(born May 14, 1944) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and entrepreneur.
His family attended Disneyland during its opening week in July 1955, and Lucas would remain enthusiastic about the park.
His next work as a writer-director was the film American Graffiti (1973), inspired by his youth in the early 1960s Modesto, California, and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm.
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, flipping his car several times before it crashed into a tree; Lucas's seatbelt had snapped, ejecting him and thereby saving his life.
Lucas is considered a significant figure of the 20th-century New Hollywood movement. After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967, Lucas co-founded American Zoetrope with filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.
He was passionate and interested in camerawork and editing, defining himself as a filmmaker as opposed to being a director, and he loved making abstract visual films that created emotions purely through cinema. 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 drafted by the Army for military service in Vietnam, but he was exempted from service after medical tests showed he had diabetes, the disease that killed his paternal grandfather. In 1967, Lucas re-enrolled as a USC graduate student in film production.
Navy students who were being taught documentary cinematography, Lucas directed the short film THX 1138 4EB, which won first prize at the 1967–68 National Student film festival.
In 1969, Lucas was one of the camera operators on the classic Rolling Stones concert film Gimme Shelter. ===1969–1977: THX 1138, American Graffiti, and Star Wars=== In 1969, Lucas co-founded the studio American Zoetrope with Coppola, hoping to create a liberating environment for filmmakers to direct outside the perceived oppressive control of the Hollywood studio system.
He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s. In 1997, Lucas re-released the Star Wars Trilogy as part of a special edition featuring several alterations; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011.
presidential election. ==Awards and honors== In 1977, Lucas was awarded the Inkpot Award. The American Film Institute awarded Lucas its Life Achievement Award on June 9, 2005.
There were unsuccessful projects, however, including More American Graffiti (1979), Willard Huyck's Howard the Duck (1986), which was the biggest flop of Lucas's career, Ron Howard's Willow (1988), Coppola's The Man and His Dream (1988), and Mel Smith's Radioland Murders (1994). The animation studio Pixar was founded in 1979 as the Graphics Group, one third of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm.
Following his divorce, Lucas was in a relationship with singer Linda Ronstadt in the 1980s. Lucas began dating Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments and chair of DreamWorks Animation, in 2006.
They adopted a daughter, Amanda Lucas, in 1981, and divorced in 1983.
As of June 1983, Lucas was worth US$60 million, 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. Also in 1983, Lucas and Tomlinson Holman founded the audio company THX Ltd.
They adopted a daughter, Amanda Lucas, in 1981, and divorced in 1983.
Pixar's early computer graphics research resulted in groundbreaking effects in films such as The Wrath of Khan and Young Sherlock Holmes, and the group was purchased in 1986 by Steve Jobs shortly after he left Apple Computer.
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=== Having lost much of his fortune in a divorce settlement in 1987, Lucas was reluctant to return to Star Wars.
Lucas subsequently adopted two more children as a single parent: daughter Katie Lucas, born in 1988, and son Jett Lucas, born in 1993.
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. ===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.
Thalberg Award in 1991.
His children were older, and with the explosion of CGI technology he began to consider directing once again. By 1993, it was announced, in Variety among other sources, that Lucas would be making the prequels.
Lucas subsequently adopted two more children as a single parent: daughter Katie Lucas, born in 1988, and son Jett Lucas, born in 1993.
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 returned to the original trilogy and made numerous modifications using newly available digital technology, releasing them in theaters as the Star Wars Special Edition.
Lucas, through his foundation, was one of the leading proponents of the E-rate program in the universal service fund, which was enacted as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s. In 1997, Lucas re-released the Star Wars Trilogy as part of a special edition featuring several alterations; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011.
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 returned to the original trilogy and made numerous modifications using newly available digital technology, releasing them in theaters as the Star Wars Special Edition.
Besides the additions to the Star Wars franchise, Lucas released a Director's Cut of THX 1138 in 2004, with the film re-cut and containing a number of CGI revisions. 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.
Whilst initially wanting to use tracks and film music in a similar manner to 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 leitmotifs) to enhance the story in the style of classical composers Gustav Holst, William Walton, and Igor Stravinsky; works that Lucas had used as "temp tracks" for Williams to gain inspiration from.
It was completed and released in 2002 as Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
The final prequel, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, began production in 2002 and was released in 2005.
He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s. In 1997, Lucas re-released the Star Wars Trilogy as part of a special edition featuring several alterations; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011.
For DVD releases in 2004 and Blu-ray releases in 2011, the trilogy received further revisions to make them congruent with the prequel trilogy.
Besides the additions to the Star Wars franchise, Lucas released a Director's Cut of THX 1138 in 2004, with the film re-cut and containing a number of CGI revisions. 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.
The final prequel, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, began production in 2002 and was released in 2005.
The score was listed by the American Film Institute in 2005 as the greatest film score of all time.
On January 17, 2017, Lucas announced that the museum will be constructed in Exposition Park, Los Angeles California. ===Other initiatives=== In 2005, Lucas gave US$1 million to help build the Martin Luther King Jr.
presidential election. ==Awards and honors== In 1977, Lucas was awarded the Inkpot Award. The American Film Institute awarded Lucas its Life Achievement Award on June 9, 2005.
to commemorate American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. On September 19, 2006, USC announced that Lucas had donated $175–180 million to his alma mater to expand the film school.
Following his divorce, Lucas was in a relationship with singer Linda Ronstadt in the 1980s. Lucas began dating Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments and chair of DreamWorks Animation, in 2006.
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 Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted Lucas in 2006, its second "Film, Television, and Media" contributor, after Spielberg.
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.
Lucas served as Grand Marshal for the Tournament of Roses Parade and made the ceremonial coin toss at the Rose Bowl, New Year's Day 2007.
Numerous fans and critics considered the prequels inferior to the original trilogy, though they were box office successes. 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.
From 2008 to 2014, Lucas also served as the creator and executive producer and for a second Star Wars animated series on Cartoon Network, Star Wars: The Clone Wars which premiered with a feature film of the same name before airing its first episode.
On June 24, 2008, Lucas testified before the United States House of Representatives subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet as the head of his Foundation to advocate for a free wireless broadband educational network. ===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 billion.
The Discovery Channel named him one of the 100 "Greatest Americans" in September 2008.
He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s. In 1997, Lucas re-released the Star Wars Trilogy as part of a special edition featuring several alterations; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011.
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. Lucas has said that he is a fan of Seth MacFarlane's hit TV show Family Guy.
He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s. In 1997, Lucas re-released the Star Wars Trilogy as part of a special edition featuring several alterations; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011.
For DVD releases in 2004 and Blu-ray releases in 2011, the trilogy received further revisions to make them congruent with the prequel trilogy.
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. Lucas has said that he is a fan of Seth MacFarlane's hit TV show Family Guy.
He served as chairman of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012.
The animated series also featured the last Star Wars stories in which Lucas was majorly involved. In 2012, Lucas served as executive producer for Red Tails, a war film based on the exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.
The new sequel trilogy was jointly produced by Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company, which had acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.
On June 24, 2008, Lucas testified before the United States House of Representatives subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet as the head of his Foundation to advocate for a free wireless broadband educational network. ===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 billion.
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." ===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 billion.
Lucas and Hobson announced their engagement in January 2013, and married on June 22, 2013, at Lucas's Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California.
They have one daughter together, born via gestational carrier in August 2013. Lucas was born and raised in a Methodist family.
From 2008 to 2014, Lucas also served as the creator and executive producer and for a second Star Wars animated series on Cartoon Network, Star Wars: The Clone Wars which premiered with a feature film of the same name before airing its first episode.
A potential lakefront site on Museum Campus in Chicago was proposed in May 2014.
By June 2014, Chicago had been selected, pending approval of the Chicago Plan Commission, which was granted.
Abrams, was released on December 18, 2015.
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 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". In 2015, Lucas wrote the CGI film Strange Magic, his first musical.
In October 2016, Lucas announced his decision to not be involved in the story of the film but would remain an executive producer.
In 2016, A Star Wars Story, the first film of a Star Wars anthology series was released.
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.
MacFarlane has said that Lucasfilm was extremely helpful when the Family Guy crew wanted to parody their works. Lucas supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the run-up for the 2016 U.S.
The Last Jedi, the second film in the sequel trilogy, was released in 2017; Lucas described the film as "beautifully made". Lucas has had cursory involvement with A Star Wars Story (2018), the Star Wars streaming series The Mandalorian, and the premiere of the eighth season of Game of Thrones.
On January 17, 2017, Lucas announced that the museum will be constructed in Exposition Park, Los Angeles California. ===Other initiatives=== In 2005, Lucas gave US$1 million to help build the Martin Luther King Jr.
Abrams before the latter began writing the script to the sequel trilogy's final film, The Rise of Skywalker, which was released in 2019. == Filmmaking == === Collaboration with John Williams === Lucas was also heavily involved and invested in the scoring process for the original Star Wars soundtrack, which was composed by John Williams, on the recommendation of his friend and colleague Steven Spielberg.
He last collaborated on the CGI-animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2014, 2020), the war film Red Tails (2012), and the CGI film Strange Magic (2015). == Early life == Lucas was born and raised in Modesto, California, 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.
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