It can't be denied that George Lucas is a filmmaking genius and a true pioneer in the science-fiction game and the creation of the Star Wars franchise is still regarded by many today as one of the best achievements in film history. The original trilogy which kicked off in 1978 relied heavily on practical effects which was quite the feat during the time. As fans ushered in the new millennium, Lucasfilm also took the opportunity to adapt to the changes in film technology and took advantage of it big time.
The prequel trilogy which officially launched in 1999 via Episode I - The Phantom Menace introduced diehard fans of the saga to a whole new visual experience with the digital age starting to make its presence felt. Since then, Lucasfilm and other production companies for that matter began using blue screens instead of practical effects which were, of course, more cost-efficient not to mention visually stunning.
However, George Lucas' apparent "overreliance" on visual effects isn't something one of the actors from the prequels was too fond of when they were filming the trilogy. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Ewan McGregor aired his grievances about the prequels and how upset he was that they weren't accepted by the Star Wars fandom.
He later revealed how he struggled with George's use of VFX especially in Revenge of the Sith which most of the scenes relied heavily on the blue screen technology. He explains: "After three or four months of that, it just gets really tedious, especially when the scenes are... I don't want to be rude, but it's not Shakespeare. There's not something to dig into in the dialogue that can satisfy you when there's no environment there. It was quite hard to do."
To be fair, using practical effects especially during the time when digital effects were already the trend wasn't practical financially speaking. And although his standalone Obi-Wan series will still utilize VFX, it still differs from the one Lucasfilm used for the prequels. The project, much like The Mandalorian will make use of the StageCraft technology first used by Jon Favreau which makes everything seem more natural and realistic which was Ewan's concern, to begin with.
Meanwhile, Star Wars' Obi-Wan series is scheduled for release in 2022.
Also Read:Star Wars: Ewan McGregor Grows Back his Signature Obi-Wan Kenobi Beard
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