First Look: Star Wars creator George Lucas’ new LA museum

George Lucas and wife Mellody Hobson’s museum opens to the public on September 22

Last updated:
Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor
An aerial view of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art before a media preview of the 300,000 square foot structure in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California.
An aerial view of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art before a media preview of the 300,000 square foot structure in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California.
AFP

US filmmaker George Lucas has unveiled his long-awaited Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, a futuristic cultural landmark dedicated to the power of visual storytelling.

The museum, founded by Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, will open to the public on September 22, 2026, at Exposition Park. The project has taken years to complete, with Lucas describing the journey as one driven by his fascination with taking on challenges others considered impossible.

Designed by architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, the striking 300,000-square-foot building houses more than 100,000 square feet of gallery space across more than 30 galleries.

Its collection goes far beyond Lucas’ Star Wars universe, bringing together paintings, illustrations, comics, photography and cinema. Works by artists including Frida Kahlo, Norman Rockwell and Jack Kirby are displayed alongside film memorabilia and material from the Lucas archives.

The museum aims to give popular and commercial forms of storytelling the same recognition traditionally given to fine art.

For Lucas, the ambitious project is ultimately about celebrating the universal human desire to tell stories through images.

 Video: AFP

Devadasan K P
Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor
Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 27 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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