Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Lucas tears it up in ‘Star Wars’ finale

As the "Star Wars" saga comes to a close in May with "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," filmmaker George Lucas promises a movie unlike any other in the franchise: a tearjerker.

"It's known as more of a tearjerker ... it works as an emotional tragedy," said the 60-year-old "Star Wars" creator. "So far, the women in the audiences have been consistently crying through the second half and some men also.

"It's a little different, and it's a little stronger."

Lucas was in town to accept the Galactic Achievement Award at ShoWest, the annual film-industry convention that concluded Thursday night with an awards banquet at Paris Las Vegas.

"Revenge of the Sith" is not only the final film in the "Star Wars" series, it's also the movie fans have been waiting for: the origin of Darth Vader, as heroic-but-troubled Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker succumbs to the dark side of the Force.

The dark tone of the film most likely will result in a PG-13 rating, a first for the PG franchise.

"That's what the story is," Lucas said. "It was written not to be PG."

Hayden Christensen, who plays Anakin Skywalker, said the bleak mood of "Revenge of the Sith" is essential to the film's story.

"It's definitely a darker film, and maybe you don't want your 5-year-old to see this one, but it's necessary," he said. "As dark as it is, it really works and it really ties in to the original trilogy perfectly."

Honored as ShoWest's Male Star of Tomorrow, Christensen received critical acclaim in two low-budget films: "Shattered Glass" and "Life as a House."

However, the actor is best known to moviegoers for his work in "Star Wars."

Not surprising, being cast as the fallen Jedi is the role the Canadian-born Christensen considers his Hollywood breakthrough.

"When I got the part of Anakin Skywalker, that was a huge affirmation for me," he said. "That was the first time I thought, 'Wow, maybe I can do this.' "

Still, Christensen said he's bittersweet about no longer playing the role.

"I have amazing affection for the character and my involvement in those films," he said. "At the same time, I want to play different roles and be involved in different stories."

Lucas, though, said he is looking forward to his post-"Star Wars" career.

"I'll be glad to get my life back," he said. "I'll be glad to do other things."

The "other things" are primarily a return to his roots in experimental filmmaking.

"I want to make much smaller pictures, using the medium in a different way," Lucas said. "I had been taught a very traditional form of cinema, which is very unlike me as a person. I'm much more experimental by nature."

As for the on-again, off-again rumors of more "Star Wars" movies -- episodes 7, 8, 9 -- Lucas said that was always a figment of the public's imagination.

"There was never going to be a seven, eight, nine," he said.

Instead, the rumors began with a quip that was taken too literally.

"I made a joke once, which came back and turned into three more films: 'Wouldn't it be amusing to go back and do a sequel when the actors are 80?' " Lucas said. "Which seemed like a good joke at the time when I was 30, but I forgot that I would also be 80."

In addition to Lucas and Christensen, ShoWest also honored Jennifer Aniston as Female Star of the Year; Matt Damon, Male Star of the Year; Rob Cohen, Director of the Year; Bernie Mac, Comedy Star of the Year; Jessica Biel, Female Star of Tomorrow; Brad Bird, Animation Director of the Year; Rachel McAdams, Supporting Actress of the Year; Drew Barrymore, Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film; Catalina Sandino Moreno, International Star of the Year; and Danny Boyle, International Achievement in Filmmaking.

Cohen, whose film, "Stealth," opens in July, faces strong competition from summer blockbusters such as "Revenge of the Sith," and the Steven Spielberg-Tom Cruise remake of "War of the Worlds."

Nevertheless, Cohen said he feels "really good" about his film's box-office appeal.

"I think the audience has an unlimited appetite for new and good (movies)," Cohen said. "The ones that really hit a target in terms of an emotional response to the film, live on. It doesn't matter what the competition is."

While Cohen is readying his film for release, Bird is still enjoying the success of "The Incredibles."

Released in November, "The Incredibles" was a holiday blockbuster and beat out "Shrek 2" for the best animated film Oscar last month.

Like "Shrek 2," "The Incredibles" is computer generated.

Considering both films grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide combined, can the death of hand-drawn animation be near?

Bird said creating only computer-generated films would be a mistake.

"The way things work (in Hollywood) ... if you had a movie with a guy with a red shirt that was a hit, they would be requesting that your next movie would have to have a red shirt," he said. "So people now think that if you take any idea and put it through a computer, it's going to suddenly make it good.

"I think we're going to see a tremendous amount of CG movies that shouldn't be made. We're also going to see some really good ones."

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