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George Lucas BS?

madoka

madoka

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 17, 2002
529
156
I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here, but I really don't understand how he can say this:

"Financially, I'm a little tiny company -- I'm not like these big studios here, and for me, doing a $100 million movie is a really big deal. That's as much money as I can pull together. I couldn't possibly produce a $300 million movie; it's just not possible for me to do that. So, I have to be able to create a big world for a very small price." (From SW Homing Beacon #155)

about his three prequel movies. I mean, he got $2 BILLION dollars from just Pepsi for the prequels. I was pretty disappointed / felt gyped listening to him go on and on about cutting costs in the commentaries to episode I. I thought he should put a lot of that money back in to making the movie he really wanted rather than waiting another 20 years and redoing a SE with the effects he couldn't "afford to do at the time."

Can anyone explain / help me understand this discrepancy?
 
LucasFilm isn't a studio, it's a production company. He has to front the production costs, which are staggering. That's not including the marketing, distribution, the bonding companies, lawyers, etc. The standard formula is that 1/3 of the film costs go toward marketing and distribution. If the film flops not only is LucasFilm out the production costs, but they still owe the distributer, marketing, lawyers, bonding companies, etc.
 
Yeah, so he makes a $100 mil movie and it really costs him $300 mil. Big deal. Did I mention $2 BILLION from just Pepsi? Where did all that soda money go? Plus I haven't mentioned all the hundreds of licensing contracts he obviously has. Sure, movies are expensive. But this is Lucas and SW we're talking about here.
 
OnceUGoMac said:
LucasFilm isn't a studio, it's a production company. He has to front the production costs, which are staggering. That's not including the marketing, distribution, the bonding companies, lawyers, etc. The standard formula is that 1/3 of the film costs go toward marketing and distribution. If the film flops not only is LucasFilm out the production costs, but they still owe the distributer, marketing, lawyers, bonding companies, etc.
Click to expand...

He's not fronting the money for "Dude, Where's My Car, Episode 2." This is Star Wars, a massive franchise. They know all the marketing possibilities of SW characters and merchandise. No way this was a risk for LucasFilm, even if they had to front the money before they saw any profit from it. And even if they didn't have the money for it (which they did), nobody is going to turn down a loan to George Lucas and LucasFilms if they wanted to make even more Star Wars movies.
 
He should just do 3 more movies that take place after the original 3 Star Wars movies. Pepsi can give him some more cash. All the actors will look and be very old. It will give it that Star Trek feel like with Scotty, Spock, Kirk, and Bones, etc... Perhaps Luke can have a big belly and Princess Leia could be the rank of Queen. Take us out, Captain Chewbacca.
 
That's if it is done right, which it won't be. Kevin Smith should take over. A Star Wars nerd in charge for all the star wars nerds out there.
 
2nyRiggz said:
Screw SW....lets have another Lord of the Rings movie!

(Let The Star Wars Freaks throw there flames now!)


Bless
Click to expand...

Well, before the Prequels came out, I would be hunting you down right now. But honestly? I want my money, my time, and my life back. Eff George Lucas and his crappy prequels.

And the worst part is that Little "Annie" becomes DARTH VADER in 5 minutes.

Emperor: "So, you should join the dark side."
Annie: "Gosh evil emperor guy, I'm not so sure about that!"
Emp: "We have red lightsabers and glowing eyes... Oh, and you can have Pepsi anytime you want."
Annie: "OK!"

**** star wars, george lucas, jar jar, and anything tied to this traveshamockery!
 
IMHO Lucas lost his friggin' mind a long time ago in a decade not so far away. While technically skilled the guy just can't tell a story anymore. The first appearance of Ewoks foretold of this demise. Cutesy crapola aimed to bring wee ones into the Star Wars fold. Much like having a kid sidekick in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Lucas and Spielberg need to be stopped.
 
Josh said:
Well, there really can't be another LOTR since all 3 parts have been made.
Click to expand...

The Hobbit will come out eventually, and it's sure to be a moneymaker...but the only other major Middle Earth-based book (The Silmarillion) is unfilmable.

Lucas lost the plot, plain and simple. Lucas whining about costs is less annoying than listening to JarJar though.

Short Round was annoying too. Without him the Temple of Doom would be so much better.
 
It could get worst. A Ewok and Jar Jar Christmas special featuring the acting talents of Hayden Christensen and his on screen mom. A Musical Christmas special on Tatooine.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
but the only other major Middle Earth-based book (The Silmarillion) is unfilmable.
Click to expand...


Unfortunate, isn't it?

I think the Silmarillion in movie-form, condensed to even 3 hours, would be much like a crazy music video made by a director on acid.

Now that I think about it...
 
Some parts would make a great movie I think, like "the Fall of Gondolin" (my favorite) . However they would have a completely different feel than the Hobbit or LoTR - a totally serious, old-school epic mood. And many parts of the book are so supernatural that you couldn't make a movie out of it that would be taken seriously. Only the greatest nerds and Tolkien fantics would ooze out of the woodwork to see it.
 
see I dont think the lack of money is the reason the movie sucks. A good example of a good movie that did not have even close to the bugget that each of the SW films had... Serinity. It was a fairly low bugget film, was hurt in the box office because it did not get more than one screen in most and then kept there for very little time. But it had a lot of sells outs all over the place.

Personlly I think the problem with the star wars films is not money but the George Lucas. The guy is full of him self. A crappy writer and a even crappier dirictor and he refuse to admit that. If he had hired a real dictor and a real writer I think they would of been a heck of a lot better. But I think a large part of the problem is the guy is full of himself and his ego is what killed the films.
 
my old post seems to be deleted but is this guy serious? He thinks Pepsi gave them 2 BILLION dollars?

Do you know how much money that is? The series total has grossed 2 billion, why would Pepsi give them that much money? Just think before u post. its not a crime.
 
illegalprelude said:
my old post seems to be deleted but is this guy serious? He thinks Pepsi gave them 2 BILLION dollars?

Do you know how much money that is? The series total has grossed 2 billion, why would Pepsi give them that much money? Just think before u post. its not a crime.
Click to expand...

You mean the one in which you said I was an idiot for suggesting that Pepsi would give him $2 billion?

Now try googling "star wars pepsi 2 billion" then go look in the mirror.
 
madoka said:
I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here, but I really don't understand how he can say this:

"Financially, I'm a little tiny company -- I'm not like these big studios here, and for me, doing a $100 million movie is a really big deal. That's as much money as I can pull together. I couldn't possibly produce a $300 million movie; it's just not possible for me to do that. So, I have to be able to create a big world for a very small price." (From SW Homing Beacon #155)

about his three prequel movies. I mean, he got $2 BILLION dollars from just Pepsi for the prequels. I was pretty disappointed / felt gyped listening to him go on and on about cutting costs in the commentaries to episode I. I thought he should put a lot of that money back in to making the movie he really wanted rather than waiting another 20 years and redoing a SE with the effects he couldn't "afford to do at the time."

Can anyone explain / help me understand this discrepancy?
Click to expand...

W/o knowing the complete economic picture all we can do is speculate and jump to conclusions. Do you know the up front and hidden costs of making Episode I? Do you know all the details of the PepsiCo deal? Did PepsiCo just cut Lucas a check for 2 billion all at once or is that amount to be paid over a period of, let's say, 10 years? How much of the deal was cash and how much was goods and services (I've read that the deal included 4 Super Bowl spots and that's millions dollars just for the airtime alone). How much, if any, money was invested back into Lucas Film, ILM, Skywalker Sound, and/or Lucas Arts? Lucas has been on the forefront of a number of technologies and that R&D doesn't come cheap.

Maybe Lucas is a tightwad w/millions of dollars stashed under his mattress or maybe much of his worth is all tied up in various companies and projects. I don't know. And neither do you. So speculate all you want but I would stop short of condemning the guy since you know just about squat in regards to his financials and business dealings


Lethal
 
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