The What If Thread..For Other Movies. What if someone else directed Star Wars Episode 1?

MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
edited August 2023 in General Movies & TV Posts: 4,053
After seeing the What If thread for James Bond, I figured that we should start a thread for movies in general. I'll start:
What if Tom Selleck played Indiana Jones?
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Comments

  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,904
    Great one! That is a wonderful bit of movie history. I believe it was similar to what faced Bond. Selleck was either offered the part and rejected it to star in Magnum PI, or he was the first choice but Lucas and Spielberg were hesitant due to his TV committment.

    I like to think that this was a case of the casting working for both. I can't picture another Thomas Magnum than Selleck and Jones will always be Ford. Could have Selleck nailed the part? Perhaps it was a great script and certainly would have worked with another actor, but Ford had that certain something and really owned the part from the beginning. They say bond actors take a few films to get comfy in the role, Ford showed that you can nail a character out of the gate.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,449
    Selleck wouldn't have been bad, I reckon, but it's almost impossible at this point to imagine anyone but Ford playing the part quite as charismatically, charmingly and energetically. Ford feels born for this part. And yet, Selleck might have owned the part in his own way too. I just don't think the Indy films would have been quite as addictive. A big reason for why I love them is Ford. Some parts are played, some are lived. Ford is Indy and he is Han Solo.
  • TheSkyfallen06TheSkyfallen06 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    Posts: 975
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Selleck wouldn't have been bad, I reckon, but it's almost impossible at this point to imagine anyone but Ford playing the part quite as charismatically, charmingly and energetically. Ford feels born for this part. And yet, Selleck might have owned the part in his own way too. I just don't think the Indy films would have been quite as addictive. A big reason for why I love them is Ford. Some parts are played, some are lived. Ford is Indy and he is Han Solo.

    Agreed.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,053
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Selleck wouldn't have been bad, I reckon, but it's almost impossible at this point to imagine anyone but Ford playing the part quite as charismatically, charmingly and energetically. Ford feels born for this part. And yet, Selleck might have owned the part in his own way too. I just don't think the Indy films would have been quite as addictive. A big reason for why I love them is Ford. Some parts are played, some are lived. Ford is Indy and he is Han Solo.

    Agreed.

    Also agreed.

    My next subject is what if Colin Trevorrow directed Star Wars Episode 9: Duel of the Fates?
  • TheSkyfallen06TheSkyfallen06 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    Posts: 975
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Selleck wouldn't have been bad, I reckon, but it's almost impossible at this point to imagine anyone but Ford playing the part quite as charismatically, charmingly and energetically. Ford feels born for this part. And yet, Selleck might have owned the part in his own way too. I just don't think the Indy films would have been quite as addictive. A big reason for why I love them is Ford. Some parts are played, some are lived. Ford is Indy and he is Han Solo.

    Agreed.

    Also agreed.

    My next subject is what if Colin Trevorrow directed Star Wars Episode 9: Duel of the Fates?

    At least it would not be Episode 8.
  • Posts: 2,752
    For anyone interested this is the plot synopsis for Duel of Fates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Duel_of_the_Fates

    On paper it seems better than what we actually got, although I've not read the actual script myself.

    Personally, I'm not all that fond of Trevorrow as a director. At best I find his films average, and at worst misjudged and even incompetent. I can't see his Duel of Fates being a masterpiece simply because of this, but it may have been slightly more satisfying than Rise of Skywalker.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,904
    Why oh why didn't they plan out a cohesive trilogy before shooting any of the movies. I thought JJ did a nice job of setting the new trilogy up and opening up some interesting stories. Then Rian comes in and shits all over it. Ruins Skywalker as a character.

    I would gladly take what Trevorrow over JJ but in fairness JJ had a very unenviable task of cleaning up TLJ and I don't think he can be heavily faulted.
  • edited April 2023 Posts: 2,752
    Yes, it was an odd decision essentially giving three different directors that level of story responsibility. One would have thought the job of the producers would have been to ensure that the basic story elements of these three films remained coherent. It's one of the reasons why I don't think any version of the final film was ever going to be fully realised anyway.

    I must admit though, one of the biggest problems is that both JJ Abrams and Colin Treverrow are, in my opinion anyway, rather bland filmmakers, and Johnson is one who's more willing to experiment. I suppose you can argue that for The Force Awakens someone like Abrams was needed to get the trilogy going. It's enjoyable enough, although for me feels like a duller remake of the original films and I'd argue is even forgettable because of this... but I'm not much of a Star Wars fan.

    Also, I'm probably in the minority by thinking that The Last Jedi is the most interesting of those three movies. It's not perfect by any means, but I appreciate what it was trying to do (stuff like Luke becoming this cynical recluse and having to 'rediscover' himself makes sense to me on paper, and I like the revelation that Rey's parents are in fact 'nobodies' and I find it bizarre that this was retconned in the next one).
  • TheSkyfallen06TheSkyfallen06 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    Posts: 975
    007HallY wrote: »
    Yes, it was an odd decision essentially giving three different directors that level of story responsibility. One would have thought the job of the producers would have been to ensure that the basic story elements of these three films remained coherent. It's one of the reasons why I don't think any version of the final film was ever going to be fully realised anyway.

    I must admit though, one of the biggest problems is that both JJ Abrams and Colin Treverrow are, in my opinion anyway, rather bland filmmakers, and Johnson is one who's more willing to experiment. I suppose you can argue that for The Force Awakens someone like Abrams was needed to get the trilogy going. It's enjoyable enough, although for me feels like a duller remake of the original films and I'd argue is even forgettable because of this... but I'm not much of a Star Wars fan.

    Also, I'm probably in the minority by thinking that The Last Jedi is the most interesting of those three movies. It's not perfect by any means, but I appreciate what it was trying to do (stuff like Luke becoming this cynical recluse and having to 'rediscover' himself makes sense to me on paper, and I like the revelation that Rey's parents are in fact 'nobodies' and I find it bizarre that this was retconned in the next one).

    Yes, it's true that Palpatine turning out to be Rey's granddaughter feels weird as Mod edit, but i feel people give a lot of Mod edit to Palpatine returning as a clone when the Expanded Legends Universe did it decades before, still, that sOmEhOw is unforgivable.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,053
    I think I could do a What If for Star Wars alone, honestly. Continuing on, what if James Dean lived longer? How would this rising star’s star still shone? Some big name people have made their predictions, but let’s see what MI6 says!
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited April 2023 Posts: 4,416
    John Travolta not playing in grease

    Mabey he died of drugs like Monroe / Elvis. Mabey he even play with them in movie or take all parts that Elvis, Clint Eastwood or Steve Mcqueen get. Or imagine him in Ocean's 11 insteed of Sinatra or he get cameo in DAF or OHMSS.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,053
    M_Balje wrote: »
    John Travolta not playing in grease

    Mabey he died of drugs like Monroe / Elvis. Mabey he even play with them in movie or take all parts that Elvis, Clint Eastwood or Steve Mcqueen get. Or imagine him in Ocean's 11 insteed of Sinatra or he get cameo in DAF or OHMSS.

    I could see him pulling off a early Felix Leiter. I could see him in a action scene as Leiter.
  • Posts: 6,682
    I would have loved to see Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones. He would have been funny in the university scenes, bickered in the most fun way with Marion and Willie, and kicked ass in the action scenes.

    Yes, it's true that Palpatine turning out to be Rey's granddaughter feels weird as Mod edit, but i feel people give a lot of Mod edit to Palpatine returning as a clone when the Expanded Legends Universe did it decades before, still, that sOmEhOw is unforgivable.
    I wonder if those are real mod edits, or you're doing what I once thought of, and using that phrase as a "legal" curse word. Anyway, I don't want us to get into trouble, so I'll just shut the Mod Edit up.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou. I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'.
    Posts: 8,657
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    I think I could do a What If for Star Wars alone, honestly. Continuing on, what if James Dean lived longer? How would this rising star’s star still shone? Some big name people have made their predictions, but let’s see what MI6 says!

    Just to get the thread back to its topic, sales of Porsche 550 Spyders might have skyrocketed if he had survived the crash.
  • Posts: 2,752
    It's difficult to say with Dean. Perhaps he would have gone a similar way to Brando and have had a bit of a career slump after the 50s, and probably would with a similar turbulent personal life.

    I do think we would have gotten at least one more great performance out of him though. As iconic as his three roles are, I always feel they're the work of a young actor still finding his footing. Unfortunately he never quite got to the heights of Brando in something like On The Waterfront for me.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,904
    If Dean lives then Elvis doesn't star in King Creole and we have Dean playing the lead character in "A Stone for Danny Fisher". That one hurts as I love that Presley film, certainly his best "serious" acting role.

    I believe Dean wouldn't be the icon he is to this very day. The longer you live the less special your work would feel and appear. Imagine him having a tone of films, there would be turkeys in the mix for sure. As it is Dean is an icon, stars in just three films that showcase his considerable talent and dies young. So if he lived I think he wouldn't have as much an impact on society!
  • edited April 2023 Posts: 295
    Dean would have probably died in a car crash anyway. Apparently he was a crazy driver so my guess is he wouldn't have reached old age. It was claimed he had a death wish due to depression. Dean's mother died when he was a boy.

    Older actors tend to do TV work. Prior to the internet and streaming apps, Charlton Heston ended up appearing on tv soap The Colbys. Heston was a major league film star back in his prime. Sylvestor Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Pierce Brosnan all done recent TV work. All former film stars.

    It would have been strange to see a 70 year old James Dean doing TV soaps or streaming TV shows.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    edited April 2023 Posts: 4,053
    It turns out that Elia Kazan (who launched his career), thought he wouldn't last as an actor. This was due to Dean using his instincts and not his acting training. He was probably right. Dennis Hopper (who starred with him in two movies), said he would have gone into directing, due to his high ego. I think there was a chance he would have become the Shia Labeouf of his generation. His high ego and causing of trouble would have sunk him as a star.

    Speaking of sinking stars and epic films, what if Heaven's Gate had been a hit critically and financially right away? Where would have Michael Cimino gone to in his career? What would have been United Artists fate? Sound off what you think!
  • HildebrandRarityHildebrandRarity Centre international d'assistance aux personnes déplacées, Paris, France
    edited May 2023 Posts: 467
    I don't see any universe where Heaven's Gate could have been a hit. The subject was very dark, and there weren't the little touches of hope that could make The Deer Hunter slightly uplifting. Plus, Cimino was more or less orchestrating his own myth as a doomed poet (The short, butchered, cut of the movie that was released theatrically? He was responsible for the editing too, and didn't bother to reinstate the final shot that would have explained the focus on the photograph during the main events).

    One of the most interesting takes on Cimino comes, from all places, from Christopher Lambert, who starred in The Sicilian. Lambert regards Cimino as the most gifted filmmaker from the New Hollywood era. Cimino was a great writer, production designer, director, etc. But the problem was that, being great at everything, he didn't want to delegate, which is a necessity when you direct a film. So, he would play a lot of mind games and he was paranoid, and he was in a way self-destructive. His career wouldn't have played out much differently.

    But, if Heaven's Gate had been a hit, as a few people have mentioned on this place, United Artists would have been flush with money, and the budget on For Your Eyes Only would have been higher. The "back to basics" approach wasn't ultimately that much of a creative choice, but rather the consequence of the financial situation at UA.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    edited May 2023 Posts: 3,382
    I've never thought that Rege Jean Page had signed up for Simon Templar, means they're rebooting The Saint.

    This makes me wonder last night and I just want answers!

    I've wondered about The Avengers starring Steed and Peel last night, when they could get the due for a reboot today?

    I think if the Avengers 1998 with Thurman, Fiennes and Connery had been a hit, there's a chance.

    I've also made a research that Shane Black had penned a Reboot for The Avengers TV, and it's 2019, but since then, there's no news regarding that, it's seemed that it never came to fruition, maybe because of the bad image of it coming from 1998 film affected the development of it?

    You can also state the possible reason why there's still no news regarding that Shane Black Reboot.

    So now, I'm wondering, what if The Avengers 1998 had been a hit, both commercially and financially? Would there be a chance for The Avengers to get its reboot due today? Would there be a franchise?
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    edited May 2023 Posts: 4,053
    SIS_HQ wrote: »
    I've never thought that Rege Jean Page had signed up for Simon Templar, means they're rebooting The Saint.

    This makes me wonder last night and I just want answers!

    I've wondered about The Avengers starring Steed and Peel last night, when they could get the due for a reboot today?

    I think if the Avengers 1998 with Thurman, Fiennes and Connery had been a hit, there's a chance.

    I've also made a research that Shane Black had penned a Reboot for The Avengers TV, and it's 2019, but since then, there's no news regarding that, it's seemed that it never came to fruition, maybe because of the bad image of it coming from 1998 film affected the development of it?

    You can also state the possible reason why there's still no news regarding that Shane Black Reboot.

    So now, I'm wondering, what if The Avengers 1998 had been a hit, both commercially and financially? Would there be a chance for The Avengers to get its reboot due today? Would there be a franchise?

    I can change the title later on today. In the future, please message me if you have suggestions for this thread. Don’t just takeover the thread at random, please.

    As for The Avengers, it probably could have been a franchise. The 60s were a popular nostalgic trend in the 90s, with Bond and Mission Impossible working with some modern day changes. I also don’t want Shane Black involved with established franchises. Iron Man 3 is still cringeworthy… but speaking of the MCU, Avengers Assemble would have to be it’s worldwide title.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,382
    Sorry for that @MaxCasino ......
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    edited May 2023 Posts: 4,053
    SIS_HQ wrote: »
    Sorry for that @MaxCasino ......

    All is forgiven. Your what if is interesting. Also, Sir Sean Connery might not have retired so soon.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,053
    Alright, moving on, what if Richard Donner had finished Superman 2 as planned? What could have become of the Superman movie series moving forward?
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,000
    Donner did sorta answer that. With 2, he would have worked with Mankiewicz on writing a new ending that replaces Superman spinning the Earth back. That’s another reason why I think the Donner Cut should only serve as a curiosity, since it’s only a theoretical approximation of what it might have been like had SUPERMAN 78 ended with a cliffhanger. I don’t think it works as a proper sequel as it is and even he concurs with that.

    In the commentary he says he might have done a third film and maybe Mankiewicz could have directed the fourth.

    It would have been interesting to see what Mankiewicz would have come up with. Keep in mind, 1 and 2 were basically his rewrites of existing scripts. Would he have been able to deliver a Superman script from the ground up? It’s an interesting what if.

    Another way of hypothesizing is looking at another franchise that Donner actually started and finished: LETHAL WEAPON 1-4. Could his SUPERMAN III had lived up to his first two films or would it have been seen as a disappointing follow up?
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,053
    Donner did sorta answer that. With 2, he would have worked with Mankiewicz on writing a new ending that replaces Superman spinning the Earth back. That’s another reason why I think the Donner Cut should only serve as a curiosity, since it’s only a theoretical approximation of what it might have been like had SUPERMAN 78 ended with a cliffhanger. I don’t think it works as a proper sequel as it is and even he concurs with that.

    In the commentary he says he might have done a third film and maybe Mankiewicz could have directed the fourth.

    It would have been interesting to see what Mankiewicz would have come up with. Keep in mind, 1 and 2 were basically his rewrites of existing scripts. Would he have been able to deliver a Superman script from the ground up? It’s an interesting what if.

    Another way of hypothesizing is looking at another franchise that Donner actually started and finished: LETHAL WEAPON 1-4. Could his SUPERMAN III had lived up to his first two films or would it have been seen as a disappointing follow up?

    Superman 3’s success would have depended on the screenplay. I know Donner wanted to have Brainiac and Bizarro as villains, at some point. Ilya Salkind wanted Brainiac, Mr. Mxyzptlk and Supergirl. Ilya wrote a climax that is very similar to Avengers Endgame at certain points! Alas, nobody won with the Superman 3 that we got.

    Continuing with Superman, here’s another big what if: Tim Burton's "Superman Lives" Was Released in 1998? Courtesy of @TheSkyfallen06 I have a few ideas! Let’s hear your predictions!
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,053
    Alright moving on. What If "Jurassic Park IV" Was Released in 2005? Courtesy of @TheSkyfallen06 let's see what you think.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,053
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    Alright moving on. What If "Jurassic Park IV" Was Released in 2005? Courtesy of @TheSkyfallen06 let's see what you think.

    Alright, this isn’t taking off. So here’s a new one: What If Pierce Brosnan played Bruce Wayne in Batman 89'?
  • Posts: 6,665
    Then Bruce would have better hair.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 13,879
    Joker: "Tell me something. Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

    Broz Wayne: "Huh?"

    53000520793_c897de6f68_o.gif

    Joker: "I always ask that of all my prey. I just like the sound of it."

    Broz Wayne:
    52999444497_0f025a6ea8_o.gif
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