Destined to be the classic illustrated survey of Lucas's career, the book is sure to fascinate not only die-hard fans but also general film and popular culture enthusiasts.

George Lucas (born 1944) is a producer, screenwriter and director, who played a major role in the anti-establishment New Hollywood movement of the 1970s and helped define the blockbuster era of the 1980s. He is best known as the creator of the Star Warsspace opera and the producer of the iconic Indiana Jonesadventure film series. Lucas had directed THX 1138(1971) and American Graffiti(1973) before launching, in 1977, the first film in the Star Warsfranchise. Rapidly a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, this was followed by two sequels- The Empire Strikes Back(1980) and Return of the Jedi(1983). Sixteen years later a new trilogy, The Phantom Menace(1999), Attack of the Clones(2002) and Revenge of the Sith(2005), were released. The Star Warsseries has spawned a range of other media, including tv series, video games and comic books. With this simple yet powerful saga, lucas has created a brand, a business empire and a technological revolution.

A filmmaker, visionary, and entrepreneur, George Lucas has not only changed the way we experience film and filmmaking, but also revolutionized film industry practices and standards. George Lucas, on an economic, aesthetic, and cultural level, has contributed more than any other individual to the shaping of the New Hollywood and is one of the most important figures in film history. His contribution to the film industry and our culture can be defined as the "Lucas Effect." Until now Lucas' work has been studied categorically. That is, popular books have been written that focus specifically on his life, his marketing skills, his films, his fans, or his various business accomplishments and practices. This is the first book to weave these threads together into a cohesive, rigorous study that illustrates the far reaching impact and importance of his creative genius. This book is important not only for film academics, students of film criticism and theory, popular culture scholars, and film devotees, but also for industry power brokers, Lucas fans and anyone who is interested in the work, life, and legacy of one of film's most important visionaries, George Lucas.

A director, producer, and writer, George Lucas is the power behind "The Force." The son of a conservative small-town businessman, he grew up to become arguably the most identifiable and popular filmmaker in the history of the medium. Yet unlike his more publicly engaged contemporaries, Lucas rarely grants reporters an audience. This first book of Lucas's interviews affords fans and students of film and science fiction a rare opportunity. Editor Sally Kline collects conversations from the reticent director spanning Lucas's entire career, from the making of his first film, 1971's "THX-1138," through "American Graffiti," the triumph of the "Star Wars" trilogy, and even a 1999 interview given while awaiting the release of "Star Wars: Episode One--The Phantom Menace." In interviews from venues such as "Rolling Stone," "Playboy," and "American Film," Lucas reveals his distrust of the Hollywood establishment, his love for making movies, and his unambiguous values and how those values translate into the epic clash between good and evil created when he explores characters like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Lucas revolutionized the movie industry and created the most successful film series of all time. Along with films of his close friend Steven Spielberg, Lucas's releases invented the notion of blockbuster movies. Before the end of the millennium, he could count the loyal fans of the Star Wars trilogy in the millions. Sally Kline is film critic for "The Journal" newspapers. She has worked as a film commentator on a number of Washington, D.C. radio stations and as a guest lecturer at George Washington University. A freelance writer and researcher, she has contributed to two books, including a biography of Robert F. Kennedy.

The essential biography of the influential and beloved filmmaker George Lucas. On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining independent science-fiction film opened in a mere thirty-two American movie theaters. Conceived, written, and directed by a little-known filmmaker named George Lucas, the movie originally called The Star Wars quickly drew blocks-long lines, bursting box-office records and ushering in a new way for movies to be made, marketed, and merchandised. It is now one of the most adored-and successful-movie franchises of all time. Now, the author of the bestselling biography Jim Henson delivers a long-awaited, revelatory look into the life and times of the man who created Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Indiana Jones. If Star Wars wasn't game-changing enough, Lucas went on to create another blockbuster series with Indiana Jones, and he completely transformed the world of special effects and the way movies sound. His innovation and ambition forged Pixar and Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and THX sound. Lucas's colleagues and competitors offer tantalizing glimpses into his life. His entire career has been stimulated by innovators including Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola, actors such as Harrison Ford, and the very technologies that enabled the creation of his films-and allowed him to keep tinkering with them long after their original releases. Like his unforgettable characters and stories, his influence is unmatched.

As a child his passions were comics and cars, but George Lucas grew up to be one of the most successful filmmakers of all time. He is a producer, screenwriter, director and entrepreneur whose company Lucasfilms pioneered the movie effects that changed the world of animation. He founded Industrial Light and Magic, which transformed special sound and visual effects throughout the Hollywood film industry. He is best known, of course, as the creator of the Star Wars movie, television, gaming, toy and merchandise empire, as well as the archeologist-adventure series Indiana Jones. Discover the man behind the magic in Who Is George Lucas?

This revised and updated edition of Charles Champlin's insightful study of George Lucas includes 85 new illustrations and brings the story of this remarkable man and his innovative empire up to the present. 290 illustrations, 130 in full color.