George Lucas has rejected criticism that the first six Star Wars films featured a lack of diversity, saying of the film’s critics: “They would say, ‘It’s all white men.’ Most of the people are aliens!”
He added: “The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal.”
The Star Wars creator, 80, was speaking at a special event at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday (24 May) as he received the festival’s honorary Palme d’Or award.
As Variety reports, he went on to say that when discrimination does happen in the Star Wars universe, it’s against robots.
“That was a way of saying, you know, people are always discriminating against something and sooner or later, that’s what’s going to happen,” he told the packed audience. “I mean, we’re already starting with AI, saying, ‘Well, we can’t trust those robots.’”
On the subject of race, Lucas added: “In the first one, there were a few Tunisians who were dark, and in the second one I had Billy Williams, and the [prequels], which they were also criticizing, I had Sam Jackson. He wasn’t a scoundrel like Lando. He was one of the top Jedi.”
As for issues of gender equality, Lucas pointed out that he has consistently depicted women in heroic roles. “Who do you think the heroes are in these stories? What do you think Princess Leia was?” he asked. “She’s the head of the rebellion. She’s the one that’s taking this young kid who doesn’t know anything and this boisterous, I-know-everything guy who can’t do anything and trying to save the rebellion with these clowns… And it’s the same thing with Queen Amidala.”
He added: “You can’t just put a woman in pants and expect her to be a hero. They can wear dresses, they can wear whatever they want. It’s their brains and their ability to think and plan and be logistical. That’s what the hero is.”
Earlier this year, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who is set to become the first woman and the first person of colour to direct a Star Wars feature film, said “it’s about time.”
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Her Star Wars movie, which has been written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and is rumoured to be titled either Star Wars: A New Beginning or Star Wars: New Jedi Order, is set to begin filming this year.
“I’m very thrilled about the project because I feel what we’re about to create is something very special,” Obaid-Chinoy told CNN.
“We’re in 2024 now, and it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away.”
