George Lucas

"Michael and I negotiated with each other tortuously on every detail before we engaged with Lucas’s representatives. Michael was right to win the risk argument and take on the movie, but I did make certain that if it was successful, we wouldn’t be in the position of Fox, which had only a one-picture license from *Star Wars.* I insisted we had the right to make sequels on the same terms as the original, given that the terms on the original were so much higher than anyone else had ever received. I wanted to retch once, and then not have to regurgitate in a new negotiation if the film was a success. And I wanted it in the clearest, most unambiguous language that all the parties agreed to and understood; there would be no new negotiating if George Lucas wanted to do a sequel. After the squabbling, all was settled and off they went to make the movie, and miracle of miracles, they made it on budget and on schedule."

"Two years later, they were ready to make the sequel. And, despite all my contractual reassurances and guarantees, I was told that George wanted to change the terms. He wanted more. I was enraged. We had made such a big deal out of *never* having to be put in this position, and yet that was exactly what was happening. I couldn’t believe it, and thought, *Well, maybe this is just the lawyers out on their own for more money.* I called George and said, “Can this be happening?” He responded with cold clarity: “It just isn’t really worth it for me to spend time on this for the current deal.” “This deal, the most generous in history, isn’t worth it?” I asked. He repeated, “No, not really.” I said, “But you made a legal and moral commitment to honor these sequel terms. Here you are, someone who doesn’t live in Hollywood because you loudly decry the amoral atmosphere of the company town, and then you blithely renege on an agreement made in good faith.” He replied, “Yeah, well, it’s just not worth it for me unless I get more money.” I wrote him a very long letter laying out all the arguments and ending with a plea for him to honor his agreement, but I never received a reply. And of course we renegotiated and made the sequel. The only scene in *Raiders* I never watched—I closed my eyes tight—was the snake scene. I have a deep aversion to snakes and cannot watch one, much less hundreds. But that experience with George tested my aversion to cynicism. I hadn’t expected to find that the Hollywood-bashing, take-the-high-ground George Lucas was actually a sanctimonious, though supremely talented… hypocrite."