WI Disney made the Star Wars prequels?

What would have happened if George Lucas has not made the Star Wars prequel movies, but sold the rights to Disney as IOTL, about the same time that he did IOTL?

There was a recent thread on this, but it got bogged down in the question of whether someone would have made the movies anyway. So Disney starts making them. How do they turn out?

As a bonus, since I don't think it merits its own WI, Lucas DOES make the Phantom Menace, but as a stand-alone movie with no connection to Star Wars.
 

orwelans II

Banned
I don't think they would've been as good. Disney's take on the sequels has been kinda fan servicey in that it's rethreads old ground rather than expanding upon it like the OTL prequels did. I think we'd see less of Naboo, Coruscant and the Trade Federation and more of Tatooine and the rising Imperial Military. I think they'd bring competent industry personnell and oversight that would ensure the movies are well made and fun in that blockbuster sort of way, but the Galaxy wouldn't feel as big as it did when Lucas made the prequels with all those beautiful worlds and creatures he added.
 

SsgtC

Banned
Would Disney even be interested in the Franchise at this point? Without the prequels, a Star Wars movie wouldn't have been released in nearly 30 years. And neither the Clone Wars series or Rebels would have been made either.
 

SsgtC

Banned

Have you actually watched them? AotC is so badly written, with such awful dialog it's unwatchable. It's only saving grace was Yoda's lightsaber duel.

RotS, it's ok. But Lucas seriously screwed up the pacing. Anakin went from defending the Jedi code to slaughtering children in less than 5 minutes. That's not even close to believable.

TPM is the best of the three, and even it has major issues with dialog and screenplay.

Look, Lucas is a great producer and vision guy, but he's a terrible screenwriter and director
 

orwelans II

Banned
Have you actually watched them?
Yes and I liked 66.6% of those movies which is more than I can say for the Disney produced ones. There are more of those to come, so I shouldn't judge their whole ST yet, admittedly.

The same massive bitching we've seen IOTL about these movies would have been there if Disney had made the PT, but now we'd have a ''greedy corporation took over from a visionary'' narative instead of ''Lucas is crazy, Jar Jar and sand''. People have been speculting on these movies back in the early 80s on message boards. There's no way Disney would have lived up to the expectations.
Lucas is a great producer and vision guy
And this vision would be amiss in TTL's PT which would probably have good direction and better written dialogue, but the movies themselves would come off as far less original and memorable because of that.

Of course, the people who would be making the Disney PT might not be the same ones making the ST in OTL, so there might be a completely different outcome. OP doesn't specify WHEN the Disney PT would have been created.

IMO the difference between Lucas being at the helm and the Disney producers is the same as Corbyn vs New Labour making policy. One is of authentic vision, but full of cookiness, the other is determined by study of focus groups and trying really hard to offend nobody not realising that there's a part of the audience that will always bitch at Star Wars/Labour.

Edit: It does say roughly the same time as in OTL, but this could still be any time from the mid 90s to the late 2000s.
 
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Of course, the people who would be making the Disney PT might not be the same ones making the ST in OTL, so there might be a completely different outcome. OP doesn't specify WHEN the Disney PT would have been created.
This, heck half the development team are either teens or nobodies, except kasdan but who knews what happen but i think people here hate lucas because...what? why they hate him? would santified him and ask to comeback...when lucas is busy counting his money....
 

SsgtC

Banned
Yes and I liked 66.6% of those movies which is more than I can say for the Disney produced ones. There are more of those to come, so I shouldn't judge their whole ST yet, admittedly.

The same massive bitching we've seen IOTL about these movies would have been there if Disney had made the PT, but now we'd have a ''greedy corporation took over from a visionary'' narative instead of ''Lucas is crazy, Jar Jar and sand''. People have been speculting on these movies back in the early 80s on message boards. There's no way Disney would have lived up to the expectations.

And this vision would be amiss in TTL's PT which would probably have good direction and better written dialogue, but the movies themselves would come off as far less original and memorable because of that.

Of course, the people who would be making the Disney PT might not be the same ones making the ST in OTL, so there might be a completely different outcome. OP doesn't specify WHEN the Disney PT would have been created.

IMO the difference between Lucas being at the helm and the Disney producers is the same as Corbyn vs New Labour making policy. One is of authentic vision, but full of cookiness, the other is determined by study of focus groups and trying really hard to offend nobody not realising that there's a part of the audience that will always bitch at Star Wars/Labour.

Edit: It does say roughly the same time as in OTL, but this could still be any time from the mid 90s to the late 2000s.

I'd argue with you about the grandeur part. I thought Disney did an excellent job with Rouge One. It has spectacular visuals, really good screenplay and it just FELT like a Star Wars movie. TFA, eh. It was a straight up reboot of ANH. If you had never seen Star Wars before, it was a good movie. But taken in the context of the entire franchise, IMO, it was the second worst, only above AotC.
 

Greenville

Banned
Most of Disney's live action movies during the 1990s and 2000s are mediocre without only a handful of exceptions. I think they would rely less on computer generated effects, but the films generally would be of similar quality today even with different problems than Lucas created. Look at the first action based franchises they actually did, Pirates of the Carribean and Narnia. The first films might be quality, but decline after that.
 
I wonder if they'd actually do an original story, or if they'd go The Force Awakens route and make a pseudo-remake of A New Hope. So I suppose we meet 16-17 year old Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine working a job he hates, but dreams of being a pilot and getting out of there, and then in comes Obi-Wan Kenobi, who begins to train him as a Jedi. Throw in clones somewhere along the way, and have them fight in a war.

One thing I doubt we'd see is evil galactic corporations being the main villainous faction. That might hit a bit too close to home for Disney.
 

Greenville

Banned
I can see a much simpler story than what Lucas put forward, but a rehash of the original trilogy too.

The Clone Wars erupted after an invasion into the Republic by a rogue Dark Jedi. Thirty-year-old Anakin is simply a refugee who left another world to be on Tatooine with his step-brother Owen and his wife to run a moisture farm. He mourns the loss of his beloved father who died under mysterious circumstances. While working in the fields, he witnesses a battle from above, it happens to be a capital ship commanded by forty-five-year-old General Obi-Wan Kenobi who was evacuating the royal family of Alderaan. Obi-Wan already has a female apprentice named Lynn, but can have more than one. It crashes lands near the moisture farm of the Skywalkers with the need of new parts. Anakin probably uses his piloting skills to help the ship in distress land safely. Lynn is physically attractive Anakin at this point. Owen wants nothing to do with these strange off-worlders and absolutely nothing to do with the Republic or the war after the losses the family has already experienced. Anakin is different however and agrees to help salvage the parts they need from nearby junk dealers. During this interaction, Obi-Wan notices how rich in the Force Anakin is and asks him about it. Their discussions explain the origin of it and the nature of the Jedi who were guardians of peace in the Republic before the war started. They also discuss Anakin's personal tragedy on the other planet where he had lived. Many want to remove the Jedi from the war effort for hindering it in place of a traditional army. The two become good friends and take the parts needed. Obi-Wan gives Anakin a choice to come with him and study as a Jedi or remain on Tatooine as he is. Tired of his life, Anakin leaves and becomes a pilot for the Republic. This group drops King Bail of Alderaan off at a Republic battle station nearby for safety. Then the rendezvous with other Republic forces to liberate Alderaan from the invasion for fear the clones are building a new factory on the planet to expand their numbers. An assault is led and the planet is liberated after a ground and space war destroys the clone craft. The party involved are greeted as heroes and the royal family is able to return to Alderaan in peace. Obi-Wan continues to train Anakin and the Clone Wars rage on.

Five years later, the Clone Wars are a quagmire and Kenobi, Lynn, and Anakin are still fighting in the Clone Wars and work to liberate a desolate volcanic planet from clone forces. Once liberated, they celebrate, but news spreads quickly across the galaxy that the galactic capital has been blockaded by a fleet of Star Destroyers in an apparent military cou. Jedi leaders are summoned to an emergency meeting to the core temple at the center of the galaxy, a secret location. Meanwhile, with Obi-Wan gone, Lynn and Anakin are left to maintain the Republic position there. They begin to show signs of their affection for one another here, even if inappropriate. While Anakin slumbers he is also called by a faint voice from a distance telling him about the powers of the dark side and an important time where he will be needed is coming forward soon. He tries to shake this off but helps to use the abilities when a clone resurgence occurs later on. Returning to Obi-Wan, the Jedi meet and are very concerned about the cou where the current president of the Senate, Palpatine is demanding he be voted the powers of an emperor and a multitude of other abilities including removing the Jedi from military control for a formal group of generals and leaders. Under the fear of force, this power is granted to him, which is something the Jedi feel they need to intervene in. They plot to liberate the senate before the vote is able to take place even if having to betray their own military forces to do so. However, a secret force of mercenaries clearly hired by the incoming Emperor intercepts this meeting and opens fire on the Jedi. A battle begins, killing many in the process. Kenobi flees in the hopes of warning his apprentices. The Jedi will be labeled traitors for this attempt.

Obi-Wan is stunned by these secret moves and finds he cannot participate in it. He heads back to the volcanic world to warn his apprentices of the coming trouble. Back on the volcanic world where Anakin and Lynn are, another clone attack occurs and the same voice tempting Anakin to use the darkness does. Using the powers it tells him, he is able to focus more and become stronger in the Force to hold off the attack. The voice continues to tell him about powers and abilities while refusing to reveal itself. Anakin becomes more entrenched and powerful in the Dark Side. He may even use it to give into his lust for Lynn and seduce her. This is where the Jedi twins will be conceived. The voice then promises to reveal the truth of what happened to Anakin's father years ago who mysteriously died. But in order to do this, he must go to a nearby ancient temple rich in the dark side and use its influence to find out. Reluctantly, he goes instead. Kenobi returns to find his apprentices only to see Lynn is left alone and Anakin is nowhere to be found. He warns that a Jedi attempt to free the senate will be underway shortly and they must withdraw from their position and find a safe location away from reprisals. First Anakin must be found. Anakin follows the dark voice to the ancient sorcerer's temple or shrine and embraces the darkness to learn of his father's fate. The vision reveals the twist of the series that indeed Obi-Wan, not clones, is responsible for his death in a reckless move that cost many lives. This destroys Anakin, but also fuels his rage seeing that the Jedi have deceived him all along and truly are a threat to the stability of the galaxy. Combined with his embrace of the darkness and anger, he lashes out at Obi-Wan once he appears having followed his path. A duel over the open lava pit ensues with Anakin knocked accidentally into a molten pit in the process only to disappear. With the new Empire on their tail, both Lynn and Obi-Wan flee into exile disturbed over the strange circumstances happening around them.

Over the next eight months, the tyrannical Empire will hunt down and eliminate the Jedi. Under the new Emperor, the Clone Wars soon come to an abrupt and victorious end for the Empire making Palpatine popular. But the hunt for enemies continues. Lynn and Obi-Wan have gone underground to meditate in the Force and mourn the loss of Anakin. While doing so, they feel the loss of many Jedi over time to the Empire, but also the newer presence of a dark assassin more powerful than all others taking part in this. Maybe a few hundred Jedi are thought to remain after the order of thousands before. They feel the presence of this dark lord becoming closer with time and believe it is time to leave the system before being detected by the Emperor. They reach out to one of their only allies left, Kind Bail Organa of Alderaan who was always critical of the new Emperor. They are of course across the galaxy and cannot get their directly without detection. They decide to the world where they are heading, but are soon trapped and detected by local warlords who know there is a large bounty placed on the heads of Jedi. After a struggle, Kenobi is able to escape, but Lynn is taken prisoner aboard a craft to the nearest Imperial station. Obi-Wan only manages to track it but is also able to get in contact with a communication device which makes it possible for him to contact Alderaan. King Bail, who is now operating small rebel cells to prevent the Empire's tyranny sends a support craft to assist him and pursue Lynn. Using the new rebel craft, carrying several surviving Jedi in hiding and they are able to follow the ship to an imperial prison station where Lynn has been offloaded. They prepare to make a rescue and also learn by spying on the facility that the new dark lord being used by the Empire to hunt down Jedi is in route to handle this case. They quickly mount a rescue, but their ship is damaged in the escape also need to flee to a nearby world for repairs. It's from here, they hope there might be a chance to escape. Only Darth Vader does arrive in route, learns of the Jedi presence and follows them down to the surface prepared for elimination. A struggle ensues, most of the many Jedi are killed off in the struggle and Obi-Wan learns the true identity of Vader to his horror. It's from here Kenobi also learns Lynn has shamefully been hiding her pregnancy from Anakin and goes into labor. They are picked up by the rescue ship sent by King Organa and are able to escape without detection. An enraged Vader, who we don't know is Anakin is furious at his failure to capture the man who scarred him. Lynn is taken to Alderaan where she gives birth to the twins Luke and Leia. It now must be decided what to do with them as future hope to keep the Jedi order going. A paralyzed and now dying Lynn will spend the rest of her days on Alderaan disguised as a palace servant keeping her daughter and helping King Bail start the early Rebel Alliance. Obi-Wan takes her son and goes back to Tatooine to leave the child in the care of Anakin's brother who berates him and the teaching of the Jedi as what got Anakin "killed" in the first place. He wants nothing more to do with Kenobi, who himself becomes a hermit watching over the child until he comes of age.
 

orwelans II

Banned
I'd argue with you about the grandeur part. I thought Disney did an excellent job with Rouge One. It has spectacular visuals, really good screenplay and it just FELT like a Star Wars movie. TFA, eh. It was a straight up reboot of ANH. If you had never seen Star Wars before, it was a good movie. But taken in the context of the entire franchise, IMO, it was the second worst, only above AotC.
I agree with everything you said. I liked Rogue One. Still, it doesn't expand the Galaxy much (and destroys most of the new locales we see). I agree that it felt like a Star Wars movie a lot more than TFA and that AotC is pretty bad, but even AotC adds Genoisis and Kamino, as well as more of Coruscant. TFA seems like it takes place in one star system where the planets they created are desert, forest and another forest with a death star in it.

TFA is well made and well paced in the same way the last few Vin Diesel movies are, but they it lacks a lot of the world building that each of the OTL prequels succeeded in. Since Disney might do better on that front with the next installments, then they might also be able to create better prequels if they do more like R1 and less like TFA.
 
Unless they wanted to make the franchise really kiddie, I think Star Wars would be put under the Touchstone Pictures banner. I wouldn't be surprised at the possibility of a Michael Bay or a Tony Scott Star Wars film (both were frequent directors for Touchstone's films).
 
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