After a seven-year gap, the definitive Star Wars reunion finally happened: George Lucas reunited with Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill.
The last time the famed filmmaker reunited publicly with the actors best known as Han Solo and Luke Skywalker was in 2019, when they appeared together for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland. For that event they joined Billy Dee Williams (who played Lando Calrissian) and then-Disney CEO Bob Iger onstage to mark the attraction’s debut.
This time, the trio came together for the grand opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Mark Hamill posted photos from the evening to Instagram, including a shot of himself alongside Lucas. In his post he congratulated George Lucas and Mellody Hobson on the museum’s debut, noting the project had been years in the works and praising the five-story building for its extraordinary collection of artwork, production props, and memorabilia — calling it an instant Los Angeles landmark and thanking Lucas for the achievement.
Media outlets also circulated images from the gala. ExtraTV ran a photo of Lucas standing beside Harrison Ford and shared additional pictures showing museum co-founder Mellody Hobson and many of the evening’s guests. The attendee list read like a who’s who of film and television: Mark Hamill, Calista Flockhart, Samuel L. Jackson, Ron Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard, Michael B. Jordan, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Keke Palmer, Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah, Meg Ryan, Jack Quaid, Emma Watson, Cynthia Erivo, Kerry Washington, Sofía Vergara, Tyler Perry, Orlando Bloom, Topher Grace, and Nicolas Cage. Directors and creatives such as Steven Spielberg and Greta Gerwig were also in attendance, among many other notable figures from the entertainment world.
Star Wars is prominently represented in the museum’s displays. Visitors can view a life-size recreation of General Grievous and his TSMEU-6 wheel bike from Revenge of the Sith, as well as classic concept paintings by Ralph McQuarrie. The museum even includes select episodes of Star Wars Detours, the animated parody series that was never widely released. True to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s broader mission, the collection goes beyond Lucasfilm artifacts: pieces by illustrator Norman Rockwell, comics legend Jack Kirby, and painter Frida Kahlo are part of the exhibits, reflecting a wide span of narrative visual art.
Given Lucas’s foundational role in shaping Star Wars, popular culture, and the idea of narrative art itself, it was fitting that Ford and Hamill joined him for the opening. The original trilogy’s third star, Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), passed away in 2016; when E! News asked Hamill about her at the event he expressed how much he misses her and said that, were she present, they’d all be laughing together.
Lucas spent many years bringing the museum project to life, and Ford and Hamill have kept busy with non-Star Wars work in recent seasons. Ford returned to the Indiana Jones franchise in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and the article notes he also appears as President Thaddeus Ross/Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World. He’s taken on dramatic TV roles as well, portraying Jacob Dutton in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel 1923 and Dr. Paul Rhoades in Apple TV+’s Shrinking — the latter role earning him two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Hamill has continued to lend his voice to projects, including voicing Luke Skywalker in the LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy series. His more recent credits also include work on The Life of Chuck, The Long Walk, the animated series Invincible, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, and The Wild Robot.
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens its doors to the public on September 22.
Ava Thornton is an entertainment journalist with a keen eye for the latest in Hollywood, indie films, and streaming trends.
Her work blends insider knowledge with a deep appreciation for storytelling.
