Always fun to dig som stuff from wikipedia.
Quote:
Abandonment of sequel trilogy (1997–2012)
In publicity interviews relating to the release of the 1997 Special Editions of Episodes IV to VI and the planned Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Lucas began to convey that it was unlikely that he would make the sequel trilogy. At a 1997 Special Edition press conference Lucas remarked, "[E]veryone said, 'Well, are you going to do sequels to the first three?' But that was an afterthought; I don't have scripts on those stories. The only notion on that was, wouldn't it be fun to get all the actors to come back when they're 60 or 70 years old and make three more about them as old people. That's how far that has gone, but the first six will definitely get finished."[13] In a 1997 issue of Star Wars Insider, Lucas said, "The whole story has six episodes.... If I ever went beyond that, it would be something that was made up. I really don't have any notion other than, 'Gee, it would be interesting to do Luke Skywalker later on.' It wouldn't be part of the main story, but a sequel to this thing."[23] In an online Q&A hosted by Leonard Maltin and published in December 1997, Lucas was asked "Will we ever get to see Episodes 7, 8 and 9?", to which he answered, "Right at this moment, the answer is no. Once the prequel trilogy is complete I plan to put Star Wars on the shelf and walk away from it for good. There are many other kinds of films I would like to make."[24]
This was confirmed in an interview Lucas gave to Vanity Fair, published in its February 1999 issue. "When you see it in six parts, you'll understand," he said. "It really ends at part six." He added, "I never had a story for the sequels, for the later ones."[25][26][27] (In 2008, after all six films had been released, Lucas clarified that it was the resolution of the Anakin Skywalker / Luke Skywalker storyline that represented the saga's end: "The movies were the story of Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, and when Luke saves the galaxy and redeems his father, that's where that story ends."[28]) Asked about the possibility of someone else making Star Wars films, Lucas said, "Probably not, it's my thing."[25][26][27] In August 1999, at a press conference in New York City to discuss The Phantom Menace, Lucas was categorical. The following exchange at the press conference was reported by Starlog magazine[29]:
Q: Does that mean you won't do Episodes VII, VIII and IX?
Lucas: I will not do VII, VIII and IX.
Q: You will not? Will they be made by somebody else?
Lucas: No. They will not.
Q: So this trilogy ends it?
Lucas: This is it. This is all there is.
A further comment Lucas made at that 1999 press conference noted the "nine year commitment" required to make a Star Wars trilogy. The theme of the commitment required, and his age, were the subject of his remarks in following years about why his position had changed about the sequel trilogy. In 2002, he described his past answers about the sequels in this way: "Basically what I said as a joke was, 'Maybe when Harrison and Carrie are in their 70s, we'll come back and do another version.' The thing I didn't realize then, and that I do realize now very clearly, is that not only would they be in their 70s, but I would be in my 70s too." In 2007 Lucas described making the films at that age as "An idea that seemed amusing at the time, but doesn't seem realistic now", and suggested that 'off-the-cuff' comments he had made in earlier years about the sequel trilogy had been misconstrued as absolute statements.[30] In relation to his decision to begin work on the prequel trilogy when he did, he also said: "To start Star Wars when you're 65, the chances of finishing it are diminished" (a remark that could equally refer to the sequel trilogy).[31]
As late as January 2012, as part of an interview with The New York Times, discussing negative fan reactions to the prequel trilogy and to alterations made to the original trilogy (such as Ewoks blinking and the bar scene where Greedo now shoots first) Lucas said, regarding further Star Wars films: "Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?"[32]
In an interview published in Total Film in May 2008, Lucas also ruled out anybody else ever making the sequel trilogy (or other future Star Wars features). Asked if he was happy for new Star Wars tales to be told after he was gone, Lucas replied: "I've left pretty explicit instructions for there not to be any more features. There will definitely be no Episodes VII–IX. That's because there isn't any story. I mean, I never thought of anything. And now there have been novels about the events after Episode VI, which isn't at all what I would have done with it. The Star Wars story is really the tragedy of Darth Vader. That is the story. Once Vader dies, he doesn't come back to life, the Emperor doesn't get cloned and Luke doesn't get married..."[33] The phenomenon of the Star Wars 'Expanded Universe', with stories told in novels, comic books and other media, also appears to have been a factor in Lucas seeing no need to produce a sequel trilogy: "Whatever it is that happens afterward, that isn't the core Star Wars story that I like to tell," he said in 2008. "There really isn't any story to tell there. It's been covered in the books and video games and comic books, which are things I think are incredibly creative but that I don't really have anything to do with other than being the person who built the sandbox they're playing in."[28]
In publicity interviews relating to the release of the 1997 Special Editions of Episodes IV to VI and the planned Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Lucas began to convey that it was unlikely that he would make the sequel trilogy. At a 1997 Special Edition press conference Lucas remarked, "[E]veryone said, 'Well, are you going to do sequels to the first three?' But that was an afterthought; I don't have scripts on those stories. The only notion on that was, wouldn't it be fun to get all the actors to come back when they're 60 or 70 years old and make three more about them as old people. That's how far that has gone, but the first six will definitely get finished."[13] In a 1997 issue of Star Wars Insider, Lucas said, "The whole story has six episodes.... If I ever went beyond that, it would be something that was made up. I really don't have any notion other than, 'Gee, it would be interesting to do Luke Skywalker later on.' It wouldn't be part of the main story, but a sequel to this thing."[23] In an online Q&A hosted by Leonard Maltin and published in December 1997, Lucas was asked "Will we ever get to see Episodes 7, 8 and 9?", to which he answered, "Right at this moment, the answer is no. Once the prequel trilogy is complete I plan to put Star Wars on the shelf and walk away from it for good. There are many other kinds of films I would like to make."[24]
This was confirmed in an interview Lucas gave to Vanity Fair, published in its February 1999 issue. "When you see it in six parts, you'll understand," he said. "It really ends at part six." He added, "I never had a story for the sequels, for the later ones."[25][26][27] (In 2008, after all six films had been released, Lucas clarified that it was the resolution of the Anakin Skywalker / Luke Skywalker storyline that represented the saga's end: "The movies were the story of Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker, and when Luke saves the galaxy and redeems his father, that's where that story ends."[28]) Asked about the possibility of someone else making Star Wars films, Lucas said, "Probably not, it's my thing."[25][26][27] In August 1999, at a press conference in New York City to discuss The Phantom Menace, Lucas was categorical. The following exchange at the press conference was reported by Starlog magazine[29]:
Q: Does that mean you won't do Episodes VII, VIII and IX?
Lucas: I will not do VII, VIII and IX.
Q: You will not? Will they be made by somebody else?
Lucas: No. They will not.
Q: So this trilogy ends it?
Lucas: This is it. This is all there is.
A further comment Lucas made at that 1999 press conference noted the "nine year commitment" required to make a Star Wars trilogy. The theme of the commitment required, and his age, were the subject of his remarks in following years about why his position had changed about the sequel trilogy. In 2002, he described his past answers about the sequels in this way: "Basically what I said as a joke was, 'Maybe when Harrison and Carrie are in their 70s, we'll come back and do another version.' The thing I didn't realize then, and that I do realize now very clearly, is that not only would they be in their 70s, but I would be in my 70s too." In 2007 Lucas described making the films at that age as "An idea that seemed amusing at the time, but doesn't seem realistic now", and suggested that 'off-the-cuff' comments he had made in earlier years about the sequel trilogy had been misconstrued as absolute statements.[30] In relation to his decision to begin work on the prequel trilogy when he did, he also said: "To start Star Wars when you're 65, the chances of finishing it are diminished" (a remark that could equally refer to the sequel trilogy).[31]
As late as January 2012, as part of an interview with The New York Times, discussing negative fan reactions to the prequel trilogy and to alterations made to the original trilogy (such as Ewoks blinking and the bar scene where Greedo now shoots first) Lucas said, regarding further Star Wars films: "Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?"[32]
In an interview published in Total Film in May 2008, Lucas also ruled out anybody else ever making the sequel trilogy (or other future Star Wars features). Asked if he was happy for new Star Wars tales to be told after he was gone, Lucas replied: "I've left pretty explicit instructions for there not to be any more features. There will definitely be no Episodes VII–IX. That's because there isn't any story. I mean, I never thought of anything. And now there have been novels about the events after Episode VI, which isn't at all what I would have done with it. The Star Wars story is really the tragedy of Darth Vader. That is the story. Once Vader dies, he doesn't come back to life, the Emperor doesn't get cloned and Luke doesn't get married..."[33] The phenomenon of the Star Wars 'Expanded Universe', with stories told in novels, comic books and other media, also appears to have been a factor in Lucas seeing no need to produce a sequel trilogy: "Whatever it is that happens afterward, that isn't the core Star Wars story that I like to tell," he said in 2008. "There really isn't any story to tell there. It's been covered in the books and video games and comic books, which are things I think are incredibly creative but that I don't really have anything to do with other than being the person who built the sandbox they're playing in."[28]
