Star Wars Trivia: Gary Kurtz Says Toys Ruined The Series; Talks Prequels And Original ‘Return Of The Jedi’ Downer Ending
By Russ Fischer/Aug. 13, 2010 1:29 pm EST
Some stories have been told of the split, and of what Kurtz saw as flaws of the Star Wars series. But now, in honor (might use that word lightly) of this weekend’s Star Wars Celebration V, Kurtz has said quite a lot about what he thinks of the Star Wars saga.
Kurtz talked to the LA Times, and said of the split:
Kurtz isn’t saying anything there that we didn’t already know for the most part, but there’s a lot to be said for having the former partner of George Lucas open up in this way.
I could see where things were headed…The toy business began to drive the [Lucasfilm] empire. It’s a shame. They make three times as much on toys as they do on films. It’s natural to make decisions that protect the toy business, but that’s not the best thing for making quality films…The first film and ‘Empire’ were about story and character, but I could see that George’s priorities were changing.
There’s quite a bit more in the LA Times piece. (Including Kurtz on the prequels: “I have to admit I never liked Hayden Christensen in the role of Anakin Skywalker. I just wished the stories had been stronger and that the dialogue had been stronger. It gets meek.”)
The emphasis on the toys, it’s like the cart driving the horse…If it wasn’t for that the films would be done for their own merits. The creative team wouldn’t be looking over their shoulder all the time.
Kurtz shrugs off stories that the films were planned as a series from the start, saying that after he and Lucas couldn’t get the rights to Flash Gordon, Lucas assembled a host of influences to create Star Wars, and named it Episode IV to evoke ideas of movie serials.
And Kurtz talks about the early plans for the film that became Return of the Jedi, saying:
His take is pessimistic, but not inaccurate. Imagining what might have been had Star Wars not become a merchandising cash cow is interesting, but also futile and depressing. There’s quite a lot more in the LA Times article, some of which is new info, and some of which isn’t, but is known stuff filtered through Kurtz’s own perspective.
