What Has George Lucas Really Said About Disney Star Wars?

Summary

• Lucas didn’t like the lack of originality in
  The Force Awakens
  . He wanted it to push boundaries and add new elements.
• Lucas thought
  The Last Jedi
  was beautifully made. He didn’t comment on the story, direction, or characters.
• Lucas reportedly loved
  Rogue One
  . Gareth Edwards stated that he could
  “die happy”
  after hearing Lucas’ review.

After creating and overseeing Star Wars for nearly four decades, George Lucas sold the franchise to Disney in 2012, and his reactions to their various movies and TV shows have been mixed. It makes sense for the creator of Star Wars to have strong opinions on how his saga has been handled in his absence, especially regarding projects that did something different than he would have. Lucas has expressed disappointment in some Disney Star Wars projects while offering praise and encouragement to others, though he had not really said as much as one would think.

While many fans and critics use Lucas’ vision to defend or attack Disney Star Wars, this is sometimes based on assumptions rather than evidence. It’s easy for fans to see a Disney Star Wars project repeat what Lucas did and assume that he loved it, or for Disney to do something radically different and believe that he must have hated it. However, Lucas’ opinions – or lack thereof – on recent Star Wars movies and TV shows may surprise viewers. As the franchise expands through multiple cinematic adventures, it’s important to know what Lucas has actually said about Disney Star Wars.

George Lucas Wasn’t A Fan Of The Force Awakens

He felt the movie didn’t bring enough new to the table

Disney’s first Star Wars movie may have received an overwhelmingly positive reaction upon release, but Lucas was decidedly unimpressed. He was very vocal about his criticism, with Disney CEO Bob Iger noting how he “…didn’t hide his disappointment…” after a private screening. Lucas’ biggest gripe with The Force Awakens was its lack of originality, failing to add new elements or push the boundaries of filmmaking technology:

‘There’s nothing new,’ he said. In each of the films in the original trilogy, it was important to him to present new worlds, new stories, new characters, and new technologies. In this one, he said, ‘There weren’t enough visual or technical leaps forward.'”

He was also upset that Disney chose not to use the treatments he had written for the sequels and that they wanted “… to make something for the fans.” Rather than making a fuss or trying to work alongside the filmmakers, Lucas opted to let Disney do their own thing with Star Wars, as they “…weren’t that keen to have me involved anyway.” Lucas did believe that fans would love the movie before it came out, which proved to be true, even if he wasn’t one of them.

George Lucas Thought The Last Jedi Was “Beautifully Made”

Lucas has always appreciated good visuals in filmmaking

Star Wars: The Last Jedi was and remains the most divisive Star Wars movie of all time, but rather than jump on the hate bandwagon, Lucas surprisingly had something positive to say. However, his one comment was brief and not a direct quote, with one of his representatives, Connie Wethington, saying that Lucas thought it was “beautifully made.” It makes sense for Lucas, a highly visual filmmaker, to appreciate The Last Jedi in this regard, as even its harshest critics admit that it looks incredible. Of course, this doesn’t reveal what Lucas thought about the story, direction, or characters.

Lucas’ thoughts on
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
are unknown, though he was absent from the premiere.

George Lucas Had A Lot Of Thoughts About Rogue One

His reaction was apparently very positive

Another Disney Star Wars movie with a positive word from Lucas was Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Like The Last Jedi, there were no quotes from Lucas directly, but Rogue One director Gareth Edwards had a phone call with Lucas after he had seen the movie. Edwards said that while he didn’t “… want to put words into his mouth…”, Lucas’ reaction to Rogue One meant that he could “…die happy now.” The director didn’t go into more detail but insisted that Lucas “really liked the movie” and that his review was more important than anyone else’s.

George Lucas Reportedly Loved Obi-Wan Kenobi

A show that paid homage to the prequels rather than criticizing them

Most of Lucas’ public opinions of Disney Star Wars are about the movies, though his thoughts on the Obi-Wan Kenobi series have also been revealed. According to Lucasfilm creative executive Pablo Hidalgo, Lucas thoroughly enjoyed Obi-Wan Kenobi, claiming it was “…one of his favorite things that’s come out of Star Wars.” Hidalgo further elaborated that Lucas recognized “… much of what he did in the prequels…” and how they were “…celebrated in a way that I’m sure surprised him.” While Goerge Lucas hasn’t hidden his disappointment with much of Disney Star Wars, it seems recent projects can still win him over.