Can Abrams’ midas touch turn Star Wars to gold?

WILL rebooting the Star Wars franchise prove too much of a task for sci fi’s “boy wonder” JJ Abrams?

That’s just one of the questions that MMU Lecturer in Film Studies and Contemporary American Literature Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn will be taking on at the 72nd World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in London next week.

Abrams, who is directing Episode VII of Star Wars, is best known for his work on the television series Lost and the successful Star Trek reboot.

But Dr Ní Fhlainn says this will be the trickiest challenge yet, particularly as the “prequels” to the original films directed by George Lucas were widely considered to be a flop.

Retrofuturism

Dr Ní Fhlainn said: “I think to revive any kind of franchise is really dangerous nowadays because fan power is strong – the fans feel they have a much greater stake in the films they love, and their reactions on social media  are so immediate.”

Abrams’ work is an example of retrofuturism, where films from the past, often the 1980s, are updated in such a way that they work on two levels – for children viewing them for the first time and for the adults who originally enjoyed them.

Dr Ní Fhlainn said: “This is something Abrams does very well, but the real litmus test will be Star Wars. People are so unforgiving, and it will be interesting to see if he can resurrect the universe without bringing the bad feeling that went with the Lucas prequels.”

The retrovisual style that Abrams has almost perfected includes bright colours, kitsch touches and a futuristic look, but is, according to Dr Ní Fhlainn, “designed to create an emotional connection and transcend two particular historic periods.”

“Midas touch”

“The idea is that the films look neither 80s not futuristic, but somewhere in a fantastical middle ground,” she said. “They’re not trying to distinctively redesign the future, like Blade Runner did.”

She added that the success of Star Trek is the first hint that Abrams may have what it takes to revive Star Wars’ fortunes, as even “non trekkies” said they enjoyed the films.

But she added that his “midas touch” reputation has been hard earned and was only made possible by support from the likes of Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy.

“I think he’s on a precipice – we don’t know which way it is going to go. Personally, I want him to succeed,” said Dr Ní Fhlainn.

Fan ownership

She will be the only academic speaking on the panel, which features science fiction writers and fans from across the world.

“It will be interesting to see the differences between the fan responses to the films and the academic ones,” she said. “It’s a really interesting time to be doing this panel.

“Fans own things more than ever,” she said. “It’s such an interesting time. Can he pull of the trick of true retrofuturism and make everyone happy?”

Dr Ní Fhlainn will be tweeting from the convention via @VampireSorcha.

Notes to editors: To speak to Sorcha Ní Fhlainn, contact Kat Dibbits in the MMU press office on 0161 247 5278 or email K.Dibbits@mmu.ac.uk.