George Lucas Can’t Give His $1.5 Billion Museum Away
What does the creator of Star Wars have to do to get a little gratitude?
“I’ve been ready to retire for a few years,” George Lucas said. “The idea of going out and doing another Star Wars is something I’m not that crazy about. You know, it’s very consuming.” It was January 2013, and the creator of one of the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time was talking to this magazine about his decision to sell his company, Lucasfilm, to Walt Disney for $4 billion.
Lucas, who was then 68, said he was tired of critics and fans who believed he’d mishandled the Star Wars saga over the years—especially a second trilogy, known as “the prequels,” which were scorned for lacking charm and thrills. “I’ll be kind of happy to leave a lot of that criticism and personal attacks behind,” he said. “I didn’t sign up to be a politician.” He vowed to spend his final years puttering around with his camera, making experimental films that might never appear in theaters or expose him to the barbs of cineastes who think his last good movie came out in 1983.(read)
