No Flashbacks in Star Wars: Rebels, According to Pablo Hidalgo. Still Possible for Episode 7?

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Flashbacks have been a source of contention among Star Wars fans, it seems, as far as plot devices goes. But rest assured, we have a confirmation they will not appear in the new Star Wars! …Rebels show, that is. It’s a little more complicated for Episode VII, so make the jump to find out more.

 

Pablo Hidalgo, one of the leading minds at the Lucasfilm Story Group in sorting out canon from here on out, made a statement at the panel for A New Dawn at SDCC 2014 when asked about the storytelling process:

As we started the series and we were trying to figure out where these rebels came from, we really sketched out some pretty detailed backstories. But one of the conventions, as far as Star Wars storytelling goes – at least as Rebels is (concerned) – we don’t do flashbacks. We don’t have that tool available for us. All that storytelling and all that development – where’s it going to show up? We have this great opportunity and all these different channels to tell these stories now.

 

So, there you have it. No flashbacks in Rebels. Of course, most of you probably weren’t even thinking about the upcoming show when the term “flashback” popped up – you were thinking of Episode VII: The Search For More Money. It could be argued that since he left Episode VII out of the question, that he indirectly confirmed that the movie will have one or more flashback sequences to allow for exposition. He’s seeming to have fun with this ambiguity, at the least, considering his Facebook update jokingly includes the statement “Continue to debate endlessly.”

 

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As for an official confirmation that flashbacks will or won’t appear in Episode VII go, we’re about as in the dark as you are. However, depending on what rumors you trust, the counter-leak from This Is Infamous writer Billy Donnelly could be helpful in getting an estimate of whether or not such a plot device will be used in the movie. The answer, according to Billy Donnelly’s source, is yes – flashbacks will actually be “a decent part of relaying information” of relaying the story to the audience.

 

Now that the hard news is out of the way, I’d like to put my own spin on this. Flashbacks generally either hurt or help whatever work they’re in, but I get the feeling that, so long as they’re handled correctly, flashbacks could be a boon for world-building purposes. When you look at the amount of time that has passed between the end of Episode VI and the beginning Episode VII, you’re bound to notice the massive thirty-plus-year time skip between episodes. That’s obviously the largest time-skip between two numbered installments, and it could potentially be even greater than the time gap between Episode I and Episode IV of thirty-two years! A lot shall have transpired since the destruction of the Death Star II, and since we don’t have the Expanded Universe to help fill us in, some events may need to be shown instead of told.

 

I don’t think that flashbacks will necessarily break conventions established by the previous movies. For instance, all Star Wars movies beginning with Episode V have featured Force Visions, which are similar in nature, Episode III and the revised ending to Episode VI featured extended montages, which is a similar break in narrative to a flashback, and all of the movies in the Prequel Trilogy have included pre-recorded messages of some kind, which effectively serve as flashbacks in that they come from an earlier point in the story. The reason that I’d see flashbacks as a potential necessity for Episode VII, rather than including a prologue-type sequence at the beginning of the movie, is because the title crawl would mess with the flow of that particular idea. Plus, we don’t necessarily know how far back they’re going (as some rumors have suggested that the Sequel Trilogy will bring up the genesis of both the Jedi and the Sith).

 

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Ultimately, the success or failure of using flashbacks as a plot device boils down to how they will be implemented into the story. If they’re thrown in like Family Guy throwaway gags, then they’ll hurt the movie, but if they’re carefully placed within the narrative – and are used in such a way to compliment the ongoing story rather than clutter it – then I believe they could make Episode VII a tale more effectively told than if they were not included. Of course, like everything else related to this movie, we’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out.

 

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Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

Grant Davis (Pomojema)

Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.

50 thoughts on “No Flashbacks in Star Wars: Rebels, According to Pablo Hidalgo. Still Possible for Episode 7?

  • August 23, 2014 at 5:26 pm
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    Ben didn’t need any flashbacks with Luke. The OT did just fine with simple backstory exposition here and there.

    • August 24, 2014 at 11:11 am
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      I agree. Flashbacks would just mess with the established style of Star Wars movies. They would slow down the pace, take you out of the story, and sometimes can feel like a history lesson (think lotr/hobbit). And it can be very awkward and distracting to see younger versions of the characters.

      • August 24, 2014 at 7:33 pm
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        The only reason Lucas didn’t do flashbacks is probably because it wasn’t practical given the fact that he was a total tight ass. I’m sure a flashback sequence of the clone wars from kenobi’s perspective in a new hope would have fit perfectly fine. They didn’t do it because that’s new actors to hire, new set to build etc.. In conclusion: if a new hope had a flashback sequence you would then be accusing VII of being too knock off. Let them show us a new side of the force through images that Luke recalls. Maybe he’ll be meditating. I’m excited and will remain optimistic, as the Star Wars universe will no doubt remain important to me forever.

        • August 24, 2014 at 8:00 pm
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          That, and the entire project was going overbudget to begin with. It’s hard to imagine now, with the impact that the franchise has had over the years, that Fox was constantly on Lucas’s back threatening to shut the his little space movie down.

  • August 23, 2014 at 5:29 pm
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    “Plus, we don’t necessarily know how far back they’re going (as some rumors have suggested that the Sequel Trilogy will bring up the genesis of both the Jedi and the Sith)”

    I really hope not. I want to move forward, not go WAAAAYYY back. I’d rather they save that story for an unrelated trilogy down the road.

  • August 23, 2014 at 5:45 pm
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    I think it actually would be a little hard to not have a flashback or two whether I want it or not. As the person who wrote this said 30+ years is a long time. And with no EU……Where all literally in the dark about everything…I guess theybcan let us know on a need to know basis….but

    • August 23, 2014 at 5:59 pm
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      I don’t see 30 years as being much different than 20 in between III and IV. They did just fine with how they handled things.

      • August 23, 2014 at 6:11 pm
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        The key difference there is that we knew how things were going to turn out – that’s just the nature of the way that prequels work. We knew that Anakin would become Darth Vader, that the Jedi would go from being a large institution to one that is nearly extinct, that the Republic would fall into the Empire, and that the Rebel Alliance would rise in order to restore this Republic. We’re completely in the dark with this new story, and that’s why I think that a flashback or two might be a useful way of filling the gap.

        • August 23, 2014 at 6:14 pm
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          If they need to use flashbacks to help tell the story, they’re doing a bad job of writting it.

        • August 23, 2014 at 6:35 pm
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          Pomojema:

          I’m talking about the lack of flashbacks in the OT referencing the PT. We didn’t see quick scenes in the OT ’77-’83 where Ben fought Vader or Luke and Leia were born.

          Okay. Wow. I’m going to get on my knees right now and thank Lucas for not shoehorning PT flashbacks into any of the OT Special Editions.

          • August 23, 2014 at 6:41 pm
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            I wish you didn’t put that thought into my mind. Be careful what you say, you’re a dangerous mind.

          • August 23, 2014 at 6:47 pm
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            Would you like a quick scene illustrating where I went wrong?

            Oh god, it’s starting! <;O

          • August 23, 2014 at 8:35 pm
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            Ultimately, it still would be an excuse to use a flashback in Star Wars.

          • August 24, 2014 at 1:56 am
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            I love a good mind meld from time to time.
            Spock to bones…Epic!!!

  • August 23, 2014 at 5:48 pm
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    StarWars need no flashback. The crawler at the start of the movie is the only thing they need to sett up the plott. Then, we should be trown right inn the present action. Thats the StarWars way.

    • August 23, 2014 at 6:01 pm
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      And occasionally characters reference the past without flashback sequences.

    • August 23, 2014 at 6:08 pm
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      In general, the argument that I was making was that there was stuff you couldn’t include in a couple of renegade space paragraphs that would be relevant to the story that you could include in the movie itself.

      Ask yourself this – when the iconic theme plays, would you rather have a history lesson of things that happened in previous years to characters we have not yet been introduced to, or would you rather find out what happened to Han, Leia, and Luke, and what catalyst is going to tie them to the new cast?

      • August 23, 2014 at 6:42 pm
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        We’ll find out most of the important stuff throughout the ST, just like the relevant gist from the PT + 20 years was summed up well in a handful of fairly short OT conversations.

        Disney should save up their flashbacks so they can be exchanged for standalones and cartoons later on.

      • August 23, 2014 at 7:32 pm
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        Inn my opinion, we don’t have to have any of the options. What made the OT great and epic, was the fact that we knew little of the history before A New Hope. And that gave the movies scale and an epic feeling. What we had to know was told across the three movies, and never over explained. Thats why the episode 1-3 sucks inn my book. It over explained everything (inn a bad way to)
        What we are not told, is just as important inn star wars compared to what we are told.

        • August 23, 2014 at 11:34 pm
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          More time has passed since the OT than between episodes I-IV………….

          …and yet everything still looks like Ralph McQuarrie.

    • August 23, 2014 at 6:20 pm
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      When the original Star Wars came out we were introduced to a big universe with lots of characters and things going on. This “unknown factor” is what made Star Wars so epic and fantastic. Audiences don’t need to be coddled unless the story is weak.

  • August 23, 2014 at 6:28 pm
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    I know once rebels is done they can do an animated show about what happened instead of flashbacks.

  • August 23, 2014 at 6:55 pm
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    Sorry, but Ep 5 and Ep 3 Force visions are not similar to flashbacks. Luke confronted with the embodiment of his fear and Anakin had a premonition of one possible future. In this case a flashback would have either changed the previously established narrative or would be used as pointless distraction in a series of movies that established the unseen history in a couple of simple sentences.

  • August 23, 2014 at 7:04 pm
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    “If they’re thrown in like Family Guy throwaway gags, then they’ll hurt the movie”

    lol I could see that Luke and Han surrounded by Stormtroopers and Luke says:

    Luke: Boy this reminds me of the time I….

    *Cue cutaway gag

  • August 23, 2014 at 7:09 pm
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    It is hilarious to see Star Wars nerds freaking out about the possibility of flashbacks. Hilarious.

  • August 23, 2014 at 7:57 pm
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    How about the opening title sequence, opening crawl, and end credits? Will/should the ST, and the spinoffs keep the same look, style, font, etc.?

    And what about post-credit sequences to tease future episodes and spinoffs? Would it be frowned upon if Sith Cyborg Vader Worshipper Man’s hand pops up from a lava pit after we all thought he was killed? Like Ming the Merciless or Skeletor. Or maybe a Shwarma scene? Maybe at the Mos Eisley cantina or Dex’s Diner? Haha!

      • August 27, 2014 at 2:28 pm
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        Does the Vader breath at the _very_ end of Episode I count as an auditory post-credit scene?

  • August 23, 2014 at 9:10 pm
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    I don’t understand the big hang up over flashbacks.

    If it works in the context of the story then it’s fine. If it doesn’t, then we’ll find out that too.

    • August 23, 2014 at 10:05 pm
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      Jar Jar binks works in the context of the story. Doesn’t make it a good and fitting idea in the context of the film itself.

  • August 23, 2014 at 9:21 pm
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    With Force-induced visions and dreams, holo-recordings and such, there’s plenty of story-telling devices available to avoid the use of flashbacks in the ST.

    Personally, I wouldn’t mind flashbacks (if done right), but since all of the above have already been used in the previous 6 films, I really don’t think they’re necessary.

  • August 23, 2014 at 9:30 pm
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    Couple of additions/corrections: AOTC featured a montage as well (Anakin doing his “The Searchers” thing). Also, both ANH and ROTJ featured pre-recorded messages that effectively served as flashbacks (“Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope!”).

    I’d like to add that TCW featured flashbacks, and therefore, flashbacks *are* part of Star Wars storytelling. IMO, flashbacks aren’t necessarily “poor storytelling,” they’re good storytelling when the story requires it.

    • August 23, 2014 at 9:34 pm
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      As a side, note; rumor, as I understand it, has that young Leia and Vader will appear in “Rebels.” Also, the rumored flashback in Ep.7 will be about young Leia and Vader. Correct? If both of those rumors are true, this might be overlapping material….

  • August 23, 2014 at 9:31 pm
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    I don’t want flashbacks like most people here, but I was thinking a little bit and I would like your opinion on this.
    Aren’t the prequels flashbacks themselves?
    This makes more sense if you watch the entire saga in the “machete order”, which makes the prequels more like flashbacks.

  • August 23, 2014 at 11:50 pm
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    To carry on in proper SW tradition they should really make EPS 10, 11 & 12 next, then do a second set of prequels

    • August 24, 2014 at 1:54 am
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      Wow I didn’t even think of that! Good idea!

      • August 24, 2014 at 6:13 pm
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        Okay then. Who will play the younger versions Luke, Han and Leia for Episode VII down the road?

        • August 24, 2014 at 6:56 pm
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          Han – Nathan Fillion or Brendan Fraser

          Luke – CGI Mark Hamill (as Jeff Bridges in Tron Legacy)? He has such unique look, it’d be hard to find someone who looks much like him without prosthetics (as Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Looper)

          Leia – Daisy Ridley.

          • August 27, 2014 at 3:29 pm
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            Well, it was a nice idea while it lasted.

  • August 24, 2014 at 12:34 am
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    i hope no flashbacks….if they need to explain things i assume they could do it in the opening scroll

  • August 24, 2014 at 1:46 am
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    It depends entirely on how the flashbacks are approached. It is highly possible that Leia has a force vision of the past involving herself as a young girl and meeting Vader as well as Max Von Sydows character some 40+ years ago. That would work just fine and, actually, make sense. Anakin had a vision of the future, Luke had a vision of present and future in Dagobah, yet we haven’t seen the Force used to look into the past.

    Would it be an interesting way to give some fan service with Vader as well as setting up Sydow’s character? Yes. Potentially.

    So, just saying, I wouldn’t expect these flashbacks to be what you’re used to. Hell, they could easily be Force influenced nightmares of someone that are shown (perhaps Luke…who has been having these recurring visions for years and that’s why he’s left, to go figure them out.)

    So as I said, if they fit the style and serve purpose, I would welcome them. If they’re generic style flashbacks only serving to catchup on mass amounts of backstory, then not so much.

    And seriously, why would they do the latter? That would put a dent in their ability to capitalize off future projects that show that time period.

  • August 24, 2014 at 3:59 am
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    The entire PT was a flashback so far as the overall structure of the 9 film saga is concerned….

  • August 24, 2014 at 5:36 am
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    I think that this is an argument that is flawed and over thought. Flashbacks can be used….each of the trilogies have to be taken as 3 seperate trilogies and should not be compared in cinematic and story unfolding. Though some elements should be continuous how the story is told is irrelevant. One of my favorite novels is I Jedi told in the first person…only one of its kind. Did it make it less of a Star Wars story? Answer….NO!!!

  • August 24, 2014 at 6:33 am
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    ialways thought the point of the whole thing was to emulate the feel of 30s serials , to paraphrase lucas ” if you dont understand whats happening , tough , you missed that episode , that was last week , you just have to try and work it out”

  • August 25, 2014 at 3:04 am
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    I know this is a little off the subject but this thought just popped in my head. Does anyone notice that in in the cave scene on Dagobah the walls look to be man made concrete with some sort of angular shape. Sort of like the shape of the reactor shaft fight sequence in The Esb and the shape of the walkway during the Ani/Obi fight in Revenge. Was this just a set piece used or is there more to it maybe.

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