With the upcoming release of Red Tails, George Lucas has once again reiterated his plans to retire from Lucasfilm, the genre company he founded so many years ago. The Star Wars creator has said that he wanted to focus on smaller projects in the past but decided to give an executive producing eye towards the WWII release and has a hand in developing the fifth Indiana Jones adventure. Once those two projects are a go, he has repeated to the New York Times that he's stepping away from his company.
"I'm retiring," he said. "I'm moving away from the business, from the company, from all this kind of stuff."
The paper reports that "Lucas has decided to devote the rest of his life to what cineastes in the 1970s used to call personal films. They’ll be small in scope, esoteric in subject and screened mostly in art houses. They’ll be like the experimental movies Lucas made in the 1960s, around the time he was at U.S.C. film school, when he recorded clouds moving over the desert and made a movie based on an E. E. Cummings poem."
As reported above, there does seem to be an out clause in regards to getting the fifth Indiana Jones project moving forward in terms of him staying in retirement. His right-hand man Rick McCallum says "Once this is finished, he’s done everything he’s ever wanted to do," producer Rick McCallum added. "He will have completed his task as a man and a filmmaker."
As you Maniacs know, you also have the Star Wars films being re-released in 3D over the next few years. How "involved" Lucas is in the process will be up to him...
Sound off with your thoughts down below.
I actually take this as good news. The sequels were subpar and the 4th Indy was not good at all. I haven't even thought about the film since I saw it. I've never seen another GL film I liked beyond those. I'm hoping he passes his goods down to a new group of visionaries.
I guess this means that the proposed Star Wars TV series is history! Too bad...that could've been something special, but it was supposedly too expensive to do so and that's due to his obsession with CGI technology. Lucas and his people have shot themselves in the foot!
Much props to the man. I love Star Wars, all 6 episodes and everything in between. Good for him to retire when he decides.
KD I don't think him retiring should affect any new proposed material based in the SW universe. Of course he has to give these things his blessings and will probably be some sort of quality control oversight. Hopefully he'll let this universe keep growing even if by others' hands
I guess he's finally bled Star Wars fans dry with the milion and one different versions for sale. I credit George for creating the Star Wars universe, but I think he read too much of his own press over the years. The prequels were awful; too much technology, pandering and marketing and too little heart. George should have stayed the idea man and let others bring his vision to life. He's a writer who leans on cliches and a director who leans on effects. Maybe with smaller projects he won't feel any pressure to deliver. Let's face it he had a lot to live up to with the prequels and the last Indy film.
keithdaniel, I see this as good news for the TV series, now maybe it will move faster since Lucas isn't there to approve everything like he does for the Cartoon.
Overall, say what you will about the man, he deserve his retirement and has left his print in our lives and movies and the world.
This guy made my childhood fantastic! I can't imagine growing up without SW and Indy.
Hope all you Lucas haters and "Lucas raped my childhood" and "Han shot first " guys are happy. You minority in the SW community who screamed the loudest at every move he made. You're getting your wish. He even says in the article when asked about doing more Star Wars films:
"Why would I make any more when everyone yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?"
Congratulations, you've convinced the most influential filmmaker in history - the man responsible for making genre and major FX films a staple of modern movies, and gave you the start of CG animated films (also a staple), who helped develop the video editing software that is probably on your computer, and who inspired countless now famous directors, writers, FX and makeup guys to get into the business - to pick up his toys and go home.
Buy yourselves a round of drinks you asses!
The man deserves a standing ovation and a lot of thanks. Everyone (and I mean everyone) is going to make choices that people don't like. Lucas leaves the business a better place. His advancement in special effects has changed the business.
"I am your Father" was one of the greatest lines and story twists ever written. Watching ESB with my son a few years ago, I got a cold chill down my spine when my son with mouth wide open looked at me and said, "NO WAY!!"
Thank you for all of your work (even Howard the Duck) George Lucas.
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I would love to see what the Clone Wars team could do with Indiana Jones...
Even just a one off special, with Ford and Winstone chronicling their WW2 adventures, perhaps?