George Lucas Names the One Movie That Still Tops His Blockbuster List

George Lucas has left a huge mark on movies, and people still talk about his influence today. He created some of the most popular franchises in history and shaped the childhoods of millions, but not everyone agrees on how his work fits into film history. Some critics say his choices have complicated his legacy, even as his movies made massive money.

Lucas changed the way Hollywood makes movies by creating the modern franchise model. After his first space epic hit theaters, studios started thinking about movies as long-term businesses instead of just single stories.

This approach influenced how big-budget films are made today. Fans and historians still debate whether Lucas or Steven Spielberg truly invented the blockbuster, but Lucas says he was building on ideas that came before him.

In the book The Directors: Take Four by Robert J. Emery, Lucas explained that he followed trends started by others. “Closer to when I was making my films, there were the James Bond films, which were big blockbusters,” he said.

He also mentioned the massive disaster films of the 1970s produced by Irwin Allen, and even classics like Jaws and The Godfather left huge marks before Lucas became famous. “I came along after that group,” he added.

But Lucas has a clear favorite when it comes to all-time blockbusters. He calls the 1939 epic Gone with the Wind the greatest ever. “Gone with the Wind was a blockbuster in every sense of the word.

Even bigger than anything I have ever done, and it’s still number one,” he told Emery. Adjusted for inflation, it still leads in North American ticket sales, selling over 200 million tickets during its long theatrical run.

Today, Lucas focuses on preserving film history. He’s finishing the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, which will display thousands of pieces of art and filmmaking history. “It’s about showing the story of cinema for future generations,” he has said.

Meanwhile, the Star Wars universe keeps growing under Disney and Lucasfilm. A new movie, Star Wars: New Jedi Order, starring Daisy Ridley, is filming, and the second season of Ahsoka will hit streaming soon. Lucas’s company, Industrial Light & Magic, continues to provide technology for these productions.

Even decades later, the blockbuster blueprint Lucas helped popularize still drives Hollywood. Big films and franchise projects dominate theaters every year, proving that his influence is still felt across the globe.

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