George Lucas is a famous entrepreneur and filmmaker that is known for being the creator of Star Wars, an iconic franchise that has revolutionized the film industry. He has benefited the lives of many by having an idea, making it real, and inspiring others to do the same. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, George Walton Lucas, Jr. was born on May 14, 1944, to George Lucas, Sr. and Dorothy (Bomberger) Lucas. He grew up with three sisters, Ann, Kathleen, and Wendy, in the suburbs of Modesto, California. As a boy, George was fascinated with cars and mechanics, which was the reason he spent most of his school days racing at underground circuits in racing competitions. This was not the case, however, in 1962 when he almost died in a severe car accident as an eighteen-year-old. George changed his mind to instead become a director and study cinematography at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic …show more content…
In 1967, he created a science-fiction short film titled, Electronic Labyrinth: THX-1138 4EB, that won first prize at the National Student Film Festival. Although it was a theatrical success and gained the approval of many critics, Lucas had hoped to benefit from his work more financially. Two years later on February 22, George Lucas married Marcia Lou Griffin, a film editor who worked on several of his productions. In 1973, Lucas released a movie he wrote and directed titled, America Graffiti, that would eventually earn an Academy Award nomination. It wasn’t until 1977 that the breakthrough he had dreamed of his entire life would become reality when Star Wars (later changed to Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope) was released on May 25 and became an instant classic among Sci-Fi enthusiasts. It had a budget of eleven million dollars and earned over two hundred fifty thousand opening night. It came close to grossing three hundred million dollars