The way I see it (and this just goes for me, not saying y'all should feel the same way) there is the Real Star Wars, and then there is whatever Alternate Universe Disney comes up with. My Star Wars will always be the rich legacy of books, games, and comics that existed before April 25, 2014. I have no doubt that the new movie will be good (in fact, I believe it will be a huge success either way), it just won't be Star Wars.

See, it's much easier when your personal Headcanon consists of 6 movies, 3 Zhan books, 107 Marvel Comics and the Holiday Special. . . .

See, it's much easier when your personal Headcanon consists of 6 movies, 3 Zhan books, 107 Marvel Comics and the Holiday Special. . . .

No Caravan of Courage?

Joking aside, I'm pretty sure I've never said I was "glad to see the EU get tossed." I certainly have never been "gleeful" towards the news regarding the canon overhaul. I greatly enjoyed the majority of my EU experiences, authorship aside in some cases. No hypocrisy there, as far as I can tell.

Awkward! You are indeed correct - that was attributed to the first person I responded to; for some reason it slipped into the part directed at you. Apologies!

Additionally, it's not that I want movie critics to shut up (although, since there has yet to be the aforementioned movie, I confess I'm a little confused with the concept of critics of said movie)...I am just putting out my own take on the news of the canon alteration and the statements that were made along with it. The new movie is only a part of the canon that already exists.

No, no - not critics of those movies, but of the move to de-canonise the EU.

The problem I saw with your explanation of the situation is one I've already described: it doesn't matter that the old EU won't vanish. What matters is that it will no longer hold value for debate amongst fans, except those that still stick to its material (possibly creating an awkward split amidst the fandom). Questions that used to have clear answers in the EU are now up for debate again. And if they receive new answers from the new products, chances are they'll be different to what you are used to.

And last but not least, we'll stop seeing releases that support and further expand the Expanded Universe. I dunno how others feel about this, but I for one would have liked to read more about Ania Solo and the Fel-Empire etc. Something great has been lost here, and I'm sceptical as to whether that which is to come can replace it. Not with Disney's track record and JJs style.

I feel that, pragmatically speaking, nothing much has changed. Lucas has always been like "I do what I want" and the authors of the EU have had to dance around the "canon" that was the films. But no more dancing! This, at least, is good news!

Thing is, there was this space the authors of the EU were allowed to dance around, and the EU was a living, breathing world with its own consistency. The change is that this consistency is lost, and an entire section of the background (which is, ironically, much larger than the movies that spawned it) has been decoupled and left behind.

And let's not forget that this is not the first time this has happened. A few years ago, JJ rebooted the Star Trek franchise, and it was supposed to explode into a wondrous new franchise reborn from the ashes of the old. In the end, what happened? We got two forgettable action flicks, a crappy mobile game, a badly bugged "meh" videogame, and a comic. That's it.

In the past, I actually said "don't panic, people, Disney is just a publisher" when they purchased Lucasfilm, pointing to how many other companies they own, and what sort of adult movies some of those sub-companies made. But now? Now I'm not so sure anymore. The de-canonisation rang my alarm bells and told me that this time, the publisher wants to exert direct influence on the product. And just like in the gaming industry, this is rarely a good thing. Especially when it's followed up by headlines such as these.

Yeah, if that's what they want to turn the franchise into, I think I'll stick to my de-canonised EU. I think it is less a case of "judging a book by its cover" and more "judging a book by its previous volumes". Maybe you're right and I'm just being needlessly negative or overly pessimistic, but at least this saves me a heap of disappointment later on. Deflectors to front!

I've never understood this canon/non-canon deal. If you like whatever, you like it. I don't need a label to know whether something tastes good or not. There is more background than there is canon cinema I grant, but it all flows from the movies so that's kind of a silly issue as well.

A lot of the EU is crap. Honestly 4 of the 6 movies aren't great, and the only one I think that is great was Empire. Ep IV is fun and was good, but Empire set the bar. In Return we get the preview of what we will get in the PTs performance-wise. Having said that there are parts of Return I enjoyed immensely and still do. The acting in the PTs was pretty awful or simply AWOL for most of it, but there were still some good scenes, mostly McGregor.

The FX and the amount of background and breadth of Coruscant we get to see more than makes up for the acting. The Art Deco/Flash Gordon skyline and city are fabulous. The new locations are fun and interesting and begged to be explored further. The Lightsaber duels were ridiculously fun to watch.

No PTs would mean that we wouldn't have these forums at the moment. The only way the IP continued was with more material. There always has to be more cinematic/TV material or the books and games will wither and die. It's better Lucas sold the IP as well and to a company like Disney. People can cringe all they want but the one thing Disney can be called is successful and that's important. The IP needs big money behind it to do big things or it withers and dies. You don't have to like what they put out in these new movies, but without the new movies Star Wars would fade into culthood. It might take a generation but it would go away.

It's also better Lucas sold it now. He is 70. Can you imagine how long ownership and movie rights would have been battled over in court if he would have suddenly passed away? It would have been 5 to 10 years before a winner would have emerged from that mess and depending on how toxic the process had been, securing backing might have been a real challenge. Like I said you need big money to make this all work. These new movies between production, marketing and distribution are probably each going to run like $250 million minimum. That means between cost of films and what they paid Lucas if Disney wants to break even using the movies alone Each of these 6 films has to take in $900 + million.

This has kind of been a ramble. The point is if Star Wars is going to continue it needs big new material being produced. It needed to have ownership a non issue with Lucas aging. It needed big money to make all that happen. Disney is pretty smart at finessing an IP into big money, so if they think doing what they did with the EU and what is canon is going to help them be successful and make gobs of money, go for it I say. Because gobs of money is what keeps Star Wars alive and growing.

I've never understood this canon/non-canon deal. If you like whatever, you like it. I don't need a label to know whether something tastes good or not.

"Canon" means a common ground for multiple people to discuss something. Without a canon, there are just opinions - and whilst that is still nice to have, in the end it means all the talk will lead to no conclusion.

And as said previously, "canon" also means consistency. From a time in the not-too-distant future onward, newly released Star Wars products will no longer tie into what I've been reading the past two decades. And yeah, that sucks. Because I happen to like consistency, and because I felt there were some stories left I wanted to read.

It's better Lucas sold the IP as well and to a company like Disney. People can cringe all they want but the one thing Disney can be called is successful and that's important. The IP needs big money behind it to do big things or it withers and dies. You don't have to like what they put out in these new movies, but without the new movies Star Wars would fade into culthood. It might take a generation but it would go away.

I'm afraid I don't understand. The IP already had big money behind it. We're talking about a bustling franchise that only recently saw the conclusion of a 6-season-long TV show, and which has been seeing regular novel and comic releases for years.

Are you suggesting it would have "withered and died" if Disney hadn't bought it? After RotJ, we didn't have any new movies for 16 years, and whilst it is true that public exposure has dwindled after the OT was finished, it was the Expanded Universe that kept the franchise alive. The EU was quite successful, way before TPM returned Star Wars to the cinemas.

And it would have remained successful, had it not been stabbed in the back after keeping the fires alight for so many years.

Also, why should I care if Star Wars fades away if I really do not like what they put out?

I also like Star Trek, but for all I care it can die away now, simply because JJ's abominations are not "my" Star Trek anymore.

And I'm not sure whether this is truly a sound analysis or just bias born out of disappointment, but I can easily see Star Wars failing to take off with this new direction, just like - who would have thought! - we also did not see this magical revival with Star Trek.

Because in the end, it doesn't matter how much "big money" you throw at something if you lack the vision.

So here we have a corporation that apparently failed to understand that, hey, girls can like Star Wars too. And a director who by his own admission is not a fan of this franchise, but who believes weaknesses in the story can be glossed over with lensflares and fast-paced action. And a movie that is behind schedule, where the creative team asked for the release date to be pushed into 2016 - which was promptly denied by Disney, which insists on a 2015 release no matter what, because they've got that grand idea of churning out three movies and at least two spin-offs over a period of six years.

What could possibly go wrong?!

Can't make everyone happy I guess.

Lucas needed to put his IP into the hands of someone who could afford to buy it. There are few who can afford it and want it. And while some may not care for eveerything they do, Disney is a large company used to managing a well-known IP. Personally I will wait to see what they do with as per the new Rebels series and upcoming movies. Their reseting of the canon means little to me. I enjoyed some, ignored much, but it ultimately meant little to me as it was the original movies that kept me coming back.

it doesn't matter that the old EU won't vanish. What matters is that it will no longer hold value for debate amongst fans

Wait... You mean an extensive knowledge of the EU means we can't win arguments anymore against new Star Wars fans?

This is worse than I thought!

it doesn't matter that the old EU won't vanish. What matters is that it will no longer hold value for debate amongst fans

Wait... You mean an extensive knowledge of the EU means we can't win arguments anymore against new Star Wars fans?

This is worse than I thought!

I look with suspicion at anyone who knows more about Star Wars than me... ;-)

Wait... You mean an extensive knowledge of the EU means we can't win arguments anymore against new Star Wars fans?

This is worse than I thought!

I'm actually ok with that. I love Star Wars but probably not enough to care about things like, say, where Grand Moff Tarkin got his favorite pair of socks... or whether or not he HAD a favorite pair of socks. I like that there are people who not only know about Tarkin's socks but who will argue about whether the right or left was his actual favorite among them! It's fun to watch. But, if I am really, REALLY honest, I'd like to be able to participate from time to time. Maybe a little leveling of the playing field will do that... And maybe I'm not the only newcomer that might be inspired the same way.

Wait... You mean an extensive knowledge of the EU means we can't win arguments anymore against new Star Wars fans?

This is worse than I thought!

You make it sound as if the argument would have been the goal, when it was merely an effect of the common ground.

Speaking of new Star Wars fans, here I am!!!

Welcome! I'm actually surprised that the game rather than the movies is drawing new fans into the fold, but I suppose all routes lead to Coruscant, as they say.

I think I can see where you're coming from, and from that perspective it makes sense in that a "blank slate" allows you to get into the setting a lot easier by eliminating the decades of material that came before. I'm a bit saddened that you perceive this as the preferable outcome and how you've avoided discussions in the past, though, for from how you make it sound the real cause for your trouble was not the Expanded Universe, but how some people "explained" (or not) it to you. I mean, there's several ways to conduct a discussion and convey information, and with newly joined enthusiasts in particular it should be a matter of course that the "veterans" exercise a bit of restraint in order to not scare them away. Provided they are still willing to learn, of course.

The irony is that if this "reboot" is truly successful, I have a feeling that - depending on how much you value consistency - you may find yourself in the very same position I and many others have been in over the past couple years. Nobody starts out actually wanting to read about "Moff Tarkin's favorite pair of socks", but still, over time, everyone begins to pick up more and more books about their favorite subject. And before you know it, you are the veteran telling others why they're wrong in this new canon. All that Disney did was hit the reset button before the cycle starts anew.

Well, that, or the new Star Wars movies will simply fail to reignite the franchise just like the new Star Trek seems to have done. We will see.

I still think you're missing out if you're skipping the EU. Nobody knows everything from there, but it has quite a number of books that are interesting to read. Hell, Edge of the Empire is a part of the Expanded Universe to begin with.

Either way, good luck with your games, and may the Force be with you.

where Grand Moff Tarkin got his favorite pair of socks... or whether or not he HAD a favorite pair of socks.

Actually, you'll find that the Grand Moff Tarkin preferred slippers . . . .

The way I see it is that there is two types of people in this debate; a vast majority of people who know the movies and perhaps have seen some episodes of what they (rightly) think is a kids tv show with some sharp edges and then there is the Star Wars afficionado of which there are again two type of people people that know and love just about anything that Star Wars has had to offer but is distrusting of just about everything at the same time and people that see the EU is a flawed whole that could use a major clean up. I am definitely in that last group and as far as I can tell most Star Wars fans are. Again, here in this topic it is a very small (yet vocal) minority that is opposed to the decisions made by Lucas to sell his company to Disney and the fact that the EU was relocated to a "Legends" status.

I actually chuckled in disbelief when I read someone saying, and I paraphrase now because I want to save me the experience of reading it again, "the new movies will not be Star Wars" while at the same time praising and refusing to let go of a "rich EU Legacy". Of course, he/she said it was "his feeling" but putting it foreward as such makes it part of the debate.

Sure the EU brought us some very nice things, it has also brought us a lot (a hell of a lot to be precise) of crap (and contradictory crap while we are at it) and deciding to label none of it as canon and then mining it for the good parts seems a perfect way of going about it.

Also the whole, "Oh no, not Disney"-shtick is wearing a bit thin by now as it is still Lucas Film and no-one else that is making these movies.

Wait... You mean an extensive knowledge of the EU means we can't win arguments anymore against new Star Wars fans?

This is worse than I thought!

Speaking of new Star Wars fans, here I am!!! I became a fan last summer when I played EotE. Shortly after, I learned about the EU and... It was intimidating. As a newcomer to the Star Wars community, I can respect that there's a whole lot of people with a lot of investment in the setting but I'm not unhappy to see a lot of it go. I've avoided any sort of discussion about the setting because someone will always seem to pull something like, "you're wrong because in some novel that's been out of print longer than you've been alive we were told that the blue thingie in the cantina scene had a brother. And he once did this seemingly insignificant thing that, extrapolated through four more levels of obscurity and filtered with sixteen more vague references completely invalidates your statement." and all I can say is, "Oh."

I'm actually ok with that. I love Star Wars but probably not enough to care about things like, say, where Grand Moff Tarkin got his favorite pair of socks... or whether or not he HAD a favorite pair of socks. I like that there are people who not only know about Tarkin's socks but who will argue about whether the right or left was his actual favorite among them! It's fun to watch. But, if I am really, REALLY honest, I'd like to be able to participate from time to time. Maybe a little leveling of the playing field will do that... And maybe I'm not the only newcomer that might be inspired the same way.

This is a perspective I can understand. I was in the cinema in 1977 and have read pretty much everything since, so for me it's all "history". But to you (and indeed my own daughter, who's grown up with the PT and the Clone Wars) all that other stuff is an arcane morass of books, video games, comics etc etc. It's all in my he`d, so I 'get it', but to a newcomer it's a huge task to get your head around that stuff.

So while in some respects I miss the fact that my daughter and I won't really be able to swap tales of Thrawn, Wedge, Corran, Jaina etc, we'll have a whole new history that's (hopefully) as good or better.

People like us, here, are not the vast normal fan base. We are a fringe element. Our opinion does not matter much to a successful on-going Star Wars franchise with new movies and new EU novels. It's the opinion of lesser fans then us that actually counts.

I wasn't a raving Star Trek fan like I've been for Star Wars. Star Trek was always just meh to me. I and my wife liked the new Star Trek reboot. We went back for the 2nd release. It's those kind of "fans" that Disney needs to be worried about, NOT US.

Again, here in this topic it is a very small (yet vocal) minority that is opposed to the decisions made by Lucas to sell his company to Disney and the fact that the EU was relocated to a "Legends" status.

For the record, initially I was in a "don't care" mode, and actually tried to calm down other fans, saying that not much would change and that Disney is just a publisher. That they have hundreds of companies all doing their own stuff, and that Lucasfilm would end up being no different to, say, Touchstone Pictures.

It was not until I saw this crass decision to throw away 36 years of the franchise evolving into what we know today, how Disney "reorganises" the merchandise aspect (simultaneously reintroducing 1950s-style gender segregation), and just who they hired as the guy behind the next movies, that I have simply begun to lose faith in the whole development.

So it's not the name Disney that made me go all negative, it's really what they have actually done so far.

Maybe it's simply a generational thing, but I'm sure it's easy to see why I am feeling "left behind" now - the JJ-way of turning Star Trek into an action movie isn't exactly to my taste. Not that I don't like action movies! I would've actually liked Star Trek as a simple "popcorn flick", had it been a new franchise unburdened by expectations, but the way it just craps all over the old stuff bothered me on a ridiculously deep level. And given the director's personal style, I now expect the same for Star Wars.

Sturn has it right, though. If Disney wants to tap an entirely new market, I suppose this is the way to go.

Though I have to say, I'm a little surprised that the existing number of Star Wars fans is (supposedly) so small that the possibility of gaining new fans is worth the risk of losing the old ones?

I guess we'll see. Just like with Star Trek, I will give the new SW the benefit of the doubt and go see the first one in the cinema when it is released. But I have a feeling that, just like with Star Trek, for the second one I'll wait until it becomes available on Netflix.

Again, here in this topic it is a very small (yet vocal) minority that is opposed to the decisions made by Lucas to sell his company to Disney and the fact that the EU was relocated to a "Legends" status.

For the record, initially I was in a "don't care" mode, and actually tried to calm down other fans, saying that not much would change and that Disney is just a publisher. That they have hundreds of companies all doing their own stuff, and that Lucasfilm would end up being no different to, say, Touchstone Pictures.

It was not until I saw this crass decision to throw away 36 years of the franchise evolving into what we know today

Which is not what happened. Nothing has been thrown away. It is still there, all of it. Except that it is now allocated a legendary status which means that it is no longer canon until it shows up in a future movie/series/cartoon. And, they have been very lcear that they might (read; will) use such things.

how Disney "reorganises" the merchandise aspect (simultaneously reintroducing 1950s-style gender segregation),

WHAT? I have no idea what you are alluding to but I am pretty sure this is one of those things where I do not really want to know because I have no time and energy to engage in such discussions.

And just who they hired as the guy behind the next movies, that I have simply begun to lose faith in the whole development.

Again this is incorrect, Abrams is behind the next movie, not "movies" and I for one am pleased with him as a director.

So it's not the name Disney that made me go all negative, it's really what they have actually done so far.

Which isn't a whole lot that wouldn't have been done by any other company (mind you it was actually Lucas Film themselves that done it) that acquired the rights. No one was gonna keep the entire EU (filled with horendous crap and contradictory stories) as canon and the story group made the most reasonable choice going forward.

Maybe it's simply a generational thing, but I'm sure it's easy to see why I am feeling "left behind" now - the JJ-way of turning Star Trek into an action movie isn't exactly to my taste. Not that I don't like action movies! I would've actually liked Star Trek as a simple "popcorn flick", had it been a new franchise unburdened by expectations, but the way it just craps all over the old stuff bothered me on a ridiculously deep level. And given the director's personal style, I now expect the same for Star Wars.

Yeah, this reads too much like nerd-rage for my taste and it might indeed be a generational thing... I am now 40 and feel that I have outgrown that sort of behaviour.

Sturn has it right, though. If Disney wants to tap an entirely new market, I suppose this is the way to go.

So... He has it right when he talks about your expectations? Because he, you and I all know exactly the same so far which isn't a whole lot.

Though I have to say, I'm a little surprised that the existing number of Star Wars fans is (supposedly) so small that the possibility of gaining new fans is worth the risk of losing the old ones?

Well, this is my problem with your posts in a nutshell. You are not the speaker for the old fans. I am an old fan and have been a fan pretty much my entire life. I, in no way, shape or form, feel ostracized,neglected or disregarded by any choice that was made so far and resent you trying to speak for me.

I guess we'll see. Just like with Star Trek, I will give the new SW the benefit of the doubt and go see the first one in the cinema when it is released. But I have a feeling that, just like with Star Trek, for the second one I'll wait until it becomes available on Netflix.

I have the feeling you will do no such thing. There has been subjectivity oozing from every line you have posted so far based on next to no information.

You know, I liked the new Star Trek movies. And I've seen much of all the series. The Original series was a little before my time (born in 67) but I watched most, if not all, of it in reruns in the 70s. Never was interested in the books, but caught all the movies and such. And I enjoyed it all. But it was suffering from so much history, as such things do. Contradictions, Mary-sues and on and on. The reset worked for me and many other new and old fans. It was an in universe reset that now allows them to delve back into the Star Trek universe doing new or different takes on themes put forth in many of the previous incarnations.

While not the same type of reset, the Star Wars universe needed it too. Too much to wade through. In the last almost 40 years there has been so much done that it has become entirely too intricate and expansive. It needs to be cleaned up. Comics do it all the time as their histories become even more convoluted. Marvel creates different universes that borrow from each other. DC tends to do a complete house cleaning, resetting everything, and then picking and choosing what they will re-integrate.

If you are going to attract people, especially new fans, this needs to be done. Its been done since the beginning of time. How many different viewpoints do we have of characters like Hercules, Beowulf, Odysseus, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Billy the Kid and so on? Too many to count. Star Wars and Star Trek and others are just modern day versions of these types of characters. Their stories are going to be told and retold and adapted as time goes by. And at a much greater speed than in the past because information is passed at much greater speeds than in the past. Which is why we are seeing this phenomena with more recent stories so much these days.

Which is not what happened. Nothing has been thrown away. It is still there, all of it. Except that it is now allocated a legendary status which means that it is no longer canon until it shows up in a future movie/series/cartoon. And, they have been very lcear that they might (read; will) use such things.

"It's still there" only as a relic of a bygone era. The EU is going to be left to wither and die together with those fans that grew up with and embraced it. We are talking about an entire continuity that has been cut off here, and which is very unlikely to see new material in the future. I get that you don't like the EU, which has obviously coloured your perception just as my appreciation of it has coloured mine, but it shouldn't be hard to understand why its fans feel a sting of betrayal.

WHAT? I have no idea what you are alluding to but I am pretty sure this is one of those things where I do not really want to know because I have no time and energy to engage in such discussions.

Okay.

No one was gonna keep the entire EU (filled with horendous crap and contradictory stories) as canon and the story group made the most reasonable choice going forward.

Nonsense. The Expanded Universe has been kept around for 36 years - why should it have, from one day to another, have suddenly become unbearable? Especially since the canon system we used to have already separated it from the movies, so the possibility of contradictions with new sequels was already planned for. Just like the system managed to deal with the prequels suddenly injecting new information independent of the EU, and the same with the TCW series.

I don't recall Filoni complaining about how constrained he felt by the EU.

And whilst "horrendous crap" certainly is a matter of personal preferences, Lucasfilm's Holocron database existed specifically to either avoid, eliminate or explain away any contradictions. Keeping the EU consistent was actually a job at the company.

So... He has it right when he talks about your expectations? Because he, you and I all know exactly the same so far which isn't a whole lot.

He has it right when he talks about "people like us" being a fringe element, and that it is the opinion of "lesser fans" that counts. The masses that just buy a cinema ticket to have a nice evening.

Decades ago, Star Wars thrived on merchandise, but with the advent of alternate forms of entertainment - consoles and PCs are probably much more common than huge collections of action figures nowadays - I can easily see how the corporation in charge would shift its attention from the small(er) group of loyal fans to the average John Doe on the streets, simply because their marketing analysis might predict more profit this way.

In this light, the current development could be regarded as a realignment of the entire franchise, of which discontinuing the EU is only one facet.

Well, this is my problem with your posts in a nutshell. You are not the speaker for the old fans. I am an old fan and have been a fan pretty much my entire life. I, in no way, shape or form, feel ostracized,neglected or disregarded by any choice that was made so far and resent you trying to speak for me.

That's why I said "risk", not "guarantee". Arguably, only you can decide how exactly you react to those decisions. You should at least be able to admit that said decisions have led to a controversy.

I have the feeling you will do no such thing. There has been subjectivity oozing from every line you have posted so far based on next to no information.

Just because you are regarding this change as a positive thing does not mean your opinion is any less subjective than mine.

Quite the contrary.

And I've just said I've also seen the first Trek movie in the cinema. Why should I handle the new Star Wars any different, considering I am applying the very same scepticism and level of negativity?

Which is why we are seeing this phenomena with more recent stories so much these days.

And would you, in your honest opinion, say that this is actually working out for said stories, and that these reimagined works such as the new Total Recall or Robocop are received positively?

Some very few exceptions aside, the reactions that I have seen to all those remakes and Hollywood's current trend were negative to lukewarm. But maybe we've just frequented different corners of the web, I won't discount that possibility.

"It's still there" only as a relic of a bygone era. The EU is going to be left to wither and die together with those fans that grew up with and embraced it.

And you wonder why you rile people up? This is just being obtuse for dramatic effect. Overly dramatic effect I might add.

I was never the highest canon to begin with and as far as I can tell they will mine the rich content of the EU and give a place to some of the good that came out of it. Also, many books, a new series, numerous films and new comics have been announced so I would hardly call that "left to wither and die" and I especially wouldn't add the absurd notion that they would leave their fans "to wither and die" as you just did.

Nonsense.

The Expanded Universe has been kept around for 36 years - why should it have, from one day to another, have suddenly become unbearable? Especially since the canon system we used to have already separated it from the movies, so the possibility of contradictions with new sequels was already planned for. Just like the system managed to deal with the prequels suddenly injecting new information independent of the EU, and the same with the TCW series.

Ah, the "we" thing again... The fact that it was around for 36 years kind of makes it impossible to be anything "suddenly" wouldn't you agree? And I am of a mind that this whole canon system "you" used was terrible and needed replacing for years already.

I don't recall Filoni complaining about how constrained he felt by the EU.

And whilst "horrendous crap" certainly is a matter of personal preferences, Lucasfilm's Holocron database existed specifically to either avoid, eliminate or explain away any contradictions. Keeping the EU consistent was actually a job at the company.

Which should show, if anything, how bad it was.

He has it right when he talks about "people like us" being a fringe element, and that it is the opinion of "lesser fans" that counts. The masses that just buy a cinema ticket to have a nice evening.

So it is either the movie going general public or people suffering from entitled nerd-rage? How about the guy that is neither? You know like me or pretty much everyone else on these boards?

Decades ago, Star Wars thrived on merchandise, but with the advent of alternate forms of entertainment - consoles and PCs are probably much more common than huge collections of action figures nowadays - I can easily see how the corporation in charge would shift its attention from the small(er) group of loyal fans to the average John Doe on the streets, simply because their marketing analysis might predict more profit this way.

In this light, the current development could be regarded as a realignment of the entire franchise, of which discontinuing the EU is only one facet.

And once again I would like to remind you that the EU is not discontinued. Do you need to lie to make a point which is pretty clear to begin with. I am so tired of the his whole "I, the fan, am owed something"-routine....

That's why I said "risk", not "guarantee". Arguably, only you can decide how exactly you react to those decisions. You should at least be able to admit that said decisions have led to a controversy.

Just because you are regarding this change as a positive thing does not mean your opinion is any less subjective than mine.

Quite the contrary.

The contrary? That is probably not what you meant. Either way, I sincerely doubt that you would look at the movies objectively as you seem to be on the look out for things to moan about and seem to enjoy being a hurt "fan" too much to do so.

And I've just said I've also seen the first Trek movie in the cinema. Why should I handle the new Star Wars any different, considering I am applying the very same scepticism and level of negativity?

Because of... You know... the entirety of the things you posted?

And would you, in your honest opinion, say that this is actually working out for said stories, and that these reimagined works such as the new Total Recall or Robocop are received positively?

Some very few exceptions aside, the reactions that I have seen to all those remakes and Hollywood's current trend were negative to lukewarm. But maybe we've just frequented different corners of the web, I won't discount that possibility.

Not every Robin Hood adaption has done as well or better then the previous one. I don't expect the same to be true for anything else. Personally I liked the newer total Recall for the movie that it was, a different take on the same source material. It had its flaws, just like the Arnie version did. Remakes or reboots will sometimes work and sometimes will not. It doesn't mean they shouldn't be done (much as many would say so) or that they won't be done (this is nothing new).

The new PTB of Lucasfilm et al do not want to be constrained by the glut of information that is the EU. They cleaned house and can now move forward with what they want. This doesn't mean we won't see any of the EU anymore as it can still show up. It just means that they now have a cleaner slate to do the stories they want. Whether you enjoy said stories remains to be seen. I still enjoy things even when I find them straying from the vast histories they have. The re-imagining of various superhero histories or even new takes on old characters like Sherlock or Conan. I see no reason to hold so tight to something that it colours my possible enjoyment of something new.

In comics they discontinue the EU often. It started in the 1980's when DC restarted the universe (Crisis). Then Marvel started another universe (Ultimates) with no background and created to base ideas for the modern movies. DC did it again (Infinate Crisis), and shortly after did it again(Flashpoint/ New 52). Marvel NOW is kind of doing it again. It seems to a model companies use with creative properties in an attempt to keep them fresh. Now I'm saying this is a good idea, just that it is not an out of the blue concept that other creative universes have not done. It also does not mean we will not see Jacen, Jania, Ben, Anikin Solo, Vong, Mara Jade or Cade Skywalker. It just means they will start again and reintroduce the good concepts to a new audience and get rid of some of the bad. I can not believe that they will permanently toss out the great ideas, characters, and stories of the EU.

So it's not the name Disney that made me go all negative, it's really what they have actually done so far.

Maybe it's simply a generational thing, but I'm sure it's easy to see why I am feeling "left behind" now - the JJ-way of turning Star Trek into an action movie isn't exactly to my taste.

I'm 46. I still liked the new Star Trek over the old. I DO understand that crap like Transformers was all action no story. To me, at least, the new Star Trek was lots of action AND a story.

But, again, Star Wars doesn't need to impress us fringe rabid fans. How many on this forum aren't going to see Episode VII in theaters even if the previews say it is crap? It's the common joe that needs to be impressed to go to the theater and not wait for Netflix or a DVD, not us. For example, Lynata has large doubts about the quality, but she (?) even stated she would be seeing the next flick in a theater.

Imagine if Episode VII turned out to be made just for the extreme fans like us. It was perfect somehow. We loved it. I think that could possibly translate into not being the perfect match for joe public. Ticket sales for Episode VIII plummet and Episode IX loses half of its funding and thus is very poor or not made at all? I don't think that would ever happen, but Disney is probably considering it. I think Disney is considered concerned about the 99% and not the 1%ers (fans I'm talking about).

You know, I've had a while to think about the whole thing, and I've figured out what it is that really bothers me. Many of you point out (and rightly so) that the Cinematic and Comic universes of pretty well all superheroes are very similar to what is going on here, with the movie element picking what it likes from the comics and making its own movie. People enjoy the movie, people still read and enjoy the comics, and everyone is happy.

If this was what happened with Star Wars I would be fine. If they said' "The movies and TV shows are one universe, and the books, comics, and games are another (unless explicitly stated otherwise)," I could live with that. I would go to the movies, enjoy them for what they are, and still have a continuing story about that Star Wars I care about to go back and read. However, this is NOT what they did. They have ceased production of anything new from the Legends (EU). All of the upcoming novels have been cancelled. Instead of separating the two and letting them coexist, they are making all future books in THEIR universe. Despite what Dante said, by canceling all of the upcoming EU books they have made their position quite clear: there will only be the Disney universe from this point onward. All of you who enjoyed the EU and wanted more, well, tough.

That is what disappoints me. Hopefully I am wrong and they do continue making the Legends series. More importantly, if they do so, I hope they put the same effort to ensure a contiguous storyline as they will for whatever Disney does in the future.