The Stars Wars that Disney has created is not the same vision that George Lucas had in 1977. This new story is a convoluted mess, and defaces the very foundation of which the other six installments of the franchise established. Lucas’s Star Wars created a universe in which all fans could relate, rely on, and escape to. Whether it be a story of perseverance, freedom, and reconciliation found in the original trilogy, or tragedy, deceit, and conspiracy in the prequels, Star Wars conveyed a complex, realistic struggle against the very same traits found in all people. That is why millions of fans love this franchise so dearly, and are so passionate about it.

When I was only three years old, I remember watching a New Hope for the first time with my father. Even though I was too young to fully grasp what the movie conveyed, I was awe struck by the characters. Whether it be the iconic villain Darth Vader, or the unbelievable performance of Alec Guiness as Obi Wan Kenobi, the love that was established that day at three has not waned over the next 18 years of my life. Star Wars will always be an important part of my relationship with my family and friends, who have been in line waiting anxiously for all nine star wars films as of 2017.

Now, I feel like the franchise that I love is hanging by a thread. It has gone from the dream of one man, to an absolute shallow “cash cow” of a franchise. The importance of the deep Star Wars lore established over decades of commitment and love towards the franchise by Lucasfilm, authors, video games, and fans has been cast aside amidst the attempts to milk (metaphorically, not like the cringey milking scene in The last Jedi) the Star Wars name for every last penny. The new trilogy is shallow, shameful, and lacking purpose. The characters are weak, and their lines are riddled with immature, forced jokes. The plot itself, whether a Abrams weak reprint of A New Hope or a Johnson affront to Star Wars itself, is baseless and lacking a commonalty for fans to associate with. These new writers have turned “the force” itself into a cheap cop-out, and takes a once mysterious connection to a living energy, and turns it into magic tricks that do not align with past established lore whatsoever. On the simplest level, these movies are terrible.

I remember the infamous “prequel hate” that George Lucas received over episodes 1, 2, and 3. As an avid fan, over the past few years I have witnessed a shift in those previously mainstream beliefs. My generation especially has seemed to have gone back and seen different side of these movies. The story was strong, the characters were real, and the indescribable essence of Star Warsness was embodied. I cannot recount how many people I have heard describing this new movies as “just not Star Wars.” This is why I petition to REMOVE Rian Johnson from any future additions to the franchise, and for Disney to reconsider their endeavours into future installments.

There is still hope… I can see the Star Wars that we all know and love still present and evolving today. For example, I believe that Rogue One still had that Star Wars feel to it. When watching the anthology, it felt more in place with the Star Wars saga than any of the sequel trilogy movies. You could tell that the team behind that movie were true Star Wars fans who had a deep respect for the movies, and the universe.

I call on Disney to hire a new generation of Star Wars fans to reorganize and revitalize this important franchise. Whether it be their failures on the big screen, or our tvs at home (The EA disaster, Star Wars Rebels in comparison to Clone Wars, etc.) Disney needs to reconsider the future of this franchise. Hire REAL FANS, and ask them what they want from the franchise. What we think of future endeavours! Until Disney realizes their extreme oversight, we will all wait and hope that one day the franchise we all love so dearly will return.