165-572: Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an American animated television series created by George Lucas . It is part of the Star Wars multimedia franchise , and is set predominantly between the events of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). Lucas, who closely collaborated with supervising director Dave Filoni on the series, called it
330-487: A 3-D continuation of the pilot series that was on the Cartoon Network; we probably won't start that project for another year." Lucas hired Dave Filoni after having seen episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender , which he had worked on. By July 2005, pre-production had begun on the series, according to Steve Sansweet , head of Lucasfilm fan relations. Sansweet referred to the series as "the next generation of
495-631: A holocron from the Jedi Temple that jeopardizes the future of the galaxy's Force-sensitive children; a Separatist droid manufacturing facility on Geonosis creates new weapons that threaten to turn the tide of the war; Grievous increases his attacks on the Republic fleet and overwhelms the Jedi; the Mandalorian terrorist faction, Death Watch, takes advantage of their planet's neutrality to target
660-460: A rancor to distract Ventress, but she manipulates it via the dark side. Obi-Wan fights Ventress after killing the rancor but he escapes with Vos before the duel is settled. Grievous arrives to rescue the two Dark Jedi, shaming Ventress in their master Dooku's eyes. Ventress then travels to Coruscant to kill Vos and Obi-Wan. During the mission, she discovers Anakin's secret marriage to Senator Padmé Amidala . Enraged, Anakin engages Ventress. During
825-453: A Pretty (how) Town , Filmmaker and 6-18-67 . He was passionate and interested in camerawork and editing, defining himself as a filmmaker as opposed to being a director, and he loved making abstract visual films that created emotions purely through non-narrative structures. In 1967, Lucas re-enrolled as a USC graduate student in film production. He began working under movie and logo designer Saul Bass and film editor Verna Fields for
990-546: A bounty hunter following the Separatists' massacre of the Nightsisters. Savage finds his long-lost brother, Darth Maul, who seeks revenge against Obi-Wan for his defeat over a decade before. Season five features five main story arcs. In the first one, the Republic helps a group of rebels from Onderon, led by siblings Steela and Saw Gerrera , liberate their planet from Separatist occupation. The second arc focuses on
1155-415: A bounty on him. When she arrives on Opress’ spaceship, she confronts him and Darth Maul as they are about to kill Obi-Wan. Ventress teams up with her old nemesis to fight Maul and Opress, but they are ultimately forced to escape in their shuttle. In season five's final arc, Ventress nearly apprehends Ahsoka, who has been framed for attempting to destroy the Jedi Temple. She ultimately helps Ahsoka escape on
1320-688: A clique of film students known as The Dirty Dozen . He also became good friends with fellow acclaimed student filmmaker and future Indiana Jones collaborator, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese . A group of friends, which included Chris Lewis and Don Glut , started the Clean Cut Cinema Club. Lucas, Kleiser and Lewis then formed a short-lived production company called Sunrise Productions with offices on Sunset Boulevard. There they would make up stage names for themselves, Lucas calling himself Lucas Beaumont. Their only project would be
1485-401: A continuation of the previous Genndy Tartakovsky -produced 2003 Clone Wars series . The series began with a theatrical feature film that was released on August 15, 2008, and debuted on Cartoon Network two months later on October 3, 2008. In early 2013, Lucasfilm announced that The Clone Wars would be "winding down". Thirteen episodes comprising a new sixth season were made available in
1650-585: A debt with the Pyke Syndicate, while trying to conceal her Force powers because of the sisters' hatred of Jedi. The final arc, which is set concurrently with Revenge of the Sith , depicts the Siege of Mandalore, a battle that had been referenced in previous Star Wars media. Ahsoka reluctantly returns to the Republic to lead an assault alongside Rex and Mandalorian warrior Bo-Katan Kryze against Maul's forces on Mandalore. Once Ahsoka confronts Maul, he shares
1815-427: A distraction, but he ends up disabling the ship they are on. All three ultimately escape. The final scene of the series shows Anakin, now Darth Vader , finding Ahsoka's lightsaber among the ship's wreckage sometime later, and leaving with it in silence. The series started with a theatrically released animated film ; this decision was made after the production team watched completed footage of several early episodes for
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#17327903208751980-683: A donation to NYU through the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation to establish the Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts . Asajj Ventress Asajj Ventress ( / ə ˈ s ɑː ʒ ˈ v ɛ n t r ə s / ) is a character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas . She was introduced in Genndy Tartakovsky 's 2003 animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars (voiced by Grey DeLisle ). The character later appeared in
2145-596: A duel. Ventress disarms Fisto but is then engaged by Kenobi. Their duel leads them into an underwater chamber and Ventress is forced to escape after Kenobi slices her across her abdomen. She lets loose a smoke bomb and flees back to the Confederacy and Dooku. In the Star Wars: Republic story "The New Face of War", Ventress joins forces with the bounty hunter Durge on the invasion of Naboo 's moon , Ohma-D'un. Together they use swamp gas to wipe out
2310-446: A full-fledged Nightsister, but is thwarted when Grievous' droid army slaughter the Nightsisters while their matriarch Mother Talzin is rendered incorporeal. Told by Talzin to find her own path, Ventress later helps Boba Fett 's team of bounty hunters in a dangerous but profitable mission. She then finally makes peace with her past with an ideal future as a bounty hunter. While still haunted by Opress, she tracks him to Raydonia to collect
2475-425: A group of Jedi younglings who, after completing their path to becoming Padawans, have to prove themselves by rescuing Ahsoka from pirates. The third arc revolves around a team of droids who, while undertaking a mission to intercept an encrypted Separatist message, encounter an amnesiac former clone commando and must help him recover his memories to escape the planet they have been stranded on. The fourth arc deals with
2640-430: A haunting vision about her previous master Anakin, and how Darth Sidious' plan is about to come into full effect with Anakin in the center of it. After Maul is captured, Ahsoka is eager to speak to Anakin about what Maul told her, but while in a Venator -class Star Destroyer , Sidious executes Order 66, causing Ahsoka to be attacked by her own clone troopers. She manages to restore Rex's free will and releases Maul to cause
2805-804: A key supporter in the creation of the federal E-Rate program to provide broadband funding to schools and libraries, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art , a forthcoming art museum in Los Angeles developed with his wife, Mellody Hobson . Lucas was born and raised in Modesto, California , the son of Dorothy Ellinore Lucas (née Bomberger) and George Walton Lucas Sr., and is of German, Swiss-German, English, Scottish, and distant Dutch and French descent. His family attended Disneyland during its opening week in July 1955, and Lucas would remain enthusiastic about
2970-554: A millionaire by the age of 30. He attended Modesto Junior College , where he studied anthropology , sociology, and literature, amongst other subjects. He also began shooting with an 8 mm camera, including filming car races. At this time, Lucas became interested in Canyon Cinema : screenings of underground , avant-garde 16 mm filmmakers like Jordan Belson , Stan Brakhage and Bruce Conner . Lucas and childhood friend John Plummer also saw classic European films of
3135-473: A new series, Star Wars Rebels . On February 13, 2014, Netflix announced that starting on March 7, 2014, they would begin the US distribution of the entire TV series, including some previously unreleased director's cuts , and the previously unaired new season dubbed "The Lost Missions". The latter also became available for purchase on digital video stores, such as iTunes , in mid-2014 . The Netflix distribution of
3300-521: A non-canon appearance in the PlayStation 2 , Wii , and PlayStation Portable versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed as a costume skin that can be used on Starkiller. In the Wii version, she is also a playable character in the 2-player fighting game mode called Duel Mode. She is also playable in the multiplayer mode for the Wii version of the sequel, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II . Ventress
3465-401: A particular season that reflected a certain story arc or theme: The theatrical film that served as the premiere for the series was panned by critics. The series began with generally positive reviews at first and over time the series achieved critical acclaim for its writing, emotional depth, lore expansion and voice acting. On July 11, 2008, television critics were shown a completed episode of
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#17327903208753630-488: A pioneer of the modern blockbuster . Despite this, he has remained an independent filmmaker away from Hollywood for most of his career. After graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967, Lucas moved to San Francisco and co-founded American Zoetrope with filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola . He wrote and directed THX 1138 (1971), based on his student short Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB , which
3795-464: A producer of the Indiana Jones films, had been appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd. It was reported that Kennedy would work alongside Lucas, who would remain chief executive and serve as co-chairman for at least one year, after which she would succeed him as the company's sole leader. With the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney, Lucas is currently Disney's second-largest single shareholder, after
3960-585: A relationship, with the Jedi Quinlan Vos and seemingly sacrifices herself to save him from Dooku, although she survives and encounters Clone Force 99 during the reign of the Galactic Empire . The character also appears in tie-in Star Wars media such as books , comics , and video games , and has become a favorite among fans. Before the character of Count Dooku was developed, the art department for Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of
4125-521: A ruse. Ventress kills Mira in the battle and then engages Jedi Masters Sian Jeisel, K' Kruhk and Rhad Tarn all of whom she defeats singlehandedly. After framing Windu for the crime, Ventress corrupts Tarn. While Tarn fights against Jeisel, Ventress defeats K'Kruhk in combat. Windu's timely arrival saves the Jedi; Ventress finds that she is no match for Windu's power and is forced to flee. In the Republic story "Blast Radius", Ventress and Durge again engage
4290-560: A ship bound for Coruscant. However, Ventress survives by placing herself in a Sith trance . While on the shuttle, she emerges from her trance and orders the pilots to take her as far away as possible from Dooku, the Jedi, and the war. The clones agree, and so Ventress escapes the Clone Wars. Ventress is a playable hero character in Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron . She is available for
4455-571: A short duel takes place in which Dooku cuts her two lightsabers in half, rendering her defenseless. Although Ventress is defeated, Dooku is impressed by her abilities and recruits her to be his apprentice by appealing to her hatred of the Jedi. Darth Sidious later personally assigns Ventress to kill Anakin Skywalker , and Dooku presents the Dark Jedi with a new pair of lightsabers with curved hilts. After Ventress leaves, Sidious remarks that she
4620-544: A significant ratings success, becoming Cartoon Network's highest-rated show during its initial run. The series was also nominated for numerous industry awards, including the Daytime Emmy Awards and the Annie Awards . Some characters created for The Clone Wars have gone on to appear in other works, including the animated series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018) and Star Wars: Tales (2022–present), and
4785-470: A success. Lucas then created his own company, Lucasfilm, Ltd. , and directed the successful American Graffiti (1973). Lucas then set his sights on adapting Flash Gordon , an adventure serial from his childhood that he fondly remembered. When he was unable to obtain the rights, he set out to write an original space adventure that would eventually become Star Wars . Despite his success with his previous film, all but one studio turned Star Wars down. It
4950-437: A total of about 300 digital artists and others in both California and Singapore locations and is working with Cartoon Network animators to produce not only the series but animated feature films in the years ahead." He said about the series, "to get the series underway, Lucasfilm Animation has hired key production and creative talent to lead the development of its first animation project." Sansweet has said that "a large component of
5115-542: A tree; Lucas's seatbelt had snapped, ejecting him and thereby saving his life. However, his lungs were bruised from severe hemorrhaging and he required emergency medical treatment. This incident caused him to lose interest in racing as a career, but also inspired him to pursue his other interests. Lucas's father owned a stationery store, and had wanted George to work for him when he turned 18. Lucas had been planning to go to art school, but his father said he wouldn't pay for it. Lucas declared upon leaving home that he would be
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series) - Misplaced Pages Continue
5280-535: A troubled production but was a surprise hit, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time , winning six Academy Awards and sparking a cultural phenomenon . Lucas produced and co-wrote the sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). With director Steven Spielberg , he created, produced, and co-wrote Indiana Jones films Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Temple of Doom (1984), The Last Crusade (1989) and The Kingdom of
5445-482: A very good eye, and he thought visually," he recalled. At Plummer's recommendation, Lucas then transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts . USC was one of the earliest universities to have a school devoted to motion picture film . During the years at USC, Lucas shared a dorm room with Randal Kleiser . Along with classmates such as Walter Murch , Caleb Deschanel , Hal Barwood , John Milius and Matthew Robbins , they became
5610-600: A warehouse in Van Nuys, California . After seeing the map for the location was zoned as light industrial , Lucas named the group Industrial Light and Magic, which became the Special Visual Effects department on Star Wars . Alongside Dykstra, other leading members of the original ILM team were Ken Ralston , Richard Edlund , Dennis Muren , Robert Blalack , Joe Johnston , Phil Tippett , Steve Gawley , Lorne Peterson and Paul Huston. By June 2013, Lucas
5775-453: Is a lead character in all five broadcast seasons of the subsequent The Clone Wars animated series. In season one, Ventress travels to the moon of Rugosa as Dooku's emissary to form an alliance between the planet Toydaria and the Separatists. The king of Toydaria is reluctant but allows her forces to face Yoda in battle to prove which side is superior. When the king decides to side with the Republic, Dooku gives his assassin permission to kill
5940-425: Is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and founded Lucasfilm , LucasArts , Industrial Light & Magic and THX . He served as chairman of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012. Nominated for four Academy Awards , he is considered to be one of the most significant figures of the 20th-century New Hollywood movement, and
6105-400: Is capable of compassion. Star Wars Resistance executive producer/head writer Brandon Auman revealed in 2021 that prior to its cancellation the series had almost featured a duel between Ventress and sequel trilogy antagonist Kylo Ren (respectively the first and last characters to use the titles of "Supreme Leader" in the Star Wars universe). How Ventress would still be alive after
6270-505: Is certain to fail, but that she will serve as a useful test for Anakin. Ventress then engages the Republic fighter forces in orbit of the planet Muunilinst and lures Anakin into a chase. Ventress and Anakin go to Yavin IV , and a fierce battle from the forest to the Massassi temple takes place. Though she initially gains the upper hand in their duel, Anakin calls upon his immense connection to
6435-556: Is faced with several challenges that test her independence as a Padawan; and Asajj Ventress is betrayed by Dooku and left for dead, causing her to return to her Nightsister coven and attempt to exact revenge on Dooku through the use of her own pawn, the Nightbrother Savage Opress . Other episodes explore the democratic role of the Republic Senate in the Clone Wars, and how different planets are affected by
6600-465: Is shown in a 16:9 (1.77:1) aspect ratio, cropped from its original aspect ratio (OAR) of 2.35:1 (as seen in the UK Sky Premiere screenings). The show began airing on their Adult Swim block on March 14, 2009, making the series the first Cartoon Network series to simultaneously air on both Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The series also aired from January 15 to March 26, 2009, on TNT , making it
6765-406: Is wounded. She turns to the Nightsisters of Dathomir for help, and they engineer Savage Opress to serve as Dooku's new apprentice in order to earn his trust, before ultimately killing him on Ventress' behalf. The scheme fails, however, when Opress turns on both Dooku and Ventress and attempts to kill them both. In season four, Ventress returns to the Nightsisters. She undergoes the ritual to become
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series) - Misplaced Pages Continue
6930-581: The Chicago Tribune praised the season's "fine" complexity, but criticized its "byzantine" plot and lack of character depth, calling the result an "irritation or boredom". In 2009, IGN named The Clone Wars the 89th best animated series, specifically praising the episodes "Rookies", "Cloak of Darkness", and "Lair of Grievous" as having some of the best storylines in the Star Wars Expanded Universe . On Rotten Tomatoes ,
7095-729: The Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems , a separatist movement organized by the Sith Lord Count Dooku . The Jedi Knights of the Republic lead their legions of clone troopers against the Separatist droid armies headed by the cyborg commander General Grievous . Unbeknownst to the galaxy, the mysterious Sith Lord Darth Sidious orchestrated the war and manipulates both sides as part of his master plan to corrupt Anakin, eliminate
7260-581: The Guinness World Records , presented Star Wars: The Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni, CG supervisor Joel Aron, and lead designer Kilian Plunkett a certificate proclaiming the cartoon series "the highest rated sci-fi animation currently on television". Tech Times said that, "while the Star Wars prequel films fail to make audiences care about characters like Anakin Skywalker, The Clone Wars succeeds." During May 2020, following
7425-663: The Gungan colony and prepare to launch a biological attack on Naboo. In the ensuing battle with Republic forces, Ventress makes her first public appearance in the war (in the chronological timeline). Ventress kills Jedi Master Glaive in the battle and cuts off his apprentice Zule's left arm. She engages Obi-Wan and the pair are evenly matched. Ventress escapes with Durge after ARC Trooper Alpha destroys their fueling station. In Star Wars: Jedi - Mace Windu , Dooku sends Ventress to Ruul to help frame Mace Windu . Ventress briefly confronts Sora Bulq, who had been secretly corrupted by Dooku, as
7590-466: The Indiana Jones television prequel spinoff The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992–93). There were unsuccessful projects, however, including More American Graffiti (1979), Willard Huyck 's Howard the Duck (1986), which was the biggest flop of Lucas's career, Coppola's Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) and Radioland Murders (1994) directed by Mel Smith . The animation studio Pixar
7755-528: The National Film Board of Canada like Arthur Lipsett 's 21-87 , cameraman Jean-Claude Labrecque 's cinéma vérité 60 Cycles , the work of Norman McLaren and the documentaries of Claude Jutra . Lucas fell madly in love with pure cinema and quickly became prolific at making 16 mm nonstory noncharacter visual tone poems and cinéma vérité with such titles as Look at Life , Herbie , 1:42.08 , The Emperor , Anyone Lived in
7920-808: The National Mall in Washington, D.C., to commemorate American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. On September 19, 2006, the University of Southern California announced that Lucas had donated $ 175–180 million to his alma mater to expand the film school. It is the largest single donation to USC and the largest gift to a film school anywhere. Previous donations led to the already-existing George Lucas Instructional Building and Marcia Lucas Post-Production building. In 2013, Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson donated $ 25 million to
8085-537: The San Francisco Bay Area and co-founded the studio American Zoetrope with Coppola, hoping to create a liberating environment for filmmakers to direct outside the perceived oppressive control of the Hollywood studio system . Coppola thought Lucas's Electronic Labyrinth could be adapted into his first full-length feature film, which was produced by American Zoetrope as THX 1138 , but was not
8250-569: The Star Wars saga, a cutting edge 30-minute, 3-D computer-animation series based on the Clone Wars that take place between Episode II ... and Episode III ." Sansweet described the look of the new series as "a melding of Asian anime with unique 3-D animation styling." Primary production took place at the Lucasfilm Animation facility in Singapore . According to another statement by Sansweet, "Lucasfilm Animation will be hiring
8415-620: The United States Air Force as an officer, but he was immediately turned down because of his numerous speeding tickets. He was later drafted by the United States Army for military service in Vietnam , but he was exempted from service after medical tests showed he had diabetes , the disease that killed his paternal grandfather. Lucas saw many inspiring films in class, particularly the visual films coming out of
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#17327903208758580-621: 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. In 2012, Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company for a reported sum of $ 4.05 billion. It was widely reported at the time that Lucas intended to give the majority of the proceeds from the sale to charity. A spokesperson for Lucasfilm said: "George Lucas has expressed his intention, in
8745-513: The United States Information Agency , where he met his future wife Marcia Griffin . Working as a teaching instructor for a class of U.S. Navy students who were being taught documentary cinematography, Lucas directed the short film Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB , which won first prize at the 1967–68 National Student film festival. Lucas was awarded a student scholarship by Warner Bros. to observe and work on
8910-832: The highest-grossing film of all time , displaced five years later by Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial . After the success of American Graffiti and prior to the beginning of filming on Star Wars , Lucas was encouraged to renegotiate for a higher fee for writing and directing Star Wars than the US$ 150,000 agreed. He declined to do so, instead negotiating for advantage in some of the as-yet-unspecified parts of his contract with Fox, in particular, ownership of licensing and merchandising rights (for novelizations , clothing, toys, etc.) and contractual arrangements for sequels. Lucasfilm has earned hundreds of millions of dollars from licensed games, toys, and collectibles created for
9075-549: The pacifistic Duchess Satine Kryze ; Ahsoka 's lightsaber gets stolen; and the assassin, Aurra Sing , mentors the young Boba Fett in seeking revenge against Mace Windu for the death of Boba's father . Season three focuses on the development of certain characters as the war rages on. Anakin learns about the nature of the Force , and his role as the Chosen One in an ancient Force realm; Ahsoka begins to grow into her own and
9240-425: The "Special Editions". The trilogy received further modifications and restorations for DVD releases in 2004, Blu-ray releases in 2011 and 4K releases released in 2019. Additionally, Lucas released a director's cut of THX 1138 in 2004, with the film re-cut and containing a number of CGI additions. The first Star Wars prequel was finished and released in 1999 as Episode I – The Phantom Menace , which would be
9405-452: The "secret sauce" of his movies. Lucas is the wealthiest film celebrity in the world. His personal net worth is estimated to be between $ 7.5–9.4 billion. Lucas has pledged to give half of his fortune to charity as part of an effort called The Giving Pledge led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to persuade America's richest individuals to donate their financial wealth to charities. In 1991, The George Lucas Educational Foundation
9570-628: The 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special for 20th Century Fox Television . That year, Lucas hired Los Angeles-based real-estate specialist Charles Weber to manage the company, telling him that he could keep the job as long as he made money. Lucas wanted the focus of the company to be making independent films, but the company gradually became enlarged from five employees to almost 100, increasing in middle management and running up costs. In 1980, after Weber asked Lucas for fifty million dollars to invest in other companies and suggested that they sell Skywalker Ranch to do so, Lucas fired Weber and had to let half of
9735-607: The 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and its subsequent TV series , as well most of her video game and other animated appearances. Ventress is an antagonist in the 2008 The Clone Wars film. As the disciple of Count Dooku, she helps him with his plan to turn Jabba the Hutt against the Galactic Republic by kidnapping his son Rotta. Ventress fights Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and apprentice Ahsoka Tano , who rescue Rotta, and later also battles Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi , who defeats her, forcing her to flee. Ventress
9900-494: The 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars , the 2008 television series of the same name , and the 2021 Disney+ series Star Wars: The Bad Batch (voiced by Nika Futterman ). Ventress is a Zabrak from Dathomir 's Nightsister clan of witches who is surrendered into slavery as an infant before being rescued and trained in the ways of the Force as a Jedi Padawan. The death of her Jedi master causes Ventress to fall to
10065-400: The 2D series when creating the animation style. In 2007, Rob Coleman divulged that one episode was complete, with 15 more in production, and that he was going to direct five of the first 22 episodes. He revealed that the reaction from licensees was very positive, and that the final assembly of shows was done at Skywalker Ranch . Speaking at PaleyFest on March 3, 2007, Lucas revealed that
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#173279032087510230-475: The CGI film Strange Magic , his first musical. The film was produced at Skywalker Ranch . Gary Rydstrom directed the movie. At the same time the sequel trilogy was announced, a fifth installment of the Indiana Jones series also entered pre-development phase with Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg set to return. Lucas originally did not specify whether the selling of Lucasfilm would affect his involvement with
10395-835: The Chicago-based not-for-profit After School Matters, of which Hobson is the chair. On April 15, 2016, it was reported that 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 . In 2021, Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson made
10560-481: The Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). He last collaborated on the CGI-animated movie and television series of the same name, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2014, 2020), the war film Red Tails (2012) and the CGI film Strange Magic (2015). Lucas is also known for his collaboration with composer John Williams , who was recommended to him by Spielberg, and with whom he has worked for all
10725-472: The Clones (2002) developed a villainess as a potential main antagonist. When the Star Wars expanded universe resurrected this female Sith idea as one of Dooku's underlings who could appear more frequently throughout the Clone Wars , this nameless Separatist Commander was dubbed Juno Eclipse but the name was rejected as "not villainous enough", and she was renamed Asajj Ventress. The name Juno Eclipse
10890-406: The Clones . The final prequel, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith , began production in 2002 and was released in 2005. Numerous older fans and critics at the time considered the prequels more mixed compared to the original trilogy, though they were box office successes and popular with younger fans. In 2004, Lucas reflected that his transition from independent to corporate filmmaker mirrored
11055-474: The Clones and Revenge of the Sith , and featured the last Star Wars stories in which Lucas was involved in a major way. In 2012, Lucas self-funded and served as executive producer for Red Tails , a war film based on the exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II . He also took over directing of reshoots while director Anthony Hemingway worked on other projects. I'm moving away from
11220-535: The Crystal Skull (2008), and served as an executive producer, with a cursory involvement in pre and post-production, on The Dial of Destiny (2023). In 1997, Lucas re-released the original Star Wars trilogy as part of a Special Edition featuring several modifications; home media versions with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011. He returned to directing with a Star Wars prequel trilogy comprising The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of
11385-602: The Force and brutally overpowers her, causing her to fall over the edge of a cliff. As portrayed in the novel The Cestus Deception , Ventress appears on Ord Cestus during the Bio-Droid Crisis. She is behind the X'Ting criminal Trillot's dealings with Obi-Wan. Ventress also destroys the Republic Cruiser carrying Barrister Doolb Snoil returning to the Republic; however, Snoil survives. Ventress later challenges Kenobi and his fellow Jedi Master Kit Fisto to
11550-539: The Jedi , was revealed to be in development. The series was officially revealed in May 2022 and premiered on October 26, 2022. At the time of cancellation in March 2013, 65 more episodes were in development. Thirteen of these episodes were finished to become part of Season 6: The Lost Missions , but there were still additional arcs that were never released. In September 2014, StarWars.com released details of three story arcs from
11715-449: The Jedi taskforce in a facility on the planet Queyta. Ventress briefly fights against Kenobi and Fay. Durge kills Jon Antilles and Knol Ven'Nari. After Ven'nari is killed in an explosion, Durge pushes Antilles into a lava pit. Ventress uses her lightsabers to collapse the ceiling, sending a shower of lava onto Diath's head. Although the Separatists claim a victory, Ventress spares Obi-Wan's life under Dooku's orders, though she impales Fay in
11880-571: The Jedi, Raiders of the Lost Ark , Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom , and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ). After Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, Williams stayed on board with the franchise, and continued to score the remaining three films of the " Skywalker Saga " ( The Force Awakens , The Last Jedi , and The Rise of Skywalker , for which he received a further three Oscar nominations), after which he announced his "retirement" from
12045-506: The Jedi, and create a new governing state under his rule. Other antagonists include Dooku's apprentice and assassin Asajj Ventress , infamous bounty hunter Cad Bane , and rogue Sith Lord Darth Maul . The series was initially conceived as an anthology , with episodes sharing few narrative connections, but later seasons would feature longer story arcs that span several episodes. Season one focuses on various battles fought between
12210-400: The Los Angeles staff go. By the same year, the corporate subsidiary had been discontinued and its business was absorbed into the various divisions of Lucasfilm. Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic in 1975, he wanted his 1977 film Star Wars to include visual effects that had never been seen on film before. After discovering that the in-house effects department at 20th Century Fox
12375-611: The Main Title Theme, the Force Theme (less commonly referred to as Obi Wan Kenobi's Theme), the Rebel Alliance Theme and Princess Leia's Theme (all introduced in this film) repeatedly. Subsequent films also added to the catalog of themes for different characters, factions, and locations. The score was released to critical acclaim and won Williams his third Academy Award for Best Original Score . The score
12540-402: The Republic and the Separatists. The Jedi compete with Count Dooku and General Grievous in an effort to convince different planetary systems to join their cause. Several episodes focus not on the conflict with the Separatists, but rather on other aspects of the Clone Wars. Season two focuses on the involvement of bounty hunter characters in the Clone Wars. Darth Sidious hires Cad Bane to steal
12705-512: The Season 1 episode "Jedi Crash" as well as the Season 3 episodes "Sphere of Influence" and "Assassin." A repeat of season one aired in "decoded" episode format. Each installment contained unobtrusive text windows giving supplemental information about the characters and events playing out on screen. The series was cancelled in March 2013, after the conclusion of its fifth season, as a result of The Walt Disney Company 's acquisition of Lucasfilm and
12870-484: The Separatists on Saleucami and Sullust . Ventress appears in several Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game spin-offs, including as a playable character in The Clone Wars - Lightsaber Duels and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars , and as a boss in The Clone Wars - Jedi Alliance and The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes . Nika Futterman reprises her role as Ventress in all these games. Ventress has
13035-550: The September 24, 2007 issue of TV Guide , Lucas confirmed that 39 episodes of the series had been completed. On April 8, 2007, Ain't It Cool News reported that musician Eric Rigler had recorded music for the series. Rigler disclosed that each planet in the Star Wars galaxy would have its own theme music. The episode Mr. Rigler performed on was based on Bulgarian music and played on Uilleann pipes . Kevin Kiner composed
13200-450: The U.S. for streaming on Netflix , along with the entirety of the series, beginning March 7, 2014. A project known as The Clone Wars Legacy adapted unproduced story arcs into other formats, such as comics and novels. The series was revived for a seventh and final season of 12 new episodes, which premiered on Disney+ on February 21, 2020. The Clone Wars received at first mostly positive reception and later acclaim from critics and became
13365-404: The business ... From the company, from all this kind of stuff. —George Lucas on his future career plans In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large blockbuster films, and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features. In June 2012, it was announced that producer Kathleen Kennedy , a long-term collaborator with Steven Spielberg and
13530-618: The chest with her lightsabers. Fay gives Obi-Wan the last of her strength to escape the facility. In "The Battle of Jabiim", Ventress captures Obi-Wan and Alpha from Jabiim and transports them to Rattatak for torture and interrogation. Obi-Wan and Alpha escape in the following story, "Hate & Fear", and the Jedi Master takes Ky Narec's lightsaber, making the animosity between him and Ventress deeply personal. In "Dreadnoughts of Rendili", Ventress and fellow Dark Jedi Tol Skorr fight Obi-Wan and Quinlan Vos on Titavian IV. Obi-Wan unleashes
13695-447: The company. The sale reflected Lucas's desire to stop the cash flow losses from his seven-year research projects associated with new entertainment technology tools, as well as his company's new focus on creating entertainment rather than tools. As of June 1983, Lucas was worth $ 60 million, but he met cash-flow difficulties following his divorce that year, concurrent with the sudden dropoff in revenues from Star Wars licenses following
13860-400: The condition that she would be exonerated. Ventress later helps Anakin to find out that Barriss Offee , who stole her lightsabers, framed Ahsoka. In the 2015 novel Dark Disciple , based on unfinished episodes from The Clone Wars , Ventress teams up with undercover Jedi Master Quinlan Vos in an "un-Jedi like" mission to kill Dooku. Ventress falls in love with Vos. After Vos is turned to
14025-482: The corruption in the Intergalactic Banking Clan, which causes tensions in her and Anakin's relationship when he learns about her secret mission and intervenes; Jar Jar Binks and Mace Windu rescuing the captured Queen of Bardotta from a cult headed by the Nightsisters' former leader, Mother Talzin ; and Yoda embarking on a journey to learn more about the nature of the Force after he is visited by
14190-639: The creative differences between him and the producers of The Force Awakens . Lucas went on to say that he needed to support the company and its employees who were going to suffer financially. Lucas described the previous six Star Wars films as his "children" and defended his vision for them, while criticizing The Force Awakens for having a "retro feel", saying: "I worked very hard to make them completely different, with different planets, with different spaceships – you know, to make it new." Lucas also drew some criticism and subsequently apologized for his remark likening Disney to "white slavers". In 2015, Lucas wrote
14355-415: The creator and executive producer for a second Star Wars animated series on Cartoon Network, Star Wars: The Clone Wars which premiered with a feature film of the same name before airing its first episode. The supervising director for this animated series was Dave Filoni , who was chosen by Lucas and closely collaborated with him on its development. This series bridged the events between Attack of
14520-401: The custody of Luminara Unduli and Ahsoka, fighting the two Jedi before ultimately succeeding in her mission. In season three, Ventress' back story is explained: she hails from the planet Dathomir and was sold by the Nightsisters to criminals. She would have likely been killed in a pirate raid if not for Jedi Ky Narec, who had crashed on Rattatak. Narec sensed her potential and trained her in
14685-422: The dark side by Dooku, Ventress ultimately manages to redeem him, but she is killed by Dooku with Force lightning shortly after. Vos later returns Ventress' body to Dathomir so that she may rejoin her fallen sisters in spirit. In January 2024, the Season 3 trailer for Star Wars: The Bad Batch revealed that Ventress had survived the events of Dark Disciple and would appear in the season's storyline. Brad Rau,
14850-553: The dark side of the Force and become the Sith Lord Count Dooku 's informal apprentice and personal assassin . She serves as a commander for the Confederacy of Independent Systems and fights the Jedi of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars until she is betrayed by Dooku. Ventress returns to the Nightsisters and makes numerous failed attempts on Dooku's life, after which she turns to bounty hunting as an independent mercenary. She forms an alliance, and later
15015-541: The decision to "pursue a new direction in animated programming". This new direction, described as "a whole new Star Wars series set in a time period previously untouched in Star Wars films or television programming", would yield Star Wars Rebels , a series airing on Disney XD rather than Cartoon Network. At the time of the announcement, Lucasfilm teased that, while they were no longer producing The Clone Wars episodes for Cartoon Network, they were working on additional story arcs that would appear elsewhere. A sixth season
15180-447: The duel, Ventress scars Skywalker's face but she is once again overpowered and suffers another huge fall. Republic Intelligence assumes that she is dead. "Obsession" marks the character's final appearance in Republic . Ventress survives her encounter with Anakin on Coruscant but is badly injured. She is sent to Boz Pity where Dooku places her in a bacta tank and fits her with cybernetic modifications. One month later, Obi-Wan infiltrates
15345-486: The end of the trilogy. The success of the first Star Wars film also resulted in more attention focused on Lucas, both positive and negative, attracting wealth and fame, but also many people who wanted Lucas's financial backing or just to threaten him. Following the release of the first Star Wars film, Lucas worked extensively as a writer and producer, including on the many Star Wars spinoffs made for film, television and other media. Lucas acted as executive producer for
15510-567: The episodes on Disney+ . Four years later, Lucasfilm announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2018 that The Clone Wars would return with 12 new episodes in a seventh season to be released on Disney+. A trailer for the season was released on April 14, 2019, at Star Wars Celebration Chicago . On August 23, 2019, series creator Dave Filoni announced at the D23 Expo that it would be the final season. At April 2005's Star Wars Celebration III , George Lucas announced that "we are working on
15675-458: The estate of Steve Jobs . Lucas worked as a creative consultant on the Star Wars sequel trilogy 's first film, The Force Awakens . Lucas's involvement included attending early story meetings; according to Lucas, "I mostly say, 'You can't do this. You can do that.' You know, 'The cars don't have wheels. They fly with antigravity.' There's a million little pieces ... I know all that stuff." Lucas's son Jett told The Guardian that his father
15840-506: The event the deal closes, to donate the majority of the proceeds to his philanthropic endeavors." Lucas also spoke on the matter: "For 41 years, the majority of my time and money has been put into the company. As I start a new chapter in my life, it is gratifying that I have the opportunity to devote more time and resources to philanthropy." In 2005, Lucas gave $ 1 million to help build the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on
16005-538: The events of Dark Disciple has not been revealed. With the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company , most of the licensed Star Wars Expanded Universe material produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars was rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise in April 2014. Ventress first appeared as a supporting villain in the 2003 micro-series Star Wars: Clone Wars . When Sith Lord Count Dooku arrives to add
16170-479: The facility. Ventress wakes up and subsequently attacks him. She fights against both Obi-Wan and Anakin but is abandoned when Dooku orders an IG-100 MagnaGuard to kill her as she runs towards Dooku's shuttle. Enraged and badly wounded, Ventress tries to kill Obi-Wan as he tries to help her. Anakin slashes her from behind, mortally wounding her. As she lies dying, she tells him the location of the Separatists' next target. Believing Ventress to be dead, Obi-Wan puts her on
16335-403: The film series into a "Saga". In 1994, Lucas began work on the screenplay of the first prequel, tentatively titled Episode I: The Beginning . In 1997, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Wars , Lucas restored the original trilogy and made numerous modifications using newly available digital technology to bring them closer to his original vision. The films were re-released in theaters as
16500-512: The film. In October 2016, Lucas announced his decision to not be involved in the story of the film but would remain an executive producer. In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story , the first film of a Star Wars anthology series was released. It told the story of the rebels who stole the plans for the Death Star featured in the original Star Wars film, and it was reported that Lucas liked it more than The Force Awakens . The Last Jedi ,
16665-476: The films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith . The protagonists comprise returning characters from the films, including Anakin Skywalker , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Padmé Amidala , Yoda , and Mace Windu , as well as new characters created specifically for the series, such as Anakin's Padawan Ahsoka Tano and clone Captain Rex of the 501st Legion . The series is centered on the eponymous conflict between
16830-517: The films in both of these franchises. He also produced and wrote a variety of films and television series through Lucasfilm between the 1970s and the 2010s. Lucas is one of history's most financially successful filmmakers . He directed or wrote the story for ten of the 100 highest-grossing movies at the North American box office, adjusted for ticket-price inflation. Through his companies Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound , Lucas
16995-437: The first film Lucas had directed in over two decades. Following the release of the first prequel, Lucas announced that he would also be directing the next two, and began working on Episode II . The first draft of Episode II was completed just weeks before principal photography, and Lucas hired Jonathan Hales , a writer from The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles , to polish it. It was completed and released in 2002 as Attack of
17160-477: The first form of animation to air on that channel in over a decade. The show entered an off-network syndication in 2012, and in the fall of that year Trifecta Entertainment & Media put it into barter syndication. On weekends, it aired on many affiliates on the Independent Stations as well as an affiliates of Fox MyNetworkTV and The CW (the latter network's CW Plus service also carries
17325-465: The first four Indiana Jones films, which his colleague and good friend Steven Spielberg directed. Craig Barron , who worked at ILM as part of the matte painting department, told Star Wars Insider that Lucas liked to spend time with the department's painters and often spoke of what movies he wanted to make. According to Barron, Lucas had wanted to make a film about Alexander the Great , but this film
17490-451: The franchise's sprawling mythology." On Metacritic , the first season has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 based on 9 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Slate gave the season a positive review and stated, "The new series aspires to the level of a virtual-reality game. That's both the source of its great visual charm and the key to its emptiness, which is too dull to get worked up about." Maureen Ryan of
17655-432: The franchise. The original Star Wars film went through a tumultuous production, and during editing, Lucas suffered chest pains initially feared to be a heart attack, but actually a fit of hypertension and exhaustion. The effort that Lucas exerted during post-production for the film, and its subsequent sequels, caused strains on his relationship with his wife Marcia Lucas, and was a contributing factor to their divorce at
17820-424: The future of Star Wars and Lucasfilm is CGI animation ." Lucasfilm Animation used Autodesk software to animate both the film and the series. The Maya 3D-modeling program was used to create the highly detailed worlds, characters and creatures. Character designer Kilian Plunkett referred to the character designs from Genndy Tartakovsky 's original 2003 Clone Wars series, and animators reviewed designs from
17985-443: The galaxy-wide conflict. Season Four focuses on the escalation of the Clone Wars through battles of growing intensity on different fronts. Captain Rex and the 501st Legion are forced to go against their orders and act independently to oppose the rogue Jedi general Pong Krell. Obi-Wan fakes his death and goes undercover as a bounty hunter to thwart a Separatist plot to kidnap Chancellor Palpatine . Ventress abandons her past and becomes
18150-431: The king so they may have a better chance with the successor. Yoda thwarts her attempt, however, and she is forced to flee. Dooku orders Ventress to spy on the planet Kamino for the Separatist forces, planning an invasion with General Grievous to destroy the clone production facilities while stealing Jango Fett 's DNA template from the production facility. Ventress then frees Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray from
18315-496: The live-action Disney+ streaming series The Mandalorian (2019–present), which Dave Filoni executive produces. A live-action series focused on Ahsoka was spun off from The Mandalorian , with Filoni codeveloping . Following the conclusion of the series' seventh and final season in May 2020, a spin-off sequel series, titled Star Wars: The Bad Batch , was announced in July 2020 and premiered on May 4 , 2021. In April 2022, an animated anthology series , titled Tales of
18480-502: The live-action films, but Lee and Jackson did not return for the television series. On December 5, 2011, a full-length feature cut of one of the Season 3 trilogies of episodes (the one composed by "Nightsisters," "Monster," and "Witches of the Mist") was released for download on iTunes as an uninterrupted film that was previously shown at selected screenings in 2010. The three episodes were written by Katie Lucas , who had previously written
18645-414: The live-action series The Mandalorian (2019–present), The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022), and a spin-off of the former focused on one of The Clone Wars' main characters, Ahsoka Tano . A sequel series, titled Star Wars: The Bad Batch , premiered on Disney+ on May 4 , 2021. The Clone Wars is set during the Star Wars prequel trilogy era, taking place over a span of three years in between
18810-441: The making of a film of his choosing. The film he chose after finding the animation department closed down was Finian's Rainbow (1968) which was being directed by Francis Ford Coppola , who was revered among film school students of the time as a cinema graduate who had "made it" in Hollywood. In 1969, Lucas was one of the camera operators on the classic Rolling Stones concert film Gimme Shelter . In 1969, Lucas moved back to
18975-473: The most-watched series premiere in Cartoon Network history. The series averaged 4 million total viewers in its debut , according to Nielsen Media Research . Cartoon Network said the Star Wars spin-off ranked as the number one channel among all major animated networks in the time slot among total viewers (the largest in the demographic for any premiere telecast of an original Cartoon series). On July 23, 2010, at San Diego Comic-Con , Craig Glenday, editor of
19140-538: The museum in California. On January 17, 2017, Lucas announced that an eleven-acre campus with green space and the museum's five-story 300,000 square foot building will be constructed over what was a parking lot in Exposition Park , Los Angeles, California. It is due to be completed in 2025. Lucas was also heavily involved and invested in the scoring process for the original Star Wars soundtrack , which
19305-484: The never completed short "Five, Four, Three", a self-referential and self-deprecating mockumentary about the making of a satirical teen beach movie called "Orgy Beach Party". Lucas was deeply influenced by the Filmic Expression course taught at the school by filmmaker Lester Novros which concentrated on the non-narrative elements of Film Form like color, light, movement, space, and time. Another inspiration
19470-536: The next two Star Wars films, commissioning Irvin Kershner to direct The Empire Strikes Back and Richard Marquand to direct Return of the Jedi , while receiving a story credit on the former and sharing a screenwriting credit with Lawrence Kasdan on the latter. Lucas also gave away his screenwriting credit out of great respect for Leigh Brackett for The Empire Strikes Back after her death from cancer. He also acted as story writer and executive producer on
19635-568: The original score for each episode. Stuart Snyder, who oversaw Cartoon Network and other Turner Broadcasting System cable networks from 2007 to 2014, said he became interested in the new Clone Wars series immediately upon starting the job in May 2007. Snyder flew out to San Francisco, California to screen several episodes, and told Lucas the only place he wanted to see the show was on Cartoon Network. Snyder wished to create an action / adventure block of shows on Friday night in an attempt to rejuvenate Cartoon Network. Snyder expressed confidence that
19800-591: The park. He was interested in comics and science fiction, including television programs such as the Flash Gordon serials. Long before Lucas began making films, he yearned to be a racecar driver, and he spent most of his high school years racing on the underground circuit at fairgrounds and hanging out at garages. On June 12, 1962, a few days before his high school graduation, Lucas was driving his souped-up Autobianchi Bianchina when another driver broadsided him, flipping his car several times before it crashed into
19965-501: The planet Rattatak to his Separatist movement, he witnesses Ventress fighting several opponents in a large arena, defeating them all before claiming to be a Sith warrior. When Dooku laughs aside the notion that she could be a Sith, Ventress tries to attack him, but the Sith Lord renders her unconscious with Force lightning . After she awakens, Dooku attacks her again, but she jumps backwards and ignites her lightsabers. In her quarters,
20130-476: The planned television series, which were ultimately combined into a single feature-length film . Warner Bros. Pictures distributed the film, while subsequent episodes aired separately on Cartoon Network . For the film, Christopher Lee , Anthony Daniels , Samuel L. Jackson , and Matthew Wood reprised their roles as Count Dooku , C-3PO , Mace Windu , and the B1 Battle Droids , respectively, from
20295-409: The program as part of its national schedule). The show has been taken off the air in off-network syndication since fall 2013 due to low costs and was not renewed for Season 2 in the 2013-2014 TV Season due to Disney's completed acquisitions of Lucasfilm Ltd In December 2012. On March 11, 2013, it was announced that The Clone Wars would be "winding down" to focus on the Star Wars sequel trilogy and
20460-551: The real culprit who framed Ahsoka, her faith in the Jedi Council is shaken, so she elects to abandon the Jedi Order, leaving Anakin devastated. Season six consists of four story arcs: clone trooper Fives investigating the premature activation of Order 66 in a fellow trooper's mind, and discovering the existence of the inhibitor chips implanted in each clone's brain; Padmé trying to help her old friend Rush Clovis expose
20625-512: The release of the seventh season on Disney+, The Clone Wars became the most streamed digital original show in the United States. In April 2014, Lucasfilm announced that all of the Star Wars Expanded Universe material aside from The Clone Wars would be rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. The Clone Wars was included in the new Star Wars canon due to George Lucas 's extensive creative input on
20790-407: The return of Darth Maul, who joins forces with Death Watch and other criminal syndicates to take over Mandalore and exact revenge on Obi-Wan. The final arc features Ahsoka being framed for bombing the Jedi Temple and later convicted of being a cold-blooded murderer. She struggles to prove her innocence, leading to her questioning who she can trust and hiding out from the Republic. Though Anakin captures
20955-448: The second film in the sequel trilogy, was released in 2017; Lucas described the film as "beautifully made". Lucas has had cursory involvement with Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), the Star Wars streaming series The Mandalorian , and the premiere of the eighth season of Game of Thrones . Lucas met with J. J. Abrams before the latter began writing the script to the sequel trilogy's final film, The Rise of Skywalker , which
21120-427: The series would be a tragic one, examining Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side. Lucas also began to change the status of the prequels relative to the originals; at first, they were supposed to be a "filling-in" of history tangential to the originals, but now he saw that they could form the beginning of one long story that started with Anakin's childhood and ended with his death. This was the final step towards turning
21285-433: The series would be episodic, and as such would not focus on Anakin Skywalker 's story; with episodes dedicated to clone troopers and other characters. Lucas revealed further information in a fan interview, including a new character named Ahsoka Tano , over 100 episodes and a possible appearance by Boba Fett . The first trailer for the series was released on the official Star Wars website on May 8, 2007. In an interview in
21450-496: The series, along with the Blu-rays, included versions of some episodes with previously censored material. One of the most well-known edits was the removal of the character Ventress kissing a clone after she had stabbed him with her lightsaber. The show was removed from Netflix on April 7, 2019. For the revival and final season, the remaining episodes of the series are exclusively available on Disney+ . The first episode for Season 7
21615-582: The series. Lucas was in attendance for a ceremony honoring Williams as the 44th recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award , the first composer to receive the honor, and gave a speech in praise of their relationship and his work. In interviews, and most famously at the 40th Anniversary Star Wars Celebration convention, Lucas has repeatedly reaffirmed the importance of Williams to the Star Wars saga, affectionately referring to him as
21780-407: The series. The Hollywood Reporter called the footage "likely the most photo-realistic animated TV series ever produced." On Rotten Tomatoes , the first season has an approval rating of 69% based on 16 critic reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With an agreeably entertaining first season, Star Wars: The Clone Wars opens a fun, kid-friendly chapter of
21945-420: The show. The animated series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018) continues the stories of some characters from The Clone Wars , including Ahsoka, Captain Rex, Maul, and Darth Vader, in addition to story arcs involving Mandalorians, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hondo Ohnaka, and Saw Gerrera. Forest Whitaker portrayed Gerrera in the live-action film Rogue One (2016). Some of these characters and elements are also featured in
22110-402: The shows would help boost ratings: "You catch me at a time where I have a smile on my face because of our internal results. I can say there's a little bit of bragging on the third quarter for us." Lucas considered excluding the "Young Padawans" arc from Season 5 and airing it separately from The Clone Wars as a feature-length pilot for a spin-off series that never materialized. The pilot film
22275-487: The sixth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars a fitting end to the series." On Rotten Tomatoes , the seventh season has an approval rating of 100% based on 36 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.75/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Thanks to its beautifully animated action-sequences and its impressively layered storytelling, The Clone Wars ' final chapter affirms its place as one of Star Wars ' greatest entries." Star Wars: The Clone Wars became
22440-569: The sound and visual effects subdivisions of Lucasfilm, while Lucasfilm Games, later renamed LucasArts , produces products for the gaming industry. Having lost much of his fortune in a divorce settlement in 1987, Lucas was hesitant on making additional Star Wars features. However, the prequels , which were still only a series of ideas partially pulled from his original drafts of "The Star Wars", continued to tantalize him with technical possibilities that would make it worthwhile to revisit his older material. When Star Wars became popular once again, in
22605-509: The spirit of the late Qui-Gon Jinn . Season seven consists of three story arcs. The first one is focused on Captain Rex's character, as he, Anakin, and a team of clones with genetic mutations rescue ARC Trooper Echo, previously believed to have been killed in action, and defeat the Separatists on Anaxes with his help. The Clone Force 99 characters got their own spin-off ; The Bad Batch , in 2021. The second one focuses on Ahsoka, who befriends sisters Trace and Rafa Martez and helps them settle
22770-483: The story of Star Wars character Darth Vader in some ways, but concluded he was glad to be able to make his films the way he wanted to. Lucas collaborated with Jeff Nathanson as a writer of the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , directed by Steven Spielberg. Similar to the Star Wars prequels, the reception was mixed with fans and critics alike. From 2008 to 2014, Lucas also served as
22935-464: The supervising director of The Bad Batch said that the appearance would be faithful and not contradictory to the events of the book. She comes face to face with Clone Force 99, and despite getting in a fight at first, she ends up coming to the aid of Omega. Her appearance in The Bad Batch showed viewers that although she was once a villain, she is now harnessing the light side of the force and
23100-542: The theatrical run of Return of the Jedi . At this point, Lucas had no desire to return to Star Wars , and had unofficially canceled the sequel trilogy . Lucas, formerly a member of Writers Guild of America West , left and maintained financial core status in 1981. Also in 1983, Lucas and Tomlinson Holman founded the audio company THX . The company was formerly owned by Lucasfilm and contains equipment for stereo, digital, and theatrical sound for films, and music. Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light & Magic , are
23265-466: The third season has an approval rating of 100% based on 5 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. On Rotten Tomatoes , the fifth season has an approval rating of 100% based on 5 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.90/10. On Rotten Tomatoes , the sixth season has an approval rating of 100% based on 12 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.90/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Sophisticated storytelling and quality animation make
23430-417: The time, including Jean-Luc Godard 's Breathless , François Truffaut 's Jules et Jim and Federico Fellini 's 8½ . "That's when George really started exploring," Plummer said. Through his interest in autocross racing, Lucas met renowned cinematographer Haskell Wexler , another race enthusiast. Wexler, later to work with Lucas on several occasions, was impressed by Lucas's talent. "George had
23595-419: The unfinished episodes. In 2020, an additional twelve of the unfinished episodes were finished and released on Disney+ as part of the show's seventh and final season. A four-episode arc continued the story of Maul following the events from the season 5 episode "The Lawless", detailing his escape from Sidious; Maul regains control of the criminal Shadow Collective, and battles Dooku, Grievous, and Sidious. The arc
23760-470: The wake of Dark Horse 's comic book line and Timothy Zahn 's trilogy of spin-off novels , Lucas realized that there was still a large audience. His children were older, and with the explosion of CGI technology he began to consider directing once again. By 1993, it was announced, in Variety among other sources, that Lucas would be making the prequels. He began penning more to the story, indicating that
23925-466: The ways of the Force . However, warlord Osika Kirske killed Narec before Ventress could become a full-fledged Jedi. She developed an implacable hatred of the Jedi Order, which she believes abandoned her master and ignored the bloodshed on her planet. Eventually, Darth Sidious comes to see Ventress as a liability, and orders Dooku to eliminate her. Dooku attempts, unsuccessfully, to kill her, as she engages Anakin and Obi-Wan in one final duel, in which she
24090-544: Was "very torn" about having sold the rights to the franchise, despite having hand-picked Abrams to direct, and that his father was "there to guide" but that "he wants to let it go and become its new generation." Among the materials turned over to the production team were story treatments Lucas developed when he considered creating Episodes VII – IX himself; in January 2015, Lucas stated that Disney had discarded his story ideas. The Force Awakens , directed by J. J. Abrams ,
24255-494: Was a critical success but a financial failure. His next work as a writer-director was American Graffiti (1973), inspired by his youth in early 1960s Modesto, California , and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm. The film was critically and commercially successful and received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture . Lucas's next film, the epic space opera Star Wars (1977), later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope , had
24420-442: Was adapted into a four-part limited comic book series , Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir , which debuted in May 2014. An eight-episode arc with Nightsister Asajj Ventress and Jedi Quinlan Vos was adapted into Dark Disciple , a novel by Christie Golden released on July 7, 2015. The story follows Vos partnering up with Ventress, hoping to execute Count Dooku. George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944)
24585-607: Was composed by John Williams , on the recommendation of his friend and colleague Steven Spielberg. Whilst initially wanting to use tracks and film music in a similar manner to 2001: A Space Odyssey , which served as the inspiration for the film, Williams advised against this and instead proposed a system of recurring themes (or leitmotifs ) to enhance the story in the style of classical composers Gustav Holst , William Walton , and Igor Stravinsky ; works that Lucas had used as " temp tracks " for Williams to gain inspiration from. The film, and subsequent sequels and prequels, make use of
24750-897: Was considering establishing a museum, the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum, to be built on Crissy Field near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, which would display his collection of illustrations and pop art, with an estimated value of more than $ 1 billion. Lucas offered to pay the estimated $ 300 million cost of constructing the museum, and would endow it with $ 400 million when it opened, eventually adding an additional $ 400 million to its endowment. After being unable to reach an agreement with The Presidio Trust , Lucas turned to Chicago. A potential lakefront site on Museum Campus in Chicago
24915-590: Was founded as a nonprofit operating foundation to celebrate and encourage innovation in schools. The foundation's content is available under the brand Edutopia , in an award-winning web site, social media and via documentary films. 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 of 1996 . On June 24, 2008, Lucas testified before
25080-612: Was founded in 1979 as the Graphics Group, one third of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm . Pixar's early computer graphics research resulted in a digital film The Adventures of André & Wally B. and groundbreaking effects in films such as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Young Sherlock Holmes , and the group was purchased in 1986 by Steve Jobs shortly after he left Apple Computer . Jobs paid Lucas $ 5 million and put $ 5 million as capital into
25245-494: Was involved in the production of, and financially benefited from, almost every big-budget film released in the U.S. from the late 1980s until the 2012 Disney sale. In addition to his career as a filmmaker, Lucas has founded and supported multiple philanthropic organizations and campaigns dedicated to education and the arts, including the George Lucas Educational Foundation , which has been noted as
25410-399: Was later given to a character from the video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , with no relation to Ventress. LucasArts 's Leland Chee suggested using "Asajj" as the character's first name, naming her after the character Asaji from Akira Kurosawa 's Throne of Blood . Asajj Ventress was voiced by Grey DeLisle in the 2003 Clone Wars micro-series, and by Nika Futterman in
25575-777: Was listed by the American Film Institute in 2005 as the greatest film score of all time . The professional relationship formed by Lucas and Williams extended through to Williams working on all of Lucas's blockbuster franchise movies: the remaining two films of the Star Wars original trilogy ; all three films of prequel trilogy developed over fifteen years later; and the five films of the Indiana Jones franchise, in which Williams reunited with his long-time collaborator Spielberg. In his collaborations with Lucas, Williams received six of his fifty-two Academy Award nominations ( Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of
25740-503: Was no longer operational, Lucas approached Douglas Trumbull , best known for the effects on 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Silent Running (1972). Trumbull declined as he was already committed to working on Steven Spielberg 's film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), but suggested his assistant John Dykstra to Lucas. Dykstra brought together a small team of college students, artists, and engineers and set them up in
25905-418: Was only because Alan Ladd Jr. at 20th Century Fox liked American Graffiti that he forced through a production and distribution deal for the film, which ended up restoring Fox to financial stability after a number of flops. Star Wars was significantly influenced by samurai films of Akira Kurosawa , Spaghetti Westerns , as well as classic sword and sorcery fantasy stories. Star Wars quickly became
26070-528: Was proposed in May 2014. By June 2014, Chicago had been selected, pending approval of the Chicago Plan Commission , which was granted. The museum project was renamed the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art . On June 24, 2016, Lucas announced that he was abandoning his plans to locate the museum in Chicago, due to a lawsuit by a local preservation group, Friends of the Parks, and would instead build
26235-587: Was released in 2019. Lucas founded a film production company Lucasfilm in 1971, and incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd. on September 12, 1977. In the mid-1970s, the company's offices were located on the Universal Studios Lot . Lucas founded the Star Wars Corporation, Inc. as a subsidiary to control various legal and financial aspects of Star Wars (1977), including copyright, and sequel and merchandising rights. It also produced
26400-399: Was released on Netflix on March 7, 2014, along with additional media, such as comic books and novels, based on unfinished story arcs that would have been included in the season. In recognition of the release of the complete series on Netflix, on March 17, 2014, StarWars.com released the official chronological episode order for the first six seasons; this was later updated to include links to
26565-399: Was released on December 18, 2015. Kathleen Kennedy produced the film and its sequels. The new sequel trilogy was jointly produced by Lucasfilm and The Walt Disney Company , which had acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. During an interview with talk show host and journalist Charlie Rose that aired on December 24, 2015, Lucas likened his decision to sell Lucasfilm to Disney to a divorce and outlined
26730-474: Was released on February 21, 2020, with the final episode being released on May 4 of the same year. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment distributed the videodisc releases of the first five seasons, while Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment handled the videodisc release of the sixth season as Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Lost Missions . Apart from the season-by-season videodisc sets, there were also three special DVD releases consisting of four episodes from
26895-476: Was shown at Star Wars Celebration. Seasons 6, 7, and 8, were in some form of production at the time of the show's cancellation in March 2013, shortly after Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney. An online comic released alongside the series depicts story snippets between episodes. On August 31, 2008, a sneak peek of The Clone Wars was shown on Cartoon Network . The series premiered on October 3, 2008, at 9 p.m. on Cartoon Network. The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network
27060-565: Was the Serbian montagist (and dean of the USC Film Department) Slavko Vorkapich , a film theoretician who made stunning montage sequences for Hollywood studio features at MGM , RKO , and Paramount . Vorkapich taught the autonomous nature of the cinematic art form, emphasizing the kinetic energy inherent in motion pictures. After graduating with a bachelor of fine arts in film in 1967, he tried joining
27225-519: Was ultimately never produced. Projects where Lucas was credited as executive producer and sometimes story writer in this period include Kurosawa's Kagemusha (1980), John Korty 's Twice Upon a Time (1983), Ewoks: Caravan of Courage (1984), Ewoks: Battle for Endor (1985), Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), Jim Henson 's Labyrinth (1986), Ron Howard 's Willow (1988), Don Bluth 's The Land Before Time (1988), and
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