Film is a seed of dreams, and Star Wars is an eternal dreamland rooted in the memories of countless people. Duke also believed that Star Wars: The Force Awakens would make audiences feel, "We're home."
At the end of today's convention, Duke prepared a special surprise for the nearly ten thousand attendees — they would all take part in the upcoming Star Wars concert.
At the concert, the legendary film composer John Williams would greet every guest through a video message, while the San Diego Symphony Orchestra would perform his classic Star Wars pieces. Accompanied by beautiful music such as The Imperial March and Anakin's Theme, the Star Wars crew would create an unforgettable night for all Comic-Con participants.
However, the second poster released by the production team the next day caused a huge uproar.
It was a poster featuring the main villain, Kylo Ren. In it, Kylo Ren was shown staggering through a dark forest while igniting a red lightsaber representing the Dark Side of the Force. Yet unlike traditional Star Wars lightsabers, this one had a red crossguard, making it look somewhat like a medieval broadsword.
The controversy stemmed from this very design — the crossguard flames of the lightsaber were mocked by countless netizens online.
"Wouldn't he stab himself with that?"
"If you want to kill yourself but don't have the guts, just use this sword — swing twice and you're done."
"Tilt your wrist, and the hilt goes straight through your own hand."
"I thought it was pretty cool at first, but after a closer look, yeah… it looks like a wrist injury waiting to happen. Maybe it's not for daily use, just an emergency weapon for special moments?"
The incident quickly drew media attention, and several reporters sought out Duke for interviews.
"My inbox has been flooded with protest emails," Duke admitted. "Some of them refute the design in detail with diagrams, others are just rambling nonsense. Some people even claim this design will backfire and kill its own wielder."
Regarding the heated online debate, Duke said he actually found it quite interesting. But he didn't reveal the true reason for the design to the media, only saying it was "a long story." "My team and I actually argued about it," he said. "After a long series of discussions, we finally decided to go with this design."
Of course, the design was carefully chosen by Duke — his goal was to spark controversy.
A movie without controversy is never a true commercial film. As long as the range and intensity of the debate are controlled, it not only avoids real negative effects but also generates an enormous amount of attention.
While some mocked the red crossguard lightsaber of the Dark Side, after Duke's interview went public, more fans began defending him online.
"Am I the only one who thinks it's awesome?"
"If the director says it's safe, then it's safe."
"I still think it looks badass."
"If Duke put it in the movie, there must be a good reason — I'm sure it'll make sense when we see the film!"
"Let people mock it now — when the movie drops, it's probably going to be so cool it blows everyone's minds!"
At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, the space-themed films being promoted weren't limited to Star Wars: The Force Awakens — there was also the newest Star Trek movie. Fans of the two franchises had never gotten along, and now that The Force Awakens had completely stolen the spotlight, hardcore Star Trek fans were furious.
They took to Twitter and InstantShare, using both social media platforms as battlegrounds to mock Duke and the red crossguard lightsaber relentlessly.
"The origin of the red crossguard lightsaber is quite a long story."
"In the first week, Duke Rosenberg was speeding, crashed into a tree, and hit his head. When he woke up in the hospital, he decided to make something he saw in his coma — a cross-shaped lightsaber."
"In the second week, when the screenwriter heard this, he immediately brought preschool-level science books to explain why it was impossible — but it didn't work."
"In the third week, the screenwriter quit in anger. In the fourth week, they couldn't find anyone willing to write about a crossguard lightsaber. Fifth week — still no luck. Weeks six through nine — no suitable writer at all."
"By week ten, they finally found one, but when the script reached the prop department, the prop master looked through elementary school textbooks and refused to cooperate. From week eleven to twenty-one, the entire prop team went on strike to protest Duke Rosenberg's lightsaber design."
"In week twenty-two, Duke built one himself for an actor to use — and the first actor got sliced to death."
"From week twenty-three to forty-three, Duke Rosenberg's red crossguard lightsaber injured or killed twenty-two actors in total… and counting."
"Finally, when the film is released in December, there will be only one usable IMAX shot — because in all the other footage, the cast kept changing due to injuries."
The debate among Star Wars fans was an internal matter, but once Star Trek fans joined the fray, the Star Wars community quickly united against a common enemy. Guided subtly by Duke's marketing team, both sides launched a massive flame war across the internet.
With both fandoms boasting enormous followings, the online conflict escalated into a major cultural discussion across North America and the Western world.
It was exactly what Duke had anticipated.
By the last two days of San Diego Comic-Con, the arguments had started to die down — but then the parody wave began.
Ever since The Force Awakens' red crossguard lightsaber sparked online ridicule, the spoofs just wouldn't stop. A bunch of pranksters unleashed their imaginations: How weird can a lightsaber get?
A video production team released a meticulously crafted lightsaber duel — a "spectacular" fight between a Jedi and his old nemesis, a Sith Lord. The red crossguard saber was one of the main weapons — but the sabers in their hands looked… odd.
Cross-shaped? Electric-powered? Those were just the beginning. Soon, there were triangle sabers, axe sabers, even umbrella sabers — the weirder, the better! By the end, the outcome didn't even matter anymore…
Duke, Lucasfilm, and Warner Bros. simply couldn't stop the relentless wave of promotions for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Some Star Wars fans even discussed and analyzed, in all seriousness, the possible origins of Kylo Ren's fiery crossguard lightsaber.
"Actually, several years ago, in an NDS mini-game about The Clone Wars, the Nightsisters were already using lightsabers with cross-shaped guards. Sure, there's a risk of self-injury, but this needs to be evaluated comprehensively."
"First of all, a lightsaber powered by the Force is already a weapon prone to self-injury. Anyone who chooses to use it must undergo training to master it without hurting themselves. It would naturally become their accustomed weapon. Conversely, for someone unfamiliar with this saber—say, an enemy who captured it—it would be harder to wield smoothly."
"Secondly, it's said that lightsabers have different fighting styles. For example, Obi-Wan is a typical defensive fighter. A crossguard might hinder an agile style requiring frequent swings and hand changes, but could it also strengthen certain power-based forms? Whether a crossguard is redundant or not can't be generalized—the difference in combat styles must be taken into account."
"Furthermore, assuming a style has been determined, whether the two extra side blades protect the hands or not, they could still offer opportunities for surprise attacks in battle. Suppose Jedi and Sith are both highly skilled in single-blade combat—then adding two extra blades increases the variables the opponent must consider, transforming familiar situations into something advantageous to the wielder. In function, this is similar to the legendary double-bladed saber, lightwhip, or adjustable-length combat saber. The underlying concept is the same."
It had to be said—Star Wars was not just a belief anymore; it had practically evolved into an academic discipline.
Although this year's San Diego Comic-Con was mainly focused on promoting Star Wars: The Force Awakens, there was also another exhibition hall related to Duke.
Not far from the Star Wars showcase, Duke's team organized a special event called "An Evening with Duke Rosenberg."
This event featured all of Duke's films throughout his career, once again drawing massive crowds of movie and comic fans alike.
"For those who love cinema, Duke Rosenberg is a miraculous existence!"
That was the main promotional slogan of the exhibit and it earned the approval of most fans present.
As the San Diego Comic-Con neared its end, the organizers presented Duke with a grand honor—the "Icon Award."
When accepting the award and giving his speech, Duke faced thousands of ordinary fans in the hall. His words were far more heartfelt than any acceptance speech at the Oscars.
"I've stepped into a very strange world—as if, over the past twenty years, a whirlwind swept me into the magical world of cinema. I want to create the most personal yet most wondrous commercial blockbusters."
Pointing to the thousands of ordinary fans in the hall, he said loudly, "I'm deeply grateful that you've given me this opportunity. But lately, when chatting with friends, I've often mentioned this line: 'Keep earning what you've already achieved.' You have to keep striving and fighting for it. So, for those fans who have given me so much sincerity, inspiration, and passion—I will continue to give you even more in return."
The applause that erupted on-site far surpassed that of any Oscar ceremony.
Compared to all that, Duke cared much more about the support of these ordinary fans.
....
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