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Currently, what is the purpose of Lucasfilm?

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 (Edited)

Now I know if someone proposed the question that is asked in the title my response would be a cynical "Oh to reap the mountains of money from further home cinema releases, merchandising, EU titles blah blah blah to feed George's insatiable hunger for blah blah blah...."

But seriously?

As a production company what is their purpose? I'm not talking about ILM or Skywalker Sound or other separate post-production facilities. Lucasfilm don't produce anything that doesn't have a Star Wars logo on it. I can't imagine they did much on Crystal Skulls that Paramount couldn't or didn't do other than make sure the Lucasfilm name came up first and then sit back and watch the money flood in.

We've all accepted the fact that George isn't going to go off and direct his small experimental films. He hasn't lent his name or financial support to anything since Radioland Murders in 1994 other than the upcoming Tuskegee Airmen film "Red Tails" which was been in production for forever.

Speaking of which what's the point of that project anyway. It's been a film that George's wanted to make for a long time (one he probably put on the back-burner to go forward with the prequels) then he only goes on to produce it, hires a (very capable) director and then after principle photography is over the project sits unfinished because George is not happy with it and personally directs all the re-shoots himself because the director he hired (Anthony Hemingway) is no longer "available" to finish the film. Talk about back seat directing, sound familiar the corpse of Richard Maquand?

If George wanted to direct Red Tails fucking take the job and direct it.

Err back to my original point why does Lucasfilm exist? At least when they were producing shit like Howard the Duck they were at least producing and still some what relevant. Now they just seem like a production line of Star Wars glut.

With all their available resources they should be that film making utopia were some upstart could come get their little film financed and produced away from the Hollywood bogey-man. Well in actual fact those film makers are doing a better job financing their films in Hollywood. The chance may be slim to none but it's better than zero.

I think Lucas may have forgotten where he came from. He wouldn't be anything if it wasn't for Francis Ford Coppola mentoring him in his formative years but I hardly see George taking on such a role. Who's he mentoring - Rick McCallum's waistline. I hear they're doing away with the digital Jabba in Star Wars and just rotoscoping in Rick for the Blu-ray.

I think I've said my piece. It really is a shame that Lucasfilm isn't this boutique film production house, an alternate to the big Hollywood studio system. Based on Lucas' own past desires for something of the sort I don't see any reason why it couldn't be that way.  

edit: Oh sorry, that just looks like a wall of text, tl;dr

"Well here's a big bag of rock salt" - Patton Oswalt

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I think he is just trying to make as much money from his famous brand as he can while he is alive for his children and his charities.

Some people as they get older want to put something back before they go.

I'm sure he would have loved to have had an Avatar moment where he could have (in industry terms) introduced yet another technological marvel to the cinematic tool box but I think he missed the boat there.

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Lucasfilm is the company that owns the rights to many of the most popular movies of all time, which makes it a home video-oriented company right now; they are currently prepping what will surely be the biggest-selling Blu Ray set in history, in which the copyrights are owned by them exclusively. However, they also produce a very successful and award-winning cartoon series, which they fund and make independently, and are developing another live-action series, as well as having just produced a feature film called Red Tails that will soon be released. They also are producing 3D conversions for some of their past releases (the 6 Star Wars films). There are probably a lot of other day-to-day activities we aren't aware of, and other projects in the pipeline that aren't public knowledge.

So yes, there are many points to their existance, so this seems like a silly question. Also, I believe companies like Lucasbooks and Lucasarts are divisions of Lucasfilm, so there is a lot of managing the dozens of other printed and electronic products they make, plus of course the toys. Lucasfilm is a vast, multi-media entertainment company, and the actual film/television production part of it is as busy as it ever is.

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see you auntie said:

Now I know if someone proposed the question that is asked in the title my response would be a cynical "Oh to reap the mountains of money from further home cinema releases, merchandising, EU titles blah blah blah to feed George's insatiable hunger for blah blah blah...."

... ...

 

 So you don't care for Lucas's output. A lot of us dont, but as zombie pointed out LFL is a very busy production house.

With all their available resources they should be that film making utopia were some upstart could come get their little film financed and produced away from the Hollywood bogey-man. Well in actual fact those film makers are doing a better job financing their films in Hollywood. The chance may be slim to none but it's better than zero.

Why would Lucas do this? Sure it would be nice, but it would be nice if Bill Gates gave me a grant too.

If George wanted to direct Red Tails fucking take the job and direct it.

As for his role in the production of "Red Tails" I'm sure Lucas is doing precisley the job that he wants. As the hands-on producer, he's seeing that he gets exactly the film he wants/pays for. I doubt he sees day-to-day on the set directing as necessary for that goal.

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It might seem LucasFILM doesn't do much well...film, but that's not really true. Movies take an absurdly long time to get off the ground even if you're not as deliberate as Lucas, but the fact that they've "only" made 3 prequels, Indy 4 and Red Tails in the last 12 years is actually a pretty good output.

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Baronlando said:

...but the fact that they've "only" made 3 prequels, Indy 4 and Red Tails in the last 12 years is actually a pretty good output.

 And started an animation division thats made 60+ episidoes of tv.

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Plus a theatrical feature-length animated film.

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see you auntie said:

With all their available resources they should be that film making utopia were some upstart could come get their little film financed and produced away from the Hollywood bogey-man.

God, how I wish that were so. I'm sick to death of sterile Hollywood and the soulless garbage it puts out.

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see you auntie said:

I think Lucas may have forgotten where he came from. He wouldn't be anything if it wasn't for Francis Ford Coppola mentoring him in his formative years but I hardly see George taking on such a role.

 I doubt Lucas wouldn't have been anything without Coppola. He'd already made "THX 1138" which was seen as visionary, and earned his internship at Warner. He could have gotten his well earned break from anyone. And Coppolla had nothing to do with "Star Wars."

How many people in Hollywood have gotten their break working for Lucas? I bet the number is countless. Roger Chrisitan, John Dykstra, Ben Burtt instantly come to mind as people who got that break from LFL.

 

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Lucasfilm Ltd.

It should be

Lucasfilm

limited

 

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TheBoost said:

see you auntie said:

I think Lucas may have forgotten where he came from. He wouldn't be anything if it wasn't for Francis Ford Coppola mentoring him in his formative years but I hardly see George taking on such a role.

 I doubt Lucas wouldn't have been anything without Coppola. He'd already made "THX 1138" which was seen as visionary, and earned his internship at Warner.

To clarify, Lucas had made his student short-film Electronic Labyrinth: THX-1138 4EB, which got the attention of Coppola who wanted to produce it as a feature.

Just wanted to clarify that you were referring to the short film Electronic Labyrinth and not the feature length THX-1138.

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To continue to bury the oot, and ruin star wars.

 

And to make Money. 

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

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Fang Zei said:

TheBoost said:

 I doubt Lucas wouldn't have been anything without Coppola. He'd already made "THX 1138" which was seen as visionary, and earned his internship at Warner.

To clarify, Lucas had made his student short-film Electronic Labyrinth: THX-1138 4EB, which got the attention of Coppola who wanted to produce it as a feature.

Just wanted to clarify that you were referring to the short film Electronic Labyrinth and not the feature length THX-1138.

 And I thank you sir.

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I don't think Indiana Jones V will happen.

Spielberg is booked for like forever as a producer/executive producer and director.

Ford may be available after making that Cowboys and Aliens thing, and Lucas is certainly available he aint directing shit.

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

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I thought it was confirmed that Indy V was in the early stages?

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producing CG movies that are actually good. You know, like, Rango.

A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em

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skyjedi2005 said:

To continue to bury the oot, and ruin star wars. 

I think it's primarily Lucas Licensing's job to do the second one. ;-)