Is Lucas secretly planning another trilogy?

Buzz Bumble

Furry Ewok
This is from Houston Chronicle ...

Is Lucas secretly planning another Star Wars trilogy?
Call them the Phantom Movies.

During the pre-release hullabaloo for The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, George Lucas suggested that the Luke Skywalker saga would not be complete after three films, or even six films. He spoke of intentions to make Star Wars a nine-installment franchise.

It was widely reported in print throughout the 1980s that he would create two follow-up trilogies, one going back in time to explore Darth Vader's roots and another turning the clock ahead to revisit the further adventures of his heroic son Luke Skywalker.

Yet it looks like that third set of films has vanished from the radar like a starship in hyperdrive.

According to Lucas, the new Jedi epic Revenge of the Sith is the swan song for the series. He believes the third prequel, which follows Anakin Skywalker's devolution into Darth Vader, provides the closure fans seek.

"The (series) starts with Darth Vader as a young lad and ends with him dying so I don't know where else I can take it," says Lucas. "It's what I wanted it to be."

The director denies ever stating that he'd make Episodes VII through IX, blaming the media for reporting rumors as fact in the early days of Star Wars.

Speaking to journalists earlier this month at his Skywalker Ranch headquarters in Marin County, Calif., Lucas said the hype was "created by you guys, not by me."

Technically, he never promised nine movies, but the news stories of Luke redux weren't pure fiction.

"We made an announcement to the press, 'There's enough material for three trilogies,'" says Gary Kurtz, producer of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. "It wasn't that nine films were going to be made. It was to give you an idea of how much material was there."

Before Lucas wrote the script for 1977's Star Wars, he put together a novel-length treatment tracing the intergalactic exploits of Skywalker and son. In the blueprint, the plot spanned beyond Luke's young-adult years to portray him as an elder Jedi.

"He went on to become the master and pass on his training to someone else," Kurtz says, via phone from the U.K. office of his production company, Bella Jazz.

Kurtz adds that at one point, there was even talk of expanding the chronicle to 12 chapters.

"There were a lot of things bandied about. There were people who wanted to do novels, tangential stories that have nothing to do with the main story of the films. Every one of those could be turned into a film. There was an idea about using R2-D2 and C-3PO in a feature, or Han Solo's adventures. I suppose you could invent things forever, but I don't think anything concrete was too seriously considered."

According to Kurtz, the possibility of a third trilogy diminished when Lucas veered from his treatment to create Return of the Jedi. The original tale he mapped out didn't feature Ewoks or a second Death Star, and it culminated with the death of Han Solo. Princess Leia parts ways with Luke to lead those who survived her home planet's destruction.

The most critical change, however, was incorporating what would have been the climax of Episode IX, a showdown between Luke and Emperor Palpatine.

"The idea was that the Emperor would be hinted at and maybe seen occasionally but there wouldn't be a final confrontation with him until the ninth story," says Kurtz, who ended his association with Lucas after Empire, partially because he was displeased with the aforementioned revisions. Kurtz currently has three indie projects in the works, including 5-25-77, a comedy about a teenager's failed attempts to see Star Wars on opening day.

In Lucas' world, the Star Wars circle is complete. He plans to lower his directorial profile and work on smaller, more personal pictures, he says.

"I would lay money down that his heirs 20 years from now decide to continue the saga," says Anthony C. Ferrante, editor in chief of Cinescape, a genre-oriented movie magazine. "You can never say never. For the longest time I thought, 'No, he'll never do more Star Wars movies after Jedi. It's the '90s, he's never gonna get around to it.' But he did."

George Lucas should disown those greedy heirs now. :(
 

Darth Boru

Celtic Sith
If its to happen, it'll happen. Maybe "Uncle George" is at a point where he doesn't want to do more, but more will inevitably happen. Maybe not for another 20-30 years, but it'll happen.

Lets face it, they made 5 (or was it 7 <shudder>) Police Academy movies ;)
 

BlueHarvest

New Recruit
That's all folks! We'll see new shtuff on TV and the likes, but not another three movies... The poor ******* is getting old!
Let's just hope he's done making any more Howard the duck movies! Yeeesh!

Personally, I'm more then happy with the 6 SW movie's, Clone Wars & Christmas special... What more do you need?

By the end of the decade, we are going to see some AMAZING sci-fi flicks... Who know's what the next decade will bring us! We should be lucky duck's with what will be coming down the future hollywood movie tube!
 

Darth Aussie

Australian Sith Lord
Yes please don't consider another Howie sequel.....Maybe if he was going to do another Marvel Comic tie in, maybe something with a bit more bite......
 

IG-PPO

Sith Hamsters Handler
Darth Aussie said:
Actually Boru they made too many of the Police academy flicks.......lol

Sadly they also made two TV series.. one animated with a line of figures, and one Live-action. For some reason, that sounds a little familiar.
 

IG-PPO

Sith Hamsters Handler
Darth Boru said:
Like the Silver Surfer maybe??

Is there a link between Silver Surfer and Howard the Duck? I saw a SS figure with Howard mini-figure a few months back.
 
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