On Friday, May 24, Lucas — who celebrated his 80th birthday on May 14 — appeared at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival ahead of his honorary Palme d’Or ceremony on May 25. During a conversation at the festival, the filmmaking icon spoke to how some critics of his massively successful space opera franchise have pointed out a perceived lack of diversity in the first six Star Wars films, which Lucas either directed or produced himself.
“They would say, ‘It’s all white men.’ I’d say, it’s not. Most of the people are aliens," he said. "And the idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green and whatever — the idea is all people are equal.”
Lucas pointed out that in his Star Wars movies, the only characters ever shown on the wrong side of discrimination are robots and droids. “And that was a way of saying, people are always discriminating against something, and sooner or later, that’s what’s going to happen,” he added. “I mean, we’re already starting with AI, saying, ‘Well, we can’t trust those robots.’ ”
The filmmaker said that he never shied from hiring actors of color for his Star Wars projects, between Billy Dee Williams’ role as Lando Calrissian in the original trilogy and Samuel L. Jackson’s Jedi character Mace Windu in the 2000s-era prequel movies.
He even pointed out that each trilogy features strong women leads for protagonists, between Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia and Natalie Portman’s Padme Amidala. “Who do you think the heroes are in these stories? What do you think Princess Leia was? She’s the head of the rebellion," Lucas said. “She’s the one that’s taking this young kid who doesn’t know anything and this boisterous, I-know-everything guy who can’t do anything and trying to save the rebellion with these clowns.”
Aliens that look remarkably like modern day humans, yah dink (directed at Lucas). While I do think SW was largely progressive for it’s time, the prejudices are readily apparent now. There are somewhat powerful women, but still so often acquiescent story-wise to the male characters who dictate the main plot points.
And characters of color never happen to break into the main character position, do they? They can be badass motherfuckers, and they do get time to shine, but they too sit at the whims of the main characters.
I get George has a different perspective being the age he is, but things change and progress. Star Wars is one of my favorite IPs, but we can acknowledge good things in the past weren’t perfect. It’s how we know we’re improving.
“Star Wars is one of my favorite intellectual properties” lmao
Dunno what I’m supposed to call it in your opinion, but mocking me for it is uncalled for.
It’s just so incredibly imbued in capitalism. It’s not your fault, it’s our society"s fault. Remember when there were movies and no “universes?”
Star Wars has pretty much always been more than just movies though. Books, shows, games, etc. That’s what I mean by IP. If you’ve got a better term, feel free to share.
“Universe”