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Disney to Purge Select EU

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Diddly:
So according to this article, Disney is going to spend the next several weeks and months trimming the fat off the EU, so to speak, by reorganizing what is and is not canon.

I think this is a good idea for the most part. I'm only familiar with a few items from the EU but a lot of it was pretty dumb from what I've read on Wookieepedia (Clone Emperor, Ken Palpatine, Yuzzhan Vong, etc). On the other hand if they decide to axe stuff like Thrawn, Shadows of the Empire, Rogue Squadron and KOTOR I'll be a little bummed since those were pretty good EU projects and seem to be enjoyed by pretty much all Star Wars fans.

Any specific EU you want Disney to axe or keep around?

P-Siddy:
I agree for the most part that it's a good idea.  The EU is mostly authorized fanfiction in the end and whether or not you enjoy or hate it... I've read some and have always felt that while it included beloved characters, it was never true SW to me.  Anyway, to the point, I think if a lot of it is deemed non-canon, then it liberates the writers of the movies to not have to adhere to another writer's history.

I've not read many EU novels.  I liked the Thrawn Trilogy, but others like the Courtship of Leia or Leia's part with Xizor in Shadows were appalling and I felt detracted from her strong personality.  I liked Dark Empire, but didn't like the Clone Emperor at all.

Nicklab:
The overall story direction of the post-ROTJ EU was almost non-existant.  It lacked the sense of singular vision that steered both the PT and the OT.  You had to deal with some crazy premises, ridiculous names and the like.  George Lucas reportedly signed off on a lot of this stuff, but I have to wonder just how closely he was involved in the story direction of these scores of novels and comics that have been released over the years.  For me, almost ALL of the post-ROTJ EU has been difficult to accept.  Some of the pre-PT, Clone Wars and dark times stories work for me, but it's somewhat limited.

I think that this decision will ultimately serve the movies far better.  Why?  Because JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan aren't going to be painted into a corner by all of this burdensome EU minutiae.  And I think they're going to be better able to serve up a great Star Wars story because they're going to have more freedom.  And to me?  I think that JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan are far more capable writers when it comes to interpreting George Lucas's vision than any EU novelist or comic writer.  Even Timothy Zahn.

Even George Lucas wound up being boxed in by his own work.  The prequels were tough for him from a writing standpoint because he had to fulfill all of these story elements that were established in the OT.  Think about the constraints he had to work within just based on how he had Vader speak in the OT.  Vader's dialogue was very tight and focused in the OT.  Almost robotic.  How do you humanize that voice and character in Vader's origin story while staying true to the OT movies?  That alone was very difficult. 

And that makes me much more understanding of Disney's decision to establish this Star Wars story group within the newly re-organized Lucasfilm.  If they need to cut bait with a majority of the post-ROTJ expanded universe stories and literature?  Then do it.  Because the movies have to be the true canon.  Otherwise you devalue the Star Wars film legacy.

GrandMoffNick:
I apologize in advance to anyone I annoy, but this is such a sore spot for me. Rambling rant begins:

Not sure how Disney saying anything EU isn't canon means anything to me. I agree it will help writing the upcoming movies because they will have much more freedom, but otherwise who cares? Congrats to Disney for buying SW and getting to say what "did and didn't happen now" but the books/comics, etc. were written and I don't believe will evaporate before my eyes. So I still have them and enjoy them. I think people who don't like the EU take it way too seriously. If you don't like it, ignore it. I like the SW world continuing. I love this universe and like I get more. Of course it doesn't all fit. Numerous people have come up with it.

Sorry to break this to the EU haters, but Disney saying the EU didn't happen changes nothing. It did happen. I have the novels in my living room. I don't have any problem if you just like the six movies and that's it and want nothing to do with the other stuff, but I don't buy for a second it ruins the legacy of the OT. People understand those were brilliant films and always will be. You can still love the movies and get all the enjoyment from them you want with the novels existing. They are not hurting you experience.

Sorry too keep repeating myself, and know I will take a beating for this, but I can't wrap my head around the "celebrating" that Disney is going to cut certain EU from canon. It's a fake universe in which you can pick and choose what you like. Without the "new" stuff I don't think all these lines survive like they have until now.

For Disney's sake I totally understand. They need a basic history to go from for the next many years and trimming it down totally makes sense. But because what you read on Wookieepedia was dumb to you doesn't change that in the end these things were written with Lucasfilm's consent and did happen in the Star Wars universe and always will be a part of it.

Ok. I may have over-reacted to this, but it still rubs me the wrong way when people bad mouth something I love. If you think it's dumb and has crazy, appalling story lines then you've saved yourself a lot of time reading. I have enjoyed most every minute of it. Even the stuff I haven't liked doesn't ruin SW for me in any way.

Rambling rant over. Now I should just not read in this thread again so I don't make an ass of myself again. The End.

Jesse James:
I don't think you sounded bad at all Nick, and really maybe I'm not reading this right but I don't really see them deciding as much what is canon or not, but rather maybe trimming out things they want to paint over, to a degree...  I have a feeling it'll mean some things do die, canon-wise, because they want to make a movie of it...

If you're doing Han's background, you may want to obviously have the freedom to rewrite some stuff, borrow from some of what exists, etc. 

None of the EU was ever holier than the films though...  it's always pretty much been Films, then the rest of it just part of the official "continuity".  Canon really only applied to the films then anyhow...  Lucas himself balked at Fett surviving the Sarlacc...  Now maybe they want to bring him back in a new fashion?  That's fine and good, and as with past EU, I'm sure people can still appreciate what was written and crowbar it in somehow.  That's always been the way it seemed to be.

Look at The Clone Wars...  People have managed to make the 2D and 3D toons mesh more or less, despite there being no intent for that.  Then comics and things, again these weren't really thought of much during the 3D toon's production, but people can crowbar them into the timelines...

I think a lot of this is just because they want to make movies and not be hamstrung.  It won't affect me thinking that X story doesn't exist now at all because it's covered in a new film differently...  Maybe it just fits a different way.

Perhaps elements of story X won't work because of the new movies, but other elements will, and if some of it does jive with the movies, or can fit in somewhere, I'm ok with that.

I think they'll try to keep what they can.

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