George Lucas Says He Sold Star Wars to "White Slavers" - Update

[Lizzy Finnegan]

George Lucas Says He Sold Star Wars to "White Slavers" - Update

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George Lucas discussed Star Wars with Charlie Rose, saying "I sold them to the 'white slavers.'"

Update: Lucas has issued a statement apologizing for referring to Disney as "white slavers."

Via The Wrap [http://www.thewrap.com/george-lucas-apologizes-for-white-slavers-remark-about-disney/]:

"I want to clarify my interview on the Charlie Rose Show. It was for the Kennedy Center Honors and conducted prior to the premiere of the film. I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize.

I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of Star Wars because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger's leadership. Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise. I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks. Most of all I'm blown away with the record breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of JJ and Kathy."

Original Story: In a recent interview [http://www.hulu.com/watch/886675] with talk show host Charlie Rose, Star Wars creator George Lucas made a number of statements about his feelings on The Force Awakens, how he felt he was treated by the franchise's new owners at Disney, and at one point even compared the company to "white slavers."

When discussing his lack of involvement with the franchise now, Lucas said: "I'm just going to cause trouble, because they're not going to do what I want them to do. And I don't have the control to do that anymore, and all I would do is muck everything up. And so I said, 'OK, I will go my way, and I'll let them go their way.'" He then compared the situation to a breakup, saying that there are certain "rules" after a breakup: No phone calls, don't drive past their house or go to their coffee shop, because you're "opening the wound again."

Lucas says that the movies "are my kids. I loved them, I created them, I'm very intimately involved with them and I sold them to the white slavers that take these things, and..." Lucas laughed off the rest of the sentence, and Rose quickly jumped into a new question.

Lucas also did not like the "retro feel" of The Force Awakens, saying "I don't like that. Every movie, I worked very hard to make them different...different planets, different spaceships to make it new."


You can watch the full interview here [http://www.hulu.com/watch/886675].

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has broken a number of records since its December 18 release, including reaching one billion dollars in worldwide ticket sales [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/165663-Star-Wars-The-Force-Awakens-Pushes-Past-1-Billion] after only 12 days in theaters. The film still has not been released in China, the second largest film market in the world.


Permalink

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

...Does anyone really give a fuck?

Yeah, you tried to do something new with every film, and it was awful. After the war crimes that were the prequel films, is it really a surprise that Disney told him to piss off?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Well he's not wrong. Force Awakens was a feature length theme-park ad.

 

[IOwnTheSpire]

...Does anyone really give a fuck?

Yeah, you tried to do something new with every film, and it was awful. After the war crimes that were the prequel films, is it really a surprise that Disney told him to piss off?

So you're saying filmmakers shouldn't try new things or be innovative? And seriously, war crimes?

George created this world, it's his vision, he gave it to us, and now because he's made a few crummy movies, the entitled twats that are the SW fandom have told the guy who created this thing they love so much to stay away from the world he gave them.

 

[Mahorfeus]

Whoa, you sold your franchise for a billion bucks and now have no say in what is done with said franchise? My mind is blooooown.

I mean, yeah, I get that the movies were his babies, but it's a bit late to be crying about it now, isn't it? I've been reading a bit more into him lately, and given how difficult he is to work with, I'm not surprised Disney didn't want him on board. I used to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I'm seriously starting to think that it's the people who were able to rein him in that were the real geniuses. (I know, I'm a slowpoke.)

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

...Does anyone really give a fuck?

Yeah, you tried to do something new with every film, and it was awful. After the war crimes that were the prequel films, is it really a surprise that Disney told him to piss off?

So you're saying filmmakers shouldn't try new things or be innovative? And seriously, war crimes?

George created this world, it's his vision, he gave it to us, and now because he's made a few crummy movies, the entitled twats that are the SW fandom have told the guy who created this thing they love so much to stay away from the world he gave them.

I think a filmmaker's primary focus should be making a good film, and innovation is important but ultimately secondary. And whilst yes, it's sad that he got his world ripped away from him, what on earth were you or him expecting Disney to do? This is the largest IP on the planet, they're not fucking around.

Also, are you really digging at me for a slightly tasteless bit of hyperbole when he just called Disney "slavers"?

 

[Demagogue]

I think a filmmaker's primary focus should be making a good film, and innovation is important but ultimately secondary. And whilst yes, it's sad that he got his world ripped away from him, what on earth were you or him expecting Disney to do? This is the largest IP on the planet, they're not fucking around.

Also, are you really digging at me for a slightly tasteless bit of hyperbole when he just called Disney "slavers"?

Ripped away from him? Umm... no he SOLD it, there is a big difference he had a choice. He decided to abandon his 'kids' in exchange for some money. No sympathy from me for what Disney does with it's latest cash cow.

 

[Jadak]

On the one hand, I wouldn't have minded what he's talking about, seeing more of something new than something rehashed.

On the other hand, the new movie isn't bad despite whatever complaints and does a well enough job of establishing a new foundation which hopefully will only get better.

But mostly, well... 'Different' doesn't guarantee 'good', and I'm thankful another trilogy wasn't chanced on his vision.

 

[ron1n]

As much as I found Awakens to be a bland rehash of A New Hope, Lucas just comes across as a manipulative, cranky old man here who can't let go.

If he really does care about the franchise and the fans more than his own ego, he should just be happy that a whole new generation will get to enjoy it and that for better or worse, the legacy will live on.

He's also conveniently leaving out the part where the 'white slavers' paid him billions. If he thinks he still has the right to write scripts, advise or literally do anything related to star wars, when he accepted that much money, then he must truly be either crazy or incredibly narcissistic.

 

[mysecondlife]

Maybe he's upset that Disney ruined the balance he brought to the Star Wars franchise: 3 "good" and 3 awful films.

 

[McMarbles]

And suddenly Jar-Jar makes a lot more sense.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

My brother found an amazing comment online about this.

"So he sold his 'kids' for 4 billion dollars, and now he's whining about how they're being raised?"

The whole "white slavers" bit is just over the top crazy, though.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Mickey Mouse isn't a white slaver. He's a pimp. [http://www.the-gutters.com/comic/453-christian-meesey/] There is a very clear distinction between the two.

 

[Tony2077]

well i found the new movie to be good

 

[Elfgore]

Don't worry, George. You can just wipe those tears away with some of your millions of hundred dollar bills. So I'm pretty much saying, you sold it to them willingly for more money than I'll ever receive in my lifetime. They now get to decide how much they want you involved. I don't feel bad for you.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I kinda empathize with him. It's easy to dismiss him as the guy who made the terrible prequels and sold Star Wars for A LOT OF MONEY, but he's also the guy who created one of the most beloved franchises in the entire world. People don't seem to realize the full extent and consequences of that. There's this guy, this old man now who started it all decades ago and it's still relevant and loved by so many to this day. When you look at all those characters and things that Star Wars spawned you have to remember that he is the reason for most of that. And now he can no longer be a part of his own creation. There is something profoundly sad about that.

 

[flying_whimsy]

Dude shouldn't have sold it then. If I sell a car I don't get to tell the new owner where to drive it.

Granted, like many others I was more than happy to see someone slap his hands away from star wars after the prequels and blu-ray release of the classic trilogy. But to hear him being this petty about it...well, the smart thing would have been to just farm out the film rights with an explicit rider in the contract stating that he gets to ruin each movie.

I wonder if he's just jealous of how much better Disney is at marketing and merchandising. Either that or he's just mad that the new movie pretty much ignores the prequels in their entirety. Maybe he thinks he's owed a bit of the money that the mouse is making.

Hmm, I bet he's just jealous that not only is the mouse more successful with their movie than he was with the last 3, but also that people are so open about how happy they are he isn't involved anymore.

 

[Remus]

Total Lifetime Gross
The Phantom Menace - $1,027,044,677
Attack of the Clones - $649,398,328
Revenge of the Sith - $848,754,768

The Force Awakens (so far) - $1,265,049,526
George sold the franchise for $4 billion, half of which is in stock, which I suspect took quite a jump when the new film released. I feel no pity for him - he said himself that he was retiring from major motion pictures. Newer doesn't always mean better and I for one am glad we got a little old fashioned.

erm.... yea.

 

[K12]

I'd quite like to do an analysis of George Lucas to see at exactly what point he had a steel rod inserted into his brain. Boohoo I can't sell out whilst also retaining creative control! Where's that cake I ate yesterday!

There is a fair point to be made about The Force Awakens not feeling like it had much new stuff in it but that was mainly because it's the first of a trilogy which had to do damage control and re-establish Star Wars as something that's actually enjoyable to watch. If "Star Wars 8: The force hits the snooze button" doesn't add to the star wars universe or take it in a new and interesting direction then I'll be disappointed.

...and let's be honest George you put new stuff in every film so that you could profit from a new line of merchandise and action figures...

Just as a side note why use "white slavers" as opposed to any other kind of slavers. It's like calling someone a "French-person rapist"... it's the rapist bit that's insulting, the rest is just unnecessary extra detail.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

I kinda empathize with him. It's easy to dismiss him as the guy who made the terrible prequels and sold Star Wars for A LOT OF MONEY, but he's also the guy who created one of the most beloved franchises in the entire world. People don't seem to realize the full extent and consequences of that. There's this guy, this old man now who started it all decades ago and it's still relevant and loved by so many to this day. When you look at all those characters and things that Star Wars spawned you have to remember that he is the reason for most of that. And now he can no longer be a part of his own creation. There is something profoundly sad about that.

Isn't it more sad that he mucked with his creations so much that people started to actively dislike them and he doesn't get it?

Making a beloved franchise is more luck and timing than just writing something good. I read a little of Potter but not Percy Jackson, but what if Percy Jackson came out before Harry Potter would there be a Percy Jackson theme park being built instead of a Potter one?

It's more about reception than just being good. I think if Star Wars even came out in the 90's, it wouldn't have been as well received as it is now. It's a Zeitgeist thing. He was willingly mucking up people's nostalgia, and releasing dated humor and stilted concepts in timelines that weren't receptive to them. His tragedy is one of his own doing.