SPECULATION: Is the Sequel Trilogy the End of the Current Series?
On “D-Day” of October 30th, 2012 it was announced that George Lucas sold Lucasfilm Ltd. to Disney and that Star Wars fans worldwide would finally be getting our Sequel Trilogy! So is the Rian Johnson penned script for Episode IX going to be the last episode of the current series? We’ll examine this possibility after the jump . . .
George Lucas has waffled over the years as to whether the current saga would run nine or twelve episodes. The Secret History of Star Wars has done a marvelous job chronicling the evolution of the phenomenon. Through the years George has gone back and forth on this issue. Then in 2012, as we all know, George announced to his loyal detractors after all the undue hate he received over the Prequel Trilogy, that he would NOT make any more 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?”
George had a right to vent his frustration since he created the most beloved film franchise the world has ever seen only to receive nothing but hate for something he told us to expect. From Denise Worrell’s book “Icons: Intimate Portraits” we read the following:
In 1980 Lucas revealed to Time magazine that the sequel trilogy would revolve around “the rebuilding of the Republic,” and in 1983 stated to that magazine that thematically it would be about “the necessity for moral choices and the wisdom needed to distinguish right from wrong,” implying perhaps a more introspective tone, which is consistent with Lucas’ implications that the three sets of films would all be stylistically different. The first trilogy is to be more Machiavellian and melodramatic, like a costume drama, as Lucas revealed in 1981, while the second is more action-packed and light-hearted, perhaps leaving the third to be more philosophical, addressing issues of ethical responsibility and moral ambiguity.
George envisioned each trilogy as having a different tone and style, which he followed through with. And, though he blames the Trolls for his decision to stop making Star Wars, we know that is not entirely true. In fact, it complies with a certain plan he settled on back in the ’70’s. In the August 25th, 1977 issue of Rolling Stone we find the following exchange:
GL: One of the sequels we are thinking of is the young days of Ben Kenobi. It would probably be all different actors…I think the sequels will be much, much better. What I want to do is direct the last sequel. I could do the first one and the last one and let everyone else do the ones in between.
RS: It wouldn’t bother you to have someone else do the ones in between?
GL: No, it would be interesting. I would want to try and get some good directors, and see what their interpretation of the theme is. I think it will be interesting, it is like taking a theme in film school, say, okay, everybody do their interpretation of this theme. It’s an interesting idea to see how people interpret the genre. It is a fun genre to play with. All the prototype stuff is done now. Nobody has to worry about what a Wookiee is and what it does and how it reacts. Wookiees are there, the people are there, the environment is there, the empire is there… I’ve put up the concrete slab of the walls and now everybody can have fun drawing the pictures and putting on the little gargoyles and doing all the really fun stuff. And it’s a competition. I’m hoping if I get friends of mine they will want to do a much better film, like, ‘I’ll show George that I can do a film twice that good,’ and I think they can, but then I want to do the last one, so I can do one twice as good as everybody else. [Laughs]
Once George settled on the nine episode format he intended to direct the first of the Prequels and the last of the Sequels with different directors working on all the films in between. George, of course, directed all of the Prequels and is now allowing the new generation of filmmakers to direct Star Wars going into the future. Of course, everyone knows JJ Abrams was selected as the first of the next-gen directors, with Loopers’ Rian Johnson both writing and directing Episode VIII as well as writing a treatment for Episode IX. Gareth Edwards and Josh Trank have each been tapped for one of the three spinoffs. Disney/LFL has acquired some of the best, young talent to carry the torch.
Well then, what about the other three films — Episodes X – XII? At various points George denied having them as anything but an idea with no real story. A “media creation” he called it in many interviews during the Prequel days. However, we know that is not entirely true. From The Secret History of Star Wars:
In the July-August 1980 issue of Prevue magazine, Prevue writes, “Even [Lucas] did not know the full extent of the Star Wars epic, but estimated it to be a total of twelve stories, grouped into four collective trilogies. Since Star Wars, Lucas had refined and polished the complex narrative, finally settling on three trilogies and three additional, related tales which are separate from the primary action.” This information came from George Lucas himself. By that point, he had instead envisioned the series as a nine-part soap opera of the Skywalker family, but attentive media recalled the 12-part announcement. So, they began asking him what the three missing films were. Lucas was attempting to maintain a facade that the story had in place all along and not being made up as he went, so could only admit to three of these one-off style films, as that was number difference between the 12 and 9 film announcements. When Bantha Tracks asked him why the series was cut from 12 to 9, Lucas could only say, “I cut that number down to nine because the other three were tangential to the saga.” The September-October issue of Prevue magazine was able to get more detail, however, on what these one-off films were, of which Lucas undoubtedly had planned more than three:
Prevue: Do you plan to make any separate films about the characters? Like a film just about Han Solo or perhaps Chewbacca, the Clone Wars or the Jedi?
Lucas: I can answer that best by describing the history of the way Star Wars developed… As I was writing, I came up with some ideas for a film about robots, with no humans in it. When I got to working on the Wookiee, I thought of a film just about Wookiees, nothing else. So, for a time, I had a couple of odd movies with just those characters. Then, I had the other films, which were essentially split into three parts each, two trilogies. When the smoke cleared, I said, ‘This is really great. I’ll do another trilogy that takes place after this.’ I had three trilogies of nine films, and then another couple of odd films. Essentially, there were twelve films.
Prevue: Do you still plan on producing all twelve?
Lucas: No, I’ve eliminated the odd movies, because they really don’t have anything to do with the Star Wars saga. It gets confusing trying to explain the whole thing, but if I ever do the odd movies about the robots or the Wookiees, it’ll be just about them, not necessarily about Chewbacca or Threepio–just about Wookiees and robots. It’s the genre that I’m intrigued with, not necessarily the characters.”
“I always said I wasn’t going to do any more, and that’s true, I’m not going to do any more,” said Lucas, who will not write or direct the upcoming films, but whose iconic imprint will be all over them. “But that doesn’t mean I’m unwilling to turn it over to Kathy [Kennedy] to do more. I have story treatments of 7, 8 and 9 and a bunch of other movies, and obviously, we have hundreds of books and comics and everything you could possibly imagine. So I sort of moved that treasure trove of stories and various things to Kathy, and I have complete confidence that she’s gonna take them and make great movies.”
“We have a large group of ideas and characters and books and all kinds of things,” Lucas said. “We could go on making ‘Star Wars’ for the next 100 years.”
I then ask: How is it possible to make Star Wars movies for the next 100 years, course we’re not talking a literal 100 years, solely on spinoffs???
And then there’s Disney itself. I already boldly declared the conglomerate will make back its investment, in box office and merchandise revenue, from Episode VII alone. However, they took another BIG tentpole franchise and created a formula that has worked in spades — the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The formula of filming individual movies for individual characters and then tying them together into a central thread or storyline has been brilliant from a storytelling and practical standpoint. First, the individual film gives them plenty of time to flesh-out the individual character and his mythology. Secondly, it also gives Disney more money! Much more as Avengers, Iron Man, and Captain America: Winter Soldier, just to name three of the top nine, have killed it at the box office to the combined tune of $2,617,387,297 in global revenue!!!
Another reason why Disney would be foolish to abandon the current series is the simple fact that the fans want more. Some fickle fans complain on one hand that they are losing their precious EU with its mediocre execution and convoluted plotlines, yet, those same fans are the ones who don’t want the series to continue beyond Episode IX. IF the EU could sustain fan interest, albeit on a very small scale, a continuation of the cinematic saga would do so a thousand times over. I can say this boldly because of history. Just look at some of the other film franchises that continue on to this day through reboots, actor changes, and disasters — Superman, Batman, Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, X-Men, Terminator, Pirates of the Carribean, Fast & Furious, Spider-Man, and endless lines of vampires, werewolves and zombies — ALL of which continue to make ample loads of cash while producing, in most cases, poor stories.
Then there’s Bond, James Bond. There have been six different actors playing 007, spanning 52 years and 24 movies! Yes, Bond has never really been a global Blockbuster and most of the films have been pretty bad, but that doesn’t stop the fans who keep showing up hoping for a hit, which they got with the most recent Skyfall. IF fans can support roughly 60 hours of Bond then they certainly can support 60 hours of Star Wars, which currently stands at roughly 15 hours. Just look back over the list I provided and calculate the hours yourself. Star Wars has the depth of mythology, the potential storylines, the avid, new writers and directors to support as many films as any of those not-as-beloved franchises.
“They always wanted to set up their own little James Bond series — taking the environment George has set up but keeping it limitless in terms of what the characters can do. For the sequel, he’s going to add new characters. It won’t be a direct sequel to the first story; it’ll be a series of adventures, you know, in that galaxy… If the Star Wars series runs as long as I think they’re going to run, I will be Ben Kenobi’s age when I do the last one!”
My thoughts are that the MAIN Star Wars saga will temporarily end with Episode IX. Once that time-period has been commercially mined by live-action film spin-offs, TV shows and multimedia, then a fourth trilogy, taking place several generations later, will be announced as the foundation of a fresh new dramatic vista for a new wave of characters and merchandise.
I think there is something to be said for the idea that the Star Wars saga proper should be the 3 x 3 episodes, and that the writers should let that saga come to a satisfying END in Episode IX (somehow also coinciding with the end of the earthly existence of Luke Skywalker, and maybe Leia as well).
Leave the future alone from that point on, with the understanding that it was “happily ever after” with a restored Republic and following a decisive defeat of the Darksiders.
Endless further installments could be made, in all sorts of media including new movies, but they should not be numbered as “Episodes” and should not attempt to made the story “go on” after IX (which would necessitate the creation of ever new villains and troubles, some rather artificial, like the “Vong” of the EU).
No, the galaxy should rather be fleshed out “laterally” with movies that dance along the established timeline and maybe even visit the deep past. We could see the origins of the Jedi/Sith and their conflict, Young Han Solo, maybe dedicated Vader/Wookie/droid/Boba Fett movies (the last of these is already in preproduction).
A strong point of Star Wars is a string of extremely iconic characters that are “actor independent” (Fett, Chewie, above all Vader, R2-D2 and arguably 3PO). You can always find someone who can do the voices well enough. Decades from now, when David Prowse and James Earl Jones can no longer be with us, it will still be possible to make Vader live on the big screen. And I’m sure Disney will do just that.
Sometimes I think Episode IX should end with a _final_ scroll titled EPILOGUE, informing us that now there followed “the golden years of the galaxy” as “the New Republic flourished in a thousand new generations”, and that the strange fates of the Skywalker clan that caused so much evil and so much good were remembered and retold forever. Now, in fact, their entire saga has been told to you as well.
In short, THE END and HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
Any further installments would be spin-offs and parallelquels, not “Episodes”, and the entire franchise should be allowed to rest a little before we have any of even those.
The credits of the final movie could be intercut with glimpses of the decisive/climatic moments from ALL nine movies, a sort of summary of the entire saga, further emphasizing that THIS IS IT. The story is complete. Don’t expect any “Episode X”. There is no such animal. They just lived happily ever after from here on.
““Why would I make any more, when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”
It’s those Mara Jade loving Fan Boys that Made Lucas give up on Star Wars.
Not really. Just people that appreciate well written and directed movies were angry about just how terrible the prequels were. His fans got him to where he got to yet it became clear he stopped caring about the fans and people were upset about it. I mean he’s took the theatrical versions of the OT off the market and replaced it with a ‘special edition’. Why? If he wants a special edition, then great, create a special edition too. But don’t replace the original version. Don’t take something off the market that put you where you are today and got you the shit ton of money and opportunities to do all you wanted to do. It’s a slap in the face. Then he, and other people, act surprised that people are upset with him?
Also, he went out of his way to contradict any established backstory in the original trilogy in order to surprise the audience and it backfired.
Some of those PT contradictions were intentional?
You mean like how ben kenobi said “Darth Vader killed your father” No wait… “He was your father.” Sorry, but Star Wars was always full of contradictions.
Keep criticizing, why don’t you? Stop complaining that Star Wars is full of contradictions. If they really bothered you, you’d stop watching the films and you would STOP coming to this sites for updates on a film you find contradictory!
Lucas took his own legendary creation and make it something usual with the prequels. SW hardcore fans weren’t kids by the time the prequels were released…so do you think Jar Jar or midichlorians made them happy?
And now they will make another critical error taking the saga away from EU…The future of SW is like the future of Marvel …commercial movies with nothing really great like it was SW IV or SW V back then.
Yeah, I remember when the special editions came out in 97. I was excited and watched them enthusiastically, thinking it was an extra treat for the fans to have something new imprinted on the old. but then it became force fed, and it was like WTF, I was down with this when it was an extra something to give to the fans but then making me accept this…lost respect for Lucas at that point. It just seems too narcissistic of him.
I love prequel trilogy, so speak for yourself.
All 6 Star wars movies are great in my opinion.
Stop this stupid PT bashing….
It’s great that people like you love the PT, but not everyone agrees. So stop telling us what to do.
Except the prequels weren’t terrible and in many ways were superior to ESB & RotJ and The Clone Wars was better than any of the features save the original.
u are right
No it’s because the PT was week and just a flashy light show.
I love a lot of the EU stuff but I’m in agreement that Disney need to largely ignore it or there films will be un-imaginative and boring.
I think the films are in good hands, Disney arnt going to mess it up when they spent 4 billion on it!
This is a terrible argument. At no point has Lucas expressed disdain for the Expanded Universe – if anything, he probably enjoys the money that he gets from it.
What he’s upset about are the people who hate his creative input in anything related to Star Wars once he made the Special Editions. Every little change he made to *his* vision has been attacked by swarms of so-called “fans” who whine at him for it while requesting that more Star Wars movies be made.
It’s no wonder that he’s happier now that the franchise is out of his hands – he doesn’t have to deal with the constant whining about how Greedo shot at Han or that the Force had a scientific explanation nearly as much as he did when he was a director/producer/writer.
Well we do not hate him…is just that some of us are original SW fans from back then and the prequels were nothing really special…just 3 block buster films …and nothing more.
Of course we think that he tricked us with the EU case because we follow him for 30 years now we spend for 30 years now our money …and because they want more money they erase the EU timeline….critical error this is.
I like some of the EU books, but it was clear from the start that if Lucas (and so now Kennedy and co.) wanted to make more movies, he would have the right to change the EU storyline. It was stated from the very start of the EU. When I read the fist Zahn’s books in the 90’s I knew it was a kind of “what if” trilogy. Not something that would be automatically turned into movies if Lucas wanted to make more.
pfffffft. That massive gap between when ep6 and 1 were made allowed the fans to somehow think that they had ownership over star wars.
i will never agree with how some fans treated george over the last 15 years… George CREATED something we all love, and he has the right to continue making the films as he envisioned…
keep in mind that i dont necessarily love the prequels as i love the OT. the PT movies were quite flawed. but you know what? george had the right to make them however he wanted….
How about the way George treated fans by refusing to release the unaltered OT on Blu-Ray and DVD? Or the way he gave us a trilogy whose scripts were rushed and poorly thought out?
He *did* release the unaltered movies on DVD. I imagine Disney will eventually release the unaltered versions of the original movies on Blu-Ray once Fox’s deal in the contract runs out.
Lucas released the unaltered OT on DVD… yes… and not exactly! He released a laserdisc transfer on DVD (4:3 letterboxed, not really suitable for 16:9 TV screens). He made a copy/paste of the laserdisc and put the original unaltered movies as a “bonus” disc on the 2006 re-release of the special Edition. And that’s it.
This is even worse than no release at all. This is what can be called a slap in the face. Not only for the fans, but for the people who worked on the original versions. Puppeteers, people who worked on compositing spaceship, etc. All that hard work awarded by the Oscars… now put as a subpar bonus on a DVD.
“…only to receive nothing but hate for something he told us to expect.”
He told us to expect bad writing, acting, and directing that makes some of us cringe at the ineptitude of it?
I know you are talking about the more political nature of the story, but that is largely a straw man and not the main criticism. If the Prequels had been well produced and directed, people wouldn’t have cared about the politics.
That said, I’m not a complete Prequel basher (there are a few things in them I can get behind and even love), and I love hearing people who like them discussing what they like so much – at least until they start bashing those of us that don’t love them and saying we aren’t “real fans”. But even GL has admitted in the past that writing and directing actors aren’t his strong suits. He is an idea man and a producer.
While the writing (mainly the dialogue) was terrible, the basic story lines were fine for the most part – though I will never get over the horrible idea of Padme dying of a “broken heart”, especially after giving birth to helpless children who needed their mother. It just made her look weak. It wasn’t poetic, it was a slap in the face of a supposedly strong character.
Just because GL created my favorite trilogy doesn’t mean I’m going to give him a pass when he mishandles (and in some cases nearly ruins) it. Bad filmmaking is still bad filmmaking, even when a great creator is behind it. Being a “real fan” doesn’t equal blindly loving anything with George Lucas stamped on it.
I love Star Wars, that’s why I want to see it handled right. That’s why I get upset when it is done so badly that I have to walk away from it for years because it is so heartbreaking for someone like me, who used to loop the old VHS’s of the trilogy almost every day as a kid. I just want a Star Wars that I don’t have to cringe at every two minutes! Is that really so much to ask?
Padme’s “death by broken heart” has actually been explained as a neck injury that she sustained when Anakin Force Choked her, combined with the depression of knowing that her husband turned into a monster (and believe me, depression can be a deciding factor on whether someone lives or dies in the medical world). It’s also implied that the doctors working to save her children weren’t particularly competent.
*face palm*
Too little, too late… too stupid.
That is one bad, silly retcon. Where did you get that from? There is nothing in the film to indicate any of that. The whole point of the scene was that there was nothing physically wrong with her and she just lost the will to live. To say the medical droids were incompetent doesn’t fix a thing. It just makes it all the more pathetic and incoherent.
Padme comes off as weak. Lucas is saying she is such a weak person that she can’t live without Anakin, even for the sake of her children! It makes me hate Padme. I can’t watch the prequels (or the scene in ROTJ where Leia remembers her) without thinking about what she will be in the end: selfish, pathetic, and weak. She is not a strong character no matter how you spin it.
Did you even see the other two movies or the cartoon? I’d hardly call her “weak” there. She’s weaker as a character in Episode III, but at that time she was dealing with pregnancy (which generally screws with your hormones). In general, it’s easy to infer her cause of death was related to the Force – Force Choking could obviously cause internal damage to your body, which the doctors most likely failed to notice when they were working on delivering her children.
I am talking about how she ended as a character. It doesn’t matter how she was before that. It just makes it even more of a terrible ending for her that she was so weak. Being pregnant had nothing to do with it, or Lucas would have written it to suggest that. You are bringing external logic that just isn’t there.
“Force Choking could obviously cause internal damage to your body, which the doctors most likely failed to notice when they were working on delivering her children.”
That is just retcon. The movie is telling us that there is nothing physically wrong with her. That is why he had medical droids deliver the line. The medical droids would have caught internal damage. We are supposed to believe that advanced medical technology couldn’t find anything wrong with her. You can’t seriously tell me that Lucas was suggesting Anakin’s choke is what killed her. That is not hinted at in the movie at all.
I don’t buy Richardson-Sellers playing some major character going forward. If she doesn’t have much of a role in VII who is to say R. Johnson will write her a sizable role in the next movie? I think she lost a behind the scenes struggle going on between her agents who we’re pushing her and the agents of Lupita who we’re were going to bat for their client.
“If she doesn’t have much of a role in VII who is to say R. Johnson will write her a sizable role in the next movie?”
There is still an overall story map that they are working with. It has apparently changed some, but just because Johnson is writing the script for 8 doesn’t mean he can make anything up and get rid of characters that have been mapped out already. If Kathleen, J.J. and Kasdan have worked out her character, Johnson will have to include her.
This is all well and goof but I guess my point is that her character may not be much of a role at this point considering her casting, if true, hasn’t been officially announced. Traits of her character may have already been passed on to others or reshaped for others.
Most of all from what I read leading up to the major casting announcement was that there was to be one female lead and we can pretty much figure out who that is. Yet the guy who wrote the piece was elevating Richardson-Sellers to the same level of Ridley and Boyega. I don’t think there is enough evidence to even suggest she is important to Gleeson’s character who remains a mystery. Plus what about Oscar Isaac. Who also appears to be a major player as well, maybe part of a big three. The writer ignores him but somehow the unannounced Richardson-Sellers is deemed more likely to be a focal point? Not buying it.
How do you know Maisie was competing with Lupita?
They don’t. They are juyst doing what 90% of fans do… assume they know all about it.
Which is why they will probably not like the ST, it won’t be what they want it to be.
There was a discussion on the casting on a non Star wars message website. Won’t tell you which site it was but it was one visited quite commonly but industry types (the Hollywood industry) who tend to share inside knowledge quite often.
One individual, when it came to the Lupita casting decision, wrote that Lupita’s agency (the one she switched to after not getting enough offers quickly enough following her Oscar) waged a major battle behind the scenes to convince Lucas Films to pick their client. This individual went as far to say that Lupita was competing against Richardson-Sellers for this sizable role and her agency was able to outmaneuver the small time agency representing Richardson-Sellers.
I can’t claim for certainty that this info was accurate and on face value you would not think Lupita and Richardson-Sellers would be fighting for the same role. But the guy sounded legit enough that I felt there was some truth there.
They don’t. They are just doing what 90% of fans do… assume they know all about it.
Which is why they will probably not like the ST, it won’t be what they want it to be.
I doubt either of them are the second female lead we were promised in SW7 by Disney/Lucasfilm. Lupita will probably be introduced in EpVII and seen more of in later episodes or a spin-off. I think Maisie will be playing a smaller role in the sequels.
I’m a totally an open detractor/hater. A the same time I thank him and the many other people responsible for the originals. I also thank him for finally giving the series up. Letting the fans and younger generations steward the franchise.
I just can’t forgive the prequels for a great many reasons. A different tone is fine but to just be so bad… ugh. It’s well traveled ground and that poor dead horse has been beaten to dust.
I’m optimistic about the future of the series. More so than I’ve been since the PT was first announced. All I want is a competent story with decent characters. If I get that much I’ll be ecstatic!
Hope you realize that if they follow the hole star wars formula then the ST will follow the PT vary closely. So be prepared to not like the ST.
Formula doesn’t matter as long as it’s got a decent story. Which I can’t really say the PT has. Maybe on paper it was but in execution it was terrible. I have no fear that the storytelling will be far more competent this time. You’d literally have to try and be worse for it to be so in comparison to the PT.
So the “formula” of the prequels is bad writing and directing? The general plot of the prequels was fine. It was the execution of the material, as Anon 03:53 AM said.
“Some fickle fans complain on one hand that they are losing their precious EU with its mediocre execution and convoluted plotlines.”
Try replacing “EU” with “Prequels” and then go back and think on your statements on Prequel “Trolls.”
And for the record, I don’t really like the EU, except for a couple of books, some comics (especially some of the Tales of the Jedi), and some games. I am in no way mourning their loss, but I understand why some people who have invested time and money in them are upset that they can’t be canon.
Those same people who wasted their time and money new from the get go that nothing is cannon but the movies!
So they knew they were wasting their time and money straight up!
“Those same people who wasted their time and money new from the get go that nothing is cannon but the movies! So they knew they were wasting their time and money straight up!”
While I don’t care about the EU [I actually want better Star Wars stories that actually feel like Star Wars], it isn’t as simple as that. Many people who bought them [especially during the Dark Times] thought there would be no new movies because George said there wouldn’t be. So they figured that the books were the most “canon” they would ever get post ROTJ. Also, the publishers did their best to make them seem like canon [so they would sell better], so some people thought they were official stories. They said the books would be “canon” insofar as they didn’t interfere with Lucas’s vision, and because “there were never going to be more films” that meant that these were the only post ROTJ Star Wars stories that we would ever get. They were “canon” by default. So many people got attached to the characters and events of the EU [likely because that is all they had] and are now upset that those stories that they set in their minds as what actually happened after Jedi are no longer the “true” history. They had no reason to believe that George would change his mind and make up new stories to completely replace them.
PS. You, sir, are no James Earl Jones!
“And for the record, I don’t really like the EU, except for a couple of books, some comics (especially some of the Tales of the Jedi), and some games.”
Um ….. SO, basically …. you don’t really like the EU, except you are obviously a total EU fanboy based on that laundry list of except fore’s.
“SO, basically …. you don’t really like the EU, except you are obviously a total EU fanboy based on that laundry list of except fore’s.”
Hahaha! What “laundry list”?
Not in any way am I an EU fanboy.
By “a couple of books”, I literally mean one to maybe three at the most of the old ones [and I don’t even include the Thrawn Trilogy – I could barely get past the strange, exotic drink known as “hot chocolate” in the first book, and they never felt like Star Wars to me]. It has been so long since I read any of the books [were talking mid to late 90’s here] that I can’t remember them that well, but I believe some of the Jedi Academy Trilogy was decent at the time [I liked the tie in with Tales of the Jedi] I read them (not sure I even finished the third) and I read one of the Solo books that I liked, but I never bothered beyond that, and I read some of the Bounty Hunter short stories I liked, but I don’t remember them at all. Anything else was a quick glance at the library or a wiki summary out of curiosity. Most look like crap, especially the latest ones.
By comics I mean Tales of the Jedi [which was a big deal to me at the time – I had them all collected and bagged], Dark Empire, and a few scattered ones here and there that I can’t recall. A few of the Tales and a TPB of Empire are the only ones I own.
As far as games, I would say the old Super Star Wars games on SNES, Shadows of the Empire on 64 (I liked it mainly for the graphics, I never finished it), and then I’ve watched some let’s plays of The Forced Unleashed (don’t have 360 or PS3) and liked the story – though it is over the top and wouldn’t work as canon, there was an old PC game that I can’t remember much about but I know I really liked it at the time, and I played a little of The Old Republic [not much beyond getting a lightsaber – my pc is really slow so I gave up], which I found to be pretty fun.
I seriously doubt any of that qualifies me as an “EU fanboy,” unless standards are really low these days for what makes a fanboy.
When I said I am not mourning the passing of the EU, I meant it.
By the way, let’s get your list of EU books you have read, shall we?
That was an absolutely brilliant article. Really enjoyed reading it and thoroughly agree with everything you’ve said there.
I think they will do the XII parts, as the outline did go that far… but I hope they don’t do “reboots” or low quality sequel trilogies that have nothing do to with his original vision… I think that would cheapen the movies that already are there.
“…only to receive nothing but hate for something he told us to expect.” Oh come on now. Can we all just admit that whatever it was that was special about George Lucas died in the mid 80’s? (Willow anyone? Howard the Duck?) Both on a creative level, and on an economic level, He became a different person than that who created the original Star Wars. He was super anti corporate and admitted it when he ironically became that what He was trying to avoid.
(as an example please listen to Ben Folds “the ascent of stan”)
And it’s not as if George Lucas didn’t go to outright war with his old time fan base when people had legitimate reasons to be critical in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
Reading interviews or watching videos from George i can easly say he is a good person and very kind (i can’t not say the same for exemple from George R.R. martin) and in my opinion he doesn’t deserve so much hate. (for me Rick Mccallum is more guilty from the PT final result). Yes, the prequels weren’t that good but it’s star wars and they had their great moments.
George had a massive vision of a new world, full of planets and races, ships and so on. As a writer he could develop hundreds of stories during the process of creating the world. Probably has hundreds of notes in some hidden box. He could follow Skywalker saga or think stories 1000 years before that. Yes, i would like to see lots of movies. Some probably will be as great as OT, probably some won’t. So, let’s fun!!
Great Article. I have to be honest, in all my years of fandom this is the first time I’ve realized that Lucas was quoted as saying “I have story treatments of 7, 8 and 9 and a bunch of other movies…” I wonder of the bunch of other movies were Star Wars movies? In context, it sure seems that way.
I think what a lot of fans are going to find as Episode 7 is released is that, yes, we have always wanted a sequel trilogy, more so than we ever wanted a Prequel trilogy. A sequel to Return of the Jedi is what we’ve all really always wanted, because we loved those characters so much. What we may find unfortunately though, is that we didn’t want a sequel trilogy where those beloved characters are now in their 70’s.
I think within the next 10 years or so, after the Original Trilogy actors and actress have had their graceful farewell, we’re going to see Disney move in the direction of making new films, possibly even a new trilogy, centering around the Original Trilogy characters, in their prime and with younger actors. Who knows if it’s a good idea, or if it will even work. But look at the “young” Jeff Bridges in the last Tron film. And think of where that technology will be in 10 years. I could see a series done that way that perhaps was more of a direct Return of the Jedi sequel, rather than one set 30 years in the future.
Basically, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see a Prequel to the Sequel sometime in the future. If they set things up properly in Episode 7-9, there could be a bevy of unanswered questions regarding what took place in those thirty years between Episode 6 and 7 and if that were the case, those thirty years will be ripe with possibility.
I had an idea months ago that Episode 7 could center around the search for Luke Skywalker, who had been missing for over 20-25 years, without explanation. So that we could then go back later and have a Prequel explain the events that led up to Episode 7, much like Episode 1-3 filled us in on what led up to Darth Vader and Obi Wan’s final confrontation on the Death Star. It’s amazing to watch their dialogue in that scene now having scene Episodes 1-3.
Just my fantasy take on the matter, so who knows. What we do know is — one way or another, they’ll keep making Star Wars films forever now. I think they’ll be stupid to abandon the original characters completely. Although I’m sure they are hoping the new characters introduced in the Sequel Trilogy will be loved enough to warrant future adventures.
I always wanted the Sequel Trilogy instead of the Prequel Trilogy going back to the mid 80’s. The Sequel Trilogy story can go anywhere they want to take it, as there is an added suspense of who will survive too? The Prequel Trilogy is limited because it HAS to match up with the Originals, so Lucas was in a box for most plot points.
I’m so grateful to George for going prequel. I would not want to see Han Solo die in a crap movie.
It is a fascinating prospect that within (at most) 20 years, CGI human characters will likely claw their way out of the Uncanny Valley, and then Disney can resurrect young/youngish Luke, Han and Leia onscreen.
Probably there would be some kind of automated process where everything is acted out with real actors, but then the computer changes the faces, frame by frame, into the desired configuration (but based on the original expression of the actor, just like the faces of the aliens in Avatar were).
The eyes, so hard to get right in a simulation, could essentially be those of the real actors. Technology isn’t quite there yet, but clearly we are getting there, and I have no doubt it will be attempted sooner or later. Seeing (say) Princess Leia at peak beauty once again, but in new and fresh stories, would be such a nerdgasm for young and old that Disney will undoubtedly try to deliver — once the result doesn’t look overly cheesy.
i’m not a cgi fan but in some years i can imagine a CGi show (like Tintin animation for exemple) following han, luke and leia after ROTJ. You don’t need the actors, you just need a great use of the cgi and great star wars stories to tell.
“Reading interviews or watching videos from George i can easly say he is a good person and very kind”
Were you there when He started bitching at old time fans? Or do you just pretend He didn’t say those things?
Oh, you mean like how Simon Pegg bitches about Star Wars and how ….. oh wait, he’s apparently working very close to Episode VII’s production.
I think they can make Star Wars movies forever just like they do with the James Bond Franchise, but nothing will ever touch the Original Trilogy. The Originals were lightning in a bottle where everything just worked: The Characters, The Chemistry, The Story, The Humor, The Drama, The Mythology.
Once you start making sequels and prequels to a successful franchise they are never the same. Now that doesn’t mean they cant be good movies for the fanboys, because there are so many stories that can be told in a galaxy far, far, away.
I think there will be alot of fans like myself who stick with Episodes 1-9 as their canon (Or Episodes 4-9 for fans who didn’t like the Prequels)(Or many fans will just stick with 4-6). But there will be other fans who will continue on seeing the standalone movies too.
I would agree with you fully if Episode IV was widely considered the best Star Wars movie of all time.
The OT will always be a classic trilogy, but V proves that a sequel can beat the original. It may not happen with the ST, but it is always a possibility.
I strongly disagree with your opinion that most of the Bond movies are bad.
Oh, come on man, they are silly movies overall.
I’ve seen some of the old bond movies of the 70s and they are laughably silly…
…then, there is that other silly movie made in the 70s that is laughable. It has people wearing rubber alien suits playing instruments, a stop-motion monster with one eye living in the garbage, and some really hammy acting… maybe you’ve heard of this movie I’m talking about?
That’s just your opinion. Even if some of the movies are silly, that doesn’t mean that they are bad.
I’d rather the saga pushes boldly on into the future and not drift sideways or backwards, ever bogged down by continuity and being overly-reverential of the mainline trilogies. If there’s money to be made from the ‘Episode (insert roman numerals)’ brand then there will certainly be further trilogies with exciting new ideas and aesthetics, and lots of surprises.
Personally, I think the Episodes should be restricted to the Skywalker family, but who am I?
It would not surprise me if Episode 7 or 9 will introduce a Skywalker Dynasty….
In the long run, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the episodic series shift from family line to family line.
I like the idea of two trilogies making up a single saga.
My hope is that Disney will give us a trilogy (VII-IX), take a break, wrap up that saga with another trilogy (X-XII) and take a longer break before repeating the process.
As long as the quality is great and we have enough space in between (most likely not 30 years, lol), I say keep ’em coming! 😀
What would Episode XXVII be like? :-O
Pro: I totally respect how Lucas is constantly thinking outside the box. xD
Con: Most of his ideas, unfiltered by voices of reason, are crap. :-/
Mark my words: The new cast will not pass before us without doing at least X-XII.
With Disney helming Star Wars now, they might even get an additional trilogy in the middle, like if the original cast had done VII-IX in the 90s.
If the original cast is well received in VII, I definitely expect to one day see an older Boyega, Daisy, etc. (whoever survives!) pass on the torch to the next generation in future installments. Imagine being able to grow up (or old) with them. :o)
Yeah, one almost imagines the series going on literally forever, much like James Bond — only that here we have generations upon generations, a huge family saga continuing for decades and decades … We may still get to see the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Luke and Leia …
… but for the integrity of the story, I would think it is best to draw the line once the “trilogy of trilogies” is complete, and then start producing stand-alone “parallelquels” instead — or indeed visit the deep past.
As we have discussed, once technology allows the credible CGI resurrection of Luke/Leia/Han in their prime, we could have movies set betweeen the OT and the ST.
I really don’t care about any more sequels past Eps. 7-9. Prequels going back 1000’s of years to explore the origins of the Jedi, the Sith and the Republic would be much more interesting, IMO.
From a creative standpoint Disney/LFL would have a much larger canvas to work with, than if they were always limited to telling the story of Anakin Skywalker’s bloodline.
they’re obviously moving past the Skywalker bloodline. That’s what the spinoff films are all about.
The Sequel trilogy, and any other “episodes” given a numeric title after VII – IX will be limited to the Skywalker family I am sure. Why change that after 9 films?
Because we have yet to grasp the bigger picture. The Skywalkers can still be around, but they don’t always have to be the main focus.
Star Wars is bigger than them. Heck, they were nobodies for much of Episode I and IV.
Because everything has a limit, and the Skywalker line is obviously not the exception.
The Jedi and Sith, on the other hand, offer lots of untapped potential that could make for some great stories, if handled well by what Lucas used to be once: talented, creative young filmmakers.
Yes please. Let’s finish it up on the Skywalker front and explore more of the galaxy far far away… And possibly longer ago. Or even down the hall first door on the Left
“George had a right to vent his frustration since he created the most beloved film franchise the world has ever seen only to receive nothing but hate for something he told us to expect.”
I get it, he deserves respect. He gave us this gift Star Wars. But he didn’t tell us to expect that it would be horrible film making. The extent to which the prequels are bad have nothing to do with it being a “costume drama.”
actually, the prequel trilogy was a whole lot more original than many science fiction films of the same era.
What about a series or trilogy centered around the mandalorian wars and the old republic centered around Revan. And use the general outline/characters of kotor 1 and 2.
Why not both? Disney can give us trilogies and standalones from across Star Wars’ timeline, especially the past.
Why is Rian qualified to write XIII and IV again? Are his movies well written? I don’t get it. Why not get someone with a good track record
To answer the title question I’m sure that Disney plans to make X-XII at a minimum. If the ST bombs though (which it easily could) then who knows. Or if the series just becomes sanitized to suit the general public (see Star Trek) then I probably wouldn’t be a fan so it would be a moot point to me.
critically maybe, but finacially, the ST will NOT bomb.
I’d love to see Disney redo the prequels once the sequels are done. It would make Star Wars more whole whereas releasing more numbered sequels would seem superfluous and make Star Wars fizzle. To me Star Wars will always be un-whole as long as the Roman numerals at the beginning of the OT films imply the existence of earlier films that are so stylistically incompatible.
I also want the prequels redone. However, there’s no need to do them anytime soon. Let Disney focus on satisfying us with brand new quality movies first.
I wouldn’t mind waiting 20 or so years for a PT reboot while we get our fill of new Star Wars! 😀
The Star Wars saga should end as a “trilogy of trilogies!” I say end it @ 9. Then after a time of “spin offs, television and multi media” then reboot the saga, not add another 3 films generations later (story wise). This would be pointless! With all the TV, spin offs and multi media options Disney could explore countless plots and adventures in the Star Wars universe and make millions off of the Star Wars brand without beating a dead horse!!!!!!!
End it as a trilogy of trilogies m/
“We’ll examine this possibility after the jump “. . . to light speed.
But Disney loves to beat dead horses.
And you?
This site is impossible to deal with now cuz I can no longer use my own :(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
WTF?
SEE even my comment above can’t be displayed right anymore.
What?
People are forgetting that each and every spinoff movie can launch a franchise of its own. The possibilities are endless.
Just don’t give us stupid juvenile charicters like ewoks or jar jar binks. They were bif FUs to the fan base. The fan base were grown ups when the PT came out and Lucus made the PT for moronic children, except for the last one. The was no concevable way to make episode III a kids movie, so no points to lucus for that one. I for one am glad he has no real control over the next trilogy and Disney has way too much invested to produce trash on the sequel trilogy. I have high hopes for the next trilogy.
I am so sorry that you think these movies are being made with you in mind…. Disney is only going to keep the next generation of star wars fans in mind.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You honestly feel that star wars was based for adults?
Then you truly don’t get what star wars is all about do you?
The new trilogy, as were the last 2 trilogies will be geared for children!
Yup 🙂
nope 🙁
It’s all up to the screen writers.
If they consider the core saga as being the original 3 movies and everything else tack on, then could go until people stop paying to see it anymore. This notion trying to stretch the core saga is just asking for more contradictions and plot holes and will end poorly. Disney needs to just let each movie or trilogy stand on it’s own without adding or removing from the previous movies.
First of all, this saga should be about Skywalker family. If the movies continues with 10-12 and more, it should be about Skywalkers. If not, let´s start another saga, with new characters, new stories, maybe in a different time…
Second – There will always be fans who will say the original trilogy is the best. I know many young people who says the prequel trilogy is the best. And I´m pretty sure for todays kids the best will be the sequel trilogy…Fans who were kids when prequel trilogy was in the movies will always disagree that it was bad, stupid. The quality of each trilogy is measured by different factors, like the age of the audience or the time when it´s out.
And like written above – for some there will be just one trilogy, maybe 6 movies, maybe 9, maybe 12. Because it´s George´s Star Wars. Because there´s John Williams music…Time will come, when a Star Wars movie won´t have a Williams mosic, or based on George Lucas story…Would it be stil Star Wars? Our Star Wars? And what about quality? With more movies it may be butter stretched on too large bread…
Last thing – for haters of the prequel trilogy – be prepared that almost certainy you will hate the sequel trilogy. Why? Because there will always be only one original trilogy. Han Solo or princess Leia will never be that young, and very probably you´ll find a thousand things you´d like more than whan you´r about to see. Antidote? Simple – just be a star wars fun and enjoy one more star wars movie. Why? Because it´s star wars!
Liking a new Star Wars film simply because it’s Star Wars is just brand loyalty. My loyalty is not to the Star Wars brand but to the insane level of craft and taste and anthropological depth of design (especially for a children’s adventure) that the OT happens to embody.
Establish the Sequel Trilogy properly. Have a dark ending in Episode IX and base Episodes X through XII on Dark Horses’ ‘Legacy’ Comic Book Series. The EU may not be a grandiose prospect to base one’s story on, but the ‘Legacy’ comic book series is by far one of the best Star Wars comic arcs and story plots of all time (even more enjoyable than the Thrawn Trilogy).
And you are one of those fans who just can’t grasp the fact that Disney and Lucasfilm have already said they will not base any of the films on the (now no more) EU. Not to mention the fact that the EU is totally being REDONE. What you speak of never was.
Echo-07, an excellent article. I’m with you, it’s difficult to tell how Disney is going to play this. There will obviously be plenty more Star Wars movies, but will they continue with Episode 10 and beyond?
The money says they should, but creatively speaking I could also see them ending the numbered series after the current trilogy and going with another series set centuries before this one. Hell, depending on how things resolve in the current series, I could also see them picking up another trilogy centuries after the current one, though I think that the ancient past is probably more likely, as it’d be a guaranteed Jedi vs. Sith clash, which seems to be just a bit of a crowd pleaser.
One thing to bear in mind about the original plan for 12 movies, though. Gary Kurtz laid that out in an interview about ten years ago or so, and at that point (and up until it was time to make ROTJ) the plan was to have Luke’s story continue on for the duration of it, with his final confrontation with the Emperor coming in the very last movie. I’ll see if I can track that down, but I think that this was even before there was a plan to do prequels. Luke was basically going to be Flash Gordon, and they were going to do a dozen episodic movies about him and his adventures.
When Lucas canned that idea, not long after ESB was completed, I believe that’s when Gary Kurtz left the team. I’ll see if I can find some specific info for you about that, though.
Could there be some other series that would be numbered, but with another cover word than “Episodes”?
Like “Chapters 1 to 3” (about, say, the founding of Jedi ages ago), or … no, “installments” sounds overly technical … and “parts” is too plain. They have already used the word “legends” in another context…
They will probably milk the cash cow as long as they can, I am sure. I personally think they should stop at IX- an Original Trilogy, A Prequel Trilogy and a Sequel Trilogy, and one day a definitive box set with the lot incl. remastered original prints for the OT..
And then Disney will announce another trilogy and your in.
I watched the prequels for the first time in years. “Attack of the Clones” sunk them. But overall, the wooden acting, bad lines, and politics didn’t bother me so much as the story for “Clones,” which was messed up on so many levels, especially the development of Anakin Skywalker. (Creepy, whiny childish brat?) How many times do you cringe when you watch that film?
Nevertheless, there were enough sublime moments in the PT that made me appreciate what Lucas accomplished. In fact, I think “Revenge of the Sith,” with its many flaws, is one of the best films of the 2000s. It’s a beautiful and an incredible accomplishment. In short, I think people take the PT for granted: could somebody else besides Spielberg or Kishner have done better?
Indeed, people don’t understand the underlying abstract nature of the PT, particularly “Clones” (to a certain degree) and “Sith,” which elevates the PT to a higher plane of art. (Granted, so many parts of them sucked). After all, Lucas is an abstract filmmaker — it’s in his blood. All the CGI? A canvas.
With that said, it’s going to be interesting to see the direction of the sequel trilogy. Unless Lucas’s treatments form the basis of the films, I anticipate that the thematic elements of Lucas’s original vision will be cast aside in favor of themes that reflect contemporary moral views (i.e., not good v. evil). To be sure, everybody wants another “Empire Strikes Back” (which is a flawless film . . . the realism, the depth); but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are weaknesses in the films that are a result of Lucas’s absence — and imagination.
My cousin’s 15 y.o. son’s best star wars movie ever is Attack of the clones. Again as y said before, at different age and in different time people see each sw movie with different optic.
The prequels are … what the prequels are. Revenge of the Sith isn’t bad. Finally Lucas throws aside the childishness and cheesiness and allows dark and serious things to happen.
Episodes I and II suffer somewhat from the fact that they are really just set-up for III. Episode I could have been drastically improved by applying the simple formula “more Maul, less Binks” and developing a more obvious protagonist; this should have been Obi-Wan’s big movie.
Episode II suffers from bad dialogue (truly cringe-worthy “romantic” moments with Anakin/Padme and not-so-funny banter from 3PO — “what a drag”, haw har har …)
But then, despite its own flaws, Episode III does to some extent redeem the Prequel Trilogy. Propably this trilogy is best appreciated as a single unit with three chapters, more so than the Original Trilogy, where especially A New Hope can stand entirely on its own.
Producin Star Wars Underworld would be the best and only truly right thing to do. It would virtually take what made Star Wars, not what it intended to be (if the continued vision really was what it became) and it would show after all tha George Lucas IS a genious.
He already wrote several episodes and whenever i hear it mentioned i just dont get it and wonder what happened !? It would be a star wars wet dream. Envisioning what sw made of itself. Not what someone wanted to be or likes to . Just what it really is. If great things are to be created, its original creator eventually must let it go its own way
Whether Disney decides to continue the series after IX or not, I definitely don’t expect the ST to conclude in such a way that closes the door to the possibility of more episodes.
Hey everyone my mom made some Blue Milk & Wookie Cookies. You all wanna stay the night at my house and have a Star Wars marathon?
I want a pizza roll please!
Don’t you mean some pizza the hutt?
Wookie cookies…. I’m in
I want to hunt Ewoks!
Ok peeps, I can’t remember the name of the article but all of you will know which one I’m speaking of…
Georges original vision of Star Wars, as he stated in the interview and quoted here, was 12 movies. Nine (9) films dealing with the Skywalker family & Three (3) films that dealt with other characters in the Star Wars universe.
So I believe Disney should go with Georges vision. As they have stated they are, by doing the ST and Three (3) spin-offs.
A Trilogy of Trilogies is what the Star Wars saga of the Skywalker family should be.
He liked the real star wars.
Oh boy, more OT elitism! That certainly isn’t tiring to listen to at all!
They could end with the skywalkers on episode 9 or keep it going to episode 12 if the new characters (young skywalker/solo family) are taken to the worlds hearts and loved by all.
If not then maybe they could make episode 10-11-12 about another family of whom one of the family members appears in episodes 7 8 or 9. So then new episodes could be about a new dynasty and still keeping the episode number in the title. Maybe they could be connected to the skywalkers somehow but taking part in another part of the galaxy, or even a different galaxy in which some sort of empire/evil has been ruling for thousands of years
Rather annoying article…. Can’t we just enjoy what IS to come? Instead of speculative talk about a possible ending of our favorite story ?
Will Moriband be visited in the new trilogy?
Thats what I wanna know!
If George Lucas was such a nice guy who liked his fans so much then who was it that said this:
“The controversy over who shot first, Greedo or Han Solo, in Episode IV, what I did was try to clean up the confusion, but obviously it upset people because they wanted Solo to be a cold-blooded killer, but he actually isn’t.”
Re-read that & think for a sec… he filmed it that way originally, so by his own measure Lucas wanted Han to be a cold blooded killer too. He can’t seriously be so asinine to believe his own quote… he’s aware of the situation in which Han found himself… it was pretty much self defense… that Alien was going to KILL him. He WROTE the script, He DIRECTED the movie. Come on, this isn’t elitism, it’s the other way around… Lucas shot first… not us.
I’m a songwriter and artist… I actually do spend a lot of time asking people what they think of what I’m doing, and will make changes when they are called for. I don’t sit there and say “You guys just don’t get it, since you don’t like it that means that you want this song to be about murdering people”. That’s what an elitist says… If someone doesn’t like my song I ask them to explain why they don’t like it instead of just whitewashing their views.
Don’t forget that George Lucas biographer said there was outlines for twelve movies and this upcoming trilogy is to be the most action packed!
Episode 9 will end with the death of the empire and the creation of the new republic from a victorious galactic alliance and a new strong jedi order.
Disney will make more money with 10-12 than any Old Republic movies so I’m sure they will do 10,11 & 12 so we can follow familiar characters for longer….
It’s all about the money no matter what. As long the fans keep wanting more, more movies will be made. Disney would make 20 more Star Wars movies if the fans demand it. Example : Pirates of Carribean. Really what else is there to tell ? But as long as fans want more of Jack Sparrow, they will make more. If fans love Star Wars 7, 8 and 9 and want more, there will be 10, 11 and 12 and even more if fans keep demanding it. It’s all about milking as much gold of it before its time to end it. Even if one day, 50 years from now, they reboot the saga from the start. Who’s gonna care anyway, most of us will be dead by then..lol
there are many diferent time periods in star wars that they could explore in other trilogies, specially the times of the formation of the republic