Rick McCallum, who has worked on the Star Wars films, is leaving Lucasfilm and planning to work on smaller, independent films.
"Rick is a close friend as well as an extremely talented producer. No matter how impossible I made the task, Rick was able to overcome the challenges. In addition to putting together great crews and working miracles with the budget, he was instrumental in helping push filmmaking into the 21st century. He has a larger-than-life personality and made this amazing 20-year journey with him a fun one," George Lucas said about McCallum, according to ComingSoon.net.
Just a month ago Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and announced that producer Kathleen Kennedy would take over the Star Wars franchise and work as executive producer for the future movies they have planned, reports Entertainment Weekly.
McCallum has worked on other Lucasfilm projects other than Star Wars that include The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Radioland Murders and 2012's Red Tails.
"Thank you for being so welcoming, supportive, and so good to me. You all made it the most worthwhile and amazing experience. I have nothing but the biggest faith and trust that where Kathleen is going to take Star Wars will be a bold, exciting, and daring future that will be worthy of all your incredible passion and loyalty for all these years. It will be awesome," McCallum said to Star Wars fans.