The Major Problem with Galaxy’s Edge!

As we get closer and closer to the 2019 opening of Galaxy’s Edge, we are getting more details about the park expansion, and Galaxy’s Edge problem seems almost glaring.  The expansion of a park with an IP was fulfilled in Universal Studio’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It opened on June 13, 2010 and then Universal Studios Japan on July 15, 2014 and Universal Studios Hollywood on April 7, 2016.  Located at Islands of Adventure in Orlando, two rides were re-themed for Harry Potter, it is separate from the other park areas.  It was immersive, you don’t get a Woody Woodpecker, Jaws, or E.T. anywhere in Hogsmeade.  There isn’t a single Universal Studios brand; Universal Studios t-shirts, postcards, magnets.  You might find them at the Jurassic Park or Transformers store.  It is merch that is sold at other outlets in the park, but it is exclusively Harry Potter merch.  The food isn’t Harry Potter Wand Cakes or Fluffy Burgers.  This would be the Disney approach with Darth Tamales and The Pastry Menace (which were sold in 2015 at Disneyland).  You can tell that Disney is specifically following in Wizarding World’s footsteps, but there is something they didn’t learn from it. 

Galaxy's Edge model at Star Wars: Hangar Bay, photo by the author.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is set in well known environments, the village of Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, and the expansion of Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida which opened on July 8, 2014. They were constructed under the supervision of the production designer, Stuart Craig, and supervising art director, Alan Gilmore, of the Harry Potter films.  An ambitious construction project to bring the detail of the film sets to a working theme park.  You are literally walking  in Hogsmeade; little corners, parts of the stores, food, and drink. So this leads us to Galaxy’s Edge.  It was announced that the setting of the park expansion is Batuu, a planet in the current setting of the Sequel Trilogy. It was dropped on a November 17, 2017.  The location was seen as one of the stops in the Star Tours attraction.  Here’s the major problem, Batuu is not familiar to me, Galaxy’s Edge does have Doug Chiang to help with it’s design, still I never saw it on film.  This is Disney’s version of what Star Wars is like, not actually Star Wars.  

It is like the Marvel comic books, officially canon, but not really Star Wars.  I don’t know if there will be space vampires and serial killer droids at Galaxy’s Edge, but if it is all something canon, it is still new. This was the problem with Star Tours at Hollywood Studios, they have an Ewok village with a full size AT-AT walker peeking out, next to a photo op with a speeder bike, and the Star Wars Galactic Outpost store which was themed to a Tatooine storefront.  It was a mish mash, cheap, and Disneyfied.  Now Galaxy’s Edge is going the opposite direction, new Star Wars, which is never been seen before.  If so, it misses the point of the Wizarding World, it gives guests the chance to walk through the world they only saw on screen.  Wizarding World would be disappointing if it took place in Zonko’s Dimension which we never saw in the movies.  Galaxy’s Edge is in Zonko’s Dimension.  I think the Disney Imagineers in response to the Wizarding World were like Warner Bros. DC movies, instead of releasing movies on individual heroes like Marvel, let’s all throw them in one movie, you see how that worked.  Without identification with a property, it’s difficult to be invested.  

Galaxy's Edge gate, photo by the author.

Galaxy’s Edge is the chance to walk a new world, which could be anything.  It is not Star Wars.  Batuu was introduced in the Timothy Zahn novel Thrawn: Alliances. This takes place in the Clone Wars with Anakin Skywalker and the pre-Star Wars: Rebels time with Thrawn.  So there is some time before we get the Sequel Trilogy-era Batuu.  Still, even if we get a glimpse of Batuu and Black Spire Outpost in Episode IX, or a scene set there, it will not be enough time to get a sense of it as a Star Wars place.  Plus, Episode IX will out, December 20th, after the opening of Galaxy’s Edge, said to be sometime in the summer.  If they show videos of characters in Galaxy’s Edge, a scouting log of the Resistance finding possible safe places, then that will be better.  Still, it would not be full immersion if it is a place that is new.  I would like a world like Tatooine, California feels like it has twin suns now, Felucia would be like Pandora at Animal Kingdom, or even Lothal from Star Wars: Rebels. These are worlds that may change in the Sequel Trilogy era, but have a connection to Star Warriors.  You can see in the press releases that Disney is already breaking canon, it is not formatted like an intercepted HoloNet transmission, and written up by Disney reps.  Disney really has to promote Galaxy’s Edge better, most likely there will be an opportunity for attendees of the Chicago Celebration on April 11th to the 15th, 2019, probably before Galaxy’s Edge opens.  I suspect JJ Abrams will have a Force for Change opportunity connected with Galaxy’s Edge, Episode IX may or may not premiere at Galaxy’s Edge.   I have a bad feeling that we will be seeing Chewbacca Churros soon.  

#GalaxysEdge, #WizardingWorldofHarryPotter, #Batuu, #BlackSpireOutpost