Everyone Crapping On George Lucas At 'Star Wars' Celebration

After altering the original "Star Wars" movies and refusing to release anything except his own bastardizations, there was a thrill of schadenfreude in hearing George Lucas mope during his onstage appearance at Star Wars Celebration in Orlando about how fans and critics “aren’t very kind” to his "Star Wars" Prequel Trilogy. If you’re inclined to chase that dark feeling, a parade of "Star Wars" cast member were happy to oblige, crapping all over the legendary director during the “40 Years of Star Wars” celebration.

After a highly complimentary discussion between Lucas, "Star Wars Rebels" creator Dave Filoni and panel moderator (and "Return of the Jedi" ewok) Warwick Davis, Lucas was joined on stage by "Star Wars" cast members Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). Let the withering Lucas ego-popping begin.

It began gently enough, with McDiarmid accusing Lucas of always wearing the same shirt. McDiarmid also relayed how the first time they meant, Lucas’ final words to him were “hey, great nose.” Lucas was skeptical he ever said it.

But it was the arrival of Daniels that brought the fire. “One day there were like six 3PO faces… I liked them all, except one,” Daniels said, before switching from his own posh accent to a spot-on grumbly George, “And you went ‘oh hm, that’s the one we’re having.’”

Lucas butting heads with actors would be a consistent theme for the rest of the panel; the director has a notoriously light touch with actors. “George doesn’t go in for lengthy explanations,” McDiarmid said.

That’s putting it politely, as he’s known for avoiding any discussion of a character’s interiority. Lucas is aware that he’s not exactly an actor’s director. “I manage ‘action’ and ‘cut’ and ‘faster’ and ‘more intense,’ and then mostly I sit there looking miserable and quiet,” Lucas said to The Telegraph, looking back on production of the original "Star Wars."

The other main topic of agreement among the cast was Lucas’ penchant for unspeakable dialogue. Hamill hoped Lucas would cut certain lines, including this mouthy bit from his original audition reel:

“Fear is their greatest defense. I doubt security there is much greater than on Appalyer Sullust and what’s there is most likely directed towards a large-scale assault.”

Hamill would later ask, in the documentary "Empire of Dreams," “who talks like that!?”

“He was right, it was a bit much. Although, it stuck in your brain,” Lucas said.

It was just after this moment that Harrison Ford made a surprise appearance to dump on Lucas’ dialogue even more. “You can type this stuff, but you can’t say it. Move your mouth while you’re typing!”