USA TODAY International Edition

‘ A Life’ explores George Lucas’ moviemakin­g universe

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With Rogue One’s release around the corner, a new book takes a look back at the creation of the original Star Wars and the man behind the insanely popular movie franchise.

George Lucas: A Life ( Little, Brown, 472 pp., eegE out of four) is an unauthoriz­ed biography drawing mostly on quotes taken from various interviews with the iconic filmmaker and pulled together by author Brian Jay Jones ( Jim Henson). While it may just be a refresher for hardcore Lucas fanboys, for more casual moviegoers the book offers a lot of interestin­g trivia and insight into the quiet, enigmatic genius who hated working in the very studio system that led to his biggest hits.

The bio goes back to Lucas’ roots in Modesto, Calif., growing up on hot rods and rock ’ n’ roll — both of which were mined for his 1973 breakthrou­gh Ameri

can Graffiti — plus his prodigious stint at the USC film school. A

Life examines all his major works, though it doesn’t spend a whole lot of time on the Indiana Jones films he did with Steven Spielberg, and it really gets going when Jones digs into Lucas’ six Star

Wars movies. Through quotes from actors and crew alike, as well as the persnicket­y director, Jones begins with the first Star Wars movie, chroniclin­g problems with special effects, the many drafts of the story, what would ultimately influence it ( including the Vietnam War) and other aspects that worked their way into Lucas’ 1977 masterpiec­e.

Many of the on- set stories and pieces of trivia ( like the Millennium Falcon earning the nickname “Porkburger”) have been told before but are fun to revisit, and in that way A Life makes a nice complement to Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher’s new memoirs, The Princess Diarist, which recounts her tryst with co- star Harrison Ford.

Those kind of big- budget movies would ultimately involve a lot of sacrifice — mainly because Lucas was such a control freak — but he showed an insane amount of foresight as he negotiated the merchandis­ing deal that would net him billions during his career. ( Lucas stepped away from the franchise when he sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012 for $ 4 billion. The last Star Wars feature he directed was Episode III — Revenge

of the Sith in 2005.) Jones goes deep “inside baseball” when it comes to filmmaking techniques and industry minutiae — though movie nerds will eat those parts up.

More interestin­g, however, is Lucas’ on- again, off- again friendship with Francis Ford Coppola, Spielberg and other filmmakers he saw as both pals and competitio­n, and his behind- the- scenes struggles with the studio higherups who saw him as a talented nuisance. While Lucas’ reserved and brusque demeanor both helped and hurt him in his public and private life, his never- wavering commitment to being himself is what’s most fascinatin­g about the book and the man.

“Lucas changed the way audiences watched — and rewatched — movies,” Jones writes, and until we get memoirs from Lucas himself, A Life is a solid read about a fiercely independen­t, unforgetta­ble American filmmaking icon.

 ?? KEITH HAMSHERE, LUCASFILM LTD. ?? George Lucas works with Jake Lloyd ( young Anakin Skywalker) on the set of 1999’ s Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.
KEITH HAMSHERE, LUCASFILM LTD. George Lucas works with Jake Lloyd ( young Anakin Skywalker) on the set of 1999’ s Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.
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