GEORGE LUCAS AND KATHLEEN KENNEDY ON THE FUTURE ON "STAR WARS"
On October 19, 2012, as the public announcement about the future of Lucasfilm and "Star Wars" approached, George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy sat down with Lynne Hale, Senior Director of Public Relations for Lucasfilm, to discuss the news that the Walt Disney Company entered an agreement to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd., and that there would be three new "Star Wars" films. Star Wars Insider has the print exclusive…
George Lucas: I always said I wasn't going to do any more... and that's true, because I'm not going to do them. But that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathleen [Kennedy] to do more. I have story treatments of "Episodes VII," "VIII" and "IX" and a bunch of other movies, and obviously we have hundreds of books and comics, and everything you could possibly imagine. I moved that treasure trove of stories and various things to Kathleen and I have complete confidence that she's going to take them and make great movies.
It's the same philosophy behind "Indiana Jones." I came up with "Indiana Jones." I would take it to my friends. I'd say, "This is a fantastic movie! It's gonna be great, but I don't want to make it. I just want to go see it. I don't want to have do the work part." Steven Spielberg jumped on it immediately and said, "I'll do that movie." It's the same thing. I wanted to see that movie, but I don't want to go through the drudgery of actually making it. So now I'm taking the difficult part of "Star Wars" and I'm turning it over to Kathleen, and I look forward to being like a regular audience member, and seeing it for the first time and saying, "Oh, my God!" The one thing I missed in life is that I never got to see "Star Wars." I never got that moment where I walked into a theater and was blown away, because I already knew it was nothing but heartache and problems. Which is always the way it is for a filmmaker. They never see the movie; they only see the process of what they had to go through. Maybe this will give me the chance to actually walk in and be surprised. I'm going from being the creator to a fan. I get to be a fan, now. I look forward to it. It's a lot more fun than actually having to go out in the mud and the snow.
Kathleen Kennedy: You can actually blog about what we're doing, and how we're messing things up.
Lucas: No, no, no. I'm just saying, "Gosh, they're out in the snow, and it's cold, and I know they're having a very difficult time. But that's what they like to do!"
What advice do you have for Kathleen as she starts these films?
Lucas: Good luck. (Laughter). No, I don't have to give Kathleen advice. She knows what to do. She knows better than I do. That's the best part about this is that it's not somebody who I have to explain anything to. I mean, I can tell you the mythology. That's all my job is, is to be the keeper of the flame, and just make sure that it's consistent.
Kennedy: I like to think as we move forward that the fans are on board, they help us, they support what it is we're trying to do. The main thing is to protect these characters and that they still continue to live in the way that George created them. And that the universe of "Star Wars" continues to grow in ways they can get excited about. Everybody involved in trying to create these films are fans, too. And that is what we want to try to protect.
Check out the rest of this interview with George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy in issue #138 of Star Wars Insider, hits print and digital newsstands today in the U.S. and December 20 in the U.K.!
Star Wars Insider #138 also features a never-before-published interview with Harrison Ford, the ever-popular author Timothy Zahn discussing his latest novel "Scoundrels!," and Boba Fett actor Jeremy Bulloch chooses his favorite aspects of the "Star Wars" saga. Plus, we've got the ultimate "Star Wars" gift guide with "Angry Birds Star Wars," the coolest Hasbro toys and the most exclusive collectibles just in time for the holidays!
To find out more visit www.titanmagazines.com/insider
