Star Wars Episode 7 being made for 2015 following Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

A cinematic phenomenon began in 1977 when George Lucas created the sci-fi adventure Star Wars: A New Hope which became one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. It was eventually followed by its superior sequel The Empire Strikes Back (1980) before the trilogy climaxed with Return of the Jedi (1983).

However fifteen years passed before Lucas decided to revisit the franchise by making three prequels which failed to live up to the standards of the classic trilogy though the final film Revenge of the Sith (2005) was a vast improvement and looked to have tied things up perfectly.

But shock news from earlier today has revealed that the successful series is about to be revisited once again after Disney confirmed that a new film would be made following their acquisition of Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion.

Star Wars Episode 7 is being aimed for a 2015 release with Walt Disney chairman Bob Iger adding that the studio also plans to release Episodes 8 and 9:

“Our long-term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years.”

Kathleen Kennedy, who is currently co-chair of Lucasfilm, will become its president as part of the deal. Following the sale, Lucas issued a statement revealing that having retired from film-making, it would also mean the end of his involvement with Star Wars.

“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organisation, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”

To many people, it’s very surprising news though given Lucas’s retirement from film work, it was always possible that a new Star Wars film would be made with new people involved.

Disney have already done a commendable job of financing popular film series through the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean and The Avengers though here’s hoping this franchise doesn’t suffer if these new films turn out badly.

Despite criticism towards Lucas for potentially milking the series, a lot of people owe him gratitude for creating this incredible group of films which have been cherished by generations of audiences in the past 35 years. The only thing I have to say is this, may the force be with you George!

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