Filmmaker George Lucas created one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time, Star Wars. The franchise started with the 1977 film directed by Lucas himself, which proved a critical and commercial success. Despite the success of Star Wars, which has influenced generations, Lucas still does not have one of Hollywood’s most coveted awards.
During an interview, Lucas was asked about the glaring lack of an Oscar in his list of accolades. However, Lucas had a very blunt and honest answer to this question, which exposed the ugly nature and sad reality of the industry, especially when it came to such awards. Here is what Lucas had to say about never winning an Oscar and how the filmmaker feels about it.
George Lucas Explained Why He Doesn’t Have an Oscar Despite Star Wars Fame
George Lucas has directed critically acclaimed movies such as American Graffiti and Star Wars. Lucas expanded the latter film into a multi-billion dollar grossing franchise, which remains popular even today. In the process, Lucas became one of the most influential filmmakers of all time but never won an Oscar.
During an interview with Clive Rose, Lucas was asked about the Oscars snubbing him despite his work being a hit with audiences and critics. In response, Lucas stated that he was too popular for the Academy Awards to honor him.
I’m too popular for that. They don’t give that kind of awards to popular films.
Lucas made the above statement, rightly predicting the Academy’s treatment of tentpole blockbusters, a type of cinema arguably pioneered by the Star Wars movies. Lucas received four Oscar nominations for American Graffiti and Star Wars but never won.
However, the filmmaker was conferred with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, an honorary Oscar in 1991. As a result, Lucas correctly pointed out that the Academy has never considered popular films true cinema, which was evident even recently with the treatment of Barbie at the Oscars.
George Lucas Admitted He Discovered Popular Films By Accident
During the same interview, Lucas admitted that he was proud of making movies that audiences were eager and excited to watch in the theaters. As a result, he did not have any qualms about never winning a competitive Academy Award in his career.
I fell into popular movies by accident I always disliked. Hollywood theatrical movies.
Lucas stated the above explaining that he would continue making the type of movies he personally enjoyed and wanted to watch because it was embedded in his DNA.
From Lucas’ comments, it is safe to deduce that the filmmaker sacrificed the critical acclaim that comes with the Academy Awards to stay true to the kind of cinema he enjoyed.
Ultimately, Lucas might not have won many awards, but he remains one of the best filmmakers of his generation, whose impact on cinema goes far beyond the awards he has won or the box office numbers of his movies. The director was presented with the Honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, proving that his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
The Star Wars movies are streaming on Disney+.
