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George Lucas spent years trying to perfect the prequel trilogy ofStar Warsafter the originals. However, his films faced significant backlash when they hit theaters. Over the years, fans have come to love the prequel series. Lucas never wished he could’ve had a superfan focus group at the time that told him what would work and what wouldn’t.
Just like Lucas, James Cameron also spent more than a decade perfecting theAvatarsequel. If these legends were driven by inputs from fans, studios wouldn’t have their billions of dollars worth of projects. This is exactly why fans stand against the idea of creating a cluster of superfans to assess films before release.
Fans Bash The Idea Of Forming Superfan Group That Might Kill George Lucas or James Cameron-Level Creativity
Dealing with ‘toxic fandom’ has been a major problem for the studios. Theunwarranted hate against some of the projectsin recent times has put the studios in a difficult position. Different people deal with the problem differently. According toVariety, most of the studio execs they talked to about dealing with the problem agreed that their best strategy was to avoid provoking such fandoms.
George Lucas’ Unexpected Star Wars Success Completely Derailed James Bond Franchise That No One Saw it Coming
While it didn’t sound like a good idea, they further put forth a solution that rubbed true fans in the wrong way. Big studios with major franchises have already got standard focus groups for testing the content of the movies. Studios would also like to bring together a cluster of superfans who could also assess the marketing materials for the project. One studio exec told Variety:
They’re very vocal. They will just tell us, ‘If you do that, fans are going to retaliate.’ If it’s early enough and the movie isn’t finished yet, we can make those kinds of changes.
Fans were quick to dismiss the idea as terrible when@DiscussingFilmreported it on X. They accused the studios of killing creativity for profits. One fan shared that filmmakers likeGeorge Lucaswouldn’t have made the iconic worlds they created, had they been controlled by superfan groups.
Fans also pointed out that such superfan groups could be the source of major leaks from these projects. Some fans also joked about applying for this job at studios and earning millions. Some of the fan reactions read:
This is a terrible idea.
This sounds like a bad idea. Kill creativity for profit?! Please! Have it over my damn dead body.😤😤😤
Do they think Tolkien, Lucas, Jack Kirby, etc. made these iconic worlds solely out of desire to placate a consumer base? Art has never succeeded as a feedback piece, it works because it guides the audience to a satisfaction they aren’t window shopping for.
not only will this result in leaks, but this will mean the absolute death of art and creativityjust make the movie you want to make. trying to appeal and please everyone is pointlessno matter how great the film turns out to be, someone will still find a way to complainpic.twitter.com/Ilv5ou34Iw
Just let artists do their job.
This should be my full time job for 2 million dollars a year + back end points
Another major problem with this idea is thatdifferent fans may have different opinions on a project. Studios may not be considering the group mentality that sometimes drives the success or failure of these projects.
Other Measures Studios Take To Deal With Toxic Fans
According to Variety, studios will put actors through a social media boot camp, especially when their character is a bit controversial. In some cases, the studio would take over the actor’s social media accounts with their permission. Reportedly, when things got bad, the studios hired security firms to delete the talent information from the internet to protect them.
Lucasfilm Bought a Star Wars Project George Lucas Was Already “Partially Involved” in, Turned it into an Epic $393M Bomb
MGM Studios chief Vernon Sanders shared that the joint efforts of the cast during the first season ofThe Rings of Poweragainstonline abuse and harassmentproved effective. Actors from the series wore clothing and ears, representing Middle-earthers in different skin tones. Sanders shared that the response had been more positive beforeSeason 2.
Actors like Elizabeth Olsen have a rather simple solution according to Variety. They stay off the internet and hence feel protected.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
