Paul Hirsch's Memoir: Editing Star Wars 'A New Hope' and Lucasfilm Insights

The Making of 'A New Hope'

• 💡 The discussion centers on Paul Hirsch's memoir, detailing his eight months editing the original "Star Wars" movie with George and Marcia Lucas.
• 🎬 Hirsch's memoir, "A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away," offers insights into the editing process, including crucial decisions about scene order and character introductions.
• 📌 A key anecdote involves restructuring the Ben's cave scene to play Leia's message after Luke and Ben's discussion, enhancing the emotional impact.
• 🎨 Hirsch suggested reversing the lightsaber colors for Luke (blue) and Vader (red), drawing from Renaissance art iconography.
• 🚀 The memoir also touches on George Lucas's early calculations for the film's profitability, focusing on merchandise sales.

Lucasfilm and Star Wars Content

• 🌟 The Mandalorian is praised for its weekly release schedule, building anticipation and its masterful storytelling, drawing parallels to the original trilogy's excitement.
• 👶 The popularity of "Baby Yoda" and the merchandising challenges are discussed, referencing the 1978 toy scarcity.
• 🎬 Comparisons are drawn to the film "The Three Godfathers" as a narrative precursor to The Mandalorian's story arc.
• 📺 Star Wars Resistance is noted as being rushed due to its cancellation, struggling to condense its intended story into fewer seasons.
• 🚀 The upcoming "Rise of Skywalker" film's running time is confirmed at 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Disney Parks and Experiences

• 🎢 The Imagineering Story documentary is highlighted, focusing on the development of Star Tours, including George Lucas and Michael Eisner cutting the ribbon with a lightsaber.
• 🛠️ Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland is slated for a significant update in 2020, addressing issues like the collapsing ceiling effect and adding new animatronics.
• 🏆 Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge received two Thea Awards, with Imagineering confirming ongoing storytelling development for the land.
• 🌌 The immersive details of Galaxy's Edge are praised, including the audio effects like TIE fighter flyovers and the realistic "used future" aesthetic.
• 🚀 The Millennium Falcon ride experience is described as stressful but rewarding, with a focus on the detailed interior and the challenge of piloting.
• 🥛 Blue Milk and Green Milk are discussed, with a preference for the blue, but neither is considered as good as Butterbeer.
• 🛍️ The marketplaces within Galaxy's Edge are lauded for their atmosphere and detail, despite crowded conditions in some retail spaces like the Droid Depot.
• 🏨 The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Hotel is on track for a late 2020 opening, with extensive cast member testing planned.

Hollywood and Leadership

• 🗣️ The podcast critiques media coverage of Kathleen Kennedy, highlighting the sexist framing of her age and leadership compared to male counterparts.
• 👍 Both hosts express strong support for Kathleen Kennedy's tenure at Lucasfilm, crediting her with revitalizing the Star Wars franchise.
• 🎤 The discussion touches on the importance of self-control in avoiding spoilers for upcoming films like "Rise of Skywalker."