George Lucas may have sold the rights to Star Wars to Disney almost a decade ago, but his love for the iconic franchise is far from gone.
The legendary director, 80, who pocketed a staggering $4 billion from the sale of Lucasfilm to the Mouse House in 2012, was recently spotted in St. Barts sporting a casual T-shirt featuring a Stormtrooper.
The character first appeared in the original Star Wars in 1977, a turning point that helped cement Lucas as a cinematic legend.
George completed his relaxed Christmas look with a white bucket hat and matching shorts as he soaked up the sun on the tropical island.
At the time of Lucasfilm’s monumental sale (which also included his company’s Industrial Light & Magic and the rights to Indiana Jones), Lucas compared parting ways with Star Wars to losing a family member.
‘These are my children, I loved them. “I created them,” he told CBS at the time.
George Lucas may have sold the Star Wars rights to Disney almost a decade ago, but his love for the iconic franchise is far from gone, as he was spotted in St. Barts in Star Wars gear.
The legendary director, 80, who pocketed a staggering $4 billion from the sale of Lucasfilm to the Mouse House in 2012, was recently spotted in St. Barts sporting a casual t-shirt featuring the classic Stormtrooper.
However, after selling the rights to Star Wars to Disney, Lucas did not hesitate to express his discontent with The Force Awakens, the first film in the franchise after the sale.
In a 2015 interview with empire magazine, Lucas admitted that he was unhappy with the film, stating that Disney “wanted to make a retro movie” and did not follow the planned direction for the series.
He also mentioned that he felt the film was too similar to the original trilogy, saying, “They wanted to make a movie for the fans… They decided they didn’t want to use the stories that I created.”
He backtracked somewhat on his initial criticism of The Force Awakens after the film’s release.
In later interviews, he acknowledged that while he had concerns about the film’s direction, he ultimately appreciated the work done by JJ Abrams and the Disney team.
He even praised the film’s success, although he still expressed that it was not exactly what he would have done.
Meanwhile, last May, George threw a huge birthday party to celebrate his 80th birthday, which was attended by some of the world’s biggest stars.
He invited dozens of A-list friends to celebrate Saturday at Skywalker Ranch.
At the time of Lucasfilm’s monumental sale (which also included his company’s Industrial Light & Magic and the rights to Indiana Jones), Lucas compared parting ways with Star Wars to losing a family member; (seen in December)
However, after selling the Star Wars rights to Disney, Lucas did not hesitate to express his discontent with The Force Awakens, the first film in the franchise after the sale; (with Jake Lloyd for Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace – 1999)
Lucas on the set of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope 1977
Steve Martin was the MC for the night, with performances throughout the night from the likes of Alicia Keys, Jon Batiste, Don Henley and HER.
The guest list also included Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Samuel L. Jackson, Tyler Perry, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Robert De Niro, Glenn Close, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, SHE, Alicia Keys, Don Henley, Jon Batiste, Swizz Beatz, Jon Favreau and Warwick Davis.
Lucas has owned Skywalker Ranch since 1978, located in a secluded area in Marin County, California, north of the Bay Area.
Sources said Mellody Hobson, to whom Lucas has been married since 2013, was “an exceptional host”, who “warmly greeted everyone at the party”.