‘I Had 3 More Star Wars to Make’ — George Lucas Reveals What He Left Behind When He Retired From Making Movies
George Lucas has revealed that he planned three additional Star Wars films before retiring from filmmaking and selling the franchise to Disney for $4 billion in 2012. While the legendary filmmaker has previously mentioned having vague ideas for Star Wars sequels throughout his decades-long career, nothing concrete materialized before the acquisition.
Lucas has historically given conflicting accounts about whether he had definitive plans for a third trilogy to complete what fans refer to as the “Skywalker Saga”—the nine episodic core Star Wars films. However, in recent comments, Lucas has acknowledged abandoning his personal vision for continuing the saga, indicating he had to choose between pursuing those films and focusing on other creative endeavors.
The revelation provides insight into the roads not taken in one of cinema’s most influential franchises. Since the Disney acquisition, Star Wars has evolved significantly under different filmmakers’ stewardship, with multiple trilogy attempts, standalone projects, and expanded universe content created independently of Lucas’s original vision. Lucas’s decision to step back from the franchise rather than complete his initially envisioned story represents a pivotal moment in modern cinema history.