George Lucas’s Art Oasis and the Star Wars Movies That Never Were

Did you know, "Star Wars" creator, George Lucas envisioned a continuation of the epic saga with an additional three films set in a galaxy far, far away? These plans were shelved when he put down his director’s hat after wrapping up "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith". Now, Lucas’s focus has shifted to his latest project: a mammoth art museum in Los Angeles.

Lucas recently chatted with Norah O’Donnell for a tete-a-tete on "CBS Sunday Morning", where he spilled the beans about his massive museum and his directing career. Say hello to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, a ginormous $1.5 billion project that is a treasure trove of an art collection from Lucas himself. This includes paintings, photography, statues, and - wait for it - the original props, gear, and vehicles from Star Wars! With 35 galleries housed within a 13-acre campus, this 300,000 square foot museum is truly a spectacle.

The plans for this art haven were set in motion back in 2013, with San Francisco and Chicago making the shortlist. But the magic of LA finally swayed the Star Wars mastermind. Lucas was actively juggling roles in the designing process, caring about everything right down to ensuring sufficient light on the art inscriptions.

The force is strong with this one, indeed. Lucas’s wife and professional comrade, Mellody Hobson shared about his almost OCD-like involvement, comparing it to his earliest days on Star Wars. One might wonder why Lucas went to such painstaking lengths. But when you hear that he was so clear about what he wanted, it all starts making sense. Hobson revealed that Lucas often needed to elaborate on his visualized concepts because they were so unique and out-of-the-box that most people couldn't grasp it immediately.

As Lucas reminisced, he revealed his thoughts during the planning stage of the museum, “Well, I’m 82, so there is a limit to - when I did this, I decided to retire from making movies, which was a big deal because I had three more ‘Star Wars’ to make.” Interestingly, Lucas’s last directorial ventures were the ‘Star Wars’ prequel trilogy. He was responsible not only for directing but also writing and executive producing the popular films.

However, things took a different turn when Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012. Lucas wasn’t involved with the sequel trilogy of the 2010s, marking his directorial exit with “Revenge of the Sith.” His storytelling pursuits continued with projects like "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and the animated film "Strange Magic."

The "Star Wars" universe has journeyed far and wide under Disney’s mantle, birthing streaming hits like "The Mandalorian," "Andor," and "The Acolyte." The franchise is all set to expand yet again next summer with "Star Wars: Starfighter," starring Ryan Gosling. So while George Lucas’s Star Wars sequel plans may never have materialized, the legacy continues through different forms, reaching all corners of the universe. Or, in Lucas's case, through an art museum in LA!