George Lucas’ Comments on The Last Jedi Were Limited
The Last Jedi Trivia:
Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi was easily the most divisive installment of the sequel trilogy. However, George Lucas was more positive about the 2017 film, even if his comments were more limited. One of the filmmaker’s representatives saidLucas thought The Last Jedi was “beautifully made”; he even went so far as to have a conversation with Johnson, the film’s writer and director. It should be noted, however, that Lucas himself hasn’t spoken publicly about the movie.
Lucas’s apparently positive thoughts on The Last Jedi were not shared by many members of the Star Wars fanbase. The film heavily divided critics and audiences. The former heavily praised The Last Jedi and the latter claimed it had ruined the entire franchise. Rian Johnson’s signature style rubbed many fans the wrong way as he actively subverted the tropes that audiences had come to expect from a Star Wars movie. Perhaps the biggest point of contention, however, was the handling of Luke Skywalker’s character. Many viewers, including Mark Hamill himself, claimed that The Last Jedi woefully misrepresented the hero of the Original Trilogy.
George Lucas Hasn’t Spoken Publicly About The Rise of Skywalker
The Rise of Skywalker Trivia:
George Lucas hasn’t given any public statements — not even through his representatives — about the final entry in the sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker. Directed by JJ Abrams, the 2019 film is the worst-reviewed live-action entry in the Star Wars franchise since Lucas’ The Phantom Menace.
However, one thing that stands out is The Rise of Skywalker contradicts Lucas’ position on the status of Palpatine following the events of Return of the Jedi. According to actor Ian McDiarmid, Lucas believed the Emperor was “absolutely dead.” In contrast, The Rise of Skywalker revealed Palpatine not only survived the destruction of Death Star II but also orchestrated the events of the sequel trilogy. Though Lucas hasn’t publicly spoken about the film, the fanbase has been decidedly split on The Rise of Skywalker ever since its release in 2019.
How George Lucas’ View of the Sequels Differs From the Disney+ Shows
Star Wars Trivia:
The next Star Wars film will be The Mandalorian & Grogu, which has a release date of May 22, 2026.
George Lucas has admitted that selling Lucasfilm was a painful experience. As part of the $4.05 billion agreement, Disney wasn’t obligated to use Lucas’ story treatments for his proposed Star Wars sequels, and it ultimately didn’t. He may not have had the highest praise for Disney’s finished products, but it’s easy to understand why. Spending almost 40 years developing the saga and then seeing it completed differently by someone else must have been difficult.
But not everything is as bad as it seems. Lucas reportedly was “very complimentary” about The Mandalorian, despite his initial concern about Grogu. He even visited the set of the Disney+ series. While Lucas no longer has a say in the franchise’s direction, the father of Star Wars can now easily sit back and enjoy his creation as a viewer and, most importantly, as a fan.
