Director George Lucas surprised cinemagoers with his uniquely charming space-opera film Star Wars, released in 1977. The film became a cultural phenomenon and spawned a franchise with several sequels, prequels, and spin-off media that have continued to expand upon Lucas’ original idea for a galaxy far, far away.
Amidst the franchise’s recent struggles, Andor established itself as one of the most unique and fresh entries in the Star Wars universe, arguably since the original trilogy. However, the series emerging as one of the best entries wouldn’t surprise creator Lucas as it is something the acclaimed filmmaker himself foretold decades ago. Here is how Andor fulfills a prophecy by George Lucas.
George Lucas Prophesized More Original Voices Coming to His Star Wars Franchise
George Lucas launched the Star Wars franchise back in 1977 with the original film introducing viewers to a galaxy far, far away. Following the film’s release and success, Lucas sat down for an interview with Rolling Stone, where he mapped out his plans for future installments.
At the same time, Lucas also shared his hopes for other auteur filmmakers to play in his sandbox and bring their own unique voices to the space opera saga. Lucas said:
I would want to try and get some good directors, and see what their interpretation of the theme is.
Lucas explained that while the first film wasn’t up to his expectations, it helped him lay the groundwork for the franchise, with other directors welcome to come on board and tell their own stories within the framework. He added:
I’m hoping if I get friends of mine they will want to do a much better film, like, I’ll show George that I can do a film twice that good.
Lucas’ statement hints at a healthy competition with his peers, with the director encouraging them to try and make a Star Wars movie better than he could. Lucas added that he wanted to direct the last film in the franchise so that he could eventually outdo all the good work other directors had done before him.
Lucas would stick to this approach by having Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand direct the second and third installments in the original franchise. However, Lucas would keep the director’s chair for all three installments of the prequel trilogy.
Andor Fulfilled George Lucas’ Prophecy For the Future of Star Wars
Since the franchise’s inception, Lucas has expressed a strong interest in other filmmakers, bringing forth their take on the galaxy far, far away. Unfortunately, many have struggled to capture the magic of the original film directed by Lucas. However, Andor, a spin-off of the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, has established itself as one of the best entries in the franchise.
Created by Tony Gilroy, the series stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, a thief turned Rebellion member fighting to free the galaxy from the Empire. Instead of other filmmakers like Jon Favreau and J.J. Abrams, who followed in Lucas’ footsteps while crafting their entries in the franchise, Gilroy took a completely fresh approach.
The Bourne franchise writer denounced Lucas’ Western and Samurai movie influences, replacing them with gritty action, contemporary espionage, and slow-burn mystery elements. Thus, Gilroy was able to bring a unique take to Star Wars, which not only makes Andor one of the best entries in the franchise but also fulfills Lucas’ desire for more original and unique creator voices.
Andor is streaming on Disney+.
