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Joan E. Solsman/CNET
NEW YORK — George Lucas may have created the universe of Han Solo and R2-D2, but he has no clue what comes next in their story.
Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars,” said Friday that he has “no idea” what director J.J. Abrams and his team are doing with “The Force Awakens,” the first new film in the famed science-fiction franchise in 10 years. And he’s looking forward to seeing — rather than making — a “Star Wars” movie for the first time.
“The one thing I regret about doing ‘Star Wars’ is I never got to see it,” said Lucas, speaking on a panel with political satirist Stephen Colbert at the Tribeca Film Festival. “I never got that thrill.”
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He said it was by accident that he even watched the new teaser trailer for ” released this week to the glee of fans. A segment about the trailer happened to come on a news report he was watching. “I don’t know what the story is, I don’t know anything about it,” he said.
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Lucas also recounted his doubts about the original “Star Wars.” He negotiated a guarantee to make a sequel of the film at the outset not because he thought it would succeed, but because he was convinced it would fail. Even his friends, with the exception of Steven Spielberg, all shook their heads and rolled their eyes when Lucas screened “Star Wars” for them, Lucas said.
When the movie was first released, Lucas got a call from a colleague telling him the film is a fantastic hit and that people are lining up early to see it. Lucas remained unconvinced, emphasizing to the caller that this was a science-fiction film.
“This little group of sci-fi fans, they’ll come to anything in the first week,” he recounted saying.
Disney is reviving the “Star Wars” franchise theatrically this year with “The Force Awakens,” the first of several new movies. “The Force Awakens,” which is to be released in December, is the initial film in a new trilogy, and the studio plans to release a spin-off movie in 2016 as well.
