George Lucas is sorry he made the “white slavers” comment about Disney.
Star Wars creator George Lucas has apologized on Thursday for comments he made during a recent interview with Charlie Rose in which he called the Walt Disney Company “white slavers”.
Lucas mamde those comments while discussing the Star Wars franchise, which he created and many years ago, but later solde to Disney for 4 billion dollars.
“I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize,”
During a interview with Charlie Rose, Lucas said “sold them to the white slavers that take these things, and … ”
George Lucas has later clarified his comments saying: “I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize,” the 71-year-old filmmaker said in a statement. “I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of Star Wars because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger’s leadership.”
“Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise,”
During the same interview with Charlie Rose, George Lucas criticized how Disney rebooted the Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. “They wanted to do a retro movie. I don’t like that. Every movie, I worked very hard to make them different,” Lucas told Rose. “I made them completely different — different planets, different spaceships to make it new.” George Lucas would later address that comment as well, “Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise,” Lucas said in the statement. “I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings, but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks.”
George Lucas also commented on how Disney made the franchise better. “Most of all I’m blown away with the record breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of J.J. [Abrams] and Kathy [Kennedy],” Lucas said in closing.
You can read the full statement below:
I want to clarify my interview on the Charlie Rose Show. It was for the Kennedy Center Honors and conducted prior to the premiere of the film. I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize. I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of Star Wars because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger’s leadership. Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise. I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks. Most of all I’m blown away with the record breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of JJ and Kathy.