Star Wars: The Force Awakens

 Biography Channel's George Lucas (Part 1)

George Lucas

George Walton Lucas, Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and entrepreneur. He is best known as the creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as the founder of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic. He led Lucasfilm as chairman and chief executive before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012.

George Lucas   grew up on a Californian walnut ranch, and as a teenager developed  an interest in drag car racing. He planned to become a professional racing driver   but a terrible accident, just after his high school graduation, ended that dream   permanently.

He enrolled in the University of Southern California film school and made several  short films including 'THX-1138: 4EB' which won first prize at the 1967-68 National   Student Film Festival.

In 1967 George grabbed a chance to watch Francis Ford Coppola direct 'Finian's Rainbow' for Warner Brothers and the men became firm friends, forming the  production company, American Zoetrope, in 1969.

The company's first project was Lucas' full-length version of  'THX:1138'. Four  years later Lucas formed his own company, Lucasfilm.

In 1973 he wrote and directed 'American Graffiti', which won the Golden Globe and  earned five Academy Award nominations, and he began writing the screenplay for   'Star Wars' - a movie he was inspired to make by his love of swashbuckling classics  and pulp sci-fi.

In 1975 he established his own special effects company, ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) which would create dazzling new illusions for the 'Star Wars' sequels, 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and   'Return of the Jedi' (1983).

His movie was turned down by several studios until 20th Century Fox gave him a  chance. Lucas agreed to forgo his directing salary in exchange for 40% of the film's  box-office take and all the merchandising rights. Star Wars went on to break all box  office records and earned seven Academy Awards. It redefined the term   'blockbuster'.

In 1980, he was the executive producer of Steven Spielberg's 'Raiders of the Lost  Ark', which won five Academy Awards. He was also co-creator of the story for 'Indiana  Jones and the Temple of Doom' which earned yet another two Academy Award nominations, and won an Oscar for its visual effects. The 'Indiana Jones' series made box office  records of their own.

From 1980 to 1985 Lucas was busy with the construction of Skywalker Ranch near San Francisco, California. It was built to accommodate the creative, technical, and  administrative needs of the rapidly expanding Lucasfilm.

Lucas also revolutionized movie theatres with the THX Sound System, which was created   to maintain the highest quality standards in motion picture viewing and improve the quality of sound in movie theatres.

Lucas provided all the funding for 'Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back'  (1980), 'Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi' (1983) and 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace' (1999).

It was the prequels to the original 'Star Wars 'that coaxed Lucas back into the  director's chair. Star Wars: Episode II was released in 2002, while 'Star Wars:   Episode III' is scheduled for 2005.

Biography Channel's George Lucas (Part 2)