George Lucas and new bride Mellody Hobson, who officially tied the knot on June 22 at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, Calif., brought Hollywood to the Windy City on Friday to celebrate their nuptials.
Hollywood guests are expected to descend upon Hobson’s hometown of Chicago for the festivities, which will find the city’s lakeside Promontory Point closed to the public on Saturday. Asked if he's going to the wedding, producer Sid Ganis, former senior VP of Lucasfilm, tells THR, "'THE wedding?' Think of what you just said -- there are about four billion weddings in June, and you're asking if I'm going to 'THE wedding.' Yes! We worked together for seven years, and we're kind of still working together."
"He's a good old guy," Ganis says. "I'm happy that he's getting married, this kind of wandering guy, who, you know, has been in and out of relationships ever since he split with his wife Marcia." Mr. Lucas divorced Marcia Lucas, an Oscar-winning editor of Star Wars, in 1983. "And here he is, happy. I'm amazed at how great they are together and how cool she is. I have never seen him so happy. I know he's got a lot of money now, but even beyond that, he's a happy person." Ganis says he hasn't prepared his toast yet. "No. Please! No pressure."
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According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, the reception is being overseen by New York party planner Van Wyck & Van Wyck, who has previously organized soirees for the likes of Sean Combs, Alicia Keys, Hillary Clinton and Barack and Michelle Obama. Guests staying at the Chicago Peninsula Hotel found a gift bag awaiting them filled with some of the couple's "favorite local flavors" -- chocolate cookies from Carol's Cookies, popcorn from Garrett Popcorn, Marshall Field's Original Frango Mints — and Skywalker Ranch hats, T-shirts and a tote.
The Tribune report also criticizes the “circus” surrounding the event, pointing to the Promontory Point tunnel’s fresh paint job (a favor for Hobson?) and the park's field-house bathrooms being closed to the public, which runs afoul of established park district policy.
At the center of Promontory Point, a huge tent has already been erected along with a stage, which is set for a two-hour performance by Prince (who was recently invited to join the film Academy) and his 22-piece band on Saturday evening.
Last weekend, Bill Moyers officiated a ceremony for the new Mr. and Mrs. Lucas, while Ron Howard, Oprah Winfrey, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg looked on. The couple announced their engagement in January.
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