Star Wars Fans and Stars Celebrate Creator George Lucas Turning 80 Today

Happy Birthday to Star Wars creator George Lucas who hit his milestone

By Kofi Outlaw - May 14, 2024 05:40 pm EDT

Star Wars creator George Lucas is celebrating his birthday today – and what a birthday it is!

George Lucas is celebrating his 80th birthday today, May 14, 2024 – and a lot of people are celebrating with him!

Social media has been lighting up with praise and birthday wishes for George Lucas. More than that, there have been some very poignant ruminations of what Lucas has done with his 80 years on Earth, from the enduring legacy of Star Wars and Indiana Jones to the larger spirit of creativity and independence that Lucas has come to symbolize through his filmmaking success.

Scroll below for a sampling of how Star Wars fans, the franchise's stars, and everyone in between are celebrating George Lucas on his 80th birthday!

Luke Skywalker

For George: 🎂

You changed the world.

You changed modern cinema.

And you changed my life.....

FOREVER.

🙏

❤️-mh pic.twitter.com/niA9dTSJ8n
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) May 14, 2024

You knew socail media maestro Mark Hamill was going to be all over this! And he did not disappoint on any platform!

Ahsoka

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by rosariodawson (@rosariodawson)

Rosario Dawson is one of the newest kids to join the Star Wars franchise – and is clearly grateful for the opportunity.

Happy Birthday Maker!

Happy birthday to the Maker, George Lucas! pic.twitter.com/dcME8V0qyn
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 14, 2024

Happy Birthday to the maker himself George Lucas 🤍

Without him we wouldn't have this incredible franchise in Star Wars 💫 pic.twitter.com/uPjhKo3tLU
— Star Wars Only (@StarWars0nly) May 14, 2024

Star Wars accounts (official and fan-based) are taking the day to celebrate the man who gave them their existence. And rightly so.

Iconic Imagination

“You can't do it unless you can imagine it.” —George Lucas pic.twitter.com/PDq4rGHORj
— Drew Struzan 🎨 (@DrewStruzan) May 14, 2024

Famed artist, illustrator, and poster designer Drew Struzan is taking the occasion to highlight the power of George Lucas' imagination, which has created some indelible iconography.

Great Amongst Greats

Happy birthday to George Lucas. Here he is with Akira Kurosawa and an AT-AT pic.twitter.com/yH2cmgpdP9
— Billy Jarrett (@billyjarrettugh) May 14, 2024

The greatness of George Lucas' work with Star Wars was recognized by some of the greatest filmmakers around at the time. See the photo above. The influence on filmmakers that have come after Lucas is still being measured.

The Revered One

Say what you will about his movies, but there’s no denying that George Lucas, above all else, truly is a visionary.

Helping to pioneer both practical and digital effects into what they are today, all while crafting one of the most unique and influential universes of all-time.… pic.twitter.com/m8Nm6ZZ2T0
— jacob. (@jtimsuggs) May 14, 2024

You can tell a lot about George Lucas from the way Star Wars fans speak about him so reverently – even as they eviscerate his works.

The EU's Biggest Opp

Happy 80th Birthday to the man, the myth, the legend, and Mara Jade’s biggest Opp.

Here’s to 80 more birthdays,
George Lucas! pic.twitter.com/a63GEYtvQx
— MaceAhWindu 🇵🇸 (@MaceAhWindu) May 14, 2024

You can't celebrate something in Star Wars without the dark side rising – and apparently, you can't celebrate Lucas's birthday without shots being fired at him over the fate of Star Wars' Expanded Universe, after Disney bought the franchise.

Peep the Deeper Message

Happy 80th to George Lucas
His father thought he was crazy to attend film school and not stay in Modesto to sell office furniture in the family business.
It's interesting that the central character in
THX 1138
American Graffiti
&
Star Wars
leave their homes for larger worlds. pic.twitter.com/AnLspeFh5K
— Will McCrabb (@mccrabb_will) May 14, 2024

Star Wars isn't just an archetypal story about good rising up to defeat great evil (fascism); there's also a deeper component about a boy with unique dreams finding the courage to leave home and go off into the world to follow those dreams. Think about how that theme continues through other Star Wars works, and you'll get a little closer to George Lucas.