Interviews
George Lucas Hits Spielberg, Indy, and Star Wars with the Force
Posted by Adam Sweeney (adam@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 30, 2008
The career of George Lucas has been as polarizing as the life of Anakin Skywalker, at times brilliant, and at others utterly tragic. The Star Wars creator has lots to say about a new Indiana Jones film, the upcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and how he’s not to be confused with Britney Spears.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, perhaps one of the best I have seen involving the man in plaid, Lucas comments on the prospects of an Indy V, as well as the process both he and Steven Spielberg went through to get Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull out into theatres.
“If I can come up with another idea that they like, we’ll do another. Really with the last one, Steven wasn’t that enthusiastic. I was trying to persuade him. But now Steven is more amenable to do another one. yet we still have the issues about the direction that we’d like to take. I’m in the future: Steven’s in the past. He’s trying to drag it back to the way they were, I’m trying to push it to a whole different place. So we still have a sort of tension. This recent one came out of that. It’s kind of a hybrid of our own two ideas, so we’ll see where we are able to take the next one.”
Lucas always leaves me with my jaw open, whether it is because he creates a stunning sequel like The Empire Strikes Back or the galaxy’s Little Black Sambo, Jar Jar Binks. I know I will be checking out The Clone Wars in theaters, and I am intrigued by Red Tails, his take on the story of the Tuskegee Airmen.
For more of the interview, which includes Lucas making an interesting analogy between Star Wars and the holy trinity, click here.
How does George Lucas make you feel… at this very moment?
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13 Comments
July 30th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Like he’s turned into a cenial old man.
July 30th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
“He’s trying to drag it back to the way they were, I’m trying to push it to a whole different place.”
I’m on Spielberg’s side. I hope that, if they manage to make an Indy V, Indy’s point of view wins over Lucas’… because if “taking it to a different place” means inserting Tarzan scenes, CGI monkeys and rodents, as well as aliens and stuff like that, then I won’t be watching any more Indy films.
Clone Wars looks pretty good, actually, and Red Tails I will definitely watch.
July 30th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Enough from the Clown!
Sorry George, but i am more than convince that you kinda lucked out on Star Wars and ever since you JUST CANT STOP THINKING OF ALIENS ALIENS ALIENS.
“This recent one came out of that. It’s kind of a hybrid of our own two ideas, so we’ll see where we are able to take the next one.”
hmmm i think i can guess which part of Indy V were your ideas George….the worst parts!
July 30th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
correction: Indy 4
July 30th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
His way of pushing things into the ‘future’ involves putting CGI shenanigans into all of his
films. Just because you can make a gopher in CG doesn’t mean it belongs in the film.
July 30th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I like star wars but they should hang lucas for releasing this lego animation shit. It should not go to theaters.. i looks like a 6 dollar movie you would find in the kids dvd section at Target.
Also Speilberg and Lucas are too full of themselves and have run out of ideas. they both should be banned from making movies. or critics should actually REVIEW the movies and give them horrible reviews other than four star reviews based on the director. Is hollywood paying someone here? Remember A.I. ? If nobody lets them know they suck the assholes will keep making bad films
July 30th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
@white boy jew: Lucas banned, YES! Spielberg, NO.
Lucas’s name is synonymous with 1 set of movies or franchise…Star Wars, only.
Spielberg has produced lots of golden moments of cinema and i for one have total respect for everything he has done and will be doing. Need i mention some of his greats?
ok, 3 of my favs; Jaws, Jurassic Park, Schindlers List…nuff said.
July 30th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
lets see George lucas has directed what 5 mobies in his life where Spielburg as directed how many? how can that man say anything about Spielburg? He doesnt have the right to be allowed to mention his name. Lucas is perhaps the biggest HACK of them all. and yes, he does fit the definition.
July 30th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
sorry, movies, not mobies. finger slipped due to lucas’s idiocy.
July 30th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Thanks for that link Adam,,, good interview and a fun read.
Wow look at all the Lucas hate. (Is it monday already?)
Question, In Indy 4, how does anyone know what scenes were done by Lucas or Speilberg ?
Are you sure the Tarzan scenes were Lucas, ?? The drag racing scene in the beginning , Speilberg, Lucas or both? The scene did have a message or two. The film was laced with inside jabs at so-called reality and the conspiracy themes.
Personally I have NO problems with THE MAN, he does what he does. I loved Indy,4. Its a movie (guys) not the second coming of Baltar.
I respect what he’s done for the industry and VFX. Star Wars changed the way I looked at films. It had become a powerfull medium of story telling. Watched it 11 times in 77.
Now I also think this new film “CLONE WARS” is absolute CRAP ! Aweful rubbish. A waste of creative time. It seems aimed at the 10 or 12 year old demo, and that’s sad because the film is a series of violent battles, one after another, a story sandwitched inbetween Light Sabers and Blasters.
I have 0 interest in seeing the film and prob won’t. I’m sick and done with prequels when it comes to Star Wars.
I would have loved a continuation of Star Wars films (parts 7, 8 and 9), set after The Return of the Jedi,
Mark Hammill is the perfect age to play Luke as a battle hardend Jedi, set 20 years after the destruction of the Empire. This animated junk is a insult to the original fans.
But after all is said and done at the end of the day I still don’t hate Lucas, he does what he does. And I’m glad he made some great films that allow him to make some ok films. That’s life.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:53 am
Although I know I came off a might strong earlier, its not that I hate the man. It’s that he can’t seem to accept the fact that he is milking a dead cow and seems to think that CG (no matter how crappy) will improve everything.
Episodes 1-3 are a prime example of CG and story telling gone bad. There was little in those movies that actually worked, and the parts that disi seemed strung together with thin plot lines. I wish that he had let someone else write the script and direct those movies like he did with Empire and ROTJ. I won’t even begin whith what was done to Indy.
Plus, anyone who can stand by and lay blame on others has no place being an icon. Knowing that people were not happy with his latest creation he chose to push the blame on others instead of taking it like a man. There’s actually a whole lot more to the above interview that would really set you off, FSR had the decency to leave out the more “troubling parts”.
Lucas needs to be put down a few notches and made to realize that he is not the geek God that everyone has made him out to be. He is not a genius, but a man who had a few really good ideas and never learned when to let go.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:57 am
sorry, didnt see the link when i wrote the last peice, just the small quote. After reading the whole thing I hope you see what I mean, It just makes me so sad that someone I had respect for has fallen to this.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:39 am
I never know how to feel about George Lucas. Sure, there are thing I absolutely despise that he puts in films (Tarzan cries, Jar Jar, midi-chorians). But I have to give him credit for creating the Star Wars and Indy worlds in the first place. If those are, as some of you are saying, flukes then some of us should be so lucky to come up with an idea like that in our lifetimes.
I feel kind of like Padme in Revenge of the Sith when she says I know there’s still good in him. In that film Lucas showed moments of excellence, particularly with scenes like Anakin looking out over the horizon to Padme as he decides his fate. I just think the man chooses to cater to children more now that he is a father. It’s frustrating for those who have seen him at moments be a visionary, but it’s something we will have to deal with, I guess.