George Lucas nearly sold Star Wars rights for $10,000; eyed Jodie Foster

After screening THX 1138 at Cannes in 1971, a 27‑year‑old George Lucas badly needed money to pay a hotel bill and met with David Picker, head of United Artists. He described “this sort of space opera thing” and, by the end of the conversation, had signed away the rights to Star Wars and American Graffiti for just $10,000.

UA later dropped both projects because the Graffiti script wasn’t satisfactory, and Picker later said he did not even remember making the deal. Paul Fischer’s book The Last Kings of Hollywood traces those early missteps and the rocky road the young directors faced.

Spielberg’s pitch for a Snow White sex comedy was rejected, and the making of Jaws was chaotic: casting shuffled until days before shooting, a prank left Lucas stuck inside the mechanical shark’s mouth, and locals repeatedly quipped “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” as they watched the production struggle on the water.

France, Cannes

george lucas, star wars, american graffiti, david picker, united artists, thx 1138, paul fischer, last kings, spielberg, jaws