George Lucas

On the set of Labyrinth

Jim Henson and George Lucas.

Jim Henson with Robert Watts and George Lucas on the set of Labyrinth.

George Lucas (b. 1944) is an acclaimed producer, director, and screenwriter. He served as executive producer for Jim Henson's Labyrinth.

He is perhaps best known for creating the Star Wars saga, which was filmed in the same studios as The Muppet Show. A few of the characters he created for Star Wars would appear as the guest stars of a fourth season episode of the series.

Lucas was also the creator, writer, and producer of the Indiana Jones film series. His production company, Lucasfilm, spawned the computer animation company Pixar (formerly Lucasfilm's Graphics Group), and Lucasfilm Games produced Labyrinth: The Computer Game in conjunction with Henson Associates.

In addition to producing Labyrinth, Lucas consulted Henson in the creation of Yoda, a role that would end up going to Frank Oz.

After his passing in 1990, Lucas attended Jim Henson's memorial at St. John the Divine. On Jim Henson's 75th birthday, The Henson Company's Facebook account posted this quote from George Lucas:

“Jim was an amazing human being. He was funny, creative, and imaginative, and he inspired the people who worked for him and with him to do their very best. I had the opportunity twice to work with Jim directly on movies. He helped us to develop the Yoda puppet for The Empire Strikes Back and strongly recommended the wonderfully talented Frank Oz as the puppeteer and voice of Yoda. Then, a few years later, we worked together on the movie Labyrinth, and I saw Jim’s laser-focus as director in getting his vision onto film. Being around him always enhanced my thinking process. He used his humor and his quirky imagination to get around--or come up with viable solutions to--the inevitable problems that accompany the making of any movie.”

On October 30, 2012, Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company, placing it under the same ownership as The Muppets characters. Lucas is married to Mellody Hobson.

References

• A commonly referenced number by George Lucas is 1138, first used in a short film he made in college which later became THX 1138. The number is closely associated with Star Wars.

• The flight taken by Big Bird in Follow That Bird is CTW 1138.
• Kermit the Frog's excavator license number is 1138 in a 2010 appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

• A George Lucas Muppet appears in episode 31 of From the Balcony, interviewed by Ted Thomas Sr. following the 1977 release of Star Wars.

External links

• George Lucas Educational Foundation
• IMDb
• Official Star Wars Website
• George Lucas at Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki