Between 1977 and 1980 GL still envisioned himself building on the franchise but, by 1980, I got the sense he was creatively and emotionally done with SW. By then he had already had promised 3 prequels and 3 sequels.
I don't believe that he had planned for a series from the start. Even though he's stated otherwise, I take press statements with a grain of salt and regard them in context. I recall one inspiration for SW being some of the serial adventures where most viewers started in the middle of an ongoing storyline. GL wanted to recreate some of that in SW with an assault of information and little exposition. I believe he accepted that SW would likely be a single film.
When SW unexpectedly exploded his immediate reaction was to ride this franchise, and that's when he started spitballing ideas about prequels and sequels. He didn't expect to get burnt out by the second movie around 1980. I estimate 1980 only because ROTJ was so conceptually different from his initial version (and the treatment was so bad, IMO) that I sensed he just wanted to wrap it up in a warm-fuzzy happy ending. In order to do so he discarded thematic arcs in favor of a traditional Hollywood ending. Some of us, including me, saw the film as a sell-out (but that's a different discussion).
So then GL walked away from the trilogy but the fans were relentless and wanted more. Heck, we browbeat the man for over 15 years before he relented and gave us The Phantom Menace in 1999. GL infused the film with ideas that he's had, and I'm sure he expected to be celebrated for rolling up his sleeves and bringing SW back to life. Besides, it was also a priceless opportunity to showcase ILM so it was a win-win situation in his eyes. (I have no evidence for this, but I also feel that he knew ROTJ was crap and figured that, if we liked ROTJ, then we'd love PM.)
What he didn't expect was to be jeered or criticized for PM. From a public that once LOVED and lauded Lucas as a visionary the reception must've been heartbreaking. I feel for the man. I actually felt that PM wasn't as bad as some people think - there were sparks of originality that were promising.
Still, the essence missing from PM was the energy of a young GL who had meticulous personal attention to many details of SW (and, yes, I know GL owes a lot to many nameless creative forces for SW, too).
By 1999 GL was an older man and, with more money and resources at hand, he could delegate responsibilities. Let's face it, the creative force and tenacity of a promising young filmmaker is impossible to sustain forever, and it shows in The Phantom Menace.
So now he's committed to doing another trilogy which will likely be (and was) torn apart be critics and fanboys alike. Of course he buries himself into the effects and half-asses the rest of the story (IMO).
The man never wanted to come back to SW. He thought he would please the fans by starting the prequels. Maybe he really needed the ego boost. He didn't expect to go from guru to golem overnight. The man has gone through the ringer in his personal and public life. Now the poor guy just has all his multimillions to keep him company.
The original SW was a powerful creative statement in its time. For the public, after decades of repeated viewing, that vision will never die. How ironic that GL is probably the one person on the planet who lost lost that vision.
I don't regret him returning to do the prequels or even tinkering with the originals. But I do wish he could respect the original work that started this entire journey and literally changed lives (including mine). It means that much to me.
That's my take on it, anyway.
:lol
