Star Wars is a franchise that has been entertaining audiences since the late 1970s. Created by George Lucas, the first movie, Episode IV: A New Hope starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford in the lead, went on to gain massive success. The sci-fi genre found a new home in a galaxy far, far away, and fans clamored to their nearest theatres to enjoy an experience like never before.
After the original trilogy, which ran from 1977 to 1983, Lucas came back with the prequel trilogy, which he wrote and directed himself after a 22-year hiatus.
It started with Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which came out in 1999, but this time with a different set of actors. Although the idea for the prequel trilogy had already formed in the creator’s mind before the trilogy was even released, he only revived it after the CGI had advanced to the level that he needed for the films.
George Lucas Did Not Compromise on His Ideas to Make it More Marketable
When the prequel trilogy was released, the movies received mixed reviews in comparison to the classic trilogy. Even with Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, and quite a few other remarkable talents added to the mix, the movies failed to make a connection with the audience as well as the original movies. Add to the fact that the age of the male and female lead characters was definitely not what most (or anyone) had expected. Things were a bit difficult to maneuver.
When asked if he made any changes to the original idea to cater to his intended audience, George Lucas denied any such thing, claiming he kept things the way they were, and did not give in to the allure of making things more marketable. Speaking to Empire in 1999, Lucas shared:
“I kept it as it was originally intended. You can’t play too much to the marketplace. It’s the same thing with the fans. The fans’ expectations had gotten way high and they wanted a film that was going to change their lives and be the Second Coming. You know, I can’t do that, it’s just a movie. And I can’t say, now I gotta market it to a whole different audience. I tell the story.”
He knew that the story had to be his, and presented the way he wanted to. It could not become what the fans wanted as that would be a compromise on his part, something he wasn’t ready for.
George Lucas Refused to Change Padmè and Anakin’s Characteristics in The Phantom Menace
In the same interview, Lucas said that had he changed the ages for Padmè and Anakin, things would have probably worked in his favor for the better. But that would have changed the original idea that he had for the story. And he was not ready to compromise on just to make it more marketable.
“I knew if I’d made Anakin 15 instead of 9, then it would have been more marketable. If I’d made the Queen 18 instead of 14, then it would have been more marketable. But that isn’t the story.
It is important that he be young, that he be at an age where leaving his mother is more of a drama than it would have been at 15. So you just have to do what’s right for the movie, not what’s right for the market.”
Whatever story he showed was how they were supposed to exist. And Lucas had to do right by that story to keep it as authentic as possible, and not drown in crunching numbers.
While the prequel trilogy failed to reach the critical success of the classics, in terms of box office, they did just as good, if not better, earning $2.526 billion on a budget of $343 million. The Star Wars classics, on the other hand, grossed $1.798 billion on a budget of $76.5 million.
The original as well as prequel Star Wars trilogies are available for streaming on Disney+.
