The visionary creator behind the iconic Star Wars franchise, George Lucas, introduced the space opera with the 1977 film. His innovative storytelling, coupled with groundbreaking special effects was met with praise, and he continued working on the franchise. However, after the original and prequel Star Wars trilogy, the filmmaker decided to step back and sell Lucasfilm to Disney.
During an interview, he shared that he wanted to move on from the franchise after his creative differences with the studio, stressing Disney never took it away from him.
George Lucas Claimed He Wanted to Move on From Star Wars
During an interview with the talk show host and journalist Charlie Rose, George Lucas talked about his departure from the Star Wars franchise. He explained that there were certain creative differences regarding the series’ future as the studio “wanted to do a retro movie,” and the filmmaker was not in its favor.
Lucas shared that the studio was not too “keen” to involve him in future projects. Knowing that he would not have that much control over the future stories under the franchise, he decided to step back from the world he established decades ago.
“And I don’t have the control to do that anymore, and all I would do is muck everything up. And so I said, ‘OK, I will go my way, and I’ll let them go their way.'”
He defined his departure from the franchise as a “breakup” as he said, “You just say ‘Nope, gone, history, I’m moving forward.” He further stated that it was his decision to “move on” from Star Wars, emphasizing that the series was not taken away from him.
Read More: Disney Betrayed George Lucas’ Trust After Director Sold Lucasfilm For Selfless Reason
George Lucas Wanted to Explore Other Things
The Star Wars film series has developed into several movies and TV shows over the years. While George Lucas produced six films before handing the reigns to Disney, he has shared that he had three more stories. During his conversation with Charlie Rose, he shared that he knew that there were “three more stories.”
However, he claimed that it would have taken about ten years to do them right. The filmmaker shared that he did not want to spend another decade working on the franchise, as he wanted to do “other things” as well. “I am 70. And I don’t know whether I’ll be here when I’m 80. You know, every 10 years, the odds get less,” he said.
Lucas further stated, “Cause I wanna do these other things.” The filmmaker reportedly planned 12 movies for the franchise. However, the plan did not work out due to several factors. Lucas has also openly criticized Star Wars: The Force Awakens for not introducing enough new elements in the film series.
