Dominic Piacentini
A&E Senior Staff Writer Sci-fi geeks of all generations have heard the biggest Star Wars news since “Revenge of the Sith” premiered seven years ago. Lucasfilm, the production company behind the six Star Wars films, has been bought by Disney for over four billion dollars.
Soon after this information was released, news also spread that Disney is already preparing a 2015 premier date for a new Star Wars film. There is also a plan in the works to complete another trilogy with two additional movies. George Lucas is currently gearing up for retirement, and is passing the reigns to newly appointed Lucasfilm president Kathy Kennedy.
The Star Wars enterprise seems to be in good hands with Disney and Kennedy, who have both proved themselves as film powerhouses. Disney has an impressive history in and of itself, but so do Pixar and Marvel, Disney’s other acquisitions. Pixar officially joined Disney in 2006, followed by Marvel in 2009. Since these dates, both film companies have flourished under the ever-watchful eye of Disney. Kennedy has also built a name for herself, producing many successful films such as “Schindler’s List” and “Back to the Future.” As of now, however, no screenwriters or directors have been named for the newest addition to the Jedi saga.
Although the production of this new Star Wars trilogy seems to be taken care of, the content of the new films remains unknown. Lucas has mentioned in the past that he intended the original movies to be capped off by both prequel and sequel trilogies; however, no information about this new saga has been given — only that it will cover original material. As of now, it is up in the air how long after “The Return of the Jedi” this new chronology will take place, and what characters will return.
Interestingly, Lucas summoned both Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) to lunch, in order to brief them ahead of time on the news, and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) has certainly expressed excitement about the newest installment. But due to the incredibly long time gap between episodes VI and VII, it seems unlikely that the aged trio would return centrally to the series. It would not be surprising, however, to see characters like C3PO, R2D2 or Chewbacca thread their way into the ongoing narrative, as they did in the prequel trilogy.
Sci-fi fans are both excited and apprehensive about this news. Many believe the prequel trilogy did not live up to the high expectations set by Lucas’s original movies, and they are incredibly nervous about Star Wars Episode VII. On the other hand, many are excited that Stars Wars is reappearing in entertainment and being taken over by new powerful and talented organizations.
Hamill himself commented on the potentially divisive news, saying, “I can see both sides of it. Because in a way, there was a beginning, middle and an end, and we all lived happily ever after and that’s the way it should be — and it’s great that people have fond memories, if they do have fond memories. But on the other hand, there’s this ravenous desire on the part of the true believers to have more and more and more material.”
As 2015 approaches, more information is sure to leak out, but until then we will have to hold our breath in anxious anticipation.