I remember how I felt the first time I learned that the years ahead would bring new "Star Wars" movies.

To say I was thrilled beyond reasonable belief is an understatement. After years of rumors, we would, in fact, learn how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. We would see a young Obi Wan Kenobi.
Man, we would see light sabers again!

Of course, to many of us, George Lucas' "Star Wars" prequels, beginning in 1999 with "Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" and ending in 2005 with "Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," were disappointments. They were sluggish, poorly edited affairs. Still, they represented -- at least to a degree -- the vision of Lucas, who had started his space saga in 1977 with its fourth chapter. With movies one to six, even with the unusual order in which they came to us, there's a beginning and an end.

So when news broke today that Lucas' sold his Lucasfilm Ltd. to Disney for $4 billion or so and that Disney would make new "Star Wars" movies and release the first one in 2015, my first reaction was something along the lines of, "What? That's crazy! I had no idea that was going to happen!"

My second reaction was "meh."

I have no idea what the storylines will be in the new movies. My guess is that they will follow the adventures of the children of Han and Leia, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin, who were trained as Jedi knights.

(You can rightfully call me out for being a total nerd at this point, but I've only read a tiny bit of the fiction that has taken the "Star Wars" universe farther, and I haven't done so in many, many years. Still, I have it coming.)

With talk of Disney cranking out a new film every two to three years, "Star Wars" continues to evolve into a mere brand, ceasing to become anything special. But, heck, if they make good movies, that will be great.

Somehow, I don't think they will.

-- Mark Meszoros | Entertainment@News-Herald.com | @nhfeatures