The announcement of "Star Wars: Episode VII" is barely one day old, but the internet is already filled with enough rumors and speculation about its plot to fill the pages of an old "Starlog" magazine.
TheWrap spoke to Dale Pollock, the author of an unauthorized biography of George Lucas, who said he was given permission to read the "Episode VII," "Episode VIII" and "Episode IX" story treatments back in the 1980s.
"It was originally a 12-part saga," Pollock told TheWrap. "The three most exciting stories were 7, 8 and 9. They had propulsive action, really interesting new worlds, new characters. I remember thinking, 'I want to see these 3 movies.'"
As TheWrap notes, despite interviewing Lucas over 80 times, Pollock and the director no longer have a relationship, and Lucas wasn't pleased with the book. (Hence why it's unauthorized.)
How things have developed over the 29 years since Pollack read those treatments remains to be seen, but in a statement to E!, a Lucasfilm representative said the storyline for the new "Star Wars" trilogy would be new.
"It's an original story," the source said.
That comment shoots down one popular fan theory: that "Episode VII" would follow the "Thrawn Trilogy," a series of books picking up after the end of "Return of the Jedi," with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo playing major roles.
As HuffPost Entertainment's resident "Star Wars" expert Mike Ryan wrote, however, it's more than likely that the original story would include new characters altogether, leaving the beloved favorites behind.
If a direct sequel to Return of the Jedi is made in 2015, and the main character is named Blitz Colon (or something) and it's set 200 years after 'Jedi,' well, that's a shame. But, from Disney's standpoint, if they truly want to re-launch a franchise, it's probably their most likely option.
Meanwhile, THR noted that the new "Star Wars" could be done in the style of "Marvel's The Avengers," with not just three new episodes, "but offshoot movies focusing on individual characters."
Not that anyone should be surprised by all the rumors. "Star Wars" has long lent itself to conjecture and speculation, dating all the way back to the late '70s and early '80s. At one point, it was even rumored that Mick Jagger would write the score for "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back."
[via TheWrap]
