Comparison Between the Amount of News Before Episode 1 and Before Episode 7.

episode 7

Almost 19 months before the release of Episode 7, let’s make a parallel between the amount of news that we have now and the amount of news that we had back in October 1997 about Episode 1. Did we know much more stuff about the first movie of the prequel trilogy or the news were scarce back then too…

Using the official Star Wars magazine from February 1997 to November 1997 the site thebeardedtrio.com made an interesting comparison between the amount of news about Episode 1 back in 1997 and the amount of news about Episode 7 now roughly 19 months before the movie’s release.

First check out some pretty ridiculous rumors from 1997:

    – Episode One was to be completely CGI.
    – The name of the movie will be called “Fall of the Republic.”
    – The movie will only consist of four actors, the rest will be computer generated.
    – Alec Guiness performance as a young Obi-Wan will comprise edited out-takes from 1950’s Ealing comedies.
    – Kenneth Branagh had signed, Macauley Culkin was in talks.
    – There will be no sets.
    – Charlton Heston will play Yoda.

episode 7

 
Now some of the more interesting facts that we knew about Episode 7 in 1997:

– Storyboards at Skywalker Ranch and vehicle/character designs are well under way.
– The story will take place 40 years before A New Hope.
– George Lucas will direct the first film and write all three scripts.
– Shooting started on June 26th.
– The main cast had been confirmed and announced (Liam Neeson, Ewan Mcgregor, Jake Lloyd, Natalie Portman and Pernilla August).
– Frank Oz will be playing Yoda and the character will not be fully CGI as first thought.

– R2-D2 and C3PO are confirmed to be in the movie along with a small appearance from Jabba the Hutt.
– First phase of principal photography wraps at the end of September at Leavesden Studios.
– The title of Episode One is still being speculated and the much favoured “Balance of the Force” is apparently dismissed by Lucasfilm.                                                                           – Most of the cast is confirmed by the end of the year including Samuel L Jackson, Kenny Baker and Ian McDiarmid.

As you can see there was plenty of news about the new movie back in 1997. Of course we’re talking about different directors and the technology did change significantly in the last years. So we can’t make any conclusions but still it’s an interesting info. Especially with the lack of anything else.

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.

Born on April 24, 1980.

Val Trichkov (Viral Hide)

Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

31 thoughts on “Comparison Between the Amount of News Before Episode 1 and Before Episode 7.

  • October 21, 2013 at 11:38 am
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    Balance of the Force could be a good title for EpVII.

    • October 21, 2013 at 6:10 pm
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      .. no

    • October 21, 2013 at 6:48 pm
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      heck NO !! that title is stupid…. how would it be called that when after 30 years of peace under the leadership of Luke and the new Jedi order, the sith return for one last chance to destroy the universe ? that wouldnt be balance of the force…. and Return and Revenge has already been used….. so you have to come up with something that fits…..please…

    • October 21, 2013 at 7:05 pm
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      ANYTHING would have been better than “Phantom Menace” and “Attack of the Clones”. Pretty stupid concepts if you ask me.

      The Phantom Menace was used to state that Palpatine had started making his move and “Attack of the Clones” was used in order for the audience to make a connection wit episode 4’s reference “You fought in the Clone Wars?”

      Again… pointless. For me it should have been “Attack of the Sith” and “Clone Wars”, plain and simple.

    • October 21, 2013 at 7:10 pm
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      Actually, Phantom Menace was an elegant title. It could refer to Emperor palpatine, Darth Maul or even the chosen one Anakin Skywalker . There is a lot of mystery in the title.

    • October 21, 2013 at 7:16 pm
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      The reason I didn’t like it is because I DID not feel the Menace. I was too young back then when it first got out and I seriously had no idea who Palpatine was. Then I went to see the original trilogy and I thought “seriouly?”
      Even without the benefit of the original trilogy I still did not feel intimidated, and that’s saying something.

      Of course Lucas wanted to build hype with the title and that’s fine, I would not care for the title if the movie was a better expereience altogether. The fact that the title reffered to a menace suggested to me that the movie would actually make me feel threatened which never happened for me and that’s why I think the title should have been different.

    • October 21, 2013 at 8:07 pm
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      I agree Attack of the Clones was dumb but Clone Wars is dumber…sorry. Just read the title….Star Wars: Clone Wars. Uhh, no too many “wars” in the title.

    • October 22, 2013 at 12:40 am
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      The Phantom Menace actually would have been a good title for part 7 cause we all dont know what the heck to expect…. Part 1 should have been called The Hidden Circle cause thats what the group was with Viceroy, Palpatine, etc…. Attack of the Clones would have fit for part 2 if there were much more fighting with the clones in it…. The rest of the titles for parts 3,4,5 and 6 were great and fit nicely to the movie…… We can only hope that part 7 will have a cool catchy name to it…. If Han Solo is in it and he dies, you could call it The Fallen Hero…. or whatever……

    • October 22, 2013 at 11:10 am
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      Maybe we will finally get an in-movie explanation of exactly what ‘balance of the Force’ means. Perhaps the Jedi thought it related to the destruction of the Sith. But what if they were wrong? Maybe there can only truly be balance if light/Jedi and dark/Sith exist in equal amounts.

    • October 22, 2013 at 4:54 pm
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      That would make since to me. Obviously if you’ve read any EU you’ll know the Star Wars Universe spans over a couple hundred thousand years. Both Sith and Jedi rule in that time the force is always in constant flux but manages to find balance eventually, such is the case at the end of episode 6. It wouldn’t make sense for there to be a “balance” if only the Jedi existed. There must be good and bad

  • October 21, 2013 at 2:11 pm
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    Erm no

  • October 21, 2013 at 2:36 pm
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    Erm yes

  • October 21, 2013 at 2:43 pm
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    This comment has been removed by the author.

  • October 21, 2013 at 2:45 pm
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    This shows us all that rumors can be as rediculous as anyone wants them to be; doesn’t make them true. The fact that so many people are taking the rumors so seriously is laughable. All we can do is hope that the people in charge recognize how that the fans are still having trouble getting over the fuck ups in the prequels and animated series and, in turn, do their best to use these films to appreciate all that older Star Wars fans have endured and yet bared through. We’re not exactly a turn-the-other-cheek kind of fanbase. We refuse to turn a blind eye. This is pretty much their last chance as far as we’re all concerned and so far, it’s not looking so hot; but again, we’ll all just have to wait and see. Boy, is it gut-wrenching or what?

    • October 21, 2013 at 4:04 pm
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      The animated series was great, which makes me even more excited for Rebels, idk what you’re talkin about besides maybe the fact it took place during the prequel era?

    • October 22, 2013 at 1:46 pm
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      I’m talking about how much the animated series totally botched up the original plot; they crammed way too many new characters into the plot, the clones somehow think as individuals instead of the clones of a single man, genetically modified to follow orders and think almost as machines designed for that purpose. It was a shitty animated series all around. The fact that it took place during the prequel years makes it even worse. I’m hoping Rebels will be better and I have faith that it will be. I’m just saying that we older fans are looking for something new to promote and get into.

  • October 21, 2013 at 6:56 pm
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    As i said on the last post ( or debated ), that if Lucas story treatments all ended with Vaders death, then they have to come up with something new….. that means if there gonna have more sith in the next trilogy, then Anakin is not the so called chosen one like Lucas had in his story…. If there was only 6 made, then so be it.. but there will be 9… so the question is, who is the chosen one ? and i doubt it will be Luke in his mid 60s using his lightsabers on all the sith.. thats retarded…. so, who will it be ?…. and then you have to ask, who created Anakin then ? a sith lord ?, a magical wizard ?, barney the dinosaur ?, wtf ? ….. regardless of who did, they better connect the story right or many, and i mean many original Star Wars fans will jump ship and leave this force crap behind…… Im calling on this web site to do an article about this topic…. If the chosen one is gonna rise and end the sith in this last trilogy, then the question is, who created Anakin ?……. and please nobody say Darth Sidious ( Palpatine ) cause he didnt know how to, like his master did…..

    • October 21, 2013 at 7:11 pm
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      I think that if we are to see Darth Vader again it will be for Luke’s training, a hologram on a droid (Force Unleashed) or something. At best I thinnk they would bring Hayden Cristensen to play as a Froce Ghost, appearing before Luke and giving him guidance. Another option is for Disney to ressurect Anakin Skywalker as a clone. I think it has already been done in the expanded universe. All options are not worth the trouble for JJ Abrams however. He is a very, very smart man. I think that if he brought Vader back he would do it in a nway that would shock and awe us and at the same time be something completely new we haven’t seen before. I trust Abrams, the Force is with him!

    • October 21, 2013 at 9:44 pm
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      This is not true. The prophecy is that Anakin will “bring balance to the Force” not that he would completely eradicate the Sith order forever. By the time the Emporer was destroyed, the Sith (Palpatine/Vader) completely ruled the galaxy and the Jedi were basically extinct. That is not a balance. That is tipped heavily towards the Dark Side. This concept of balance is similar to the Ying and Yang is eastern religions, in which you must have both to have harmony, not too much over one than another.

    • October 22, 2013 at 12:54 am
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      Actually, Anakin didnt bring balance back to the force. he took it to a darker side. Then he saved his son from death at the hands of Sidious. And if the sith are still out there, then the force isnt balance which disqualifies Anakin from being the prophecy one. To me, it seems Anakin was a false prophet. Which does make sense. You have to have a false one first, before the real one arrives. And Luke really only helped redeamed his father, not end the sith. Episode 1 and 3 explains in small detail about a chosen one who ends the sith once and for all and peace reigns forever. So really, Anakin and Luke is not the prophecy chosen one. From my point of veiw anyway. Ok fans, grill me hard on this. lol .

    • October 22, 2013 at 5:25 pm
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      You’re silly lol. If you think of a BALANCE you must have something on both sides, good and bad. People only tend to think of “balancing the force” as Jedi and good pervading the galaxy for peace, which isn’t a balance at all. At the time of the prequels the balance was shifted heavily towards the Jedi. If you look closely at the films you can see that there are some serious flaws when it comes to the Jedi and especially the bureaucracy in which they protect and I believe George wanted to show this. When Anakin came on the scene he essentially shifted the balance toward the sith as he was the key piece in Palpatines plan that had been in the works for YEARS as he was able to manipulate the corrupt bureaucracy mentioned above, far before Anakin was even born. At the end of episode 6 he does bring balance by destroying the Sith and the Empire (I realize there is still Luke so that isn’t really a complete balance but what were they gonna do, kill everyone in the movies? lol) and the prophecy did come to fruition, just not in the way the Jedi hoped. I realize some people will say “how can you call the Jedi and and Republic corrupt?” and what not and I agree, they aren’t, but they do have flaws. But that’s not the POINT, the point is POINT OF VIEW. Anakin states right before he and Obi Wan fight, which is essentially the turning point of all the movies, that from his point of view the Jedi are evil and Obi disagrees. This is the balance. Fanboy rant over 🙂

    • October 23, 2013 at 2:21 am
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      If there is more movies coming out for one last trilogy, then nothing is over. That means the balance isn’t there, this so called chosen one hasn’t happened yet, the evil isn’t gone. So how can you say Anakin brought balance ? How could anyone say Luke brought balance ? It sounds like through out all the history, the balance of power shifts back and forth. Back and forth. And if 3 more movies about the Jedi vs Sith is still on, then that means Anakin is not the prophecy. Luke is not the prophecy. What part of this do some of you fans not get ? Quit using this arguement because Star Wars is not done yet. There is not only 6 movies , but 9. Get over it, and quit debating. The saga is not over. Anakin and Luke didn’t end anything or balance anything. There is more to be told. So Anakin worshipers ( or Darth Vader worshipers ) let it go. He is not the chosen one. That person who is, we will see that one in this last trilogy. So get over it Vader fans. At least you got a TV series next year, so focus on that and let Star Wars move ahead. Cause you Vader fans are just dragging this worthless debate long enough.

    • October 24, 2013 at 6:28 am
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      How is it not a balance if at the end of episode 6 (EU excluded) there is only one known force user left in the galaxy (besides Leia)? The galaxy is at peace with no empire or republic in place, and no Jedi or Sith manipulation. And if you really want to get in to it, when George first thought of Star Wars it is said he had more than enough material to make 15 movies, and that before he began his film making career that was the plan. So Anakin may very well be the one to have brought balance to the force FOR NOW. As you said, it goes back and forth, back and forth. But thanks to Anakin exterminating almost all known force weilders in the galaxy over a couple decades, both good and bad, he’s done a pretty good job of insuring the force will stay balanced for a while. And if you have read any EU, which Lucas himself calls canon, then pretty much all signs point to Anakin, the boy with no Father and essentially constructed out of the organisms that communicate with the force, as being the chosen one. The fact that more movies are coming does not mean Anakin was not the chosen one as we don’t know what these movies are even about!!! There is more to be told but who’s to say Anakins story even ends here?! Did Obi Wans story end after A New Hope?!! Exactly, eat a dick. But really, I think the critical issue here is what people view as balance. I, along with George Lucas believe it is a sort of Yin Yang balance, in the dark there is always light, in the light there is always dark. How do I know this is what George believes? BECAUSE HE FREAKING SAYS SO HIMSELF. Star Wars philosophy of the force is riddled with symbolism to ancient Chinese philosophy such as Taoism. Just listen to Yoda’s speech to Luke a few times over in Empire and you’ll see clearly. So to George, and I, the force is at a balance. Hop off Anakins jock, poser boy.

  • October 21, 2013 at 7:33 pm
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    Episodes I-III were almost filmed 2 years prior to release. Most films usually start filming a little over a year before release. Why Lucas did that with the prequels? My only guess is because it was an independently filmed and produced series. Episodes VII-IX are being produced by a major film studio. Probably won’t get BIG news until next summer after filming has wrapped.

  • October 21, 2013 at 8:10 pm
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    All i know is the lack of good news is really starting to anger the fans, even the fan podcasts is getting grumpy.Not good and JJ will get hateful fans for years.

    • October 22, 2013 at 1:01 am
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      Why do you want to know what part 7 will be about so soon ? Dont you want to be surprised ? The movie would be boring if you already know the plot, the story, the cast.

  • October 21, 2013 at 8:18 pm
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    I can understand the secrecy. In 1997 the internet was still new! There was no Facebook, no YouTube, Twitter, etc. Heck MP3’s were just over the horizon in 97. So the ability for someone to leak something was much more difficult and they could control the little bit of info that was released. I’m sure when Disney/Lucas decides to make an announcement, it will be worth the wait.

    • October 22, 2013 at 6:52 am
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      agreed..we should wait…

  • October 22, 2013 at 7:31 pm
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    The name “clone wars” or “attack of the clones” makes since simply based on the reference made (I do believe Ben Kenobi and Luke) referring to Anakin supposedly dying during the Clone Wars. If they went back in time and had no reference to the title of that war, it would be ridiculous. Such us talking about conflict during the 70s, making no reference to Vietnam war… Even more so, since we all know/feel that war today… But say history was written about us (that period of time) and to describe the period and conflicts this alien writers referred to the story as “Earth: World War I” … It sounds a little silly, but historically it’s certainly sensible.

  • October 22, 2013 at 7:33 pm
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    Forgive the errors, trying to sneak/type at work 😉

  • October 23, 2013 at 9:50 am
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    It should definitely incorporate the Thrawn trilogy in some way.

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