Could the 'Star Wars' Prequel Trilogy Be Remade as One Standalone Origin Movie?

Did Lucasfilm hide the 3D releases of 'Attack of the Clones' and 'Revenge of the Sith' for a reason? And will Ewen McGregor reprise his role as Obi Wan?
Star Wars Origins Darth Vader and Obi Wan Kenobi

Could LucasFilm remake the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy as one standalone Darth Vader origin movie?

A funny thing happened after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and the Star Wars Universe. The prequel trilogy, which includes 1999's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, 2002's Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and 2005's Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, all but disappeared save for a few old Blu-ray copies floating around Amazon. At the time of the purchase, LucasFilm had just completed 3D conversions of all 3 movies, with The Phantom Menace the only one to ever debut in theaters.

The other two, set to open in late 2012, were quietly shuffled off into oblivion, and no one really seemed to care. The fans didn't voice any disappointment at the two movies' sudden absence from 20th Century Fox's release slate. And it seems obvious what happened. Disney wants to distance its upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII and any future movie from being tainted by the memory of these three blemishes on this iconic sci fi franchise.

There's no disputing how the fans feel about these prequels. They are three of the most hated, despised and discussed franchise movies ever made. Those who actually like any one of the three movies are quickly labeled Lucas apologists (ages 8 and below being the exception). And its understandable why Disney would want to set waning audiences back on "the right track" and keep their own distance from the Anakin Padme love affair.

Who would you recast in Star Wars Origins: Darth Vader?
Who would you recast in Star Wars Origins: Darth Vader?
Disney has already started their mission statement by releasing teaser trailers from the Original Trilogy in anticipation of the first teaser trailer for Episode VII. So far, we've seen ones for A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. This week, we will relive the first footage for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi ever released to the general public. Disney and Lucasfilm are trying to build nostalgia for the early days. A time when people still loved and cared about these movies. When C3PO and R2D2 lived in a used universe. When there was no Jar Jar Binks or Midichlorians to speak of.

In getting back within fans' good graces, LucasFilm and Disney are going directly to the original trilogy, with Star Wars: Episode VII a true sequel that picks up some thirty years after the events of Jedi. Gone will be the overuse of CGI that made the Prequel trilogy look and feel like a video game. The most iconic characters will return for the first time since 1983. And it promises to be a throwback to what fans loved about these movies in the first place. So of course Disney is going to try and hide the movies that crippled the hearts of longtime Force worshippers, turning them into indifferent shrug opportunists.

What is interesting here is that between each true Original trilogy sequel, we will be getting standalone origin movies focused on some of the most beloved and interesting characters in the Star Wars universe. The Untitled Star Wars Han Solo Spin-Off and Untitled Star Wars Boba Fett Spin-Off are rumored to be first, with movies centering around Yoda and Jabba the Hutt also being discussed.

As this is the true path Disney and Lucasfilm plan to take in giving us a new Star Wars movie every year starting in 2015, until the end of time, then we ask, "Why can't they remake the prequel trilogy as one standalone origin movie?"

The Prequel trilogy is already one seven-hour origin story about the birth and rise of Darth Vader. And as many editors have proven over the years, buried within these multiple minutes of cheesy science fiction is one very awesome, solid two-hour movie focusing on the early life of the iconic Sith Lord. It makes absolute sense that the story could be retold in one movie. And Ewan McGregor's still young enough that he could come back as Obi-Wan.

It's true that the Prequel Trilogy exists. But can't it exist as a rough draft? If LucasFilm and Disney treated it as such, the fans might look upon it with a different set of eyes. Future generations might see it as a unique building block in the creative process, and it would then be viewed in the same nostalgic sense as the Ralph McQuarrie concept paintings from the first three movies.

Is Ewen McGregor still young enough to play Obi Wan Kenobi in a Prequel Trilogy remake?
Looking at the Prequel trilogy as a living rough draft for a future movie makes sense in a lot of ways. Hollywood is hungry for remakes, and this might be one that breaks records. If someone told you they were remaking The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy as one standalone movie that stays within the aesthetic lines of the original three films, you'd want to see it. And it stays in line with what George Lucas has done in the past in terms of toying with and changing all of the movies he's made. Here, he could go in with his digital erase board and remove the bothersome aspects of the canon, and rebuild something more in line with his original vision.

In remaking the Prequel Trilogy, one could look to the Topher Grace super-cut that he culled together from footage found in all three movies. This doesn't have to just be Darth Vader's origin story, but Obi-Wan's as well. Focus just on that, leaving the rest of the bullshit aside. Make a movie about their relationship that keeps some of the back-story and ends with that Lava fight we waited years to see. Only, this time, make it something truly special and exciting. And find someone a little edgier to play Anakin Skywalker.

In Topher Grace's notorious edit, which runs only 85 minutes long out of the roughly seven hours of footage available to him, he is able to tell the complete narrative of Anakin Skywalker from orphan to Sith. And it's a whole story. Imagine what a new 2 hours and 15 minute film could do in resetting this timeless tale.

It definitely feels like this could be in the realm of possibilities.

As we move towards a number of standalone origin stories, it seems like a logical idea to revisit Darth Vader and Obi Wan's relationship, as it is one of the most interesting things about the original movies and this universe. Quite literally, George Lucas blew it when he made the prequel trilogy. And it's obvious that, at the time, he was more focused on using the movies as a mere template for experimenting with new digital effects and filmmaking techniques. Now that that's out of the way, shouldn't we get back to the story?

What do you think? Would you be opposed to a Darth Vader or Obi Wan standalone origin film that revisited what we saw in the Prequel Trilogy? Only done right this time. Or is it a waist of time to go back to these characters?


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Comments (54)

  1. I really hope they go in this direction. Would please so many fans of the original franchise.

    3 months agoby @profile-29193905Flag

  2. Titanictom

    Won't Happen... A Kenobi Film Could Happen-It Would Be Based on The Book That Is Out Now About 'Ben' Kenobi And His New Life in Excile and His Connection To Young Luke and The Lars Family!!!

    9 months agoby @titanictomFlag

  3. rjh094

    Honestly, I didn't mind the prequels. I sat down one day & had a Star Wars marathon & was beyond entertained.

    9 months agoby @rjh094Flag

  4. undeadslayer4

    @skywise no the last airbender tv series

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  5. skywise

    @undeadslayer4 I don't mean Avatar the movie...I meant your account avatar...your profile pic if you will. How do you feel Cameron's Avatar copied Doctor Who? Just curious?

    9 months agoby @skywiseFlag

  6. ObiWanShinobi

    You have to be a troll. There's no way one person can be so stupid. @undeadslayer4

    9 months agoby @ObiWanShinobiFlag

  7. undeadslayer4

    @skywise ya i just wanted to put that in there to express my anger against this article i guess im not the only who think avatar copied doctor who

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  8. skywise

    @undeadslayer4 Exterminate! LOL. I love the doctor who themed avatar and reference.

    9 months agoby @skywiseFlag

  9. undeadslayer4

    @ObiWanShinobi@mrloco-campos-overgaard@diaigma@kguy@bawnian-dexeus@playhouse DO U HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH EFFORT lucas took to make these its like insulting game of thrones and the lord of the rings trilogy whoever did should be banned from this site for treason and executed by darth sidious himself

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  10. undeadslayer4

    @skywise idiotic review this guy is a piece of sh*t and a disgrace to lucas and speilberg EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  11. undeadslayer4

    @thedude-abides like that would happen

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  12. undeadslayer4

    @themoviefanatic retarded and ridiculous do u know how much time and effort Lucas took to make the trilogy just like if someone insulted the game of thrones books whoever did this should be ashamed of himself and be executed by darth sidious himself
    That goes for Speilberg as well

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  13. undeadslayer4

    @k-man dude do u know how much time and effort he put in these movies and they werent horrible they were awesome

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  14. undeadslayer4

    @brady1138 there making lucas look like hes a douche and he screw up the trilogy

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  15. undeadslayer4

    @Dominic-Jones do u have any idea how much effort lucas put in those these movies this guy should ashamed of himself insulting him like that

    9 months agoby @undeadslayer4Flag

  16. Michael Kolesik

    Wait, what? Seriously?

    9 months agoby @Michael-KolesikFlag

  17. It's CinemaZone!


    Very true, very true my friend. I was just at a Best Buy a few days ago and saw the new covers. Clearly this is just a rant piece, with no basis in any fact. Sad to say that Movieweb does not seem to be immune to them either. hopefully they will be few and far between.

    9 months agoby @its-cinemazoneFlag

  18. It's CinemaZone!

    When in the world did "Movieweb" start doing this kinda ranty nonsence? I would expect this from other, more fan-boy ( as they say ) driven sites. Is this what a new Star Wars movie over the horizon does to online magazines? A bit disappointed I must say.

    9 months agoby @its-cinemazoneFlag

  19. Dominic Jones

    The guy who wrote this has no idea what he's talking about! Saying the prequels have "all but disappeared save for a few old Blu-ray copies floating around Amazon" proves that. Clearly you did not research for this piece at all, because if you did you notice that Lucasfilm just re-released BOTH trilogies on Blu-ray with new packaging that you can find in every store! And if fans didn't care about not seeing the films in 3D, why did many fans (including myself) get turned away from screenings of Attack of the Clones 3D because the theater was already full during Star Wars Celebration Europe this past summer?

    Also, you might want to re-consider the "They are three of the most hated, despised and discussed franchise movies ever made" statement because, based on the comments section to this very article, fans love the prequels and hate this concept.

    No to a prequel reboot, the films are fantastic just the way they are!

    9 months agoby @Dominic-JonesFlag

  20. Alexander B. Gates

    This is an awful article filled with nothing but opinion. By saying 'fans' hated the prequels, you are dead wrong. Fans love the prequels as part of the saga. Whoever the author is talking about are not true fans. Lucasfilm and Disney are not at all distancing themselves from the PT; any member of fandom knows this.

    9 months agoby @Alexander-B-GatesFlag

  21. DanJack

    Ridiculously stupid article. Why would anyone ever invest money into a project like this, when the prequels (though not universally loved) are only reviled by the fanboys. EP III is actually pretty darn good, and TPM had Qui Gon/Darth Maul. To your idea, just no.

    9 months agoby @danjackFlag

  22. LuxoIII

    @javier-rodas They've had their own ideas with how Star Wars "should" be for 16 years and it collides with the filmmaker's vision. It really is an endless case of excessive nitpicking.

    9 months agoby @brady1138Flag

  23. QuintsSharkShop

    No, the prequels are bad....very bad.....very very very bad. Lets just forget they exist and bury all copies next to the ET video games.

    9 months agoby @QuintsSharkShopFlag

  24. Javier Rodas

    i really liked the prequels though. i dont know why people bitch about them so much as if they were professional critics blabbering about negative crap when the real critics actually enjoyed the films. people from movie web are so picky for no reason. the only thing that i didnt like about the revenge of the sith was that it felt rushed at the end.

    9 months agoby @javier-rodasFlag

  25. RezDog

    There are way too many critics putting their opinions up as gospel these days... obviously this writer's opinion isn't shared by as many people as he thinks, or the prequel trilogy wouldn't have grossed a combined $2.4 billion worldwide. Why sink another $100 million or more into another remake? Will we really look at the franchise any differently? I'd rather see some new content with new characters and new storylines. Episodes 1-3 are over and done with, let's move on.

    9 months agoby @rezdogFlag