Unless you’ve been living inside a dead Tauntaun for the past few days, you know that Disney has purchased Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. And you also know that Disney has plans to expand the already gigantic “Star Wars” brand with new games, TV shows, theme park attractions and movies — including a trilogy set after “Return of the Jedi,” beginning with episode seven in 2015.

Being a major “Star Wars” fanboy since 1977, I’ve cobbled together a few suggestions as to how Disney can restore “Star Wars” to its pre-“Phantom Menace” reputation as the greatest sci-fi franchise in history. (Yeah, I said it. Sorry, Trekkies.)

• Forget about releasing the rest of the existing films in 3D, something George Lucas never should have started in the first place. (There’s a long list of things Lucas never should have done, but there’s no room to go into them all here.) Continuing this unwanted folly will only distract Disney from making killer new movies that will equal the greatness of the “Lord of the Rings” and Harry Potter film adaptations.

• Re-release episodes four through six on Blu-ray — in their original theatrical versions. Han needs to shoot first!

• Bring back Darth Vader. Yeah, I know, he died in “Jedi,” but so what? He’s already returned as a ghost a la Yoda and Obi-Wan, and if they bring back the Emperor (who died way too easily in “Jedi”), they can have Palpatine use the dark side of the Force to resurrect Vader and return him to his bad self. Because without Darth Vader, there is no “Star Wars.”

• Resist the urge to recast Luke, Han and Leia with younger actors. Bring back Mark Hamill as an aging Luke Skywalker forced to battle Vader and the Emperor again while trying to rebuild the Jedi Council, and have Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford return in supporting roles. The main cast can consist of young new characters, but don’t disregard the old ones in the process.

• Keep George Lucas’ involvement as minimal as possible. We all know what can happen when his ego isn’t kept in check (Jar Jar Binks, anyone?) and when he doesn’t have a good writing team to catch stupid continuity mistakes.

• Take a cue from Universal Studios Orlando’s Harry Potter theme park and do the same with “Star Wars,” building upon the existing “Star Tours” and making a full-fledged park with multiple attractions. I’ve wanted to blast TIE Fighters in a simulated X-Wing for more than 30 years, so make it happen.

• Finally, release “The Star Wars Holiday Special” on DVD and Blu-ray. This cult classic has never had an official release since being televised once in 1978 (not even on VHS), and it’s high time it was. Everyone deserves to see Boba Fett’s cartoon debut, Chewbacca’s father watching Wookie porn and a coked-up Carrie Fisher attempting to sing.

Good luck, Mouse House. Make the Force be with you.

 

Deputy Managing Editor Rod Harmon may be contacted at 791-6450 or at:

rharmon@pressherald.com

Twitter: RHarmonPPH

 

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