10. A Compelling Grand Narrative
Going by the fact that Disney, the new rights holder, has differentiated three of the upcoming films it intends to release from so called spin off films, it seems safe to conclude that were in for a
bona fide trilogy, meaning that a grand narrative (main story), will be expressed over the course of three episodes. This is an interesting proposition considering that Star Wars
raison d'êtrethe tragedy of Darth Vader, as George Lucas put ithas concluded. Freedom reigns. Vader has been redeemed. Luke Skywalker has fulfilled his destiny. Its a wonderfully cathartic end to the saga, but so comprehensive in scope that no dramatic tension remains. As a consequence, conflict needs to be re-establishedand in contrast to Trilogy II,
post-haste! But where to from here? Well, its Star Wars, of course, so a maelstrom of interstellar conflict is strictly required. Certainly, the galaxys liberation from imperial clutches was cause for celebration, but as weve seen so luridly demonstrated throughout history, the removal of a despot is seldom the end of a peoples woes. Often, it merely creates a power vacuum, which a variety of factions rush to fill. In other words, this is a great opportunity to have all manner of new characters and races and movements crawl from the woodwork in a monumental power grab; to see what role the Jedi take in the New Republic (if it endures); and to find out whether the Sith truly were the ultimate galactic threat, or only the most recent.