George Lucas
The mastermind who turned pulp adventure into a global cinematic legend.
George Lucas created the Indiana Jones franchise and was story writer and executive producer on the first four Indiana Jones films, which Steven Spielberg directed. His collaboration with Steven Spielberg brought a unique blend of pulp fiction energy and cinematic grandeur to life.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- George Walton Lucas Jr.
- Born
- 14 May 1944
- Birthplace
- Modesto, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Film director
- screenwriter
- producer
- philanthropist
- entrepreneur
- Years active
- 1965–present
- Education
- Modesto Junior College, University of Southern California (BFA)
- Children
- 4, including Amanda and Katie
Reader's Guide
George Lucas conceived Indiana Jones as a homage to the serials of the 1930s and 40s, aiming to recapture their fast-paced excitement. Lucas and Spielberg first cast Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones, but CBS refused to release Selleck from his contract for Magnum, P.I. The franchise's cultural impact is immeasurable, spawning theme park attractions, video games, and countless imitators. Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company in 2012, and Disney released the fifth film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in 2023.
Did You Know?
- Lucas originally named the character Indiana Smith, after his Alaskan Malamute Indiana, on whom he also based Chewbacca.
- The concept came from the serial films Lucas enjoyed as a youth, such as Buck Rogers, Zorro's Fighting Legion, Spy Smasher and Don Winslow of the Navy.
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