From: your.name@isp.com   
      
   I'm not sure exactly how old it is (I wish they'd date these things   
   properly), the the lastest issue of SFX Collection's Directors Edition   
   magazines arrived on shelves here recently and it contains an interview with   
   George Lucas. Among the more "interesting" questions and answers are these   
   ...   
      
        SFX: Is Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a full stop or a new beginning?   
      
        GL:   I don't know. There's no motive to continue with the series   
                other than to enjoy ourselves. We'll have to wait and see   
                what happens.   
      
        SFX: Will we see the Indy and Star Wars series in hi-def soon?   
      
        GL:   That'll probably happen eventually. We're going to wait until   
                Blu-ray gets a little bit more establised first, because it's   
                only just won the hi-def war. It's got a year or two to get   
                some actual fission going.   
      
        SFX: How's the 3D version of Episode IV coming along?   
      
        GL:   We're working on it. The technology's progressing slower   
                than everyone imagined. It's do-able, but not practical yet   
                in terms of taking old movies and transferring them to 3D.   
                But if we get Star Wars solved, if it's successful, I'm sure   
                Paramount will be interested in doing the same with   
                Indiana Jones.   
      
        SFX: How far down the lines will Star Wars continue in new   
                incarnations?   
      
        GL:   I don't know. Clone Wars will probably go for at least five   
                or six seasons, which adds up to 200 episodes. Then   
                we have the live-action series, which is a little bit more   
                experimental. It takes place over the 20 years when   
                Luke's growing up, but it's not about the Skywalkers or   
                any of that stuff. Like in Episode IV, you hear about the   
                Emperor, but you don't see him. People live in the   
                Empire, but you don't see stormtroopers. It's a   
                completely different kind of idea, which is risky. But   
                that's the only reason I'm doing it. Some people will   
                say, "It's not what I think of as Star Wars", so who   
                knows - it may or may not work.   
      
        SFX: Is it really a radical departure?   
      
        GL:   I'd say so. It's funny and there's action, but it's more   
                talky - more what I'd call a soap opera with a bunch   
                of personal dramas. It's not based on   
                action-adventure films from the '30s; it's more based   
                on film noir from the 1940s!   
      
        SFX: Would you be happy for new Star Wars tales to be   
                told after you're gone?   
      
        GL:   I've left pretty explicit instructions for ther not to be   
                any more features. No Episodes VII - IX, because   
                there isn't any story. I mean, I never thought of   
                anything! There have been novels about the events   
                after Episode VI, which aren't at all what I would   
                have done. The story is the tragedy of Darth Vader.   
                That's the story. Once he dies, he doesn't come   
                back to life, the Emperor doesn't get cloned, Luke   
                doesn't get married.   
      
   :-)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)