1. Episode VII
In all this talk of selling out, one truly exciting fact has been marginalised; WE ARE GETTING STAR WARS EPISODE VII! For years, Episode VII was less a pipe dream of fans, more an oddity existing only in the mind of an eighties era George Lucas. He had hinted before the saga was meant to be nine films, stemming from his initial draft for The Star Wars, but slowly, as the story shifted to be that of Anakin Skywalker, their possibility was negated. Episode VII joined the likes of the wooden planet Alien3 and The Beatles Lord of the Rings as one of the most intriguing films never made, remaining as an odd curio of what might have been. The infinite possibilities a sequel poses is tantalising. Whereas the prequels were constrained in having a set ending (and Lucas insistence the first two were entirely set up), the sequels dont have any restrictions and therefore have free reign to give us unexpected developments and to genuinely surprise the audience; there was no point in the prequels that shocked quite as much as the end of Empire. It also provides Star Wars with an opportunity to deal with its massive expanded universe. After 35 years, there are countless stories from different mediums (films, TV, games, books, comics etc.) that have made the Star Wars world as in depth as our own, but in doing so it has become an impenetrable mess. The change of charge is the perfect opportunity for the series to do something akin to Abrams Star Trek or Moffats Doctor Who, rebooting the series but avoiding the vast history at the same time; whoever ends up behind the camera has the best opportunity so far to be as reverent to what exists as they feel (or not at all). No matter how we look at it, more Star Wars on the big screen is a good thing something that couldn't have happened with a much promise if it hadn't been for Disneys purchase of Lucasfilm. And that is why we should be celebrating rather than commiserating.