Why Parker Bros got Star Wars

[NovaXpress]

The story I heard at the time:

Before Star wars was released, Lucas sold exclusive toy rights to the General Mills corporation. GM quickly released figures through their Kenner division, board games through their Parker Bros division, and weird paper spaceships that travelled down a string included in Lucky Charms cereal.

Due to this contract, Lucas was unable to sell video game rights as he wished to do. When Parker went into the video gaming business, the licnese could finally be used. This is why it took so long to see an official Star Wars game. Atari licensed the arcade rights from General Mills, with Parker getting home rights as part of the deal.

You can bet it just killed 20th Century Fox to have lost out on this deal. At least they still had Megaforce!

 

So is this the true story? Any other details to this?

[PeeknPoke]

forgive me if im wrong, but didnt lucas have the licence for all Star Wars products (20th cent.fox thought them to be worthless). Didnt he have a say in what was produced? there might be some truth in that though.

 

Lee

[Dan Iacovelli]

I don't know the story behind the star wars licining thing but heres an interesting thing: when Mel brooks made his spoof of Star Wars (space balls) which was ok with lucas. Mel wanted to also sell stuff from Space

Balls but Lucas said no. thats is why you saw Space balls stuff through the whole Space Balls movie.

Dan Iacovelli

[NovaXpress]

Lucas sold the toy rights to General Mills. Look at EVERY old school Star wars toy and you will see their name, or an affiliates' name. That's no doubt.

 

What i can't be sure of is whether video games were indeed covered by this deal.

 

If Fox had kept the rights, Lucas wouldnt have made millions off the General Mills deal.

[Gregory DG]

forgive me if im wrong, but didnt lucas have the licence for all Star Wars products (20th cent.fox thought them to be worthless).

 

The way I understand it was 20th Century Fox had all rights to Star Wars, but when it made so much money, Lucas bought all the rights back.

[NovaXpress]

That's absolutely wrong. Lucas received all merchandising rights in exchange for giving up his director's salary. This has never been done since because Fox lost a bundle.

[ATARI TROLL]

Be kinda cool if there was a space balls cart or proto floating out there

[Vic George 2K3]

I don't know the story behind the star wars licining thing but heres an interesting thing: when Mel brooks made his spoof of Star Wars (space balls) which was ok with lucas. Mel wanted to also sell stuff from Space  

Balls but Lucas said no. thats is why you saw Space balls stuff through the whole Space Balls movie.

Dan Iacovelli

 

That was perfect as a tongue-in-cheek joke to the Star Wars merchandizing mania. Not that anyone really needs Spaceballs merchandise even to the same level as Star Wars merchandise, but anyway it was funny to see even self-referential "merchandise" in the bathroom of Mel Brooks' President Scrube. Makes me think of that "What's Cute...And What's Not" in an issue of MAD Magazine where it says "ET in the theatres is cute...ET all over your house is not", and we see a bathroom that's just so wall-to-wall with ET.

[NovaXpress]

Here's a mind twister:

 

The word Ewok was NEVER used in Return of the Jedi. The only reason we know that word is because of the toys.

[Nukey Shay]

Err...isn't it in the script??

[NovaXpress]

We didn't see that script onscreen did we? If you only saw the movie, you never heard "Ewok"

[MegaManFan]

What the hell were they called in the movie then? Little furry warriors? Now I gotta pull out our tape tonight and watch it just to see.

[Nukey Shay]

They, them, etc. The characters refer to the Ewoks pretty vaguely.

 

And I'm almost certian that the script came before the toys

George Lucas though...so I could be wrong.

[Gregory DG]

Also, say Ewok phonetically backwards and you get "Wook-E."

[Godzilla]

no its kow-e

[tyranthraxus]

Lucas had amazing luck. Before SW few movies had much in the way

of merchandise beyond the odd poster, theatre program, trading cards or model kit. There just wasn't really much money in it. I think the Planet of the Apes movies were the most merchandised pre-SW films. Lucas took a bit of a gamble when he asked for all the merchandise rights. Who

would've know the movie was going to be so popular? The film

came out in 1977 and it wasn't until 1978 that action figures and most

of the other stuff came out! Lucas signed away his fee but did keep his profit shares in the gross. He gave a few points away to key cast and crew who he thought earned it.

 

John

[Big_Mo]

Also, say Ewok phonetically backwards and you get "Wook-E."  

 

Maybe if you say the syllables in backwards order...

 

Also, if I am remebering correctly, there are one or two "Ewok Warrior" listings in the end credits of the film.

[gulag picture radio]

In Lucas' original vision of the third film, we were supposed to join the heroes on the Wookie home planet. When that proved to be tremndously expensive, Lucas opted for cutesy little teddy bears. Through a remarkable spark of imagination he even named them similarly as "Ewoks". There's been some talk on Lucas' part that these are even descended species.

 

Really I stopped listening to the guy after Jedi. He lost his fire, and apparently much of his talent while making that film - and he's only worsened since. I really wish that I could take back the several hours I spent watching the prequels and mayube I could use the time to play Star Wars games on the Atari. Both feature computer rendered worlds, but only one is capable of bringing an ounce of pleasure if you asked me.

[Nukey Shay]

Also, if I am remebering correctly, there are one or two "Ewok Warrior" listings in the end credits of the film.

 

Yep...

Malcolm Dixon, Mike Cottrell [Ewok warriors]

[MegaManFan]

Yep...

Malcolm Dixon, Mike Cottrell [Ewok warriors]

 

A-ha! So we're not all nuts for knowing their names after all!