As I walked out of a screening of Revenge of the Sith, I was left with mixed emotions. I was excited to have just seen the final prequel, but I was also sad that it was finally all over. I was left thinking, “Now what?” And as I thought about it, I realized there’s quite a bit for Star Wars fans to look forward to. So as you walk out of the theater and your eyes adjust to the light again, here are a few things to remind you that the Force will be with you….always:

- Revenge of the Sith DVD (Fall 2005) – Around October or November you can look forward to getting ROTS on DVD. It will have all sorts of deleted scenes on it and all the great “making of” features we’ve seen in the past. Look for yet another big Burger King promotion to coincide with this.

- Clone Wars Volume II DVD (Fall 2005?) – These cartoons lead right into the beginning of Episode III, so it’s likely the DVD will come out at the same time as the ROTS DVD. And with over an hour of animation, it’s like getting a whole other Star Wars movie.

- Droids and Ewoks Series DVDs (2006?) – Sure, they already released Droids and Ewoks on DVD, but these weren’t the entire series. LFL hinted that DVDs of the entire series were in the works, but no release date was mentioned. Some time in 2006 might be a logical time to release them.

- Computer Animated Clone Wars Cartoons (2006?) – Some time late in 2006 we might be able to expect the first of the new Star Wars TV series we’ve been hearing about. LFL is already gearing up to make them and the production time for the animated show is probably shorter than that of the live action series. Could we expect it in the Fall of next year? And, of course, you can expect a DVD release of the series probably some time a year or so after airing. Let’s not forget toys and merchandise associated with this, too.

- Celebration 4 / 30th Anniversary (Summer 2007) – At C3 there was already talk of C4, and it was mentioned that it could be timed with the 30th Anniversary of A New Hope. And for better or worse, there’s a chance Gen Con won’t be hosting it. Where might C4 pop up next?

- Star Wars Saga DVDs (2007?) – We all know they’re going to release all six Star Wars movies in one massive DVD package. The question is when will it take place and what will be on it? The 30th Anniversary seems like a likely time to release it. And I’m sure Lucas will tinker with all the films again for this release. Look for all the vintage “making of” shows as well as other goodies not released before. Start saving pennies now. And will they re-release all six films on the big screen before putting them on DVD?

- Star Wars Live Action Series (2007?) – If Lucas starts filming the live action TV series set between ROTS and ANH in late 2006, you can probably expect to see it on TV in the Fall of 2007. And like the prequels, I bet there will be all sorts of spy reports and spoilers leading up to its release. I’ve always found Star Wars to be most exciting when Lucas lets other people play in his universe, so this TV series promises to be one of the most potentially satisfying entries into the world in a long time. With fans like Kevin Smith on board to contribute, Lucas looks like he’s on the right path for this already.

- Star Wars – 3-D (Unknown?) – Lucas has shown a strong commitment towards putting all six Star Wars movies back on the big screen in 3-D, so not only will old fans get to enjoy them in a new way, but young kids will get a chance to seem them the way they were meant to be seen – on the big screen. I’m sure the 3-D effects will dazzle even jaded Star Wars fans. The only question is how many digital screens will it take to make this worth doing for Lucas? Right now there aren’t enough digital screens and there doesn’t seem to be any sort of big drive to get more out there.

- Books and Comics (Ongoing) – There’s lots of stuff to look forward to in the books and comics. You’ve got James Luceno's novel set between Episodes 3 and 4 - Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. You have the Last of the Jedi series by Jude Watson detailing what happened to Obi-Wan between Episode 3 and 4. You have the new post-NJO series called The Legacy of the Force. Then there’s the new prequel-era book by Timothy Zahn – Outbound Flight. You can probably expect books and comics featuring the TV series characters in the future, too.

- Toys and Specialty Items (Ongoing) – Not only can you continue to expect more toys from the movies, but you can probably expect more toys from the animated and live action TV series, too. Not only that, but Gentle Giant has barely even started putting out mini-busts associated with Revenge of the Sith. (Can’t wait for a General Grievous bust!)

- Video Games (Ongoing) - LucasArts has been using outside developers to produce its most recent games, and we expect this trend to continue. The games have recently centered around Star Wars, and there's now plenty of opportunities to expand that universe. Look for games that build on the time between Episode III and IV, and perhaps even a game in the future that allows you to control Darth Vader in all of his glory. LucasArts will likely extend their offerings to include another Indiana Jones title, and possibly even develop a new franchise in the post-Star Wars video game world.

So as you can see, there’s still a lot of life in the Star Wars franchise. There are still spoiler to look forward to, adventures to keep fans entertained, and more. It doesn’t appear that Star Wars will go into carbon freeze mode like it did between Return of the Jedi and the Special Editions.