What was the original plot for Episodes 7-9?

Just had a funny idea...
"Palpatine: The Early Years."

Anyway, I recall hearing about the idea that Episodes 7 through 9 would be about the rebuilding of the Republic. Well, that's not a very exciting dramatic concept, since the core of drama is conflict. So it's just as well we probably don't see them.

I think Episodes I through VI will do just fine.

I think as Lucas gets older, his health will deteroriate, as he is a diabetic and that presents health challenges. I hope that doesn't happen, I hope the Force is with him.
But it could make work on any future STAR WARS films, which are quite strenuous, very difficult for a man in his 60s, 70s, or 80s.

 

Hey Folks,

I've never been a big fan of the EU stuff myself. I was turned off greatly by Splinters of the Minds Eye when it first came out. And after hearing all the lame plots that came out of EU (Evil aliens invade from another galaxy? What the HECK?),I've been pretty conviced not to even accept theses as anywhere gospel.

I've alwaysed imagined something different for the cast of OT. I saw Han Solo as shipping tycoon-owning his own fleet of ships, becoming the "respectable" buisness man. Han would be the type of owner who get his hands dirty once in a while and fly a dagerous exploration mission just for fun. Lea Solo would be Chancellor of the New Republic. They would be happily married(boring I know-but this is fairy tale like world. Their children would have problems relating to their parents-especially a young rebellious teen daugter woul might like to hang around Dads old crowd.) R2 would work with Han, and C3p0 would work with Lea. Chewie would be a respected leader in his tribe. Lando would be Senator of Bespin.

But the big mystery is what happen to Luke-After Return of the Jedi-Luke began to train Jedis for ten years. After several politicians falsely claim that Luke was attempting to consolidate too much power, Skywalker removed his order and training grounds away from public views. Yet the Jedi did not abandoned the galaxy

Unlike the jedi's of the past, they have no temple or seek honored positions in society.They move amoung the populace like ghosts-people never noticing them until a great injustice errupts.

Then the Jedi mysteriously steps in and re-establishes justice and balance to the scene. Their first course is to guide the people gently to the solutions of their problems-rarely they directly dish out physical justice.

Skywalker himself is an enigma-some say he's an insane hermit-living in unexplored systems. Other say, he died on a last mission-saving the Republic from an unseen threat to the Republic. And yet some say he wanders the galaxy-helping those in need and searching for apprentices. No one knows how to contact him-yet he shows up whenever he is needed...

Anyways-that's my vision of what the prequels would begin. There would be an internal threat to the Republic-one that would get the gang back together for an adventure in the style of "Man in the Iron Mask"

Heck, would anyone actually read something like this-as a fan fiction sort of thing?
I've been wondering how to go about something like that.

Anyways, I don't mind if Lucas stops the Star Wars films after PT. The fact that we all have our own versions of what happened in the next chapter in our heads...and some of us would be greatly dissapointed if sometone would come up with a "final" chapter. Especially if you are a big fan of the EU, and Lucas never used them

 

Lukecash, I much prefer your version of events to the EU. I've thought much the same as to what happened, only I think Luke is still in easy contact and has set up a Jedi Temple on a remote and inhospitable world on the outer rim, well away from Coruscant - but your idea's probably cooler.

 

I agree with many of you that it would be pointless to pursue the story beyond ROTJ but I, like many SW fans, can't seem to get enough of this amazing universe Lucas created.

Lucas has been pretty clear that after episode 3 is done, that's it for him and I can't blame him. As we all know, there is a tremendous amount of work involved at every level to put together a SW movie. Lucas spent 10 years working on the first trilogy and he's gonna spend at least as long, if not more, working on the new one.

Perhaps he could pass along the SW franchise to someone else who could develop a TV series. I know, I know, I know, hear me out please before the bashing starts.

After TPM came out I read the novel and was intrigued by the little summary of events detailing the rise and apparent demise of the Sith order, and their long standing battles with the jedi order. This storyline takes place at least 1000 years before TPM if not longer since we're told in TPM that the Sith was believed to have been extinct for that long.

That's the idea: a tv series set in the ancient history of the SW universe which, for the purpose of continuity, would follow the rise and (apparent) fall of the Sith as a story arc.

It could feature entirely new characters, worlds, and situations which would expand on the SW universe as it is without coming into conflict with its premise since it would be very far removed time-wise.

This idea appeals to me because we could gain a better understanding of the inner workings of the--still growing--Republic. It could show how the jedis came to be servants of the Republic while offering a more detailed window into their religion, more so than could be shown in the movies. From there we could witness the splintering within their ranks, the founding of the Sith, tons of battles, heroics, tragedies, prophecies, etc...

Kind of like a prequel series to the story told in the 6 movies. What do u guys think? Should I call McCallum right away or sit on it a while longer?

My 2 cents,

Sgt Pepper

 

Good idea, though I'm sorry to say that it's been said before several times here.

I've thought for a while that it would be good if Lucas shot a ten minute prologue detailing what you say (together with a brief overview of the setting up of the Republic) to be narrated by Neeson or Portman maybe and a 10 minute epilogue (re-uniting the original cast) detailing the rebuilding of the Republic and the Jedi order to be narrated by Carrie Fisher. We could see Luke instructing young Jedi, Leia in the Senate, Han and Chewie in the Falcon for one last time, no story as such, no dialogue, just an extended end sequence to RotJ. It could be put onto the DVD box set and I think would be a very cool way to really wrap up the whole saga. It would give a real sense of completion.

 

BINARY'S COMMENT "It is very sad that GL turned Anakin into the hero and central character of the saga. The central figure and hero of episodes 4-9 should be Luke Skywalker, while the central figure and hero of episodes 1-3 should be Obi-wan Kenobi

BINARY - It's funny, in the beggining it was always going to be about "The Adventures of Luke Skywalker". Then in 1999 George tells us that the story was always going to be about "Darth Vader"? I just get frustrated when Geoge can't seem to make up his mind. (my perspective, I am not trying to piss anyone off)

 

I've got another hypothetical situation. If John Williams bites the big ibe before the
making of the final trilogy, would it be wise to make them.

I mean, Williams is a big part of the SW Movies Universe. Now, I can'T imagine
a SW movies without that MUSICAL GOD.

John Williams' importance in the succes of SW can't be ignored. Ask Lucas
himself, Spielberg, Depalma, Coppola, Kaufman.

For those men, Theres a life before ANH beings musical orchestrated and
another (much better) after with ANH being flown by Williams.

For SW, First it's God, after It's Lucas and finally there's Williams.

So Can you imagine a SW without Williams Input

 

"In the sequels Luke will be a 60 years old Jedi Knights. The sequels
focuses mainly on Luke and Mark Hamill will get the first crack at the role
if he's old enough. If the first trilogy is social and political and talks
about how society evolves; the middle trilogy is more about personnal
growth and self-realization and the third deal with morals and
philosophicals problems. The sequals are about Jedi Knighthood, justice,
confrontation and passing on what you have learned."

Lucas' interview, Time magazine

 

Time- March 6, 1978
Lucas has set set up four corporations: Star Wars Corp. will make STAR WARS II, and then, count them, ten others planned sequels.

Rolling Stone- August 25, 1977
Lucas "I think that the sequels will be much, much better. What I want to do is direct the last sequel. I would do the first one and let everyone else do the ones between. I would want to try to get some good directors and see what their interpretation of the theme is. One of the sequels we are thinking of is the young days of Obi-Wan. It would probably be all differents actors.

L.A Reader - March 7, 1980
Lucas " STAR WARS is really three trilogies, nine films.....it won't be finished for probably another 20 years."

L.A Herald Examiner- August 21, 1980
Lucas says he chose to start in the middle because the first trilogy is more plot-oriented, more soap-opera-ish.

L..A Times- September 23, 1980
Lucas projects to end the Saga by 2004.

Time- May 19, 1980
Lucas" The last trilogy involve the rebuilding of the Republic."

Press-Telegram- May 18, 1983
Lucas " Now I've finished one book. And there may be two other books in my mind, but wether I start another book is not crucially important. The next book doesn't have anything to do with this book. Different sets, different actors. So it's not like I have to rush out and do another."

Star Wars Screen Saver: 1994
Lucas says that Star Wars is a saga is story of Good VS Evil, divided in nine parts.

Stephen Sansweet, 1997
I've asked Lucas about Episodes 7-8-9. Response: "'Let's just get past the first three before we worry about the last three."

1993 French Premiere
Lucas" A New Star Wars movie will hit theater before the turn of The Century. These will be prequels to the current trilogy. For The Third Trilogy, I don't if I will still be alive when comes the time to make them."

1990, French Premiere, September
Lucas" In fact, Star Wars 4 was already in production when I began to work on Star Wars. Star Wars is a story, divided in three trilogies. It's a long movie of 18 hours, divided in nine parts. The next trilogy will be prequels, with events taking place some years before the current trilogy. The main characters will be, besides A Young Vader and a Young Ben Kenobi, completely new . The look will be different too.

Disney Adventures, March 1997 (If I remember well, the questions asked to Lucas were by one of his daughter.
Q. What about Episodes 7-8-9 ?
Lucas: Ask me that question after I complete Episode 1,2,3 in the year 2003 !"

Montreal's Movies, April, 1997
Lucas" The next movies are prequels. It's the story of Darth Vader. The First one is a pretty light movie. It's the introduction and everything goes downhill from there. The Next three are more about who did what to who...Finally, there may be three more movies to conclude the epic some years down the road.

1997, Youth TV
Question: Will Luke Skywalker ever get married ?
Lucas: Not in the next three, since is not born (laugh)
Question: In the final trilogy ?
Lucas: Humm, I don't know.....I'm not sure which kind of characters will be in the sequels. Nothing definitive. We'll have to wait and see.

 

May 23, 1983 issue of TIME:

"Though Lucas has no immediate plans for Han, Leia or Luke, that does not mean he will not come up with some in the next decade or so. If he does carry the story any further, he will go back to the beginning to make a prequel. Only after that ---and certainly not before the 1990's-- would he do the sequel and show what happens to the Star Wars trio after Jedi.

"The sequels, the three movies that would follow Jedi, are considerably vaguer. Their main theme will be the necessity for moral choices and the wisdom needed to distinguish right from worng. Luke, who will then be the age OBI-WAN KENOBI is now, some place in his 60's, will reappead, and so will his friends, assuming the creator decides to carry the epic further."

 

Thanks a lot, some great quotes I've never seen before, and I thought I'd seen most of them by now. Any more?

 

I've some more, just need to find them out.

For what it's worthing, at some point before the prequels , I was corresponding with Mister Perry (author of Shadow OF The Empire) and he told me that when he went to the RANCH to dig up some informations about the SW universe and he had the privileged to look at some informations that confirmed Lucas' interest in Episodes 7-8-9 (at that time).

Perry didn't go further but he went to say that everything at the ranch was pointing toward an eventual third trilogy. And they were some thing that couldn't do in SOTE in part because Episodes 7-8-9 were part of some master plan.

Have a nice day

 

this is very interesting, plotting lucas's twisting plans

 

LSUgrad97 wrote: "I am pretty sure Obi-wan and Luke (and Luke's sister who was not Leia) were suppose to be the heroes in GL's origional vision. Now, with the redemption of Vader as a quick end to SW because he got tired of making these movies, the hero has shifted to Anakin. It would be really sweet to see GL's original outline."

It is very sad that GL turned Anakin into the hero and central character of the saga. The central figure and hero of episodes 4-9 should be Luke Skywalker, while the central figure and hero of episodes 1-3 should be Obi-wan Kenobi. >>


While I like ESB and ROTJ, I do agree that things would have been even much more cooler if things had happened that way. I definetly like what little I know about the original Episode I more than the "Official" version. I believe the prequels should have been about Obi-Wan, not Anakin. I don't think he should have been the central figure of the saga, because he was not such in the original movies, for one. I can understand Lucas not wanting to do sequels and condensing things, because he doesn't want to do Star Wars all his life. But what I don't understand is why he decided Anakin was suddenly the central figure of the story after the fact. And I really hate the way Obi-Wan got little more than a glorified cameo role in TPM. I think the prequels should have focused on him, but even without that idea, he should have had a bigger role than he did. He definetly shouldn't have become secondary to the idiotic antics of Jar-Jar. Anyway, that's just my opinion. Sorry if I offended anyone.

 

Aww, come on. This is a good topic. Why isn't it at the top? Here it goes.

 

Do you think the Virtual Sequels should continue after ROTJ or should they have been written with George's original ideas for Star Wars?

 

Neither. For Virtual Sequels, you should have to rewrite ROTJ so that it is how it was before 6,7,8,9 were condensed all into one movie. Nothing against ROTJ, I like it a lot, but the sequel thing works better that way. Things don't seem so grafted on.

 

Great thread good job guys now for my 2-cents but by the time i am done it might be $1.00 LOL

Anyways i agree the last three shouldnt be done cuz there is no true tie to the OT but i dont know where every1 thinks ROTJ tied up all the loose ends. I will give IMO how these loose ends can be fixed after

One major loose ends is the empire is not really finished. When the first DS was blown up the empire came back hard and swift y couldnt this happen after the destruction of the second DS. Look the empire controled 100s of systems with there own governors controling them as tarkin said in ANH. So just cuz the emperor is dead and the second DS is blown up what every imperial officer put their blasters down i dont think so. In ROTJ the rebels only lauch an attack on the DS not any planet. Thats y even though i dont like books written by other ppl that lucas regarding SW they have the rigth idea that ROTJ was defeat not the end of the war.

How to fix this loose end: I think when GL goes to release ROTJ on DVD he could add an extra .5 hour or a full hour to show some of these attacks. You wont need any of the main characters cuz they will be in the battle of endor. He could add some new scenes put in the middle of Rotj when ackbar is talking about the assult of the DS saying something to the affect that other rebel fleets are masing attacks on major imperial strong holds. It wouldnt be to hard to even add lines into the exsisting footage as ackbars lips dont match want he is saying LOL. I think adding footage of the rebels taking over Coruscant. I think this would make the celbration at the end more important. As i said u dont need to add new characters just rebel troopers and storm troopers to make these scenes.

Anyways that is the only thing i would like to see but i dont need a ST to see this. I dont care about a new sith or jedi cuz it would take away from the PT and OT. It just wouldnt flow right. There is nothing really to carry over to the SW except what i mentioned but that could be done with what i said.
So please dont GL dont ruin SW by having a ST just add more into ROTJ as i said ( like he reads this LOL)

Anyways in closing just to add fuel to the SW debate back after ESB all the main characters had it in their contracts if lucas was to make the ST they would be signed already and they where told it would be about 20 years from then. So they where signed to do more in the 80s and that was lucas`s plans to do all 9 and have the SW done by 2003. He wanted to start the PT in late 80s and the early 90s and start the ST in the late 90s and early 2000s but he put it in the closet cuz he didnt like the technology at the time. That was from a fan club story years ago. So the actors are still signed to do the ST but i dont think it will ever happen.

Some ppl think lucas released the special edition so he could gain interest in the new PT but that is wrong he did it to try finish just ANH the way he wanted it. He didnt even at the time have an outline of what the TPM turned out to be but once he saw the fan interest again he start work on writing the TPM as quick as possible thats y he has the story was abit rushed. The reason i am saying this is maybe when he releases the OT on DVD by 2008 he will see the interset is there and decide to make the last 3 (which i hope he doesnt)

Last thing do u guys think gl would ever be an advisor on the ST and let some 1 else direct and write the stories from lucas notes and ideas. And leave all the hard stuff to some1 else.

THanks for the great threads Wedge and every1 else

Told u it wouldnt be 2-cents more like a dollar LOL

 

DarthTorgo I am all for rewriting ROTJ in order to make EP 7-9.

Would people be happier if Lucas left the OT the way it was and then remade everything following the storylines he had for all nine films?

 

My idea for a sequel trilogy is set about 30 years after ROTJ and has a new Sith Lord rally the scattered remnants of the Empire to attack the New Republic. Anakin Solo would be the hero and Luke would appear as a Jedi hermit living on a desolate planet. The only other major characters to appear from the OT would be the droids, of course.

It's fun to speculate, but I think Lucas was right when he said the story ends with Episode VI. Anything after that would just be "Further Adventures in the Star Wars Galaxy" but not really relevant to the story of the Skywalkers.
Although, if Lucas uses that idea about having a mojor character from the PT frozen in carbonite, it could leave the door open for Episode VII

 

Yeah, that would be cool, Samurai Jack.

 

I hope the will make a Sequel to the classic trilogy

 

I agree with Samurai-Jack.

A sequel to ROTJ just aint good storytelling folks. The story structure and arc, climax etc is over. It wouldnt be natural to make a sequel to the OT. Allow me:

As the movies stand now, do you guys honestly think a good story (let alone 2 hours of movie or god forbid a trilogy!) can come of just the "normal people" of the empire pathetically and slowly wayning from power? Is that even the point of the story? NO! Its about Anakin fulfilling the prophesy. Prophesy fulfilled.

Lets consider the point of the half dead empire: What else is there to write about? There has to be some kind of goal for the characters other than defeating the empire. Luke had to refuse the dark side, vader had to fulfill the prophesy. Whats left!? NOTHING.

HOWEVER, a trilogy about the sith wars 1000 years before TFM could be done though. Darth Bane etc. Itd give a huge backstory on the Jedi and Sith, but nothing more for Anakin except to elaborate on the prophesy.

And I have reviewed this thread and read about the notes that Lucas has for after ROTJ. IMO, It just better not include the sith in it. Dark Jedi would probably be the issue. Conflict within the order.

 

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