More Star Wars films in works?

[Christian]

But hold on. Hasn't he told that story. Anakin's dead from Ep VI onwards.

I meant everything I said. George really did plan on making it nine parts and then he realized it would actually only be six parts. Once he decided that then the whole "nine part" thing DID become a myth. There's no bubbles being burst here. Yes, I know, Anakin dies at the end of Episode 6. That's why there's not supposed to be more after part six. But if there are more it'll NOW be to appease all these people that still have the number nine floating around their head; you know, giving the squeaky wheel the grease.

"When you see it in six parts, you'll understand," Lucas tells the magazine. "It really ends at part six."

And it is NOT NOT NOT George Lucas dithering on about Indy 4. In reality it may be him who keeps it from happening. Spielberg and Ford both wanted to do it but wouldn't do it without GL approving the script but George Lucas DISapproved the script and now it may never be made. Once again, somebody has proven that anybody can say anything they want to about George Lucas and 90% of the population will believe it.

[Maerj]

I have to question how much the prequels were needed - the information we needed to know was already given in the "Original Trilogy". (It does seem a little silly to tell a story when a portion of it is already known to the audience. That's what worked against Attack of the Clones so much when I was watching it. It's hard to get worked up over the action scenes when you know the main characters are all going to survive - you feel oddly divorced from the narrative).

Its an old story telling technique called 'In Media Res' meaning 'In the middle of things.' You start telling the story at the high point of action and then tell the backstory later.

It's interesting but I bought the new UK Total Film magazine yesterday, and it has a big Speilberg retrospective feature where they analyse each of his films (and even bits of his TV work) in detail, followed by a long interview with the director himself.

What strikes you is that he has such a wide range of subjects and genres. Speilberg absolutely wants to make movies. He wants to make emotional movies about true-life stories. He wants to make thrilling adventure movies. He wants to make screwball comedies. And yes, Speilberg has "failed" on occasion (1941, Hook, somewould argue The Lost World) but he's shrugged it off and just made more films.

Ah, back to the 'Lucas isn't Spielberg' arguement. Did you ever think that maybe Lucas's desire wasn't to make more movies than anyone else? Its rediculous to compare Lucas's body of work to Spielberg's or any other director's body of work. Each artist creates what he or she wants. Spielberg wants to make a lot of movies, fine. But that in no way affect Lucas's contributions. He makes the movies he wants. He doesn't need the money, you've already said that yourself. So he'll make the movies he wants when he wants to make them and I really don't see any problem in that.

I also find it interesting that while Lucas was happy to pioneer effects work and CGI, it was basically others (Cameron, but most spectacularly Spielberg) who were the ones to have faith in the digital effects and actually put their neck on the line and create those initial films that wowed the audiences so much.

Personally I don't think Lucas is (alledgedly) considering making Star Wars sequels just for the money. I'm pretty sure the guy has enough money now. I think he's afraid. I think he's afraid of doing something new. That's why he wasn't the one to trailblaze his own ILM CGI technology and waited. That's why he's dithering about on Indiana Jones 4 now, when any sane person would know Harrison Ford's too old, and he should let go. And that's why he's thinking of continuing his most successful film series. He doesn't want to throw something different out, something which may flop.)

Afraid to try something new huh? Afraid to use CG? There was CG Imagery back in the 1983 theatrical release of Return of the Jedi. Plus there was a lot of heavy use of it in the Young Indiana Jones series, which he was basically using as a testing ground for CG effects. May I also direct you to his imdb.com page for a list of films he has written, edited, directed and produced. You will find that there are many films there that flopped and quite a few that were 'different.' Also note that there are many films which he worked on and wasn't credited.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000184/

[Loomis]

Odd development...

Star Wars Episodes 7 - 9 to be animated?
Movieholeand IESBreport that Star Wars Episodes 7 - 9 - if the sequels do happen - may be animated, considering the actors from the original trilogy are respectively older than they were in the previous installments, and Lucasfilm has a new Singapore animation studio that would be perfect for such a venture. If the sequels do not happen, however, there is still talk of a new Star Wars animated series in the works.
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Loomis says:
None of it is probably true at this stage, as it is all speculation. However, it does show people still do have genuine interest in what happens, and that makes George Lucas even more evil as he seems determined to destroy all evidence that he made any films between 1977 and 1983.

I wonder how Lawrence Kasdan, Irvin Kershner, Leigh Brackett, Richard Marquand, and David Webb Peoples (who was uncredited) stand on all the changes to the original trilogy? They would have moral rights invested in their contribution as writers/directors. But I guess all work done on them was work for hire, so Lucas can do whatever he likes. I don't think Kershner is happy with the prequels at the very least.

I should add that Lucasfilm were quick to debunk these rumours:

"John Singh, of Lucasfilm, tells Moviehole : "The rumors of "Star Wars" VII, VIII and IX are absolutely false. "Star Wars" Episode III: "Revenge of the Sith" is being released worldwide on May 19, 2005, is our last and final installment. ILM employees sign a standard non-disclosure agreement that does not pertain to any particular film or project."

[Christian]

The thing about that animation rumor is: who says that if there is a 7-9 that they would have to focus on any characters in any previous episode? They wouldn't have to be about Luke, Leia, and Han.

[AwallaceUNC]

On a major Star Wars kick this weekend, I'm wondering if there have been any developments on this? Shortly after Sith closes, it will be on everyone's mind, so maybe we'll at least get answers then.

Granted, I don't have the age advantage of a lot of Wars fans, but whether it be fact or fiction, I've heard from people since I was little watching the trilogy for the first of many times (and I remember it well) that 9 parts had originally been planned- long before I heard any talk about these prequels being made. I've grown up with the expectation of three trilogy sets, I always wanted to see Luke and Leia as brother/sister Jedis, the political ramifications of the apparent collapse of the Empire, etc. explored. It would be very exciting for me, were they to be done well (unfortunately, none of the three options- animation, using the now-old original cast, or using a new cast- are as appealing as they once were, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to totally bar the idea).

What's Lucas' health like? I seem to remember there being reports of a health scare shortly before the release of Phantom Menace, which were credited as the reason episodes 7-9 would no longer be made (at least not by Lucas, but that Spielberg was a possibility for those). Was that just a rumor?

Also- any updates on Indy 4?

-Aaron

[2099net]

How about the original Trilogy, in 3-D Aaron?

http://www.canmag.com/news/4/3/797

[AwallaceUNC]

How about the original Trilogy, in 3-D Aaron?

http://www.canmag.com/news/4/3/797

I originally thought you meant animation, which was upsetting, but if they are just going to go through and offer a 3-D look (with glasses I guess?) at the original trilogy, that might be cool... so long as Lucas doesn't recall the current DVD release and say that the 3-D version is now the only version.

-Aaron

[thatartguy]

That's why I have laserdisc transfers of the ORIGINAL original trilogy on DVD.

[Marielle]

George has said many times recently, he's not doing Episodes 7,8 and 9.

[Maerj]

George has said many times recently, he's not doing Episodes 7,8 and 9.

Yep, but no one seems to want to listen nowadays. Episode II is the last one and that's that. Will there be a tv series? Possibly, it sounds like there will be. Maybe some animated DTV movies? Who knows?

[AwallaceUNC]

George has said many times recently, he's not doing Episodes 7,8 and 9.

Yep, but no one seems to want to listen nowadays. Episode II is the last one and that's that. Will there be a tv series? Possibly, it sounds like there will be. Maybe some animated DTV movies? Who knows?

Well then in that case it sounds like it was all bunk. Thanks for clarifying!

-Aaron