View source for George Lucas

{{Short description|American filmmaker and philanthropist (born 1944)}}
{{about|the American film director|other people named George Lucas|George Lucas (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = George Lucas
| birth_name         = George Walton Lucas Jr.
| image              = George Lucas by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption            = Lucas at the 2025 [[San Diego Comic-Con]]
| landscape          = no
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1944|5|14}}
| birth_place        = [[Modesto, California]], U.S.
| occupation         = {{hlist|film director|screenwriter|producer||entrepreneur}}
| years_active       = 1965–present
| education          = {{ubl|[[Modesto Junior College]]|[[University of Southern California]] ([[Bachelor of Fine Arts|BFA]])}}
| spouse             = {{ubl|{{marriage|[[Marcia Lucas|Marcia Griffin]]|1969|1983|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Mellody Hobson]]|2013}}}}
| children           = 4, including [[Amanda Lucas (fighter)|Amanda]] and [[Katie Lucas|Katie]]
| works              = [[George Lucas filmography|Full list]]
}}

'''George Walton Lucas Jr.'''<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=White |first=Dana |title=George Lucas |publisher=[[Lerner Publishing Group]] |date=2000 |page=[https://archive.org/details/georgelucas0000whit/page/12 12] |isbn=0822549751 |url=https://archive.org/details/georgelucas0000whit/page/12}}</ref> (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''[[Star Wars]]'' and ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' franchises and founded  [[Lucasfilm]], [[LucasArts]], [[Industrial Light & Magic]] and [[THX]]. He served as chairman of Lucasfilm before selling it to [[the Walt Disney Company]] in 2012.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Diamond |first=Robert |date=October 30, 2012 |title=Disney Acquires Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion – STAR WARS: Episode 7 in 2015! |url=http://movies.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-Disney-Acquires-Lucasfilm-for-405-Billion-STAR-WARS-Episode-7-in-2015-20121030 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101232535/http://movies.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-Disney-Acquires-Lucasfilm-for-405-Billion-STAR-WARS-Episode-7-in-2015-20121030 |archive-date=November 1, 2012 |access-date=October 30, 2012 |website=broadwayworld.com}}</ref> Nominated for four [[Academy Awards]], he is considered to be one of the most significant figures of the 20th-century [[New Hollywood]] movement, and a pioneer of the modern [[blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]]. Despite this, he has remained an independent filmmaker for most of his career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMillan |first=Graeme |date=2015-01-29 |title=George Lucas: Hollywood Is a "Circus" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/george-lucas-robert-redford-talk-768499/ |access-date=2023-08-17 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |archive-date=August 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817043425/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/george-lucas-robert-redford-talk-768499/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

After graduating from the [[University of Southern California]] in 1967, Lucas moved to San Francisco and co-founded [[American Zoetrope]] with filmmaker [[Francis Ford Coppola]]. He wrote and directed ''[[THX 1138]]'' (1971), based on his student short ''[[Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB]]'', which was a critical success but a financial failure. His next work as a writer-director was ''[[American Graffiti]]'' (1973), inspired by his youth in early 1960s [[Modesto, California]], and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm. The film was critically and commercially successful and received five [[Academy Award]] nominations, including [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. Lucas's next film, the [[Epic film|epic]] [[space opera]] ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977), later retitled ''A New Hope'', had a troubled production but was a surprise hit, becoming the [[List of highest-grossing films|highest-grossing film at the time]], winning six Academy Awards and sparking [[Cultural impact of Star Wars|a cultural phenomenon]]. Lucas produced and co-wrote the sequels ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980) and ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983). With director [[Steven Spielberg]], he created, produced, and co-wrote ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' films ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (1981), ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom|The Temple of Doom]]'' (1984), ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade|The Last Crusade]]'' (1989) and ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull|The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'' (2008), and served as an executive producer, with a cursory involvement in pre and post-production, on ''[[Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny|The Dial of Destiny]]'' (2023).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mangold |first=James |date=2023-10-10 |title='Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/mang0ld/status/1723205454510371248 |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=Twitter |language=en-US |archive-date=April 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428121925/https://twitter.com/mang0ld/status/1723205454510371248?s=46&t=eULJH-5VducUevS-dZKxFw |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1997, Lucas re-released the [[Star Wars original trilogy|original ''Star Wars'' trilogy]] as part of a [[Changes in Star Wars re-releases|Special Edition]] featuring several modifications; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011. He returned to directing with a [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy]] comprising ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace|The Phantom Menace]]'' (1999), ''[[Episode II – Attack of the Clones|Attack of the Clones]]'' (2002) and ''[[Episode III – Revenge of the Sith|Revenge of the Sith]]'' (2005). He last collaborated on the CGI-animated [[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film)|movie]] and television series of the same name, ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)|Star Wars: The Clone Wars]]'' (2008–2014, 2020), the war film ''[[Red Tails]]'' (2012) and the jukebox musical fantasy CGI-animated film ''[[Strange Magic (film)|Strange Magic]]'' (2015). Lucas is also known for his collaboration with composer [[John Williams]], who was recommended to him by Spielberg, and with whom he has worked for all the films in both of these franchises. He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s.

Lucas is [[List of highest-grossing film directors|one of history's most financially successful filmmakers]]. He directed or wrote the story for ten of the 100 highest-grossing movies at the North American box office, adjusted for ticket-price inflation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Lifetime Adjusted Grosses |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross_adjusted/?adjust_gross_to=2020 |access-date=January 21, 2020 |website=BoxOfficeMojo.com |archive-date=July 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704001942/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross_adjusted/?adjust_gross_to=2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Through his companies [[Industrial Light and Magic]] and [[Skywalker Sound]], Lucas was involved in the production of, and financially benefited from, almost every big-budget film released in the U.S. from the late 1980s until selling to Disney in 2012. In addition to his career as a filmmaker, Lucas has founded and supported multiple philanthropic organizations and campaigns dedicated to education and the arts, including the [[George Lucas Educational Foundation]], which has been noted as a key supporter in the creation of the federal [[E-Rate]] program to provide broadband funding to schools and libraries, and the [[Lucas Museum of Narrative Art]], a forthcoming art museum in Los Angeles developed with his wife, [[Mellody Hobson]].

== Early life and education ==
Lucas was born and raised in [[Modesto, California]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biography |url=http://www.historicmodesto.com/People/George%20Lucas/index.html |access-date=2023-11-28 |website=www.historicmodesto.com |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212154053/http://www.historicmodesto.com/People/George%20Lucas/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> the son of Dorothy Ellinore Lucas (née Bomberger) and George Walton Lucas Sr., and is of German, Swiss German, English, Scottish, and distant Dutch and French descent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanancestors.org/third-set-of-ten-hollywood/ |title=No. 83 Royal Descents, Notable Kin, and Printed Sources: A Third Set of Ten Hollywood Figures (or Groups Thereof), with a Coda on Two Directors |publisher=[[New England Historic Genealogical Society]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018155421/http://www.americanancestors.org/third-set-of-ten-hollywood/ |first=Gary Boyd |last=Roberts |date=April 18, 2008 |archive-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> His family attended [[Disneyland]] during its opening week in July 1955, and Lucas would remain enthusiastic about the park.{{sfn|Jones|2016|p=26}} He was interested in comics and science fiction, including television programs such as the ''[[Flash Gordon (serial)|Flash Gordon]]'' serials.{{sfn|Jones|2016|pp=22, 25}} Long before Lucas began making films, he yearned to be a racecar driver, and he spent most of his high school years racing on the underground circuit at fairgrounds and hanging out at garages. On June 12, 1962, a few days before his high school graduation, Lucas was driving his souped-up [[Autobianchi Bianchina]] when another driver broadsided him,{{efn|Lucas was later ticketed for making an illegal left-hand turn.<ref name=Private/>}} flipping his car several times before it crashed into a tree; Lucas's seatbelt had snapped, ejecting him and thereby saving his life.<ref name=Private/> However, his lungs were bruised from severe hemorrhaging and he required emergency medical treatment.<ref name=Private>{{cite magazine |last=Pollock |first=Dale |title=A Man and His Empire: The Private Life of 'Star Wars' Creator George Lucas |magazine=Life |date=June 1983 |pages=85–86}}</ref> This incident caused him to lose interest in racing as a career, but also inspired him to pursue his other interests.<ref name=pollockskywalking>Pollock, Dale, ''Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas'', Harmony Books, New York, 1983, {{ISBN|0-517-54677-9}}</ref><ref>[http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Filmmaker-George-Lucas-Near-Death-Experience-Video "Filmmaker George Lucas' Near-Death Experience"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230170007/http://www.oprah.com/own-oprahs-next-chapter/Filmmaker-George-Lucas-Near-Death-Experience-Video |date=December 30, 2012 }}, ''oprah.com'', January 22, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2012.</ref>

Lucas's father owned a stationery store, and had wanted George to work for him when he turned 18. Lucas had been planning to go to art school, but his father said he would not pay for it. Lucas declared upon leaving home that he would be a millionaire by the age of 30.{{Sfn|Jones|2016|p=36}}{{efn|He became a millionaire at the age of 28 after selling ''[[American Graffiti]]'' to theaters.{{Sfn|Jones|2016|p=161}}}} He attended [[Modesto Junior College]], where he studied [[anthropology]], sociology, and literature, amongst other subjects.<ref name=pollockskywalking /> He also began shooting with an 8&nbsp;mm camera, including filming car races.<ref name=pollockskywalking /> At this time, Lucas became interested in [[Canyon Cinema]]: screenings of [[Underground film|underground]], [[avant-garde]] 16&nbsp;mm film-makers like [[Jordan Belson]], [[Stan Brakhage]] and [[Bruce Conner]].<ref name=WiredMay2005>{{cite magazine |first=Steve |last=Silberman |url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/lucas.html |title=Life After Darth |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |date=May 2005 |access-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-date=January 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104163710/https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.05/lucas.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Lucas and childhood friend John Plummer also saw classic European films of the time, including [[Jean-Luc Godard]]'s ''[[Breathless (1960 film)|Breathless]]'', [[François Truffaut]]'s ''[[Jules and Jim|Jules et Jim]]'' and [[Federico Fellini]]'s ''[[8½]]''.<ref name=WiredMay2005 /> "That's when George really started exploring," Plummer said.<ref name=WiredMay2005 /> Through his interest in [[autocross]] racing, Lucas met renowned [[cinematographer]] [[Haskell Wexler]], another race enthusiast.<ref name=pollockskywalking /><ref name=WiredMay2005 /> Wexler, later to work with Lucas on several occasions, was impressed by Lucas's talent.<ref name=pollockskywalking /> "George had a very good eye, and he thought visually," he recalled.<ref name=WiredMay2005 />

At Plummer's recommendation,<ref name=according>{{cite book |last=Sunstein |first=Cass R. |title=The World According to Star Wars |year=2016 |publisher=Harper Collins}}</ref> Lucas then transferred to the [[University of Southern California]] (U.S.C.) [[School of Cinematic Arts]]. U.S.C. was one of the earliest universities to have a school devoted to [[motion picture film]]. During the years at U.S.C., Lucas shared a dorm room with [[Randal Kleiser]]. Along with classmates such as [[Walter Murch]], [[Caleb Deschanel]], [[Hal Barwood]], [[John Milius]] and [[Matthew Robbins (screenwriter)|Matthew Robbins]], they became a clique of film students known as [[The Dirty Dozen (filmmaking)|The Dirty Dozen]]. He also became good friends with fellow acclaimed student film-maker and future ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' collaborator, [[Steven Spielberg]] and [[Martin Scorsese]].{{efn|Spielberg attended a USC screening in early 1968 and met Lucas after being impressed by his ''[[Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB]]''.{{sfn|Jones|2016|p=92}}}}

A group of friends, which included [[Christopher Lewis (screenwriter)|Chris Lewis]] and [[Donald F. Glut|Don Glut]], started the Clean Cut Cinema Club. Lucas, Kleiser and Lewis then formed a short-lived production company called Sunrise Productions with offices on Sunset Boulevard. There they would make up stage names for themselves, Lucas calling himself Lucas Beaumont. Their only project would be the never completed short "Five, Four, Three", a self-referential and self-deprecating mockumentary about the making of a satirical teen beach movie called "Orgy Beach Party".<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SQOrCgAAQBAJ&dq=Kleiser+Randal+Jon+Lucas+Beaumont+Sunrise&pg=PT43 George Lucas, by Brian Jay Jones (2016)]</ref>

Lucas was deeply influenced by the Filmic Expression course taught at the school by film-maker [[Lester Novros]] which concentrated on the non-narrative elements of Film Form like color, light, movement, space and time. Another inspiration was the Serbian montagist (and dean of the U.S.C. Film Department) [[Slavko Vorkapich]], a film theoretician who made stunning [[Montage (filmmaking)|montage]] sequences for Hollywood studio features at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]], [[RKO Pictures|RKO]], and [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]. Vorkapich taught the autonomous nature of the cinematic art form, emphasizing the kinetic energy inherent in motion pictures.

After graduating with a bachelor of [[fine arts]] in film in 1967, he tried joining the [[United States Air Force]] as an officer, but he was immediately turned down because of his numerous speeding tickets. He was later [[Conscription|drafted]] by the United States Army for military service in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]], but he was exempted from service after medical tests showed he had [[diabetes]], the disease that killed his paternal grandfather.{{Sfn|Jones|2016|p=65}}

==Career==
===1965–1969: Early career===
Lucas saw many inspiring films in class, particularly the visual films coming out of the [[National Film Board of Canada]] like [[Arthur Lipsett]]'s ''[[21-87]]'', [[cameraman]] [[Jean-Claude Labrecque]]'s [[cinéma vérité]] ''[[60 Cycles]]'', the work of [[Norman McLaren]] and the documentaries of [[Claude Jutra]]. Lucas fell madly in love with [[pure cinema]] and quickly became prolific at making 16-m.m. nonstory noncharacter visual tone poems and cinéma vérité with such titles as ''[[Look at Life (film)|Look at Life]]'', ''[[Herbie (film)|Herbie]]'', ''[[1:42.08]]'', ''[[The Emperor (film)|The Emperor]]'', ''[[Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town (film)|Anyone Lived in a Pretty (how) Town]]'', ''[[Filmmaker (film)|Filmmaker]]'' and ''[[6-18-67]]''. He was passionate and interested in cinematography and editing, defining himself as a film-maker as opposed to being a director, and he loved making abstract visual films that created emotions purely through nonnarrative structures.<ref name=WiredMay2005 />

In 1967, Lucas reenrolled as a U.S.C. graduate student in film production.<ref name=FGL>{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/george-lucas |title=George Lucas |date=September 2012 |work=Forbes |access-date=September 28, 2012 |archive-date=February 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222070626/http://www.forbes.com/profile/george-lucas/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He began working under movie and logo designer [[Saul Bass]] and film editor [[Verna Fields]] for the [[United States Information Agency]], where he met his future wife [[Marcia Lucas|Marcia Griffin]].{{sfn|Jones|2016|pp=68, 70}} Working as a teaching instructor for a class of [[U.S. Navy]] students who were being taught documentary cinematography, Lucas directed the short film ''[[Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB]]'', which won first prize at the 1967–68 National Student film festival. Lucas was awarded a student scholarship by [[Warner Bros.]] to observe and work on the making of a film of his choosing. The film he chose after finding the animation department closed down was ''[[Finian's Rainbow (1968 film)|Finian's Rainbow]]'' (1968) which was being directed by [[Francis Ford Coppola]], who was revered among film school students of the time as a cinema graduate who had "made it" in Hollywood.{{Sfn|Jones|2016|p=88}} In 1969, Lucas was one of the camera operators on the classic [[The Rolling Stones|Rolling Stones]] concert film ''[[Gimme Shelter (1970 film)|Gimme Shelter]]''.

===1969–1977: ''THX 1138'', ''American Graffiti'', and ''Star Wars''===
In 1969, Lucas moved back to the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] and co-founded the studio [[American Zoetrope]] with Coppola, hoping to create a liberating environment for film-makers to direct outside the perceived oppressive control of the Hollywood [[studio system]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Patterson |first=John |date=November 17, 2011 |title=American Zoetrope: In a galaxy not from Hollywood ... |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/nov/17/zoetrope-coppola-lucas-star-wars |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927212032/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/nov/17/zoetrope-coppola-lucas-star-wars |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |access-date=September 25, 2013 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Coppola thought Lucas's ''Electronic Labyrinth'' could be adapted into his first full-length feature film,{{sfn|Jones|2016|p=90}} which was produced by American Zoetrope as ''[[THX 1138]]'', but was not a success. Lucas then created his own company, [[Lucasfilm, Ltd.]], and directed the successful ''[[American Graffiti]]'' (1973).

Lucas then set his sights on adapting [[Flash Gordon]], an adventure serial from his childhood that he fondly remembered. When he was unable to obtain the rights, he set out to write an original space adventure that would eventually become ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''.<ref name=statesman>{{cite web |last=Cooray Smith |first=James |title=Starting Star Wars: How George Lucas came to create a galaxy |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/film/2017/05/starting-star-wars-how-george-lucas-came-create-galaxy |website=New Statesman |access-date=May 26, 2019 |date=May 25, 2019 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124061718/https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/film/2017/05/starting-star-wars-how-george-lucas-came-create-galaxy |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite his success with his previous film, all but one studio turned ''Star Wars'' down. It was only because [[Alan Ladd Jr.]] at [[20th Century Fox]] liked ''American Graffiti'' that he forced through a production and distribution deal for the film, which ended up restoring Fox to financial stability after a number of flops.<ref>[[Tom Shone]]: ''[[Blockbuster (2004 book)|Blockbuster]]: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer'' (2004). London, Simon & Schuster UK. {{ISBN|0-7432-6838-5}}. Chapter 2.</ref> ''Star Wars'' was significantly influenced by [[Jidaigeki|samurai films]] of [[Akira Kurosawa]], [[Spaghetti Western]]s, as well as classic [[sword and sorcery]] fantasy stories.

''Star Wars'' quickly became the [[list of highest-grossing films|highest-grossing film of all time]], displaced five years later by Spielberg's ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]''. After the success of ''American Graffiti'' and prior to the beginning of filming on ''Star Wars'', Lucas was encouraged to renegotiate for a higher fee for writing and directing ''Star Wars'' than the US$150,000 agreed.<ref name=pollockskywalking /> He declined to do so, instead negotiating for advantage in some of the as-yet-unspecified parts of his contract with Fox, in particular, ownership of licensing and merchandising rights (for [[novelization]]s, clothing, toys, etc.) and contractual arrangements for sequels.<ref name=pollockskywalking /><ref>{{cite book |last=Harris |first=Mark |title=Pictures at a Revolution: Five Films and the Birth of the New Hollywood |url=https://archive.org/details/picturesatrevolu00harr_0|url-access=registration |year=2008 |publisher=Penguin Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/picturesatrevolu00harr_0/page/378 378–9]|isbn=9781594201523 }}</ref> Lucasfilm has earned hundreds of millions of dollars from licensed games, toys, and collectibles created for the franchise.<ref name=pollockskywalking />

The original ''Star Wars'' film went through a tumultuous production, and during editing, Lucas suffered chest pains initially feared to be a heart attack, but actually a fit of hypertension and exhaustion. The effort that Lucas exerted during [[post-production]] for the film, and its subsequent sequels, caused strains on his relationship with his wife Marcia Lucas, and was a contributing factor to their divorce at the end of the trilogy.<ref name=statesman/> The success of the first ''Star Wars'' film also resulted in more attention focused on Lucas, both positive and negative, attracting wealth and fame, but also many people who wanted Lucas's financial backing or just to threaten him.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rinzler|first=J. W.|url=https://archive.org/details/TheMakingOfTheEmpireStrikesBackJWRinzler/mode/2up|title=The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back — The Definitive Story|publisher=[[Aurum Press]]|year=2010|isbn=978-1-84513-555-3|location=United Kingdom|pages=2–3|oclc=657407687}}</ref>

===1977–1993: Hiatus from directing and ''Indiana Jones''===
[[File:Lucas - Henson - 1986.jpg|thumb|Director [[Jim Henson]] (left) and Lucas working on ''[[Labyrinth (1986 film)|Labyrinth]]'' in 1986]]

Following the release of the first ''Star Wars'' film, Lucas worked extensively as a writer and producer, including on the many ''Star Wars'' spinoffs made for film, television and other media. Lucas acted as executive producer for the next two ''Star Wars'' films, commissioning [[Irvin Kershner]] to direct ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' and [[Richard Marquand]] to direct ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', while receiving a story credit on the former and sharing a screenwriting credit with [[Lawrence Kasdan]] on the latter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/features/star-wars-making-of-empire-strikes-back |title=The Making of Empire Strikes Back |date=June 2002 |work=Empire Magazine |access-date=May 8, 2014 |archive-date=May 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140506213609/http://www.empireonline.com/features/star-wars-making-of-empire-strikes-back |url-status=live }}</ref> Lucas also gave away his screenwriting credit out of great respect for [[Leigh Brackett]] for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' after her death from cancer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=W. |first=Rinzler, J. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/657407687 |title=The Making of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back: The Definitive Story (Digital) |date=2010 |publisher=Del Rey Books |page=n390 |language=English |chapter=The Road to Oz |oclc=657407687 |quote=I don't think Leigh Brackett would've gotten a story credit. I said that to George and he said, you know, from his heart he felt she should get a co-writing credit on it, so he gave that to her.-Howard Kazanjian "I didn't like the first script, but I gave Leigh credit because I liked her a lot," Lucas says. "She was sick at the time she wrote it and she really tried her best. |access-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-date=May 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510123344/https://search.worldcat.org/title/657407687 |url-status=live }}</ref> He also acted as story writer and executive producer on the first four ''Indiana Jones'' films, which his colleague and good friend Steven Spielberg directed.

[[Craig Barron]], who worked at ILM as part of the matte painting department, told ''[[Star Wars Insider]]'' that Lucas liked to spend time with the department's painters and often spoke of what movies he wanted to make. According to Barron, Lucas had wanted to make a film about [[Alexander the Great]], but this film was ultimately never produced.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Brandon Wainerdi |date=August 2, 2022 |title=It's a Matte, Matte World! |number=212 |url=https://titan-comics.com/m/106-star-wars-insider-212/ |magazine=[[Star Wars Insider]] |publisher=[[Titan Publishing Group]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 31, 2022 |archive-date=August 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831013245/https://titan-comics.com/m/106-star-wars-insider-212/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Projects where Lucas was credited as executive producer and sometimes story writer in this period include Kurosawa's ''[[Kagemusha]]'' (1980), [[John Korty]]'s ''[[Twice Upon a Time (1983 film)|Twice Upon a Time]]'' (1983), ''[[Ewoks: Caravan of Courage]]'' (1984), ''[[Ewoks: Battle for Endor]]'' (1985), ''[[Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters]]'' (1985), [[Jim Henson]]'s ''[[Labyrinth (1986 film)|Labyrinth]]'' (1986), [[Ron Howard]]'s ''[[Willow (1988 film)|Willow]]'' (1988), [[Don Bluth]]'s ''[[The Land Before Time (film)|The Land Before Time]]'' (1988), and the ''Indiana Jones'' television prequel spinoff ''[[The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles]]'' (1992–93). There were unsuccessful projects, however, including ''[[More American Graffiti]]'' (1979), [[Willard Huyck]]'s ''[[Howard the Duck (film)|Howard the Duck]]'' (1986), which was the biggest flop of Lucas's career, Coppola's ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]'' (1988) and ''[[Radioland Murders]]'' (1994) directed by [[Mel Smith]].

In some cases, George Lucas served as an actual executive producer without being credited, such as in the films ''[[Body Heat]]'' (1981), [[Latino (film)|''Latino'']] (1985)'', [[Return to Oz]]'' (1985), documentary ''[[Powaqqatsi]]'' (1988, credited only as "Presentation"), also ''Star War''s television projects: ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special|Holiday Special]]'' (1978), ''[[Star Wars: Droids|Droids]]'' (1985–1986), ''[[Ewoks (TV series)|Ewoks]]'' (1985–1986) and ''[[Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 TV series)|Clone Wars]]'' (2003–2005).

The animation studio [[Pixar]] was founded in 1979 as the Graphics Group, one third of the Computer Division of [[Lucasfilm]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Rina |date=January 7, 2021 |title=George Lucas: Pixar Was Sold to Save Lucasfilm |url=https://www.shortform.com/blog/george-lucas-pixar/ |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=Shortform Books |language=en-US |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215231935/https://www.shortform.com/blog/george-lucas-pixar/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Pixar's early computer graphics research resulted in a digital film [[The Adventures of André & Wally B.]] and groundbreaking effects in films such as ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]''<ref name="PixarStory">{{Cite web |last=Hormby |first=Thomas |website=Low End Mac |title=The Pixar Story: Dick Shoup, Alex Schure, George Lucas, Steve Jobs, and Disney |date=January 22, 2007 |url=http://lowendmac.com/2013/pixar-story-steve-jobs-disney-toy-story/ |access-date=March 1, 2007 |archive-date=August 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827220102/http://lowendmac.com/2013/pixar-story-steve-jobs-disney-toy-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]'',<ref name="PixarStory"/> and the group was purchased in 1986 by [[Steve Jobs]] shortly after he left [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]]. Jobs paid Lucas $5&nbsp;million and put $5&nbsp;million as capital into the company. The sale reflected Lucas's desire to stop the cash flow losses from his seven-year research projects associated with new entertainment technology tools, as well as his company's new focus on creating entertainment rather than tools. As of June 1983, Lucas was worth $60&nbsp;million,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Pollock |first=Dale |title=A Man and His Empire: The Private Life of 'Star Wars' Creator George Lucas |magazine=Life |date=June 1983 |page=88}}</ref> but he met cash-flow difficulties following his divorce that year, concurrent with the sudden dropoff in revenues from ''Star Wars'' licenses following the theatrical run of ''Return of the Jedi''. At this point, Lucas had no desire to return to ''Star Wars'', and had unofficially canceled the [[sequel trilogy]].{{Sfn |Kaminski|2007|p=227|ref=kaminski}}

Lucas, formerly a member of [[Writers Guild of America West]], left and maintained [[financial core]] status in 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/members/membership-information/wgaw-financial-core-list|title=WGAW Financial Core List|website=[[Writers Guild of America]]|access-date=August 14, 2023|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813205209/https://www.wga.org/members/membership-information/wgaw-financial-core-list|url-status=live}}</ref>

Also in 1983, Lucas and [[Tomlinson Holman]] founded the audio company [[THX]].<ref name=Softpedia>Truta, Filip Truta (May 5, 2011). [http://news.softpedia.com/news/Apple-Hires-Sound-Systems-Inventor-Tomlinson-Holman-198553.shtml "Apple Hires Sound Systems Inventor Tomlinson Holman"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421180100/http://news.softpedia.com/news/Apple-Hires-Sound-Systems-Inventor-Tomlinson-Holman-198553.shtml |date=April 21, 2017 }}. [[Softpedia]].</ref> The company was formerly owned by Lucasfilm and contains equipment for stereo, digital, and theatrical sound for films, and music. [[Skywalker Sound]] and [[Industrial Light & Magic]], are the sound and visual effects subdivisions of Lucasfilm, while Lucasfilm Games, later renamed [[LucasArts]], produces products for the gaming industry.

===1993–2012: Return to directing, ''Star Wars'', and ''Indiana Jones''===
[[File:George Lucas Medal of Technology.jpg|thumb|left|Lucas receiving the [[National Medal of Technology and Innovation]] from President [[George W. Bush]], February 2006]]

Having lost much of his fortune in a divorce settlement in 1987, Lucas was hesitant on making additional ''Star Wars'' features.{{Sfn |Kaminski|2007|p=227|ref=kaminski}} However, [[prequel trilogy|the prequels]], which were still only a series of ideas partially pulled from his original drafts of "The Star Wars", continued to tantalize him with technical possibilities that would make it worthwhile to revisit his older material. When ''Star Wars'' became popular once again, in the wake of [[Dark Horse Comics|Dark Horse]]'s comic book line and [[Timothy Zahn]]'s [[Thrawn trilogy|trilogy of spin-off novels]], Lucas realized that there was still a large audience. His children were older, and with the explosion of [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] technology he began to consider directing once again.{{Sfn |Kaminski|2007|pp=294–95|ref=kaminski}}

By 1993, it was announced, in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' among other sources, that Lucas would be making the prequels. He began penning more to the story, indicating that the series would be a tragic one, examining Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side. Lucas also began to change the status of the prequels relative to the originals; at first, they were supposed to be a "filling-in" of history tangential to the originals, but now he saw that they could form the beginning of one long story that started with Anakin's childhood and ended with his death. This was the final step towards turning the film series into a "Saga".{{Sfn |Kaminski|2007|pp= 299–300|ref=kaminski}} In 1994, Lucas began work on the screenplay of the first prequel, tentatively titled ''Episode I: The Beginning''.

In 1997, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ''Star Wars'', Lucas restored the original trilogy and made numerous modifications using newly available digital technology to bring them closer to his original vision. The films were {{nowrap|re-released}} in theaters as the "Special Editions".<ref>{{Citation |title=George Lucas On the Special Editions of the Original STAR WARS Trilogy | date=November 18, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm1zaTUnoTE |language=en |access-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215182041/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm1zaTUnoTE |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Star Wars – The Magic and the Mystery – Hosted by Howie Long – Fox TV Special | date=January 18, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5nMJ5gsQg |language=en |access-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216070259/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5nMJ5gsQg |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brooks |first=Dan |title="All Films Are Personal": An Oral History of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-oral-history |access-date=December 19, 2022 |website=StarWars.com |language=en |archive-date=December 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216130908/https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace-oral-history |url-status=live }}</ref> The trilogy received further modifications and restorations for DVD releases in 2004, Blu-ray releases in 2011 and 4K releases released in 2019. Additionally, Lucas released a director's cut of ''THX 1138'' in 2004, with the film {{nowrap|re-cut}} and containing a number of CGI additions.

[[File:Oliver Mark - George Lucas, Berlin 2005.jpg|alt=George Lucas liegt auf einem Sofa in einem Hotelzimmer mit einem Kissen auf dem Schoß.|thumb|George Lucas, Berlin 2005 (Portrait by [[Oliver Mark]])]]

The first ''Star Wars'' prequel was finished and released in 1999 as ''[[Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'', which would be the first film Lucas had directed in over two decades. Following the release of the first prequel, Lucas announced that he would also be directing the next two, and began working on ''Episode II''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |magazine=Star Wars Insider |title=Star Wars Insider |issue=45 |page=19 }}</ref> The first draft of ''Episode II'' was completed just weeks before principal photography, and Lucas hired [[Jonathan Hales]], a writer from ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'', to polish it.{{Sfn |Kaminski|2007| p= 371|ref=kaminski}} It was completed and released in 2002 as ''[[Attack of the Clones]]''. The final prequel, ''[[Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]'', began production in 2002{{Sfn |Rinzler|2007|p = 36|ref=rinzler}} and was released in 2005. Numerous older fans and critics at the time considered the prequels more mixed compared to the original trilogy,<ref>{{cite news |title=Star Wars – Episode II: Attack Of The Clones |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020510/REVIEWS/205100305/1023 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=May 10, 2002 |access-date=December 30, 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504045357/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020510/REVIEWS/205100305/1023 |archive-date=May 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_i_the_phantom_menace/ |title=Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace |date=May 9, 1999 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-date=May 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515010020/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_i_the_phantom_menace/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_ii_attack_of_the_clones/ |title=Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones 3D |date=May 16, 2002 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-date=December 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218083931/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_wars_episode_ii_attack_of_the_clones |url-status=live }}</ref> though they were box office successes and popular with younger fans.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=starwars.htm |title=Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=June 21, 2012 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194200/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2742257153/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=starwars2.htm |title=Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=June 21, 2012 |archive-date=September 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902041356/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=starwars2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=starwars3.htm |title=Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=June 21, 2012 |archive-date=October 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013021507/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=starwars3.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 13, 2020 |title=Ewan McGregor shocked by Star Wars fans who prefer prequels to original trilogy |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/ewan-mcgregor-star-wars-prequels-obi-wan-series-disney-plus-b434088.html |access-date=December 20, 2022 |website=The Independent |language=en |archive-date=December 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220181241/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/ewan-mcgregor-star-wars-prequels-obi-wan-series-disney-plus-b434088.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2004, Lucas reflected that his transition from independent to corporate film-maker mirrored the story of ''Star Wars'' character [[Darth Vader]] in some ways, but concluded he was glad to be able to make his films the way he wanted to.<ref>''[[Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy]]'' (2004). DVD. [[20th Century Fox Television]]. Event occurs at 2:24:45.</ref>

[[File:George_Lucas_cropped_2009.jpg|thumb|Lucas at the 2009 Venice Film Festival]]

Lucas collaborated with [[Jeff Nathanson]] as a writer of the 2008 film ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'', directed by Steven Spielberg. Similar to the ''Star Wars'' prequels, the reception was mixed with fans and critics alike. From 2008 to 2014, Lucas also served as the creator and executive producer for a second ''Star Wars'' animated series on Cartoon Network, ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)|Star Wars: The Clone Wars]]'' which premiered with a [[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film)|feature film of the same name]] before airing its first episode. The supervising director for this animated series was [[Dave Filoni]], who was chosen by Lucas and closely collaborated with him on its development.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-wars/20967/dave-filoni-interview-star-wars-the-clone-wars |title=Dave Filoni interview: Star Wars: The Clone Wars |date=October 17, 2011 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194204/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/dave-filoni-interview-star-wars-the-clone-wars/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://sknr.net/2008/08/14/george-lucas-and-dave-filoni-talk-star-warsthe-clone-wars/ |title=George Lucas and Dave Filoni talk Star Wars:The Clone Wars |last=minshewnetworks |date=August 14, 2008 |access-date=January 23, 2017 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194206/http://sknr.net/2008/08/14/george-lucas-and-dave-filoni-talk-star-warsthe-clone-wars/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcNXPNXOv2A |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/hcNXPNXOv2A| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Dave Filoni Extended Interview – The Star Wars Show |last=Star Wars |date=August 12, 2016 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/new-lucasfilm-animation-projects/ |title=Dave Filoni Now Overseeing Creative Development of New Lucasfilm Animation Projects |date=September 26, 2016 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-date=September 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927123921/https://www.slashfilm.com/new-lucasfilm-animation-projects/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.monkeysfightingrobots.com/how-dave-filoni-redefined-star-wars/ |title=How Dave Filoni Redefined 'Star Wars' |date=December 11, 2015 |access-date=January 23, 2017 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194152/https://monkeysfightingrobots.co/how-dave-filoni-redefined-star-wars/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This series bridged the events between ''Attack of the Clones'' and ''Revenge of the Sith'', and featured the last ''Star Wars'' stories in which Lucas was involved in a major way.

In 2012, Lucas self-funded and served as executive producer for ''[[Red Tails]]'', a war film based on the exploits of the [[Tuskegee Airmen]] during [[World War II]]. He also took over directing of reshoots while director [[Anthony Hemingway]] worked on other projects.

===2012–present: Semi-retirement===
{{quote box|width=30%|quote=I'm moving away from the business ... From the company, from all this kind of stuff.|source=—George Lucas on his future career plans<ref name="NYT Lucas">{{cite news |first=Bryan |last=Curtis |title=George Lucas Is Ready to Roll the Credits |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 17, 2012 |access-date=January 17, 2012 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>}}

In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] films, and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features.<ref name="NYT Lucas" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/george-lucas-ready-focus-personal-movies/ |title=George Lucas Ready to Retire From Blockbuster Filmmaking |last=Fischer |first=Russ |publisher=[[/Film]] |date=January 17, 2012 |access-date=January 17, 2012 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301004157/https://www.slashfilm.com/george-lucas-ready-focus-personal-movies/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.movieline.com/2012/01/17/george-lucas-promises-retirement-from-blockbusters-not-counting-indiana-jones-5/ |title=George Lucas Promises Retirement (From Blockbusters ... Not Counting Indiana Jones 5) |last1=Yamato |first1=Jen |work=Movie Line |date=January 17, 2012 |access-date=January 17, 2012 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301021149/http://www.movieline.com/2012/01/17/george-lucas-promises-retirement-from-blockbusters-not-counting-indiana-jones-5/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2012, it was announced that producer [[Kathleen Kennedy (film producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]], a long-term collaborator with Steven Spielberg and a producer of the ''Indiana Jones'' films, had been appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd.<ref name=SWcom1Jun2012>[https://www.starwars.com/news/kathleen_kennedy_to_become_co-chair_of_lucasfilm-ltd.html "Kathleen Kennedy to become Co-Chair of Lucasfilm Ltd."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121029134458/http://starwars.com/news/kathleen_kennedy_to_become_co-chair_of_lucasfilm-ltd.html |date=October 29, 2012 }}, ''StarWars.com'', June 1, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.</ref><ref name=LATimes2Jun2012>Richard Verrier and Ben Fritz, [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-jun-02-la-fi-ct-lucas-kennedy-20120602-story.html "Kathleen Kennedy to helm Lucasfilm as George Lucas phases out"], ''Los Angeles Times'', June 2, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.</ref> It was reported that Kennedy would work alongside Lucas, who would remain chief executive and serve as co-chairman for at least one year, after which she would succeed him as the company's sole leader.<ref name=SWcom1Jun2012 /><ref name=LATimes2Jun2012 /> With the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney, Lucas is currently Disney's second-largest single shareholder, after the estate of [[Steve Jobs]].<ref name="WSJ Lucas">{{cite news |first=Joseph B. |last=White |title=The Mouse and the Wookie: Lucas Becomes a Big Disney Shareholder |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=October 31, 2012 |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2012/10/30/the-mouse-and-the-wookie-lucas-becomes-a-big-disney-shareholder/ |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194203/https://www.wsj.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lucas worked as a creative consultant on the [[Star Wars sequel trilogy|''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy]]'s first film, ''[[The Force Awakens]]''.<ref name=PM>{{cite web |work=[[PopMatters]] |author=Maçek III, J.C. |title=Can Star Wars Be Saved? |date=August 27, 2018 |url=https://www.popmatters.com/can-star-wars-be-saved-2598718617.html |access-date=August 27, 2018 |archive-date=August 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828104231/https://www.popmatters.com/can-star-wars-be-saved-2598718617.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Lucas's involvement included attending early story meetings; according to Lucas, "I mostly say, 'You can't do this. You can do that.' You know, 'The cars don't have wheels. They fly with antigravity.' There's a million little pieces ... I know all that stuff."<ref name=BloombergMar2013>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-07/how-disney-bought-lucasfilm-and-its-plans-for-star-wars |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308091739/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-07/how-disney-bought-lucasfilm-and-its-plans-for-star-wars |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 8, 2013 |title=How Disney Bought Lucasfilm—and Its Plans for 'Star Wars' |last=Leonard |first=Devin |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |date=March 7, 2013 |access-date=May 26, 2013}}</ref> Lucas's son Jett told ''The Guardian '' that his father was "very torn" about having sold the rights to the franchise, despite having hand-picked Abrams to direct, and that his father was "there to guide" but that "he wants to let it go and become its new generation."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/09/star-wars-george-lucas-jj-abrams |title=Star Wars sequels: George Lucas 'constantly talking' to JJ Abrams |author=Child, Ben |date=October 9, 2013 |access-date=January 23, 2015 |work=[[The Guardian]] |archive-date=October 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010083951/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/oct/09/star-wars-george-lucas-jj-abrams |url-status=live }}</ref> Among the materials turned over to the production team were story treatments Lucas developed when he considered creating Episodes ''VII''–''IX'' himself; in January 2015, Lucas stated that Disney had discarded his story ideas.<ref name="Collider">{{cite news |last=Chitwood |first=Adam |title=George Lucas Says His Treatments for the New STAR WARS Films Were Discarded |date=January 21, 2015 |url=https://collider.com/george-lucas-new-star-wars-movies-treatments/ |work=Collider |access-date=January 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127051200/http://collider.com/george-lucas-new-star-wars-movies-treatments/ |archive-date=January 27, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Lucas_treatment_unused">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-George-Lucas-Star-Wars-7-Ideas-Were-Used-By-Disney-69271.html |title=How George Lucas' Star Wars 7 Ideas Were Used By Disney |access-date=January 20, 2015 |publisher=Cinema Blend |year=2015 |author=Nick Romano |format=Written coverage /Video interview |archive-date=December 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211034620/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-George-Lucas-Star-Wars-7-Ideas-Were-Used-By-Disney-69271.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Secretary Kerry Chats With 2015 Kennedy Center Honors Recipient George Lucas (23244763499).jpg|thumb|left|Lucas with Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2015]]

''The Force Awakens'', directed by [[J. J. Abrams]], was released on December 18, 2015. Kathleen Kennedy produced the film and its sequels.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/george-lucas-creative-consultant-role-in-star-wars-2012-11 |work=Business Insider Australia |title=Here's What George Lucas' Role As Creative Consultant in the New Star Wars Films Mean |access-date=August 29, 2014 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194218/https://www.businessinsider.com.au/george-lucas-creative-consultant-role-in-star-wars-2012-11 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/a-new-star-wars-is-coming-in-2015-2012-10 |work=Business Insider Australia |title=A New Star Wars Is Coming |access-date=August 29, 2014 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194254/https://www.businessinsider.com.au/a-new-star-wars-is-coming-in-2015-2012-10 |url-status=live }}</ref> The new sequel trilogy was jointly produced by Lucasfilm and [[the Walt Disney Company]], which had acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.<ref name="British Broadcasting Corporation">{{cite news |title=Disney buys Star Wars maker Lucasfilm from George Lucas |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20146942 |work=BBC News Website |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=October 31, 2012 |access-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194241/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-20146942 |url-status=live }}</ref> During an interview with talk show host and journalist [[Charlie Rose]] that aired on December 24, 2015, Lucas likened his decision to sell Lucasfilm to Disney to a divorce and outlined the creative differences between him and the producers of ''The Force Awakens''. Lucas went on to say that he needed to support the company and its employees who were going to suffer financially.<ref>{{Citation |title=George Lucas Calls Disney "White Slavers" in Charlie Rose interview | date=January 2, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWtbJxzGpQ |language=en |access-date=October 27, 2022 |archive-date=October 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027235404/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWtbJxzGpQ |url-status=live }}</ref> Lucas described the previous six ''Star Wars'' films as his "children" and defended his vision for them, while criticizing ''The Force Awakens'' for having a "retro feel", saying: "I worked very hard to make them completely different, with different planets, with different spaceships – you know, to make it new." Lucas also drew some criticism and subsequently apologized for his remark likening Disney to "white slavers".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Child |first1=Ben |title=Attack of the moans: George Lucas hits out at 'retro' Star Wars: The Force Awakens |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/31/george-lucas-attacks-retro-star-wars-the-force-awakens |access-date=April 18, 2016 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 31, 2015 |archive-date=October 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001032034/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/31/george-lucas-attacks-retro-star-wars-the-force-awakens |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Peterson |first1=Jeff |title=George Lucas elaborates on his reaction to 'The Force Awakens' |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865645039/George-Lucas-elaborates-on-his-reaction-to-The-Force-Awakens.html |access-date=April 18, 2016 |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |date=January 7, 2016 |archive-date=April 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414125407/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865645039/George-Lucas-elaborates-on-his-reaction-to-The-Force-Awakens.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2015, Lucas wrote the CGI film ''[[Strange Magic (film)|Strange Magic]]'', his first musical. The film was produced at [[Skywalker Ranch]]. [[Gary Rydstrom]] directed the movie.<ref name="Heat Vision">{{cite web |url=http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/01/george-lucas-cgi-musical-kevin-munroe.html |title=George Lucas producing a CGI musical! Featuring ... fairies? |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=January 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130213432/http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/01/george-lucas-cgi-musical-kevin-munroe.html |archive-date=January 30, 2010}}</ref> At the same time the sequel trilogy was announced, a [[Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny|fifth installment]] of the ''Indiana Jones'' series also entered pre-development phase with [[Harrison Ford]] and Steven Spielberg set to return. Lucas originally did not specify whether the selling of Lucasfilm would affect his involvement with the film. In October 2016, Lucas announced his decision to not be involved in the story of the film but was nevertheless credited as an executive producer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2016/10/24/george-lucas-is-no-longer-involved-in-indiana-jones-5/ |title=George Lucas Is No Longer Involved In 'Indiana Jones 5' |first=Dani Di |last=Placido |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194242/https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2016/10/24/george-lucas-is-no-longer-involved-in-indiana-jones-5/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/indiana-jones-5-george-lucas-david-koepp/ |title=Exclusive: George Lucas Not Involved in 'Indiana Jones 5' Story; Writer David Koepp Talks 'Crystal Skull' |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |date=October 24, 2016 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194243/https://collider.com/indiana-jones-5-george-lucas-david-koepp/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, ''[[Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]]'', the first film of a ''Star Wars'' anthology series was released. It told the story of the rebels who stole the plans for the [[Death Star]] featured in the original ''Star Wars'' film, and it was reported that Lucas liked it more than ''The Force Awakens''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/george-lucas-likes-rogue-one-more-than-force-awakens-a-1789694908 |title=George Lucas Likes Rogue One More Than Force Awakens, and Other Fun Facts We Learned This Weekend |first=Cheryl |last=Eddy |date=December 5, 2016 |access-date=January 18, 2017 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162409/https://io9.gizmodo.com/george-lucas-likes-rogue-one-more-than-force-awakens-a-1789694908 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Last Jedi]]'', the second film in the sequel trilogy, was released in 2017; Lucas described the film as "beautifully made".<ref>{{cite web |last=Parker |first=Ryan |title=George Lucas Thinks 'The Last Jedi' Was "Beautifully Made" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-george-lucas-thinks-last-jedi-was-beautifully-made-1067092 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=April 25, 2019 |date=December 12, 2017 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162249/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-george-lucas-thinks-last-jedi-was-beautifully-made-1067092 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lucas has had cursory involvement with ''[[Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'' (2018),<ref>{{cite web |last=McCreesh |first=Louise |date=February 13, 2018 |title=George Lucas was already developing a Han Solo movie before Disney bought Lucasfilm |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a849876/george-lucas-solo-a-star-wars-story-han-solo-movie-disney-lucasfilm/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016234917/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a849876/george-lucas-solo-a-star-wars-story-han-solo-movie-disney-lucasfilm/ |archive-date=16 October 2020 |access-date=March 14, 2018 |work=[[Digital Spy]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/02/09/ron-howard-solo-a-star-wars-story/ |title=Ron Howard: A Star Wars Story—Why the Oscar-winner joined Solo in its time of upheaval |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=February 9, 2018 |access-date=February 22, 2018 |archive-date=April 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414012221/https://ew.com/movies/2018/02/09/ron-howard-solo-a-star-wars-story/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the ''Star Wars'' streaming series ''[[The Mandalorian]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last=Chitwood |first=Adam |title='The Mandalorian' Actor Giancarlo Esposito Describes the New Technology Used on the 'Star Wars' Show |url=https://collider.com/the-mandalorian-filming-details-giancarlo-esposito/ |website=Collider |access-date=April 22, 2019 |date=April 18, 2019 |archive-date=April 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422214859/http://collider.com/the-mandalorian-filming-details-giancarlo-esposito/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the premiere of the [[Game of Thrones season 8|eighth season]] of ''[[Game of Thrones]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=George Lucas helped direct Game of Thrones' season 8 premiere |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18412156/george-lucas-game-of-thrones-got-season-8-hbo-final-behind-the-scenes-jon-snow-daenerys-targeryen |website=The Verge |access-date=April 25, 2019 |date=April 17, 2019 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194247/https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18412156/george-lucas-game-of-thrones-got-season-8-hbo-final-behind-the-scenes-jon-snow-daenerys-targeryen |url-status=live }}</ref> Lucas met with J. J. Abrams before the latter began writing the script to the sequel trilogy's final film, ''[[The Rise of Skywalker]]'', which was released in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/george-lucas-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-jj-abrams-1202058551/ |title=How George Lucas Helped J.J. Abrams With the Script for 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' |website=[[IndieWire]] |date=April 13, 2019 |access-date=May 15, 2020 |first=Michael |last=Nordine |archive-date=August 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818035047/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/george-lucas-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-jj-abrams-1202058551/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Other ventures==
{{Main|Lucasfilm|Industrial Light & Magic|Skywalker Sound|THX|Lucas Museum of Narrative Art}}

===Lucasfilm===
[[File:Lucasfilm logo.svg|220x124px|thumb|right|Lucasfilm Ltd. logo]]

Lucas founded a film production company [[Lucasfilm]] in 1971,<ref>{{cite book| first=Stuart |last=Moss |title=The Entertainment Industry |location=Wallingford, UK |publisher=cab international|year=2009 |page=89|isbn=9781845935511}}</ref> and incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd. on September 12, 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?SearchType=CORP&SearchCriteria=lucasfilm&SearchSubType=Keyword|title=Business Search - Business Entities – Business Programs – California Secretary of State|website=businesssearch.sos.ca.gov|access-date=December 13, 2017|archive-date=June 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613210649/https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?SearchType=CORP&SearchCriteria=lucasfilm&SearchSubType=Keyword|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the mid-1970s, the company's offices were located on the [[Universal Studios Lot]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Roy |title=Star Wars: The Original Marvel Years – Volume 1 |year=2015 |isbn=9780785191063 |page=4|publisher=Marvel }}</ref> Lucas founded the '''Star Wars Corporation, Inc.''' as a subsidiary to control various legal and financial aspects of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977),<ref>{{Cite video|title=[[Empire of Dreams|Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy]]|medium=Documentary film|date=2004|publisher=Prometheus Entertainment/[[Fox 21 Television Studios|Fox Television Studios]]/Lucasfilm|minutes=17:30}}</ref> including copyright, and sequel and merchandising rights. It also produced the 1978 ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special]]'' for [[20th Century Fox Television]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Digiacomo|first1=Frank|title=The Han Solo Comedy Hour!|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2008/12/star_wars_special200812|date=December 2008|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=October 2, 2018|archive-date=December 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230230058/http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2008/12/star_wars_special200812|url-status=live}}</ref> That year, Lucas hired Los Angeles-based real-estate specialist Charles Weber to manage the company, telling him that he could keep the job as long as he made money.<ref name=Life/> Lucas wanted the focus of the company to be making independent films, but the company gradually became enlarged from five employees to almost 100, increasing in middle management and running up costs. In 1980, after Weber asked Lucas for fifty million dollars to invest in other companies and suggested that they sell [[Skywalker Ranch]] to do so, Lucas fired Weber and had to let half of the Los Angeles staff go.<ref name=Life>{{cite magazine |last=Pollock |first=Dale |title=A Man and His Empire: The Private Life of 'Star Wars' Creator George Lucas |magazine=Life |date=June 1983 |pages=94, 96}}</ref> By the same year, the corporate subsidiary had been discontinued and its business was absorbed into the various divisions of Lucasfilm.

===ILM===

Lucas founded [[Industrial Light & Magic]] in 1975, he wanted his 1977 film ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' to include visual effects that had never been seen on film before.<ref name=SW>{{cite web|url=https://www.starwars.com/themovies/saga/19990715news.html|title=Industrial Light & Magic: History|work=StarWars.com|publisher=Lucasfilm|date=July 15, 1999|access-date=February 1, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216050728/http://www.starwars.com/themovies/saga/19990715news.html|archive-date=February 16, 2011}}</ref> After discovering that the in-house effects department at [[20th Century Fox]] was no longer operational, Lucas approached [[Douglas Trumbull]], best known for the effects on ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968) and ''[[Silent Running]]'' (1972). Trumbull declined as he was already committed to working on [[Steven Spielberg]]'s film ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'' (1977), but suggested his assistant [[John Dykstra]] to Lucas. Dykstra brought together a small team of college students, artists, and engineers and set them up in a warehouse in [[Van Nuys, California]]. After seeing the map for the location was zoned as [[Light industry|light industrial]], Lucas named the group Industrial Light and Magic,<ref>{{Citation|title=Interviewing Return of the Jedi Lucasfilm VFX Editor Bill Kimberlin – Rule of Two| date=April 7, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeIXcIwJ-Zo| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211109/aeIXcIwJ-Zo| archive-date=November 9, 2021 | url-status=live|access-date=April 8, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> which became the Special Visual Effects department on ''Star Wars''. Alongside Dykstra, other leading members of the original ILM team were [[Ken Ralston]], [[Richard Edlund]], [[Dennis Muren]], [[Robert Blalack]], [[Joe Johnston]], [[Phil Tippett]], [[Steve Gawley]], [[Lorne Peterson]] and Paul Huston.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/ilm-reunion-40-years-of-star-wars |title=We Meet Again At Last: ILM Veterans Reunite To Celebrate 40 Years Of Star Wars |website=starwars.com |access-date=April 8, 2023 |archive-date=September 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921103142/https://www.starwars.com/news/ilm-reunion-40-years-of-star-wars |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Lucas Museum of Narrative Art===
By June 2013, Lucas was considering establishing a museum, the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum, to be built on [[Crissy Field]] near the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] in San Francisco, which would display his collection of illustrations and pop art, with an estimated value of more than $1&nbsp;billion. Lucas offered to pay the estimated $300&nbsp;million cost of constructing the museum, and would endow it with $400&nbsp;million when it opened, eventually adding an additional $400&nbsp;million to its endowment.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/filmmaker-curator-george-lucas-pitches-san-francisco-art-145650551.html/ |title=George Lucas pitches a San Francisco art museum |first=Holly |last=Bailey |work=Yahoo! News |date=June 14, 2013 |access-date=January 14, 2017 |archive-date=December 30, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230085039/http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/filmmaker-curator-george-lucas-pitches-san-francisco-art-145650551.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After being unable to reach an agreement with [[The Presidio Trust]], Lucas turned to Chicago.<ref name="chicagotribune.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-george-lucas-museum-confidential-harris-0410-bi-20140410,0,4366334.column |title=Chicago to vie for George Lucas' museum |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=April 10, 2014 |access-date=May 20, 2014 |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413130728/http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-george-lucas-museum-confidential-harris-0410-bi-20140410,0,4366334.column |url-status=live }}</ref> A potential lakefront site on [[Museum Campus]] in Chicago was proposed in May 2014.<ref>{{cite news |first=Fran |last=Spielman |url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/?p=165808&r=2994A0367478F0L |title=Lakefront campus recommended for George Lucas interactive museum |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=May 20, 2014 |access-date=May 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123135600/http://chicago.suntimes.com/?p=165808&r=2994A0367478F0L |archive-date=November 23, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> By June 2014, Chicago had been selected, pending approval of the [[Chicago Plan Commission]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Sneed |first=Michael |title=Sneed Exclusive: Chicago to Get George Lucas Museum |url=http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/sneed-exclusive-chicago-get-george-lucas-museum/tue-06242014-346pm-1 |date=June 24, 2014 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=June 24, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107035736/http://politics.suntimes.com/article/chicago/sneed-exclusive-chicago-get-george-lucas-museum/tue-06242014-346pm-1 |archive-date=November 7, 2014}}</ref> which was granted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lucasmuseum.org/museum.html |title=A New Museum for Chicago |publisher=Lucas Museum.org |access-date=November 6, 2014 |archive-date=November 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107102007/http://www.lucasmuseum.org/museum.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The museum project was renamed the [[Lucas Museum of Narrative Art]]. On June 24, 2016, Lucas announced that he was abandoning his plans to locate the museum in Chicago, due to a lawsuit by a local preservation group, Friends of the Parks, and would instead build the museum in California.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/us/george-lucas-abandons-plan-to-build-art-museum-in-chicago.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/us/george-lucas-abandons-plan-to-build-art-museum-in-chicago.html |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=George Lucas Abandons Plan to Build Art Museum in Chicago |date=June 24, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=June 26, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On January 17, 2017, Lucas announced that an eleven-acre campus with green space and the museum's five-story 300,000 square foot building will be constructed over what was a parking lot in [[Exposition Park (Los Angeles)|Exposition Park]], Los Angeles, California.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-la-wins-lucas-museum-20170110-htmlstory.html |title=Los Angeles will be home to George Lucas' $1-billion museum |date=January 10, 2017 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 18, 2017 |archive-date=January 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170117180121/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-la-wins-lucas-museum-20170110-htmlstory.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It is due to be completed in 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-27 |title=À Los Angeles, le spectaculaire musée de George Lucas n'ouvrira finalement qu'en 2026 |url=https://www.beauxarts.com/grand-format/a-los-angeles-le-spectaculaire-musee-de-george-lucas-nouvrira-finalement-quen-2026/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Beaux Arts |language=fr-FR}}</ref> 

In July 2025, Lucas made his first ever appearance at [[San Diego Comic-Con]], where he previewed the museum. At a panel, he showcased multiple pieces, including drawings from the original [[Iron Man]] comic, Indiana Jones concept art, [[Frida Kahlo]] paintings, and ''[[Peanuts]]'' sketches, that will be part of the museum's opening exhibits.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/george-lucas-first-comic-con-appearance-1235141385/|title=George Lucas Makes His First Ever Comic-Con Appearance|website=[[IndieWire]]|date=July 27, 2025|access-date=July 27, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250727222158/https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/george-lucas-first-comic-con-appearance-1235141385/|archive-date=July 27, 2025}}</ref>

== Collaboration ==

Lucas was also heavily involved and invested in the scoring process for the [[Star Wars (soundtrack)|original ''Star Wars'' soundtrack]], which was composed by [[John Williams]], on the recommendation of his friend and colleague Steven Spielberg. Whilst initially wanting to use tracks and film music in a similar manner to ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', which served as the inspiration for the film, Williams advised against this and instead proposed a system of recurring themes (or [[leitmotif]]s) to enhance the story in the style of classical composers [[Gustav Holst]], [[William Walton]], and [[Igor Stravinsky]]; works that Lucas had used as "[[temp track]]s" for Williams to gain inspiration from.<ref>{{Cite web|last=July 2020|first=Bradley Russell 22|title=George Lucas' original plans for the Star Wars soundtrack involved classical music, not John Williams|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/star-wars-soundtrack-john-williams-george-lucas-classical-music/|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=Total Film|date=July 22, 2020|language=en|archive-date=December 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194250/https://www.gamesradar.com/star-wars-soundtrack-john-williams-george-lucas-classical-music/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zumwalt|first=Jason|date=May 4, 2020|title=Star Wars: How John Williams Helped Created An Epic {{!}} uDiscover|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/john-williams-and-star-wars/|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=uDiscover Music|language=en-US|archive-date=December 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194249/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/john-williams-and-star-wars/|url-status=live}}</ref> The film, and subsequent sequels and prequels, make use of the Main Title Theme, the Force Theme (less commonly referred to as Obi Wan Kenobi's Theme), the Rebel Alliance Theme and Princess Leia's Theme (all introduced in this film) repeatedly. Subsequent films also added to the catalog of themes for different characters, factions, and locations.

The score was released to critical acclaim and won Williams his third [[Academy Award for Best Original Score]]. The score was listed by the [[American Film Institute]] in 2005 as the [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores|greatest film score of all time]]. The professional relationship formed by Lucas and Williams extended through to Williams working on all of Lucas's blockbuster franchise movies: the remaining two films of the [[Original Trilogy|Star Wars original trilogy]]; all three films of [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|prequel trilogy]] developed over fifteen years later; and the five films of the Indiana Jones franchise, in which Williams reunited with his long-time collaborator Spielberg. In his collaborations with Lucas, Williams received six of his fifty-two Academy Award nominations (''Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, [[Raiders of the Lost Ark]], [[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]],'' and ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]''). After Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, Williams stayed on board with the franchise, and continued to score the remaining three films of the "[[Skywalker Saga]]" (''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens|The Force Awakens]], [[Star Wars: The Last Jedi|The Last Jedi]]'', and ''[[Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker|The Rise of Skywalker]],'' for which he received a further three Oscar nominations), after which he announced his "retirement" from the series.<ref>{{Cite web|title=John Williams is retiring from Star Wars|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/scifi/2018-03-08/john-williams-is-retiring-from-star-wars/|access-date=December 19, 2020|website=Radio Times|language=en|archive-date=December 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194338/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/scifi/2018-03-08/john-williams-is-retiring-from-star-wars/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lucas was in attendance for a ceremony honoring Williams as the 44th recipient of the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]], the first composer to receive the honor, and gave a speech in praise of their relationship and his work.<ref>{{Cite web|title=George Lucas toasts John Williams|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMWzkYgfiUA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/wMWzkYgfiUA|archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=December 19, 2020|website=YouTube| date=August 5, 2016 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> In interviews, and most famously at the [[Star Wars Celebration|40th Anniversary Star Wars Celebration]] convention, Lucas has repeatedly reaffirmed the importance of Williams to the Star Wars saga, affectionately referring to him as the "secret sauce" of his movies.<ref>{{Citation|title=John Williams conducts surprise concert at Star Wars Celebration 2017| date=April 13, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntRYS1OJj1Y|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ntRYS1OJj1Y|archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=May 15, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Philanthropy==
Lucas is the wealthiest film celebrity in the world. His personal net worth is estimated to be between $7.5–9.4&nbsp;billion,<ref>{{cite web|date=December 20, 2019|title=George Lucas is one of America's wealthiest celebrities|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/star-wars-george-lucas-net-worth-movies-house-spending-2019-7|website=businessinsider.com|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=December 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194258/https://www.businessinsider.com/star-wars-george-lucas-net-worth-movies-house-spending-2019-7|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=George Lucas|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/george-lucas/#1630c2e6e637|website=forbes|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924160039/http://www.forbes.com/profile/george-lucas/#1630c2e6e637|url-status=live}}</ref> making him one of the [[List of celebrities by net worth|richest people in the entertainment industry]]. Lucas has pledged to give half of his fortune to charity as part of an effort called [[The Giving Pledge]] led by [[Bill Gates]] and [[Warren Buffett]] to persuade America's richest individuals to donate their financial wealth to charities.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/05/gates_buffett_get_40_pledges/ |title=Gates, Buffett get 40 pledges |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |agency=AP |date=August 5, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194340/http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/05/gates_buffett_get_40_pledges/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Lucas |first1=George |title=George Lucas & Mellody Hobson |url=http://cms.givingpledge.org/pdf/letters/Lucas_Letter.pdf |website=The Giving Pledge |access-date=January 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131161307/http://cms.givingpledge.org/pdf/letters/Lucas_Letter.pdf |archive-date=January 31, 2015 |date=August 11, 2014 |quote=My pledge is to the process; as long as I have the resources at my disposal, I will seek to raise the bar for future generations of students of all ages. I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education.|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===George Lucas Educational Foundation===
In 1991, The George Lucas Educational Foundation was founded as a nonprofit operating foundation to celebrate and encourage innovation in schools. The foundation's content is available under the brand [[Edutopia]], in an award-winning web site, social media and via documentary films. Lucas, through his foundation, was one of the leading proponents of the [[E-Rate]] program in the [[Universal Service Fund|universal service fund]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3399&Itemid=125 |title=2008 Rep. Ed Markey's opening statement on universal service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625213543/http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3399&Itemid=125 |archive-date=June 25, 2008}}</ref> which was enacted as part of the [[Telecommunications Act of 1996]]. On June 24, 2008, Lucas testified before the [[United States House of Representatives]] subcommittee on [[United States House Energy Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet|Telecommunications and the Internet]] as the head of his Foundation to advocate for a free wireless broadband educational network.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080624-universal-service-fund-should-be-blown-up-like-death-star.html |title=Universal Service Fund should be "blown up" like Death Star |author=Nate Anderson |website=Ars Technica |date=June 24, 2008 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194303/https://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2008/06/universal-service-fund-should-be-blown-up-like-death-star/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Proceeds from the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney===
In 2012, Lucas sold Lucasfilm to the Walt Disney Company for a reported sum of $4.05&nbsp;billion.<ref name="British Broadcasting Corporation"/> It was widely reported at the time that Lucas intended to give the majority of the proceeds from the sale to charity.<ref>{{cite news |last=Solomon |first=Brian |title=Donating Star Wars Billions Will Make George Lucas One Of The Biggest Givers Ever |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2012/11/04/donating-star-wars-billions-will-make-george-lucas-one-of-the-biggest-givers-ever/ |work=Forbes |access-date=May 25, 2014 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194304/https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2012/11/04/donating-star-wars-billions-will-make-george-lucas-one-of-the-biggest-givers-ever/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="hollywood-reporter-disney-proceeds-to-charity">{{cite news |last=Ben Block |first=Alex |title=George Lucas Will Use Disney $4 Billion to Fund Education |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-deal-george-lucas-will-384947 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=May 25, 2014 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421005652/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-deal-george-lucas-will-384947 |url-status=live }}</ref> A spokesperson for Lucasfilm said: "George Lucas has expressed his intention, in the event the deal closes, to donate the majority of the proceeds to his philanthropic endeavors."<ref name="hollywood-reporter-disney-proceeds-to-charity" /> Lucas also spoke on the matter: "For 41 years, the majority of my time and money has been put into the company. As I start a new chapter in my life, it is gratifying that I have the opportunity to devote more time and resources to philanthropy."<ref name="hollywood-reporter-disney-proceeds-to-charity" />

===Other initiatives===
In 2005, Lucas gave $1 million to help build the [[Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial]] on the [[National Mall]] in Washington, D.C., to commemorate American civil rights leader [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]<ref>[http://www.mlkmemorial.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hkIUL9MVJxE&b=1601407&ct=2331431 "Star Wars creator George Lucas donates $1 Million for Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Project"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194307/https://1map.com/mlkmemorialorg |date=December 27, 2020 }}, ''Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial'', October 20, 2005. Retrieved September 27, 2012.</ref>

On September 19, 2006, the University of Southern California announced that Lucas had donated $175–180&nbsp;million to his alma mater to expand the film school. It is the largest single donation to U.S.C. and the largest gift to a film school anywhere.<ref>Stuart Silverstein, [https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-091906usc-lucas,0,5365847.story?coll=la-home-headlines George Lucas Donates USC's Largest Single Gift]{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''Los Angeles Times'', September 19, 2006.</ref> Previous donations led to the already-existing George Lucas Instructional Building and Marcia Lucas Post-Production building.<ref name=USCLUC>[http://cinema.usc.edu/about/facilities/george-lucas-instructional-building.htm George Lucas Instructional Building] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130183844/http://cinema.usc.edu/about/facilities/george-lucas-instructional-building.htm |date=November 30, 2009 }}, USC School of Cinematic Arts.</ref><ref name=USCLPB>[http://cinema.usc.edu/about/facilities/post-production.htm Marcia Lucas Post-Production] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711233127/https://cinema.usc.edu/about/facilities/post-production.htm |date=July 11, 2010 }}, USC School of Cinematic Arts.</ref>

In 2013, Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson donated $25&nbsp;million to the Chicago-based [[not-for-profit]] After School Matters, of which Hobson is the chair.<ref name="chicagotribune.com"/>

On April 15, 2016, it was reported that Lucas had donated between $501,000 and $1&nbsp;million through the Lucas Family Foundation (now the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation) to the [[Obama Foundation]], which is charged with overseeing the construction of the [[Barack Obama Presidential Center]] on Chicago's [[South Side, Chicago|South Side]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sweet |first1=Lynn |title=George Lucas new major donor to Obama presidential library |url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/george-lucas-foundation-donates-to-obama-foundation/ |access-date=April 18, 2016 |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=April 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420161204/http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/george-lucas-foundation-donates-to-obama-foundation/|archive-date=April 20, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2021, Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson made a donation to NYU through the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation to establish the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Communications |first=NYU Web |title=NYU Tisch School of the Arts Receives Major Gift to Establish the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts |url=http://www.nyu.edu/content/nyu/en/about/news-publications/news/2021/december/nyu-tisch-school-of-the-arts-receives-major-gift-to-establish-th |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=www.nyu.edu |language=en |archive-date=May 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510123509/https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2021/december/nyu-tisch-school-of-the-arts-receives-major-gift-to-establish-th.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Time 100 George Lucas.jpg|thumb|right|Lucas at the ''Time'' 100 2006 gala]]
In 1969, Lucas married film editor [[Marcia Lucas|Marcia Lou Griffin]],<ref name="marriage1">{{cite web |url=https://people.com/celebrity/george-lucas-weds-mellody-hobson/ |title=George Lucas Marries Mellody Hobson |access-date=October 22, 2019 |date=June 24, 2013 |first=Andrea |last=Billups |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216031540/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20711631%2C00.html |archive-date=December 16, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> who went on to win an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for her editing work on the original ''Star Wars'' film. They adopted a daughter, [[Amanda Lucas (fighter)|Amanda Lucas]], in 1981,<ref name="children1">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-george-lucas-baby-girl-mellody-hobson-20130812,0,807729.story |title=Newlyweds George Lucas and Mellody Hobson welcome a baby girl |access-date=August 15, 2013 |date=August 12, 2013 |first=Christie |last=D'Zurilla |work=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194332/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-george-lucas-baby-girl-mellody-hobson-20130812-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and divorced in 1983.<ref name="marriage1"/> Lucas subsequently adopted two more children as a single parent: daughter [[Katie Lucas]], born in 1988, and son Jett Lucas, born in 1993.<ref name="children1"/> His three eldest children all appeared in the three ''[[Star Wars]]'' prequels, as did Lucas himself. Following his divorce, Lucas was in a relationship with singer [[Linda Ronstadt]] in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://people.com/archive/whats-new-with-linda-ronstadt-shes-singing-her-love-songs-to-star-wars-czar-george-lucas-vol-21-no-12/ |title=What's New with Linda Ronstadt? She's Singing Her Love Songs to Star Wars Czar George Lucas |access-date=October 22, 2019 |date=March 26, 1984 |work=People |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194313/https://people.com/archive/whats-new-with-linda-ronstadt-shes-singing-her-love-songs-to-star-wars-czar-george-lucas-vol-21-no-12/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/19/garden/at-lunch-with-linda-ronstadt-and-this-is-what-48-looks-like.html |title=AT LUNCH WITH: Linda Ronstadt; And This Is What 48 Looks Like |access-date=August 15, 2013 |date=April 19, 1995 |first=Stephen |last=Holden |work=The New York Times |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194311/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/19/garden/at-lunch-with-linda-ronstadt-and-this-is-what-48-looks-like.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lucas began dating [[Mellody Hobson]], president of [[Ariel Investments]] and chairwoman of [[Starbucks]], in 2006, after meeting in 2005 at a business conference. She formerly served as chairwoman at [[DreamWorks Animation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Art |first=The Lucas Museum of Narrative |date=2023-07-04 |title=George Lucas |url=https://lucasmuseum.org/george-lucas |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art |language=en |archive-date=February 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216193627/https://lucasmuseum.org/george-lucas/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_9303267 |title="Indy" survives Cannes critics |access-date=September 26, 2010 |date=May 18, 2008 |author=Germain, David |work=The Denver Post via AP |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194311/https://www.denverpost.com/2008/05/18/indy-survives-cannes-critics/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/01/18/movies/awardsseason/0118-REDCARPET_14.html |work=The New York Times |title=Red Carpet at the Golden Globes |date=January 18, 2010 |access-date=May 3, 2010 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194335/http://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/01/18/movies/awardsseason/0118-REDCARPET_14.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://investor.starbucks.com/corporate-governance/board-of-directors/default.aspx |title=Board of Directors |publisher=Starbucks |access-date=June 3, 2024}}</ref> Lucas and Hobson announced their engagement in January 2013,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/george-lucas-mellody-hobson-engaged-408012 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |title=George Lucas Engaged to DreamWorks Animation Chairman Mellody Hobson |date=January 3, 2013 |access-date=January 3, 2013 |archive-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430221020/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/george-lucas-mellody-hobson-engaged-408012 |url-status=live }}</ref> and married on June 22, 2013, at Lucas's Skywalker Ranch in [[Marin County, California]].<ref name="marriage1"/> They have one daughter together, born via [[Surrogacy|surrogate]] in August 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/12/everest-hobson-lucas_n_3742950.html |work=Huffington Post |title=Everest Hobson Lucas Born To George Lucas And Mellody Hobson |date=August 12, 2013 |access-date=August 12, 2013 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194306/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/everest-hobson-lucas_n_3742950 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lucas was born and raised in a [[Methodism|Methodist]] family.<ref name=pollockskywalking /> The religious and mythical themes in ''Star Wars'' were inspired by Lucas's interest in the writings of mythologist [[Joseph Campbell]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/george-lucas-about-george-lucas/649/ |title=George Lucas – About George Lucas – American Masters |work=PBS |date=January 13, 2004 |access-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194307/https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/george-lucas-about-george-lucas/649/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and he would eventually come to identify strongly with the [[Eastern philosophies|Eastern religious philosophies]] he studied and incorporated into his films, which were a major inspiration for "[[the Force]]". Lucas has come to state that his religion is "[[Buddhism|Buddhist]] Methodist". He resides in [[Marin County]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Director: So, What's the Deal with Leia's Hair? |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002327,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327050706/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002327,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 27, 2009 |magazine=Time |date=April 29, 2002 |access-date=September 2, 2011 |first=Jess |last=Cagle}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adherents.com/people/pl/George_Lucas.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050612235541/http://www.adherents.com/people/pl/George_Lucas.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=June 12, 2005 |title=The Religious Affiliation of Director George Lucas |publisher=Adherents.com |date=n.d.}}</ref>

Lucas is a major collector of the American illustrator and painter [[Norman Rockwell]]. A collection of 57 Rockwell paintings and drawings owned by Lucas and fellow Rockwell collector and film director Steven Spielberg were displayed at the [[Smithsonian American Art Museum]] from July 2, 2010, to January 2, 2011, in an exhibition titled ''Telling Stories''.<ref name=Rockwell>{{cite news |url=http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2010/rockwell/ |title=Exhibitions: Telling Stories |publisher=Smithsonian American Art Museum |location=Washington, D.C.|url-status=dead |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20130411052418/http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2010/rockwell/ |archive-date=April 11, 2013}}</ref>

Lucas has said that he is a fan of [[Seth MacFarlane]]'s hit TV show ''[[Family Guy]]''. MacFarlane has said that Lucasfilm was extremely helpful when the ''Family Guy'' crew wanted to [[Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy|parody their works]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Bonnie |last=Burton |title="Family Guy" Creator Reveals Star Wars Cred |url=https://www.starwars.com/community/news/rocks/f20070921/index.html |publisher=Starwars.com |date=September 21, 2007 |access-date=September 21, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905151825/http://www.starwars.com/community/news/rocks/f20070921/index.html |archive-date=September 5, 2011}}</ref>

Lucas supported Democratic candidate [[Hillary Clinton]] in the run-up for the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 U.S. presidential election]].<ref>Johnson, T., [https://variety.com/2016/biz/news/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-hollywood-1201878938/ Clinton vs. Trump in Hollywood: Who's Giving] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007220339/http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-hollywood-1201878938/ |date=October 7, 2016 }}, ''Variety'', October 7, 2016.</ref>

==Filmography==
{{Main|George Lucas filmography}}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Directed features
! Year
! Title
! Distributor
|-
| 1971
| ''[[THX 1138]]''
| [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
|-
| 1973
| ''[[American Graffiti]]''
| [[Universal Pictures]]
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''
|rowspan="4" | [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]''
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]''
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]''
|}

==Awards and honors==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by George Lucas}}

In 1977, Lucas was awarded the [[Inkpot Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot |title=Inkpot Award |access-date=September 12, 2020 |archive-date=January 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129155249/http://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot |url-status=live }}</ref>

The American Film Institute awarded Lucas its Life Achievement Award on June 9, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/tvevents/laa/laa05.aspx |title=AFI.com Error |work=afi.com |access-date=May 10, 2005 |archive-date=May 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518171558/http://www.afi.com/tvevents/laa/laa05.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> This was shortly after the release of ''Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'', about which he joked stating that, since he views the entire ''Star Wars'' series as one film, he could actually receive the award now that he had finally "gone back and finished the movie".

Lucas was nominated for four Academy Awards: [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Directing]] and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Writing]] for ''American Graffiti'' and ''Star Wars''. He received the academy's [[Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award|Irving G. Thalberg Award]] in 1991. He appeared at the 79th Academy Awards ceremony in 2007 with Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola to present the Best Director award to their friend [[Martin Scorsese]]. During the speech, Spielberg and Coppola talked about the joy of winning an Oscar, making fun of Lucas, who has not won a competitive Oscar.

The [[EMP Museum#Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame|Science Fiction Hall of Fame]] inducted Lucas in 2006, its second "Film, Television, and Media" contributor, after Spielberg.<ref name=sfhof2006/><ref name="sfhof2006-b"/>{{efn|name=sfhof}} The [[Discovery Channel]] named him one of the 100 "[[The Greatest American|Greatest Americans]]" in September 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/top100/top100.html |title=Discovery Channel :: Greatest American: Top 100 |publisher=Dsc.discovery.com |date=September 10, 2008 |access-date=December 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218191443/http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/top100/top100.html |archive-date=December 18, 2010}}</ref> Lucas served as [[Grand Marshal]] for the [[Tournament of Roses Parade]] and made the ceremonial coin toss at the [[2007 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl, New Year's Day 2007]]. In 2009, he was one of 13 [[California Hall of Fame]] inductees in [[The California Museum]]'s yearlong exhibit.

In July 2013, Lucas was awarded the [[National Medal of Arts]] by President [[Barack Obama]] for his contributions to American cinema.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23269169 |title=George Lucas receives National Medal of Arts |date=July 11, 2013 |work=[[BBC News]] |publisher=BBC |access-date=July 13, 2013 |archive-date=July 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717032128/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23269169 |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2014, Lucas received Honorary Membership of the [[Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smpte.org/news-events/news-releases/2014honorsandawards |title=SMPTE Announces 2014 Honorees and Award Winners |publisher=[[Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers]] |access-date=September 8, 2014 |archive-date=October 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005053219/https://www.smpte.org/news-events/news-releases/2014honorsandawards |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smpte.org/news-events/news-releases/motion-imaging-industry-luminaries-recognized-smpte%C2%AE-honors-awards |title=Motion-Imaging Industry Luminaries Recognized at SMPTE® Honors & Awards Ceremony |publisher=Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers |date=November 10, 2014 |access-date=February 1, 2015 |archive-date=October 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005053716/https://www.smpte.org/news-events/news-releases/motion-imaging-industry-luminaries-recognized-smpte%C2%AE-honors-awards |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In August 2015, Lucas was inducted as a [[Disney Legends|Disney Legend]],<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lincoln |first=Ross |title=George Lucas, Danny Elfman, Others To Be Honored At D23 2015 |url=https://deadline.com/2015/07/george-lucas-others-to-be-named-disney-legend-at-d23-2015-1201475685/ |magazine=Deadline |date=July 14, 2015 |access-date=August 4, 2015 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194321/https://deadline.com/2015/07/george-lucas-others-to-be-named-disney-legend-at-d23-2015-1201475685/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and on December 6, 2015, he was an honoree at the [[Kennedy Center Honors]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Viagas |first=Robert |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/carole-king-cicely-tyson-rita-moreno-and-more-named-2015-kennedy-center-honorees-353316 |title=Carole King, Cicely Tyson, Rita Moreno and More Named 2015 Kennedy Center Honorees |work=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]] |date=July 15, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2015 |archive-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227194339/https://www.playbill.com/news/article/carole-king-cicely-tyson-rita-moreno-and-more-named-2015-kennedy-center-honorees-353316 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, coinciding with Lucasfilm's 50th anniversary, an action figure of Lucas in [[Stormtrooper (Star Wars)|stormtrooper]] disguise was released as part of Hasbro's [[Star Wars: The Black Series|''Star Wars'': The Black Series]].

In May 2024, Lucas was given the [[Palme d'Or|Honorary Palme d'Or]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]]. It is considered one of the highest recognitions in the film industry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-09 |title=George Lucas Honorary Palme d'or of the 77th Festival de Cannes |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/george-lucas-honorary-palme-d-or-of-the-77th-festival-de-cannes/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Festival de Cannes |language=en-US |archive-date=April 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409145623/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/george-lucas-honorary-palme-d-or-of-the-77th-festival-de-cannes/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=bpavan |date=2024-05-24 |title=An encounter with George Lucas |url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2024/an-encounter-with-george-lucas/ |access-date=2024-05-26 |website=Festival de Cannes |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
{{Main|George Lucas bibliography}}

* 1980: Alan Arnold: ''A Journal of the Making of "The Empire Strikes Back."'' {{ISBN|0-345-29075-5}}. (contributor)
* 1983: [[Dale Pollock]]: ''Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas.'' {{ISBN|978-0517546772}}. (contributor)
* 1995: George Lucas, [[Chris Claremont]]: ''[[Shadow Moon (novel)|Shadow Moon]].'' {{ISBN|0-553-57285-7}}. (story)
* 1996: Chris Claremont: ''[[Shadow Dawn]].'' {{ISBN|0-553-57289-X}}. (story)
* 1997: [[Laurent Bouzereau]]: ''Star Wars. The Annotated Screenplays.'' (contributor) {{ISBN|0-345-40981-7}}.
* 2000: [[Terry Brooks]]: ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'' ([[novelization]], contributor), Del Rey Books, {{ISBN|978-0-09-940996-0}}
* 2000: Chris Claremont: ''[[Shadow Star (novel)|Shadow Star]].'' {{ISBN| 0-553-57288-1}}. (story)
* 2003: [[R. A. Salvatore]]: ''[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]'' (novelization, contributor), Del Rey, {{ISBN|978-0345428820}}
* 2004: [[Matthew Stover]]: ''[[Shatterpoint]].'' (novel, prolog), Del Rey, {{ISBN|978-0345455741}}.
* 2005: [[James Luceno]]: ''[[Labyrinth of Evil]]'' (novel, contributor), Del Rey, {{ISBN|978-0345475732}}
* 2005: Matthew Stover: ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]].'', Del Rey, {{ISBN|978-0345428844}}. ([[novelization]], contributor & line editor)
* 2007: [[J. W. Rinzler]]: ''The Making of "Star Wars". The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film.'' {{ISBN|0-09-192014-0}}. (contributor)
* 2012: [[James Luceno]]: ''[[Star Wars: Darth Plagueis]]''. novel (contributor), Del Rey, {{ISBN|978-0345511294}}.
* 2020: Paul Duncan: ''The Star Wars Archives. 1999–2005'' (contributor), Taschen, {{ISBN|978-3836563444}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|United States}}
*''[[The Making of Star Wars]]''

==References==
'''Footnotes'''
{{notelist |notes=
{{efn|name=sfhof|1=
After inducting 36 fantasy and science fiction writers and editors from 1996 to 2004, the [[EMP Museum#Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame|Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame]] dropped "fantasy" and made non-literary contributors eligible.<ref name="sfhof-old"/> Filmmaker Steven Spielberg was the [[List of awards and nominations received by Steven Spielberg#Other lifetime honors|inaugural "Film, Television and Media" inductee]] in 2005; Lucas the second in 2006. Previously Lucas had received a special award at the 1977 World Science Fiction Convention (for ''Star Wars'') and annual professional achievement awards voted by fantasy fans in 1981 and 1982.<ref name=SFAwards/><!-- this general source does not credit Lucas with any of the 1980/83/90 shared Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation -->
}}
}}

'''Citations'''
{{Reflist|30em |refs=
<!-- SF awards refs -->
<ref name=sfhof2006>
{{cite web |url=http://www.sfhomeworld.org/make_contact/article.asp?articleID=239 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060426115756/http://www.sfhomeworld.org/make_contact/article.asp?articleID=239 |archive-date=April 26, 2006 |title="Presenting the 2006 Hall of Fame Inductees" |url-status=dead |access-date=August 19, 2016}}. Press release March 15, 2006. Science Fiction Museum (''sfhomeworld.org''). Archived April 26, 2006. Retrieved April 10, 2013.</ref>
<ref name="sfhof2006-b">[https://cohenside.blogspot.com/2006/05/science-fiction-hall-of-fame.html Science Fiction Hall of Fame] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014221506/http://cohenside.blogspot.de/2006/05/science-fiction-hall-of-fame.html |date=October 14, 2016 }}. Monday, May 15, 2006. The Cohenside. Retrieved December 26, 2011.</ref>
<ref name="sfhof-old">
[http://www.midamericon.org/halloffame/ "Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521070009/http://www.midamericon.org/halloffame/ |date=May 21, 2013 }}. Mid American Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions, Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2013. This was the official website of the hall of fame to 2004.</ref>
<ref name=SFAwards>
[http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomDrama12.html#3229 "Lucas, George"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021110051319/http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/NomDrama12.html |date=November 10, 2002 }}. ''The Locus Index to SF Awards: Index of Dramatic Nominees''. [[Locus Publications]]. Retrieved April 10, 2013.</ref>
}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book |last=Jones |first=Brian Jay |title=George Lucas: A Life |date=2016 |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |location=New York City |isbn=978-0316257442 }}
* {{cite book |last=Kaminski |first=Michael |date=2008 |title=The Secret History of Star Wars |publisher=Legacy Books Press |isbn=978-0978465230 |ref=kaminski}}
* {{cite book |last=Rinzler |first=J.W. |title=The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film |publisher=LucasBooks |date=2007 |isbn=978-0345494764 |ref=rinzler}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |title=George Lucas: Interviews |editor-first=Sally|editor-last=Kline |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |year=1999 |isbn=978-1578061259}}
* {{cite book |last=Hearn |first=Marcus |title=The Cinema of George Lucas |publisher=[[Harry N. Abrams]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-0810949683}}
* {{cite book |last=Rubin |first=Michael |title=Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution |publisher=Triad Publishing Company |year=2005 |isbn=978-0937404676|url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/droidmakergeorge0000rubi}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
{{wikisource|Author:George Lucas}}
* {{Science Fiction Hall of Fame|943|George Lucas}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
* {{ISFDB name}}
* {{The Interviews about|george-lucas}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040405085412/http://www.lucasfilm.com/inside/bio/georgelucas.html George Lucas biography] at Lucasfilm.com
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151104183103/http://www.wobi.com/speakers/george-lucas-1 George Lucas] at World of Business Ideas
* [https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Lucas George Lucas] at [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]
* ''[https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL2757704A/George_Lucas George Lucas]'', on ''[[Open Library]]'', [[Internet Archive]]
* ''[https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3231.George_Lucas George Lucas]'', on ''[[Goodreads]]''
* ''[https://musicbrainz.org/artist/af3a8618-3362-4b82-9183-031f06221b86 George Lucas]'', on ''[[MusicBrainz]]'', MetaBrainz Foundation
* ''[https://myanimelist.net/people/2824 George Lucas]'', on ''[[MyAnimeList]]''
* [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/george_lucas ''George Lucas''], on ''[[Rotten Tomatoes]]'', Flixster Inc.

{{George Lucas|state=expanded}}
{{Lucasfilm}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by George Lucas|Awards for George Lucas]]
|list =
{{AFI Life Achievement Award}}
{{BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards}}
{{Disney Legends Awards 2010s}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay}}
{{Inkpot Award 1970s}}
{{Thalberg Award}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2010s}}
{{MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence}}
{{National Medal of Arts recipients 2010s}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Nebula Award for Best Script/Bradbury Award}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{Nikola Tesla Satellite Award}}
{{Producers Guild of America Milestone Award}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Director}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Writing 1973–1990}}
}}
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