George Lucas is firing back at Star Wars diversity critics. The legendary filmmaker who just turned 80, took on his detractors head-on at the Cannes Film Festival, just a day before receiving the prestigious honorary Palme d’Or. Critics have long blasted the iconic space saga for a supposed lack of diversity in its early chapters, but Lucas, who directed or produced the first six installments, didn’t hold back in his defense.
“They would say, ‘It’s all white men.’ I’d say, it’s not. Most of the people are aliens,” Lucas said according to PEOPLE. “And the idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green and whatever — the idea is all people are equal.”
The Star Wars saga is one of the most iconic and influential franchises in the history of cinema. Lucas’s journey into filmmaking began at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he developed his early passion for cinema and met contemporaries like Steven Spielberg. His career took a significant turn with the release of Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) in 1977.
The film not only revolutionized