It's interesting news, to say the least. I haven't been able to fully take in the news since Hurricane Sandy screwed up my internet connection on Monday night.
Part of me is frankly, a bit sad. George Lucas was the source of this universe that we've all grown to know and love. He put out three great films in the form of the OT, and was much beloved for doing so. Episodes 4 - 6 are indellibly etched in the memories of a generation of fans, many of whom were kids when they saw those movies. And that childhood nostalgia has carried Star Wars on for the past 35 years.
When word came out that a Prequel Trilogy was in the works, there was much rejoicing. But with the release of Episode I came monumental second guessing of George's vision. I blame the internet and discussion forums, frankly. Because all of a sudden everyone thought that a fairly extensive home video collection and an internet connection made them a qualified film critic / director / screenwriter. The writing was certainly on the wall after
this January, 2012 NY Times article. And I think that all of that fanboy rage made it easy for George to relent, and sell Lucasfilm, thereby walking away from the haters.
As for the future? We'll see. Hearing that GL is involved as a creative consultant is somewhat reassuring. But it will also be interesting to see what a new generation of filmmakers might bring to a new trilogy. The list of directors who might take on the new trilogy is sure to be a great topic unto itself.
Where does the story go? A shift in generations does seem to be in order. The principle actors from the OT are 30 years older than they were in ROTJ, after all. Beyond that, Imy only expectation is that we'll see the droids. They've been there through the whole saga, and it really would not be Star Wars if it weren't seen through the sensor eyes of C-3PO and R2-D2.