George Lucas Strikes Back!

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**MeanGreenStompa**

http://www.movies.com/movie-news/george-lucas-grady-ranch/7883

George Lucas' rich neighbors don't want him building a movie studio in their backyard. His response is the best thing he's done in years.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, for four decades Lucas has owned a large swath of land in Marin County in the North San Francisco Bay and has spent the past few years trying to transform the ranch on it into a massive, nearly 300,000 square foot, state-of-the-art movie studio complete with day care center, restaurant, gym and a 200-car garage. His neighbors, however, have rejected it every step of the way. Despite the promise of bringing $300 million worth of economic activity to the area, the already-well off neighbors are worried about years' worth of construction activity and the additional foot traffic it will bring into their neighborhood once completed.

The local homeowners association has been such a thorn in Lucas' side that he's decided to abandon the studio construction entirely, issuing this official statement about Lucasfilm's withdrawal of the new studio:

The level of bitterness and anger expressed by the homeowners in Lucas Valley has convinced us that, even if we were to spend more time and acquire the necessary approvals, we would not be able to maintain a constructive relationship with our neighbors.

We love working and living in Marin, but the residents of Lucas Valley have fought this project for 25 years, and enough is enough. Marin is a bedroom community and is committed to building subdivisions, not business. Many years ago, we tried to stop the Lucas Valley Estates project from being built, but we failed, and we now have a subdivision on our doorstep.

So what is George Lucas going to do with his property now that he's tired of his rich neighbors putting up a not-in-my-backyard stink? He wants to transform the property into low-income housing, naturally, ending their official statement with this zinger, "If everyone feels that housing is less impactful on the land, then we are hoping that people who need it the most will benefit."

He's working with the Marin Community Foundation to instead construct affordable housing for either low-income families or seniors living on small, fixed incomes. In order to smooth along the development, he's already given them all of the pricey technical studies and land surveys Lucasfilm spent years conducting. And we think that's just great. Because if there's one thing rich people will hate more than having movie magic made in their backyard, it's poor people moving in...

Bazinga!

**unmercifulconker**

Less of this Lucas! And more Battlefront 3!

Just look at dat trollface

**George Spiggott**

Haha! This almost made me forgive him for Jar Jar Binks.

**Melissia**

That is an excellent trollface.

**Morathi's Darkest Sin**

The Dark Side of the Force is strong in this one.

**Asherian Command**

Thats how should do it!

**purplefood**

That is deliciously cruel... and also really nice of him

**A Town Called Malus**

I approve of this but I still haven't forgiven him for not remastering the original Theatrical Versions of Star Wars Episodes 4, 5 and 6 for Blu-Ray.

**d-usa**

So awesome and cruel.

**Johnny-Crass**

Wow that is brilliant. Now they did forget to mention the entire place will be designed like Mos Esiley

**Necroshea**

Even though I think the guy is delusional and whiny, I very much approve of what he's doing.

**unmercifulconker**

The fact that he is doing it out of spite, rather than doing this first out the kindess of his heart....That really russtles my jimmies

**Great White**

Way to go Lucas.

**MeanGreenStompa**

... more wretched hive of scum and villainy...

**Slarg232**

unmercifulconker wrote:The fact that he is doing it out of spite, rather than doing this first out the kindess of his heart....That really russtles my jimmies

Agreed, though it is better that he's doing it at all than not.

**Dreadwinter**

In my opinion, the spite only makes this more awesome.

**Rbb**

By low income housing I hope he means trailor park.

**SilverMK2**

Slarg232 wrote:
unmercifulconker wrote:The fact that he is doing it out of spite, rather than doing this first out the kindess of his heart....That really russtles my jimmies

Agreed, though it is better that he's doing it at all than not.

While it is good that it will end up helping people, it is kind of galling that he is only doing it because he couldn't get his way and wants to get back at those who opposed him. And he still can't write a script to save his life.

**Kanluwen**

SilverMK2 wrote:
Slarg232 wrote:
unmercifulconker wrote:The fact that he is doing it out of spite, rather than doing this first out the kindess of his heart....That really russtles my jimmies

Agreed, though it is better that he's doing it at all than not.

While it is good that it will end up helping people, it is kind of galling that he is only doing it because he couldn't get his way and wants to get back at those who opposed him. And he still can't write a script to save his life.

It's also galling that the area he's in was opposed to having a movie studio with a day care center, restaurant, gym, and a 200(!) car garage for employees--citing "construction activity and foot traffic" as being why not to provide a $300 million economic boon in that area.

Is he doing it to be spiteful? Sure. But either way, his neighbors look like toolbags.

**unmercifulconker**

Hehehe

"I have changed my plans for this project, pray I do not alter them further."

**Castiel**

The local residents have just realised "ITS A TRAP!"

**AustonT**

...the message here is don't with flannel.

I love this spiteful evil plan.

**Goddard**

Heh, awesome.

Some rich folks get their knickers in a bundle, some people get housing, and someone gets petty revenge. Seems like a win, win, win to me.

**SilverMK2**

Kanluwen wrote:It's also galling that the area he's in was opposed to having a movie studio with a day care center, restaurant, gym, and a 200(!) car garage for employees--citing "construction activity and foot traffic" as being why not to provide a $300 million economic boon in that area.

Is he doing it to be spiteful? Sure. But either way, his neighbors look like toolbags.

Would you want a massive movie studio right next to you? It is unlikely that any of the facillities will be available for local residents but for staff only.

And just how much of that 300 million would actually go to anything local, other than into the studio's pockets? Sure, some construction company will get a nice chunk of money and maybe some local tax man gets a bit richer, and a few stores get a couple of extra customers from people who have relocated for the studio, but who else wins other than GL and the studio?

**Kanluwen**

SilverMK2 wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:It's also galling that the area he's in was opposed to having a movie studio with a day care center, restaurant, gym, and a 200(!) car garage for employees--citing "construction activity and foot traffic" as being why not to provide a $300 million economic boon in that area.

Is he doing it to be spiteful? Sure. But either way, his neighbors look like toolbags.

Would you want a massive movie studio right next to you? It is unlikely that any of the facillities will be available for local residents but for staff only.

Their complaint isn't about the studio. It's the construction of the studio that they're complaining about.

They've been complaining about the construction of the studio for 25 years. I could see the daycare being restricted to studio personnel, but the ginormous parking garage? I could see that being "public".

And just how much of that 300 million would actually go to anything local, other than into the studio's pockets? Sure, some construction company will get a nice chunk of money and maybe some local tax man gets a bit richer, and a few stores get a couple of extra customers from people who have relocated for the studio, but who else wins other than GL and the studio?

Movie studios have to hire a lot of people. They'll usually have carpenters, caterers, security guards, groundskeeping personnel, etc.

That's discounting the fact that this one would have a day care and what would likely be a gourmet eatery, which would be open to the public and not just staff.

**Ahtman**

Kanluwen wrote:That's discounting the fact that this one would have a day care and what would likely be a gourmet eatery, which would be open to the public and not just staff.

Where did it say it would be open to the public?

**Kanluwen**

It's an assumption on my part.

Many studios have portions of their lot open to the public for tours and other kinds of visitation dealies, and they'd likely have some nice place for people to eat after a tour.

**mattyrm**

I hope he spends some cash hoovering up all the crack heads in a 500 mile radius and moves them ALL in.

**mega_bassist**

A Town Called Malus wrote:I approve of this but I still haven't forgiven him for not remastering the original Theatrical Versions of Star Wars Episodes 4, 5 and 6 for Blu-Ray.

This is exactly how I feel as well...except I'm a little more bitter, because I bought the Blu-Ray collection thinking 4, 5, and 6 were the originals

**A Town Called Malus**

mega_bassist wrote:
A Town Called Malus wrote:I approve of this but I still haven't forgiven him for not remastering the original Theatrical Versions of Star Wars Episodes 4, 5 and 6 for Blu-Ray.

This is exactly how I feel as well...except I'm a little more bitter, because I bought the Blu-Ray collection thinking 4, 5, and 6 were the originals

I know. I have the remastered set of Blade Runner. 5 different versions of the film and Ridley Scott remastered them all, even the original version with the voice over that he hated. Why can't you learn from this, Lucas?

Another thing he's done which annoys me is his tactic for releasing the films in 3D. He's doing the prequel trilogy first and will only do the original 3 if the prequel ones do well at the cinema. So he's pretty much blackmailing people into paying to see his rubbish new films in 3D so that they can go and see the awesome old films in 3D. But then we'd only be able to see the versions which have been butchered (then the remains brutally fethed) with his alterations.

Still, at least he hasn't forced people to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special in order to get the originals remastered. Though I wouldn't put it past him.