Why George Lucas Stopped Making Star Wars Movies After Revenge Of The Sith
Despite selling Lucasfilm and "Star Wars" to Disney in 2012, George Lucas is and forever will be synonymous with the galaxy far, far away. The original "Star Wars" trilogy dazzled audiences with its characters, story, and effects, while the politics and action-heavy prequels — the far more heavily criticized of Lucas' cinematic franchise efforts — have become beloved among those who grew up with them. Lucas' passion for the series is evident in every film, even those he didn't direct, so why did he choose to move on following 2005's "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith"?
Even though it has since come to light that Lucas had plans for a "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, ultimately, "Revenge of the Sith" was his final live-action movie in the saga. He explained in an interview with MTV in 2004 that, in his mind, the "Star Wars" story was complete with six films. "The original 'Star Wars' was only three films, and that was what it was meant to be. After a lot of pondering and thought, I went back to do the back story, but that pretty much tells the story. Episode VI is the end. There isn't any more to it," he said, noting that more movies could be fun in the future, but such plans weren't concrete.
In the wake of "Revenge of the Sith," Lucas technically took part in one more "Star Wars" movie before the Disney sale.
Lucas was technically involved in one Star Wars movie beyond Episode III
Between "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" and George Lucas' sale of "Star Wars" to Disney, the franchise expanded on the small screen. In 2008, the totally unique universe entry "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" premiered on Cartoon Network, detailing the adventures of Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), and Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) throughout the titular conflict. Lucas himself was heavily involved in much of the show's run, with the seventh and final season being the only one he didn't actively work on. Additionally, the show was the driving force behind the real last "Star Wars" movie he took part in.
To promote the show's arrival, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" premiered in theaters on August 10, 2008, courtesy of director Dave Filoni, Lucas' protege. The movie is more or less a string of episodes mashed together into a feature-length production. It predominantly follows Anakin and Ahsoka as they not only learn to coexist as master and padawan, but unravel a plot by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) — sometimes called Darth Tyranus — to abduct Jabba the Hutt's (Kevin Michael Richardson) son, Rotta (David Acord), and frame the Jedi. Lucas is uncredited on the project, but the fact remains that he created "The Clone Wars" and the film he greenlit is the last "Star Wars" movie to release while the franchise was his.
Unfortunately, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" didn't make for the strongest moviegoing experience, and fans and critics alike weren't afraid to express their disappointment. Thankfully, the series was far better received, giving George Lucas a big win as his tenure in the "Star Wars" galaxy wound down.