After the news that George Lucas sold LucasFilm — including the Star Wars franchise — to Disney for $4.05 billion, we also found out Star Wars: Episode VII is planned for 2015, with at least two more films to follow. George Lucas wrote the treatments for the films, but won’t be producing or directing. A rumor was going around that the next movies would be based on the Thrawn trilogy, but a purported LucasFilm source says they’ll be based on an original story.
“It’s an original story,” a LucasFilm source tells me. In other words, forget the Star Wars novels. Forget the graphic novels. Forget everything you think you know about what happens to Luke Skywalker. According to my sources, [Star Wars: Episode VII] will literally be nothing you’ve ever seen or read before from the Star Wars universe. I also hear from several sources that, no matter what you may hear to the contrary, no director has been officially attached to the project. [E!]
I’ve already forgotten everything I knew about the Skywalkers, thanks to the prequels and alcohol.
Meanwhile, a (former) friend of George Lucas has been talking about the outlines for the three movies (which admittedly may not be the current version).
The Wrap caught up with writer Dale Pollock, author of Skywalking: The Life And Films Of George Lucas, and he claims the filmmaker allowed him to read the outlines for his originally planned twelve part story. He says, “It was originally a 12-part saga. The three most exciting stories were 7, 8 and 9. They had propulsive action, really interesting new worlds, new characters. I remember thinking, ‘I want to see these 3 movies.’” Of course, a lot has changed between then. Pollock also notes they feature a Luke Skywalker in his 30s or 40s, so that might not allow Mark Hamill to come back. [First Showing]
We’ve found a totally real, exclusive Facebook screencap about Star Wars: Episode VII you guys:
[Image sources: Paul Shipper (via Laughing Squid) and Dorkly]