If you know of Star Wars, then you know of George Lucas. The creator of a galaxy far, far away was already a pretty well-known filmmaker prior to writing the first film in the series, having made the five-time Academy Award nominee American Graffiti. However, despite his fame, Star Wars was not an easy sell.
After multiple studios turned Lucas down, he got 20th Century Fox on board and the rest is moviemaking history. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) became the highest-grossing film of all time, and has since been beat by other installments in the franchise–The Force Awakens (2015) is now the highest-grossing Star Wars film, sitting at #4 on the list.
Star Wars has obviously turned into a major phenomenon since the first-ever film, continuing its story still today with the next feature film scheduled for a 2023 release. The Mandalorian, a live-action spinoff series which takes place in between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, is currently airing its second season on Disney Plus.
So how involved is George Lucas really, over 40 years after the first film debuted? Well, not much.
Did George Lucas make The Mandalorian?
The short answer is no, Lucas did not create The Mandalorian. Considering he sold his company Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, he isn’t involved in the creating process as much as he once was. That said, however, he has helped out where needed.
For instance, J.J. Abrams, who directed both The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker, revealed that Lucas served as a consultant on the script for TROS.
As for The Mandalorian, the show’s creator Jon Favreau has dished on ways Lucas has extended a helping hand, recalling, “He was like a boxer’s corner man coaching , but always with a twinkle in his eye.”
At the end of the day, George Lucas did not create, nor did he serve as a writer on The Mandalorian. Of course, he created some of the characters and storylines used in the series, but the show’s creator credit goes to Jon Favreau.
Writers on The Mandalorian include Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, and Christopher L. Yost, and directors who have been on board so far include Favreau, Filoni, Famuyiwa, Bryce Dallas Howard, Deborah Chow, Taika Waititi, Peyton Reed, and Carl Weathers.
As for Lucas, it looks like he’s basically enjoying these Star Wars projects just like the rest of us, if only with a bit of a different eye.