<Tr> <Th> Solo: A Star Wars Story </Th> <Td> May 25, 2018 (2018 - 05 - 25) </Td> <Td_colspan="1"> Ron Howard </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> Jon Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Untitled Boba Fett film </Th> <Td> 2020 </Td> <Td> James Mangold </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> James Mangold & Simon Kinberg </Td> <Td> Kathleen Kennedy and Simon Kinberg </Td> </Tr> <P> In 1971, Lucas signed a contract with Universal Studios to direct two films . He intended one of them to be a space opera; however, knowing film studios were skeptical about the genre, Lucas decided to direct his other idea first, American Graffiti, a coming - of - age story set in the 1960s . In 1973, Lucas started work on his second film's script draft of The Journal of the Whills, a space opera telling the tale of the training of apprentice CJ Thorpe as a "Jedi - Bendu" space commando by the legendary Mace Windy . After Universal rejected the film, 20th Century Fox decided to invest in it . On April 17, 1973, Lucas felt frustrated about his story being too difficult to understand, so he began writing a 13 - page script with thematic parallels to Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress; this draft was renamed The Star Wars . By 1974, he had expanded the script into a rough draft screenplay, adding elements such as the Sith, the Death Star, and a protagonist named Annikin Starkiller . Numerous subsequent drafts evolved into the script of the original film . </P> <P> Lucas insisted that the movie would be part of a 9 - part series and negotiated to retain the sequel rights, to ensure all the movies would be made . Tom Pollock, then Lucas' lawyer writes: "So in the negotiations that were going on, we drew up a contract with Fox's head of business affairs Bill Immerman, and me . We came to an agreement that George would retain the sequel rights . Not all the (merchandising rights) that came later, mind you; just the sequel rights . And Fox would get a first opportunity and last refusal right to make the movie ." Lucas was offered $50,000 to write, another $50,000 to produce, and $50,000 to direct the film . Later the offer was increased . American Graffiti cast member Harrison Ford had given up on acting and become a carpenter whom Lucas hired for his home renovations, until Lucas decided to cast him as Han Solo within his film . </P>

When did george lucas come up with the idea of star wars