It’s easy for many to say that Lucas’ decision to sell his
beloved creation is an attempt to ensure a very nice retirement pay check, and
that the Star Wars legacy, the one in which is name will always be
synonymously tied to despite his lack of
future involvement, will forever live on in cinematic and pop-culture history.
However, after watching his interview, I can’t help but feel that his decision
to sell LucasFilm is a genuine one. It
does not solely come from a place of wanting monetary gain, as he has stated
majority of the money he received from the deal will go towards his educational
foundation and other philanthropic endeavours. Neither does it come from an
egotist wanting to maintain his notoriety. As an aspiring writer myself I
understand that a writers' creations can simultaneously be a product that they
never want to see end, but are also the bane of their entire existence. Lucas
has received much criticism for Star Wars since the release of The Phantom
Menace in 1999, which must have been a perplexing experience for Lucas considering the
overwhelming positive feedback the original trilogy garnered. What makes this
even sadder is the knowledge of Lucas’s meticulous work ethic; that he worked
so hard on all of his films, yet currently they recieve mixed to negative
reactions since the conclusion of the last Star Wars film he made, Revenge of
the Sith in 2005. As Lucas himself has stated: ‘Why would I make any more... when everybody yells at you all the time and
says what a terrible person you are?’ It’s no wonder Lucas initially abandoned plans
to make further films, but this way, Lucas’ creation is able to live on, and he
is able to pursue his wish to undertake more experimental films, without
feeling that he owes Star Wars, or it’s fans anything, without discrediting the image
of the company he created. Not only that, but fans that were unimpressed by the
Star Wars prequel trilogy can be optimistic that Disney has the opportunity to
take the franchise in creative and exciting new directions.
But just how excited should we get? And what directions
could we be expected to be heading in? Details from Lucas’ previously abandoned
sequel plans suggest the next trilogy will be based twenty to thirty years after
the end of Return of the Jedi, with the characters of Luke, Leia and Han
playing pivotal roles. Popular theories online since the announcement of the
new trilogy suggest the plot might borrow heavily from many novels based after
Return of the Jedi in the expanded Star Wars universe. The most discussed being the original cast playing
more of a supportive role to new, younger, central characters, most possibly
Leia and Han’s children, Jiana and Jacen Solo, who have played a large role in the expanded universe, as well as featuring a new Jedi
Order and Jedi Academy shown to be built by Luke in the novels. Obviously this
is all speculation, but one assumes Star Wars won’t return without the presence
of Luke, Leia and Han in some capacity, but will the actors be willing to return
to the roles that made them famous, and even more importantly, are they in good
enough health to do so? Mark Hamill would seem to be the most likely to return
to his role, but he as aged considerably and would need to do a lot of work to
get into shape for the film. Similarly, Carrie Fisher hasn’t aged all that well
either, and her many personal problems may keep her from returning. Harrison Ford has
been the most successful of the three since the end of Star Wars, so he would
have no need to return, and it has been stated that he wanted his character Han
Solo killed off in the Return of the Jedi, so his return seems unlikely,
unfortunately. But then again, he reprised his other most iconic character Indiana Jones In The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull in 2008 so you never know.
Then again, Luke, Leia and Han could still easily appear in
the next trilogy – played by completely new actors. This is where Disney’s
acquisition of the Star Wars franchise starts to come under closer scrutiny.
Technically they have the ability to do as they please with the continuation of
the story, and as Disney CEO Bob Iger stated the Star Wars universe ‘offers a virtually limitless universe of
characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases' and
refers to "[i]ts universe of more than 17,000 characters inhabiting
several thousand planets spanning 20,000 years offer[ing] infinite inspiration
and opportunities’. The only thing promising about this is
Disney is obviously in the money making business, and the best way to do that
with the next trilogy will be to promise fans a continuation of the characters
they know and love after Return of The Jedi, which is possibly why at this
early stage so much decision had been around the expanded Star Wars universe
and the return of key characters.
Regardless of what the outcome is, Star Wars is a pop-culture phenomenon and Disney's acquisition of one of the most influential science-fiction saga of all time is no doubt an exhilarating and slightly terrifying occurrence, and for me personally, 2015 can't get here fast enough.
