The Evolution of Lucasfilm
A long, long time ago (1971)
In a galaxy far away (San Francisco, California) …
Filmmaker George Lucas decided to start up his own production company to create films that deviated from what Hollywood was producing at the time. Known for film series such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, Lucasfilm has been successfully running, although under changing management, for five decades now, their films a staple in many homes and the subsequent franchises embedded in the childhoods of many American kids.
Lucas was chair of the company for many years, wanting to make sure that the vision he had dreamed up for the films were upheld. He also wrote/co-wrote many of the feature films, with close friends of his directing. As time went on and he grew older, a few other leaders in the company stepped up, such as Kathleen Kennedy, who was co-chair for a while before the Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm as a whole for a total of ~$4billion (in both cash and Disney shares). After this change of ownership, Kennedy became the president of Lucasfilm and their brand manager.
Disney now owns the company, still keeping the name Lucasfilm but George Lucas is no longer pulling any strings, as he left the company in order to pursue other films and industries. Disney had a contract with them previous to the final purchase, one that allowed attractions in the Disney theme parks based off of Lucasfilm’s most popular franchises. This purchase, along with their purchase of Marvel Studios, further cemented Disney as top dog in the film industry, among the many others that they dominate.
The magic of Lucasfilm is the way that they cater to nearly every demographic. Although their main products are their movies, over the years, the company has also produced TV series (animated and live action), documentaries, and even books. There is a little something for everyone who is interested in these stories and universes. It is nearly guaranteed that someone, no matter their age, has some sort of connection to the Star Wars franchise. They’ve also produced a few classics such as Labyrinth and The Land Before Time, showing that they can broadly cover nearly every genre.
Lucasfilm, before and after the Disney takeover, has been a staple in the majority of homes in America. For something to last as long as this company has, there is a formula that must be working, a specific role that Lucasfilm encompasses in the film industry in order for them to be so successful.
Walt Disney Company is often regarded as a rising monopoly in film, however that is not exactly true. Disney and the companies it owns are considered to be part of an oligopoly, or the industry structure that allows a few firms to be dominating the industry. Lucasfilm does have its own voice and style, but still competes with other production companies such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, and Sony Pictures, to name a few. All of these production companies produce similar movies, however each play their own role in the industry.
Lucasfilm is nearly 50 years old, which is fairly new compared to some other companies like Warner Brothers, which was created in the early 1920’s, but still has been around long enough and created a lasting impact that it could be considered a long-standing fixture. Lucasfilm provided a lot of firsts for up and coming films, specifically action and science fiction, setting a strong lead for them to follow. The Star Wars franchise was one of the first to create and encourage collectible merchandise, such as action figures, lunch tins, and a variety of popular T-shirts. George Lucas himself had a lot of influence on how licensing deals and partnerships were made and upheld. Historian Sharon Scott, in her book Toys and American Culture (2010), attributes the rise of collectible action figures to Star Wars, including the new idea of preserving them and selling them for money later when they essentially become antiques. This is now a pretty lucrative online and in-store business, one that would not be around if it were not for Lucasfilm’s effort to merchandise their movies.
Obviously, from the 70’s, certain technological advances have been made in the film industry, some actually due to the work that different Lucasfilm divisions put in. Lucasfilm started Industrial Light and Magic (VFX and animation), Skywalker Sound (sound effects/editing lab), and Lucasfilm animation (animation studio), all of which made significant contributions to each specific aspect of film-making. At the time, when the original Star Wars trilogy was released, the special effects included in the movies were considered to be way far ahead of what other productions were achieving. Lucasfilm took this fact and ran with it, creating many movies afterwards that included intricate puppeteering, detailed CGI and special effects, and specialized foley artistry.
Lucasfilm was unique from the start, creating ‘weird’ and ‘odd’ movies for people of all ages, setting new standards for what a movie franchise was, and creating stories that have lasted decades. Star Wars and Indiana Jones were so influential, in fact, that a handful of new TV series and movies are still being made to this day. The newest Star Wars trilogy finale was released just back in 2019, with a lineup of brand new Disney+ shows to be running in the near future.
Disney+, Walt Disney Company’s streaming service, was launched with great anticipation in late 2019. With promises of classics combined with new shows created specifically for the platforms, fans around the country could not wait to get their hands on an account. Costing only around $8.00 a month, users are able to access a wide library of Disney movies and shows, ESPN highlights, Pixar Animation movies and shorts, National Geographic documentaries, and more. With the rise of content streaming around the globe, due to accessibility, money, and the COVID-19 pandemic, users flocked to the wide range of content available on the service.
Lucasfilm, specifically the Star Wars franchise, has its own content hub on the app’s homepage. Access to the original trilogy, the prequels, and the newest trilogy are available there, as well as vintage shorts, LEGO shorts, documentaries/docu-series, and the newest to the Star Wars family, shows like The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian set a new standard for spin-off TV shows, in all genres. The popularity of this series began when it first premiered alongside Disney+ in 2019. Created by a few Lucasfilm veterans, fans of the original movie franchise, who perhaps did not like the newest trilogy, praised The Mandalorian for its integrity to the universe and characters. The costuming was authentic and intricate, the scene work and writing true to its origins, and characters just as complex and lovable as the OG Skywalkers. Oh, and of course, you can’t forget Baby Yoda.
What makes this TV series so special is the way that it did what Lucasfilm had originally attempted to do: it made an enjoyable piece of media for all ages. There is something in every episode to be noticed, recognized, and appreciated. Kids and teens obsessed over Baby Yoda, young adults found their way into the universe, and the older generation who got to see the first few movies on the big screen fell back in love with the Star Wars world. It was a turning point for Lucasfilm, especially when the world quickly fell to the COVID-19 pandemic not too far after its release.
The pandemic has caused major changes in the film industry as a whole. Naturally, a large amount of people work on film sets, actors must be able to do their jobs without masks, and getting the final product to the public would not be as fruitful as it once was due to the closing of movie theaters to encourage social distancing. Despite these challenges, Lucasfilm was still able to successfully produce and distribute a second season of The Mandalorian, just as inventive and well received as the first.
Although Lucasfilm started out as a film company, they quickly branched out into different media forms, still true to their unique identity through it all. Throughout creating different extensions of the brand to work on specific aspects of what goes into making a film, to moving their work onto popular streaming services, to creating memorable products, Lucasfilm has kept its name still recognizable and bold despite it all. Something so unforgettable, even after being purchased by a giant such as Disney, does not tend to lose itself so easily. By being adaptable, full of inventive minds, and true to its original identity, Lucasfilm has created a culture that will last for a long, long time, in all the galaxies far, far away.
Works Consulted
Driving Economic Growth | Motion Picture Association. https://www.motionpictures.org/what-we-do/driving-economic-growth/.
“Lucasfilm Company History | Lucasfilm Ltd.” Lucasfilm, https://www.lucasfilm.com/who-we-are/our-story/.
Scott, Sharon M. Toys and American Culture: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood, 2010.
“The Evolution of Star Wars Merchandise.” Den of Geek, 20 Dec. 2019, https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/evolution-of-star-wars-merchandise/.
The Selling of Star Wars: EBSCOhost. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.arcadia.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=52c135d4-a352-44e3-b16c-c9ad5c43f9cc%40sessionmgr4007&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=1823086&db=asn.
