George Lucas on “Strange Magic”: A Deep Dive into Love, Music, and the Creative Process
Just a few days after embarking on an unforgettable tour of the iconic Skywalker Ranch, our journey into the heart of cinematic magic continued. Today, we’re privileged to share the highlights of an exclusive interview with a legendary figure whose vision has shaped generations: George Lucas, the executive producer and creative force behind the animated musical fantasy, “Strange Magic.”
Indeed, it was *the* George Lucas. An icon, an innovator, and a creative genius, Mr. Lucas also revealed himself to be a profound music lover, a passion that served as the primary catalyst for “Strange Magic.” He graciously invited us to sit down with him at Skywalker Ranch, specifically in the intimate and cutting-edge Stag Theater, to discuss the inspiration, themes, and personal journey embedded within his new film.
An Immersive Experience: Screening “Strange Magic” at Skywalker Ranch
Prior to our conversation, we had the extraordinary opportunity to screen “Strange Magic” in the very theater where we would later interview its creator. The experience was truly surreal. To watch a film, especially one with such a personal imprint from its visionary, in George Lucas’s custom-built, state-of-the-art theater at Skywalker Ranch, was an awe-inspiring moment. It’s the kind of dream that, once realized, makes you want to pinch yourself – a testament to the magic that unfolded throughout our visit.
The Genesis of “Strange Magic”: A Decade-Long Passion Project
During our candid discussion, we learned that the conceptualization of “Strange Magic” began over 15 years ago. This wasn’t a quick project but a deeply personal endeavor born from Lucas’s dual passions: his immense love for music and his desire to create a vibrant musical. He envisioned a film that would seamlessly blend his affection for these art forms, allowing him to immerse himself fully in the creative process from inception to final cut.
Lucas expressed a genuine eagerness to “get his hands dirty” with this project, to be intimately involved in every aspect of its production. Unlike some of his larger franchises, “Strange Magic” offered him the opportunity for a hands-on approach, enabling him to craft a narrative that resonated deeply with his personal philosophy.
The Central Theme: Unveiling the Essence of True Love
Throughout our interview, one word echoed consistently: “Love.” This concept isn’t merely a plot device but the fundamental core and driving force behind “Strange Magic.” It’s the reason George Lucas poured so much passion into its creation. His love for music, his love for storytelling, and his deep-seated desire to craft a film that unequivocally conveys a universal truth – that everyone deserves to be loved – all converged in this unique project.
Beyond simply celebrating love, Lucas also sought to explore its nuances, particularly differentiating between fleeting infatuation and profound, enduring true love. He highlighted a crucial life lesson: while initial attraction might be powerful, it’s not the foundation for lasting partnership. As he wisely put it, “You don’t want to be married to infatuation; you want to be married and spending your life with your true love.”
The film, therefore, serves as a poignant exploration of real relationships, challenging superficial perceptions of compatibility. It teaches that the ideal partner isn’t always the most outwardly appealing or the “cutest guy in the class.” Instead, the perfect match is found in the person with whom you share the deepest commonalities, the one whose inner world aligns with your own, beneath the surface of appearances.
George Lucas’s Personal Reflections: An Unexpected Journey to Love
In a rare moment of profound openness, George Lucas delved into his own relationships, marriage, and even spoke tenderly about his then 18-month-old baby girl. His candor offered a fascinating parallel to the film’s themes, underscoring his belief in the unexpected nature of true love. Here’s an excerpt from his incredibly honest reflection:
No it’s never gonna happen to me, I just will never find anybody, and I found somebody who doesn’t look at all like me, doesn’t, you know, I’m a 60’s radical, government unhappy, Wall Street-hating, person from San Francisco, and I ended up meeting a woman who’s a head of a big investment management firm who’s on Wall Street who doesn’t look like me, doesn’t you know? Is the last person you would figure would fall in love with the bald king and or I’d fall in love with her since I am not into princesses.
But ..a beautiful princess too actually.
Yeah, now I got a princess and I got a little princess. And my other princesses who have gone on to bigger and better things but so as time went on it became more meaningful to me because I realized that in the end, like with my wife and stuff, we fell in love because we were exactly alike inside. You know, it’s like the movie, you know first you say well, I hate this stuff, well that’s interest, you know?
It surprised you! You realize that you have so much in common that you would never have thought of on the surface, and it’s the same thing again. Like Roland (character in Strange Magic) which is, you know the classic pretty boy and, you know that story has been told over and over and over again but at the same time it needs to be retold.
His willingness to share such personal insights was truly remarkable, further solidifying the authentic and caring nature he exuded throughout the interview. One could genuinely feel his affection for his family as he spoke, illustrating his deep conviction that real love, in its purest form, transcends superficial differences and thrives on an internal connection. This belief directly informed his desire to tell a story that would resonate across multiple generations, reminding everyone that genuine love is the indispensable core of all meaningful relationships.
Filmmaking with a Purpose: Educating New Generations
George Lucas emphasized the vital importance of consistently retelling the story of real love for every generation. He passionately articulated the need to ensure that young people, particularly young girls, don’t “slip through the cracks,” urging us not to miss a single generation in conveying these crucial messages. He firmly believes that young girls, in particular, need narratives that empower them to be brave, to stand firm in their convictions, and to recognize their intrinsic worth beyond external validation.
For Lucas, movies are more than mere entertainment; they are powerful tools for teaching children invaluable life lessons about existence, the profound meaning of friendship, and navigating the complexities of their inner worlds. He eloquently explained:
To me adolescence is a key period in a child’s life, and to make movies that say look, these are the issues, they may seem obvious to us ’cause we’ve been through it, maybe your parents have told you about this, maybe they haven’t but you need to know the story of why you have friendships and what a friendship means, why there are things in the world that are bigger than you are, why, you know your complicated feelings with your parents and all these kinds of things are not unusual, they’re not just you, this is something that everybody goes through. ~George Lucas
This perspective reveals Lucas’s commitment to using cinema as a medium for social and emotional education, helping young audiences understand that their experiences, feelings, and developmental challenges are universal and normal.
The Musical Tapestry of “Strange Magic”: A Soundtrack of Love
Delving into the lighter, yet equally passionate, side of “Strange Magic,” Lucas shared a fascinating detail about the film’s musical genesis. As a true connoisseur of music, he initially selected over 100 songs for inclusion. With a twinkle in his eye, he confessed he could have easily crafted a five-hour musical if given free rein. However, the realities of filmmaking, including budget constraints, necessitate difficult choices.
He drew a parallel to his earlier work, “American Graffiti,” explaining that just as he couldn’t afford Elvis Presley’s music for that film, similar compromises were made for “Strange Magic.” This demonstrates the pragmatic challenges even a visionary like Lucas faces, having to “be strong, be brave and sometimes trim some of the things you really love” to bring a project to fruition.
GEORGE LUCAS: Well things like you know, you could go to the Beatles catalog and anything that’s got love in the title is something we had in there. And All You Need Is Love, All, you know? But again there’s a real world and that real world, this is a relatively inexpensive movie, small, very small, and so, just like American Graffiti I couldn’t afford to put Elvis Presley in there. So I didn’t but I survived you know, it’s like everything else you have to kinda be strong, be brave and sometimes trim some of the things you really love.
When questioned about his favorite song in the film, Lucas revealed that “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” which serves as the movie’s opening number, was also the very first song he selected. His personal connection to this iconic melody, and the story he shared about it, was truly captivating:
You know it’s, again, I grew up under the tutelage of Elvis, and my wife says I still have that pompous pompadour. But at the same time, you know, it’s been recorded several times, each time it’s recorded it’s better and better, and it to me was the inspiration to say this is what this movie’s about. You know, wise men say only fools fall in love.
In my experience with love as I was dating for those 20 years, I was with some, I had some girlfriends who I knew weren’t right, I knew were I would say high maintenance, difficult, all the things you don’t want. Yet I fell in love with them.
And ultimately the only thing I can say is there’s no accounting for love, it’s just no matter how rational you think you’re being, you say well I’ll never do that, you do it.
Yeah it didn’t last but we both tried, we, neither one of us wanted to fall in love and we both did and we knew that ultimately it wasn’t gonna actually work, but you try anyway.
This anecdote perfectly encapsulates the film’s overarching message: love is often irrational, unpredictable, and profoundly powerful, guiding us to unexpected places and teaching us invaluable lessons, even when the journey is not what we initially envisioned.
A Lasting Impression: The Enduring Legacy of George Lucas’s Vision
As the interview concluded, a profound sense of awe lingered. Sitting there, absorbing the weight of the moment and the significance of the location, felt truly surreal. Interviewing George Lucas was an opportunity I had never dared to dream of, yet it became a tangible reality. Throughout our conversation, Lucas impressed us with his wit, his genuine openness, his comfort in sharing personal truths, his boundless creativity, and the depth of his thoughts. Above all, his profound love for his family shone through, illuminating every word he spoke.
“Strange Magic” premiered on January 23, 2015, offering audiences an amazing cinematic experience for the entire family. Its release brought to life Lucas’s vision of a fairy tale musical that champions inner beauty and the enduring power of true love. In the coming days, we’ll be delving deeper into the world of “Strange Magic” with an interview featuring Elijah Kelley, who voices the character Sunny, along with our full review of the movie.