Star Wars Bits: How Did Barack Obama Help Revive Star Wars? Plus: Yoda, Kyle Newman, Tommy Wiseau, Ewan McGregor

Did the President's fiscal policy help make the new trilogy a reality? Also after the jump:

Set your speakers to hyperspace and buckle up for a rip-roaring, all-new Star Wars adventure – Smuggler's Gambit — starring everyone's favorite scoundrels, Han Solo and Chewbacca! Performed in the spirit of the classic Star Wars NPR radio dramas and set in the original trilogy era, Smuggler's Gambit tests Han and Chewie's commitment to the cause as they venture off to reclaim their glory days, only to realize that their decision to help the Rebellion take down the Death Star was not without consequence...

It seems like every other director's thrown his hat into the Star Wars ring, so why not Tommy Wiseau? A Facebook campaign is underway to get the notorious director of The Room to direct the new trilogy. One enterprising fan has even created this mash-up of Star Wars and The Room to suggest what a Wiseau-directed Episode VII might look like:

Who wouldn't want to sit through two hours of that, right? Head to Facebook to support the cause.

In other, more plausible Star Wars news, Ewan McGregor says he'd be open to reprising his prequel trilogy role as Obi-wan Kenobi for the new films. TMZ tracked down McGregor to ask whether he'd return to the series, and the star gave a terse but positive answer: "Yeah." [via The Celebrity Cafe]

Yoda may be coming to Northern California in the form of a statue — the Bay Area's second. George Lucas is reportedly planning a small park in Marin County that will feature a bronze sculpture of the Jedi master, as well as another of Indiana Jones. The park is expected to open by summer, with the Yoda figure (and the fountain around it) as its centerpiece.

The new statue is described as being similar to the existing one in San Francisco's Presidio neighborhood, which was installed when Lucas moved his offices there. That fountain has proved a popular attraction among pop culture aficionados. [Marin Independent Journal via Popstar]

President Barack Obama hasn't formally weighed in with his opinions on the new Star Wars trilogy. But he may have inadvertently helped them come about, according to one finance website. In an article about the capital gains tax, Seeking Alpha speculated that the impending rate increase may have pushed George Lucas to sell his company to Disney — which, in turn, decided to press forward with more sequels.

As the law currently stands, the capital gains tax rate will see the largest year-over-year increase in history. Some intelligent investors didn't wait for election results to lock in the low capital gains tax rate.

A good example is Star Wars creator George Lucas, who recently sold his Lucas Films empire to Disney (DIS) for $4.05 billion. Lucas built his empire over many years and is sitting on a very large capital gain. Although Lucas has not publicly stated that tax policies had anything to do with the timing of the sale, there is speculation that it was a large factor. If outcomes from past tax policy changes are any indication of what will result this time around, then be prepared for a lot more selling between now and year-end.

So if the new trilogy winds up sucking after all, now you know who to blame. [via Comedy Central's Indecision]

No matter how devoted a Star Wars fan you are, it's probably safe to assume your merchandise collection pales in comparison to Lucasfilm consultant Steve Sansweet's. The proprietor of Rancho Obi-Wan, the world's largest private Star Wars collection, talked about his obsession with The Examiner, and talked up his excitement for the new movies:

I was thrilled when I heard the news. To know that there will many more Star Wars movies in the future is just fantastic. I love the universe that George created and I think it's in excellent hands with Kathleen Kennedy and with Disney. As for merchandise...gee, do you really think there will be merchandise with the new movies? Frankly, I still haven't come up with a game plan. I think I've already bought just about every Star Tours and Star Wars Weekend product ever made, and that already takes up a nice-sized space in the collection!

Click here for a slideshow of his memorabilia musuem, and here for info on how to visit.