Actor Mark Hamill rose to fame with his performance as Luke Skywalker in 1977’s Star Wars, directed by George Lucas. While Hamill reprised the role for two more installments of the original trilogy, Lucas did not resume directorial responsibilities for them. As a result, Hamill only worked with Lucas the director in one movie.
Hamill later reprised his role for the sequel trilogy, which received mixed response from critics and fans. However, a new trilogy continuing the Skywalker saga is rumored to be in development at Lucasfilm. Therefore, Hamill could theoretically get another chance to reunite with Lucas if the latter returns to the space opera saga that he kickstarted all those years ago.
Mark Hamill Wanted to Work More Under George Lucas’ Direction
Mark Hamill is synonymous with the role of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, which started with the 1977 original directed by George Lucas. However, Lucas did not direct the second and third installments, before resuming the duties for the prequel trilogy.
During a 1988 interview, Hamill opened up about the experience of working with Lucas. However, the actor admitted that only working with the acclaimed filmmaker on one movie was one of his biggest regrets. Hamill stated the following at the time (via Star Wars News):
He’s a very introspective fellow and can be sort of intimidating when you really don’t know him. And he’s really very easy going and free. I was sorry he didn’t direct any of the other Star Wars films.
Hamill added that while he had a great experience working with the other directors of the original trilogy, he lamented that the filmmaker did not return to direct more installments featuring his character.
Hamill also hypothesized that directing actors was among Lucas’ favorite aspects of the filmmaking process. As a result, it is easy to see why Hamill enjoyed working with the filmmaker and wanted to feature more under Lucas’ direction despite appearing in several Star Wars movies.
Rumored New Star Wars Trilogy Could Erase Mark Hamill’s Regret By Reuniting Him With George Lucas
Hamill eventually returned to the galaxy far, far away in the sequel trilogy of movies produced after Lucas sold the property to Disney. The films received mixed reviews, with The Rise of Skywalker intended to be the final installment of the Skywalker saga.
However, in November 2024, it was reported that Lucasfilm had started development on a new trilogy of movies, rumored to be a continuation of the Skywalker saga. If the rumors are proven true, Hamill is likely to return as a Force Ghost in the upcoming installments.
Simon Kinberg has been hired to write and co-produce the upcoming trilogy but the director’s chair remains empty. As a result, Lucas would be an ideal candidate to right the ship, especially after the disastrous reception of the sequel trilogy. Hence, Hamill could finally get to work under Lucas’ direction but whether the semi-retired filmmaker returns to the franchise remains to be seen.
The Star Wars movies and shows are streaming on Disney+.
