The Star Wars franchise has been been enthralling moviegoers for decades, and is showing no signs of slowing down. While anticipation for J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker is at a fever pitch, it all started with George Lucas' vision and 1977's A New Hope. That vision has entertained for decades, although Lucas himself never got Oscar attention. And according to C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels, Lucas was snubbed for his contribution to the film industry.
Anthony Daniels has starred as C-3PO in every main installment in the Star Wars franchise, and has been involved in the beloved space opera since its inception. George Lucas' vision and filmmaking capabilities changed the film world, and inspired countless sci-fi projects. Daniels recently spoke to this dynamic, and expressed his anger about it. As he put it,
The Academy can be very snobbish and almost obviously. And George is not a Hollywood person – ‘If you don’t like our gang we’re not going to have you in our gang,’ sort of thing. Really pisses me off that I don’t think George ever won an Oscar for himself, just departments – special effects and all that kind of thing. George deserves more than that.
You have to love that type of passion and respect. Anthony Daniels' name is synonymous with Star Wars at this point, and he's got a real loyalty for the brand. Especially George Lucas, who was the architect behind the entire franchise ahead of Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm.
Anthony Daniels' comments to The Sun point out the franchise's poor history when it comes to Awards like the Oscars. While the property is usually given attention for its visual effects and score, writing, direction, and performances don't get the same nominations. Daniels seems to have particular umbrage with the treatment of George Lucas during the original and prequel trilogies. Likely because he helped move the entire film world forward while working on Star Wars.
Related: Anthony Daniels Feels Like Star Wars Put Out Too Many Movies At Once
George Lucas directed the first six Star Wars movies, creating a pop culture phenomenon in the process. The franchise has been endlessly quoted throughout the decades, and passed down from generation to generation. Given just how massive and beloved the space opera is, it's somewhat surprising that it never got much love from the Film Academy. Although its lack of major nominations may relate to the same issue that's happening superhero and streaming movies.
The Academy Awards are the top honor in the film world, and they're not easy to acquire. Lately, streaming movies coming from outlets like Netflix have had a difficult time being considered for Oscars. Superhero movies have also had a hard time getting recognized, although that changed with projects like Black Panther and Logan.
Anthony Daniels will reprise his role as C-3PO in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
