George Lucas Returning To Direct New Star Wars Project?
Here's what one insider is hearing about George Lucas and a reported meeting at Lucasfilm.
This article is more than 2 years old
There are plenty of upcoming Star Wars movies and television shows announced. The franchise is growing faster than ever, which is saying something for one as old and popular as Star Wars. George Lucas sold Lucasfilm, the studio behind the franchise, to Disney back in 2012. Shortly thereafter, rumors began that the mind that started it all would return in one capacity or another. Perhaps he would retake the entire studio? Perhaps he would negotiate a position for himself high up in the company? Of course, among all the rumors, there is always one favorite bound to grab on any fan’s heart: George Lucas will return and make a new trilogy. But will it really happen?
EpicStream has brought in a new report, as shared by Overlord DVD on YouTube. The insider claims that the studio is in talks with George Lucas. They claimed that Lucas wants more input on Star Wars going forward. That he had a meeting with Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau, Bob Iger, and Bob Chapek. That he is looking at putting a financial stake back in Lucasfilm. If that happens, he claims, we could be looking at a brand new trilogy from George Lucas for Star Wars, bankrolled by Lucas himself.
The YouTuber bringing in this news, who calls himself Doomcock, often shares very detailed insider reports on happenings at Lucasfilm. Previously, he has claimed that the studio was planning to remake the sequel trilogy with a mini-series, and then full show, on Disney+. He also claimed it would include unseen footage shot by J.J. Abrams, and that George Lucas was being called in for the project as both a writer and director. That report came in four months ago. Since then, nothing has happened in that regard. There is a trend that he brings in very detailed and wild-sounding reports that don’t tend to lead to new things, so this information should be approached with a healthy amount of skepticism.
While it’s important to note the source of this information, it’s still interesting to think about. It’s hard to get a clear understanding of what George Lucas is doing these days. He sold his company and intellectual property for $4 billion so that he could spend more time with his family. In theory, that means he has stepped away from Star Wars for good. However, the 77 year old creator spent much of his life on the franchise. It’s his legacy. It must be terribly strange to watch your legacy move on without you.
If George Lucas dislikes where the franchise is going, there’s only so much he can do about it. While he can certainly make phone calls and public statements, he has surrendered control. In theory, he could attempt to remain ignorant of what’s happening at Lucasfilm, but it’s difficult for most of us to do that. Today, Star Wars is everywhere. That’s part of his legacy.
While it may be difficult for George Lucas to let go of Star Wars, it’s even more difficult for fans who’ve loved his work. Especially when they hear he is unhappy with how others are developing the world. Whether someone enjoyed the Skywalker Saga or not, it still stands that Lucas would have done something different. So what would he have done? Fans will never stop wanting to see a new trilogy from the creator.
So, then, is it in the interest of the studio to call George Lucas back in to make a brand new trilogy, if he were willing? There may need to be caveats met. For example, Lucasfilm is developing so many projects these days that George Lucas would need to create a trilogy that is in alignment with their wider vision, so he would have to accept that he doesn’t have complete control. Is that something he would be interested in? Is he ready to return to filmmaking at this point?
It’s hard to say whether George Lucas will ever step back into creating a project for Star Wars. One thing that does seem certain? The fans will never stop hoping for that day to come.
