This is the official Lucasfilm "bio" as written by Lucasfilm, Ltd. It doesn't seem like Lucasfilm is really 27 years old already.

1970s

1971

Lucasfilm Ltd. incorporates.

THX 1138 is released on March 11 as an American Zoetrope Production, edited & directed by George Lucas with a screenplay by George Lucas and Walter Murch.

1972

American Graffiti is filmed in Marin & Sonoma Counties during 1972 and 1973. It marks the first time a film utilizes multiple storylines.

1973

[Group of Employees]

American Graffiti is released August 2 and becomes a great success. It receives five Academy Award nominations.

1974

Star Wars is written and design work begins.

1975

Industrial Light & Magic is established in July to produce the visual effects for Star Wars.

Sprocket Systems is established to edit and mix Star Wars and later becomes known as Skywalker Sound.

1976

Star Wars begins principal photography in Tunisia and later at studios outside of London.

The Star Wars novelization is released in November, prior to the film itself.

1977

Star Wars opens May 25 and becomes the largest grossing film of all time to that date. It receives six Academy Awards for original score, film editing, sound, art and set decoration, costume design and visual effects, as well as Special Achievement Academy Award for sound effects creations.

1978

Work begins on The Empire Strikes Back. R2-D2 & C-3PO put their footprints into concrete at Graumann's Chinese Theatre.

The Star Wars Fan Club is established. The first Star Wars toys arrive in stores.

1979

More American Graffiti is released August 3.

Star Wars comic strip begins syndication in 214 newspapers. ILM works on Empire and begins to establish itself as the leader in visual effects production.

1980s

1980

The Empire Strikes Back opens May 21 and becomes the third largest grossing movie of all time. It breaks 125 out of 127 house records for opening day, a new industry record for the highest single day per theatre gross, representing completely sold out business.

Empire receives an Academy Award for best sound and a Special Achievement Academy Award for visual effects.

ILM works on Dragonslayer -- its first non-Lucasfilm picture.

Construction of Skywalker Ranch begins.

The Computer Division was formed to work on digital imagery and audio post-production.

1981

Raiders of the Lost Ark is released June 21. It quickly becomes the largest-grossing film of 1981 and one of the most popular films ever made.

Raiders receives Academy Awards for art direction, sound, film editing and visual effects, as well as a Special Achievement Academy Award for sound-effects editing.

Star Wars: The Radio Drama debuts on NPR; there are 13 episodes.

Raiders: Making of an Adventure airs on PBS November 28. It receives the highest ratings ever for a PBS show for that time.

1982

[Woman at desk]

Production begins on Return of the Jedi and is filmed in England & the US.

Star Wars comes out on videocassette and becomes the best selling video of its time.

The THX Sound System is introduced and the Theatre Alignment Program (TAP) is initiated.

1983

Return of the Jedi is released May 25. It breaks the industry record for a single day with the largest opening day gross in history, $6.2 million. The film grosses $45 million by the end of the first week.

Jedi receives a Special Achievement Academy Award for visual effects along with five Academy Award nominations.

Computer Division reorganizes to form Pixar and Games.

The 10-part Empire Strikes Back Radiodrama starts on NPR.

The June 11 New York Times Best Seller List has five Jedi books on at the same time.

1984

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom opens on May 23 and receives an Academy Award for visual effects.

The Ewok Adventure: Caravan of Courage airs in November on ABC.

Lucasfilm donates R2-D2 and C-3PO to the Smithsonian.

1985

The Saturday morning animation, The Ewok and Droid Adventure Hour premiers and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is broadcast on ABC.

Lucasfilm co-produces Mishima with Zoetrope Studios which is released in September.

ILM stars in a NOVA special entitled "The Magic of Special Effects."

1986

Howard the Duck opens August 1.

Captain EO is created for Disneyland and Walt Disney World and is released September 13.

Pixar is sold to Steven Jobs.

Lucasfilm coproduces Labyrinth with Henson Associates.

1987

The Tenth Anniversary of Star Wars is celebrated with a convention in Los Angeles -- the first sci-fi convention ever attended by George Lucas.

Tucker: The Man and His Dream begins production in Sonoma County, with shooting throughout the Bay Area.

Willow begins production in studios in England, with location shooting in Wales and New Zealand.

Star Tours is created as a joint project between Disney, George Lucas and ILM.

The Paramount research library is acquired, more than tripling the Lucasfilm Research Library's overall collection.

1988

Willow is released May 20 and receives two Academy Award nominations.

Tucker: The Man and His Dream is released August 12 and garners four Academy Award nominations.

George Lucas and Francis Coppola present Powaqqatsi.

George Lucas is Executive Producer on The Land Before Time.

The THX installation base at the end of the year totals 278 screens, more than double from the year before and includes a THX Theatre in Reykjavik, Iceland.

1989

[Technician]

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is released May 24 and went on to pass the $100 million mark in the weekend before June 13.

Last Crusade receives an Academy Award for sound-effects editing.

ILM completes another attraction for Disney's Epcot Center: Body Wars.

Indy Epic Stunt Spectacular opens at Disney MGM.

LucasArts Entertainment Company is established, which included the Games Division.

ILM makes further breakthroughs in computer graphics with its creation of the pseudopod in The Abyss.

Sprocket Systems becomes Skywalker Sound.

Development begins on the Home THX system.

Star Wars is among the first 25 films to be included in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

1990s

1990

Maniac Mansion, inspired by the Lucasfilm video game of the same name, debuts as a television series in September on the Family Channel.

Home THX is unveiled at the summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago.

1991

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles begins principal photography and will travel to such locations as: England, St. Petersburg, Prague, Barcelona, Kenya, Paris, India, Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, and Cairo. The first season of production encompasses 11 countries, 284 days and 6,325 set-up shots.

Young Indy is the first production to do completely digital matte paintings.

The first spin-off Star Wars novel by Timothy Zahn is released and goes to #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List.

1992

The initial broadcast of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles airs on ABC on March 4. The premiere episode garnered high ratings and critical acclaim.

George Lucas is honored by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year with the Irving Thalberg Award. This award is voted by the Academy Board of Governors to a "creative producer whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production" and is given only in years when the Board feels there is a deserving recipient. Steven Spielberg presented the Thalberg statue to George at the Academy Awards Ceremony on March 30.

The book, Creative Impulse, is released which chronicles Lucasfilm's first twenty years.

1993

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles enters its second season. The Young Indy production crew has filmed for 117 weeks, traveled to over 20 countries, shot over 15,000 camera set-ups, and forged new frontiers in film and television technology.

Production begins on Radioland Murders.

Pro THX is available on more than 700 screens in 36 states domestically and 21 countries internationally.

The THX Laser Disc Program is officially launched, with its first title, The Abyss Special Edition, to critical acclaim. It also releases a remastered set of the Star Wars saga.

1994

[Woman at desk 2]

Radioland Murders is released on October 21, 1994.

The American premiere of 'Art of Star Wars' exhibit opens on December 27, 1994 at San Francisco's Center for the Arts at Yerba Buena.

The Lucasfilm Fan Club becomes the Star Wars Fan Club.

1995

The Library of Congress honors American Graffiti as one of the 25 named to the National Film Registry.

The Indiana Jones Adventure opens at Disneyland.

A new Star Wars line of toys is released by Kenner and becomes the number one best-selling Boys Toy of 1995.

The Star Wars trilogy is released on VHS for the last time in its original format. It is the first home video title to feature Lucasfilm's THX Digital Mastering Process.

The THX World Wide Web site is launched April 10.

American Graffiti is added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

1996

Return of the Jedi airs on National Public Radio.

Lucasfilm establishes the official Star Wars web site.

The THX Digital Mastering Program moves to Burbank in adjoining offices to TAP-LA.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is nominated for an Emmy for Visual Effects for "Hawkman."

1997

The Star Wars Special Edition premiers nationwide January 31 and sets a record for a January and February opening. Star Wars becomes the first movie in history to break $400 million in domestic grosses and reclaims its title as the highest-grossing film of all time.

The Empire Strikes Back Special Edition premiers February 21 and sets a new record for a February opening.

The Return of the Jedi Special Edition premiers March 14.

All three Star Wars trilogy soundtracks from RCA Victor hit the Billboard Top 200 for the first time in history.

Carrie Fisher presents Chewbacca with the Lifetime Achievement Award at MTV Awards on June 12th.

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles wins an Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition for "Travels with Father."

Production begins on Star Wars: Episode I.

The Star Wars Trilogy Special Editions were released on videocassette on August 26.

Star Wars: The Magic of Myth' exhibition opens in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum October 31 and features authentic props, models, costumes, and artwork.

AND THE SAGA CONTINUES...

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