News The Summer of Mark Hamill's Discontent

[Doc Mugatu]

Source: https://movieweb.com/star-wars-9-mark-hamill-complaints-last-jedi/

Apparently Mr. Hamill feels he was "hornswaggled" by Disney about his role in their Star Wars trilogy. It has the ring of truth, in my view, as George Lucas has voiced similar complaints over the past seven years since the sale.

 

[Set Harth]

I said that it was a big mistake that those three people would never reunite in any way. I guess I was wrong, because nobody seems to care!

It's just that the legend of Ford wanting to be killed off in VI led people to see his death in VII as somehow overdue, and thus it seems to have been overlooked by some that this meant Luke & Han would never share an onscreen moment post-Jedi.

 

[JD]

I do agree with him that it is disappointing that we won't get a scene with Luke, Han, and Leia together in the sequel trilogy.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Looks like he's mainly upset that he didn't get to work with Harrison again and that he's barely in TFA so he didn't get to work with Carrie as much either. As someone who truly loved working with both of them I can see what he means. I don't think he's mad at the sequel trilogy. I do love the films, I think TLJ is the best film of the franchise. But I do wish we had just one scene with Han, Luke and Leia.

 

[fireproof78]

 

[Doc Mugatu]

Looks like he's mainly upset that he didn't get to work with Harrison again and that he's barely in TFA so he didn't get to work with Carrie as much either. As someone who truly loved working with both of them I can see what he means. I don't think he's mad at the sequel trilogy. I do love the films, I think TLJ is the best film of the franchise. But I do wish we had just one scene with Han, Luke and Leia.

I think it goes a bit deeper. I think Disney blew a lot of smoke up their individual bottoms to get them to sign on the dotted lines so the deals could get done. Lucas early after The Force Awakens groused that Disney kind of put out there George would still have some creative influence. Upon the deal going through Disney immediately went their own way. Basically, they told each party exactly what they wanted to hear and then blew it off. I'm kind of surprised they were surprised considering that's the nature of their industry.

 

[Awesome Possum]

I think it goes a bit deeper. I think Disney blew a lot of smoke up their individual bottoms to get them to sign on the dotted lines so the deals could get done. Lucas early after The Force Awakens groused that Disney kind of put out there George would still have some creative influence. Upon the deal going through Disney immediately went their own way. Basically, they told each party exactly what they wanted to hear and then blew it off. I'm kind of surprised they were surprised considering that's the nature of their industry.

That's your interpretation of what he said, his interviews have been blown out of proportion before.

 

[fireproof78]

That's your interpretation of what he said, his interviews have been blown out of proportion before.

Yeah, I'll wait and see on this one. We've seen Hamill's words twisted, and the BTS information is often ignored in favor of narrative.

 

[thribs]

It's very strange the approach they took with these movies; using similar beats, same villains (stormtroopers) etc. I don't know why they've chosen to do things like that.
Hopefully Luke isn't dead and he comes back to save the day in 9.

 

[Awesome Possum]

It's very strange the approach they took with these movies; using similar beats, same villains (stormtroopers) etc. I don't know why they've chosen to do things like that.
Hopefully Luke isn't dead and he comes back to save the day in 9.

There's only one Star Wars movie without Stormtroopers and it's The Phantom Menace. Although the Battle Droids fill in for them and even share some design elements. So faceless cannon fodder soldiers as bad guys is probably a key element. Complaining about them is like complaining about the spaceships and droids.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

That's your interpretation of what he said, his interviews have been blown out of proportion before.

And your response is a redundant restatement of a given. As a general rule all postings are the interpretation of the author. And you throw it out there as if it somehow marginalizes or devalues what someone else has stated. It does not.

Again, Hamill and Lucas have independently made (and then gently walked backed) similarly themed criticisms. Harrison Ford probably had a bit more clout due to his indifference and his superior star power. Ultimately Disney and Ford had a similar vision anyway - one and done with lots of cash. Carrie Fisher (God bless her) was happy to be there and likely made little to no demands.

 

[thribs]

There's only one Star Wars movie without Stormtroopers and it's The Phantom Menace. Although the Battle Droids fill in for them and even share some design elements. So faceless cannon fodder soldiers as bad guys is probably a key element. Complaining about them is like complaining about the spaceships and droids.

Yeah but that was because that was one big story. They should have thought of something new here.

 

[Doc Mugatu]

It's very strange the approach they took with these movies; using similar beats, same villains (stormtroopers) etc. I don't know why they've chosen to do things like that.
Hopefully Luke isn't dead and he comes back to save the day in 9.

Simply because the honchos are businessfolk and not artisans. Even the artisans nowadays don't fight for the art because they fancy themselves "entrepreneurs" and a bunch of "slick dicks" who know how to play the system (like Miguel Ferrer's character in Robocop (1987)). This all means they ultimately strive for zero risk which drives them to rehash what was a proven crowd pleaser and eliminate anything new or fresh (iow, untested which creates ulcer inducing "risk").

 

[Awesome Possum]

Yeah but that was because that was one big story. They should have thought of something new here.

The sequels are part of that story, it's why we see Han, Leia, Luke, Chewie and the droids. You're trying to make an exception where there is none. And don't say that Lucas didn't think them up when writing the original trilogy. He had no grand plan other than there were multiple movies. If you look into the writing of all the films, he had a lot of different ideas of where it would go. A New Hope only became A New Hope until well after the original theatrical release. It became Episode IV about a year later when Empire was being worked on, Lucas has always tinkered with the films.

And your response is a redundant restatement of a given. As a general rule all postings are the interpretation of the author. And you throw it out there as if it somehow marginalizes or devalues what someone else has stated. It does not.

Except you are trying to use this as some proof that the movies are bad as if anyone who likes them will change their minds because of that. It won't and Hamill will probably walk it back in a few days like last time by explaining what he meant because people who like to push a certain agenda latch on and make mountains out of molehills when he's talks about what he personally would have done with the films. He's been clear that he likes the finished the product. This just shows that he did wish he could have been in scenes with Harrison and more with Carrie, especially now that she's gone. He spent the better part of a decade with them and they've always seemed to get along, it makes sense that he'd like to spend more time with them and didn't get that chance.

Again, Hamill and Lucas have independently made (and then gently walked backed) similarly themed criticisms. Harrison Ford probably had a bit more clout due to his indifference and his superior star power. Ultimately Disney and Ford had a similar vision anyway - one and done with lots of cash. Carrie Fisher (God bless her) was happy to be there and likely made little to no demands.

So what? Their opinions, incorrectly perceived or clearly stated do not impact the films in any way. They will stand or fall over time with or without their input. Lucas was upset they didn't use his original story, which looks like garbage based on what I've read. I also find this recent love of Lucas fascinating since until Disney came along he was the focus point of all the hate because of the prequels. Absence truly makes the heart fonder.

 

[Ithekro]

Carrie Fisher's only demand (that I am aware of) was more a request. That her daughter get a role in the film as well.

 

[Jedi Marso]

I can see why Hamill feels slighted by his role in the sequels. GL sold the rights to the Mouse House four 4.5 BILLION dollars and his eyes wide open- if they want to scrap all his story ideas and go from scratch, well, it's their franchise now. A lot of people said GL selling it to Disney was a huge mistake, but prequel hatred enabled a lot of people to look past what was inevitably going to happen. Sympathy for Mark, no sympathy for GL.

 

[DigificWriter]

It has been proven that the idea that the Sequel Trilogy is devoid of George Lucas' ideas is a fallacy, and, having given in and read the article, I feel sad for the people who will wrongly take Hamill's comments as validation for their dislike of the Sequel Trilogy and the rest of the output that has emerged since Lucas sold his company.

 

[DigificWriter]

Sorry for the double post, but this is dumb:
Mark Hamill Hints His Star Wars 9 Role Is A Cameo

Articles like this genuinely piss me off because they're deliberately misleading and only serve as "delusion fuel".

 

[Doc Mugatu]

I can see why Hamill feels slighted by his role in the sequels. GL sold the rights to the Mouse House four 4.5 BILLION dollars and his eyes wide open- if they want to scrap all his story ideas and go from scratch, well, it's their franchise now. A lot of people said GL selling it to Disney was a huge mistake, but prequel hatred enabled a lot of people to look past what was inevitably going to happen. Sympathy for Mark, no sympathy for GL.

Absolutely agree.

Both Lucas and Hamill have put out there that they felt things were going to go one way and Disney went another. I believe them. My surprise has not been that a corporation slickered folks to get what they wanted but rather I am surprised Hamill and Lucas seemed surprised.

Yes, once Disney bought it is there's to do with as they please, however, I don't have to automatically love it, and I don't. My sympathy regarding those cinematic travesties isn't for George Lucas - it's for us fans as now we will never get George's complete vision. We have been stuck with inferior goods and mediocre at best substitutions. It is like Tolkien writing Fellowship of The Ring and The Two Towers only to have Lester Dent (a fantastic pulp writer) write The Return of the King. Even best case scenario it would not be Tolkien's ending. That's what I lament.

I would also add that I have little to no sympathy for Hamill (though again I am saddened by what fans were denied).

For the record: I loved episodes 1 through 6. Hated 7 and 8 (though 8 was a minor improvement over 7). Solo was atrocious! Perhaps Kevin Feige could groom someone to take over the MCU and he could move over to shephard Star Wars?

 

[Tuskin38]

It has been proven that the idea that the Sequel Trilogy is devoid of George Lucas' ideas is a fallacy, and, having given in and read the article, I feel sad for the people who will wrongly take Hamill's comments as validation for their dislike of the Sequel Trilogy and the rest of the output that has emerged since Lucas sold his company.

Yeah, quite a few of George's ideas from when he was part of the Episode 7 brain storming team made it into Ep7 and 8.