One of the key criticisms of the Star Wars prequel trilogy is that George Lucas relied far too much on computer graphics and animation. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy revealed at Star Wars Celebration Europe in Germany over the weekend that they are looking to go back to the realistic look for the new films being produced by Disney.
“The conversation we’re having all the time now about Episode VII is how much CGI. We’re looking at what the early Star Wars films did,” Kennedy told the crowd, reports Yahoo Movies UK. “They used real locations with special effects. So [for Episode VII] we’re going to find some very cool locations, were going to end up using every single tool in the toolbox.”
Kennedy said that she was really inspired by the fan costumes she saw at the convention, noting that these are fans who have made costumes and armor by themselves. She hopes that she can bring that DIY feel to the movies with a tasteful mix of CGI.
“I was amazed yesterday and looking at what the fans are doing,” she said. “Using model makers, using real droids, taking advantage of the artwork that you can touch and feel, we want to do that in combination with CG effects.”
Kennedy added that she is constantly talking with director JJ Abrams about characters and story, noting that “great stuff” is coming out of the discussions. As ofr advice from George Lucas, she said, “George kept saying Episode VII must be aspirational, be fun, and have a sense of humour. And I think he’s absolutely right.”
Kennedy also confirmed that John Williams will be back to score the new Star Wars movie, which will be released in 2015.
According to USA Today, Dave Filoni was also at the event to show off Star Wars Rebels, which will premiere on Disney XD in fall 2014.
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