New ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Has No Ties to Expanded Universe, Lucasfilm Confirms

JJ Abrams’ film will pick up after the events of “Return of the Jedi,” but tell its own story

Lucasfilm / Disney

Our long, global crisis is finally over: The new “Star Wars” trilogy will not have any ties to the Expanded Universe post-“Return of the Jedi.”

“In order to give maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also preserve an element of surprise and discovery for the audience, Star Wars Episodes VII-IX will not tell the same story told in the post-Return of the Jedi Expanded Universe,” Lucasfilm announced in a press release on StarWars.com Friday.

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Fans have long speculated that director JJ Abrams’ “Episode VII” would have ties to the popular post-“Jedi” universe, but Lucasfilm President — and “Episode VII” producer Kathleen Kennedy — has other plans.

For the first time ever, the company has formed “a story group to oversee and coordinate all Star Wars creative development,” according to site.

“We have an unprecedented slate of new Star Wars entertainment on the horizon,” Kennedy said in the press release. “We’re set to bring Star Wars back to the big screen, and continue the adventure through games, books, comics, and new formats that are just emerging. This future of interconnected storytelling will allow fans to explore this galaxy in deeper ways than ever before.”

Also read: ‘Star Wars’ Plot Details Revealed: Episode VII Will Take Place 30 Years After ‘Jedi’

The offspring belonging to Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia have significant roles in the official EU canon. But just because those specific iterations will be absent from Abrams’ film, that doesn’t mean a version of them won’t make an appearance.

Current rumors persist that “Episode VII” centers on the original films’ lead trio and a few — or all — of their children.

Audiences will see for themselves when the film hits theaters December 18, 2015.

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