# are there going to be a STAR WARS VII ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2002, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249 "2002-04-24T00:14:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![frazeb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@frazeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frazeb)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/21 "2002-04-24T23:14:51Z")
It’s possible that the idea for a 9 part movie came from this guy. I found this on the IMDB at : [Link](http://us.imdb.com/Trivia?0076759) > [@](#): > > Although it is often claimed by George Lucas that Star Wars was always intended as part of a series (originally nine parts, later six), producer Gary Kurtz claimed differently in a interview in 1999. According to Kurtz, Star Wars was meant to be a standalone film. It was only after the film’s incredible success that he and Lucas got together to consider sequels. They came up with the idea that Star Wars was the fourth story of a nine-part series and penned rough outlines for each episode. After releasing the “fifth” episode (The Empire Strikes Back (1980)), Lucas made Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) with Steven Spielberg. The success of this film convinced Lucas to increase the emphasis on action in the “sixth” Star Wars episode. According to Kurtz, the Emperor was not originally going to make an appearance until episode 9. Luke and Leia were not brother and sister. There was no Death Star II. The search for Han Solo was the main plot of the film, during which Luke would have furthered his Jedi training. Solo was going to die in the final battle. Luke was going to go off to complete/continue his Jedi training and Leia was going to resume her position as Queen of her people, separating the major characters in a “downer” ending similar to that of Episode 5. Kurtz strongly objected to Lucas’ changes and insisted they should stay with the story they had originally planned. Lucas just as strongly disagreed and the two parted company. (Kurtz left to make Dark Crystal, The (1982) with Jim Henson and hasn’t worked with Lucas since.) ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/22 "2002-04-24T23:30:04Z")
I’m going to have to step in and admit that I **like** the majority\* of the novels. I don’t particularly care of Lucas feels that they’re perfect canon or not - the authors have paid attention to each other so that there are few contradictions, and they don’t come off as “fan fiction”-y. Maybe it’s because my siblings were all into Trek, so I had to put up with hundreds of those god-awful Star Trek books all over the house. Perhaps I took up a semi-permanent timeline in an unconcious act of rebellion. Please omit Michael Kube-McDowell’s “Black Fleet Crisis” trilogy and the slew of crap spawned by TPM. ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/23 "2002-04-25T05:38:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Leia was going to resume her position as Queen of her people This doesn’t make sense. What people? Alderaan was destroyed, remember? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/24 "2002-04-25T05:53:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, the order of canonity is the important part, and Lucas himself only counts the movies, and disregards the novels completely. He has stated that numerous times. Got a cite? Because numerous sources - interviews with Lucasfilms staff, the introduction to the Star Wars Encyclopedia - describe all EU material as being canon (okay, granted, they use the terms “quasi-canon” or “offical”, but add the caveat that they are second only to the movies). In short, Lucas supports only the movies, but the Star Wars universe has gone beyond Lucas. He’s charged Lucasfilms with taking care of it all, and Lucasfilms disagrees with you, bucko. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/25 "2002-04-25T05:56:44Z")
Missed this… > [@](#): > > This doesn’t make sense. What people? Alderaan was destroyed, remember? There were thousands (or millions) of survivors of the Alderaan disaster… those who were off-world, those who had families on Alderaan or had recently left the planet… these survivors were given official status in the New Republic senate and had set up a new homeworld (I forget where, and I don’t want to flip through the Encyclopedia for fifteen minutes). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/26 "2002-04-25T12:53:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE \* > \*\* > Got a cite? \*\* From [here](http://www.peak.org/peak_info/mlists/info/prequels.html). > [@](#): > > ii. What can be regarded as Star Wars “Canon” > > The issue of what material is “canon” in Star Wars is not as difficult as one may think. There are a few quotes from important people relevant to the Star Wars universe that basically settle the general issue of Star Wars Canonicity. > > In an article on continuation, the following was asked of Lucasfilm Production Editor Sue Rostoni and Continuity Editor Allan Kausch: > > “What is ‘gospel’ and what isn’t? ‘Gospel,’ or canon as we refer to it, includes the screenplays, the films, the radio dramas and the novelizations.” (Star Wars Insider, #23, p. 18) > > Since these two people are people that work for Lucasfilm and this comes out of a important source of publication, I take this as the final word on the subject until they or Lucas explain differently. All of the above refer to the original Star Wars trilogy and nothing more. The “novelizations” are nothing more than the books of the original movies. This would exclude all the new books, role playing materials, comics, etc. > > According to Kristel \<[miss\_kyp@hotmail.com](mailto:miss_kyp@hotmail.com)\>, Steven Sansweet said this at a convention in Australia: "In the canon debate, it is important to notice that LucasFilm and Lucas are different entities. The only canon source of Star Wars are the radio plays, the movie novels and the movies themselves - in Lucas’ mind, nothing else exists, and no authorized LucasFilm novel will restrict his creativity in any way. " > > Mr. Sansweet is basically confirming what the other quote said. The only difference is he did not include the screenplays which is not a big deal since the films are the spoken screenplays anyway. According to this quote the books in no way mean that Lucas has to use them or will use any part of them in his universe. > > Both of the above quotes confirm the general consensus from people that are somewhat related to Lucas or Lucasfilm. ---
**Author:** ![roryaxis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@roryaxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roryaxis)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/27 "2002-04-25T16:26:42Z")
Let’s face it, the Star Wars books are bad. They’re written by sci-fi authors, who don’t seem to understand that Star Wars is supossed to represent an amalgamation of all myths and stories from many different cultures (read the Magic of the Myth). So, you guys may say that the Heir to the Empire thing is the third trilogy, but if you’re gunna believe that, why not just write your own book or film a video with your friends, it’ll be about the same quality, maybe even better. But, for all of us who want to see new Star Wars movies, you’re gunna have to wait until 100 years after George Lucas’s death, when Star Wars becomes public domain. Lucas, is in his late fifties, early sixties I think, so maybe another twenty years, plus a hundred, so figure 2120…then I bet they’ll be a new Star Wars movie coming out every year. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/28 "2002-04-25T23:20:26Z")
Wasn’t there a time, **very** early on (before _Empire Strikes Back_), when Lucas claimed there were going to be **TWELVE** _Star Wars_ movies? (“That way, when they’re all done, the fans can sit through a 24-hour nonstop _Star Wars_ marathon!”) ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/29 "2002-04-26T00:47:21Z")
Well, Guano, looks like more a dissension in semantics, but my assertion that the books are canon unless otherwise countered by the movies wasn’t contradicted… just says that Lucas - not Lucasfilms - doesn’t pay attention to them when considering the movies. Roryaxis… > [@](#): > > Let’s face it, the Star Wars books are bad. They’re written by sci-fi authors, who don’t seem to understand that Star Wars is supossed to represent an amalgamation of all myths and stories from many different cultures (read the Magic of the Myth). Have you even read any of the Star Wars books? Ones not written by Kevin J. Anderson, that is? > [@](#): > > So, you guys may say that the Heir to the Empire thing is the third trilogy, but if you’re gunna believe that, why not just write your own book or film a video with your friends, it’ll be about the same quality, maybe even better. But it won’t officially be part of the expanded universe. The EU material wasn’t just made up by someone somewhere and then submitted for Lucasfilms’ consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249/30 "2002-04-26T02:34:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slortar \* > \*\*God, I hope there isn’t going to be another trilogy. I shudder to think what Lucas would do with the children of Han and Leia. > > “Jedi Twin Powers Activate!” > “Form of a Banta!” > > _twitch twitch twitch_ \*\* ROTFLMAO 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-going-to-be-a-star-wars-vii/105249.md?page=1)