George Lucas’ Surprising Directing Style Revealed by Star Wars Actor

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Liam Neeson, who played Qui-Gon Jinn, recently discussed George Lucas’s directing methods while filming Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. His insights offer a compelling look at Lucas’s overall approach to the Star Wars universe and spark discussion about what the future holds for Star Wars films and television series.

Even though Liam Neeson was only in The Phantom Menace, his character played a huge role in the overall Star Wars story. He was a significant figure for both Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, making his short appearance surprisingly impactful within the Skywalker Saga.

I recently heard Liam Neeson talk about working with George Lucas on Star Wars, and it was really surprising! He said the way Lucas directed wasn’t what I expected at all. Apparently, Lucas didn’t take a super hands-on, detailed approach – he had a really unique style, and it makes you think about how all of Star Wars was actually made.

George Lucas Apparently Doesn’t Like Directing

Liam Neeson says George Lucas prefers editing to directing, and doesn’t really enjoy being on set to direct scenes.

Liam Neeson shared that George Clooney doesn’t enjoy directing. According to Neeson, Clooney told him he prefers post-production work like editing, and finds directing actors on set frustrating. He’d often ask for things to be done faster, but ultimately doesn’t like being on set directing.

Considering how strict Lucas was with the overall story of Star Wars, it’s interesting that he allowed for more improvisation on set, according to Liam Neeson’s experience with The Phantom Menace. This hints that many key acting choices in the prequel films – some of which were criticized – actually came from the actors themselves.

The video brings up interesting points, particularly regarding some of Anakin’s dialogue which was often criticized in the prequel trilogy. It also touches on how crucial strong performances were to many of the prequels’ key emotional scenes – and there were a lot of those.

It’s notable that Neeson now has a point of reference within the Star Wars universe. After a 20-year gap, he revisited the franchise with a short role as the Force Ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Liam Neeson Has Now Experienced A New Side Of Star Wars

We didn’t fully understand Qui-Gon Jinn’s role with Force Ghosts in the Star Wars universe until The Phantom Menace came out. While audiences had already seen Force Ghosts – like Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Yoda in the original trilogy – it was later revealed through Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Clone Wars that Qui-Gon was instrumental in their existence.

Both Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars established that Qui-Gon Jinn taught Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda a special Force ability. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series then revisited this concept by showing Obi-Wan reconnecting with his old master, hinting that Qui-Gon would soon begin training him as a Force ghost.

Even though Liam Neeson only appears briefly in Obi-Wan Kenobi, he got to experience working on a Star Wars project with a different director, Deborah Chow. This was likely a very different experience from his work with George Lucas, who seemed to focus more on editing than directing.

This makes you wonder if George Lucas’ original vision was actually stronger, especially considering the mixed reactions to Disney’s recent Star Wars projects, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. While it’s not considered the worst Star Wars show, Obi-Wan Kenobi definitely wasn’t a hit with everyone.

Was This Star Wars’ Secret Sauce All Along?

It might be surprising to learn that George Lucas didn’t particularly enjoy directing, which raises an interesting question: did his unique directing style play a key role in the success of Star Wars? While he directed all three of the prequel films, he wasn’t behind the camera for the entire original trilogy.

While Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand directed The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi – two of the strongest films in the Star Wars saga – George Lucas was still heavily involved in the creative process for all six movies. Over time, these original films have become the most cherished by fans. More recently, however, newer Star Wars projects have received a lot of criticism.

This is particularly noticeable with the TV series. Shows like Andor and The Mandalorian have been huge hits, but others, such as The Acolyte and The Book of Boba Fett, haven’t performed as well. Similarly, the sequel trilogy of movies and Solo: A Star Wars Story both received a negative reception.

While most recent Star Wars projects have faced challenges, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story stands out as a success. This suggests that George Lucas’s unique directing approach was actually very important to the quality of the Star Wars films. It will be interesting to see if upcoming shows like The Mandalorian and Grogu and the Star Wars: Starfighter game can continue the franchise’s success.

We might only discover if George Lucas’s distinctive directing style was truly what made Star Wars so successful once we’ve had more time to reflect on it.

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2025-12-07 22:29