What Ric is saying is that, originally, George wanted to have all the SW films done in 3-year increments. That means that the final film, be it 3 or 9 (depending on which trilogy he would have wrapped up with), would have been in 2001. He (and I) truly doubt that when he was casting an actor to play Emperor Palpatine, he was thinking ahead about how perfectly this person will age in 20 years to play a younger Palpatine when I finally come back from self-imposed SW exile to film another trilogy. However, if he, as you say, foresaw this happening, then that man better start playing the lotto or open his own Psychic Hotline.