Big Screen – Star Wars Panel

We’re live at the Empire Big Screen event and the first panel kicks off with Star Wars, which is always a good way to start the day. Lines of bleary eyed but excited press have assembled to wait for the panel to appear.

The footage showing on the screen looks incredible as you would except and we’re about to start.

The job Fox have today is to convince fans to shell out again for another version of the films. I’m a fan of blu-ray and there will be a lot of people who will want to get every version, but will this attract the average fan? Let’s see.

Anthony Daniels is here today, a few members of the ILM team and Boba Fett himself Jeremy Bulloch. I’ll do my best to keep up with everything – I’ll use initials for the Q&A session. We’ve just been promised an exclusive trailer for the Blu-ray set so that’s something to look forward to. I’ll try and describe it in as high a definition as possible…

The guests have yet to take the stage so we’re not sure who is here yet…

The consensus is that this is an all new transfer – we’ll be our best to find out.

We’re are ‘literally’ minutes away from the World Exclusive trailer. Literally…

My understanding is that this is a press event but there are a couple of ILM events at the Big Screen this which is sure to have all of the footage we’re seeing…

Here goes nothing…

Trailer time. Well, it’s Star Wars in HD. lots of blue screen t

The behind the scenes stuff looks very comprehensive, with the deleted scenes that we showed you a while ago glimpsed here. It looks and sounds great obviously but there were a small moments of some rare documentaries included on the disc too. Panasonic man is here to tell us more about their deal.

Let me just say that while the trailer was nothing new – there was still the tangible thrill of seeing the films on Blu-ray. Wisely most of the footage was from the Original Trilogy…

So the Panasonic deal is that if you buy a tv or home net system you’ll get a free copy o

f the Original Trilogy ONLY withyour purchase

Guest time…
up first:

Jeremy Bulloch (who know who he is)
Robert Watts (producer, OT)
Anthony Daniels (C-3P0)
Nick Gillard (Stuntman extraordinaire)

Q: Is everyone SW fan?

AD: It’s three generations of SW fans now. From all walks of life.

Q: there’s a documentary on the ESB – Why is Boba Fett so popular.

JB: There’s a mystery, you should never know what he’s thinking. A terrific part, but tiny!

Q: What is your most cherished SW memory?

JB: not a day goes by when it’s not mentioned that ‘You were Boba Fett’. Even my Grandchildren know me, though they prefer Jar Jar Binks…

RW: Getting out of Tunisia – we had rain one night, huge winds and I had to give the crew a day off so we could get the rest of the shots. Then the final shot was of Luke looking at the sunset. We got the shot and then the moment after – it started to rain. And we had to get everyone off of the location.

AD: being in al 6 movies there are so many memories. But it would have to be on the first day in Tunisia in my costume – people getting me ready for hours and it was when I stepped out in costume for the first time. Everyone stopped and looked. It was amazing.

NG: When we made Phantom Menace we had no idea how it would go – and making a new trilogy – and being at the Premiere in London and realising that it (SW) was all going to to begin again.

Q:Did you get the part you wanted in Star Wars?

AD: I said No initially. But I saw a painting of the character on the wall, and I read the script and loved the character.

JB: I would have loved to be Han Solo – There’s something between them – they are similar. Han Solo went one way, Boba Fett went another way.

Q: GL has changed the movies over the years – what would you change?

AD: I looked on with envy at Mark Hamill because he had long flowing clothes… But in the end I changed what I had to in the script because I knew the character. GL was fine with me doing it.

JB: I’d liked to have seen more Boba Fett of course. The Sarlaac pit as well – I would have liked to have seen him fight for a long time. Maybe with the Blu-ray they can add that in…

Q: How you would you recommend watching the six films for the first time? 456, then 123 or the other way?

AD: In the Star War concert we tell the story from Episode 1 to the end. It’s a simple story, told in linear way. It works that way.

JB: People should start with Episode 1, people can confused!

Q: What do you feel about the fandom?

NG We’re all fans. SW is public ownership. Shooting you get into disagreements with GL because you feel as if you own it.

RW: Without the fans we don’t exist!

Q: Is GL right to change the films? Is there more monkeying around?

AD: now GL has a chance to fix what we wanted to. He’s created a sandbox and he can play.

RW: The original trilogy is a different way of making a film. The Special Editions have the CGI which made me a little unsure.

Q: What’s the future of Star Wars?

AD: We’re on series four of The Clone Wars – and children are now working up through this show – when they get to the end they’ll move on to the films. So, from one film years ago have become such a part of the culture. Three generations, and almost getting to the fourth.

One last question – the stormtroopers are massing behind us…
What do you think of Star Wars in 3D?

NG: Hate it. I saw Avatar in 2D and I hate it.

AD: I’ve just being involved with the Star Tours ride. Everyone wears 3D glasses and the effects there are incredible. I have a problem sitting down in my living room and having things popping out of the screen.

That’s the end of the Q&A. We’ll have more of the SW Blu-ray set (hopefully some actual details) soon…