Editing George Lucas (section)

===1977–1993: Hiatus from directing, ''Indiana Jones''===
[[File:Lucas - Henson - 1986.jpg|thumb|Director [[Jim Henson]] (left) and Lucas working on ''[[Labyrinth (1986 film)|Labyrinth]]'' in 1986]]

Following the release of the first ''Star Wars'' film, Lucas worked extensively as a writer and producer, including on the many ''Star Wars'' spinoffs made for film, television and other media. Lucas acted as executive producer for the next two ''Star Wars'' films, commissioning [[Irvin Kershner]] to direct ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' and [[Richard Marquand]] to direct ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', while receiving a story credit on the former and sharing a screenwriting credit with [[Lawrence Kasdan]] on the latter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/features/star-wars-making-of-empire-strikes-back |title=The Making of Empire Strikes Back |date=June 2002 |work=Empire Magazine |access-date=May 8, 2014 |archive-date=May 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140506213609/http://www.empireonline.com/features/star-wars-making-of-empire-strikes-back |url-status=live }}</ref> Lucas also gave away his screenwriting credit out of great respect for [[Leigh Brackett]] for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' after her death from cancer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=W. |first=Rinzler, J. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/657407687 |title=The Making of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back: The Definitive Story (Digital) |date=2010 |publisher=Del Rey Books |page=n390 |language=English |chapter=The Road to Oz |oclc=657407687 |quote=I don't think Leigh Brackett would've gotten a story credit. I said that to George and he said, you know, from his heart he felt she should get a co-writing credit on it, so he gave that to her.-Howard Kazanjian "I didn't like the first script, but I gave Leigh credit because I liked her a lot," Lucas says. "She was sick at the time she wrote it and she really tried her best. |access-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-date=May 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510123344/https://search.worldcat.org/title/657407687 |url-status=live }}</ref> He also acted as story writer and executive producer on the first four ''Indiana Jones'' films, which his colleague and good friend Steven Spielberg directed.

[[Craig Barron]], who worked at ILM as part of the matte painting department, told ''[[Star Wars Insider]]'' that Lucas liked to spend time with the department's painters and often spoke of what movies he wanted to make. According to Barron, Lucas had wanted to make a film about [[Alexander the Great]], but this film was ultimately never produced.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Brandon Wainerdi |date=August 2, 2022 |title=It's a Matte, Matte World! |number=212 |url=https://titan-comics.com/m/106-star-wars-insider-212/ |magazine=[[Star Wars Insider]] |publisher=[[Titan Publishing Group]] |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 31, 2022 |archive-date=August 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831013245/https://titan-comics.com/m/106-star-wars-insider-212/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Projects where Lucas was credited as executive producer and sometimes story writer in this period include Kurosawa's ''[[Kagemusha]]'' (1980), [[John Korty]]'s ''[[Twice Upon a Time (1983 film)|Twice Upon a Time]]'' (1983), ''[[Ewoks: Caravan of Courage]]'' (1984), ''[[Ewoks: Battle for Endor]]'' (1985), ''[[Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters]]'' (1985), [[Jim Henson]]'s ''[[Labyrinth (1986 film)|Labyrinth]]'' (1986), [[Ron Howard]]'s ''[[Willow (1988 film)|Willow]]'' (1988), [[Don Bluth]]'s ''[[The Land Before Time (film)|The Land Before Time]]'' (1988), and the ''Indiana Jones'' television prequel spinoff ''[[The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles]]'' (1992–93). There were unsuccessful projects, however, including ''[[More American Graffiti]]'' (1979), [[Willard Huyck]]'s ''[[Howard the Duck (film)|Howard the Duck]]'' (1986), which was the biggest flop of Lucas's career, Coppola's ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]'' (1988) and ''[[Radioland Murders]]'' (1994) directed by [[Mel Smith]].

In some cases, George Lucas served as an actual executive producer without being credited, such as in the films ''[[Body Heat]]'' (1981), [[Latino (film)|''Latino'']] (1985)'', [[Return to Oz]]'' (1985), documentary ''[[Powaqqatsi]]'' (1988, credited only as "Presentation"), also ''Star War''s television projects: ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special|Holliday Special]]'' (1978), ''[[Star Wars: Droids|Droids]]'' (1985–1986), ''[[Ewoks (TV series)|Ewoks]]'' (1985–1986) and ''[[Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003 TV series)|Clone Wars]]'' (2003–2005).

The animation studio [[Pixar]] was founded in 1979 as the Graphics Group, one third of the Computer Division of [[Lucasfilm]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Rina |date=January 7, 2021 |title=George Lucas: Pixar Was Sold to Save Lucasfilm |url=https://www.shortform.com/blog/george-lucas-pixar/ |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=Shortform Books |language=en-US |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215231935/https://www.shortform.com/blog/george-lucas-pixar/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Pixar's early computer graphics research resulted in a digital film [[The Adventures of André & Wally B.]] and groundbreaking effects in films such as ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]''<ref name="PixarStory">{{Cite web |last=Hormby |first=Thomas |website=Low End Mac |title=The Pixar Story: Dick Shoup, Alex Schure, George Lucas, Steve Jobs, and Disney |date=January 22, 2007 |url=http://lowendmac.com/2013/pixar-story-steve-jobs-disney-toy-story/ |access-date=March 1, 2007 |archive-date=August 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827220102/http://lowendmac.com/2013/pixar-story-steve-jobs-disney-toy-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]'',<ref name="PixarStory"/> and the group was purchased in 1986 by [[Steve Jobs]] shortly after he left [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]]. Jobs paid Lucas $5&nbsp;million and put $5&nbsp;million as capital into the company. The sale reflected Lucas's desire to stop the cash flow losses from his seven-year research projects associated with new entertainment technology tools, as well as his company's new focus on creating entertainment rather than tools. As of June 1983, Lucas was worth $60&nbsp;million,<ref>{{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 |page=88}}</ref> but he met cash-flow difficulties following his divorce that year, concurrent with the sudden dropoff in revenues from ''Star Wars'' licenses following the theatrical run of ''Return of the Jedi''. At this point, Lucas had no desire to return to ''Star Wars'', and had unofficially canceled the [[sequel trilogy]].{{Sfn |Kaminski|2007|p=227|ref=kaminski}}

Lucas, formerly a member of [[Writers Guild of America West]], left and maintained [[financial core]] status in 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/members/membership-information/wgaw-financial-core-list|title=WGAW Financial Core List|website=[[Writers Guild of America]]|access-date=August 14, 2023|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813205209/https://www.wga.org/members/membership-information/wgaw-financial-core-list|url-status=live}}</ref>

Also in 1983, Lucas and [[Tomlinson Holman]] founded the audio company [[THX]].<ref name=Softpedia>Truta, Filip Truta (May 5, 2011). [http://news.softpedia.com/news/Apple-Hires-Sound-Systems-Inventor-Tomlinson-Holman-198553.shtml "Apple Hires Sound Systems Inventor Tomlinson Holman"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421180100/http://news.softpedia.com/news/Apple-Hires-Sound-Systems-Inventor-Tomlinson-Holman-198553.shtml |date=April 21, 2017 }}. [[Softpedia]].</ref> The company was formerly owned by Lucasfilm and contains equipment for stereo, digital, and theatrical sound for films, and music. [[Skywalker Sound]] and [[Industrial Light & Magic]], are the sound and visual effects subdivisions of Lucasfilm, while Lucasfilm Games, later renamed [[LucasArts]], produces products for the gaming industry.