti, and (yes, I'll say it) Howard the Duck), but he has worn out the Star Wars franchise.

Wait. WILLOW? I was expecting THX 1138 or RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, but WILLOW? Shoot. I'd take CARAVAN OF COURAGE: AN EWOK ADVENTURE over WILLOW.

I'm definitely in the minority with my support of Lucas. Don't get me wrong. There are things which he does which drive me up the wall. His blatant disrespect for the artists that make movies for him is highly offensive. But as far as his own work is concerned, I think it's top notch. He may not be the best writer or director, but he consistently turns out 4-star movies.

Really, the only thing that concerns me about THE CLONE WARS is that he's giving it to other people to do. Sure, he tends to hire filmmakers like Irvin Kershner and Steven Spielberg who are better at making movies than he is. But occasionally, someone like Ron Howard slips through the cracks, and we end up with WILLOW.

But everything I've seen and heard regarding THE CLONE WARS makes me think it'll be great. In fact, I predict it'll be the best movie of the year. And this year's gonna kick some ass.

Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 03-20-2008, 01:16 PM:

In the teaser trailer for WALL E we're told that the guys from Pixar sat down together for lunch and, in a single day, started tossing out ideas that became several hit movies. Who's to say that George Lucas doesn't hear ideas from creative people like that, whom he's learned to trust? And why wouldn't he be inclined to say, "Great. Let's make those ideas into movies" and expect them to be good movies? Certainly, when I sit down with my friends and co-workers and we toss around movie ideas over lunch, we probably won't have many ideas that reach that level. But we're not big-time Hollywood movie makers. And we don't casually expect each other to have great ideas. And George Lucas doesn't ask me what he should do next.

So... the "assembly line means bad movies" concept just doesn't wash. That's our perception... not Lucas'. And he doesn't hire just any unskilled worker off the street to "turn the bolts" that make his movies come together. George Lucas takes financial risks all the time. And his support of technological advancement shouldn't be easily dismissed, especially by technically-minded people like those who frequent these forums. Nobody can honestly say that George Lucas doesn't love great filmmakers, great filmmaking and great movies.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-20-2008, 03:38 PM:

quote: Greg Anderson
So... the "assembly line means bad movies" concept just doesn't wash. That's our perception... not Lucas'.

"Our perception" is something that is gained through many years of watching Hollywood movies and judging the product for what it is whether it's good or bad. You don't have to be a successful filmmaker to have a valid opinion on this matter. Being a frequent paying customer is definitely enough. Most creative product that is churned out in any sort of rapid, assembly line manner is usually crap.

Does anyone really think the "assembly line" approach is anything new? Video stores are choking from the glut of such product. The vast majority of releases on DVD are this kind of product. Low budget, straight to video, short stay in the stores and then on to the landfill. Go to The Digital Bits' website and check their upcoming DVD cover art section. There's dozens of releases every week. And they're not even showing all the porn titles coming out either. Major Hollywood studio films make up a tiny percentage of what comes out on video.

Major movie releases are put together mainly just to make money too. But since lots of creative egos are involved, as well as the egos of various producers and others industry types, there seems to be a little more incentive to make that kind of product not quite as forgettable as the giant tide of straight to video fare.

This Clone Wars animated movie seems very far removed from anything that could be considered assembly line style movie making. It's not the sort of thing where the entire writing, shooting and posting schedule is crammed into a month or less.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 03-22-2008, 11:15 AM:

You might not like the results, but I don't think that Lucas is only concerned with profits. If he were, you would have seen a lot more Star Wars offshoots than you've seen since the release of Episode III (2005).

Also, I think a lot of the criticism of the last three Star Wars films has been unfair (and I am far from being a Star Wars geek). People have decided that they hate Lucas' success and they'll find reasons to hate his films no matter what. It's not that the films were beyond criticism, but they weren't as bad as people made out, especially the last one. I think ten years from now, people will take a revisionist view and those films will be far better appreciated than they are today, although the CGI will probably seem worse by then than it does today, just as the effects in the 1978 Superman looks absurdly tacky today, but seemed pretty good at the time of original release.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-12-2008, 11:22 PM:

This movie is getting pretty close...how's the buzz in your neck of the woods? I put up the poster for the first time tonight and there was a crowd of excited kids around it after the movie. Does this look like a hit?

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 06-13-2008, 07:29 AM:

Anyone started a LINE yet? I would expect one soon somewhere. SW Geeks haven't had much to do lately...this will give them a chance to reunite.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 06-13-2008, 10:11 AM:

The trailer that came with THE INCREDIBLE HULK looks very promising. People cheered during our Midnight show.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-13-2008, 10:52 AM:

Mike - which trailer number did you get? We got a trailer for it yesterday and I'm going to add it to Indiana Jones tonight.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 06-13-2008, 02:20 PM:

I think it was #3. I don't think there was a #2.