why postpone saga for 20 years?

[Darth_Death]

I was wondering recently about why GL chose to spend 20 years of no star wars movies (not including Christmas special ... ect). I personally am glad that he did not make the saga until around 2000 because the special effects are much better as if it was made in the 80's.

 

Please share your theories on what you think the reason for not making the saga for 20 years.

[MachineCult]

Like you said, he probably just needed to wait for the technology. He said himself that he couldn't possibly build the sets he wanted so he needed to use CGI but of course he wouldn't have been able to in the 80's.

[boinga1]

Firstly, I understand Lucas was exhausted after the first three, and wanted some time off. If Lucas had really wanted to, he could have told a very similar story in the '80s, simply with vastly different effects and scenes.

On a practical note, he had no need to make more movies. He only had specific plans for the original three movies, and he had told them the way he wanted to. I think the CG technology in recent times is one of the primary reasons he went back and made the new films, although this is mainly guesswork. But the Episode I-III stories could certainly have been told using tech available in the late '80s/early '90s.

[Katarn07]

Hrm. I kind of wish they were made in the '80s, but yet, I am glad they were not.

 

Had he done them in the '80s, the stuff all would have been fresh. There wouldn't have been so much EU between to give us something to believe in only for him to ruin it by going against everything that had been written. The in-galaxy tech wouldn't look so foreign to us like they do now. And best of all, I would have seen all six without years of waiting and anticipation. Usually if that's the case, you don't find all these faults in movies like we did.

 

However, had it been made back in the '80s, we'd miss out on the awesomeness of Liam, Ewan, and Christoper Lee. Who would we have gotten? Those three actors are among the best in all six films. And the special effects? Let me tell you something. SW was revolutionary in its effects and they still look good today. The effects being made in the '80s? Not so good. Willow is a perfect example of this. That dragon thing looks like crap now. Heck, it looked like crap five years later (Jurassic Park came out by then). And puppetry can only go too far. Labyrinth, which I love, shows that Jabba's Palace was just the beginning for Lucasfilm's work with Jim Henson. That look works for Labyrinth, not for SW.

[Commander Obi-Wan]

Gl probably waited till the technology was avaliable and b/c he need a little break for creating the SW movies and also to think up the ideas.

[Darth Andrew]

On a practical note, he had no need to make more movies. He only had specific plans for the original three movies, and he had told them the way he wanted to.

Ditto. I bet the idea to make a prequel trilogy came within those 20 years, and not some grand story he planned from the beginning.

[Astrotoy7]

No "theories" required. If you watch the special features DVDs of the OT and TPM in particular, Lucas says the reasons why, which have basically already been listed.

 

These are the order of importance

 

*Family life messed up. Wife splits.

*Physical (and emotional) exhaustion

*Wanted to do other projects. eg. Indy Series.

*FX tech was developing

GL has repetaedly stated that it wasnt until he saw the FX for Jurassic Park that he really thought the PT would become a practical reality.

 

mtfbwya

[Darth_Terros]

glad that he did not make the saga until around 2000 because the special effects are much better as if it was made in the 80's.

 

 

You really did answer your own question there.