George Lucas took a break from gleefully making snow angels in his Disney billions to make a surprise appearance at “Star Wars Celebration 2017″ in Orlando, as part of the 40 Years of Star Wars Panel. The god-Walker of all things far, far away had plenty to say to host Warwick Davis (Wicket in the original trilogy, Weeteef Cyubee in Rogue One) but the most interesting bit came when Lucas defined how he imagined Star Wars’ audience, even in 1977:
It’s a film for 12-year-olds. This is what we stand for. You’re about to enter the real world. You’re moving away from your parents. You’re probably scared, you don’t know what’s going to happen. Here’s what you should pay attention to: Friendships, honesty, trust, doing the right thing. Living on the light side, avoiding the dark side.
As a 25-year-old who is quite literally writing this post next to an RD-D2 pencil sharpener, I MUST say…no, he’s right. He’s totally right, and eloquently so as well, considering he was speaking to a room of 3,000 screaming Star Wars diehards. It’s these diehards, actually, and even the screaming, that keeps Lucas going. “There were all these tiny kids,” Lucas said, recalling the crowd that showed up during prequel filming in Spain. “They were all reaching their hands out, and they had no idea what was happening, but all they wanted to do was touch my hand. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, and it reminds me why I continue to do it.”
“Star Wars Celebration 2017” runs from today to April 16.
