Originally posted by: zombie84
Lucas will never make the sequels. Maybe someone else one day will, but I'm quite certain that Lucas will never never direct another motion picture, nor have many major projects once the current lineup of Indy4/Redtails/CloneWars/Live-action-SW is over with in 2014 or so. He'll be 70, his health will be failing, and he will retire and live his last years enjoying life before he croaks from diabetes-related matters around age 75. He'll never direct those "personal films" of his, he'll never make more Star Wars films, and there will be a ton of attention to the rights to Star Wars when he dies since they are owned by Lucasfilm and hence him; he'll appoint some CEO in his will to run the company, give instructions not to remake or sequelise the existing films nor release the OOT in a competitive, form, all of which will be ignored in due time and history will look back on him with a confused mix of admiration and derision. Honestly, thats the way the future will likely go.
If we see any sequels, we'll probably be old men ourselves when that finally happens, as I imagine a good decade or so would have to pass after Lucas' death before the lengthy and controversial negotiation and development begins, and even then there is a fair chance that the films will suck only slightly less than if Lucas had done them himself. My estimate is that it would be close to 2040 or so before we see new Star Wars films on the big screen. It will happen.
Somehow, I doubt all of that (well, most of it). I think you're right that he'll never direct those "personal films" he's been talking about. But I also think that if he puts it in his will that no one is to release the OOT ever, that it's never going to happen. I also don't think (and I actually hope) we'll ever see another Star Wars film on the big screen.
Seriously, the story has been told. The originals are light years ahead of anything in the PT. We don't need more movies. Lucas can go retire and live out his life on his ranch and no one is really going to care. Hollywood and most of the world has moved on. Even if more movies did somehow magically come out at some point in the future after Lucas' death, I'm betting they wouldn't get nearly the draw that the OT or even the PT got. The children who love the PT today would lambast it just like we're lambasting the PT right now.
Star Wars is over. May it RIP.