The completion of the Star Wars circle weaves a strong thread between these two men—Christensen, who’s just starting his career, and Lucas, who’s finishing his masterwork—and the fictional Anakin Skywalker, the most renowned tragic hero in pop-culture history. Not surprisingly, Christensen recognizes a likeness among the three of them: “One of the concepts that Anakin embodies is something that probably George dealt with, which was this feeling of an unjust world,” he says. “And wanting to have control over things that maybe you can’t control. And as a result of that, you go off and you create your own universe.” For his part, the actor, who next stars in the offbeat Black Plague–era comedy The Decameron, feels more at home in Toronto and London than L.A., where he, too, can identify with “a strong feeling of not belonging.” 

The odd man out, but one with a maverick spirit and a powerful will—characteristics that may have gotten Anakin into trouble, but which help explain how Lucas managed to complete his Star Wars saga, and why the series has idiosyncratic flaws. It’s one man’s vision.

“It’s probably been a curse as well as a blessing,” says McCallum. “It has provided him unbelievable independence, but he has spent an inordinate amount of time with one idea. I’ve never seen him so truly excited about the potential of what’s ahead of him—this chapter ending, and the next beginning.”

In addition to another Indiana Jones, Lucas has worked on a World War II film about African-American fighter pilots, which he wants to produce. He also plans to direct some features—“films that are just not as easily accessible but are more visual in nature”—and he confesses excitement for television, for which he will continue producing the Star Wars animated series The Clone Wars, as well as, perhaps, a live-action series featuring Star Wars characters (“not main characters,” he says).

So, the saga lives on, but . . . on television?

“It’s a fun medium,” he says. “It’s demanding creatively, but it’s not as demanding in terms of a first weekend. It’s for the fun of it more than ‘We’ve got to save this studio or save the world’ or something. They come, they go. And you get to do the work. Features, unfortunately, have become these major events which take a bit of the fun out of the process.” 

But isn’t there a certain six-part saga that’s played a major part in creating that situation?

“Well, not really,” Lucas demurs. “I mean, D.W. Griffith did this before I did. So did David Lean and ‘Cubby’ Broccoli. And definitely David O. Selznick—he’s one of the bigger blockbuster creators.”     

Oh, come on, George. We’ll save you a spot on that list.