DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD. - EPISODE VII in 2015. No joke.

[JediTricks]

I'm sure Heir to the Empire sold really well... 22 years ago; but I think that was mainly because it was introduced into a starving market that hadn't had any new Star Wars media for 6-7 years (outside of tabletop RPGs, which are always going to be an extreme niche market). So, the book naturally reached bestseller status, but I don't think the Thrawn trilogy ever reached worldwide phenomenon status. At least not in the way that more recent non-SW book series' have (for example, the Harry Potter books, the Twilight Saga, etc.).

HTTE is currently the #2 ranked Best Selling Kindle Star Wars book, behind only The Last Jedi which came out 3 weeks ago. In Kindle > Sci-Fi > Space Opera, HTTE ranks #36 while The Last Jedi ranks #22, and in all Books > Sci-Fi > Space Opera, it's #40 and #24 respectively. HTTE is still big with a current audience, as big as any Star Wars book and second only to the newest SW book, I think that qualifies it as a phenomenon as much as any Star Wars book can claim.

[bigbarada]

There hasn't even been any official word on what the standalone films will cover, let alone casting news. But Daniel Logan and Temuera Morrison have both expressed interest in acting in any of the new movies (and Daniel played Boba on TCW, so he's on their radar). I saw a recent interview where Temuera got some obvious-looking veneers or dental implants or something that they'll hopefully take care of before he reprises any roles.

So what was the name of the actor who played the post-Daniel-Logan/pre-Temuera-Morrison clone? Maybe he could do the role? Although, Daniel Logan looks old enough to reprise the role. The only thing that really stinks about Boba being the lead character in any movie, is that he will probably spend 90% of the film with his helmet off so that the actor can emote all over the place.

EDIT: I just did an internet search and found him: Bodie Taylor. I wouldn't object to him in the role either, I guess. Although he's never actually worn the armor, has he?

HTTE is currently the #2 ranked Best Selling Kindle Star Wars book, behind only The Last Jedi which came out 3 weeks ago. In Kindle > Sci-Fi > Space Opera, HTTE ranks #36 while The Last Jedi ranks #22, and in all Books > Sci-Fi > Space Opera, it's #40 and #24 respectively. HTTE is still big with a current audience, as big as any Star Wars book and second only to the newest SW book, I think that qualifies it as a phenomenon as much as any Star Wars book can claim.

The last 9 words of your post pretty much prove my point. Sure HTTE was extremely popular... for a Star Wars book. However, did it create a bunch of new Star Wars fans in 1991 or did it just reveal that the old Star Wars fans never really went away?

Even though I never finished the series, there are enough cool elements in HTTE that I wouldn't mind seeing adapted into the ST. Plus I think Thrawn is a cool character at the design level, I just never really liked how he was written in the book. I can't help but think that, if the Emperor really had this tactical genius who always seemed to know exactly what the heroes were going to do and always had a contingency plan to stop them, then why wouldn't Palpatine have called upon his expertise at some point after the first Death Star exploded? It just feels too convenient for me. Kind of like, "Oh the Empire really did have this competent, unstoppable military force, but they were always just offscreen during the films."

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

I just did an internet search and found him: Bodie Taylor. I wouldn't object to him in the role either, I guess. Although he's never actually worn the armor, has he?

No - there was no actual clone armor created for or worn in the films. (He never wore any Mandalorian armor either, if that's what you were asking.)

[Darth Metalmute]

I'm interested to see if Luke will have a wife or children at all. Mara and Ben were both created before AOTC instituted the "no personal attachments" rule for the Jedi.

Actually, I believe that was mentioned around the Jedi academy series. Luke did away with the no attachment premise based his theory on the craving of attachment leads to the dark side more than the actual attachments.

Any characters in the films that have names taken from EU simply won't be the same characters that EU fans grown to love. They might have the names, but they won't have the same personalities or backstories, as you've acknowledged. But isn't that what endeared them to EU fans in the first place?

I guess my main reason is, I grew up knowing that Han and Leia's kids were Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin. To all of a sudden have their kids with other names would be a shock to the system. It would be like, in a lesser state mind you, growing up believing that you mom and dad are your mom and dad, only to find out when you're in your late twenties you were adopted. And even if their backstories change, you can still use some of the EU as off-camera filler stories, sort of like the PT EU is, as long as you use the names.

Even though I never finished the series, there are enough cool elements in HTTE that I wouldn't mind seeing adapted into the ST. Plus I think Thrawn is a cool character at the design level, I just never really liked how he was written in the book. I can't help but think that, if the Emperor really had this tactical genius who always seemed to know exactly what the heroes were going to do and always had a contingency plan to stop them, then why wouldn't Palpatine have called upon his expertise at some point after the first Death Star exploded? It just feels too convenient for me. Kind of like, "Oh the Empire really did have this competent, unstoppable military force, but they were always just offscreen during the films."

They did explain this, and while I don't remember right off hand, I believe it had to do with Palpatine's hatred towards the alien races. And while it's not the most satisfactory answer, it is at least better than the EU explanation that Palpatine true reason for taking over the galaxy was to prepare the galaxy for the Vong invasion.

[bigbarada]

They did explain this, and while I don't remember right off hand, I believe it had to do with Palpatine's hatred towards the alien races. And while it's not the most satisfactory answer, it is at least better than the EU explanation that Palpatine true reason for taking over the galaxy was to prepare the galaxy for the Vong invasion.

I remember that alien-bigotry explanation and I definitely never felt it to be satisfactory. As for Palpatine trying to prepare the galaxy for the Vong invasion, that's sounds like the plotline for Fable III, but the Star Wars version probably came first. Either way, trying to attach some sort of "noble" motive to Palpatine's actions completely undermines the storyline for all the movies. That's a horrible idea.

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

I've only ever seen the theory that Palpatine took over the galaxy to save it from the Vong as a fan theory, not an actual EU story . . . unless I'm wrong? God, I hope I'm not.

[El Chuxter]

It was very strongly hinted at in various EU books around the time of the NJO, particularly Rogue Planet. Palpatine chose that moment in history to take over the universe because he thought the Jedi would lead to the downfall of the entire galaxy. He later sent Thrawn out that way, because he saw the Vong as a bigger threat than the Jedi, who he could wipe out with a bunch of New Zealanders in colorful white armor. Palpy never comes out and says, "Hmmm, I think I will take over the galaxy now because these aliens from another galaxy are bad news," but it's definitely intended to be the case.

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

It was very strongly hinted at in various EU books around the time of the NJO, particularly Rogue Planet. Palpatine chose that moment in history to take over the universe because he thought the Jedi would lead to the downfall of the entire galaxy. He later sent Thrawn out that way, because he saw the Vong as a bigger threat than the Jedi, who he could wipe out with a bunch of New Zealanders in colorful white armor. Palpy never comes out and says, "Hmmm, I think I will take over the galaxy now because these aliens from another galaxy are bad news," but it's definitely intended to be the case.

Ugh. It's crap like this that makes me hate much of the EU. Well, at least anything to do with the Vong.

[bigbarada]

It was very strongly hinted at in various EU books around the time of the NJO, particularly Rogue Planet. Palpatine chose that moment in history to take over the universe because he thought the Jedi would lead to the downfall of the entire galaxy. He later sent Thrawn out that way, because he saw the Vong as a bigger threat than the Jedi, who he could wipe out with a bunch of New Zealanders in colorful white armor. Palpy never comes out and says, "Hmmm, I think I will take over the galaxy now because these aliens from another galaxy are bad news," but it's definitely intended to be the case.

If that really is the case, then I say burn the EU. Burn it all down to the ground.

Anyway, here's an old quote from Lucas that kind of hints how the current post-ROTJ EU fits in with his vision (emphasis added):

"And now there have been novels about the events after Episode VI, which isn't at all what I would have done with it. The Star Wars story is really the tragedy of Darth Vader. That is the story. Once Vader dies, he doesn't come back to life, the Emperor doesn't get cloned and Luke doesn't get married."

This quote comes from a Merge Digital interview dated 2006; but I found it referenced in this article which is pretty fascinating to read:
http://www.secrethistoryofstarwars.c...eltrilogy.html

So, what Lucas is basically saying is that, if he wrote a story for Luke, Han and Leia that takes place after ROTJ, then it wouldn't be at all like the current EU continuity. I'm not sure how relevant that is right now, but it's pretty interesting and might give a hint at how faithful they plan to be to the existing post-ROTJ storylines.

[Tycho]

Lucas asked that only Anakin Solo be killed off. He didn't want books coming out with 2 Anakins - one for each era - because he thought readers would get oonfused - who becomes Darth Vader, and who calls Han Solo "daddy."

Also the cast must be kept from getting too large.

If Han and Leia only have 1 child, a girl, 32 years old - an adult Imperial Knight by this point - that will be fine. There's Jaina. They don't have to explain that she had two brothers who are already dead - one who she even had to slay.

I think to appeal to the kids, they might be seen with a little girl (age 10 or younger) - that would be their grand-daughter Allanah - and they don't even have to mention who her parents were (you obviously know they were a direct child lost to Han and Leia - Jacen in this case).

And yes, Luke's New Jedi Order allows marriages. Mara would be dead and thus you'd have Ben training with his father.