"Gilbert, as long as your offer is reasonable, both Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic can be yours."
George Lucas, as straightforward as ever, got right to the point and stated his purpose openly.
Gilbert had already expected this. "George, both Lucasfilm and ILM are in high demand right now. I've heard plenty of rumors these past few days since I got back. I doubt your request is as simple as asking me to make the right offer, is it?"
"Of course not," George Lucas replied. "I have one more condition, as I mentioned to you before—you must take over the Star Wars series. As long as you agree, even if your offer is slightly lower than others, I can still accept it."
"Why does it have to be me, George?" Gilbert asked. "There are many outstanding directors in Hollywood who could take it on."
"But none are more capable than you," George Lucas sighed. "The Star Wars saga has accompanied me through my entire filmmaking career—it's my child. I don't want it to decline after I retire. Looking across Hollywood, there are many talented directors, but only you can ensure that Star Wars continues."
His tone was deeply sincere, showing that he genuinely wanted Gilbert to take over. In fact, during several interviews before, Lucas had publicly said that the most suitable person to direct Star Wars after him was Gilbert.
But the problem was that Star Wars was one of the most powerful franchises in the world. If Gilbert took over and succeeded, it would not be surprising but if he failed, it would become a major scandal.
Still, truth be told, it would be quite difficult for anyone to actually fail with the Star Wars franchise.
Gilbert neither accepted nor refused. Instead, he said, "You'll have to let me think about it, George. This isn't an easy decision."
"Of course," George Lucas replied without pressing him. "There's still time. Tell me when you've made up your mind."
With that topic set aside, the two began talking about George Lucas's retirement plans.
"For so many years, my focus has always been on filmmaking," Lucas said. "Next, I might travel around the world, maybe go sailing and do some fishing. By the way, I heard you have a yacht. Lend it to me when the time comes."
"No problem," Gilbert laughed. "If you're planning to travel, I recommend visiting China. I still own a siheyuan courtyard home there—it's appreciated quite a bit in value over the years, but I've no plans to sell it. I'm keeping it for when I visit. If you go, you can stay there, and I'll introduce you to a few of my Chinese friends."
"Great, it's a deal," Lucas said with a smile.
He then asked about Gilbert's father. "How's your father's health? Still doing well?"
"Quite well," Gilbert replied, smiling. "He eats well, sleeps well, spends his days playing the guitar at home, driving the kids to and from school, or meeting old friends for a few games of cards. He's living a very relaxed life."
"He's always been full of energy," Gilbert added. "He can't stay still."
Lucas gave a sigh of nostalgia. "Ah, I still remember when we used to dominate Hollywood together. Time flies—we've all gotten older, and now it's your generation's turn."
"What are you talking about?" Gilbert joked.
"No, not really," Lucas said, tapping his temple. "This part doesn't keep up anymore. Don't be fooled by the commercial success of Episode III. My name's been overused, and the spark I had when I was young—it's gone. I'll be counting on you, Gilbert."
Once again, it was clear Lucas was hoping to persuade Gilbert to inherit the Star Wars legacy. It almost sounded like he was entrusting his life's work to him.
George Lucas had no biological children, and his relationship with his adopted children wasn't particularly close. The only true emotional bond he had left was with the Star Wars universe—it represented all his passion and creativity. That was why he wanted to find the right guardian for it.
And in his eyes, Gilbert was that guardian.
The conversation went on until after ten that evening before Gilbert and Naomi Watts finally took their leave.
George Lucas and Kathleen walked them to the door. "Gilbert, think carefully about my proposal," Lucas said once more.
"Thank you, George. I'll give it serious thought," Gilbert replied with a nod.
On the drive home, Naomi Watts asked, "George talked with you for quite a while—what did you two discuss?"
"He's trying to convince me to take over the Star Wars series," Gilbert said.
Naomi raised her eyebrows. "Hasn't he been trying to persuade you for a while now? If he's bringing it up again, it looks like he's really preparing to retire."
After a pause, she added, "So what do you think?"
"My thoughts?" Gilbert said. "I don't think the Star Wars saga will end here. But if I do take it over, I'll have to give it a complete overhaul."
Naomi, however, didn't seem worried at all. "I think as long as the movie carries the Star Wars title and retains those iconic visual designs and the classic framework, there's never really any need to fear failure."
"So, you're suggesting I should take over Star Wars?"
"That depends on what you truly want," Naomi replied with a smile. "Whatever you decide, we'll all support you."
"Thank you, Naomi."
Gilbert wrapped his arms around Naomi Watts, though his mind was elsewhere, thinking more deeply about the matter.
In truth, if Star Wars were to be rebooted, Gilbert already had a direction in mind.
The first step would be to analyze why, aside from the die-hard fans, the general audience had gradually lost interest in the Star Wars series.
Without question, George Lucas bore part of the responsibility.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Star Wars amazed audiences with its groundbreaking visual effects. Even though the stories were simple—sometimes even a bit shallow—the spectacle was enough to overwhelm moviegoers of that era, who had never seen anything like it.
But now, in an age of rapidly advancing computer-generated imagery, audiences have grown numb after being bombarded for years by spectacular effects-driven blockbusters. Stunning visuals alone no longer excite them.
This means that storytelling has become more important than ever. The foundation of a film lies in its story but unfortunately, Star Wars had failed in that regard.
To be fair, that wasn't entirely Lucas's fault; many Hollywood films also struggle with storytelling.
Beyond that, the abrupt character arcs, inconsistent emotional lines, and poor editing were recurring flaws in Lucas's movies.
Over time, these small weaknesses accumulated, inevitably diminishing the films' overall quality.
If Gilbert were to take over Star Wars, his first priority would be to craft a complete, cohesive narrative—because story is the heart of everything.
As for creative direction, he already had a general idea: drawing inspiration from the structure of online novels.
Many traditional authors have long looked down on web novels, which sit at the bottom of the literary prestige hierarchy. Yet, web novels possess one undeniable strength—they are thrillingly entertaining and highly immersive.
To put it another way, if you replaced the Star Wars framework with the style of popular science fiction web novels from platforms like Qidian, it would easily capture the attention of a massive audience.
Those web novels may border on fantasy, but Star Wars itself contains elements like the Force—so in essence, there's not much difference.
He could even incorporate futuristic megacities, post-apocalyptic wastelands, and intense mecha battles—guaranteeing an experience that would be absolutely exhilarating.
Critics have often complained that Star Wars lacks philosophical depth and is just a pure popcorn franchise. But Gilbert believed that Star Wars wasn't too shallow—it simply wasn't fun enough.
His version, he thought, would finally make it truly exhilarating.
....
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