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http://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-lucas-on-why-he-is-done-directing-star-wars/

Not really sure what Lucas is trying to get at here.

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"The issue was ultimately, they looked at the stories and they said, 'We want to make something for the fans,'" Lucas said. "People don't actually realize it's actually a soap opera and it's all about family problems - it's not about spaceships. So they decided they didn't want to use those stories, they decided they were going to do their own thing so I decided, 'fine.... I'll go my way and I let them go their way.'"

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What stories did Disney not want to use? He always said that the story was over after Jedi, so I'm curious why he's saying they didn't want to use his stories.

And why is he assuming that they didn't want to use his stories because they didn't want to involve "family problems"? Seems to me this will be a major part of the new trilogy...

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Lucas is like your crazy uncle that remembers things that never happened.

Someone probably said something along the lines of "the prequels dragged on and spent too much time with the love story and politics...it needed more time in outer rim away from the core"

And he heard something like "**** the Skywalker I want to see **** blow up"

Thought you were gonna say the weird uncle who tocuhed you as a kid and you try to repress the memories.

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Thought you were gonna say the weird uncle who tocuhed you as a kid and you try to repress the memories.

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That's palps

http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/11/star_wars_the_force_awakens_se.html

Already broke the record for most presale tickets sold all time. $50 million grossed so far.

There are still four weeks to go.

I think we're truly going to be shocked at how much it pulls in opening weekend. Jurassic World holds the all-time record at $208M. And I keep seeing "experts" predicting $220M/$225M for TFA. But I really do think that's way underestimating. To me, even $250M is on the conservative side. Honestly, I can legitimately see $275M to $300M being in play here.

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I think we're truly going to be shocked at how much it pulls in opening weekend. Jurassic World holds the all-time record at $208M. And I keep seeing "experts" predicting $220M/$225M for TFA. But I really do think that's way underestimating. To me, even $250M is on the conservative side. Honestly, I can legitimately see $275M to $300M being in play here.

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Do you think a PG/PG13 rating matters?

I think it's going to blow every record out of the water. I don't pay super close attention to box office stuff, but I won't be surprised to see $1B domestic.

In this case, no.

I can't disagree. We are seeing theaters add more screens as their other showings are selling out. The only movie that dares go against it is another crappy effort Alvin/chipmunks movie. This movie is gonna show on so many screens opening weekend and they will all sell out. Its gonna be friggin huge. I think $250 million is the base.

The nerds are showing up on force and the regulars will make it an avalanche of revenue. For example, when I picked up my copy of battlefront at the local Gamestop, the guy I see there all the time said he already had 7 reservations (3 or 4 of which were opening weekend).

I will be happy when this movie breaks records that are never broken. Star Wars!

I'm in for the marathon and then 2 more showings opening weekend

I said this earlier. The movie will be the highest grossing. Period. Regardless of how bad it is.



If it is good...it will be the biggest movie by any metric (normalized for inflation, percent of population that sees it, etc etc ) before now and for the rest of our life time.

The only question is: "will it have rewatchability for teenage girls?"

If the answer is yes it might make 3 billion. If the answer is no, then it won't top titanic much less avatar.

I think what we have learned since titanic is there is no equivalent force to that of teenage girls when it comes to movie grosses

No way it cracks the top 5 domestic adjusted for inflation. That list is just ridiculous.

1
Gone with the Wind
MGM
$1,685,052,200

2
Star Wars
Fox
$1,485,517,400

3
The Sound of Music
Fox
$1,187,744,200

4
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Uni.
$1,183,065,200

5
Titanic
Par.
$1,129,857,100

Hell, The Exorcist is at $922 million. I know that movie was a hit but how does that movie make THAT much money?

Avatar is at #14 with $811 million, for reference. I think this one makes between $750-800m.

If this one has any shot at topping Avatar, it's gonna depend on getting as many people as possible to not only watch it, but rewatch it, several times. And it has to withstand competition from BvS, and beyond. It'll have to be in theaters till at least April, and still be getting people in the theater. IMO.

Nothing will ever beat Gone With the Wind

There are a **** load of China men that werent able to see gone with the wind

This is just domestic.

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This is just domestic.

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I never said anything about domestic in my statement about how big it is going to be if it is good.

The combination of the hyoe, the global nature of todays film distribution, the universalness of the story will mean that it won't just American teenager a watching it.

Any idea when the film is going to be released in Europe? I'll be in Gemany / Czech Republic when it releases in the US. Trying to decide if I should watch it overseas with subtitles.

Hey MuckRaker, this isnt' really related to the thread, but I have a question for you. Do you have an email address where I can get in touch with you? Or can you send me an email FAFfromTA@gmail.com?

Any early reviews in yet?

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Any early reviews in yet?

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They already said they aren't going to screen the movie for critics to limit spoilers.

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I think we're truly going to be shocked at how much it pulls in opening weekend. Jurassic World holds the all-time record at $208M. And I keep seeing "experts" predicting $220M/$225M for TFA. But I really do think that's way underestimating. To me, even $250M is on the conservative side. Honestly, I can legitimately see $275M to $300M being in play here.

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Do you think a PG/PG13 rating matters?

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I think it might actually help. Parents go see it alone to see if it's is okay for their children then go a second time with the kids. Gives some people an excuse to see it multiple times.... Not that they need an excuse.

True, my bad. I thought you were saying it would break all records, domestic and global, adjusted for inflation.

Worldwide, it absolutely will beat Avatar. (If it releases in China that is.)

The thing about worldwide grosses is that they don't adjust those for inflation, so they don't really tell us much.

Actually, here's this list that claims to be worldwide adjusted grosses, but it's probably fairly rough since it has to taking exchange rates into account.

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Any early reviews in yet?

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They already said they aren't going to screen the movie for critics to limit spoilers.

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I'm almost 100% positive this is false. They are going to do press screenings for reviews, etc. What they are not going to do is make the movie accessible to certain groups that are doing nominations for awards n stuff. That's what the collider movie movie talk folks were saying at least. They admitted there was lots of confusion the way it was worded, but they will be showing the movie to critics.

Does anybody else find the Gone with the Wind stuff to be BS... has this every really been questioned? I mean, I know new movie releases were rare back then and this movie was in the theater for like at least a couple years I think. But did they really have an accurate count of tickets purchased?

There are just countless number of screens in todays world compared to the 30's that had like, what, five or six total (I know, not really). I just find it odd... there was only a small % of the population back then that had somewhat easy access to a movie theater.

I'm sure somebody can explain why I'm so wrong.

It's a writing question.

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Does anybody else find the Gone with the Wind stuff to be BS... has this every really been questioned? I mean, I know new movie releases were rare back then and this movie was in the theater for like at least a couple years I think. But did they really have an accurate count of tickets purchased?

There are just countless number of screens in todays world compared to the 30's that had like, what, five or six total (I know, not really). I just find it odd... there was only a small % of the population back then that had somewhat easy access to a movie theater.

I'm sure somebody can explain why I'm so wrong.

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The reason is that it was frequently re-released, and since there weren't a bunch of movies out every year, people went to see it lots and lots. According to Wiki it was initially out for seven months in 1939-1940, and re-released in 1942, 1947, 1954, 1961, 1967, 1971, 1974, 1989, 1998, 2013, and 2014.