George Lucas Suggests Star Wars Would Never Get Green Light In Hollywood Today
Director George Lucas (R) and Darth Vader onstage during Spike TV’s “Scream 2011″ at Universal Studios on October 15, 2011 in Universal City. (Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO (CBS SF) – George Lucas doesn’t have a lot of faith in the creativity of the executives running major Hollywood studios.
The San Anselmo resident, who created the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, spoke to the CBS Early Show’s Charlie Rose from Chicago Ideas Week, where he is was discussing plans for the museum he’s building there instead of San Francisco.
Rose asked Lucas about recent comments suggesting that a few big-budget films flopping could cause and implosion in the film industry.
“I think the issue is, ultimately, what are you selling in the end? You’re selling creativity. Raw creativity from talented people,” said Lucas, who said that creativity is lost when corporations own the studios. “The studios change everything all the time. And, unfortunately, they don’t have any imagination and they don’t have any talent.”
Lucas says he was fortunate to work during a time where executives realized they needed artists and he had the backing of a Fox studio exec who let him chase his vision.
“He said ‘You know, I don’t understand what this thing is about big dogs flying spaceships around. It doesn’t make any sense to me. Are you sure this is going to work?’ And I said, ‘Well, I know it’s different but, you know, I believe in it,'” recalled Lucas. “You can’t do that today. You just can’t.”
He said he occasionally sees something innovative, and is left wondering how the creators got it made.
