Subject:      *** DID YOU HEAR THE TRAGIC NEWS?!?!?!?!?!?! ***
From:         oops@cyberus.ca (Phil Mahoney)
Date:         1997/04/01
Message-Id:   <5hr1ol$533$1@cybernews.cyberus.ca>
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.sf.starwars.collecting,rec.arts.sf.starwars.games,rec.arts.sf.starwars.misc

Please someone tell me this isn't true!!!!

Tuesday April 1 8:13 AM EST 

Lucas Scraps Star Wars "Prequels"

By Kevin Somers

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - With "The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition" still 
gobbling up sales receipts at the box-office, some bad news has arisen from 
the Lucasfilm camp.  To the impending dismay of fans worldwide, George Lucas, 
creator of "Star Wars," now the top-grossing film of all time, and its two 
sequels "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return Of The Jedi" has retracted his 
promise of a second trilogy of Star Wars films.  Mere days ago, Lucasfilm 
announced its plans to start principal photography on Star Wars Episode 1 on 
September 8 of this year.  The film was already deep into preproduction.  
Trouble began late last week when Lucas scrapped 70% of the script for the 
third part of his new trilogy.  

When asked why he would turn down the chance to again thrill filmgoers with 
his sci-fi epic, as well as pass up what would invariably be a windfall of 
box-office grosses, Lucas was quoted as saying "It just isn't going well.  
Casting has been difficult.  We've been unable to find anyone suitable for the 
roles."  Lucas also said that technological limitations have failed to sustain 
his vision of the films.  "I waited this long for [the technology] to catch up 
with my imagination, but we're not quite there yet."  Lucas plans to return to 
the project eventually, but "not for awhile."

The films were to take place several years before the existing trilogy.  The 
first film of the proposed second trilogy, "Balance Of The Force" was to open 
in May 1999.

Reuters/Variety

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