What will LucasFilm be working on after they’ve completed converting all six live-action Star Wars films into 3D? According to an “ultra top-secret Lucasfilm insider” via IESB, George Lucas intends to transition into creating an all-new Star Wars theatrical trilogy. Less than a day later, LucasFilm responded to the report claiming it’s false – just like the report said they would.
The new trilogy would apparently be disconnected from the Skywalker family and could be set many generations after the events of Return of the Jedi to eliminate having the stories ‘fit’ in with the existing movies. It is also completely separate from the live-action television show that LucasFilm has had issues getting off the ground due to its size and scope.
LucasFilm brushed off the report in an email response to Wired but did say there are Star Wars projects in the pipleline. “This is, of course, completely false,” Lucasfilm spokesman Josh Kushins said. “George Lucas has plenty of projects to keep him busy right now – including plenty of Star Wars projects – but there are no new Star Wars feature films planned.”
Though this isn’t the first time this type of rumor has appeared, I would be surprised if we did not get a new Star Wars film by decade’s end. Lucas must be salivating at the prospects of releasing a new trilogy in 3D after the box office explosion Avatar enjoyed. Their lucrative toy license with Hasbro expires in 2018 so it would make sense to get a new trilogy and toy line into stores so it’s hot when renewal time comes.
There’s also the LucasFilm motto of “Star Wars is Forever,” a bold statement that you need continuous new entertainment across a variety of mediums to achieve. A new trilogy would easily eat up another 9 years or so.
