Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971 based in Marin County, California. Lucas is its current chairman, and Micheline Chau is its president/chief operating officer.
The company is best known for producing the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, but it has produced other box office hits, including American Graffiti. It has also been a leader in developing new film technology in special effects, sound and computer animation, and because of their expertise its subsidiaries often help produce non-Lucasfilm pictures.
History[]
Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971.
On July 8, 2005, Lucasfilm's marketing, online and licensing units moved into the new Letterman Digital Arts Center located in the Presidio in San Francisco. It shares the complex with Industrial Light & Magic and LucasArts. Lucasfilm had planned an expansion at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California, but shelved the plan due to opposition from neighbors. However, it still plans to expand elsewhere.
In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large-scale blockbuster films and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features.
In June 2012, it was announced that producer Kathleen Kennedy, a long-term collaborator with Steven Spielberg and a producer of the Indiana Jones films, had been appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd. It was reported that Kennedy would work alongside Lucas, who would remain chief executive and serve as co-chairman for at least one year, after which she would succeed him as the company's sole leader.
On September 5, 2012, Micheline Chau, who served as president and COO of Lucasfilm for two-decades, announced that she was retiring. With her departure, senior executives for each of the Lucasfilm divisions will report directly to Kathleen Kennedy. Chau was credited with keeping the Lucasfilm and Star Wars brands strong, especially through animation spin-offs and licensing initiatives.
Announcing a new Star Wars trilogy[]
Discussions relating to the possibility of the making of new Star Wars films and The Walt Disney Company signing a distribution deal with Lucasfilm officially began in May 2011, after a meeting that George Lucas had with Disney CEO Bob Iger during the inauguration of the Star Tours–The Adventures Continue attraction. On October 30, 2012, Disney announced a deal to acquire 51% of Lucasfilm for $2.05 billion, with approximately half in cash and half in shares of Disney stock. Lucasfilm had previously collaborated with the company's Walt Disney Imagineering division to create theme park attractions centered on Star Wars and Indiana Jones for various Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide.
Lucas remain as president of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Kathleen Kennedy will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Lucas serves as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films. The company also announced the future release of new Star Wars films, starting with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015
Under the deal, Disney acquired ownership of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lucasfilm's operating businesses in live-action film production, consumer products, video games, animation, visual effects, and audio post-production. Disney also acquired Lucasfilm's portfolio of entertainment technologies. The intent was for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations. Star Wars merchandising would begin under Disney in the fiscal year 2014. Starting with Star Wars Rebels, certain products will be co-branded with the Disney brand, akin to what Disney has done with Pixar. On December 4, 2012, the Disney-Lucasfilm merger was approved by the Federal Trade Commission, allowing the acquisition to be finalized without dealing with antitrust problems.
On April 24, 2012, Lucasfilm announced that the Expanded Universe would not become canon (but may be drawn upon for future works) and that The Clone Wars and later the Rebels animated series would be considered canon and future Star Wars projects would be overseen by a new story group to keep to that canon. Additionally, the Star Wars Legends banner would be used for those Expanded Universe materials that are in print. Lucasfilm also announced that Del Rey would publish a new line of canon Star Wars books under the Lucasfilm Story Group being released starting in September on a bi-monthly schedule.
On January 3, 2014, Lucasfilm announced that Dark Horse Comics' license for Star Wars comics would end in 2015, and return to fellow Marvel Comics.
Lucasfilm announced that Star Wars: The Clone Wars would be put on hold to focus on the Star Wars sequel trilogy and Star Wars Rebels. On February 13, 2014, Netflix announced that starting on March 7, 2014 they will begin distribution of all five seasons of the TV series, including some previously unreleased director's cut episode versions. They will also premiere the sixth (Lost Missions), seventh, and eighth seasons (Legacy) of The Clone Wars.
Films and Television[]
Star Wars Skywalker saga[]
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2001)
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Star Wars Episode VII: Shadow of the Empire (2015)
- Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2018)
- Star Wars: Episode IX: Duel of Fates (2020)
Other films and projects[]
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2015)
- Star Wars: Rebels (2014-2018)
- Star Wars: Mandalorian (2019-present)
Episode I: The Phantom Menace[]
In response to taxation on trade routes in the Galactic Republic, Supreme Chancellor Valorum dispatches Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to Alderaan to negotiate with the Trade Federation leadership to end the blockade. The Trade Federation organizes a blockade of battleships around the planet Alderaan. Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord and the Trade Federation's secret adviser, orders Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray to kill the Jedi and invade Alderaan with an army of battle droids. The Jedi are informed that the invasion have been happening for weeks. Qui-Gon saves a Gungan from being killed during the invasion. Indebted to the Jedi, outcast Jar Jar Bink leads them to an underwater Gungan city, where they find it decimated. They rescue Queen Amidala, the ruler of the Alderaan people, and escape the planet on her royal starship, which is damaged as they pass the Federation blockade.
Amidala's ship is unable to sustain its hyperdrive and lands for repairs on the desert planet Tatooine. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, astromech droid R2-D2, and Amidala's handmaiden Padmé visit the settlement of Mos Espa to buy new parts at a junk shop. There they meet the shop's owner Watto and his sixteen-year-old slave Anakin Skywalker, who is a gifted Podracer pilot and engineer, and has created a protocol droid called C-3PO. Qui-Gon senses a strong presence of the Force within Anakin and is convinced that he is the "chosen one" of Jedi prophecy who will bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon wagers Anakin's freedom with Watto in a Podrace, which Anakin wins. Anakin joins the group to be trained as a Jedi, leaving his mother Shmi and older brother Owen behind. En route to their repaired starship, Qui-Gon enters a brief lightsaber duel with Darth Maul, Darth Sidious' sith apprentice who was sent to capture Amidala.
The Jedi escort Amidala to the Republic capital planet Coruscant so she can plead her people's case to Chancellor Valorum in the Galactic Senate. Qui-Gon asks the Jedi Council to train Anakin as a Jedi, but the Council is concerned that Anakin is vulnerable to the dark side of the Force and decline. Undaunted, Qui-Gon vows to train Anakin himself. Meanwhile, Alderaan senator and Jedi intermediary Palpatine persuades Amidala to make a vote of no confidence in Valorum to elect a more capable chancellor to resolve the crisis on Alderaan. Though she pushes for the vote, Amidala grows frustrated with the corruption in the Senate and decides to return to Naboo with the Jedi.
On Alderaan, the Jedi try but fail to persuade the Gungan leader, Boss Nass into helping the people of Alderaan. Padmé reveals herself to the Gungans as Queen Amidala and persuades them into an alliance against the Trade Federation. The Gungans leads a battle against the droid army at Theed while Padmé leads the hunt for Gunray. In a starship hangar, Anakin enters a vacant starfighter, joining the battle against the Federation droid control ship in space. Anakin ventures into the ship and destroys it from within, deactivating the droid army. Meanwhile, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan battle Darth Maul, who mortally wounds Qui-Gon before being bisected by Obi-Wan. As he dies, Qui-Gon asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin. Subsequently, Palpatine is elected as the new Supreme Chancellor and Gunray is arrested. The Jedi Council makes Obi-Wan a fully-fledged Jedi Knight and reluctantly accepts Anakin as Obi-Wan's apprentice. At a festive ceremony, Padmé presents a gift of appreciation and friendship to the Gungans.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones[]
Ten years after the Trade Federation's invasion of Alderaan, the Galactic Republic is threatened by a Separatist movement organized by former Jedi Master Count Dooku. Chancellor Palpatine tries to convince the Jedi Council to support an army of the Republic to assist the Jedi against this threat. Naturally, the Jedi are opposed to this as Master Yoda informs them that the House of Alderaan has reach out to both the Republic and Separatist in order to settle the conflict in a diplomatic matter. Senator Padmé Amidala comes in Coruscant to vote on a plan to create an army of the Republic. Narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt upon arrival, she is placed under the protection of Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi Council assigns them to then escort Padmé to Alderaan, where Anakin and Padmé fall in love. The two Jedi thwart another attempt on her life and subdue the assassin, Zam Wesell, a shape-shifter who is killed by her bounty hunter client with a toxic dart before she can reveal his identity.
The Jedi Council assigns Mace Windu to identify and capture the bounty hunter. Mace Windu's investigation leads him to the remote ocean planet Kamino, where he discovers an army of clones is being produced for the Republic, with bounty hunter Jango Fett serving as their genetic template. Windu deduces Jango to be the bounty hunter he is seeking, but Jango escapes after an assuming battle. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan become troubled by premonitions of Qui-Gon Jinn death, Darth Maul, and a face engulfed in flames but unsure if it's friend or foe. The Separatist arrived on Alderaan and proceedings are on their way but Count Dooku demands to talk to the Jedi not the Senators after claiming that the Republic has been attacking them. In a hangar bay, an unidentified ship arrives, carrying Darth Maul and a legion of battle droids. Obi-Wan and Anakin confront Darth Maul and the three engage in a lightsaber battle. Maul wins, injuring Obi-Wan and severing Anakin's right arm but are eventually saved by a battalion of Jedi and clone troopers led by Mace Windu and Yoda. Anakin is fitted with a robotic arm. Obi-Wan follow him and Count Dooku to the desert planet Geonosis via a homing beacon placed on their ship, the Slave I.
Anakin becomes distressed by premonitions of his mother Shmi in pain, and travels to Tatooine with Padmé and Owen Lars to save her. They meet Cliegg Lars, Anakin's stepfather and of Shmi's husband. Cliegg tells Anakin that Shmi was abducted by Tusken Raiders weeks earlier and is most likely dead. Determined to find her, Anakin ventures out and finds the Tusken campsite. He discovers too late that his mother has been tortured by the tribe. As she dies from her wounds, Shmi reunites with Anakin. Anakin kills the Tuskens in his rage and returns to the Lars homestead with Shmi's body. After revealing his deed to Padmé, Anakin says that he wants to prevent death.
On Geonosis, Obi-Wan discover a Separatist gathering led by Count Dooku, who Obi-Wan learn had authorized Padmé's assassination and is developing a new battle droid army. Obi-Wan transmit his findings to Anakin to relay to the Jedi Council. With knowledge of the Separatist army, Chancellor Palpatine is voted emergency powers to send the clones into battle and attack Dooku fortress. After being informed by Palpatine, Anakin and Padmé journey to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, were they confront a culpable Dooku who informs them that a Sith Lord was now in control of the Galactic Senate. Dooku invited Kenobi to join with him to eliminate the Sith menace once and for all. Dooku attempted to persuade Kenobi to join the Separatist, invoking Kenobi's memory of Qui-Gon Jinn (Dooku's former Padawan). Much to Dooku's disappointment, Kenobi simply responded that Jinn would never have joined Dooku, and that if the Sith did control the Senate that the Jedi would have sensed it. As the clone and droid armies’ battle, Jango is killed by Mace during the battle. With the fortress being destroyed Obi-Wan tries to convince to come back with him, Dooku declines and is assumed dead with the total destruction of the fortress. While trying to escape in a hangar bay, Darth Maul engages in combat with the two Jedi, using a double-bladed lightsaber. He fires Force lightning at Obi-Wan, leaving just Anakin and Maul, and the two go head-to-head in a fierce duel. Maul, realizing he can't defeat Anakin, attempts to topple a large pillar onto Obi-Wan as a distraction. While Anakin uses the Force to divert the pillar, Maul flees in his solar sailor.
Arriving at Coruscant, Maul delivers blueprints for a super weapon to his Sith master, Darth Sidious, who confirms that everything is going well as planned. As the Jedi gravely acknowledge the beginning of the Clone Wars, Chancellor Palpatine and Onaconda Farr oversee the launching of massive clone trooper forces.
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith[]
During a space battle over Coruscant between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead a mission to rescue the kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from Separatist commander General Grievous. After infiltrating Grievous' flagship, the Jedi engage Darth Maul in a lightsaber duel, which ends with Anakin killing Maul at Palpatine's urging. Grievous flees the battle-torn cruiser, which the Jedi crash-land on Coruscant. There, Anakin reunites with his wife, Padmé Amidala, who reveals she is pregnant. Initially excited, Anakin begins to have premonitions of Padmé dying in childbirth.
Palpatine appoints Anakin to join the Jedi Council as his representative, but the Council declines Anakin the rank of Jedi Master and orders him to monitor the Chancellor, diminishing Anakin's faith in the Jedi. Palpatine entices Anakin with knowledge of the dark side of the Force, including the power to prevent death. When Palpatine reveals himself as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Anakin reports his treachery to Mace Windu, who subdues Palpatine in an ensuing lightsaber duel. In a desperate attempt to help save Padmé, Anakin intervenes on Palpatine's behalf, allowing him to kill the Jedi Master. Anakin pledges himself to Palpatine, who dubs him Darth Vader.
Palpatine issues an order for the clone troopers to kill their Jedi commanders, and dispatches Vader and a legion of clones to kill everyone in the Jedi Temple; however, Obi-Wan (having killed Grievous on Utapau) and Yoda survive. Vader then kills the remaining Separatist leaders hiding on the volcanic planet Mustafar, while Palpatine addresses the Senate and reforms the Republic as the Galactic Empire, declaring himself Emperor. On Coruscant, Obi-Wan and Yoda return to the Jedi Temple to discover Anakin's treachery. Concerned by Obi-Wan's reasoning that Anakin has turned to the dark side, Padmé travels to Mustafar to confront him, while Obi-Wan stows aboard her ship. When Vader discovers Obi-Wan, he accuses Padmé of betrayal and uses the Force to choke her into unconsciousness. Obi-Wan battles and dismembers Vader, who is significantly burned by a volcanic river. Back on Coruscant, Yoda confronts Palpatine, but retreats after their duel reaches a stalemate.
Obi-Wan brings Padmé to the asteroid Polis Massa, where she gives birth to twins Luke and Leia before dying. A funeral is held for Padmé on Alderaan. Meanwhile, Palpatine salvages Vader and brings him back to Coruscant, where his burned body is repaired with cybernetic limbs and a respiratory suit. Palpatine informs Vader of Padmé's death, devastating him. As the Sith supervise the construction of the Death Star, Obi-Wan and Yoda determine to hide the twins from the Empire. Senator Bail Organa adopts Leia and takes her to Alderaan, while Obi-Wan delivers Luke to his step family Owen and Beru Lars on Tatooine, where Obi-Wan intends to watch over Luke until the time is right to challenge the Empire.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV series)[]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an animated television series set between the events of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, and during the same time period as the earlier series Star Wars: Clone Wars. A feature film produced from several of the series' first episodes was released on August 15, 2008, followed by the series' debut on Cartoon Network on October 3. Cartoon Network aired five full seasons of the series from October 2008 to March 2013, with each season's length ranging between twenty and twenty-two episodes. The series entered syndication on American television in 2012.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars was pulled from Cartoon Network in March 2013, leaving the remaining episodes of the final three seasons to premiere on Netflix in the North American Union on March 7, 2014 — as part of a deal including the feature film and the series' first five seasons—and in February/March 2014 on the German TV network Super RTL. By its end, the series totaled one hundred sixty-one episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First airdate | Final airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | 22 | October 3, 2008 | March 20, 2009 |
|
Two Rise of the Bounty Hunters |
22 | October 2, 2009 | April 30, 2010 |
|
Three Secrets Revealed |
22 | September 17, 2010 | April 1, 2011 |
|
Four Battle Lines |
22 | September 16, 2011 | March 16, 2012 |
| Five | 23 | September 29, 2012 | March 2, 2013 |
|
Six Lost Missions |
22 | October 15, 2013 | March 8, 2014 |
| Seven | 20 | May 21, 2015 | |
|
Eight Legacy |
20 | October 16, 2015 | |
Season Six: Lost Missions[]
| Episode | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | A Death on Utapa |
| 2 | In Search of the Crystal |
| 3 | Crystal Crisis |
| 4 | The Unknown |
| 5 | The Big Bang |
| 6 | Conspiracy |
| 7 | Fugitive |
| 8 | Orders |
| 9 | The Lost One |
| 10 | Disappeared, Part I |
| 11 | Disappeared, Part II |
| 12 | Voices |
| 13 | Destiny |
| 14 | Sacrifice |
| 15 | Lethal Alliance |
| 16 | The Mission |
| 17 | Conspirators |
| 18 | Dark Disciple |
| 19 | The Enemy of My Enemy |
| 20 | A Tale of Two Apprentices |
| 21 | Proxy War |
| 22 | Showdown on Dathomir |
Season 7[]
| Episode | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Bad Batch |
| 2 | A Distant Echo |
| 3 | On the Wings of Keeradaks |
| 4 | Unfinished Business |
| 5 | Saving Vos Part I |
| 6 | Saving Vos Part II |
| 7 | Traitor |
| 8 | The Path |
| 9 | The Resoures |
| 10 | Once a Slave |
| 11 | Teacher and Student |
| 12 | Like Father, Like Son |
| 13 | A Dark Jungle |
| 14 | Devastation |
| 15 | Titans of Trees |
| 16 | Scorched Earth |
| 17 | |
| 18 |
Season 8: Legacy[]
| Episode | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Origins |
| 2 | Who Am I |
| 3 | 1313 |
| 4 | Alliance of Enemies |
| 5 | Distress Call |
| 6 | In Too Deep |
| 7 | Aggressive Negotiations |
| 8 | The Unknown |
| 9 | Rivalries |
| 10 | Isolation |
| 11 | An Unknown Moon |
| 12 | Changing of the Guard |
| 13 | The Trials of General Grievous |
| 14 | Sith Hunt |
| 15 | Reckoning |
| 16 | Return to the Jedi |
| 17 | Labyrinth of Evil |
| 18 | Endgame |
| 19 | Siege of Mandolore Part I |
| 20 | Siege of Mandolore Part II |