25 Greatest American Directors Of All Time

18. George Lucas

With only his original Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas would easily place on this list as mainstream American cinema has never been the same since the release of the first entry in 1977. Even though it would be 22 years before he directed another movie, Lucas remained at the forefront of filmmaking, leading the charge in improving special effects, pioneering digital technology, and serving as producer on many other films. The effects of Star Wars are still clearly felt today, 36 years after its debut and it stands alongside classics such as Battleship Potemkin and Citizen Kane in terms of cinematic influence. His Industrial Lights & Magic company has overseen many of the breakthroughs in special effects, from the morphing aliens in The Abyss, to the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, to the first completely CGI scene in Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan. His Lucasfilm production company is one of the most important in the business, helping improve filmmaking across the entire technological spectrum. Lucas has only directed six major films in his career, but few, if any, modern American filmmakers have single-handedly changed the way movies were made more than he has.