Saga Lucas Quotes and Interviews about the starwars saga.

Up, in case someone feels the need for some good Lucas quotes.



Star Wars is one
/LM

I just read a huge chunk of this, some I've come across before, but the best part for me was the Academy of Achievement interview - love it! Shows some of Lucas' ideas about society and so on and made me think a bit and feel sad for the fact we're so closed in our little worlds that we can't change in fear of being killed by the stampede. Thank you, Keeper_of_Swords!

You're welcome.


From this thread, http://boards.theforce.net/The_Phantom_Menace/b10007/17100226/?168 created by Sitara:


Quotes from the OT dvd commentary

" The Emporer wants Luke to kill Vader so that he will have a new young Jedi. Lets face it Vader is half mechanical and he is not half as good as he could be. He is not nearly as good as he was hoping Anakin would become because Anakin ends up in the suit. He is hoping he gets a new better apprentice in Luke. If he kills his father then he would take his place as an apprentice??.There are alot of things repeated in these movies. Fathers vs Sons."

George Lucas

Here's an article from TIME, back during AOTC's run in theaters in 2002:

Maybe George Lucas ought to get out more. For the past three years, as he ruled his multimedia empire from the palatial redoubt of Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, Calif., Lucas has dwelt in the lovely dream that his 1999 Star Wars movie, Episode I?The Phantom Menace, was universally loved. Lately, though, inquiring journalists have slapped him awake. "I'm getting my education now from the press," he says. "They come in and say, 'Wow. People hated your movie. What do you think about that?'"

That's what happens when the Wizard of Oz gives interviews. But Lucas' first Star Wars film in 16 years was the victim of its own mammoth hype, stoked by a quillion cover stories, including Time's, before anyone had seen the completed work?and by the worldwide audience's communal memory of Star Wars (1977) and its sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). If the Odyssey had enjoyed?or suffered?as much anticipatory fluffing as Phantom Menace did, some ancient Greeks would surely have muttered, "Homer's lost it." And the poet would have wearily defended himself, as Lucas does today.

He probably thinks it odd to be asked to justify a picture that earned $431 million at the North American box office, behind only Titanic, the original Star Wars and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial as an all-time top grosser. But the writer-producer-director-megamind?who in his spare time runs a film conglomerate that includes the Lucasfilm production outfit, the ILM visual-effects house and Skywalker Sound?says he was always aware of at least one Phantom risk: that Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi knight in training who would evolve into the sinister Darth Vader, was a kid. "I said, 'They're gonna hate this. They're gonna get really upset that I have a 9-year-old as the hero.' But what can I do? That's the story. I can't make him 15. The whole story is about where he came from, who is he? You had to start in the beginning."

Now, with Star Wars: Episode II?Attack of the Clones opening May 16, the Anakin fable gets to the middle, the meat, the real story. The past was prologue, a modest prequel, like Tolkien's The Hobbit to his epic Lord of the Rings saga. In Clones, Anakin (Canadian dish Hayden Christensen) is 20, a young man of superior skills and even higher ambitions, chafing under the stern tutelage of his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), and daring to risk his status in the Jedi Order, which forbids romantic attachments, by pursuing a reckless passion for Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). They parry with oily, possibly insidious Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and battle the Jedi rebel Dooku (Christopher Lee) and his droids with an army cloned from scurvy bounty hunter Jango Fett (Maori actor Temuera Morrison).

Lucas, who will turn 58 two days before the movie opens, is given to fretting; he even worried that Phantom Menace would tank at the b.o. "There's only one issue for a filmmaker," he says. "Will this make its money back so I can make the next one? With Phantom Menace, we didn't know. It didn't have Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher. It was not a slam dunk." Well, maybe, but even so, the new picture looks like Shaquille O'Neal standing three feet from the basket. Though it faces sticky competition from Spider-Man two weeks before?and, in weeks to come, from Men in Black II, Austin Powers in Goldmember and Steven Spielberg's Minority Report with Tom Cruise?Clones is the surest bet of the summer. Just in terms of mass appeal, the movie extends the franchise's target audience from 12-year-old boys (the action stuff) to 15-year-old girls (the smoochy scenes). If it works, Lucas has the Star Wars and Titanic markets in one package.

After seeing a rough cut of the film and reading the script, we can say that Clones seems poised to get the series back on track?and provide an exhilarating two hours of serious fun. It should easily ace the last movie in chills (when two icky centipedal creatures called "kouhuns" crawl

When was the interview with Connie Chung done, which aappears on page1 of this thread?

This is the greatest thread ever. Here lies the proof that Lucas changes his mind about everything, and even lies about some things.

Interesting article Jedi_Ford_Prefect


When was the interview with Connie Chung done, which appears on page1 of this thread?

I don?t know when exactly, but I think it would be around when Episode 2 was released or after because there?s written that there was a clip when Yoda says ?Begun the clone wars have,? before the interview.


Thanks Darth Ambitious. Glad you found the information useful.




From this thread:

http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=17969215&start=17971329

The 9/24/04 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Lucas addresses a lot of fans' main gripes:

GL:..."If you really look at it, there's hardly any changes at all. The thing that really caused the trouble on Star Wars is the whole question of whether Han Solo or Greedo shoots first. The way it got cobbled together at the time, it came off as [Han] fired first. He didn't fire first.

EW: So you consider this a correction?

GL: It's a correction. [When I made Star Wars] I said, 'Well, I don't have that shot, so I'll just, you know, fudge it editorially.' In my mind [Greedo]shot first or at the same time. We like to think of [Han Solo] as a murderer because that's hip- I don't think that's a good thing for people. I mean, I don't see how you could redeem somebody who kills people in cold blood."...

Great work! call me Buddah, now!

"I don't see how you could redeem somebody who kills people in cold blood."

...says the guy who redeemed Darth Vader.



Han Solo is so seventies
/LM

Darth_Ambitious: This is the greatest thread ever. Here lies the proof that Lucas changes his mind about everything, and even lies about some things.

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Here lies the proof that Lucas changes his mind about everything, and even lies about some things.

Yeah, like all artists and storytellers. Everyone makes it up as they go along, ultimately.

Darth_Ambitious: This is the greatest thread ever. Here lies the proof that Lucas changes his mind about everything, and even lies about some things.

All it means is that over a long period of time, he sees things differently or modifies his opinions. Most human beings do, it's called living. The difference is that the average person doesn't have their opinions printed in magazines and newspapers and come back to haunt them years later. D.A., if you had your opinions from 5, 10, 15 years ago recorded and then played back for you today, would you think and feel the same about everything? I seriously doubt it.

There are also a lot of examples of Lucas being quite consistent over the years. His descriptions of the prequels printed in STARLOG in 1983 are pretty much what the prequels became.

Most artists are creative thinkers and constantly view things from fresh points of view. That's a big part of what makes Lucas who he is.

Yeah, anyone is going to be prone to changing their minds.

I want to know where Darth_Ambitious is coming to the conclusion that Lucas is lying about this stuff.

From Starwars Vol. No 41 Nov/Dec 2002.

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Building a Better Paintbrush

George Lucas on Digital Filmmaking

A couple of weeks before the release of Attack of the Clones, George Lucas discussed digital technology and visual effects. Rather than revolutionary changes to filmmaking, he sees these processes simply as new tools for an old art.

?I like to use the example of fresco painting. You have four or five experts that are mixing colours exactly the same way every day so it dries exactly the same. You have to do your work before the plaster dries. You have to work inside where it?s dark, using candles to light your work. It?s a very hard medium to work in.

?When they invented oil painting, you could go outside, you could be in the sunlight, you could see the sun across the trees. You could change your mind. You could mix different colours ? you didn?t need a lot of people behind you to help you do it. It really changed everything for the artist at that point.

?The Impressionism movement would have been very hard to have happen inside doing frescoes. But because artists could be outside, they see things differently, they get new ideas, as they move forward.

?For most people, if you put this film up against any other film, it just looks [the same.] But?it was infinitely easier. I could go a lot further. Using the technology I had in the first trilogy, I could never have done these films. Ever, I couldn?t even think about it.

From Starwars Vol. No 54 Jan/Feb 2005.

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George Lucas on Revenge of the Sith

Just before the title reveal in San Diego, starwars.com had a chance to talk to George Lucas about the title and pose the question on the minds of many not ?in the know:? just who are the Sith?

?The Sith are the arch-enemies of the Jedi,? George Lucas explained, ?and for a long time, they ruled the universe until the Jedi came a long and got rid of them. The Sith characters in the previous Star Wars films were Darth Vader and the other apprentices ? Darth Maul from Episode 1 and Count Dooku or Darth Tyrannus, from Episode 2, and the soon to-be released Episode 3. The evil master Sith in all of the films is Darth Sidious, who becomes Emperor of the Universe.?

George Lucas? desk

Darth_Ambitious: " This is the greatest thread ever. Here lies the proof that Lucas changes his mind about everything, and even lies about some things. "



Evolving, refining, reassessing, and/or changing your thoughts over the course of thirty plus years is about the most natural thing that any normal, non-psychotic person would or will go through. Id be much more worried about an individual who DOESNT change ever.

Along with his friend and occasional collaborator Steven Spielberg, George Lucas was the key figure behind the American film industry's evolution (or, according to most critics, de-evolution) from cinema to spectacle during the late '70s. The mastermind behind two of the most lucrative franchises in history -- Star Wars and the Indiana Jones features, respectively -- Lucas redefined the concept of the Hollywood motion picture, shifting the focus of film away from acting and personal storytelling to special effects, production design, and rapid-fire action. Remaining at all times on the cutting edge of merchandising and technology, he forever altered the ways in which movies are perceived by audiences and studios alike.

Born May 14, 1944, in Modesto, CA, George Walton Lucas Jr.'s first love was not filmmaking, but auto racing. Only a serious wreck forced him out of the sport, and he eventually enrolled in the University of Southern California's famed film school program. There his experimental short subject THX 1138 won a number of awards and helped earn him an internship at Warner Bros. studios, where he worked as a production assistant on fellow U.S.C. alum Francis Ford Coppola's 1969 effort The Rain People. After working on the Al and David Maysles brothers' 1970 Rolling Stones documentary Gimme Shelter, Lucas (with Coppola's financial assistance) mounted a feature-length remake of THX 1138. The end result, starring Robert Duvall, won rave reviews, and swiftly established itself as a major cult favorite.

The success of THX 1138 brought Lucas to the attention of Universal Studios, which agreed to finance 1973's nostalgic American Graffiti, a superb reminiscence on early-'60s America which launched the motion-picture careers of talents including Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Harrison Ford. Even more important was the film's soundtrack, a collection of vintage rock & roll hits which became an immediate best-seller and established the formula for movie soundtracks for decades to come. Shot on a miniscule budget, American Graffiti grossed over 145 million dollars, and earned a number of Academy Award nominations including nods for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Suddenly, Lucas was a major Hollywood player, and he was given much greater latitude and support in developing his next project.

That next project proved to be 1977's Star Wars, one of the most important and successful films in Hollywood history. A space opera inspired by the writings of Joseph Campbell (as well as, in no small part, Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress), it incorporated elements of mythology and religion to create a self-contained universe populated by larger-than-life characters in extraordinary situations, all achieved with the latest in cutting-edge technology. Made for just under ten million dollars, Star Wars grossed over 400 million dollars globally on just its initial run alone, creating a cottage industry of toys, comic books, and other collectibles and establishing science fiction as Hollywood's dominant genre. On the down side, it effectively ended a renaissance in American filmmaking, shifting the focus away from the personal, character-driven films of directors like Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Robert Altman to action-packed, special effects-powered events.

The overwhelming success of Star Wars did more than simply alter the kinds of films the studios looked to produce, however; it also forever changed the way films were made. The most notable aspect of the picture's storytelling was its breakneck pacing, edited by Lucas himself in tandem with his wife. Seemingly no film had ever moved so quickly, and its overwhelming success proved not only that a generation weaned on the rapid pace of television could easily absorb such an onslaught of image and sound, but that this was the kind of narrative they wanted to see on a regular basis. Studios scrambled to develop their own sci-fi projects, while Lucas himself turned to studying the pioneering special effects work of innovators like Willis O'Brien and Linwood

George Lucas Declares 'Star Wars' Over After 'Revenge Of The Sith'

Director says he never intended to make nine-episode series.


Don't expect any more "Star Wars" flicks after "Revenge of the Sith" ? George Lucas says he's done.

"This was never planned as a nine-episode work," Lucas said. "The media [pounced when] I made an offhand comment, 'It might be fun to
come back when everyone's 80 and do another one of these.' But I never had any intention of doing that."

Lucas said he only decided to do the back-story trilogy ? which "Sith," due next May, will cap ? because he realized he had already written it in order to tell the story in the first "Star Wars" films. "The original 'Star Wars' was only three films, and that was what it was meant to be," he said. "After a lot of pondering and thought, I went back to do the back story, but that pretty much tells the story. Episode six is the end. There isn't any more to it."

"Sith" may mark the end on an emotional level, too. "All the good guys die," he said, laughing. "And you know, it's pretty dark. It's pretty intense. I'm not sure this one is going to end up a PG like the others were."

That apparently doesn't have so much to do with actual violence ? like previous "Star Wars" films, this one will have lots of battles and space action ? as with what happens to Padme and the children borne from her union with Anakin Skywalker following their escape and separation. "It's a happy story," Lucas joked.

Despite the special-effects advances made since "Star Wars" premiered in 1977, Lucas doesn't feel threatened by films such as the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, nor does he feel the need to up the ante. Because of its legacy and consistent quality, his company Industrial Light and Magic really has no special-effects competition ? not even Peter Jackson's WETA Digital.

"My company, we sort of pioneered special effects," Lucas said. "We're responsible for the rebirth of special effects in the film business. It disappeared back in the late '50s and early '60s, so we put together a group of kids, started it all over again, and eventually moved into digital. We've been pushing digital techniques and that sort of thing ever since, and we helped populate the special-effects industry as it is today. A lot of supervisors at all the other special-effects companies are from my lab. We even helped set up WETA in New Zealand, and have supported them with advice and that sort of thing."

Having accomplished so much on a blockbuster scale, Lucas said that after "Revenge of the Sith" and his upcoming fourth "Indiana Jones" installment (which he hopes to start shooting within a year), he'd like to return to indie-style movies like his 1971 debut, "THX 1138," which returns to theaters Friday (September 10) with a new director's cut.

"I think I've earned the right to fail," he said.

After Snuffing Hundreds Of Stormtroopers, George Lucas Looks To The Future

A film and TV show will follow 'Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,' but that fourth 'Indiana Jones' movie will have to wait.

After 30 years, six movies, hundreds of dead stormtroopers and an unfathomable number of zeros tacked on to the end of his bank-account balance, George Lucas is finally ready to put "Star Wars" to bed. At Sunday's Vanity Fair Oscar party, the
60-year-old science-fiction legend insisted that he couldn't be happier.

"It'll be nice to get things finished," Lucas said while standing on the red carpet (see "The Oscars Party: An Inside Look"). As "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" prepares to hyperdrive into theaters on May 19, the mind behind the franchise that boasts four of the 25 highest-grossing domestic movies of all time is putting the finishing touches on the installment he claims will be the last in the series (see "George Lucas Declares 'Star Wars' Over After 'Revenge Of The Sith' ").

"The film is finished, basically," reported Lucas. "We just finished the music last week, and I'm going to mix it next week. In a month, it will be pretty much finished."

Last month, Vanity Fair magazine promoted Lucas' upcoming release via an Annie Leibovitz photo spread that featured the writer/director/producer posing with stars and characters from all six films. These days, any question about Jar Jar, Midi-Chlorians or Greedo shooting first might mark the last time he has to address such geek-boy concerns. Lucas insists that he hasn't had to face those tearful final moments yet, but expects them to come along soon enough.

"I'm just chugging along like I normally am," he said. "We're getting very close now, but we're still working away like crazy. It's hard to stand up, breathe and realize it's all coming to an end."

Working in the present to put the past behind him, Lucas is keeping his energy level up by looking toward the future. "I'm going to produce a film called 'Red Tails,' about black fighter pilots during World War II," he said. "I'm going to produce a couple TV shows, then I'll think about when I'll direct again."

Oh, yes, there is one other project on the man's calendar: something involving an archeologist adventurer with a predilection for whips and fedora hats. "We're working on scripts," Lucas says of a fourth "Indiana Jones" adventure, "but we're not going to do it until we get a script we're happy with."

Interviewed earlier this month on the set of his upcoming "War of the Worlds" (see "Set Visit: 'War Of The Worlds' "), Steven Spielberg claimed he had been prepared to pursue the long-awaited "Indy" sequel before "Worlds," but was forced to change his plans when Lucas put the project on hold. "We go through the whole development process all the time," Spielberg said, "and sometimes you're really intent to make a picture, like I was with 'Indy 4,' in which case my producer didn't like the script as much as I did. My intention was to make 'Indy 4' a year-and-a-half ago ? it didn't work out, and now I'm hoping to make it a year-and-a-half from now, maybe less."

Lucas, while eager to reunite with Spielberg and star Harrison Ford, said that the group will continue to wait as long as it takes to shoot a film worthy of the name "Indiana Jones." But he's vague when asked for the plot points that the script he's got in mind will contain: "A movie that moves forward, is entertaining, and has an interesting story to tell."

Film Review Starwars Special pg 14-18 (Special #56)

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As interesting as the "Film Review Star Wars Special" article was, it's one of the worst copyedited pieces I think I've ever seen.

Thanks to Keeper_of_Swords for posting it, though.

You?re welcome QUI-DON-JINN


From theforce.net:

George Lucas Appears at Celebration


George Lucas

C3: George Lucas Appears at Celebration

Posted By Scott on April 23, 2005
by Joshua Griffin, TFN

(You can check out photos from the presentation in our Celebration 3 photo gallery)

A COLD START

9,000 people spent the night outside. That doesn't sound like such a big deal if you're in Southern California, but here in Indiana that is no small feat.

Despite the pouring rain and 40 degree weather (not counting windchill), a sold out crowd waited faithfully to be one of the few, the proud that got to see Lucas with their own eyes.

The presentation was great, but my hat is off to the fans that endured the weather. These were the hardcore of the hardcore fans. Pouring rain, police disbanding the line, intense cold, biting wind and frustration with volunteers didn't discourage them from this once in a lifetime opportunity.

A WARM GREETING

George Lucas entered to thunderous applause that lasted for several minutes. The fans stood to their feet to honor the writer/director of their favorite science fiction franchise. The Flanneled One lived up to his name, wearing a blue plaid Marin flannel and blue jeans.

The host, Jay Laga'aia did an adequate job of keeping the conversation moving, but was obviously upstaged by Lucas. Even McCallum, a normal celebrity producer, was a footnote in the morning's events.

THE TALK

The talk started with a short bio video with hilarious clips of him clowning around on the set. The fan favorite was him with a lightsaber through his neck, and another where he was being painted blue. Then there was a short introduction of Lucas by his children. Lucas talked a bit about how much Star Wars means to fans and how excited he was by everyone that is in attendance today.

George was excited about the fact that "it is finished" and the thirty year journey is now complete. "It has been a rewarding experience," he said, amazed by the passion of fans around the world.

Several fan questions asked about the origin of the movies, discussing the scripts movement from Anakin to Luke, the original story being Anakin and his two children. The space battle was the beginning of all things Star Wars in his mind.

THE FUTURE OF STAR WARS

He said there were plans to revamp Star Tours, and how those discussion started with Episode I. He said there were several great things planned, and some awesome ideas.

He also talked about the TV Series! Lucasfilm is now going to move into television. The first series is 3-D animation, a regular series that will last 1/2 hour per episode. He's also working on a spinoff TV series for characters that have appeared in the films. It will be live-action, and based on what he called a "really great idea." They will not started shooting for about a year, and it will be structured much like Young Indy.

They will shoot the first year all at once, which also means writing the script all at once. He will "get it started" then hand it off to others to carry on.

When asked if was Episode III everything that you wanted it to be? "Yes, it is." Everyone has their own opinions about the films, and he has been happy with all of the films. "Not six separate movies, one big movie." Like a mini-series, he suggested. "They all build on top of each other, you will see things in 4,5,6 that make more sense no after you've seen Episode III."

Then he joked with Jay Laga'aia about being a clonetrooper, even though Jay actually appeared as Captian Typho in the film. Hey - we all get things wrong! Lucas also noted that about 3,000 clonetroopers appear in the last film.

It was a great time - terribly short - but really a unique opportunity to see the man behind it all, George Lucas.

So.......much.......information.......can't....read...........

Keeper_of_Swords, this is absolutely incredible. You have just made Star Wars better than it ever was for me (believe me, it was already very good). Lucas is a genius.

Thank you Philosopher1701

From http://www.yodajeff.com/people/lucas/ :

George Lucas
George Lucas is the creator of Star Wars. He wrote the scripts with all of Yoda's lines, and he had the final say on what Yoda looked like and how Yoda acted. The following are all quotes from George Lucas that relate to Yoda.

"When Star Wars became a hit and I had a chance to make the other movies, I had to figure out a way to bring Ben back, but a lot of the issues he had to deal with were carried by Yoda. In a sense, I combined Yoda with the spirit of Ben. I wanted Ben to have some kind of influence, but I didn't want it to be a direct influence where he could help Luke. So Ben has managed to keep his identity after he became one with the Force. One of the things he was doing on Tatooine besides watching over Luke was learning how to keep his identity after he became part of the Force."
- George Lucas

Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays
"One of the things that will never get explained in the films is how Ben was able to retain his identity, because it happened somewhere between the third and fourth movies. I set up that this is a discipline that he learned from Yoda; Yoda told him how to do that."
- George Lucas
1997

Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays
I wanted Yoda to be the traditional kind of character you find in fairy tales and mythology. And that character is usually a frog or a wizened old man on the side of the road. The hero is going down the road and meets this poor and insignificant person. The goal or lesson is for the hero to learn to respect everybody and to pay attention to the poorest person because that's where the key to his success will be."
- George Lucas

Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays
"I felt that one of the major issues in the third film is that Luke is finally on his own and has to fight Vader and the Emperor by himself. If you get a sense that Yoda or Ben is there to help him or to somehow influence him, it diminishes the power of the scene."
- George Lucas