George Lucas to continue Star Wars Series

George Lucas announced at a press conference that he'll be making the Star Wars sequels

SAN RAFAEL, California (CNN) -- George Lucas announced at a press conference today that he'll be continuing the Star Wars series after the upcoming prequels.

The director originally intended to end the series after Episode III in 2005 but has since changed his mind. The sequel films will take place after Return of the Jedi.

"I decided that I really loved the Star Wars series and I didn't want to see it end," Lucas said. "I mean, beyond Indiana Jones, most of my other movies have really sucked. Look at Radioland Murders. Howard the Duck. I can't afford more flops. Star Wars is a sure thing."

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Continuing the Saga

When asked what the sequels would be about, Lucas was suprisingly candid.

"Episode VII will take place 50 years after Return of the Jedi," Lucas said. "I'm planning on having Luke Skywalker's grandchildren take on a whole new set of adventures with the son of Jar Jar and the cousin of Chewbacca's niece. The new antagonist will be a resurrected cloned Emperor."

In the spinoff comics and novels, Luke Skywalker married a new character named Mara Jade. When asked if Mara Jade would appear in these sequel films, Lucas replied, "Mara who? I'm sorry, I don't read that other stuff. What I put in the movies takes prescedence."

Returning Characters

You can expect to see some familiar faces in the sequels according to Lucas. "We'll definitely have Luke Skywalker back. And Wedge. You can count on seeing a few Ewoks here and there. I'll probably kill of Han Solo before the film because I don't want to pay Harrison Ford $50 million to get him back. You can expect to see Darth Maul, too."

When reminded that Lucas killed off Darth Maul in Episode I, he replied, "I did? Oh! I forgot about that. Well, I'll just fix that in the Episode I Special Edition."

Lucas says he will probably direct the sequels, though he is open to the idea of using other directors.

"I'd love to get Roger Christian back as a director. Man, Battlefield Earth freakin' rocked! I'd be open to some TV directors, too. Like the guy that directs 18 Wheels of Justice. He'd be great."

George Lucas says we can expect to see the first of the sequel films in 2030. And if you haven't figured it out yet - April Fools from TheForce.net.

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