We Would Have Seen 'Star Wars 7' Earlier if George Lucas Stuck Around

Long before Disney took hold of Lucasfilm and the Star Wars behemoth there were already rumors that a new trilogy was being developed by George Lucas. It would have followed a similar pattern as when the prequel trilogy was on the verge of being announced, preceded by the re-release of the original movies. That was back around 2010-2011, but then the Disney deal was struck in 2012 and everything changed. Lucas was out out of the picture, having earned a hefty $4B in the deal, but in a conversation with USA Today he revealed a new trilogy was indeed in the works which he would have written and directed for a much earlier release than we're getting in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Lucas admitted that his Star Wars: Episode VII would have been released in May of this year, followed by a selling off of the companywhen its value was soaring. But then Disney entered the picture and Lucas thought different of the idea...

Lucas: “It’s better for me to get out at the beginning of a new thing and I can just remove myself….The time is more important to me than the money."

Surely the money played into his decision in some way whether he admits it or not. But Lucas has found a way to deal with the loss of the sci-fi epic he created, and that's by experiencing the new films as a fan, something he's never had a chance to do.

Lucas: “The only thing I really regret about Star Wars is the fact I never got to see it — I never got to be blown out of my seat when the ship came over the screen. The next one, I’ll be able to enjoy it like anybody else.”

 Meanwhile, Lucas is still keeping busy. His next film is the animated fairy tale, Strange Magic, which opens on January 23rd. Lucas can purchase himself a ticket to Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 18th 2015.