Home / Arts and Entertainment / George Lucas Trades Lightsabers for Brushstrokes, Unveils New Museum Project
George Lucas Trades Lightsabers for Brushstrokes, Unveils New Museum Project
17 Oct
Summary
- Lucas, 81, is building a museum of narrative art in Los Angeles
- He says a museum is "harder than making movies"
- Lucas sold Lucasfilm and Star Wars rights to Disney in 2012 for $4.05 billion
In a significant shift from his iconic Star Wars legacy, George Lucas, the 81-year-old filmmaker, is now focused on building a museum of narrative art in Los Angeles. According to Lucas, this new endeavor is "harder than making movies," as he has moved past the franchise he shepherded for decades.
Lucas sold Lucasfilm and the rights to produce Star Wars movies to Disney back in October 2012 for a staggering $4.05 billion. In the years since, Disney has continued to expand the Star Wars universe, releasing several new films and an ever-growing number of television series for the Disney+ streaming service.
Despite his distance from the franchise, Lucas remains proud of his creation, telling WSJ. Magazine that "Disney took it over and they gave it their vision. That's what happens." He added, "Of course I've moved past it. I mean, I've got a life. I'm building a museum."
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open next year, will feature a diverse collection, including American art, popular illustrative and comic art, cinematic and animation art, as well as contemporary African American works. One inaugural exhibit will showcase designs for various vehicles seen in the Star Wars franchise, though Lucas notes this is just "one gallery out of 33" in the museum.
