It's not. It's Episode VII...a direct continuation of the same universe and continuity of the Prequels and the Original Trilogy.
That's the best part of all this! John Williams writes new music! Even when the prequels were at their suckiest, the music was still great.
Anakin and Padme's love theme in Attack of the Clones was one of the best things about the second prequel. Even if the acting between Hayden and Natalie was atrocious the Williams score made it seem epic.
If someone were to ask me what I wanted, it's this: - No reboot. - No continuation. Think about it: a galaxy is billions of billions of stars and planets. What makes Star Wars so unique is the idea of Star Wars... so there are many other kinds and types of characters with epic stories that can be told.. the Skywalkers don't define an entire universe.
If they decide to use the original actors/actresses in a live action film(s), they'd pretty much have to jump all the way to the LOTF/FOTJ-era for their characters to be roughly the same ages. If they opt for something closer to ROTJ, they'd either have to recast or do something CGI where their aged appearance wouldn't matter. They might, of course, still have to get new voice actors though Hamill might possibly reprise his role as Luke, Williams will probably be willing to do Lando and Daniels, well, he'll always do C3P0. Doubt Ford will take Solo up again and Fisher, well......... However, having listened to the Star Wars radio dramas, they found decent counterparts for most of the main characters, so I don't think that that would be too much of a problem. The Thrawn Trilogy would be the most ideal storyline continuation IMHO.
The EU fanboys are going to crap themselves when episode 7 has nothing to do with it. Who wants to take odds?
I think you're on to something there... of course it does depend on how Skywalker-heavy the next story is. I can't imagine it not involving the Jedi twins of Han and Leia. They aren't considered canon, right? Leia as a Jedi is considered canon isn't it? Luke could "see" that she would when they discussed it on Endor: "in time you will come to use the force as I have." Maybe... just maybe this is the reason that Lucas(film) has been so dead set against having anything set post-ROTJ... because all along there was this plan to continue it, and it depended on a gigantic merger.
The new Dark Horse graphic novels coming out in 2013 are already going to change and contradict long-established EU lore so I don't think it matters if the megabudget films do. The EU will have been partially rewritten by the time Episode VII rolls around.
I'm kind of optimistic. I love the original trilogy, but at this point I'm much more attached to the Star Wars Expanded universe. Heck, a lot of my favorite SW characters (including my top 2) are from the books. Maybe they can just treat it like how the star Trek franchise was treated when the the horrible 2009 ST movie came out. The books stay in their universe (aka current EU for SW) and are allowed to continue like they have been, pleasing fans of that and generating the same amount of money that it has been (and the Star wars EU has apparently been profitable enough to last for decades). The new movies can continue to go were they want to go. That is probably the best solution, it wouldn't alienate any fans, and it would make them money. Disney hasn't really messed with Marvel, another company people were worried about them screwing up when they bought it, so I'm hoping Star Wars doesn't get screwed.
^ The EU is 'secondary canon', in that it is Canon so long as the material therein isn't overridden by the films or the Clone Wars cartoon(s).
The Ep 7 writers must be in a bit of a pickle. Canon to the right of them, canon to the left of them...
The EU considers Jaina and Jacen Solo canon, but that all depends on if you the fan consider the EU canon. As per Force ghosts, Anakin and Yoda will be no-brainers...just rehire Hayden and create a new CGI Yoda only this time make him shimmering, translucent and blue. But what about Obi-Wan? Alec Guinness died a few years ago and likely wouldn't have participated in any new films to begin with even if he hadn't passed away. Does this mean a new Guinness lookalike and/or soundalike? Or does Ewan McGregor reprise the role and play Obi-Wan as a younger version of his Force spirit?