George Lucas finally comes to Comic-Con to give a preview of his new museum
The Sunday panel discussion in Comic-Con's vaunted Hall H will act as a relatively quiet closing act to the four-day festival that brought its usual series of big, bombastic looks at upcoming sci-fi and superhero projects.
The museum-centered session is also meant to be a broader discussion of the new institution's subject matter: the histories and traditions of narrative art across time and cultures.
Lucas will be joined by fellow filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and art director Doug Chiang, who has worked on a steady series of 'Star Wars' films starting with the Lucas-directed prequels in 1999. Queen Latifah will act as moderator.
Lucas is easily on the Mount Rushmore of figures whose work has had the greatest inspiration on the kind of films and other pop cultural celebrated annually in Hall H at Comic-Con.
But the convention wasn't a common showcase for blockbuster films when he was directing them himself. And he sold 'Star Wars' and Lucasfilm to the Walt Disney Co. in 2012, and Disney has used different venues to make big splashy presentations about its properties.
The museum founded by Lucas and his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson, is set to open next year in Exposition Park, near the Los Angeles Coliseum, several of the city's other museums, and the University of Southern California.
The 11-acre campus and 300,000-square-foot building designed by architect Ma Yansong includes galleries, two theaters and related spaces.
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George Lucas Makes Comic-Con Debut Unveiling First Look at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art: ‘This Museum Is a Temple' to Artists
After breaking ground in 2018, Hall H got its first look at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art before it's set to open its futuristic doors in 2026. With a personal collection from George Lucas's 50-year art archive, the museum is set to feature artwork and never-before-seen pieces from Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, Jessie Willcox Smith and more. The panel was moderated by Queen Latifah, with Guillermo del Toro and Doug Chiang as panelists. It's been a long time coming for the Lucas Museum since it was first announced. In 2016, the museum was initially set to begin construction in Chicago near Lake Michigan. After a Chicago-based organization named 'Friends of the Parks' filed a lawsuit over the construction on private land, the museum selected Los Angeles as its official building site near Exposition Park. More from Variety 'Star Wars' Boss Says It's 'Remarkable' the 'First Print' of George Lucas' 1977 Original Was Found and Screened After Decades; Discovery Called a 'Miracle' Steven Spielberg Calls 'The Godfather' the 'Greatest American Film Ever Made' at Francis Ford Coppola AFI Life Achievement Award Ceremony George Lucas Reveals Why Yoda Talks Backwards at 'Empire Strikes Back' Anniversary Screening 'I've been doing this for 50 years now, and then it occurred to me that I don't know what I am going to do with [all the art] because I refuse to sell it,' Lucas said at his first San Diego Comic-Con appearance. 'Art is more about an emotional connection. Not how much it cost, or what celebrity made it. If you have an emotional connection, then it's art. I've worked with hundreds of illustrators in my life, and they're all brilliant, but they don't get recognized for anything. This museum is a temple to the people.' The history of LucasFilm at San Diego Comic-Con has existed for over 50 years, with the first 'Star Wars' having a panel during the 1976 iteration of the convention. Fans who attended the event got to see still images from 'A New Hope,' where Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin discussed artwork from 'Star Wars.' 'It's one thing that this kind of art [featured] will celebrate because of science fiction. Science fiction is a myth, but we have made it real,' revealed Lucas about the museum's science fiction artworks set to be displayed. 'Humans made it real because of science fiction books and art that makes people say, 'Oh, we could go to the moon,' and once that idea is implemented, then we believe we could do it.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
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SAN DIEGO (AP) — George Lucas is finally coming to the stage at Comic-Con. And while 'Star Wars' is sure to get a mention, the 81-year-old is making his debut appearance at the San Diego pop cultural extravaganza for a more earthbound reason: a preview of his long-in-the-works Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. The Sunday panel discussion in Comic-Con's vaunted Hall H will act as a relatively quiet closing act to the four-day festival that brought its usual series of big, bombastic looks at upcoming sci-fi and superhero projects. The museum-centered session is also meant to be a broader discussion of the new institution's subject matter: the histories and traditions of narrative art across time and cultures. Lucas will be joined by fellow filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and art director Doug Chiang, who has worked on a steady series of 'Star Wars' films starting with the Lucas-directed prequels in 1999. Queen Latifah will act as moderator. Lucas is easily on the Mount Rushmore of figures whose work has had the greatest inspiration on the kind of films and other pop cultural celebrated annually in Hall H at Comic-Con. But the convention wasn't a common showcase for blockbuster films when he was directing them himself. He sold 'Star Wars' and Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Co. in 2012, and Disney has used different venues to make big splashy presentations about its properties. The museum founded by Lucas and his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson, is set to open next year in Exposition Park, near the Los Angeles Coliseum, several of the city's other museums, and the University of Southern California. The 11-acre campus and 300,000-square-foot building designed by architect Ma Yansong includes galleries, two theaters and related spaces.
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George Lucas made his first-ever appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, offering a first look at the long-anticipated Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The panel, held in the convention's largest venue, drew more than 6,000 attendees and closed out the four-day event with one of its most widely attended sessions on Sunday, July 27. Joined by director Guillermo del Toro, Lucasfilm executive Doug Chiang and moderator Queen Latifah, the 'Star Wars' director discussed the museum's mission and revealed new details ahead of its 2026 opening in Los Angeles' Exposition Park. 'Society cannot exist without a common belief system,' Lucas said. 'And that's where illustration is vital to show you what that means in everyday life.' He described the museum as 'a temple to the people's art.' The $1 billion institution, co-founded by Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, will focus on narrative art across cultures and periods — from ancient cave paintings to comic books and digital media. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art was originally proposed for San Francisco, where Lucas aimed to build the institution in the Presidio on a former Army commissary site at Crissy Field near the Golden Gate Bridge. Despite strong political support from figures including then-Gov. Jerry Brown and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Presidio Trust ultimately rejected the proposal, citing concerns over the scale and design. Lucas then explored a location in Chicago, which also fell through following a legal challenge from a local preservation group. After years of delays and shifting plans, Lucas selected Los Angeles' Exposition Park in 2017 as the museum's permanent home. Del Toro, who serves on the museum's board, compared the museum's focus to the canonization of pop culture. 'Imagine if we only had classical music, and rock 'n' roll was never created?' he said. 'This is rock 'n' roll and rock 'n' roll needs to be enshrined.' Chiang noted that comic and magazine art were once 'looked down upon,' but said the museum will elevate underrecognized creators. 'They are acknowledging and giving respect to artists who really haven't been highlighted before,' he said. The panel ended with a standing ovation. The museum remains on track to open next year despite recent layoffs and leadership changes.
