The globally celebrated icon who spawned the gargantuan Star Wars franchise has always been hailed as a visionary of the utmost eminence, and his work attests to the same. But even a filmmaker as established as George Lucas was pilloried for the infamous Star Wars Prequel trilogy which became a mere laughing stock for the public.
But if there’s one decision that Lucas has made that perhaps rivals his dreadful Star Wars Prequel idea, it would be his selfish dealings with Pixar.
A Glance at the History of Pixar Animation Studios
The studio recognized for hatching movies after magnificent animated movies like Toy Story and The Incredibles, first started as a part of the Lucasfilm Computer Division called Graphis Group back in 1979. Before they found Pixar Animation Studios, Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith were recruited by Lucasfilm owner George Lucas to join forces (via Pixar Animation Studios).
But while Catmull and Smith envisaged a future propped up on computer graphics, the pair told Variety how even the Indiana Jones creator seemed skeptical at best about it.
“George Lucas looked at us as hardware. But that was his mistake.”
Contemporary animation differs drastically from how it used to be back in the ’70s (for obvious reasons). In the absence of cutting-edge technology coupled with the presence of monetary hindrances, the success of CG animation seemed like a distant dream to them. But Catmull and Smith weren’t devoid of hope.
The Pixar co-founders – who are currently retired from their posts – eventually found an ally in John Lasseter, the former Chief Creative Officer of the studio, who shared Catmull and Smith’s vision for three-dimensional animation on computers.
But just as their devoted efforts were starting to bear fruits as Paramount approached Lucasfilm with two VFX projects, Lucas did the unthinkable.
George Lucas Kicked Pixar to the Curb Out of Selfishness
Back when the Paramount assignments came in, the 80-year-old producer was enmeshed in the lengthy process of a divorce and needed money for a settlement. So, Lucas decided to sacrifice the Lucasfilm Computer Division for wholly personal reasons.
The THX 1138 director put it up for sale at $30 million but Apple co-founder Steve Jobs bargained to buy it for $5 million. Helpless yet dedicated, Smith and Catmull pinned their hopes on Disney, praying the studio would buy half the unit since it also comprised Pixar’s forefather Graphics Group, but in vain. In the end, Jobs managed to obtain it for a sum of $10 million.
While Smith and Catmull would eventually hold the positions of Pixar founders and Disney would ultimately acquire the studio in 2006, Lucas did forsake professionalism out of selfish motives.
The present-day CEO and President of Pixar Animation Studios is Jim Morris and Pete Docter, the CCO.
