Today marks the 76th birthday of George Lucas, the creator behind some of the most imaginative fictional stories in the history of cinema, like the Indiana Jones franchise or the American Graffiti duology. Oh, and Star Wars.
“Every generation has a legend. Every journey has a first step. Every saga has a beginning,” read the tagline for Episode I – The Phantom Menace. In a sense, that galaxy far, far away and all its manifestations began when an aspiring American filmmaker dared to imagine a story beyond what everyone could possibly comprehend at the time. Lucas’ efforts to bring the world of Star Wars to life didn’t just rejuvenate the speculative fiction spectrum, but also helped push the boundaries of technical possibilities in cinema and pave the way for the rise of blockbuster movies.
Now, the foothold of Star Wars extends to every aspect of our culture and daily life, and the epic tales found therein have embedded themselves into our identity. The fall of the Galactic Empire by a band of Rebel renegades, the redemption of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker’s full-circle hero’s journey, and ultimately, one of the greatest stories ever told all started out in the brain of a Californian teenager who loved nothing more than making films.
As you’d expect, fans have taken to Twitter to celebrate the legendary storyteller’s 76th birthday by paying tribute to his work over the decades.
please enjoy this Panasonic commercial where George Lucas stands in a field wistfully contemplating his life, before being applauded by his own creations pic.twitter.com/K9VyLa9ZBA
— rob trench (@robtrench) May 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/jovanna_mullin/status/1260799477637623810
Happy Birthday to the man who took us to a far far away galaxy, and gave us hero’s to look up to and villains who make us realize that we always have the choice to turn around and do the right thing. Thank you #GeorgeLucas pic.twitter.com/ZXBSJl6n2p
— Gerry The Canon Junkie (@thecanonjunkie) May 14, 2020
Happy bday to the realest 🐐 of them all #GeorgeLucas pic.twitter.com/gDs0mKUbOE
— BrodieWanKenobi (@brodiewankenobi) May 14, 2020
To celebrate his birthday today, #GeorgeLucas decided to finally clean out his garage pic.twitter.com/kPs3ljSbKJ
— David Bornholdt (@claimdenied) May 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/r4y_santana/status/1260961730638884864
This man turned 76 today.
If you don't know him, he is the man who created the best franchise on earth.
Also, if you don't know him, what the hell are you doing here?
Everyone, let's say Happy Birthday to a legend, George Lucas! #GeorgeLucas #StarWars pic.twitter.com/HJgk4FrJ9n
— Durth Mol (@durth_mol) May 14, 2020
Happy Birthday to #GeorgeLucas the man who changed the landscape of film history. His goal of making films for young people across the world to inspire hope and selflessness, friendship and family, has impacted all of our lives.
From the bottom of my Nerd heart. Thank You. pic.twitter.com/ukfan28Aaq— The Salty Nerd Podcast (@salty_nerd) May 14, 2020
Thank the maker! Happy birthday to the one and only George Lucas! Without his genius, we wouldn’t have some of the greatest storytelling and characters of all time. pic.twitter.com/iAcQH9Ru3a
— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) May 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/EverythingSW66/status/1260898945364041728
Of course, it’s true that the fans and George Lucas haven’t always gotten along well, but he’s always had their respect as the man who started it all. The man without whom there wouldn’t be any Star Wars today. In fact, since people are going back to the Prequels and finding new ways to appreciate them, reinforced by their hatred of Disney’s Sequel Trilogy, Lucas is now more popular than ever.
So, on behalf of every Star Wars fan out there: Happy birthday, George Lucas!
Published: May 14, 2020 04:03 pm