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Credit: Disney+Star Wars manages to release a slew of different projects all the time, but many of them never happen due to the “Star Wars Killer.”
It’s not something that purposely hunts down projects and makes sure they get canceled, but fans don’t realize just how hard it is to get a Star Wars project up and running. Lucasfilm has been in this business for a long time, and it’s not surprising that fans might not have realized that one thing plays a huge role in hurting new upcoming projects.
Lucasfilm Licensing.
What is Lucasfilm Licensing?
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Just like any other major franchise, Star Wars uses Lucasfilm Licensing (LFL) for all of its products. That’s right. Any toy, movie, comic, game, board game, card, etc., must be looked at by LFL. To add to this, check a Star Wars toy’s packaging. You will likely find those three letters hidden somewhere, marking that the group has approved this toy.
Why does Lucasfilm care so deeply about this? Because they care about products, not stories. LFL wants to make sure every product of Lucasfilm does its brand justice and stays within reason inside canon. Star Wars won’t let any company come in and bring in new radical ideas to the franchise without approval.
What does LFL do for Star Wars?
LFL focuses a lot on merchandise, and one thing most fans forget about is that video games can fall into that category. It’s a product that Lucasfilm wants to sell, and what’s crazy is that LFL has to check every detail for a video game. While they might not critique the story since other departments do that, they have to verify every detail of the game to ensure nothing slips past their inspections to hurt the brand.
Sometimes, the only reason why some changes aren’t done quicker is because someone from LFL has to approve the change, and fans and the workers have to wait. LFL isn’t a bad group, but their process to check everything has led to some companies facing expenses they weren’t ready for.
Why is LFL expensive?
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In game development, any new change that requires approval means time is spent waiting. Waiting for key features to be approved, means that the timetable for a game with the Star Wars brand can take much longer than most. This form of micromanagement is one reason why certain publishers like EA didn’t make too many games.
They claimed that Star Wars games are expensive to make, and it’s true. Sure, they will sell, but the initial investment is why some projects never finish. Lucasfilm will constantly check every project detail, which can lead to several things not going right for the company. Waiting for the detail to be approved means time wasted not doing development, and there’s no guarantee that these changes are quick. LFL is checking everything Star Wars, meaning that some things just don’t get approved right away, and that’s why games or certain merchandise don’t get the love they deserve. The price for approval in the Star Wars world is just too high.
It’s the biggest Star Wars killer for a reason
Lucasfilm Licensing’s perspective on Star Wars is not ideal for any creativity. Since they view their projects as products and are looking at how it fits into canon and makes the company money, it can sometimes lead to some Star Wars projects drastically changing.
Making Star Wars projects wait for approval leads to the company spending more time and money to ensure their project gets completed. Whether that be a mobile game, video game, board game, etc., that time starts to add up, and sometimes the company can’t justify the costs anymore. Disney loses nothing except the fact that they make less money.
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Star Wars also tends to make exclusive deals with companies, forcing one company to have more pressure for their Star Wars product. Why? Because fans expect more because it’s Star Wars and will blame the developers before blaming someone like Lucasfilm Licensing for taking ages to finish approving one small detail.
The number of video games canceled by companies not having the resources or teams to handle something like a Star Wars game. Fans don’t realize how much extra work goes into a project under Lucasfilm as every detail must be checked by someone, yet certain story elements end up retconned anyway.
How LFL could change to save Star Wars
Star Wars must make Lucasfilm Licensing more efficient to help every studio or developer. Why? It will help them make more money if more studios create more projects. Having a faster response time and more resources to help create more products.
Not only will this help Lucasfilm get more merchandise and projects created, but Star Wars will have a better reputation overall after getting more success from projects released. Star Wars has a lot of projects up in the air at the moment. Several movies are shelved, and some might not get developed. Disney+ series have promised a potential second season, and some promised (Lando, R2-D2/C-3P0 series, etc.) don’t have any release date planned.
If Lucasfilm Licensing became more friendly to studios and helped create more products, Disney would allow more projects to have the space for creative talent. Star Wars is in a great place right now, and the history of failed projects could be shortened.
Do you think Lucasfilm Licensing should change its current strategy? Let Inside the Magic know what you think!