George Walton Lucas, Jr. Close friends with fellow filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas worked on the Indiana Jones franchise with Spielberg after meeting him through his own directoral debut, THX 1138, and the films The Rain People and Apocalypse Now, directed by Coppola.
George Lucas soon planned a new space fantasy, Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), requiring him to create a visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, and hire Ben Burtt as a sound designer (later evolving into Skywalker Sound), to help bring his vision to the screen.
The force of love is strong for power couple George Lucas and Mellody Hobson. The iconic filmmaker, who created the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises, met his match in businesswoman Hobson, who founded Ariel Investments, one of the country's largest investment firms.
Eventually, the two directors became friends and two of the biggest names in blockbuster cinema of all time, and they worked together behind the scenes on the likes of Jurassic Park, Schindler's List and Indiana Jones, the latter of which saw Spielberg direct and Lucas write the story.
A fifth and final film, titled Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was theatrically released on June 30, 2023. The series was created by George Lucas. The first four films were directed by Steven Spielberg, who worked closely with Lucas during their production, while the fifth film was directed by James Mangold.
Which actor famously turned down the role of Indiana Jones?
It turns out that before it became one of Harrison Ford's landmark roles, there was another leading man the Indiana Jones team were keen to hunt down. That man was Tom Selleck, who has just revealed that he was originally offered the role as the intrepid archaeologist, but decided not to don the famous hat and whip.
And with a net worth estimated by Forbes of $5.4 billion, mainly thanks to selling Lucasfilm to Disney, “Star Wars” creator Lucas is in a galaxy far, far away from anyone else on the list. Though his peer Steven Spielberg comes in at second place, with a net worth of $3.7 billion.
Under Iger, Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4 billion, a deal under which Lucas received 37.1 million Disney shares. Lucas, who had founded the company in 1971, has an estimated net worth of $7.9 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Lucas founded the entertainment studio in 1971, and he then sold it to Disney in a deal worth more than $4 billion. Kim Kardashian Is Being Sued By the Judd Foundation.
Everest Hobson Lucas was born on August 9 and is the first biological child for Lucas, 69, and Hobson, 44, the director's representatives said. Lucas also has three adopted children, Amanda, 32; Katie, 25; and 20-year-old Jett Lucas.
Everest Hobson Lucas was born on August 9, and is Lucas's first biological child. Lucas, 69, has three adopted children, Amanda, 32, Katie, 25, and Jett, 20. Lucas and Hobson, 44, the president of Ariel Investments, were married in June.
Disney acquired “Toy Story” creator Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion. The company became the owner of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises following the purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012.
Before Jones was cast for the voice-over, though, director George Lucas actually considered a different actor for Vader's voice — an actor far more recognizable than Jones in 1977, who would have brought an element of old Hollywood prestige to the galaxy far, far away – Orson Welles.
Skywalker Sound remains based at the Ranch, for which Lucasfilm pays a rental fee to George Lucas, who remains the property's owner. Although Lucas maintains his offices there, he does not reside at the Ranch. Lucasfilm Games was located at the ranch during the early company years.
Lucas himself has been called a “Buddhist/Methodist,” though it's not clear that he identifies with either religious tradition. “Let's say I'm spiritual,” he told Time magazine in 1999.
How old was Steven Spielberg when he met George Lucas?
The year was 1977, and a young George Lucas and an even younger Steven Spielberg were talking on a beach in Maui. Lucas was 33 years old; Spielberg was 31. Lucas had already written and directed 10 short films and respectably successful two full length features, THX 1138 in 1971 and American Graffiti in 1973.
What were the reasons at the time? When George Lucas sold his company, Lucasfilm, to Disney, he was 68 years old. He had been thinking about retirement for some time, and he wanted to pass on his company to a company he thought would continue the Star Wars legacy.
'Star Wars' creator George Lucas has largely retired from filmmaking since he sold his Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012 for $4.1 billion in stock and cash. Lucas is now focused on philanthropy: his charitable family foundation has more than $1 billion in assets.
Yes, Selleck had the chance to star as the thrill-seeking archaeologist, but had to pass on it because he was committed to starring as Thomas Magnum on CBS' “Magnum, P.I.”
Which actor turned down the role of Indiana Jones?
BLUE BLOODS star Tom Selleck missed out on playing Indiana Jones when his hit show MAGNUM, P.I. took off. “Tom previously had done a pilot for MAGNUM, P.I. before being asked to play Indiana Jones,” Karen Allen, who played Marion Ravenwood in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK told Fox News Digital.
