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.jpg) Lucasfilm headquarters at theLetterman Digital Arts Center | |
| Lucasfilm Ltd. | |
| Formerly |
|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry |
|
| Founded | December 10, 1971; 53 years ago (1971-12-10), inSan Rafael, California, U.S. |
| Founder | George Lucas |
| Headquarters | Letterman Digital Arts Center,, U.S. |
Number of locations | 6 |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Brands | |
Number of employees | 2,000 (2015)[1] |
| Parent | The Walt Disney Studios (2012–present) |
| Divisions | |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | www |
Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and televisionproduction company founded by filmmakerGeorge Lucas in December 10, 1971 inSan Rafael, California, and later moved toSan Francisco in 2005.[2] It is best known for creating and producing theStar Wars andIndiana Jones franchises, as well as its leadership in developing special effects, sound, andcomputer animation for films. Since 2012, Lucasfilm has been a subsidiary ofThe Walt Disney Studios, who also owns former Lucasfilm subsidiaryPixar.
The company's filmsStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999),Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015),Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016),Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017), andStar Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019) are all among the50 highest-grossing films of all time, withThe Force Awakens becoming thehighest-grossing film in the United States and Canada. On October 30, 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in the form of cash and in stock (equivalent to about $6 billion today).[3][4][5][6] Lucasfilm is currently one of five live-action film studios within the Walt Disney Studios, alongsideWalt Disney Pictures,Marvel Studios,20th Century Studios andSearchlight Pictures.
Lucasfilm was founded by filmmakerGeorge Lucas in December 10, 1971 inSan Rafael, California,[7] and was incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd. on September 12, 1977.[8] In the mid-1970s, the company's offices were located on theUniversal Studios Lot.[9] Lucas founded theStar Wars Corporation, Inc. as a subsidiary to control various legal and financial aspects ofStar Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977),[10] including copyright, and sequel and merchandising rights. It also produced the 1978Star Wars Holiday Special for20th Century Fox Television.[11] That year, Lucas hired Los Angeles-based real-estate specialist Charles Weber to manage the company, telling him that he could keep the job as long as he made money.[12] Lucas wanted to focus on making independent films for the company, but the company gradually became enlarged from five employees to almost 100, increasing in middle management and running up costs. In 1980, after Weber asked Lucas for $50 million to invest in other companies and suggested that they sell theSkywalker Ranch to do so, Lucas fired Weber and had to let half of the Los Angeles staff go.[12] By the same year, the corporate subsidiary had been discontinued and its business was absorbed into the various divisions of Lucasfilm. It was the same year when the second Star Wars film,Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, was released in cinemas as an official sequel to the original 1977 film.
Between 1981 and 1989, threeIndiana Jones films, stories by Lucas and directed bySteven Spielberg, were released. WhileStar Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983) was in production, Lucas decided not to pursue furtherStar Wars films.[13] Despite the third film achieving similarclassic status to its two predecessors, George was unhappy with the cinema presentation ofReturn of the Jedi, he created the companyTHX, which was unveiled on May 20, 1983.[14] Lucasfilm produced theJohn Korty-directed animated filmTwice Upon a Time (1983). 1985 saw the release ofPaul Schrader'sMishima: A Life in Four Chapters. The next year,Jim Henson'sLabyrinth and an adaptation ofMarvel Comics'Howard the Duck were released.Ron Howard directed the fantasy filmWillow in 1988 (story by Lucas); the same year the children's animated filmThe Land Before Time was released. From 1992 to 1993,The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (created by Lucas) television series was produced. In 1992, after viewing an earlycomputer-generated imagery test created byIndustrial Light & Magic (ILM) forJurassic Park, Lucas announced his intentions to produce aStar WarsPrequel Trilogy.[15] In 1994, the long-delayedRadioland Murders (story by Lucas) was released. In 1995, Lucas began pre-production on the prequel trilogy. The trilogy took ten years to make, ending with the release of the third prequel filmStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith in 2005;The Phantom Menace andAttack of the Clones had received mixed reviews, whileRevenge of the Sith received positive reviews. In addition to the prequels, Lucas released theSpecial Editions for theStar Wars Original Trilogy in 1997, 2004 and 2011, forVHS,DVD andBlu-ray, which were met with increasingly negative reception.
In 1987, the company, which at that time, was expanding from three to five films a year on its own, decided to increase making its Northern California production facilities available to other filmmakers.[16] In 1989, Lucasfilm launched a new subsidiary Lucasfilm Entertainment Group (later LucasArts Entertainment Company) to consolidate all four units, which areIndustrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Commercial Productions,Lucasfilm Games, andSprocket Systems.[17]
In 2005, Lucasfilm opened a new studio in Singapore focusing on animation.[18] That same year,Lucasfilm Animation commenced production of a 3D animatedStar Wars television series calledStar Wars: The Clone Wars, with key production team members including executive producerCatherine Winder, supervising directorDave Filoni, Head of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore Chris Kubsch, andHenry Gilroy.[19] Primary production took place at Lucasfilm Animation's Singapore studio.[20] Airing onCartoon Network between 2008 and 2013,[21]The Clone Wars was well received by fans and was nominated for several film awards including theDaytime Emmy Awards and theAnnie Awards.[22][23]
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In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large-scaleblockbuster films and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features.[24][25] In June 2012, it was announced thatKathleen Kennedy, a long-term collaborator with Steven Spielberg and an executive producer of theIndiana Jones films, had been appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm. 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 chairperson, which she did in June 2013.[26]
On July 8, 2012, Lucasfilm's marketing, online, and licensing units moved into the newLetterman Digital Arts Center located in thePresidio in San Francisco. It shares the complex with Industrial Light & Magic. Lucasfilm had planned an expansion at the Skywalker Ranch inMarin County, California, but shelved the plan in 2012 due to opposition from neighbors.[27]Skywalker Sound remains the only Lucasfilm division based at Skywalker Ranch.[28]
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 would report directly to Kathleen Kennedy. Chau was credited with keeping the Lucasfilm andStar Wars brands strong, especially through animation spin-offs and licensing initiatives.[29]
Discussions relating to the possibility ofthe Walt Disney Company signing a distribution deal with Lucasfilm officially began in May 2011, after a meeting that George Lucas had with Disney CEOBob Iger during the re-opening of theStar Tours – The Adventures Continue attraction atDisney's Hollywood Studios.[30] Lucas told Iger that he was considering retirement and planned to sell Lucasfilm, as well as theStar Wars andIndiana Jones franchises.[31] On October 30, 2012, Disney announced a deal to acquire Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion,[32] with approximately half in cash and half in shares of Disney stock.[3] Lucasfilm had previously collaborated with Disney'sWalt Disney Imagineering division to create theme park attractions centered onStar Wars andIndiana Jones for variousWalt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide.[33]
Kathleen Kennedy, co-chairwoman of Lucasfilm, became president of Lucasfilm, reporting to the-then Walt Disney Studios ChairmanAlan Horn. Additionally, she serves as the brand manager forStar Wars, working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Kennedy serves as a producer on newStar Wars feature films, with George Lucas originally announced as serving as a creative consultant.[34] The company also announced the future release of newStar Wars films, starting withEpisode VII: The Force Awakens in 2015.[33]
Under the deal, Disney acquired ownership ofStar Wars,Indiana Jones, and Lucasfilm's operating businesses in live-action film production, consumer products, video games, animation, visual effects, and audio post-production.[35] Disney also acquired Lucasfilm's portfolio of entertainment technologies. The intent was for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.[36]Star Wars merchandising would begin under Disney in the fiscal year 2014.[37] Starting withStar Wars Rebels, certain products will be co-branded with the Disney name,[38][39] akin to what Disney has done withPixar.[40] On December 4, 2012, the Disney-Lucasfilm merger was approved by theFederal Trade Commission (FTC), allowing the acquisition to be finalized without dealing withantitrust problems.[41] On December 18, 2012, Lucasfilm converted from acorporation to alimited liability company (LLC), changing its name to Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC in the process.[42] On December 21, 2012, Disney completed the acquisition and Lucasfilm became a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney.[5][6]
At the time of Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm,20th Century Fox, the original distributor of the first sixStar Wars films, were to retain the physical and theatrical distribution rights to both the prequel trilogy and EpisodesV andVI of the original trilogy until May 2020, along with full distribution rights for theoriginal 1977 film in perpetuity.[43] Lucasfilm retained the television and digital distribution rights toStar Wars EpisodesI throughVI with exception to EpisodeIV.[44] On March 20, 2019, Disney officiallyacquired 20th Century Fox after acquiring its owner,21st Century Fox, thus consolidating all the distribution and ownership rights to all the films under its umbrella.[6] In December 2013, Walt Disney Studios purchased the distribution and marketing rights to futureIndiana Jones films fromParamount Pictures, although the latter studio would retain the distribution rights to the first four films and would receive "financial participation" from any additional films.[45][46] This would make the fifth installment,Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, become the first film in the franchise and Lucasfilm's first film overall to be co-produced byWalt Disney Pictures.[47]
In early 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger disclosed Lucasfilm's plans to releasestandaloneStar Wars films alongside theSequel Trilogy over a six-year period.[48] This strategy aimed to expand theStar Wars universe beyond the main saga. The first of these standalone films,Rogue One, premiered in 2016, followed bySolo: A Star Wars Story in 2018.[49][50]
On April 3, 2013,LucasArts, thevideo game development division of Lucasfilm, underwent closure, resulting in layoffs for most of its staff.[51] Despite this, LucasArts maintained a small team to handle video game licensing. Disney subsequently entered an exclusive agreement withElectronic Arts (EA) to produceStar Wars games for the core gaming market for a decade. LucasArts retained licensing rights, while Disney Interactive Studios focused on casual gaming.[52][53] Due to lower-than-expected sales, EA's exclusive deal was halted in January 2021, more than three years before their contract was set to expire on October 14, 2024. Lucasfilm was rumored to be courting either Ubisoft or Activision to either replace EA or share rights to develop Star Wars games with them, but after April 3, 2023, EA left the franchise altogether, with mixed reactions from the fans.[54][55]
In January 2014, it was announced thatDark Horse Comics would be losing its license forStar Wars comics toMarvel Comics, another Disney subsidiary, in 2015.[56] That April, Lucasfilm announced that theStar Wars Expanded Universe content would be rebranded asStar Wars Legends, with only selected works, including the six episodic films andThe Clone Wars, deemed canon. Additionally, a new line of canonStar Wars books began publication under the Lucasfilm story group.[57]
Lucasfilm continued its expansion globally, opening its regional headquarters in Singapore in 2014.[18] This facility housed staff from Lucasfilm, The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia and ESPN Asia Pacific.[18] Meanwhile, between 2015 and 2018, Lucasfilm released several cinematic films, including critical and commercial successes likeEpisode VII: The Force Awakens andRogue One, alongside the less successfulSolo.[58][49][50]
After the mixed performance ofSolo at the box office, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed a slowdown in release of newStar Wars films.[59] Lucasfilm moved its focus on developing content forDisney+ by launching several programs including the successful seriesThe Mandalorian series on Disney+.[60]
In November 2023, Dave Filoni revealed that he was promoted to serve as the chief creative officer at the studio and would be directly involved in the planning of futureStar Warsfilms andStar Wars in otherseries.[61]
Former subsidiaries of Lucasfilm are:
| Name | Description | Current Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixar Animation Studios | Computer animation studio that was sold toSteve Jobs in 1986. | Active | It became a subsidiary ofthe Walt Disney Company in 2006, six years prior to Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in December 2012. |
| THX | Theater sound system (spun off from Lucasfilm in 2002)[68] | Creative Technology owned 60% of THX,[69] and then sold toRazer Inc. in 2016. | |
| Kerner Optical | Practical effects division (model shop) and 3-D development team (spun off fromIndustrial Light & Magic in 2006) | Closed | Went bankrupt in 2011.[70] |
| Lucas Learning | A spinoff ofLucasArts for the development of educational software. | In 2001, Lucas Learning decided to leave the market and shut down this division.[71] | |
| Lucas Online | In house web development company that built and maintained the websites of the other Lucasfilm companies and properties. |
| Year | Title | Films | TV Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973–1979 | American Graffiti | 2 | 0 |
| 1977–present | Star Wars | 12 | 28 |
| 1981–present | Indiana Jones | 5 | 3 |
| 1988, 2023 | Willow | 1 | 1 |
| Rank | Title | Year | Box office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2015 | $936,662,225 |
| 2 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | 2017 | $620,181,382 |
| 3 | Rogue One | 2016 | $533,539,991 |
| 4 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 2019 | $515,202,542 |
| 5 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | 1999 | $487,576,624 |
| 6 | Star Wars | 1977 | $460,998,507 |
| 7 | Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | 2005 | $414,378,291 |
| 8 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 2008 | $317,101,119 |
| 9 | Return of the Jedi | 1983 | $316,566,101 |
| 10 | Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | 2002 | $310,676,740 |
| 11 | The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | $292,753,960 |
| 12 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1981 | $248,159,971 |
| 13 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | 2018 | $213,767,512 |
| 14 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 1989 | $197,171,806 |
| 15 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | 1984 | $179,870,271 |
| 16 | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | 2023 | $174,480,468 |
| 17 | American Graffiti | 1973 | $115,000,000 |
| 18 | Willow | 1988 | $57,269,863 |
| Rank | Title | Year | Box office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2015 | $2,071,310,218 |
| 2 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | 2017 | $1,334,407,706 |
| 3 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 2019 | $1,077,022,372 |
| 4 | Rogue One | 2016 | $1,058,684,742 |
| 5 | Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | 1999 | $1,046,515,409 |
| 6 | Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | 2005 | $905,204,578 |
| 7 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 2008 | $786,635,413 |
| 8 | Star Wars | 1977 | $775,398,507 |
| 9 | Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | 2002 | $656,695,615 |
| 10 | The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | $549,001,086 |
| 11 | Return of the Jedi | 1983 | $482,365,284 |
| 12 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 1989 | $474,171,806 |
| 13 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | 2018 | $393,151,347 |
| 14 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1981 | $389,925,971 |
| 15 | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | 2023 | $383,963,057 |
| 16 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | 1984 | $333,107,271 |
| 17 | American Graffiti | 1973 | $140,557,835 |
| 18 | Willow | 1988 | $137,600,000 |
Prior to the Company's acquisition, Lucasfilm produced six Star Wars films (Episodes 1 through 6). Lucasfilm retained the rights to consumer products related to all of the films and the rights related to television and electronic distribution formats for all of the films, except for the rights for Episode 4, which are owned by a third-party studio. All of the films are distributed by a third-party studio in the theatrical and home video markets. The theatrical and home video distribution rights for these films revert to Lucasfilm in May 2020 except for Episode 4, for which these distribution rights are retained in perpetuity by the third-party studio.
While Lucasfilm always strived to keep the stories created for the EU consistent with our film and television content as well as internally consistent, [Franchise creator George Lucas] always made it clear that he was not beholden to the EU,
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