May 14 - George Lucas

Happy 76th Birthday, George Lucas! Born today in 1944 as George Walton Lucas Jr., this American enthusiast, philanthropist and filmmaker is known for founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic. 

  

After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967, Lucas co-founded American Zoetrope with American film director, producer, screenwriter, film composer, and vintnerr Francis Ford Coppola ('The Godfather', 'The Conversation', 'The Godfather: Part II, 'Apocalypse Now', 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'). 

  

Lucas wrote and directed the 1971 American social science fiction/drama film 'THX 1138', starring Robert Duvall. It had been based on his earlier student short 'Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB', which was a critical success but a financial failure.  

  

Lucas' next work as a writer-director was the 1973 American coming-of-age comedy/drama film 'American Graffiti'. The film had been inspired by his youth in the early 1960s Modesto, California, and was produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm.  

  

The film was critically and commercially successful and received five Oscar nominations including Best Picture. This occurred at the 46th Academy Awards in early April 1974. 

  

Lucas' next film in writing and directing the 1977 American epic sci-fi space opera 'Star Wars' (retroactively titled 'Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope'). 

  

Lucas had the idea for a science-fiction film in the vein of Flash Gordon around the time he completed his first film 'THX 1138', and began working on a treatment after the release of 'American Graffiti'. 

  

'Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope' was the first installment of the original Star Wars trilogy, the first of the franchise to be produced, and the fourth episode of the "Skywalker saga". 

  

However, the film had a troubled production but was a surprise hit, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time, On a budges of $11 million, the film grossed $775.5 million at the box office. 

  

The following year, 'Star Wars' received ten Oscar nominations (including Best Picture), winning seven. The film had also turned into sparking a cultural phenomenon. This occurred at the 50th Academy Awards in early April 1978.

A sequel, the 1979 American coming-of-age comedy/comedy-drama film 'More American Graffiti', was released six years later.  

  

When adjusted for inflation, 'Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope' was the second-highest-grossing film in North America. 

This was behind the 1939 American Technicolor epic historical romance/drama film 'Gone with the Wind' and the fourth-highest-grossing film in the world. 

  

Lucas later wrote the stories for the following two sequels. 

These were for the 1980 American epic space opera sci-film/adventure film 'The Empire Strikes Back' ('also known as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back') and co-wrote the 1983 American epic space opera sci-fi/adventure film 'Return of the Jedi' (also known as 'Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi').  

  

With American filmmaker Steven Spielberg, Lucas created, produced and co-wrote the Indiana Jones films. 

  

These included the 1981 American action-adventure film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' the 1984 American action-adventure film 'The Temple of Doom', the 1989 American action-adventure film 'The Last Crusade' and the 2008 American action-adventure film 'The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'. 

  

Lucas also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s. 

  

In 1989, 'Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope' became one of the first twenty-five films that was selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

In 1995, the United States Library of Congress deemed 'American Graffiti'"culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. 

In 1997, Lucas rereleased the Star Wars Trilogy as part of a special edition featuring several alterations; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011.  

  

In the late 1990s, he returned to directing with a Star Wars prequel trilogy, comprising of the 1999 American sci-fi/adventure film 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'. 

In the early 2000s, Lucas directed the 2002 American epic space-opera sci-fi/adventue film 'Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones' and the 2005 American epic space-opera sci-fi/adventure film 'Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'. 

  

In 2004, the soundtrack of American composer, conductor and pianist John Williams''Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope' was added to the U.S. National Recording Registry. Today, it is regarded as one of the most important films in the history of motion pictures. 

  

Lucas' last collaborated on the American CGI-animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2014, 2020), the 2012 American war/drama film 'Red Tails' and the 2015 American CGI-animated musical/fantasy film 'Strange Magic'. 

  

Lucas told American media executive and film producer who and then-CEO of The Walt Disney Company Bob Igerthat  he was considering retirement and planned to sell the company, as well as the Star Wars franchise 

  

On October 30, 2012, Lucas served as chairman of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company for $4.05 billion. 

  

Lucas is one of history's most financially successful filmmakers and has been nominated for four Academy Awards. His films are among the one hundred highest-grossing movies at the North American box office, adjusted for ticket-price inflation.  

  

Lucas is also considered a significant figure of the 20th-century New Hollywood movement. 

As of 2020, Lucas has a net worth of $5.2 billion. 

  

Lucas has been active from 1965–present.

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If Lucas was a chef...