George Lucas Opens Up About Moving On From ‘Star Wars’

George Lucas, the legendary creator of Star Wars, recently spoke with the Wall Street Journal about his current work and his thoughts on the iconic franchise.

The interview focused on his new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, but questions about Star Wars naturally came up.

When asked if he has “let go” of the series, Lucas said, “Disney took it over and they gave it their vision. That’s what happens. Of course, I’ve moved past it. I mean, I’ve got a life. I’m building a museum. A museum is harder than making movies.”

His comments suggest he has accepted Disney’s direction for the franchise and is ready to focus on new challenges.

Star Wars changed Hollywood in major ways. It introduced state-of-the-art special effects, created the summer blockbuster model, and showed that merchandise could earn more money than the films themselves. The franchise also popularized the film trilogy format and shifted storytelling toward large-scale, effects-driven spectacles.

On October 30, 2012, Disney bought Lucasfilm, the company founded by Lucas, for $4.05 billion. This gave Disney control over all existing Star Wars films, the rights to produce new movies and shows, and other Lucasfilm properties like Indiana Jones and Industrial Light & Magic. Since the acquisition, Disney has released new Star Wars films, TV shows, and theme park attractions.

However, many of these projects have not reached the same level of success or cultural impact as the original films.

Lucas seems focused on the museum, a project he describes as more challenging than making movies. It will celebrate narrative art and storytelling, giving him a fresh creative outlet beyond Star Wars.

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