Was George Lucas Working on Episode VII Before the Disney Deal?

We pontificate on how such a plan might have been received by fans.

Story by Matt Cummings

It's not too often these days that people can agree on something. This happened long ago and too far away when Director George Lucas' Star Wars prequel Episode I: The Phantom Menace and its follow ups. After what was the most successful and perhaps best trilogy to that time, the disappointment at several aspects of Menace was abrupt and severe, leaving fans to ponder a world without Star Wars in it. Then, something magical happened: Disney purchased it in 2012 for $2 billion, while at the same time setting dates for Episode VII: The Force Awakens, as well as a series of origin/spin-offs by directors John Trank (Chronicle) and Gareth Edwards (Godzilla).

In one fell swoop, a beloved franchise had returned and its leader - and perhaps destroyer - was whisked away to seeming retirement. Then came news today that gave the entire Internet a temporary shudder: Lucas was planning Episode VII for 2015 release and third trilogy to the universe. According to The Hollywood Reporter - and talking to USA Today during a discussion of his new animated film Strange Magic - Lucas said plans changed when Disney expressed interest.

It's better for me to get out at the beginning of a new thing and I can just remove myself. The time is more important to me than the money.

One can only imagine what Lucas would have planned had he made it through the pre-production phase. Those elements we mentioned - from Jar Jar Binks to the infamous 'No!' scream by the newly transformed Anakin Skywalker - are some of the most notorious infamies in movie history. With Director JJ Abrams on board and promising to deliver a return to the action and fun of the original series, its success could be the final vindication of a theory we've been quietly holding: that it was Lucas' time decades ago to leave. To breathe new life into the most beloved movie franchise ever in the way Abrams has - with a fantastic trailer - it's clear that fans might agree with this assessment.

Would we have been dealt a death blow with a Lucas-centered Star Wars? Unless we get a script treatment or see other evidence, it's hard to make a judgment one way or the other. What is clear is that excitement in the franchise's return to theaters is one of the most important releases of this or any recent year. For now, we can only shake our heads and wonder what disaster could have been imagined.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens flies into theaters on 18, 2015.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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