George Lucas (born 1944) is a producer screenwriter & director who played a major role in the anti-establishment New Hollywood movement of the 1970s & helped define the blockbuster era of the 1980s. He is best known as the creator of the Star Wars space opera & the producer of the iconic Indiana Jones adventure film series. Lucas had directed THX 1138 (1971) & American Graffiti (1973) before launching in 1977 the first film in the Star Wars franchise. Rapidly a worldwide pop culture phenomenon this was followed by two sequels: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) & Return of the Jedi (1983). Sixteen years later a new trilogy The Phantom Menace (1999) Attack of the Clones (2002) & Revenge of the Sith (2005) was released. The Star Wars series has spawned a range of other media including TV series video games & comic books. With this simple yet powerful saga Lucas has created a brand a business empire & a technological revolution.