It sure would be great to be part of Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World right now. The weekends are happening now and continue until June 14. It is fun to see the kids learning lightsaber techniques and facing Darth Vader. There are Disney cast members in character costumes as well as those of the 501st Legion. Then there are parades and music, all the while people, young and old, celebrate the bond of fandom, discuss Clone Wars and Rebels, speculate on Disney park attractions they wish to experience, and also buzz about the new trilogy of movies beginning in only seven months.
And don't get me started on the food I'm missing there. Here's an area where Disney really steps it up. I mean, Chicken and Darth Vader waffles?! Chips and Sith! Vader and Yoda mini cupcakes! Alderaan Ale! You see, having characters and Jedi training and parades is only part of the full experience. Disney accounts for all five senses with the sights of the characters, the touch of the merchandise, the sounds of the music (heard of DJ Lobot? He's hosting dance parties), and now with the smells and tastes of the food at the Rebel Hangar… they thought of everything.
There is such excitement in the Star Wars realm and to be able to tap into that energy and be surrounded by its atmosphere would placate my unquenchable anticipation for new Star Wars stuff, at least until The Force Awakens is released in December. However, without being able to be there now, it's going to be a long summer and an even longer fall for fans like me who are waiting far far away from Florida.
I'm sure there are many like me that can't make it, like those that were not able to attend Star Wars Celebration in Disneyland's front door of Anaheim, either. So, what must we do in the meantime? I'll be searching for some Star Wars recipes, watching the movies again during summer holidays, and checking out the new stories of Disney's Star Wars Rebels season 2 beginning on June 20.
Plenty to do. Plenty time to think.
So, let's think about some big-picture ideas.
Disney is going through a period of great success and aplomb these days. The company has been applauded for its handling of the massive intellectual property of Marvel in the last few years. The build-up over several films, each referencing other films in its universe, eventually culminated in the ultimate cross-over of The Avengers—and now the sequel, The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The overall plans for the movies that have now come to fruition, have met with praise on many fronts of the movie industry, but also from movie fans and comic book fans alike. In a way, the handling of Marvel has built confidence in Star Wars fans, offering them hope that their favorite stories and characters will also be treated with the same kind of intelligence and passion. So, I keep asking, will this relationship of Lucasfilm and Disney work and produce these heights of achievement?
Let's first consider: What is Disney doing right? Or… What is Lucasfilm doing right?
The more I ponder the Disney Company's involvement in all things Star Wars, I must also remember to see Lucasfilm as a separate entity that is now under the Disney umbrella. I believe Disney is giving them clairvoyance to proceed the way they see how the franchise should proceed. Disney has a say, to be sure, but Lucasfilm (and by extension, its president Kathleen Kennedy, the first film's director J. J. Abrams, and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan) seems to be making many decisions against the grain. For example, there are big-budget films meant to be blockbusters with epic stories and happenings, and they all have equally epic-long run times. Abrams and Kasdan have made it clear in interviews that they intend to keep The Force Awakens to a similar length to the original trilogy, at around a two-hour mark.
Another example is that series of movies tend to make references to other related movies in its universe in an ever-expanding series. While these references may be intrinsic to the structure of the Avenger-related Marvel movies, the writers of The Force Awakens plan to not overdo the references to past Star Wars movies and stories, and also plan not to focus solely on the original cast of characters—but introduce new characters with new challenges. It has also been noted many times that Lucasfilm plans to use more practical special effects in the movies with less emphasis on computer-generated special effects.
These decisions seem as different to audience expectations now as when the first film came out in 1977 and showed what could be done with new technology. The new movie seems to hint at showing audiences what new can be done with old technology. All of these ideas present a vibe that the making of the movie is a bit “old school,” but the effect is that audiences are showing interest in Star Wars going back to its roots. Is Disney calling these shots, or is it more in a supportive role, overseeing and giving Lucasfilm the autonomy to proceed?
This attitude of autonomy passes through the entire production of the upcoming film. John Williams, the music composer of Star Wars, has talked about J. J. Abram's approach to the music and how it is not too far from George Lucas's own approach:
J.J.'s done the same thing. We've had a few preliminary meetings, and I've played him some music at the piano, which he seemed to like very much. His latest instruction to me was, “Just do your thing.” Which is giving me a good sense of freedom, a good free swing at the ball. – John Williams interview with Vanity Fair.
I believe Disney has this same approach to Lucasfilm, letting the company “do its thing”—and that stance carries on to the movie-makers. There seems to be a lot of freedom in the way people are approaching their roles. It isn't just letting them do what they want, of a “whatever” or “just do something” attitude. Disney's stance still is not “hands-off.” There's an appearance of Disney owning the franchises of Marvel and Star Wars and just “letting them do what they want.” There are purposes and methods behind these supposed facades.
I bring all this up because of an observation fans and I have made recently: The Disney logo has yet to appear on any of the new movie's trailers. Even the word “Disney” appears only twice on the Star Wars home page, and both links are small, subdued text links. Did J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm decide to keep the Disney name and logos/likenesses away from the Star Wars franchise? Or is Disney keeping its images away to keep fans happy, by not associating Mickey Mouse with it?
I hear fans continually saying, “Disney, don't mess this up!” Is it really the Walt Disney Company that should be the focus of such a statement? Is Lucasfilm really separate, and is Disney just staying out of the way? I don't think so—not in that way. I believe what we are seeing is actually some classic Walt Disney philosophy toward these projects. Disney may be more involved than what appear. I believe the involvement is one of empowerment.
In almost any project Walt Disney himself undertook, he surrounded himself with a winning team. Not only could Walt form such teams with confidence, his successes were wrought from a more profound skill. He had a knack for choosing the right people for the right tasks, even when the right people themselves didn't believe they had the skills for the tasks. Walt took animators and put them to work on theme park attractions. He made painters and asked them to write songs.
When the people found themselves in a position they believed they had no place being, they always rose to the occasion. Walt knew they had it in them. Walt knew what they could do and trusted that they would find the way to bring great ideas and finished products to the tasks. Walt set them on the path, sometimes with little guidance, trusting in their (sometimes) hidden talents to bring fresh views to the projects. He would allow them freedom to work, getting out of the way, knowing they needed the time and space to work. The same kind of team-building philosophy is at work with Star Wars.
For the movie to succeed (and before anything else, the movie must succeed), there had to be a winning team at the front. Without George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy would head up the operation. She has been involved with Lucasfilm for a long time and continues to be enthusiastic about it.
A winning director had to take the lead, and J. J. Abrams proved himself as an excellent choice after successful television shows as well as the reboot of the Star Trek franchise. And then Abrams brought in Lawrence Kasdan, a writer who was not only involved with Star Wars in the past, but involved with successful movies throughout his career. By also including John Williams for the score, a successful team was striking accord. Add some of the original cast from the original films and the team got stronger. Then it became an important matter of casting to find new faces and talents to take the story to its new heights.
One person after another, each finding the right talents in the next, and you have a team built upon talent, autonomy, and confidence, the ingredients of success.
