Star Wars: Mark Hamill Wishes Disney Listened to George Lucas' Input

Back in 2012, The Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm for over $4 billion, which both excited and worried fans. We were thrilled about the prospect of new films, but hesitant of what a Disney-driven Star Wars film could look like. During a recent interview, star Mark Hamill confided that he's excited for all the new films, but that he wished Disney had followed the path George Lucas originally envisioned.

"What I wish is that they had been more accepting of his guidance and advice," Hamill told Metro. "Because he had an outline for [Episodes] VII, VIII andIX. And it is vastly different to what they have done."

This isn't to say that Hamill is unhappy with the direction that the saga has taken, as he is well-aware of how successful the new films have been.

"But then again, I don't want to be an old stick in the mud," Hamill confessed. "There were the originals. There's the prequels. But that's all George. And now we have the next generation. And as far as I can see they are more popular than ever."

Lucas might not have active involvement in the franchise anymore, but Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy revealed he has been known to offer input here and there.

When Entertainment Weekly asked if Lucas stays involved, Kennedy explained, "Not really," while noting, "But he'll whisper in my ear every now and then. Usually it's something specific or important to him about Jedi training. Things like that."

"I think he's starting to settle into this and just be a fan," she added. "It's taken a while. It's hard to let go, after 40 years. That's a lot of expectation and things he thought a lot about. Suddenly that next generation, that whole thematic idea he came up with, is in process."

Despite departing from the company he started, Lucas reportedly still visits the sets of the films to see the status of the world he created. According to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards, the only advice he received from Lucas was to not "screw up."

The next installment in the series, The Last Jedi, hits theaters December 15.

[H/T Metro]