Although George Lucas sold the ‘Star Wars’ franchise way before ‘The Force Awakens’, it looks as though he was keen to set the sequel trilogy in motion…

During an interview with USA Today, the 70-year-old ‘Star Wars’ creator revealed that he originally wanted to create ‘Star Wars VII’ before selling the franchise to Disney.

"Lucas already started to develop the next three Star Wars films," they explained. "But he knew a third trilogy was a 10-year commitment at least. He at first expected to finish Episode VII, release it in May 2015 and then sell the company afterward."

But instead, he decided to sell up before committing to the new sequel trilogy… and Disney apparently came along at the right moment.

"It’s better for me to get out at the beginning of a new thing and I can just remove myself," he explained. "The time is more important to me than the money."

And of course, for the first time Lucas is able to enjoy ‘Star Wars’ as an audience member.

"The only thing I really regret about ‘Star Wars’ is the fact I never got to see it — I never got to be blown out of my seat when the ship came over the screen," he explained. "The next one, I’ll be able to enjoy it like anybody else."

Source: Press Release