Ooh-tee-dee!

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Of course, I'm also hoping EP VII climaxes with the bad guys launching a massive attack on Couroscant that cripples the republic and kills Han and Leia

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Sounds pretty badass.

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Personally, when we meet him again, I'm kind of hoping Luke has left that part of his life in the past, for the most part, but that we then see him (maybe even begrudgingly) have to "resurrect" the Jedi at some point in the face of a new threat

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that sounds horrible

<beep beep> I thought the Jedi rule was that they could not form attachments, I don't recall anything about celibacy?? <nerd alert>

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<beep beep> I thought the Jedi rule was that they could not form attachments, I don't recall anything about celibacy?? <nerd alert>

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After reading this, I am sitting here laughing and picturing an Obi Wan/Barney Stinson cross that convinces a ton of women to sleep with him using the Force but never feels an attachment to any of them...

On more relevant topics, I have no idea what the plot is going to be going forward, or what 30 years after the Emperor was killed will look like, but I feel like they will be fine with the evil side of things. 30 years is more than enough for a new threat to emerge. It will be much more tough for them to keep the existing characters in continuity into the seventh film. I think that's why it is likely that Han and Leia die in the first one. Luke is the only one I could see stretching to the second one. I don't like the idea of Luke having abandoned his Jedi ways though. That seems out of character from what we saw in 4-6.

In other news, Lando Calrissian is on Dancing with the Stars.

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I don't like the idea of Luke having abandoned his Jedi ways though. That seems out of character from what we saw in 4-6.

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that sounds horrible

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I agree for the most part, but I can see it both ways. My thinking was that the Jedi ultimately met their end partly out of their own ignorance and stupidity. As a whole, they were definitely waning somewhat in their final years/moments. That, combined with how both sides of the Force tore apart Luke's family, I can see a scenario in which he MIGHT kind of chill out on the whole Jedi thing, now that their greatest enemy has been defeated. Especially after experiencing that moment with his dad, watching him die, and almost being killed himself. I'm just saying, it's not unthinkable for there to be a scenario where the whole Force thing could have potentially taken its toll on Luke, and he now just wants to lay low and be a somewhat normal guy.

That said, I love Aggie_Journalist's idea of taking it in the opposite - and more likely - direction of Luke now being somewhat Yoda-esque, spending his twilight years basically trying master to The Force. Trying to not let history repeat itself, and then getting called into action when it basically does. That could be really, really cool.

Either way, between this and the Obi-Wan thing, I'm just throwing ideas out there, trying to think somewhat outside the box. Offering a slightly different perspective for the sake of discussion. Some of you react like I burned a Bible or something. I especially love how in nearly every post I've made it a point to side with aspects of everyone's opinion, or at least acknowledge where they're coming from, and have asked legitimate questions I was curious about, only to have redline come back with, "debating with you is pointless." I'm agreeing with most everyone's points. But it doesn't hurt to try and play devil's advocate here and there for the sake of discussion.

[This message has been edited by TCTTS (edited 3/17/2014 2:17p).]

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I agree for the most part, but I can see it both ways. My thinking was that the Jedi ultimately met their end partly out of their own ignorance and stupidity. As a whole, they were definitely waning somewhat in their final years/moments.

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I agree that the Jedi definitely brought about their own demise. One of the issues I think they encountered is getting too involved in small disputes. They were limited in number, and rightfully so, but they got too involved in what would be considered minor issues in my mind. Kind of a weird reference, but a line in the first Harry Potter book sums it up well: "‘Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone’d be wantin’ magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we’re best left alone". The same can be said for the Jedi. Everyone wanted the Jedi's help with their problems. I think it could kind of be cool to have them operating behind the scenes for the most part.

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That said, I love Aggie_Journalist's idea of taking it in the opposite - and more likely - direction of Luke now being somewhat Yoda-esque, spending his twilight years basically trying master The Force. Trying to not let history repeat itself, and then getting called into action when it basically does. That could be really, really cool.

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I think this could be cool too, but only if it is done right. He can't be all-knowing off the bat. I think he still needs to have some hiccups along the way. Maybe one of those is making a few of the mistakes the Old Order made and then realizing it and correcting them before history repeats itself. Who knows. No need to apologize, discussion is always fun.

[This message has been edited by Lorenz_0016 (edited 3/17/2014 2:12p).]

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I think this could be cool too, but only if it is done right. He can't be all-knowing off the bat. I think he still needs to have some hiccups along the way.

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This. There either needs to be some kind "ah-ha" moment, where we see him finally start to course-correct things - or maybe he does know a sh*t-ton now, but isn't ready to - or he's reluctant to - "teach" the next generation for whatever reason. Either he doesn't have all the answers, or there's some kind of trepidation on his part with someone coming to him needing to be trained or whatever. Regardless, I do agree that an eager-to-teach, all-knowing, Yoda-esque Luke would be kind of boring. There's not a lot of friction or conflict there.

[This message has been edited by TCTTS (edited 3/17/2014 2:27p).]

I like the idea of playing up the way Mark Hamill currently looks these days as a reflection of what Luke's life has been like since ROTJ - putting out brush fires, knocking off warlords, feeling the tremendous weight of saving the galaxy each time something comes up - to the point where he looks old past his years, maybe given him a full-on cybernetic limb or two, have him be missing an eye or an ear - sort of like Mad-Eye Moody in Harry Potter.

My brother even made the suggestion that I like of a Luke who some think is rather nuts - they've forgotten what he did to bring down the Empire 30 years later, so when he starts warning of feeling "dark side currents' or whatever, the government dismisses him.

That scenario would work well with my idea of having Luke/any new Jedi he teaches be behind the scenes. I don't think they should be working directly with the Republic/governmental structure or whatever. Luke/the Jedi should be an independent entity in these new movies, IMO.

I think going full-on Mad-Eye would be a mistake though. People can be seen as crazy without becoming disfigured and having full cybernetic limbs. I think it would actually make more sense that there hasn't been a whole lot of "galaxy-saving" going on after they managed to overthrow the remnants of the empire's governmental structure. I think it would be a better segue to have him been conspicuously absent from the government for awhile as he became sort of a recluse. By playing up that aspect, everyday people will have forgotten who/what he was/stood for and the government can just say "there has been peace without you meddling for 30 years, why would that change now", and that is how they dismiss him.

I will definitely be interested to see how they fill in the last 30 years in the movie. You can set the stage a little bit with your scrolling space text to start the movie, but what's the best way to fill everyone in on the significant events last 30 years? Any ideas?

You fill the time with an animated TV show or comic book. Star Trek provided pre-movie material through 2 series of 4 comics to help set the stage.

After 30 years there will be more Jedi than just Luke. In fact, I expect there will be a whole academy somewhere where they are training force sensitive youth.

You mean yoots.

[This message has been edited by Brian Earl Spilner (edited 3/17/2014 3:37p).]

If the solo family is a central part of the story, banter between parents and kids could easily fill in the blanks for what's happened since EP 6. kids could complain "Why do I have a midnight curfew? Y'all were fighting the empire at my age," parents respond "yes, but that was a different time. The empire hasn't been seen in 20 years. (Plus, my home planet was blown up at your age, you ungrateful ****)" Yadda yadda - whatever backstory they want to fill in.

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(Plus, my home planet was blown up at your age, you ungrateful ****)

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Picturing present-day Carrie Fisher saying this makes me smile.

well one thing is for certain, she won't be re-visiting the cast iron bikini this time around.

What if Luke sets up the new Jedi Academy on Tatooine?

Why not? Maybe he could locate the area in which Anakin was conceived by the force?

Not that I particularly care to see Tatooine again

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Why not? Maybe he could locate the area in which Anakin was conceived by the force?

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I'd rather that fact was lost to history.

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I'd rather that fact was lost to history.

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This. A million times this. That Vader to Jesus comparison was one of the most ridiculous parts of the first movie, and there were some pretty ridiculous parts...

I don't disagree. At all.

Was thinking a lot about this on my commute today - just that it's such a wide open thing - who knows what any of them will be doing. Hell, Han could be in charge of the entire military at this point, or he could be a smuggler chief or an alcoholic. He and Leia might not even be married. She could have married Wedge Antilles for all I know.

I'd like to see Admiral Ackbar back in it. And have everyone turn to him anytime there's a trap-like situation, and he just absolutely refuses to say it.

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I'd like to see Admiral Ackbar back in it. And have everyone turn to him anytime there's a trap-like situation, and he just absolutely refuses to say it.

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Here's my pitch, building in some ways on some ideas on this thread (sorry it got so long, but kept feeling the need to fill in blanks):

It's Leia, not Luke, that has cooled on the whole Jedi thing. She is sensitive, but refuses to train, carry a lightsaber, or associate with Luke's work in rebuilding the order, which Luke is actually fine with. Her ex-Jedi father tortured her and destroyed her planet, and the Sith Lords very nearly killed her brother. She's seen the toll that Luke has had to pay in his quest to be a Jedi, and wants no part of it.

As a pivotal leader in the New Republic, Leia insists that the Jedi have no place in the new order, because she knows the role they played in the collapse of the Old Republic. She denied Luke's request to establish his academy on Coruscant, and this has led to a rift between them.

Luke is a changed man, much darker and quieter, the exact opposite of the whiny kid who left Tatooine decades before. We learn that after Endor, and the cleanup that followed, he left Republic space for a number of years, which he never really talks about beyond saying that he was looking for remnants of the Jedi order.

Luke establishes his academy (almost certainly on Tatooine if this scenario were to play out, but could be Yavin IV as in the EU, or Dagobah, or a new planet). He takes on just a few students, generally older like he was when he began his training, and teaches them about the Force. Luke's order is different. There's no Council, no structure. Jedi roam as individuals or in small groups like paladins, doing good where they can, and holding each other accountable to the greater good. They're not part of the Republican government as an organization, but are deferred to by most. When we catch up with Luke, he has sent a number of Jedi out into the world already over the last 15 years or so, and has three current students of varying ages.

Given his experiences with Vader, his teachings vary a bit from how they were presented by Kenobi and Yoda, because unlike them, he has seen the power of redemption. This is a key theme in the new trilogy: You can come back.

Han and Leia's daughter is 15 years old; let's call her Jaina. She's her father's daughter, reckless and cavalier, who has been raised on tales of his adventures. She reveres her Uncle Luke, despite not knowing him well, and wants to be a Jedi more than anything. Leia is against it, and Han supports it. Ultimately Jaina travels to Luke's academy to present herself as a candidate. Despite her great potential, Luke refuses to train her, saying that no more Skywalkers should ever become Jedi.

An attack on Coruscant destroys the government, Han, and Leia (in some heroic fashion, on-screen; "I love you." "I kn-*explosion*"). Luke realizes that he has no choice but to train his niece, if only to control the dark rage that is growing in her soul.

Hunters with Dark Side powers arrive in search of Luke and his students. The movie takes on an "on the run" feel as Luke is being hunted, trying to get Jaina and his students to safety. We catch glimpses of Jaina's potential showing through under stress, and the other students (not a bunch of kids, remember) doing their thing as well. Luke eventually separates from the rest in an effort to save them.

We learn that Luke, himself, fell to the Dark Side for a time while on his wanderings, and still carries a piece of that with him. Luke is eventually put into a position where the use of the Dark Side could save him. He refuses, and this leads to his imprisonment (thus removing him from action and leaving his niece and the rest of whatever ragtag group they've put together to fend for themselves).

The orchestrater of these new events is eventually revealed to be a Dark Side user, but not a Sith, whose goal is to establish a ruling order of Force Sensitives, for the good of all. His philosophy is that there is no such thing as Dark and Light, that it's not motivations but results that determine good and evil. Further, it is revealed that Luke and this Dark Jedi know each other, and were actually adventuring companions of a sort while Luke was on his walkabout, and that Luke once shared these same views.

This new Dark Sider is finally revealed, not to want to destroy Luke, but to install Luke as the ruler of this new order.

And I think you end on that reveal/cliffhanger.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Kind of obsessing about this now... especially how I would open it.

Scrolling text, obviously.

IT IS AN AGE OF HEALING.
IT IS A TIME OF REBUILDING.

I think it's important for JJ to establish from the beginning that, while he will honor the originals, this is his own thing. A great way to do that would be to start with a flash-forward. Get us right into the action.

There's a man in black, hooded, walking toward two armored/masked men in a spacecraft hanger. The man in black extends his green lightsaber. His two opponents run toward him. The man in black is throwing things at his opponents, who don't wield lightsabers, but are using the force in concert with straight hand-to-hand combat, deflecting thrown objects, increasing the strength of their blows, moving incredibly fast.

There's no flash to the Jedi's fight, however. He's clearly a master, in total control of his emotions, never out of position, just having to move slightly to make each defense or strike. The other two are furies, shouting and obviously tapping their emotions for power.

The fight goes on for less than a minute, and the two armored fighters appear to have the upper hand. Both make a final lunge toward the Jedi. In a brief show of anger, the man in black manages to knock one across the hanger and catches the other in mid-leap, holding him in the air with a Force choke.

"Master Skywalker!" comes a voice from off-camera. A group of young Jedi come running into the hanger, a couple snapping on lightsabers, staring at what they are seeing. The Jedi drops the attacker into a heap, defeated but alive, and 3/4 turns toward the camera, for the first time revealing Luke as the man under the hood.


It might be blasphemy, but I kinda like the idea of that scene BEFORE the scrolling text, with "STAR WARS" popping up on the screen and starting the scroll right after the Luke reveal.

This is a bridge movie, and I think Luke is pretty much the main character (in the version in my head), so starting with a demonstration of the troubled Jedi Master that he has become is a great way to kick it off.

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I'd rather that fact was lost to history.
This. A million times this. That Vader to Jesus comparison was one of the most ridiculous parts of the first movie, and there were some pretty ridiculous parts...

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I always considered that Palpatine/Sidious was the "father" of Anakin. The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities. He talked about influencing the midichlorians to create life in EpIII.

[This message has been edited by brents1975 (edited 3/18/2014 8:52a).]

There is no definitive proof of that being the case.

At least, none of which I'm aware.

[This message has been edited by redline248 (edited 3/18/2014 9:08a).]

Palpatine tells Anakin the story of Plagueis to tempt him into becoming his apprentice by planting the seed that he can save Padme. But he also casually mentions that he could create life with the Force. Given that Anakin was mysteriously conceived without a father, I dont know why else they would bother to throw that in. Palpatine didnt need to use that as leverage with Anakin, he already had Padme's life as the hook. Maybe its not "definitive", but either they were specifically trying to link the two or they are so colossally stupid that they forgot about Anakin's origin when they gave Palpatine that line and just thought it was some badass **** for a Sith Lord to do.

the EU book Darth Plagueis - IMHO, the best non-Zahn read in the entire EU - explains that Palpatine and Plagueis do in fact create Anakin by using the Force.

Alias - your script idea reminds me of Harry Potter, with Luke as Dumbledore, the former traveling companion as Grindewald and Jaina as Harry. Grindewald wanted to do things for the greater good, and Dumbledore agreed with him for a time.

[This message has been edited by MuckRaker96 (edited 3/18/2014 9:58a).]

Alias, i'm diggin' that direction a lot. Well done.

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I'd like to see Admiral Ackbar back in it. And have everyone turn to him anytime there's a trap-like situation, and he just absolutely refuses to say it.

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As the ships slowly glides into a quiet asteroid field, the crew all pause and look back at him. Ackbar looks around carefully then says, "This looks pretty safe. All engines ahead!"

AliasMan02

Love the Aliasman pitch. Highly skeptical of Mark Hamill carrying the movie though.

Most important question - who plays Han and Leia's daughter? Do you have anyone in mind or have some general descriptive ideas? Who is the Natalie Portman of 2014?