Dear Mr Jeffrey Jacob Abrams,
I trust this letter finds you well and no doubt buried deep in post production for The Force Awakens. These are exciting times and as deadlines tighten I apologise for stealing you away for a parsec but this is a matter most urgent.
In the iconic words of Uncle Ben (Parker, not the rice guy), “with great power must come great responsibility” and no doubt you are aware of the precipice upon which you stand. Sadly, Mr. Lucas could no longer be trusted with his own creation after the prequels hurt loyal fans throughout the galaxy. And so, as we dust ourselves off from Attack of the Clowns, green screen overkill and that bumbling Gungan oaf, we bid God speed to our George and gaze wistfully towards the Tatooine horizon.
Although no good will come of dwelling on Epsiodes I – III, I fear it would be remiss of us to simply blast them from existence. For hidden amongst the skeletons littering the floor of the Rancor pit, one can find a few droids worthy of salvage. Despite being a film basically hinged on a trade dispute, The Phantom Menace did provide a god honest villain of note in the tattooed Sith lord, Darth Maul. This horned apprentice to Darth Sidious proved a worthy adversary for our Jedi’s, culminating in the epic duel of the fates. But sadly all the mind tricks in the world cannot distract from Jake Lloyd, E.T.’s in the senate and soulless CGI landscapes.
And then, like a young moisture farm worker fulfilling his destiny, the transition from Lucas Film to the House of Mouse lies in your hands, Admiral Abrams. Despite reports that this bounty of Han Solo sized proportions was rejected by Brad Bird and Matthew Vaughan, your ability to push the boundaries of television (Lost), pay homage to the greats (Super8) and reignite stalled franchises (Star Trek) will go light years towards putting fans minds at ease.
Star Wars is a classical movement in film making to be revered and the noises coming from the Disney camp thus far are encouraging. We share a proud history of story telling grounded in practical effects and real world locations and I just pray you go forth and build on these strong foundations. Relocating to Pinewood, rejecting all Lucas approved scripts, hiring fresh untapped talent (who says no to Gary Oldman?) and The Force For Change foundation all play in your favour kid, but don’t get cocky…
And as the camera pans up to the stars so we must part ways. The trailers have landed successfully and there is a definite excitement in the force. Complex new characters and an intriguing plot have whetted the collective appetite and on this dawn of a new age for the Star Wars universe I bid you good luck and remember – do or do not. There is no try…
Regards,
Andrew
