Career Timeline of George Lucas: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of George Lucas, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

George Lucas is an American filmmaker, best known for creating the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. He is the founder of Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and THX. A pioneer of the New Hollywood movement and modern blockbuster, Lucas is considered a significant figure in 20th-century cinema. He sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012. Despite his blockbuster success, he has largely remained an independent filmmaker.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1971: Lucasfilm Founded

In 1971, George Lucas founded a film production company called Lucasfilm.

1975: Industrial Light & Magic Founded

In 1975, George Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to create visual effects for his films.

September 12, 1977: Lucasfilm Ltd. Incorporated

On September 12, 1977, Lucasfilm was incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd.

1977: Visual Effects for Star Wars

In 1977, Industrial Light & Magic became the Special Visual Effects department on Star Wars, creating visual effects that had never been seen on film before.

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1978: Star Wars Holiday Special

In 1978, Lucas's company, the Star Wars Corporation, Inc., produced the Star Wars Holiday Special for 20th Century Fox Television.

1980: Firing of Charles Weber

In 1980, George Lucas fired real-estate specialist Charles Weber after Weber requested fifty million dollars to invest in other companies and suggested that they sell Skywalker Ranch to do so.

1991: Received the Irving G. Thalberg Award

In 1991, George Lucas received the academy's Irving G. Thalberg Award.

1991: The George Lucas Educational Foundation Founded

In 1991, The George Lucas Educational Foundation was founded as a nonprofit operating foundation to celebrate and encourage innovation in schools.

1996: Telecommunications Act

In 1996, Lucas, through his foundation, was one of the leading proponents of the E-Rate program in the universal service fund, which was enacted as part of the Telecommunications Act.

June 9, 2005: AFI Life Achievement Award

On June 9, 2005, the American Film Institute awarded George Lucas its Life Achievement Award, shortly after the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

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2005: Donation to MLK Jr. Memorial

In 2005, George Lucas gave $1 million to help build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

September 19, 2006: Donation to USC Film School

On September 19, 2006, the University of Southern California announced that George Lucas donated $175–180 million to his alma mater to expand the film school. This donation is the largest single donation to USC and the largest gift to a film school anywhere.

2006: Inducted into Science Fiction Hall of Fame

In 2006, George Lucas was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

2007: Presented Best Director award at Academy Awards

In 2007, George Lucas appeared at the 79th Academy Awards ceremony with Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola to present the Best Director award to Martin Scorsese.

June 24, 2008: Testimony Before Congress

On June 24, 2008, George Lucas testified before the United States House of Representatives subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet as the head of his Foundation to advocate for a free wireless broadband educational network.

2008: Indiana Jones and Star Wars: The Clone Wars

In 2008, George Lucas collaborated with Jeff Nathanson on the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, directed by Steven Spielberg. Also in 2008, Lucas created and served as executive producer for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated series on Cartoon Network.

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January 2012: Retirement Announcement

In January 2012, George Lucas announced his retirement from producing large blockbuster films, and instead would re-focus his career on smaller, independently budgeted features.

June 2012: Kathleen Kennedy Appointment

In June 2012, it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy was appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd, and would eventually succeed Lucas as the company's sole leader.

2012: Red Tails Production

In 2012, George Lucas self-funded and served as executive producer for Red Tails, a war film about the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. He also took over directing of reshoots while director Anthony Hemingway worked on other projects.

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2012: Sale of Lucasfilm

In 2012, George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company for $4.05 billion, intending to donate the majority of the proceeds to charity.

2012: Disney Acquires Lucasfilm

In 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm. During this time, Kathleen Kennedy produced the film and its sequels.

June 2013: Considering Lucas Cultural Arts Museum

In June 2013, George Lucas was considering establishing the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum in San Francisco, to display his collection of illustrations and pop art.

July 2013: Awarded National Medal of Arts

In July 2013, George Lucas was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama for his contributions to American cinema.

May 2014: Chicago Site Proposed

In May 2014, a potential lakefront site on Museum Campus in Chicago was proposed for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

June 2014: Chicago Selected

In June 2014, Chicago was selected as the location for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, pending approval of the Chicago Plan Commission, which was granted.

October 2014: Received Honorary Membership of SMPTE

In October 2014, George Lucas received Honorary Membership of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.

2014: Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended

In 2014, George Lucas finished his role as creator and executive producer for Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network. This series bridged the events between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and featured the last Star Wars stories in which Lucas was involved in a major way.

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January 2015: Disney Discards Story Ideas

In January 2015, George Lucas stated that Disney had discarded his story ideas for the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

August 2015: Inducted as a Disney Legend

In August 2015, George Lucas was inducted as a Disney Legend.

December 6, 2015: Honoree at Kennedy Center Honors

On December 6, 2015, George Lucas was an honoree at the Kennedy Center Honors.

December 18, 2015: The Force Awakens Released

On December 18, 2015, The Force Awakens, directed by J. J. Abrams, was released. The new sequel trilogy was jointly produced by Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company, which had acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.

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2015: Strange Magic Release

In 2015, George Lucas wrote the CGI film Strange Magic, his first musical, which was produced at Skywalker Ranch and directed by Gary Rydstrom.

April 15, 2016: Donation to Obama Foundation

On April 15, 2016, it was reported that George Lucas had donated between $501,000 and $1 million through the Lucas Family Foundation (now the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation) to the Obama Foundation, which is charged with overseeing the construction of the Barack Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side.

June 24, 2016: Abandoning Chicago Plans

On June 24, 2016, George Lucas announced that he was abandoning his plans to locate the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Chicago, due to a lawsuit by a local preservation group.

October 2016: Lucas Not Involved in Indiana Jones Story

In October 2016, George Lucas announced his decision to not be involved in the story of the fifth Indiana Jones film but would remain an executive producer.

January 17, 2017: Los Angeles Location Announced

On January 17, 2017, George Lucas announced that the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art would be constructed in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, with completion due in 2026.

2017: The Last Jedi

In 2017, The Last Jedi, the second film in the sequel trilogy, was released; Lucas described the film as 'beautifully made'.

2018: Involvement in Solo

In 2018, George Lucas had cursory involvement with Solo: A Star Wars Story.

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2019: Meeting with J.J. Abrams

In 2019, George Lucas met with J. J. Abrams before Abrams began writing the script to the sequel trilogy's final film, The Rise of Skywalker, which was released in 2019.

2021: Donation to NYU for Martin Scorsese Institute

In 2021, George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson made a donation to NYU through the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation to establish the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts.

May 2024: Honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival

In May 2024, George Lucas was given the Honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, considered one of the highest recognitions in the film industry.