Lucasfilm Pushes Episodes II And III 3D Aside, Focuses Its Efforts On Episode VII

Lucasfilm has announced that for the time being, its plans to release Star Wars Episodes II and III in 3D have been shelved. In their place will be increased focus on the new Episode VII, which will be directed by J.J. Abrams, whose credits include the latest Star Trek series. The movie is set to hit theaters in 2015.

While fans are sure to be a tad disappointed at the news that we won't get to see episodes II and III in 3D for an indefinite period of time, there is a ray of light – this move allows Lucasfilm to focus 100-percent of its attention on the new movie, something that will (hopefully) be more satisfying in the long run. The company will announce when it has an update on its plans to release 3D versions of the two movies.

Last week, we reported that Abrams' role as director had been confirmed on the official Star Wars website, with him being referred to as the perfect director for the job. No one knows if he'll direct Star Wars movies after Episode VII, but it seems like a strong possibility, with George Lucas and others heaping praise on his past work and expressing enthusiasm about his involvement with the series.

Back on November 16, we reported that Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy has announced plans for 2-3 Star Wars movie releases per year following Episode VII. This followed Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm for over $4 billion. Disney has stated that it will be focusing on social and mobile Star Wars titles, more so than on console games.

[via Star Wars]