Star Wars Bits: LucasArts, Daniel Day-Lewis, And J.J. Abrams' Lens Flare Addiction
Notorious lens flare addictJ.J. Abramstakes the first steps toward recovery, just in time to shootEpisode VII. Also after the jump:
They should figure out a way to bring my (rear) back from wherever I went when I fell out that window, because you know a Jedi can fall from incredible heights and not die. I’d just come back with a fake hand like Darth Vader and my purple lightsaber.
Here’s hopingthisis the time J.J. Abrams was listening. [PlayboyviaUSA Today]
Meanwhile,Daniel Day-Lewishasn’tpubliclyspoken about a desire to appear inStar Wars Episode VII, but his reported choice of lunch companions has us wondering if he’s considered it in private.
FREE STAR WARS (maybe) TWITTER SCOOP! Kathleen Kennedy & Lucas had lunch w/DANIEL DAY LEWIS @ Bistro in San Rafael this past Thursday. RT
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe)June 03, 2025
Or maybe he just wanted to meet them so he could express his intense admiration forIndiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. You don’t know his life. [Latino Review]
It appears that Han, Luke, and Leia won’t head to Planet Heisenberg after all. Contrary to rumors thatEpisode VIIcould shoot in New Mexico, a new report indicates that the state was “never on the list” to begin with. The project “is being filmed in London,” the source added. [ABQ Journal]
Fans ofJ.J. Abramshave (mostly lovingly) mocked his use of lens flare for years, and it seems the filmmaker has finally heard them. He admits that his habit may have gotten out of hand, and apologizes for those who were hurt by his addiction.
I know I get a lot of grief for that. But I’ll tell you, there are times when I’m working on a shot, I think, ‘Oh this would be really cool… with a lens flare.’ But I know it’s too much, and I apologize. I’m so aware of it now. I was showing my wife an early cut of Star Trek Into Darkness and there was this one scene where she was literally like, ‘I just can’t see what’s going on. I don’t understand what that is.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I went too nuts on this.’
This is how stupid it was,. I actually had to use ILM [Industrial Light & Magic] to remove lens flare in a couple of shots, which is, I know, moronic. But I think admitting you’re an addict is the first step towards recovery.
Stay strong, Abrams. [Crave]
While the news thatLucasArtshad shut down was deeply disappointing, it wasn’t entirely surprising. Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm was bound to lead to some restructuring, and the game studio was coming off of some rough years. Now an in-depth report reveals how it really went down.
Even before Disney purchased LucasFilm, the parent company of LucasArts, in November of 2012, the studio faced serious issues. LucasArts was a company paralyzed by dysfunction, apathy, and indecision from executives at the highest levels.
“The bay area is filled with people who have had their hearts broken by LucasFilm or LucasArts,” said one person connected to the studio. “The sad legacy of multiple presidents, multiple layoffs… there’s a lot of people out there who’ve been treated badly by the company.”
