Though Star Wars will only be the focus of one in 30 exhibitions when George Lucas’ museum opens in Los Angeles later this year, obviously, it’s the most highly anticipated. It’s the maker’s museum, for crying out loud! And so, for May 4, the museum has announced specifically which piece of Star Wars will be the focus of the space, and it draws from the franchise and creator’s history.
When the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens on September 22, the inaugural exhibit in its “Cinema” section will be called “Star Wars in Motion.” It will “transport museum visitors to a galaxy far, far away through a selection of visionary vehicle designs, props, costumes, and illustrations from across the first six films of George Lucas’s saga, featuring a wide range of high-speed racers, hulking transport vehicles, and flying vessels.”
Yup, it’s all about Star Wars vehicles and them flying across the galaxy. Here’s a teaser video.
“From Luke’s Landspeeder in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope to the first physical build of General Grievous’s Wheel Bike from Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the Lucas Museum’s inaugural Cinema exhibition will dazzle audiences with the possibilities of propulsive motion on distant and exotic worlds,” the press release reads. All of which makes a lot of sense.
Long before he created Star Wars, George Lucas fell in love with speed. Specifically, the speed achieved in a vehicle. That passion was the driving force for his second film, American Graffiti, which followed a group of teenagers racing and adoring fast cars. American Graffiti was then enough of a success that Lucas was given the chance to make another movie, and well, the rest is history.
Basically, focusing on how Lucas’ love of speed and motion is captured in Star Wars feels like the perfect way to pay tribute at the museum. And that it only focuses on the first six films in the saga makes even more sense. Of course, after directing A New Hope and producing The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Lucas directed The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith before selling the franchise to Disney. Which means don’t expect to see Rey’s speeder or Kylo Ren’s ship at the museum anytime soon. That’s not George’s Star Wars.
However, the museum is also very specifically calling this the “inaugural” cinema exhibit. So we’d imagine other aspects of Star Wars will be featured over the long life of the museum.
Again, Star Wars and “Cinema” are just one of 30 exhibits that’ll be in the museum when it opens on September 22. Read about all the rest here.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
