10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

George Lucas sold he created in the 1970s, Lucasfilm for more than $ 4 billion. As the father of the "Star Wars" has become one of the richest of Hollywood directors and producers? Forbes magazine has recalled 10 major steps taken by Lucas on his way to his wealth and his glory.

Sensational words of George Lucas (120 th place in the ranking of the richest Americans according to Forbes, the state of $ 3, 3 billion) that he leaves the cinema and of the business, which did not want to believe the fans of "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones "turned out to be true. What back in January said the legendary director, screenwriter and producer, confirmed that his company Lucasfilm Ltd. Lucas sold Walt Disney Co. $ 4, 05 billion.

However, what about businesses Lucas still played a cunning trick: because, under the terms of the deal, half of the sum will be paid in the form of 40 million shares of Disney Company. Thus, he became the second of the largest private shareholder Walt Disney Co. (2, 2%).

The creation of the company Lucasfilm (1971)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

In the photo: a complex of buildings of the film company Lucasfilm

Having failed with his first feature film "THX-1138", George Lucas came to the conclusion that it is necessary to control the entire process of making the film, and therefore needs its own film company. released his first successful band "American Graffiti" later, he created Lucasfilm two years, brought together a box office of $ 140 million with a budget of tape just $ 775 000. This success proved to Lucas that his decision was correct, and spodvig to start work on their next masterpiece - the movie " Star Wars. Episode IV. New Hope".

The creation of Industrial Light & Magic (1975)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

As conceived by Lucas saga of Star Wars is clearly needed in excellent visualization, it could not satisfy the usual for that time special effects, which is based on the make-up, effigies and skill decorators. But finding a company that would come from for such an ambitious and completely new technologies for work, it did not succeed. Then Lucas decided that it will be easier to set up his own company, which since the early days will adopt innovative techniques, including computer graphics. So there was Industrial Light & Magic, for more than thirty years has received 15 awards "Oscar".

The movie "Star Wars. Episode IV. A New Hope "(1977)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

The book, the plot of which formed the basis of the first film of the famous saga, appeared a year before the release of the tape on the wide screen: Film Company XX Century Fox is trying to assess whether or not a successful large-scale (budget - $ 11 million) project. authors of the book have been himself, George Lucas, and science fiction author Alan Dean Foster. A year later, the film, in which the return on the company continued to doubt, grossed over $ 775 million. Thus, he saved the XX Century Fox threatened her from bankruptcy and brought the first major earnings to Lucas. It is with this film began a unique Hollywood practice of creating "free universes" - merchandising system built around the successful saga.

The creation of Lucas Licensing Company (1979)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

In the photo: George Lucas (right) and Steven Spielberg (left) during the shooting of the first episode of "Star Wars" His proposal to reduce the salary and the percentage of deductions from profits in exchange for the transfer of all intellectual property rights in his invented universe of George Lucas made the XX Century Fox company before the start of filming of "A New Hope" - and has not lost. Established in the wake of the success of the first episode of "Star Wars," the company Lucas Licensing today is responsible for licensing and merchandising activities related to the trademarks of Star Wars, "Indiana Jones" and other products Lucasfilm (toys, games, books - more than 100 million copies, including 80 books recognized by the New York Times best-sellers - the clothes, souvenirs). Sales -. More than $ 20 billion in 2010 alone, five years after the release of the last date of the episode of "Star Wars" brand franchise has sold goods for $ 510 million.

The movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

Although the second famous kinosage Lucas - the history of the archaeologist Indiana Jones - was unable to repeat the resounding financial success of "Star Wars," it was also commercially very successful project. The first film of the epic, the name of which has not even mentioned the name of its main character, with a budget of $ 18 million brought charges of $ 384 million. It is noteworthy that the four stories of the archaeologist Indiana Smith (later its name was changed to Jones at the urging of a friend of Lucas, director and producer Steven Spielberg) Lucas wrote back in 1973, almost simultaneously with the work on the plot of "Star wars."

Creation of the company LucasArts Entertainment (1982)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

When it became clear that the franchise "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" brings huge profits, Lucas was born the idea to complement the range of products under the famous brand new revolutionary product - computer games. Thus was born the company Lucasfilm Computer Division Games Group, which in 1990 during the reorganization of Lucasfilm has been renamed LucasArts Entertainment.

The movie "Star Wars. Episode I. The Phantom Menace "(1999)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

In the two years before the screens out the new episode of "Star Wars", which tells about the events underlying the story, the company of George Lucas released a re-hire the three previous episodes, modified by a far shagnuvshey computer graphics for 20 years . This significantly warmed the audience interest in the saga, and appeared in the 1999 film "The Phantom Menace" with a budget of $ 115 million to its creators brought almost a billion dollars (to be precise, the $ 997, 4 million)! In addition, the emergence of a new series of "Star Wars" and provided a new round of interest to all products manufactured and sold on the franchise.

Creation of the company Lucasfilm Animation (2003)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

This company was created specially for commissioned by TV channel Cartoon Network remove the first television animated series that tells about the universe of "Star Wars" (TV series tells about the events that take place between the second and third episodes - "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith ") -" Star wars: The Clone wars. " In fact, the appearance of this series was to anticipate and support the interest of the audience before the advent of the third episode of the saga, which was released two years later.

The yield of the film "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

In the photo: the shooting of one of the paintings of episodes

The fourth and last film of the epic, dedicated to the famous archaeologist, was released with a break of 19 years. By this time the empire of George Lucas has released a series of video and computer games dedicated to Indiana Jones, but they did not satisfy the demand of the public on the continuing adventures of the beloved hero. The emergence of new films at the box office was triumphant: with a budget of $ 185 million it has collected cash in the amount of nearly $ 787 million.

The output of the television series "Star Wars. The Clone Wars "(2008)

10 Steps George Lucas to wealth

In the photo: George Lucas and director of Warner Bros. Alan Horn (the current head of Walt Disney Studios) on the series premiere

Five years after the release of the animated series of the same name on the same TV channel Cartoon Network has a new, three-dimensional, and the longer the animated series "Star Wars. The Clone Wars. " It is on this basis over the next three years, a series of games Star Wars: The Clone Wars, greatly strengthened the position of the company LucasArts Entertainment on the market and ultimately had an influence, along with other income from the franchise on revenue growth and an increase in the capitalization of Lucasfilm.