It’s been over a decade since Star Wars creator George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company, but we now know his thoughts on one of its most maligned projects since purchasing the franchise.
Lucas famously served as the executive producer for the original trilogy and prequel trilogy, as well as writing five installments and directing four. However, he hasn’t always been positive about handing over the reins of Star Wars to Disney.
Shortly after the release of Disney’s first project in a galaxy far, far away – Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) – Lucas revealed that creative differences had emerged between him and Disney during the film’s production, where he initially served as a consultant.
“They wanted to do a retro movie,” the Star Wars legend said in a PBS interview. “I don’t like that. They weren’t that keen to have me involved anyway, but if I get in there, I’m just going to cause trouble because they’re not going to do what I want them to do.”
He added: “I don’t have the control to do that anymore, and all I would do is muck everything up. And so I said, ‘OK, I will go my way, and I’ll let them go their way.”
It was subsequently assumed that Lucas wasn’t the biggest fan of the sequel trilogy (neither were plenty of fans, with the last installment, Star Wars: Episode IX – Rise of Skywalker (2019), drawing particular ire). However, it’s now been revealed that Lucas isn’t totally against Disney’s work in the sandbox he created.
George Lucas’ Favorite Disney-Era ‘Star Wars’ Project
In an appearance on the Full of Sith podcast, Pablo Hidalgo – a Lucasfilm creative executive who has been dubbed the studio’s “Star Wars lore advisor” – confirmed that George Lucas is a big fan of the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
“Early on there was a conversation had with George [Lucas] over what his thoughts were, and whether or not, honestly, he bought the whole concept, and he was one hundred percent supportive,” Hidalgo said. “And I’ve heard tell it’s one of his favorite things that’s come out of Star Wars.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi picked up where Lucas’ last Star Wars film, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), left off. The former Jedi (once again played by Ewan McGregor) is tasked with protecting a young Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) while facing a reunion with his former Padawan, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who is now Darth Vader.
Notably, the show proved controversial among diehard prequel fans, with some feeling like it strayed too far from the tone of the prequels and criticizing the quality of the writing and storyline. A common criticism was that the story would’ve been much better suited to a movie format rather than a limited series. There was, however, extensive praise for the reunion between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.
This marked the third time a Disney Star Wars project has received the public stamp of approval from Lucas. He previously commented that he thought Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) was “beautifully made.” According to Tony Gilroy – who rewrote the script for Rogue One (2016) – he was also a fan of the standalone Star Wars film.
“George Lucas called me after Rogue, I had a 45-minute conversation with him after he saw Rogue, and that’s the only time I’ve ever spoken to him,” Gilroy told Deadline. “He loved it. He really did. He had a lot of things to say that I… It was like a call from the president.”
This latest rare endorsement from Lucas comes amid rumors that he could, in fact, return to the Star Wars franchise.
Will George Lucas Return to the ‘Star Wars’ Franchise?
In 2024, Roger Christian – who won an Academy Award for his work as a set director on Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and also worked as a second unit director alongside Lucas on Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – confirmed that he’d heard Lucas is returning for a brand-new Star Wars project.
“I think he’s coming back, you know, I’m pretty sure now that he’s doing a series,” he told YouTuber Star Wars Theory. “I think that they’re now bringing him into the fold. From what I hear, ’cause there’s a Star Wars live-action series coming.”
Exciting though this rumor may be, we’d take it with a grain of salt. Lucas has previously made it very clear that he’s done with Star Wars and defined it as a “breakup.” While he admitted he has more stories left to tell, he added, “I am 70. And I don’t know whether I’ll be here when I’m 80. You know, every 10 years, the odds get less.”
Now that he’s 81 years old, the odds of Lucas jumping back into the Star Wars universe seem extremely slim. There has also been no update since Christian made the comment, which would suggest he was mistaken in his belief that Lucas was returning. However, considering that we live in a world where Darth Jar-Jar is officially a thing, anything can happen.
What’s your favorite Disney Star Wars project? Let us know in the comments!
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