Following last week's announcement that Michael Arndt had exited Star Wars Episode VII and his screenwriting duties were being taken over by director J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, The Hollywood Reporter has a new story out today suggesting that there are some behind the scenes disagreements in the production of the new movie. Specifically, the 2015 release date. As THR reported:
- "According to those close to the project, producer Kathleen Kennedy and most of the film's creative team have asked Disney to push the release to 2016, but studio CEO Robert Iger is adamant that Episode VII -- perhaps the franchise's most anticipated installment since 1999's The Phantom Menace -- not budge. That has created enormous pressure on all involved, with director J.J. Abrams stepping in to take over scripting duties with Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote 1980's Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, considered the best film in the series."
THR is also reporting on sources telling them that there are some casting disagreements:
- "Some sources say Abrams has become autocratic in recent months, wresting some casting control from Kennedy. But others disputed that notion, saying Abrams and Kennedy both have been involved in casting sessions. Unlike Kennedy, Abrams is said to be more in sync with Iger's desire to meet the 2015 release target -- which allows zero margin for error -- at all costs."
As the story also notes, though, a "project insider" told them that the change in writers is not a big deal and shouldn't be taken to mean that there are troubles behind the scenes. As the insider said: "It's nothing out of the ordinary. Almost every big movie changes writers at some point. There's no drama here."
Our Take[]
There was a lot of speculation last week that these disputes were happening. First I think it’s important for everyone to know that this is The Hollywood Reporter, not some guy in his basement running a website. THR is a major trade publication and that brings with it a lot of influence, which is why we’re reporting on this when we didn’t report it on from other sites.
That being said, my guess is that this is probably blown out of proportion. I agree with the insider who said that major changes like this are not out of the ordinary. The Avengers was originally written by Zak Penn, but then Joss Whedon came on board as director and wrote the final film himself. Films aren't made with just one person's stamp anymore; the days of George Lucas writing Star Wars films himself are over. Filmmaking is a collaborative process that a lot of people are involved in.
In terms of the release date being pushed back, I'm of two minds about that. On the one hand, if the creative team feels that they need more time, they should get more time. The bigger concern should be getting the film done right than done quickly. On the other hand, Abrams is well known for delaying projects if he wants to have more time; Star Trek was originally supposed to be released in 2008, and Star Trek Into Darkness was supposed to be released in 2012—but instead, they were released in 2009 and 2013, respectively. If Abrams feels that there is enough time (and they do still have 26 months until the end of 2015), then I feel confident in his judgement.
There's also another point that Iger reportedly made: Disney's game plan for Star Wars hinges on the 2015 release date. If that changes, it's not just Episode VII that's delayed. Star Wars Episode VIII, Star Wars Episode IX, and the spinoff films would all be delayed by a year as well.
What do you think? Are these reports just blown out of proportion? Should Episode VII be delayed? Give us your take in the comments below!
About the Author
Brandon Rhea is the founder of Star Wars Fanpedia, a contributor on Wookieepedia, and the owner/operator and creative lead of The Star Wars RP. Professionally, he is Senior Community Manager at Wikia, the host of Fanpedia. Follow him on Twitter @brandonprhea.