“George Lucas has a message for studios that are cutting their slates and shifting toward big-budget tentpoles and franchises: You’ve got it all wrong,” David S. Cohen reports for Variety. “The creator of ‘Star Wars,’ which stamped the template for the franchise-tentpole film, says many small films and Web distribution are the future.”
Cohen reports, “And in case anyone doubts he means it, Lucasfilm is getting out of the movie biz. ‘We don’t want to make movies. We’re about to get into television. As far as Lucasfilm is concerned, we’ve moved away from the feature film thing because it’s too expensive and it’s too risky. I think the secret to the future is quantity,’ Lucas said.”
“He spoke to Daily Variety after the groundbreaking ceremony for the renamed School of Cinematic Arts at USC. He gave $175 million — $100 million toward the endowment, $75 million for buildings — to his alma mater. But he said that kind of money is too much to put into a film,” Cohen reports. “Spending $100 million on production costs and another $100 million on P&A makes no sense, he said. ‘For that same $200 million, I can make 50-60 two-hour movies. That’s 120 hours as opposed to two hours. In the future market, that’s where it’s going to land, because it’s going to be all pay-per-view and downloadable. You’ve got to really have a brand. You’ve got to have a site that has enough material on it to attract people.'”
Cohen reports, “He said he’s even discussed the subject with Pixar’s Steve Jobs and John Lasseter.”
Full article here.
It’s too bad Lucas didn’t get out of the feature film business before he rendered Jar Jar Binks.
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Is this a real story?
Hey, I liked Jar Jar!
First post?
Your title “George Lucas chats with Steve Jobs about the future of feature films” has nothing to do with the article!!
The article’s original title “‘Star’ man sees shrinking pic biz” makes more sense.
MDN, you’re a hit-addicted idiot as unscrupulous as the iPod/iTunes clones you mock in your other postings.
There is nothing incorrect in MDN’s headline.
According to the report, George Lucas did chat with Steve Jobs about the future of feature films.
MDN, you aren’t going to make many friends in the tech world by picking on Star Wars. However, I do agree that Jar Jar was a bit much…
Face it: Lucas should have quit before “Howard the Duck.”
The 3 Star Wars prequels were major disappointments.
I’m OK with Lucasfilm moving out of the movie biz, as long as Apple stays in the computer/electronics biz.
Jar Jar Binks…that was funny, MDN!
I reckon Lucas is trying to talk El Jobso into playing the Emperor in Star Wars 10.
Yes, any film that costs more than US $100 million is excessive. If directors need that much to impress their audience maybe they are not very talented. A B-movie made by a genius is much more entertaining than a blockbuster made by a hack. For example, compare George Romero’s zombie films to the Resident Evil series.
and I like Jar Jar … George Lucas is a genius. Don’t question greatness. Why don’t you make a movie and see if you can still profit on it 30 years later.
Well, to be fair, the future would have to be about quantity for Lucas since he seemingly can’t do quality anymore.
Jar Jar was the only thing about any of the Star Wars films my wife liked.
The prequels got progressively better. Episode III was arguably the best of the whole saga.
‘I think the secret to the future is quantity,’ Lucas said.
Well the rest of us think the secret is QUALITY….
Where’s this guy been?
Revengs of the Sith sucked.
MW ‘clearly’, as in Lucas is clearly and overrated director.