Expanded Universe IS relevant . . .
George Lucas sometimes uses stuff from EU. Exar Kun was the Dark Lord of the Sith to use a double-bladed lightsaber. The Sith War was written years before The Phantom Menace. There are other revelevant things from EU that George uses. However, instead of pointing them out, I'll let you find them and post them here. Cheers!
Thank you DH!!! I love the EU almost as much as the movies. While the stuff may not be cannon it is very important to the Star Wars universe. I know Coruscant comes from the EU and who knows what else Lucas will use. I don't think an EU character will play a large role in any movie, but I would love to see one in a cameo, or just by name mention only.
That does bring up an interesting point. After the films are released will the authors of the EU change anything that the movies say differently about. For example, if Naboo is somehow destroyed will the EU mention that anywhere? And the EU has said the Stormtroopers were recruited but they may turn out to be clones, will they go back and say they were clones, or will they sort of ignore it?
I think that the authors were smart about this, and haven't set out any forked pathes for us to follow. They were leaving Lucas to the BIG details (Naboo's Fate, The Clones whereabouts). About Boba Fett however, that was a disastrous call to have two different stories behind it. But how do we even know what Lucas said about him? I don't remember Lucas mentioning anything about Boba's past.
I was just wondering if one day GL will release what would have been Episodes VII-IX as a series of books? It's looking real doubtful that he will ever get around to doing them as feature films as it takes upwards on a decade to prep/film them, so this would be one way of completing the saga, either way it sounds like a novel idea. (Groan!)
he said after EP 3 HE was done with the saga.
I don't think GL is that stingy. His coulds, if wanting to pursue the career of being in a director's seat, can continue with it if they want. I am sure GL wouldn't be against his own family if they wanted to continue it. (Maybe along the assistance of GL).
I hate to be persistent, but I am almost positive Lucas has said rather firmly that Star Wars movies ended with him. I would love for his kids or maybe Speilberg or someone to continue the saga, but I don't think it will happen. I guess in a couple years all we'll have is the EU, which isn't so bad.
GL orignally said the Star Wars saga was 9 episodes, with three extra episodes possible that dealt with some of the characters rather than the main plot. he dumped that idea quite quickly, and lost heart in doing a (rather pointless) final three more recently.
It is also clear that George cares very, VERY little for the Expanded Universe. And why should he? If I created a Universe, I might be willing to make money out of it by licensing it out, but there is no way I'd let anyone else make an intellectual contribution.
Any EU plotpoint that made it to the big screen only did so because it was in George Lucas' early notes, scripts or books- Coruscant is such an example.
Be very sure. Lucasfilm and Mr. McCallum have been issuing statements about Boba Fett because they are creating a VERY different background for him. Any other EU plot point in the way will get a similar chop.
GL did try to plan ahead to stop this happening, by creating lots of "Off-limits" zones for the book writers- the CLone Wars are such an example. But either he forgot to put such a ban on Fett, or he didn't originally intend to bring him back.
But EU fans shouldn't be at all worried. Just enjoy what you enjoy- if it isn't relevant to the films, so what? Persoanlly, I dislike much of the EU output, for all sorts of reasons, but it's all just personal. But the fact is that any relevance they have to the main films is very, very circumstantial at best.