Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opening night with film, television and sports stars

Last night, co-founders George Lucas and Mellody Hobson hosted the grand opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which was attended by celebrities from the worlds of film, television and sports, including many associated with Star Wars over the past fifty years, including Doug Chiang, Hayden Christensen, Josh D'Amaro, Laura Dern, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Harrison Ford, Seth Green, Mark Hamill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard, Ludwig Göransson, Bob Iger, Samuel L. Jackson, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Oz.

On Saturday, September 19, 2026, co-founders George Lucas and Mellody Hobson hosted the opening night of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, part of a series of celebratory events that will culminate with its opening to the public on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Dedicated to the universal tradition of telling stories through images and covering everything from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary cinema, the museum explores and celebrates the power of visual storytelling to inspire people, shape beliefs and ideals, and build community.

The event, led by a distinguished group of visionaries from around the world - Julie Bell, Tom Cruise, Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Jensen Huang Jr., Steven Spielberg and Pharrell Williams - brought together an extraordinary number of cultural figures, artists, filmmakers, philanthropists and public figures for the first getting to know a new cultural attraction. Guests were invited to Lucas Square for a cocktail reception accompanied by a 27-piece orchestra.Acclaimed Virginia Beach vocal group Voices of Fire, co-founded by Bishop Ezekiel Williams and Pharrell Williams, along with Jon Batiste on piano and 75 other vocalists, performed a set including "Yoda's Theme," "Happy" and "JOY (Unspeakable)" from Star Wars, bringing their powerful blend of gospel music to the stage. soul, R&B and modern vocal arrangements. The program, hosted by Queen Latifah, then featured appearances by George Lucas, Mellody Hobson, Ma Yansong and Lucas Museum CEO Tracy Bates.

• George Lucas: “Art is in the eye of the beholder. If it evokes emotion in you, then it is art... I truly believe that you decide what art is.”

• Mellody Hobson: “I saw George's indomitable energy, his unwillingness to compromise, his creative pain. I mean, this museum is the director's cut. I call it a museum created by the people for the people, he calls it a museum of folk art, the key word being “the people.”

• Tracy Bates : “Thank you, George, for 50 years of collecting. Thank you for believing that illustration, comics, and narrative art should be on the walls of something so incredible. Thank you Mellody for making this dream a reality and for everything you have done for all of us. And, frankly, for trusting me and the entire museum team, which made it possible to bring your faith to life. This is the privilege of my life and the privilege of everyone who works for you.”

• Queen Latifah: “They decided to build a museum for these artists that was so monumental that it would be impossible to ignore them. Yes, because these artists deserve recognition, but also because George and Mellody believe there is more to this art.They believe that narrative art is a way of passing on values from generation to generation.”

Guests were invited to explore more than 30 galleries of the museum, and then gather on the fifth floor rooftop for a special entertainment program. The special drone show, presented and narrated by Oprah Winfrey and Samuel L. Jackson of Nova Sky Stories, created narrative artwork in the night sky showcasing images from the museum's collection, including Altamira's Cave, N. C. Wyeth's The Book of Stories, Julie Bell's The Huntress ,
Girl with a Balloonby Banks, Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, and Ecstasyby Maxfield Parrish.

The party continued indoors with a surprise performance by the Black Eyed Peas performing a medley of hits including "Let's Get it Started," "Where Is the Love" and "I Gotta Feeling." Other highlights of the evening included performances by LA Dance Project, Jake Shimabukuro, Xavier de Maistre, Damien Escobar, Kaki King, DJ Kiss and DJ MOS.

In addition to George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, guests included such celebrities as
Irving Azoff, Babyface, Mayor Karen Bass, Jon Batiste, David Benioff, Jack Black, Orlando Bloom, Camila Cabello, Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Jon M. Chu, Chris Columbus, Francis Ford Coppola, Lee Daniels, Robert De Niro, Guillermo del Toro, Laura Dern, Caleb Deschanel, Emily Deschanel, Leonardo DiCaprio, Vin Diesel, Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Favreau, Nathan Fielder, Flea, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Greta Gerwig, Ludwig Goransson, Topher Grace, Brian Grazer, Seth Green, Judy Grier, David Alan Grier, Mark Hamill, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Woody Harrelson, Ron Howard and Bryce Dallas Howard, Helen Hunt, Bob Iger and Willow Bay, Peter Jackson, Samuel L.Jackson, Kris Jenner.

And also Magic Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Kim Kardashian, Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel, Keegan-Michael Key, Alicia Keys, Gayle King, Bill Kramer, John Landis, Spike Lee, Eva Longoria, Chuck Lorre, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy, George R.R. Martin, Chris Meledandri, Frank Miller, Janelle Monáe, Wendy Murdoch, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, Governor Gavin Newsom, David Oyelowo, Frank Oz, Al Pacino, Nancy Pelosi, Keke Palmer, Katy Perry, Tyler Perry, Bella Poarch, Zac Posen, Wolfgang Puck, Jack Quaid, Law Roach, Matthew Robbins, Adam Rodriguez, Robert Rodriguez, Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, Tracee Ellis Ross, Meg Ryan, Sheryl Sandberg, Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant, Jonathan Scott, Lilly Singh, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, SZA, Justin Trudeau, Sofia Vergara, Denis Villeneuve, Lindsey Vonn, Diane Warren, Kerry Washington, Emma Watson, D.B.Weiss, Pete Wentz, Russell Westbrook, Pharrell Williams, Owen Wilson, Oprah Winfrey, Ma Yansong, Robert Zemeckis and many others.

Artists, philanthropists, and world leaders in attendance also included Refik Anadol, Judy Baca, Julie Bell, Nicholas Berggruen, Dr. Anita Blanchard, Michael Bloomberg, Edith Broad, Doug Chang, Katherine and Kenneth Chenault, Melinda French Gates, David Geffen, Thelma Golden, Amanda Gorman, Michael Govan, Patti Harris, Joanne Hayler, Amy Homma, Valerie Jarrett Jr., Henry Kravis and Marie-Josée Kravis, Jeff Koons, Glenn Ligon, Crystal McCrary and Raymond McGuire, Cheech Marin, Takashi Murakami, Kadir Nelson, Laurie Norton Moffat, Laurene Powell Jobs, Carol Sutton Lewis, Dasha Zhukova Niarchos and many others.

Special guests also included Artemis II mission astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch.

About the Lucas Museum

George Lucas and Mellody Hobson co-founded the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to honor the universal tradition of telling stories through images. Covering everything from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary cinema, the museum explores and celebrates the power of visual storytelling to inspire people, shape beliefs and ideals, and build communities.

The museum, located at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, occupies a 300,000-square-foot building designed by MAD's Ma Yansong in collaboration with Stantec. His goal is to embody the emotional power of narrative art, creating a sense of wonder, possibility, and connection to something greater than ourselves.The building is integrated into a new 13-acre campus that includes a park designed by Studio-MLA's Mia Leerer: a green, multi-level community gathering place and an exceptional event resource for outdoor learning and interaction.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will open on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Visit the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art website to learn more about the museum, some of the artwork and exhibits on display, and membership.

Images: Getty