Is Lucasfilm Reviving George Lucas’ 12-Episode Star Wars Vision?

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Originally, George Lucas planned a much larger Star Wars universe with twelve movies. After writing a first draft centered on Luke Skywalker, he imagined Luke’s story as just one part of a longer, more complex saga, complete with a detailed history and several stories about characters finding redemption.

Looking back, a lot of George Lucas’s initial vision did happen. We got the original trilogy starring Luke Skywalker, which eventually became the foundation of the entire nine-film Skywalker saga – including the prequels detailing his father, Anakin, and the sequels focusing on his nephew, Ben Solo. But that original plan for another trilogy? Sadly, that never quite materialized. It remains a ‘what if’ for fans like me.

Back in 2018, Lucasfilm officially stated that the Skywalker saga would conclude with The Rise of Skywalker. They confirmed there wouldn’t be another trilogy, and that George Lucas’s original plans for the franchise were finished.

However, recent news about future Star Wars films hints at a big change in plans. Over the past two years, Lucasfilm has suggested they might actually be developing episodes X, XI, and XII of the Skywalker saga, which would be a surprising shift from previous announcements.

George Lucas’ Original Star Wars Plan Had 12 Episodes

As far back as 1976, George Lucas envisioned a nine-film arc for Star Wars. The initial screenplay for Star Wars, featuring Luke Skywalker, began as an attempt to recreate the style of the Flash Gordon comic strip – Lucas had even tried to obtain the rights to adapt it. However, after three years of revisions, he developed a completely unique and original cinematic universe.

George Lucas originally envisioned the first Star Wars movie as being a middle chapter in a larger, nine-film story about the Skywalker family. In fact, his initial plan called for A New Hope to be the sixth movie released.

George Lucas explained to Mark Hamill that he began the Star Wars story with Episode IV because he believed it would be easier to get studios to invest in a film that jumped right into the action. He worried they wouldn’t take a chance on a story that built up more slowly. Ironically, the prequel films he eventually made ended up being just as full of action as the original trilogy.

We don’t know exactly what George Lucas had in mind for the final three Star Wars films, but comments from Mark Hamill and other people who worked with Lucas suggest he envisioned a revival of the Jedi Order.

Interestingly, George Lucas initially envisioned Luke Skywalker having just a brief appearance in Episode IX, where he would act as a wise mentor to new Jedi trainees. However, with Disney taking over the story later on, Luke’s character didn’t live that long in the timeline.

The character was killed off in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. However, recent Mandoverse TV shows have helped restore his reputation, portraying him as a wise, older Jedi Master training new generations – a direction that seems to align with George Lucas’s original vision for the beloved Star Wars hero.

Star Wars Could Still Make The Skywalker Saga 12 Episodes Long

The Mandalorian universe isn’t the only part of the Star Wars story heading back to the Skywalker family. There’s also a new movie in development that focuses on a Skywalker character and changes events from The Rise of Skywalker.

I’m so excited to hear that George Nolfi is writing a new Star Wars film! It’s amazing to think Daisy Ridley will be back as Rey, carrying on the legacy of the Skywalker family. From what I understand, the story will pick up right after the events of the last movie, continuing the timeline we already know and love.

Because of where it falls in the overall Star Wars story, many believe this could be considered episode X. However, Lucasfilm clearly announced in 2018 that the Skywalker saga had finished with Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and that there wouldn’t be any further numbered installments.

Recent news about Rey Skywalker’s potential return appears to have changed plans for a previously stalled movie. While progress on the script by Nolfi has been slow, a new Star Wars trilogy featuring Rey is now actively being developed.

Simon Kinberg’s New Movie Trilogy Could Secretly Be Star Wars Episodes X-XII

Simon Kinberg’s planned Star Wars trilogy was first revealed in November 2024, and development has been underway ever since. While there was some uncertainty about whether the films would continue the story of the Skywalker family, statements made in January 2026 by former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy suggest a clear direction.

After announcing her departure, Kennedy told Deadline that the project Kinberg is working on is essentially a “new trilogy“.

It increasingly looks like the next set of Star Wars films will explore ideas George Lucas originally had but never developed. Comments made by writer-director Kinberg in August 2025 suggest this is the case, as he specifically mentioned The Empire Strikes Back as a major influence on his approach to the new trilogy.

What Kathleen Kennedy’s Exit Means For The Next Star Wars Trilogy

Now that Dave Filoni is taking over from Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm, many people might assume the future of Star Wars movies will change drastically. But Kennedy isn’t actually leaving the company; she’s simply stepping down from her leadership role.

She’s leaving her position as company president primarily to focus on creating new content, especially the upcoming movie trilogy by Simon Kinberg, which she’ll be producing. She discussed this project extensively in a recent interview with Deadline.

Kennedy mentioned she anticipates receiving a script for the first film in a planned trilogy from Kinberg in March 2026. There’s a strong possibility we’ll see a tenth Star Wars movie announced soon. While details are still secret, Lucasfilm is likely to confirm they’re continuing the main movie storyline before long.

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2026-02-15 23:06