History Creator / GeorgeLucas

!!!Producer and/or writer
* ''Film/MoreAmericanGraffiti'' (1979): Executive producer.

* ''Film/HowardTheDuck (1986)'': Executive producer. Directed by Willard Huyck.

!!!Writer and Producer

!!!Other Work

Believing that his fellow UsefulNotes/NewHollywood directors had ignored the market for young children and teenagers, who hadn't grown up with the pirate, westerns, and serial films that his generation had, Lucas set out to revive the old serials' spirit but with a more updated and modern polish. His initial idea was to adapt ''[[Film/FlashGordonSerial Flash Gordon]]'' and ''ComicStrip/BuckRogers'' serials, while also thinking of a concept based on Republic serials with an AdventurerArchaeologist. They became ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' respectively. For ''Star Wars'', Lucas wanted to revive the old BMovie serial but he wanted to update it, and give it the scale of an EpicMovie, with sound and visual effects far in advance of anything currently available. To create his vision for ''Star Wars'', George formed his own FX studio Creator/IndustrialLightAndMagic and they revolutionized special effects and post-production techniques[[note]]Before, the "spaceship flyby" effect was accomplished by pulling a model ship across a starfield backdrop with a string; very limiting, ''very'' cheap and unconvincing. George worked with John Dykstra to leave the model static, put it against a bluescreen, and move the camera around ''it'' (preventing the shaky look of moving models). Another innovation that Dykstra and Lucas brought to the table was putting the camera movements under the control of a computer, which could be programmed to move the camera a certain way and then repeat that movement perfectly dozens of times over. This let them do a shot of one model, switch the model for a different one and repeat the shot, replace the second model with a third, etc. When the individual shots were composited together the models looked like they were all part of the same shot. The computer controlled camera was precise enough to avoid the kinds of mismatches that previous attempts to composite multiple model shots together led to.[[/note]]. For sound, Lucas wanted to go away from the common electronic synth sounds of conventional science-fiction and incorporate natural sounds with advanced technology to make it more tangible. Ben Burtt was of a similar inclination, breaking new grounds in using unconventional sources for sounds that felt truly alien.

Lucas was married to film editor Marcia Lucas (formerly Griffin) between 1969 and 1983[[note]]His workaholic habits with his filmmaking ultimately doomed their marriage[[/note]] and he has several adopted children, most of whom have cameos in his films. Marcia worked as an editor for ''A New Hope''[[note]]and won an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for it, the only Oscar the Lucases would ever win[[/note]] and ''Return of the Jedi'', participating in the production of all the three original trilogy movies. In a notable example of CreatorCouple, her main contribution to the original trilogy was to serve as TheHeart, balancing out Lucas' highly technical, visual-minded vision with an emphasis on character development, plot and emotional response -- Creator/MarkHamill in particular has confirmed this. [[CreatorBreakdown Lucas' divorce from Marcia]], occurring at the same time as Spielberg's divorce from Amy Irving, is cited as a leading cause for the DarkerAndEdgier nature of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', as well as [[DevelopmentHell the fate]] of the Prequel Trilogy. In June 2013, he married his girlfriend of seven years, investment executive Mellody Hobson.

Lucas is still indisputably a pioneer in film technology and special effects, both in his own films and through Creator/IndustrialLightAndMagic. Together they mastered the non-linear editing system, allowing previews of the process without physically cutting the film strips. He was a strong advocate for [[UsefulNotes/HighDefinition digital filmmaking]], using the ''Star Wars'' prequels to push the R&D at companies like Sony and Panasonic to produce higher quality digital film cameras. ''Young Indiana Jones'' used extensive digital effects to expand crowd shots. He turned Creator/RobertRodriguez onto the technology and believed it would lead to an increase of independent productions because of the lower cost by avoiding film reel development. He predicted this in the early 1990s, well before the release of ''Film/{{District 9}}''. Creator/MartinScorsese remarked that whenever he wonders what the future of cinema would be like, he would simply visit Lucas at Skywalker Ranch and pick his brain, noting he has never been wrong.

** ''Star Wars'' originally began as a modest homage to science-fiction serials which no major Hollywood studio would have given the attention and detail to what would be regarded as a BMovie in the 50s and 60s, and yet the success of ''Star Wars'' led to the rise of the blockbuster and the success of the merchandise (whose rights Lucas entirely possessed), which in turn was cited by Lucas' friends and colleagues (Scorsese and John Milius), and lately [[SelfDeprecation Lucas himself]], as closing the doors on the UsefulNotes/NewHollywood.

Lucas is also considered inconsistent when it comes to representation, being progressive and regressive at various points. On the one hand, Lucas deserves credit for making a fantasy series with decidedly Buddhist and Taoist inspirations. He also introduced strong female leads in mainstream movies via Princess Leia, and a major African-American character like Lando Calrissian who had a complex dramatic character arc that made him something more than TokenBlackFriend or sidekick (becoming in effect a "fourth musketeer" by the end of the original trilogy)[[note]]The fact that he originally planned to cast Creator/ToshiroMifune in ''Film/ANewHope'' and Creator/AlecGuinness was Plan B shows that his vision of Star Wars was intended to be diverse and multi-cultural[[/note]]. His production of ''Film/{{Willow}}'' was a fantasy epic with a dwarf actor (Creator/WarwickDavis) as the Hero, preceding Creator/PeterDinklage's celebrated turn as Tyrion Lannister in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' by thirty years. On the other hand, his ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' series was criticized for playing the MightyWhitey AdventureArchaeologist trope straight and for the hilariously offensive portrayal of India in ''Temple of Doom'', while Jar-Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequels was seen as a neo-minstrel portrayal of a black sidekick (though Ahmed Best, the actor who played Jar-Jar Binks points out that this was entirely unintentional), and the fact that the Neimoidians of the prequels were coded as amoral inscrutable Asian businessmen while Watto was seen as a fantasy coded version of [[SpaceJews anti-semitic stereotypes]]. As a producer, Lucas has funded ''Film/RedTails'' which dealt with the Tuskegee Airmen, and was a notable case of a mainstream film with an African-American story and setting, while also producing ''Mishima'' an American film entirely in Japanese, while also playing a major part in mentor Creator/AkiraKurosawa's CareerResurrection in TheEighties. On one hand, Lucas has done a great deal more than most American producers and film-makers in raising diversity in mainstream cinema; on the other hand, his films, thanks to their great fame, continued to perpetuate a bunch of negative stereotypes.

Lucas is still indisputably a pioneer in film technology and special effects, both in his own films and through Creator/IndustrialLightAndMagic. He's a strong advocate for [[UsefulNotes/HighDefinition digital filmmaking]], having shot the last two ''Star Wars'' prequels digitally (and turned Creator/RobertRodriguez onto the technology), and firmly believes that digital filmmaking will lead to an increase of independent productions (at a much lower cost than studio films, due to film reel development) and be surprise successes. He predicted this in the early 1990s, well before the release of ''Film/{{District 9}}''. Creator/MartinScorsese remarked that whenever he wonders what the future of cinema would be like, he would simply visit Lucas at Skywalker Ranch and pick his brain, noting he has never been wrong.

%%J

* LooseCanon: When he was still in charge of Star Wars, this seemed to be his attitude towards the expanded universe (renamed Legends). He technically allowed them to be canon, but he did not take them into account when telling new stories.

* FantasyForbiddingFather: His own father was a RealLife example, never supporting his filmmaking ambitions. Though he did attend the premiere of ''Star Wars'', and spent a good amount of time afterwards proudly telling people who his son was.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Creator/StevenSpielberg and also Creator/FrancisFordCoppola. Lucas modelled Han Solo on Coppola's personality, mostly his larger-than-life swashbuckling personality, who never let "the odds" get in the way of executing his projects (as seen in ''Filmmaker''). He later gave Creator/HarrisonFord a cameo in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' (originally a Lucas project) with the nametag of Lucas.
* IconicOutfit: His flannel shirts and jeans.
* {{Irony}}: Lucas survived his near-fatal car accident because his seat belt ''failed''.

* OccidentalOtaku: Like many in his generation, he was a huge fan of Japanese cinema, especially Creator/AkiraKurosawa's JidaiGeki. The "Jedi" derive from "Jidai" and they are modeled on Samurai, and Vader's outfit is also based on Samurai battle armor, especially the shape of the helmet.

* PetTheDog: He could have spent the money he got from the '''''$4,000,000,000''''' deal he made with Disney on anything ... but he donated it to public education facilities. In fact, his philanthropy work in general is probably the greatest argument to make against those that see the man as an egomaniacal control freak.

* ReclusiveArtist: On a minor level, he was the public face of ''Star Wars'' and Lucasfilm, but has only done a handful of interviews and commentaries and [[UncreditedRole has assisted on more projects than people know, only to keep his name off to avoid recognition issues]]. He has a known group of close friends (including fellow filmmaker Creator/FrancisFordCoppola), but coupled with his naturally reserved demeanor, he seems to be [[CelebrityIsOverrated uncomfortable and annoyed with fan interaction]]. He did seem quite relieved when he sold Lucasfilm to Disney.

* TerseTalker: Creator/MarkHamill has spoken about how short and straightforward his instructions are, such as "Faster, more intense".

* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Creator/FrancisFordCoppola have had countless ups and downs since their first meeting in 1967, which Lucas still nevertheless describes as the closest relationship with anyone he's ever had.

* LongTitle: The title of his student film, ''Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB''.

* ActionGirl: A common Trope in his movies. Whatever his shortcomings as a writer, his works are never short of strong, powerful female characters.

* ReclusiveArtist: On a minor level, he was the public face of Star Wars and Lucasfilm but has only done a handful of interviews and commentaries and [[UncreditedRole has assisted on more projects than people know only to keep his name off to avoid recognition issues]]. He has a particular group of close friends but coupled with his naturally quiet demeanor has shown to [[CelebrityIsOverrated be uncomfortable and annoyed with fan interaction]]. He did seem quite relieved when he sold Star Wars to Disney.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' (2011-19): Helped to direct an scene of the Season 8 premiere "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS8E1Winterfell Winterfell]]".

** ''Film/{{Solo}}'' (2018) -- Just directed a single scene the day he visited the film set, as the film overall was directed first by Creator/PhilLordAndChrisMiller and then by Creator/RonHoward.

** ''Film/{{Solo}}'' (2018) -- Just directed a single scene the day he visited the film set, as the film overall was directed first by Creator/PhilLordAndChristopherMiller and then by Creator/RonHoward.

* ''Franchise/IndianaJones'': Producer and co-creator of character and story with Creator/StevenSpielberg directing all four films, featuring regular collaborator Creator/HarrisonFord. He also produced ''Series/TheYoungIndianaJonesChronicles'' television series and other spin-offs.

** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' (1980): The sequel to ''A New Hope'' directed by Irvin Kershner. Lucas and Kasdan worked from a draft story and script by Leigh Brackett.

* ''Franchise/IndianaJones'': Producer, and co-creator of character and story with Creator/StevenSpielberg directing all four films, featuring regular collaborator Creator/HarrisonFord. He also produced the TV Show and other spinoffs.
* ''Film/BodyHeat'' (1981): Written and Directed by Creator/LawrenceKasdan (screenwriter on ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones''). Also provided financial support, but specifically avoided a screen credit because of his family-friendly reputation.

With Coppola, Lucas founded American Zoetrope to get away from the oppressive Hollywood studio system, and Coppola produced his feature directorial debut, ''THX 1138''. That film's commercial failure sunk Zoetrope's initial plans for independence, though it remains a talismanic project for Lucas, the source of [[CreatorThumbprint references]], with "THX" and "1138" appearing in various forms, providing the name for the THX soundsystem. Lucas' main point in making that film was to show that (then) present-day America was close to the dystopias of science fiction, and he proved his point by using extensive location shooting at what were, at the time, highly futuristic-looking urban developments in San Francisco and Northern California. The failure led Lucas to go in what he saw as a more commercial direction, i.e. making films about the problems of young people, and proving he could direct a serious drama. Produced by Coppola and Gary Kurtz for Lucas's new production company, Creator/{{Lucasfilm}}, ''American Graffiti'' was a major success sold on the NostalgiaFilter (Its tagline was "Where were you in '62?") of the America just before the death of JFK, the escalation of the country's involvement in the Vietnam War, and the emergence of the counterculture. It led Lucas to go one step further.

* ''Film/GimmeShelter1970'': {{Rockumentary}} about Music/TheRollingStones in which he worked as a cameraman.

Lucas was married to film editor Marcia Lucas (formerly Griffin) between 1969 and 1983[[note]]His workaholic habits with his filmmaking ultimately doomed their marriage[[/note]] and he has several adopted children, most of whom have cameos in his films. Marcia worked as an editor for ''A New Hope''[[note]]and won her a UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for it[[/note]] and ''Return of the Jedi'', participating in the production of all the three original trilogy movies. In a notable example of CreatorCouple, her main contribution to the original trilogy was to serve as TheHeart, balancing out Lucas' highly technical, visual-minded vision with an emphasis on character development, plot and emotional response -- Creator/MarkHamill in particular has confirmed this. [[CreatorBreakdown Lucas' divorce from Marcia]], occurring at the same time as Spielberg's divorce from Amy Irving, is cited as a leading cause for the DarkerAndEdgier nature of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', as well as [[DevelopmentHell the fate]] of the Prequel Trilogy. In June 2013, he married his girlfriend of seven years, investment executive Mellody Hobson.

''Star Wars'' released in 1977 was the biggest film in American history, toppling the record for highest-grosses, making more money than several studios had over the last 10 years, and adjusted-for-inflation, it still trails ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' as the second-highest grossing film of all time. It also changed the film landscape thoroughly in ways that are too big to go here. Lucas had plans to make multiple serial films but initially conceived it as a standalone. The success demanded sequels and follow-ups, and Lucas believed initially that it could be done by other directors but he became so ubiquitously associated with the brand, and likewise believed he had to protect it from becoming the parody of the serials that many initially expected it was, that he gradually assumed more executive control than he expected. The disastrous ''[[Film/TheStarWarsHolidaySpecial Star Wars Holiday Special]]'' also confirmed these views, as did a rational belief that ''Star Wars'' might plateau its interest and become a fad. The TroubledProduction of the first film also exhausted him from directing, and Lucas has repeatedly stated that he prefers the conceptual pre-production and post-production processes to the actual on-set process of directing.

Lucas has always been a controversial figure, despite being personally quite modest and disarming, even a little shy, and renowned for being a good sport[[note]]Number of Star Wars parodies such as ''Film/HardwareWars, Film/{{Spaceballs}}'' and Music/WeirdAlYankovic's mash up of "American Pie" with Star Wars, "The Saga Begins", were made not only with his approval but tacit support[[/note]] as well as being very generous[[note]]As noted by Creator/MarkHamill, Lucas gave the main cast of ''Star Wars'' a percentage of royalties for their performance which ensured a steady income for them, a practice unheard of then and still rare today. Hamill notes, "[[WhatYouAreInTheDark He didn't have to do that]]." When Lucas sold his company to Disney in 2012, he donated every penny of the $4 billion he was paid to Edutopia, an education charity.[[/note]]. The success of ''Star Wars'' and its revolutionary technique were met with praise but also dismay since it was seen as a shift away from the analog qualities of cinema (chiefly focusing on actors performances, good dialogue, real locations) to the technological, and this criticism has been constant since the beginning. In TheEighties and TheNineties, Lucas was held as symbolic for the turn in Hollywood away from the adult audience to a more family and child-centric approach, which along with the extensive merchandizing of Star Wars, and the drying up of funds for films with more serious matter, has led him to being accused (with Creator/StevenSpielberg occasionally[[note]]This died down when he made ''Film/SchindlersList'' in his case[[/note]]) for "ruining the movies". Lucas' embrace of digital cinema and CGI was also driven by similar mix of resentment and technological skepticism. But for most of that time, Lucas could count on being popular with the audiences, rather than the critics. This changed in the TurnOfTheMillennium, where Lucas experienced a considerable vocal backlash against the prequels, which in turn led to a backlash on himself. Not just from his regular critics who usually disliked the prequels for the same reasons they hated the originals (i.e. [[FeelingOppressedByTheirExistence the fact that it existed]]), but from his own fandom, who had formerly been loyal to him, with many now deprecating and questioning his skills as a director and writer. The fact that this period coincided with the rise of the internet and widespread use of online forums and social media spread this to a wider audience than it would have before[[note]]Lucas himself chided this in the wake of ''The Phantom Menace'' and the Jar-Jar Binks controversy noting that online posters represented a minority but owing to their presence, and coverage in news, they get a wider platform than their opinion actually represents[[/note]]. However, with the equally divisive reception of Disney's ''Star Wars'' films, especially the Sequel Trilogy, fans have been reassessing both the Prequel Trilogy and Lucas himself in a more favorable light.

Lucas himself admits that he is [[SelfDeprecation "the King of Wooden Dialogue"]]. On the other hand, collaborators and actors do not dispute his incredible eye for casting, conceptualization, visual style, and his dramatic instinct (i.e. making Vader Luke's father, one of cinema's all-time great plot twists, which was entirely written by him). As a director, Lucas is known for constantly iterating (for instance, he brought back the cast and crew for reshoots for ''Attack of the Clones'' and ''Revenge of the Sith'', removing entire subplots that had been entirely filmed and finished as seen in deleted scenes) on set, as well as emphasizing wide and detailed backgrounds within which his characters interact, communicating a sense of place and setting. He's also considered a great director of immersive large-scale action scenes with impressive choreography of multiple moving parts as objects move through the screen. As a producer, a careful glance at Lucas' body of work shows that the number of uncommercial, avant-garde, and niche films that he has produced equal the number of mainstream works he has made, and that he is considerably more risk-taking than many give him credit for.

With Coppola, Lucas founded American Zoetrope to get away from the oppressive Hollywood studio system, and Coppola produced his feature directorial debut, ''THX 1138''. That film's commercial failure sunk Zoetrope's initial plans for independence, though it remains a talismanic project for Lucas, the source of [[ContinuityNod references]], with "THX" and "1138" appearing in various forms, providing the name for the THX soundsystem. Lucas' main point in making that film was to show that (then) present-day America was close to the dystopias of science fiction, and he proved his point by using extensive location shooting at what were, at the time, highly futuristic-looking urban developments in San Francisco and Northern California. The failure led Lucas to go in what he saw as a more commercial direction, i.e. making films about the problems of young people, and proving he could direct a serious drama. Produced by Coppola and Gary Kurtz for Lucas's new production company, Creator/{{Lucasfilm}}, ''American Graffiti'' was a major success sold on the NostalgiaFilter (Its tagline was "Where were you in '62?") of the America just before the death of JFK, the escalation of the country's involvement in the Vietnam War, and the emergence of the counterculture. It led Lucas to go one step further.

Lucas is also considered inconsistent when it comes to representation, being progressive and regressive at various points. On the one hand, Lucas deserves credit for making a fantasy series with decidedly Buddhist and Taoist inspirations. He also introduced strong female leads in mainstream movies via Princess Leia, and a major African-American character like Lando Calrissian who had a complex dramatic character arc that made him something more than TokenBlackFriend or sidekick (becoming in effect a "fourth musketeer" by the end of the original trilogy)[[note]]The fact that he originally planned to cast Creator/ToshiroMifune in ''Film/ANewHope'' and Creator/AlecGuinness was Plan B shows that his vision of Star Wars was intended to be diverse and multi-cultural[[/note]]. His production of ''Film/{{Willow}}'' was a fantasy epic with a dwarf actor (Creator/WarwickDavis) as the Hero, preceding Creator/PeterDinklage's celebrated turn as Tyrion Lannister in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' by thirty years. On the other hand, his ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' series was criticized for playing the MightyWhitey AdventureArchaeologist trope straight and for the hilariously offensive portrayal of India in ''Temple of Doom'', while Jar-Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequels was seen as a neo-minstrel portrayal of a black sidekick (though Ahmed Best, the actor who played Jar-Jar Binks points out that this was entirely unintentional), and the fact that the Nemoidians of the prequels were coded as amoral inscrutable Asian businessmen while Watto was seen as a fantasy coded version of [[SpaceJews anti-semitic stereotypes]]. As a producer, Lucas has funded ''Film/RedTails'' which dealt with the Tuskegee Airmen, and was a notable case of a mainstream film with an African-American story and setting, while also producing ''Mishima'' an American film entirely in Japanese, while also playing a major part in mentor Creator/AkiraKurosawa's CareerResurrection in TheEighties. On one hand, Lucas has done a great deal more than most American producers and film-makers in raising diversity in mainstream cinema, on the other hand, his films thanks to its great fame, continued to perpetuate a bunch of negative stereotypes.