The first surprise of Star Wars Celebration has happened: George Lucas has landed. Though the creator of Star Wars was not scheduled to appear at the 40th Anniversary panel on Thursday, the man who created that galaxy, far, far away kicked of the beginning of the biggest Star Wars event prior to the release of the The Last Jedi in December.
On Thursday, during the 40 Years of Star Wars Panel, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy brought out the first guest of the convention: George Lucas. Host Warwick Davis — who got his start in acting in Return of the Jedi — talked to Lucas about the evolution of the saga and asked him when the moment first came when Lucas dreamed up Star Wars.
Lucas responded that there “wasn’t one moment,” but that he wanted to do an “action film” with “psychological meaning.” He also mentioned that he was still “writing” while “filming in Tunisia.” This means Star Wars still being written while filming on Tatooine was indeed happening.
Lucas also doesn’t have time for his critics, saying that Star Wars belongs to young people and families. “In the real world, certain fans and the critics aren’t very kind,” he said. “But when you see the look on these little kid’s faces, it forgives everything.”
Star Wars Celebration is happening in Orlando, Florida from Thursday through Sunday.
Watch the entire 40th anniversary panel right here:
