George Lucas to make first ever San Diego Comic-Con appearance
The 'Star Wars' filmmaker is scheduled to make his first-ever appearance at San Diego Comic-Con on July 27 — the final day of the pop culture convention — for a discussion about the power of illustrated story and his new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
Lucas is expected to be joined by Doug Chiang, a production designer for his sci-fi franchise's prequel films, and ' The Shape of Water ' director Guillermo del Toro. Hip-hop powerhouse-turned-actor Queen Latifah will moderate.
Co-founded by Lucas and his wife, businesswoman Melody Hobson, the Lucas Museum is expected to house models, props, concept art and costumes from across Lucas' filmmaking career. It will be located in Los Angeles' Exposition Park and is scheduled to open next year.
Though ' Star Wars ' has had a presence at Comic-Con for decades, Lucas has never been on the event's popular Hall H stage — until now.
His franchise made its Comic-Con debut in 1976, though that panel was focused on the yet-to-be-released 'Star Wars' Marvel comic and took place a year before the original film hit theaters. Since then, 'Star Wars' has become a staple at the annual event, with notable moments like Lucasfilm's 2004 reveal of ' Revenge of the Sith ' as the title of 'Star Wars:Episode III'; and the 2015 reunion of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill for a sneak peek of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' before its release later that year.
'His lifelong dedication to visual storytelling and world-building resonates deeply with us and our community, and the museum's mission to celebrate narrative art in all its forms perfectly reflects what Comic-Con has championed from the very beginning,' David Glanzer, chief communications and strategy officer of Comic-Con, said of Lucas in a statement.
San Diego Comic-Con begins July 24, featuring dozens of panels for shows and films such as 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians,' 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Alien: Earth.'
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