George Lucas Reveals He Had Three More Star Wars Films Planned Before Retiring

Legendary filmmaker George Lucas has revealed that he had plans for three additional Star Wars films before ultimately deciding to retire from directing — a choice that ultimately paved the way for Disney to take over the franchise. Speaking in conversation with CBS about the opening of his new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the director explained that his retirement came at a pivotal moment, forcing him to weigh completing what he called the “Skywalker Saga” against pursuing his passion project. The revelation adds new context to a saga defined by shifting creative directions, with Lucas eventually selling the Star Wars franchise to Disney for $4 billion in 2012.

While Lucas has, over the years, occasionally floated nebulous ideas for his own Star Wars sequel trilogy, nothing concrete was ever set in motion before he parted with the series. The filmmaker has also made conflicting statements across the past five decades regarding whether he ever seriously envisioned a third trilogy of stories. Now, however, he has openly referenced an abandoned desire to complete the full nine-film Skywalker Saga, though he noted he had to balance that ambition against the demands of his newly opened museum.

A Choice Between Movies and Art

The decision to step away from filmmaking was, in Lucas’ own words, a monumental one. “When I did this, I decided to retire from making movies,” he said of creating the museum. “Which was a big deal because I had three more Star Wars to make.”

“But I realized that I was running out of time,” he continued, “and I did want to make this museum, and I’d spent a lot of time developing digital technology for the movie business. You know, all art depends on technology.”

The museum, which showcases the intersection of art and technology, represents a new chapter for Lucas — one that prioritizes narrative and craft over blockbuster spectacle. His pivot reflects a broader shift in how the franchise would be handled going forward, with Disney’s acquisition marking the beginning of a new era for the galaxy far, far away.

How the Sequel Trilogy Evolved

Lucas’ early plans for the Star Wars sequel trilogy changed dramatically over time. Original concepts featured a sister for Luke Skywalker and an ultimate showdown with Emperor Palpatine, ideas that were ultimately reworked into Return of the Jedi. By the 1980s, Lucas recognized the sheer scale of the story and elected to make just the main trilogy.

Of course, Lucas did eventually go on to write and direct the prequel trilogy, to greater and lesser success, but this experience reportedly soured him against continuing the saga further. By the 1990s, after nine years of production on the prequels, Lucas sounded particularly unenthused at the prospect of another decade making movies. “Basically what I said as a joke was, ‘Maybe when Harrison and Carrie are in their 70s, we’ll come back and do another version,'” Ford told Starlog magazine in 2002. “The thing I didn’t realize then, and that I do realize now very clearly, is that not only would they be in their 70s, but I would be in my 70s too.”

Disney’s Legacy and Lucas’ Ideas

While Star Wars’ third trilogy was eventually made by Disney, again to greater and lesser success, the company still incorporated several ideas that Lucas himself has said he originated. These included plans for its story to be set around 30 years after Return of the Jedi, with an older Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher all returning. Lucas also had plans for Luke’s role to be “much more ethereal,” potentially on another plane of existence entirely — which doesn’t sound too dissimilar to where Skywalker ends up.

As part of the same interview, Lucas also defended his constant tinkering with the original Star Wars trilogy, which has undergone at least four rounds of changes since its release.

Looking Ahead

As Lucas continues to focus on his museum and its innovative use of technology, the legacy of his Star Wars vision endures through the films that followed. The Skywalker Saga, in its various forms, remains one of the most influential franchises in entertainment history, and Lucas’ reflections offer a rare glimpse into the creative crossroads that shaped it. For fans wondering what might have been, his comments serve as a reminder of the ambitious plans that never came to pass — and the choices that ultimately defined the franchise’s future.