Re: Star Wars: The Last Jedi SPOILER DISCUSSION THREAD
The BR sequel got made simply because it's a known intellectual property/brand (if somewhat obscure,) and that's what people vote for time and again at the box office. And even major people like Ridley Scott (who was supposed to direct it) are susceptible to the reality that for the most part, people simply want three more Alien movies from him, not anything new (and therefore risky to market.)
I'm a big BR fan (and liked the sequel,) but I saw no need whatsoever to make a sequel - I don't think anyone was clamoring for a BR sequel. That is part of the reason it didn't do well; the other part is that BR is slow and cerebral, just as BR 2049 appropriately was - and slow and cerebral is never going to translate as must-see for a wider audience on a Friday night.
BR 2049 should have been made for under $50m with a young/new auteur, not be a bloated $170m+ production that created unrealsitic expectations.
While I like Brick and Looper, those movies were possibly an indication that he wasn't a great match for a SW film. Looper is very gritty sci-fi, and technically SW isn't really sci-fi at all, but more a mythic fantasy.
But then I'm not much of a JJ fan - he's one of the new class of creatives that make entire careers out of brand interpretation - reinterpreting established brands for the current moment - as opposed to, for the most part, creating anything original and new. Though it's what makes him a perfect match for our times, and for the SW brand.
The BR sequel got made simply because it's a known intellectual property/brand (if somewhat obscure,) and that's what people vote for time and again at the box office. And even major people like Ridley Scott (who was supposed to direct it) are susceptible to the reality that for the most part, people simply want three more Alien movies from him, not anything new (and therefore risky to market.)
I'm a big BR fan (and liked the sequel,) but I saw no need whatsoever to make a sequel - I don't think anyone was clamoring for a BR sequel. That is part of the reason it didn't do well; the other part is that BR is slow and cerebral, just as BR 2049 appropriately was - and slow and cerebral is never going to translate as must-see for a wider audience on a Friday night.
BR 2049 should have been made for under $50m with a young/new auteur, not be a bloated $170m+ production that created unrealsitic expectations.
While I like Brick and Looper, those movies were possibly an indication that he wasn't a great match for a SW film. Looper is very gritty sci-fi, and technically SW isn't really sci-fi at all, but more a mythic fantasy.
But then I'm not much of a JJ fan - he's one of the new class of creatives that make entire careers out of brand interpretation - reinterpreting established brands for the current moment - as opposed to, for the most part, creating anything original and new. Though it's what makes him a perfect match for our times, and for the SW brand.
