George Lucas Apologizes for that 'White Slavers' Disney Comment

George Lucas has had plenty of wistful things to say during the press tour for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the first film in the storied franchise that he had no hand in making. And while most of his melancholy is understandable -- after all, he's compared the flicks to kids he lost in a divorce -- his recent remarks to Charlie Rose about selling off the rights to "the white slavers" (a.k.a. new "Star Wars" owners Disney) were a bit head-scratching and unfortunate.

After the internet took him to task, Lucas seems to have realized his poor choice of words, and issued an apology on Thursday. The filmmaker noted that he "misspoke" in his interview with Rose, and added that he harbored no ill will toward Disney; rather, he explained, he is "thrilled" with the new direction the series has taken. He also offered specific praise for longtime Lucasfilm president and producer Kathleen Kennedy, and "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams.

Here's Lucas's full statement:

I want to clarify my interview on the Charlie Rose Show. It was for the Kennedy Center Honors and conducted prior to the premiere of the film. I misspoke and used a very inappropriate analogy and for that I apologize.

I have been working with Disney for 40 years and chose them as the custodians of Star Wars because of my great respect for the company and Bob Iger's leadership. Disney is doing an incredible job of taking care of and expanding the franchise. I rarely go out with statements to clarify my feelings but I feel it is important to make it clear that I am thrilled that Disney has the franchise and is moving it in such exciting directions in film, television and the parks. Most of all I'm blown away with the record breaking blockbuster success of the new movie and am very proud of JJ and Kathy.

It does seem like Lucas was simply trying to make a joke in that interview -- albeit one that came out extremely awkwardly, assisted by a deeply unfortunate choice of words. That being said, there's obviously some painful truth there: The underlying sadness that's permeated his remarks throughout the "Force Awakens" press push has been unmissable, and he almost certainly feels left out of all the new flick's legacy. But he should probably keep a lid on that publicly until he gets a better handle on his emotions. Here's hoping this brouhaha has helped him learn that lesson.

[via: TheWrap]

Photo credit: Getty Images

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