[kevin]

I don't think any of that will happen either. But much like Star Trek fans wanting and simultaneously not wanting Khan it never stops circling the internet.

Problem is, as I think we all know - franchises aren't really 'need' based. To step back from it all, did we need the prequels? Did we need eleven Star Trek films or did we need four spin off TV shows? They pass the point of creatively needing to exist at some point in their lifespans and then become self-sustaining entity's that need to exist for business reasons as much as the original creative ones. Until they burn out and then need re-energised at some point. We've seen that happen with Trek already.

Sure, this doesn't remotely mean what gets made is always worthless and can't simultaneously be good and satisfying. It's the blurry and hazy space between art and commerce. Itself a tired circular discussion. One almost never exists without the other. But are these new movies being made because they need to be made? Probably not. They're going to be made partly to generate new revenue for Disney out of the market for it.

And I'm completely aware that the same argument can be made for the last Trek film which in part Paramount needed to make to retain the rights. The plus side is that broadly ended up a well done and enjoyable film because of who they brought in to do it. These new Star Wars films could be the same thing as well.

[samwiseb]

I'm not disagreed on any of these points.

This article, while more optimistic than most of the reactions here, show's an overall fairly level-headed reaction to the situation:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/59382

(Although he's more confident then I am about the original trilogy)

I think I'm kind of optimistic, cynical, and even a little disgusted all at the same time. But I think the healthiest reaction is to shrug it off until the movies are in theaters. Then you either get scooped up in the publicity and advertising, or you don't.

[martok2112]

Originally Posted by samwiseb

But I think the healthiest reaction is to shrug it off until the movies are in theaters. Then you either get scooped up in the publicity and advertising, or you don't.

Bingo!

[kevin]

Originally Posted by samwiseb

I'm not disagreed on any of these points.

This article, while more optimistic than most of the reactions here, show's an overall fairly level-headed reaction to the situation:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/59382

(Although he's more confident then I am about the original trilogy)

I think I'm kind of optimistic, cynical, and even a little disgusted all at the same time. But I think the healthiest reaction is to shrug it off until the movies are in theaters. Then you either get scooped up in the publicity and advertising, or you don't.

Yeah, I'd say I'm a little less firm on it. But basically your last two lines covers it - as it does everything.

[starbase63]

Originally Posted by samwiseb

Looking for the thread over there; I must be blind.

It's in the Recreation Center, Sam.

[starbase63]

Originally Posted by kevin

Lotta rumours already.

Online, fan buzz is mostly about the Timothy Zahn book trilogy (which I read when I was a kid and I remember actually being pretty good) but there's nothing concrete I can see yet. However, if this story of a mapped out trilogy already is true, then someone must already have done some of the groundwork on what the story would be.

And if it's not been Lucas...............who has it been?

Going way, way back, it was always perceived that the whole saga, originally having the overall title of "The Journal Of The Whills" would be made up of three trilogies..."Star Wars" was almost a secondary title. The second trilogy was supposed to have had the subtitle "The Adventures Of Luke Skywalker."

So it's quite possible the outlines Lucas made for the third trilogy could be very old, going back to the 1970s.

[samwiseb]

Originally Posted by starbase63

Going way, way back, it was always perceived that the whole saga, originally having the overall title of "The Journal Of The Whills" would be made up of three trilogies..."Star Wars" was almost a secondary title. The second trilogy was supposed to have had the subtitle "The Adventures Of Luke Skywalker."

So it's quite possible the outlines Lucas made for the third trilogy could be very old, going back to the 1970s.

Those were very rough outlines as I recall.

At the time that there were nine movies (Empire Strikes Back would have already been in production) the middle three chapters were the only ones that actually conformed to a trilogy. Episodes I and II jumped dozens of hundreds of years forward in time (creation of the Republic, that sort of thing), leaving III to cover what eventually became the prequel trilogy. Then I think in films VII-VIII Luke finally confronts his sister (not Leia) and the Emperor... then IX would have been a distant coda/episode film of sorts... my recollection is quite sketchy. Lucas' so-called master plan changed with every film that was in production.

[martok2112]

I remember when Empire Strikes Back was being released that TBS did a report stating that there were actually 13 movies planned. 10 more in addition to the trilogy at the time.

[samwiseb]

This is the first I've heard that. I wouldn't be surprised though, as Lucas' story changes with whatever is (was) the current version of his master plan at the time. So I'm sure in the span of time that Empire was filmed Lucas could have gone from thinking nine movies to thirteen movies.

Then again media is often a phenomenon of rumors only half-heard before they get passed along.

[kevin]

Star Wars does have it's fair share of changing stories! Lol.

I have some memory that Lucas had once claimed there was overall a 9 part story. But in reading some articles the last couple days some who once spoke to Lucas seem to claim there was also once a plan for a 12 part saga.

I guess it's the term Episode 7 that seems interesting. Episodes 1 - 6 told a complete story - the story of Anakin/Vader. That story appears done. So you would imagine another trilogy would be a fresh one but set in that universe. But using the name Episode 7 perhaps suggests to some a continuation of that supposedly told story. But where would it then go? Would it feed back to something Lucas had in mind?