Who Owns Lucasfilm?

Lucasfilm was founded in 1971 by George Walton Lucas Jr., a filmmaker from Modesto, California. Lucas had gained attention with his debut feature film THX 1138 (1971) and his breakthrough success American Graffiti (1973), which was nominated for five Academy Awards and became one of the most profitable films of its time relative to its budget.

The company's trajectory changed forever with the release of Star Wars on May 25, 1977. The film, which Lucas wrote and directed, was a revolutionary science fiction adventure that combined mythological storytelling with groundbreaking special effects. Star Wars became the highest-grossing film in history at the time, earning over $775 million worldwide, and spawned one of the most valuable entertainment franchises ever created.

To produce the special effects for Star Wars, Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in 1975. ILM became the world's leading visual effects company, developing technologies that transformed filmmaking. ILM's innovations include the first digital compositing in a feature film, the first use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) for a major character (the Genesis sequence in Star Trek II), and the development of motion capture technology. ILM has contributed to over 300 films and won multiple Academy Awards for visual effects.

Lucasfilm also founded Skywalker Sound (originally Sprocket Systems), which became one of the world's premier sound design and post-production facilities. Skywalker Sound has contributed to hundreds of films and is known for its work on major blockbusters and independent films alike.

The Indiana Jones franchise, launched with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, added another iconic property to Lucasfilm's portfolio. The collaboration between Lucas (as producer) and Steven Spielberg (as director) created a beloved adventure series that has generated billions in box office revenue and merchandise sales.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Lucas returned to Star Wars with the prequel trilogy (The Phantom Menace in 1999, Attack of the Clones in 2002, Revenge of the Sith in 2005). The prequels were commercially successful but received mixed critical reception, and Lucas faced significant criticism from fans who felt the films did not live up to the originals.

In October 2012, George Lucas announced the sale of Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company for approximately $4.05 billion in cash and stock. Lucas, who had no children interested in taking over the company, decided to sell rather than pass the company to a successor. The sale included the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, ILM, Skywalker Sound, and all of Lucasfilm's other assets.

Under Disney's ownership, Lucasfilm has produced a new Star Wars trilogy (The Force Awakens in 2015, The Last Jedi in 2017, The Rise of Skywalker in 2019), multiple Star Wars television series (The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett), and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).