Editing Lucasfilm (section)

===Independent era (1971–2012)===
Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker [[George Lucas]] in December 10, 1971 in [[San Rafael, California]],<ref>{{cite book| first=Stuart |last=Moss |title=The Entertainment Industry |location=Wallingford, UK |publisher=cab international|year=2009 |page=89|isbn=9781845935511}}</ref> and was incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd. on September 12, 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?SearchType=CORP&SearchCriteria=lucasfilm&SearchSubType=Keyword|title=Business Search - Business Entities – Business Programs – California Secretary of State|website=businesssearch.sos.ca.gov|access-date=December 13, 2017|archive-date=June 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613210649/https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?SearchType=CORP&SearchCriteria=lucasfilm&SearchSubType=Keyword|url-status=live}}</ref> In the mid-1970s, the company's offices were located on the [[Universal Studios Lot]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Roy |title=Star Wars: The Original Marvel Years – Volume 1 |year=2015 |isbn=9780785191063 |page=4|publisher=Marvel }}</ref> Lucas founded the '''Star Wars Corporation, Inc.''' as a subsidiary to control various legal and financial aspects of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977),<ref>{{Cite video|title=[[Empire of Dreams|Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy]]|medium=Documentary film|date=2004|publisher=Prometheus Entertainment/[[Fox 21 Television Studios|Fox Television Studios]]/Lucasfilm|minutes=17:30}}</ref> including copyright, and sequel and merchandising rights. It also produced the 1978 ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special]]'' for [[20th Century Fox Television]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Digiacomo|first1=Frank|title=The Han Solo Comedy Hour!|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2008/12/star_wars_special200812|date=December 2008|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=October 2, 2018|archive-date=December 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230230058/http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2008/12/star_wars_special200812|url-status=live}}</ref> That year, Lucas hired Los Angeles-based real-estate specialist Charles Weber to manage the company, telling him that he could keep the job as long as he made money.<ref name=Life/> Lucas wanted to focus on making independent films for the company, but the company gradually became enlarged from five employees to almost 100, increasing in middle management and running up costs. In 1980, after Weber asked Lucas for $50 million to invest in other companies and suggested that they sell [[Skywalker Ranch]] to do so, Lucas fired Weber and had to let half of the Los Angeles staff go.<ref name=Life>{{cite magazine |last=Pollock |first=Dale |title=A Man and His Empire: The Private Life of 'Star Wars' Creator George Lucas |magazine=Life |date=June 1983 |pages=94, 96}}</ref> By the same year, the corporate subsidiary had been discontinued and its business was absorbed into the various divisions of Lucasfilm. It was the same year when the second Star Wars film, ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]],'' was released in cinemas as an official sequel to the original 1977 film.

Between 1981 and 1989, three ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' films, stories by Lucas and directed by [[Steven Spielberg]], were released. While ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) was in production, Lucas decided not to pursue further ''[[Star Wars]]'' films.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kaminski|first=Michael|title=The Secret History of Star Wars|publisher=Legacy Books Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-9784652-3-0|page=494|orig-year=2007}}</ref> Despite the third film achieving similar [[classic]] status to its two predecessors, George was unhappy with the cinema presentation of ''Return of the Jedi'', he created the company [[THX]], which was unveiled on May 20, 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@thxltd/star-wars-george-lucas-a-disappearing-cello-the-story-of-thx-cinema-certification-81f6aeabb640|title=Star Wars, George Lucas & A Disappearing Cello: The Story of THX Cinema Certification|date=February 21, 2017|access-date=October 8, 2021|archive-date=March 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301013605/https://medium.com/@thxltd/star-wars-george-lucas-a-disappearing-cello-the-story-of-thx-cinema-certification-81f6aeabb640|url-status=live}}</ref> Lucasfilm produced the [[John Korty]]-directed animated film ''[[Twice Upon a Time (1983 film)|Twice Upon a Time]]'' (1983). 1985 saw the release of [[Paul Schrader]]'s ''[[Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters]]''. The next year, [[Jim Henson]]'s ''[[Labyrinth (1986 film)|Labyrinth]]'' and an adaptation of [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[Howard the Duck (film)|Howard the Duck]]'' were released. [[Ron Howard]] directed the fantasy film ''[[Willow (1988 film)|Willow]]'' in 1988 (story by Lucas); the same year the children's animated film ''[[The Land Before Time (film)|The Land Before Time]]'' was released. From 1992 to 1993, ''[[The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles]]'' (created by Lucas) television series was produced. In 1992, after viewing an early [[computer-generated imagery]] test created by [[Industrial Light & Magic]] (ILM) for ''[[Jurassic Park]]'', Lucas announced his intentions to produce a ''Star Wars'' [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|Prequel Trilogy]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Kaminski|first=Michael|title=The Secret History of Star Wars|publisher=Legacy Books Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-9784652-3-0|location=Kingston, Ontario|pages=311–12|orig-year=2007}}</ref> In 1994, the long-delayed ''[[Radioland Murders]]'' (story by Lucas) was released. In 1995, Lucas began pre-production on the prequel trilogy. The trilogy took 10 years to make, ending with the release of the third prequel film ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]'' in 2005 where The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones had received mixed reviews while Revenge of the Sith received positive reviews. In addition to the prequels, Lucas released the ''[[Star Wars original trilogy|Special Editions]]'' for the ''Star Wars'' Original Trilogy in 1997, 2004 and 2011, for [[VHS]], [[DVD]] and [[Blu-ray]], which were met with increasingly negative reception.

In 1987, the company, which at that time, was expanding from three to five films a year on its own, decided to increase making its Northern California production facilities available to other filmmakers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 3, 1987 |title=Multiple Divisions Jell In Bid To Become Ultimate Post-Prod Setup |page=35 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> In 1989, Lucasfilm launched a new subsidiary Lucasfilm Entertainment Group (later LucasArts Entertainment Company) to consolidate all four units, which are [[Industrial Light & Magic]], Lucasfilm Commercial Productions, [[Lucasfilm Games]], and [[Skywalker Sound|Sprocket Systems]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 17, 1989|title=Lucasfilm forms group; consolidates four units (not pics)|page=18|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

In 2005, Lucasfilm opened a new studio in Singapore focusing on animation.<ref name="to">{{cite news |last=Weizhen |first=Tan |title=PM Lee opens Lucasfilm's Sandcrawler building |url=https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/pm-lee-opens-lucasfilms-sandcrawler-building |access-date=June 13, 2018 |work=TODAYonline |date=January 15, 2014 |archive-date=September 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908212927/https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/pm-lee-opens-lucasfilms-sandcrawler-building |url-status=live }}</ref> That same year, [[Lucasfilm Animation]] commenced production of a 3D animated ''Star Wars'' television series called ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)|Star Wars: The Clone Wars]]'', with key production team members including executive producer [[Catherine Winder]], supervising director [[Dave Filoni]], Head of Lucasfilm Animation Singapore Chris Kubsch, and [[Henry Gilroy]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/community/event/con/f20050712/indexp5.html |title=StarWars.com at Comic-Con 2005 |date=July 12, 2005 |website=Star Wars: Community |access-date=November 6, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323023414/http://www.starwars.com/community/event/con/f20050712/indexp5.html |archive-date=March 23, 2008}}</ref> Primary production took place at Lucasfilm Animation's Singapore studio.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=10626 |title=Lucas on the Star Wars TV Projects |date=August 2, 2005 |website=ComingSoon.net |access-date=November 6, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627153328/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=10626 |archive-date=June 27, 2006}}</ref> Airing on [[Cartoon Network]] between 2008 and 2013,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/03/11/star-wars-clone-wars-canceled-detours/ |title=''Star Wars'' TV: ''Clone Wars'' canceled, ''Detours'' postponed |last=Franich |first=Darren |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=March 11, 2013 |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301013644/https://ew.com/article/2013/03/11/star-wars-clone-wars-canceled-detours/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Clone Wars'' was well received by fans and was nominated for several film awards including the [[Daytime Emmy Awards]] and the [[Annie Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Star Wars: The Clone Wars Wins Two Daytime Emmy Awards |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-clone-wars-wins-two-daytime-emmy-awards |website=StarWars.com |publisher=Lucasfilm |access-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030193744/https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-clone-wars-wins-two-daytime-emmy-awards |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |date=June 17, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=38th Annie Awards |url=https://annieawards.org/legacy/38th-annie-awards |publisher=Annie Awards |access-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018203017/https://annieawards.org/legacy/38th-annie-awards |archive-date=October 18, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic Foyer (Presidio Complex).jpg|thumb|Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic Foyer (Presidio Complex)]]

In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large-scale [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] films and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/516916/george-lucas-ready-focus-personal-movies/ |title=George Lucas Ready to Retire From Blockbuster Filmmaking |last1=Fischer |first1=Russ |work=[[/Film]] |date=January 17, 2012 |access-date=January 17, 2012 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301004157/https://www.slashfilm.com/george-lucas-ready-focus-personal-movies/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://movieline.com/2012/01/17/george-lucas-promises-retirement-from-blockbusters-not-counting-indiana-jones-5/ |title=George Lucas Promises Retirement (From Blockbusters... Not Counting Indiana Jones 5) |last1=Yamato |first1=Jen |work=Movie Line |date=January 17, 2012 |access-date=January 17, 2012 |archive-date=March 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301021149/http://www.movieline.com/2012/01/17/george-lucas-promises-retirement-from-blockbusters-not-counting-indiana-jones-5/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In June 2012, it was announced that [[Kathleen Kennedy (producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]], a long-term collaborator with Steven Spielberg and an executive producer of the ''Indiana Jones'' films, had been appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd. It was reported that Kennedy would work alongside Lucas, who would remain chief executive and serve as co-chairman for at least one year, after which she would succeed him as the company's chairperson, which she did in June 2013.<ref name="LATimes2Jun2012">Richard Verrier and Ben Fritz, [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-jun-02-la-fi-ct-lucas-kennedy-20120602-story.html "Kathleen Kennedy to helm Lucasfilm as George Lucas phases out"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025235808/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-jun-02-la-fi-ct-lucas-kennedy-20120602-story.html |date=October 25, 2022 }}, ''Los Angeles Times'', June 2, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.</ref>

On July 8, 2012, Lucasfilm's marketing, online, and licensing units moved into the new [[Letterman Digital Arts Center]] located in the [[Presidio of San Francisco|Presidio]] in San Francisco. It shares the complex with Industrial Light & Magic. Lucasfilm had planned an expansion at Skywalker Ranch in [[Marin County, California|Marin County]], California, but shelved the plan in 2012 due to opposition from neighbors.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Onishi|first1=Norimitsu|title=Lucas and Rich Neighbors Agree to Disagree: Part II|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/us/george-lucas-retreats-from-battle-with-neighbors.html?_r=0|access-date=August 29, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=May 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524034548/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/us/george-lucas-retreats-from-battle-with-neighbors.html?_r=1|archive-date=May 24, 2012}}</ref> [[Skywalker Sound]] remains the only Lucasfilm division based at Skywalker Ranch.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lev-Ram|first1=Michal|title=Behind the scenes at Lucasfilm's Skywalker Sound|url=https://fortune.com/2015/10/30/lucasfilms-skywalker-sound/|access-date=November 2, 2015|work=Fortune|date=November 1, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208141841/https://fortune.com/2015/10/30/lucasfilms-skywalker-sound/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On September 5, 2012, Micheline Chau, who served as president and COO of Lucasfilm for two decades, announced that she was retiring. With her departure, senior executives for each of the Lucasfilm divisions would report directly to Kathleen Kennedy. Chau was credited with keeping the Lucasfilm and ''Star Wars'' brands strong, especially through animation spin-offs and licensing initiatives.<ref name=HollywoodReporter5September2012>{{cite news |last=Kilday |first=Gregg |date=September 5, 2012 |title=Longtime Lucasfilm President and COO Micheline Chau Retiring |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lucasfilm-president-coo-micheline-chau-retiring-368257 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=February 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126014105/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lucasfilm-president-coo-micheline-chau-retiring-368257|archive-date=November 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>