Indiana
Indiana was Lucas’ Alaskan malamute dog he had in the 1970s who inspired two of his famous characters. You can probably guess the first one, which was the nickname for Henry “Indiana” Jones in the Indiana Jones film series. Being Lucas’ IRL big furry sidekick, he also inspired Chewbacca from the Star Wars series. Originally his wife’s dog, Lucas was supposed to include Indiana in his film American Graffiti, but cast another dog instead. Thinking of how Indiana would sit shotgun with him when he drove, he was then inspired to make Chewbacca as Han Solo’s sidekick. In the third Indiana Jones, they even make a little inside joke about Indiana being named after a dog.
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. is an American filmmaker and entrepreneur. As the creator of two of the biggest franchises in movie history with Star Wars and Indiana Jones, he has earned an massive estimated net worth of $5.2 billion. After graduating from university, he founded his first film production with renowned director Francis Ford Coppola. His then wrote and directed his first film called THX 1138 in 1971, which was a critical success not a commercial one. His next film American Graffiti in 1973 was a bigger critical success and also a commercial hit. This was also the first time he cast Harrison Ford.
In 1977 he released his third film, Star Wars, with Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill as the lead cast. This launched a franchise that covers all areas of entertainment and has become one of the most recognized brands in the world. The 1980s saw him collaborate with director Steven Spielberg on the Indiana Jones series, starring Harrison Ford. Along with Lucasfilm, he also founded Industrial Light & Magic, which is responsible for the special effects in his movies, along with countless other Hollywood films.
In 2012, Lucas sold Lucasfilm, which included the rights to Star Wars and Indiana Jones, to Disney for an estimated $4 billion. Previously and after the sale, he has also devoted lots of time and money to philanthropic causes, such establishing his George Lucas Educational Foundation and giving millions to educational institutions and non-profits.
