George Lucas Apologizes For Calling Disney ‘White Slavers’: ‘I Misspoke’

UPDATE: Thursday, Dec. 31 (4:02 p.m. ET) – George Lucas is backpedalling on the controversial statements he made during an interview with Charlie Rose, in which he described Disney as “white slavers”; to whom he sold his “children”; (a.k.a. the Star Wars franchise).

Lucas has released a statement apologizing for his remarks, and admitting that he “misspoke”; by using a “very inappropriate analogy”; when speaking of Disney’s $4-billion purchase of Lusasfilm.

“I want to clarify my interview on the Charlie Rose Show,”; reads the statement. “It was for the Kennedy Center Honors and conducted prior to the premiere of the film. I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize.”;

Lucas continues: “I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of Star Wars because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger’s leadership. Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise. I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks. Most of all I’m blown away with the record breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of [The Force Awakens director] JJ [Abrams] and [producer] Kathy [Kennedy].”;

—

In a recent interview with Charlie Rose, Star Wars creator George Lucas admits that he’s not happy with the direction his franchise is going after selling his creation to Disney for $4 billion.

“These are my kids… I loved them, I created them,”; says Lucas candidly. “I sold them to the white slavers that take these things, and…,” he says before wisely cutting himself off before saying anymore.

Lucas also explains that his plan for the franchise was very different than what Disney had in mind.

“They looked at the stories, and they said, ‘We want to make something for the fans,'” he explains. “They decided they didn’t want to use those stories, they decided they were going to do their own thing. … They weren’t that keen to have me involved anyway — but if I get in there, I’m just going to cause trouble, because they’re not going to do what I want them to do. And I don’t have the control to do that anymore, and all I would do is muck everything up,” he adds. “And so I said, ‘OK, I will go my way, and I’ll let them go their way.'”

He compares the experience of handing over his “children”; to a bad break-up. “It really does come down to a simple rule of life, which is: when you break up with somebody, the first rule is no phone calls. The second rule is you don’t go over to their house and drive by to see what they’re doing. The third one is you don’t show up at their coffee shop… you just say, “No, gone, history, I’m moving forward.’ Every time you do something like that, you’re opening the wound again,”; says Lucas.