Marcia Lucas obit

Marcia Lucas Dies: ‘Star Wars’ Oscar Winner Who Also Edited ‘American Graffiti’ Was 80

 She was not on the list.

Marcia Lucas, who won an Oscar for editing the original Star Wars and scored a nom for American Graffiti, both directed by her then-husband George Lucas, and worked with Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, died May 27 of cancer in Rancho Mirage, CA. She was 80.

Her family’s attorney, Deidre Von Rock, confirmed the news in a statement.

“Marcia was a force,” the statement reads in part. “A true trailblazer for women in film and one of the most influential editors in cinematic history; she helped redefine what film editing could be and paved the way for generations of women who followed.” Read the statement in full below.

On Saturday, Lucasfilm also paid tribute to Marcia. “Lucasfilm was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Marcia Lucas … Lucasfilm joins the global filmmaking community in mourning the loss of Marcia Lucas,” they wrote in part.

Marcia Lucas made her feature debut as an editor on American Graffiti, the nostalgia-fueled 1973 classic directed by George Lucas, to whom she was wed in 1969. The music-fueled coming-of-age dramedy was set on the last day of summer vacation and followed graduated seniors setting off on different post-high school paths. Along with child star Ron Howard, it featured a young cast of future stars including Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams and Mackenzie Phillips, among others.

She shared an Oscar nomination for American Graffiti, whose commercial success helped George Lucas finance his next movie — one that would change Hollywood forever.

Star Wars arrived in 1977 and was an out-of-the-box sensation. The space opera starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford rewrote record books and solidified the Age of the Blockbuster spawned by Jaws two years earlier. Marcia Lucas, Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew shared the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, one of six it scored that year, en route to become one of the most beloved films ever and spawning an incredibly successful and lucrative franchise.

Born Martha Griffin on October 4, 1945, in Modesto — the Central California town where American Graffiti is set — Marcia Lucas began her career as a film librarian before pivoting to editing. After American Graffiti, she edited Martin Scorsese’s 1976 classic Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, starring Ellen Burstyn and Kris Kristofferson, before reteaming with her husband on Star Wars. She later would edit the third film in the original trilogy, 1983’s Return of the Jedi.

Her other film credits including serving as supervising film editor on Scorsese’s Robert de Niro-led Taxi Driver (1976) and the iconic filmmaker’s follow-up New York, New York (1977), which starred De Niro and Liza Minnelli. Before American Graffiti, Marcia Lucas worked as an assistant editor on Robert Redford starrer The Candidate (1972) and George Lucas’ feature debut THX 1138 (1971). She also worked as an assistant editor on Francis Ford Coppola’s 1969 drama The Rain People and Haskell Wexler’s Medium Cool earlier that year.

Later in her career, Lucas was an executive producer on the 1996 film No Easy Way and had producing credits on a pair of short films.

Lucas is survived by her daughters Amanda Lucas and Amy Soper; her grandchildren Felix Hallikainen, Aeliana Hallikainen and Knox Soper; and her chosen family Sarah Dyer and Jon Taylor. She and George Lucas divorced in 1983.

Here is the family’s statement in full:

It is with deep sadness that the family of Marcia Lucas, the Academy Award-winning film editor whose extraordinary sense of story helped shape some of the most beloved and influential films of the 1970s, passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones at her home in Rancho Mirage, California on May 27, 2026. She was 80. The cause of death was metastatic cancer.

Born on October 4, 1945, in Modesto, California, Marcia was raised in North Hollywood and began her career in film as a film librarian before developing into one of the most respected editors of her generation. Her credits included THX 1138, American Graffiti, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Taxi Driver, New York, New York, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, and Return of the Jedi.

Marcia received an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing for American Graffiti and won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity — a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen.

Marcia will be remembered as a brilliant storyteller, a trailblazer for women in film, a loving mother and grandmother, a generous host, and a loyal friend whose humor and sparkle filled every room she entered. Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love.

She is survived by her daughters Amanda Lucas and Amy Soper; her grandchildren Felix Hallikainen, Aeliana Hallikainen, and Knox Soper; her chosen family Sarah Dyer and Jon Taylor; and many others whose lives she touched.

The family asks for privacy at this time as they mourn Marcia’s passing and celebrate her extraordinary life and legacy.

Editor

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, Warwick Davis, David Prowse, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Carter, and Larry Ward in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

8.3

Editor

1983

 

Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, and Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

8.7

Editor (uncredited)

1980

 

Ron Howard in More American Graffiti (1979)

More American Graffiti

5.4

Editor (uncredited)

1979

 

Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, and Kenny Baker in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

8.6

film editor

1977

 

Ellen Burstyn and Kris Kristofferson in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

7.3

Editor

1974

 

Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, Paul Le Mat, Mackenzie Phillips, and Cindy Williams in American Graffiti (1973)

American Graffiti

7.4

Editor

1973

 

An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer (1969)

An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer

Short

Editor

1969

 

Filmmaker (1968)

Filmmaker

6.4

Short

Editor

1968

 

Editorial Department

Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli in New York, New York (1977)

New York, New York

6.6

supervising film editor

1977

 

Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver (1976)

Taxi Driver

8.2

supervising film editor

1976

 

Robert Redford in The Candidate (1972)

The Candidate

7.0

assistant editor

1972

 

THX 1138 (1971)

THX 1138

6.6

assistant editor

1971

 

Medium Cool (1969)

Medium Cool

7.2

assistant editor (as Marsha Griffin)

1969

 

The Rain People (1969)

The Rain People

6.8

assistant editor (as Marcia Griffin)

1969

 

The New Cinema

7.2

TV Movie

assistant editor

1968

 

Producer

First Out (2006)

First Out

5.5

Video

producer (segment "A Good Son", uncredited)

2006

 

A Good Son (1998)

A Good Son

5.7

Short

producer (uncredited)

1998

 

No Easy Way (1996)

No Easy Way

8.7

executive producer

1996

 

Special Effects

Skate. (2025)

Skate.

5.7

Video Game

capture operations supervisor: EA Create Capture

2025

 

Script and Continuity Department

Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, and Kenny Baker in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

8.6

script & story coordinator (uncredited)

1977

 

Additional Crew

A Good Son (1998)

A Good Son

5.7

Short

made possible by a grant from

1998

 

Thanks

SW 19770212 Reel 6AB (TR)

very special thanks

Post-productionShort

2026

 

Legend of the Happy Worker (2025)

Legend of the Happy Worker

5.7

the filmmakers wish to thank

2025

 

Icons Unearthed (2022)

Icons Unearthed

7.7

TV Series

special thanks

2022

3 episodes

 

Twice Upon a Time (1983)

Twice Upon a Time

6.9

extra special thanks

1983

 

The Making of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981)

The Making of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

7.7

TV Movie

special thanks

1981

 

Ron Howard in More American Graffiti (1979)

More American Graffiti

5.4

special thanks

1979

 

Self

Icons Unearthed (2022)

Icons Unearthed

7.7

TV Series

Self - Editor

2022

6 episodes

 

Pritan Ambroase in Hollywood Insider (2018)

Hollywood Insider

3.1

TV Series

Self

2020

1 episode

 

The 50th Annual Academy Awards (1978)

The 50th Annual Academy Awards

7.0

TV Special

Self - Winner

1978

 

Archive Footage

Martin Scorsese in Mr. Scorsese (2025)

Mr. Scorsese

8.5

TV Mini Series

Self - Film Editor (archive footage)

2025

1 episode

 

The Moviemakers: Scorsese (2023)

The Moviemakers: Scorsese

5.8

Self - Editor (archive footage)

2023

 

George Lucas in Light & Magic (2022)

Light & Magic

8.7

TV Mini Series

Self (archive footage)

2022

1 episode

 

Behind Closed Doors (2016)

Behind Closed Doors

7.6

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2019

1 episode

 

Steven Spielberg in Spielberg (2017)

Spielberg

7.7

TV Movie

Self (archive footage)

2017

 

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003)

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood

7.5

Self (archive footage)

2003