https://screenrant.com/star-wars-prequels-ignore-george-lucas-rule/
George Lucas chose to direct the prequel trilogy, breaking with a tradition from the original trilogy. Why did he do this, and was it a mistake?
I partially disagree. I don't think that Lucas should have held off on directing the prequels, there was value in seeing the exact story that Lucas wanted to tell. I just think that Lucas should have hired an "Assistant Director/Acting Coach", to do all the parts of a directors job that Lucas didn't want to do - all the parts that involve working with the actors!
Seriously, Lucas is known as "The Worst Actors' Director Alive" for a reason.
Agreed but with that said even the prequels are better than the Disney crap, which isn’t saying much.
shareOh, I think the prequels would have been the same no matter what. George at this point was pushing technology over any semblance of filmmaking. He would have just been sitting in his chair watching another guy sit in a chair telling the actors sitting in their chairs in front of the green screen what to do. There was no possibility that he'd just hand the movie off to a guy who'd throw out the digital cameras and go shoot on location with practical effects.
shareHe did get help in writing Attack of the Clones and, no surprise I guess, it was clearly best of the prequels.
shareHe was left with no choice. He asked many people to write and direct. Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg any many others, but they all said no. He even asked Irvin Kershner to come back. And the answer was no.
Screenrant haven't done their research.
It's true he asked, but I also think they all said no because they knew the screenplay sucked and they knew they wouldn't be able to change much. Spielberg said he tried to warn Lucas about some of his early decisions but they fell on deaf ears and it was awkward trying to tell a friend some of his ideas didn't work.
shareFrom what I recall, Spielberg wanted to direct Return of the Jedi, and would've done the prequels if he was asked, but repeatedly said that star wars is "George's baby" ie only he wants to do them himself and no one else and that SS respects that.
Empire being directed by Irvin Kershner was a fluke. Lucas hired him thinking he could tell him what do to, but once he was on set he refused to take any instructions from Lucas. That's why the acting is by far the best in Empire, since Kershner coached the main cast through their performances and encouraged multiple takes and changes to dialogue that didn't work.
Lucas didn't make the same mistake again, and for Return of the Jedi he got Richard Marquaud who was basically deferring to Lucas for most things.
they looked at the script and were like 'meh' - I ain't directing this pile of crap
shareLucas's problem is that he didn't have actors of the caliber of Harrison Ford, Alec Guiness, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill (who was very good as Luke Skywalker) in the prequels.
He also didn't have proper storylines. The rebels against the empire in a galactic civil war is something easy to follow. Trade disputes and clones isn't.
The prequels succeeded as action spectacles that would excite audiences, but they failed at providing a proper backstory to the original trilogy.
The prequels were simply George showing the world the methods he thought movies should be made with. The story and the scripts were a lesser priority. He figured all he had to do was show the Empire taking over and Vader turning to the dark side like he promised. But realised midway through writing episode III that he had totally missed the mark with I and II.
shareFar, far from me to claim Star Wars expert status, but I did see a clip of him watching the movie with some executives at the back of the room, and with him clutching his hair and maybe pulling it.
share