'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' Features A Secret George Lucas Cameo

Every new Star Wars movie is chock full of cameos, but a cameo by the creator of the franchise himself, George Lucas, seems like one you couldn't miss. But Lucas managed to sneak into Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker through a classic cinematic in-joke from the movie's sound designers.

Lucas has kept his distance from the Star Wars films for the past few years, not even attending the premiere for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But that didn't stop him from making a cameo in the final film of the Skywalker Saga.

According to ABC News, Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker sound designers David Acord and Matt Wood apparently hid a "special scream" in the film that is reported to be from a voice clip recorded by Lucas for 1973's American Graffiti. The scream is "affectionately called 'The George,'" and has supposedly been used in both Rogue One and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

It's not 100% confirmed that this scream belongs to George Lucas, but if it is, it's a fitting continuation of a cinematic in-joke involving the iconic "Wilhelm scream," a stock scream that has been in use in Hollywood films since 1951 and which the original Star Wars films helped popularize. The scream had been used in Star Wars movies dating all the way back to A New Hope in 1977, and it seems that the sound team have turned that long tradition into an inside joke that now pays homage to Lucas. The scream is being referred to as the Star Wars "calling card" now.

While there's not many chances for us to hear George Lucas in a Star Wars movie for the next few years, as Lucasfilm puts their feature film output on hold, perhaps we'll hear more of "The George" in other Star Wars properties like The Mandalorian. It would certainly be something to hear it out of Baby Yoda's mouth.