Let’s face it.TheStar Warssequel trilogy wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, nor was itGeorge Lucas'. WhenDisneybought Lucasfilm back in 2012 for $4.05 billion, Lucas knew exactly what he was giving away — the creative rights to his groundbreaking galactic space opera that has grown to beone of the highest-grossing film franchises to ever exist. The legendary filmmaker has since been cautious about voicing his opinions on the Disney-producedStar Warscollection, but in recent interviews,George Lucas confessed his original vision for his sci-fi epic has evidently been lost.
Flash forward to November 7th this year;Deadlineannounced that Lucasfilm had made a deal with X-men writer-producer Simon Kinberg to develop a newStar Warstrilogythat will closely align with Lucas’s original 12 Episode plan. TheSkywalker Sagais set to explore Episodes 10-12,aimed to separate itself from the vexing sequel trilogy. More than fifty years later, the retired creator might just see his treatments come to fruition, but what did Lucas’s original plans for X-XII entail?
Princess Leia Became the Chosen One in George Lucas’s 12 Episode Film Plan
It’s no secret thatDisney’s Star Wars sequels were divisive among countless fans. Despite the introduction of a headstrong, Force-sensitive female lead, Rey (Daisy Ridley), and the First Order’s temper-raging leader,Kylo Ren(Adam Driver), Episodes VII-IX felt like a far stretch from the cherished world in the 1977 filmA New Hope. Detailed inJames Cameron’sStory of Science Fictiondocumentary series, George Lucas had in fact given Disney CEOBob Igerstory treatments for a new trilogy that saw a “grizzled Luke Skywalker training a Jedi Padawan named Kira”.The Wrapreports Lucas believed the studio buying the treatments meant a “tacit promise” to use them, but the filmmaker felt “betrayed” after his ideas were trashed.
George Lucas’s original plan for hisStar Warsuniverse consisted of 12 films in total, including a prelude movie, an intermission halfway film, and a concluding finale. Unlike the order we know today,A New Hope,The Empire Strikes Back, andReturn of the Jediwould then have been Episodes VI-VIII, with the prelude asEpisode I. According toThe Star Wars Archives. 1999–2005, written byPaul Duncan, the prequel movies would still cover the Clone Wars; however, a “transition film” would be needed to lead up to the events of Luke’s appearance.
In the sequel trilogy, the story would showcase Luke Skywalker trying to rebuild the New Jedi Order along with his sister. A key storyline in Episodes 7-9 focuses on the political challenges facing Leia Organa as she took on a major role in rebuilding the galaxy. After the Empire’s defeat, Leia becomes a prominent leader in the New Republic, working to restore order and foster unity among the galaxy’s varied systems and cultures. Lucas envisioned Leia as the sequel’s main compass, eventually revealing the Princess to be the Chosen One!
Leia was pivoted to face an uphill battle against various factions within the government that had competing agendas, and these conflicts would serve as a reflection of the larger cosmic struggle for balance in the Force.This portrayal of Leia as the central character would have reinforced the creator’s original concept, putting down the criticism of Star Wars being a sexist story about white men. PerCannes Film Festival interview, Lucas states,
“Who do you think the heroes are in these stories? What do you think Princess Leia was? She’s the head of the rebellion. She’s the one that’s taking this young kid who doesn’t know anything and this boisterous, I-know-everything guy who can’t do anything and trying to save the rebellion with these clowns…”
The Fourth Star Wars Trilogy Would Have Focused on the Whills, Wookies, and Ewoks
The early drafts for the fourth trilogy are not as fleshed out as Episodes I-XI, but the outlines for the last three films were targeted to be stand-alone stories from the previousSkywalker Saga. Instead of following Luke, the character would turn into an Obi-Wan Kenobi-esque figure, who offers guidance to the next generation of Force-welders. Lucas also pictured the fourth trilogy introducing a new kind of antagonist. Unlike the Sith and the Empire,the next villains would be linked to the Whills’ influence.
Per The Wrap, Lucas revealed:
“[The next three Star Wars films] were going to get into a microbiotic world. But there’s this world of creatures that operate differently than we do. I call them the Whills. And the Whills are the ones who actually control the universe. They feed off the Force.”
The Whills approach marked a major departure from the more straightforward light vs. dark duality in earlier episodes. The creator sought to present the Force not as simply mystical energy but as a system influenced by these cosmic beings, almost like a biological ecosystem where every choice has ripple effects on the galaxy’s balance.The Whills could manipulate the Force and exploit the lingering unrest happening within the New Republic,pitting his heroes against a force of ambiguity.
Furthermore, Lucas conceptualized a movie centered on theWookiees and another centered on Ewoksfor Episodes X-XII. This plan would have fallen along a similar route to the 1978Star Wars Holiday Specialand the 1980s Ewok TV movies. Despite this, elements of George Lucas’s ideas appear in variousStar Warsmedia, such as hints of the Whills inThe Clone Warsseries, and even Luke’s reclusive life inThe Last Jedi.
It’s still disappointing that the Walt Disney Company abandoned such interesting plans for the space opera as original treatments rooted in discovering deeper questions of existence, power, and morality. Whilethe canon sequel films were “beautifully filmed,” in George Lucas’s words, the final product ultimately failed to capture the hearts of millions who appreciated the classic films. Lucas’s blueprint would have challenged audiences to view the Force — and the galaxy — in a more layered, intellectual light. Hopefully, Simon Kinberg’s upcomingStar Warstrilogy will give justice to those lost storylines, reshaping the saga for the better.
