So begins each movie in a franchise which is one of the top in box office receipts ever and which, should you add in merchandising, spin-offs, books, comics, and so on is easily the greatest media property of all time.
Star Wars. These movies are what inspired me to move to Hollywood, to break out of a city which for me might as well have been a moisture farm (the protagonist's residence at the beginning of Episode IV: A New Hope, the first taste of what would become the most popular galaxy you'll never visit). These movies inspired plenty of young filmmakers, geeks, and media men. And the company founded by its Director/Producer George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd., just sold to Disney for $4.05 billion dollars with a new Star Wars trilogy now in development. But how did this happen? I mean, shit, did this really all come from some sci-fi movie about robots and space ships?
The answer, simply, is no.
Star Wars is nothing less than the the fanciest telling of the most basic and archetypal story known to man, the story that is the basis of all men's ambitions, of all desires - that is, Star Wars is an epic grounded in the eternal plotline known as the hero's journey.
And in true life imitating art, it's only appropriate that this square from Modesto, a farmy nowhere probably now best known as being the home of George Lucas in the Salinas valley, should pursue his vision of a world that's technologically futuristic but socially and economically borderline medieval (notice there is no branding, no real commerce, no Nikes?) to a $4 billion dollar payday. He's Luke Skywalker. He's a goddamn Horatio Alger story.
And right now, more than ever the world needs Star Wars. It's the ultimate story of right and wrong, of good defeating evil, of the farmboy who comes to power by leaving his hinterland roots behind and taking down an evil galactic empire because he's the diamond in the rough, the chosen one with the power. He doesn't even know what he has until fate takes over and he attains the greatness for which he was destined.
Right now George Lucas must be looking back on that with more than a few tears in his eyes because, Jesus, what kind of man writes his own story? At $4B dollars, he's possibly the wealthiest man in Hollywood (Hollywood has a lot of millionaires but the billionaires list is decidedly shorter - Lucas, Spielberg, Cameron, a couple suits, Oprah) and his name alone can get almost any project red-lit. He's considered a Godfather of modern special effects and modern sound which is why many projects are edited for picture and sound at Skywalker Ranch via either his company Skywalker Sound or his Industrial Light and Magic (both included in the price.) Wonder why they call that certain sound mastering THX sound? Because he invented it, named it after the movie he made in college THX-1138 starring Bobby Duvall as a cyborg or something.
One night you might've been a little blazed and found yourself watching STAR WARS:CLONE WARS ; just know that what you're watching is borderline historic. Why? Because Lucas eschews the sometimes meddlesome Hollywood unions and produces his whole series in-house as a self-contained entity. He doesn't need network money to help make it and as such he gets around any professional regulation. He also then gets all profits when he sells it to series. But in essence, he makes television like nobody else has the money, clout, and ability to do.
And then of course there's the oft-quoted fact that he accepted less money upfront for all merchandising rights on Star Wars - only to find Star Wars toys and memorabilia to be a multi-billion dollar industry. Hell, I spent hundreds of dollars I didn't have on Star Wars toys growing up and for some reason I can't explain I could never get enough.
Hell, this sale to Disney is just icing on the cake. And as it is he's had his Star Tours rides at Disney for decades. With the braintrust at the mouse house, Star Wars might actually be in better hands than Lucas, whose newest prequels showed a rusty scribe who's lost his ability to control and execute a smooth story arc. The idea that he's stepping away and allowing it to live beyond him is an act of grace and confidence that few auteurs could achieve. Perhaps he's never received an Oscar but what that does is simply point out how off that Academy can be sometimes. I mean c'mon, was NO COUNTRY really better than THERE WILL BE BLOOD?
In the end, really to a certain extent what men are ambitious for is legacy, immortality through our accomplishments and what we've left behind. And while for some that means a nice family, a bunch of money, or a career of successes (and incidentally, yes, he has all of that), to leave behind a whole galaxy - hell a whole universe that's been inspirational to thousands if not millions of creators - that's what most men can only dream of.
So Mr. Lucas, congratulations. Enjoy retirement - I hear you could buy the nation of Greece for cheap. Hopefully episodes 7, 8, and 9 won't suck.
- Ryan
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