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George Lucas Says Avatar Makes Star Wars in 3-D More Likely

by Ethan Anderton
January 19, 2010
Source: Access Hollywood

With Avatar still taking the box office by storm just passing $1.6 billion worldwide this past weekend, and then taking home the Golden Globe for Best Drama on Sunday, there's no doubt that James Cameron's sci-fi epic is turning some heads. Still who would've thought that Cameron's flick would've turned the head of the master of Industrial Light & Magic himself as Access Hollywood reports George Lucas said the 3-D technology on display in Avatar might mean that the time has come for the Star Wars legacy to get the 3-D treatment. While it would be awesome to fly down the Death Star trench in 3-D, don't expect it soon.

Before the Golden Globes ceremony speaking from the red carpet, Lucas praised Cameron and Avatar for its technological strides and eventually moved in on the 3-D potential of Star Wars:

“I liked it. I make movies like that, [so], I can appreciate what [James Cameron] went through to do it. [I'm] happy it's so successful, and worked very well in 3-D. Haven't been a big fan of 3-D, but that movie definitely improves in (the field of) 3-D. We've been looking for years and years and years of trying to take Star Wars and put it in 3-D. But, [the] technology hasn't been there. We've been struggling with it, but I think this will be a new impetus to make that happen."

Hardly a solid commitment, but definitely more of a positive attitude than previously thought, giving Star Wars a 3-D makeover is probably a ways down the line. Aside from being wrapped in post-production on Red Tails, Lucas is still heavily involved in a couple forthcoming TV series based on Star Wars as well.

However, thanks to the magic of DVD extras, I've learned never to trust what George Lucas says might be coming no matter what. There's a great bit from Steven Spielberg at the beginning of a behind the scenes documentary from the Indiana Jones DVD set about Temple of Doom where he says: "When George and I were in Hawaii and I agree to direct Raiders [of the Lost Ark], George said that if I did wind up directing the first one that I would need to direct three of them. He said that he had three stories in mind. It turns out George did not have three stories in mind. We had to make up all the other subsequent stories." Lucas is like a grandfather who promises candy but only has Werther's. You guys want Star Wars in 3-D?

Filed under Hype, Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

No

NO. let it die. Star Wars is over. create something new!
theotherbluth

I second that motion No.
xaudioprox

really? why?? Looks like somebody is jealous. You did your thing Lucas now go away!!!!
Chucho

I agree on that Lucas is over now. Though, I'm a SW fan, I really hate what he did with Episode III. Again, since I'm a SW fan, I wouldn't mind watching SW on 3D... that'd be cool for me
Agree to let it die

I agree that the star wars should be let as it is, especially the prequels. No1 and No2 were just awful in terms of stories.
dave

why is he always trying to milk star wars? did he waste all of the creativity in his body in it or something. its like... move on, if ur so great, make up another fuckin story
akumared

Damn you Lucas. He knows that the first trilogy of star wars were he's best work and doesn't want to let go of them because he knows he got nothing else in terms of creativity. The prequels were a gigantic statement that he can NOT direct let alone tell a story anymore. He was a great pioneer once and now he is just a charlatan.
deltavoyage

I probably wouldn't want Star Wars in 3D, but I'm not surprised Lucas is talking up the possibility. He's been talking about it since the end of the prequels. I'd still probably see it, but I'm not dying to have Star Wars in 3D.
jarrycanada

Hayden Christensen in 3D! I think i'll get sick now.
Big Boss

Man, I cannot WAIT to see ALL of the backpedaling being done once Lucas does his thing again--like ya'll forgot who the fucking Godfather is. Ain't folk quick to forget? Let's see Cameron try to live off that dumb "blue movie"franchise for over 30 years...thought so. Let all these "gullable sheep fall in love with that jungle story. I'd take a lightsaber any day. Peace."
Bucker

Alex, werther's is a great candy. its like hard toffee, how can you go wrong?
Jack Frost

I'd love to see three things in 3D in Star Wars. 1. Opening sequence of the original. 2. Trench sequence in the original. 3. Speeder chase in Jedi. Oh, and perhaps a golden bikini. Other than that... not really
Kevin

Fuck George Lucas. Stop fucking up my favorite movies... leave them alone, they don't belong to you anymore, they belong to the fans. And the fans say produce NEW Star Wars movies but don't you dare write OR direct them...time to pass the torch.
GET TO DA CHOPPAAAAAA!

not many will pay money to watch a movie that they've already seen 50 times...that's what it comes down to, the story and we all can probably recite every single line.
az

Agree with everyone who said Lucas needs to let it go and do something new. Exactly...new Star Wars movie or anything else. One would think the great mind that conceived Star Wars would have all kinds of new and original ideas floating around... It was 30+ years ago...
indyjack

I would love to watch raiders of the Lost ark in 3-d. The Boulder scene alone would be worth it.
Shikaka

Voted no to anything that is made 3D after the fact. Either shoot it in 3D with the proper equipment, or animate it natively in 3D or just leave it the hell alone.
CS

Star Wars in 3D is fine, but it should be NEW Star Wars. I want to see Episode 7, 8 and 9, and I want them directed & co-written by someone who understands how to make a fucking movie. George Lucas and Star Wars is like that guy who sang that "So You Had a Bad Day" song. It was catchy, but it was only so-so to begin with, and he just keeps playing it over and over again. Do something new, dammit!
Korm

The sad thing is no matter how many times they release the classic trilogy, I will still see them. Damn them.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

Jeebus. That's a 3DONT!
Alex T.

Wow this is low. Even for Lucas. I agree with alot of people on here. Make something NEW. Stop tarnishing the Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises.
Jaybear

I'm really surprised by all the Star Wars haters...Its not something that can just "die"..Also anyone notice that Avatar is literally just Pocahontas meets Fern gully? While I liked both I don't see avatar or any of James Cameron's films lasting 30 years and affecting adults and children..New generations of star wars fans are emerging..anyone see anybody wearing "titanic" shirts anymore?
David Banner

"....I don't see avatar or any of James Cameron's films lasting 30 years and affecting adults and children...." The Terminator is from 1984, see you in 4 years Jaybear. But back to the topic, converting an old film into 3D? Can it be any good? "We've been looking for years and years and years of trying to take Star Wars and put it in 3-D. But, [the] technology hasn't been there", Lucas says, and I think he would know. It prob wont look too good. Ofc, with Star Wars: A New Hope's new CGI, it can be done, but still a harder task then filming it in 3D from scratch. Spacebattles in 3D??? Bring it on! When Lucas goes ahead and starts thinking about 7, 8 and 9 (or-3, -2 and -1), I hope he does not direct them, listens to ppl around him and makes the movies good, and not poor like the 3 new ones were. Watching the behind the scenes on Epi I, it's quite apparent Lucas called ALL the shots and ppl were pulling out their hairs at the first screening. Note to Lucas: Watch "Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side" and see how well Star Wars can look hand drawn, or hand-drawn-like, and stop serving us sucky CGI cartoons
http://www.palepicturehouse.wordpress.com Pale Paul

Jabba the Hutt's tongue in 3D. Sign me up.
DoomCanoe

"I liked it. I make movies like that" ba haha
Bladed

I will never forgive you George Lucas for putting Hayden Christiansen in the end of Return of the Jedi and changing the ewok song. Fuck you. And fuck your stupid fucking remake ideas. Fuck.
JimD

George "the milk master" Lucas
Xerxex

Lucas, NO!
Solo, Jacen Solo

YYYYYAAAAASSSSS DDDDDOOOOODDDDDEEEEE!!!!!
negropolitan

Let the originals lie and make some movies on how the Sith came about.....history of the Sith..... something completely separated from the previous 6 movies...........
d1rEct

WE ALL should have seen this coming....trust him.
bozo

Can we just get the friggin' originals on blu-ray plx? Also... aren't you supposed to be working on a TV show or somethin'? Yeah, let's get on that.
Pie9566

I've been a star wars fan for a while now and after seeing all the movies I am content and content enough. My vision of films is that once a movie is done... The story is done as well, you can't adapt from that movie once created and that's what went wrong after return of the Jedi. With films like these yes you can expand on the storyline as long as you have a good man to produce and direct the films. You can take a wrong turn like transformers and create a squeal which is to be honest the worst seqeal made in cinema history. But also as I said before once a movie is done... It's done, leave it as it is!!! With the success of avatar and the 3D used for it, dosent mean that you can take any type of film and change it into a 3D motion picture, the 3D I have no doubt will not be as good as avatar, how can you make a 3D film if it was not shot by a 3D camera??? Leave the classics alone!!!
Adam

If Lucas does the 3D effect to Star Wars people will flock to the theaters again to see it. Star Wars is and always will be an icon of scifi fantasy and has a large fan base the world over. Non-believers be warned it will happen and they will pay to watch!
tobi,leader of the akatsuki

i'm a star wars fan,if it went 3d on us yeah i probably watch it,but i wouldn't lose any sleep if he didn't bother,star wars to jedi are still very good even without the 3d treatment,so do what you please mr lucas.
nativebadguy

Just thinking about watching Jar Jar all up in your face in 3D. Yeesh. LOL
tyler

NO NO NO NO NO!! All you who say no more Star Wars are fuckin crazy!! if done like avatar 3D then hell yes!!! please please pleasse George please put the first three Star Wars films back in the theater so I can gaze upon their awsomeness in all its glory!!! boo to the second three I could care less. and as for you number one!! Star Wars will NEVER NEVER EVER!!! DIE!! it lives on in the hearts and minds of all those who love what it is and what it was and what it will always be no matter how far off the orginal path it has come. for as long as there is a Star Wars story to be told then let it be told. the simple fact that the thought of putting Star Wars back in the theater is in his mind makes me more excited than I think I have ever been in my life, all I have ever wanted was to be able to see them the way that people saw them in the 70's and so on, those movies changed the film industry forever and now avatar has done the same. and for all you who believe MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!!!
no

#23 did you really just say terminator?!! REALLY?! REALLY?! cmon I mean are you serious!! Terminator?! REALLY?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!! I laugh at you bc you are a damn fool a damn fool I say! Terminator HA! WOW you really just put Terminator on the same level as Star Wars, "Ill be back" hahahahahaha!! yeah right get out of here please you are a god damn joke!! the thought of terminator changeing the hearts and minds of children and adults scares me it really scares me! Terminator!?? REALLY!! HAHAHa! oh I cant stop laughing ohhh you are funny number 23 sooo damn funny, ok Im done now whew! that was a good one Im gonna remeber that one for a while
Blue & Orange NY

#22 Jaybear....I agree with Avatar is just a Sci-fi version of The Last of the Smurfs (Mohicans) Anyway I don't mind this idea but not in the first 3 or original 3.....I say something like the Old Republic age or even 7, 8, and 9.....now that all 3 are older the SW saga continues.....there's stuff to make out....so if something good can be put together and the original would want to come back then great
Fellatio Bob

Why no more Star Wars? There are at least 50 stand alone novels on the subject that could well translate into screenplays, by themselves or combined. There is potential for many more, perhaps as many 6?, films to be realised. Given that future films based on some of the numerous Star Trek novels are being considered, and I personally want a no-holds-barred Federation v Borg v Kilngon v Romulan invasion/war film with epic space warfare on a scale not yet seen, and given that the full range of Dune novels will evenutally come to life as prequels and sequels, though not necessarily by Peter Berg, I think there is a lot of life in science fiction still and really there is no shortage of material from which to draw inspiration. There, spleen vented.
Cinema Cynic

As a teenager I had my world changed by Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. I grew up waiting for the much anticipated prequels only to watch in slack-jaw horror as George Lucas desecrated his own franchise with indulgence, incompetence and incoherence. Let Star Wars die. STOP DIGGING UP THE CORPSE, GEORGE. WTF?
Xerxex

Fuck George Lucas...he for some reason will not release the original quality films on DVD (He bascially hates what he created in the 70's and early 80's) only his so-called "better version." Lucas you're beating a dead horse, just release the original quality films on DVD and do soemthing new. P.S. Avatar was only good for eye candy! SW is something more than just candy for the eyes. the films actually have a plot! Why not just let spin-off films come to theaters?
Ella

Just because the idea of Star Wars may be old that doesn't mean that George Lucas isn't proud of what he did with it. What would be wrong of him to think Star Wars in 3D would be cool, i think it would be. So would a whole bunch of other people! Avatar is just a one time thing, kind of drawing to the younger set of viewers. I guarantee that if Star Wars in 3D game to theaters there would be tons of people that come to watch and to all the true Star Wars fans out there we would all love to see it in 3D!! To all ages of people, the ones that remember when it first came out when they were kids to the people like me who grew up watching the movies over and over again every day because our family influenced that upon us, and then watched the 3 newer movies as they came out. Also to the viewers that caught up in the along the way! And to the newest viewers! Star Wars is and always will be for everyone!!!!
Sorin

Hey,just give the man a break...I'm sure that the only reason he does these remakes is that beacuse back when he did the first trilogy his imagination was limited by the technology.Besides,nowadays kids are used only to advanced CG animations and graphics, and seeing empty space with no stars in the background will make the movie seem kinda' corny to them.Of course I was a little pissed when I saw Hayden Christensen in The Return Of The Jedi but let's not forget who made Star Wars...I mean...it's his not ours..he even claimed that he did Star Wars for him...so I think that Lucas knows what's best when it comes to his own creations.Stop criticising the guy.