Though George Lucas's Star Wars universe may hold exalted status among fans of the long-running film franchise, it appears not all of its offspring were created equal.

There will be no Ewoks in the highly-anticipated new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens.

"Ewoks are not in the movie," Lucasfilm chief has Kathleen Kennedy confirmed at a media event in Los Angeles.

The news won applause from the gathered media, many of whom represented fan websites.

Ewoks, you may recall, were the impossibly cute supporting players of 1983's Star Wars, Episode VI, Return of the Jedi.

After that film was released, Lucas was so charmed by them he produced two spin-off films, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985).

Fans, in hindsight, and in stark contrast, were not so charmed.

When the question was asked - would there be Ewoks in the new film - even director J.J. Abrams responded: "Living?"

Cue more laughter, and some cautious applause.

"Can a man not joke with friends?" he added.

Another much disliked character confirmed as not returning is Jar Jar Binks, a supporting player in 1999's The Phantom Menace and its two follow-up films, who drew an intense fan backlash.

"Jar Jar is not in the movie," Kennedy also confirmed, again to applause from the media.

Binks, who was played by Ahmed Best, was the subject of accusations of racism because of his manner of speech.
One critic described him as "reminiscent of the archetypes portrayed in blackface minstrelsy."

Despite the bruising response to some of Lucas's contributions to the Star Wars canon - let's not even get started on The Star Wars Holiday Special - the big man himself as confirmed he will attend the film's Los Angeles premiere next week.

And, for the record, he likes The Force Awakens.

After a series of interviews in which he expressed his ambivalence about the planned new films, Lucas did not himself make that admission; rather, Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy made it for him.

"He really liked it," she told The Hollywood Reporter this week.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in Australian cinemas on December 16.