George Lucas Strikes Back

People’s genuine interests don’t conflict , but sometimes their wishes do—and when the law says you can’t produce without permission, sometimes production is stymied. But that doesn’t mean producers are helpless, and the man who put swordfighters on spaceships may have found a response that will give his neighbors a taste of regret.

In Lucas Valley, California, filmmaker George Lucas has been trying for a quarter century to build new studios. “The residents of Lucas Valley have fought this project for 25 years, and enough is enough,” Lucasfilm Ltd. said in a reported statement. Lucas and his company are moving on; the valley and its county will miss out on the economic opportunities the project represented.

“Marin is a bedroom community and is committed to building subdivisions, not business , the company said.” So what to do with the land? Build residences, as the neighbors want?

Or how about residences the neighbors probably won’t want?

Lucas’s new idea for the property is low-income housing . It's not clear what his motive for this is: Perhaps he simply thinks selling it for this purpose will generate the highest price. Or perhaps he's looking for a way to retaliate. But if his neighbors are like other occupants of expensive subdivisions, they won’t be thrilled either way.

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