Lucas calls 'Sith' the darkest of all

The dark side of the Force rules in "Revenge of the Sith," the finale of the Star Wars saga, due in theaters May 19.

Looking for proof? Filmmaker George Lucas expects the film to have a stricter rating than any of his previous Star Wars adventures, all of which have all been rated a family-friendly PG.

The sixth "Star Wars" film (actually "Episode III" in the mythical timeline) details how Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) falls prey to "the dark side" and becomes Darth Vader, the iconic baddie first seen in 1977's "Star Wars," now called "Episode IV: A New Hope."

"This is the darkest of them all," says Lucas, speaking at a New York event to promote the recent release of his "THX 1138" DVD. "I don't think it's going to be rated like the other ones. It's just more emotionally intense."

The PG-13 rating makes sense, considering the story line, says Scott Chitwood of TheForce.Net, a "Star Wars" news Web site. "From the original trilogy, we know that in 'Episode III,' Anakin is horribly burned, Padme (Amidala, the queen and senator who becomes the mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia) dies, Mace Windu dies, Luke and Leia are separated, and the Jedi are wiped out," he says. "It would be hard to do them justice without the film being PG-13."

A move to that rating for "Sith" isn't likely to hurt attendance. Those with children ages 10 and 11 might think twice, says Paul Dergarabedian of box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, "but their kids probably already have video games at home that are PG-13 in violence levels."

A PG-13 would bring "Star Wars" in line with such blockbusters as the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Want-to-see for the episode, which will complete the saga, is high. The first five "Star Wars" films rank among the top-grossing U.S. movies ever. "Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope" is No. 2 ($461 million) and "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" No. 5 ($431 million). The three others are in the top 25.

And interest in the franchise remains strong, as consumers spent $115 million worldwide last Tuesday when "The Star Wars Trilogy" DVD box set and "Star Wars Battlefront" video game went on sale. Video Business magazine estimates 2 million DVDs were sold.

Lucas wrapped filming "Sith" earlier this month in London. "So the final shot of 'Star Wars' has been shot, and never will the cameras roll again," he says.

The 60-year-old filmmaker is ready to move on. While he might explore the stories in animation and book form, he has no plans for any new "Star Wars" films. "I've been working on it over the last 30 years," he says. "When you do a trilogy, it's a 10-year run. That's a lot of your life."