Samuel L. Jackson delivered what fans are calling the “perfect reaction” when he encountered a life-sized version of his beloved Star Wars character at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s opening-night gala Saturday.
In a viral clip captured by Deadline, Jackson walks through one of the museum’s expansive galleries before suddenly stopping. He takes a classic double take upon spotting the Mace Windu figure in full Jedi robes, then breaks into a wide grin.
Founded by legendary filmmaker George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, the Lucas Museum is devoted entirely to the art of visual storytelling. It will open to the public Tuesday at Los Angeles’ historic Exposition Park.
The couple previously explored locations in San Francisco and Chicago, but legal and political obstacles in both cities ultimately led them to establish the museum in Los Angeles, according to Deadline.
At 9 p.m., guests gathered on the museum’s rooftop for an extraordinary aerial production by Nova Sky Stories, narrated live by Oprah Winfrey and Jackson.
The synchronized drone display illuminated the sky with pop-culture icons including Star Wars’ R2-D2 and Marvel’s Captain America. It also paid tribute to major works of fine art, including Banksy’s Girl with Balloon and pieces by Frida Kahlo.
The star-studded opening-night celebration brought together industry heavyweights such as Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, Spike Lee, Denis Villeneuve, Ron Howard, Jon Favreau, Edgar Wright, Lee Daniels, John Landis, Jon M. Chu, Frank Miller, DB Weiss, David Benioff and Matthew Robbins.
Other notable attendees included Robert De Niro, Tyler Perry, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nathan Fielder, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, producer Frank Marshall and French artist JR. Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry were also seen speaking with Bob Iger during the event.
The Lucas Museum explores visual storytelling across centuries, with more than 1,300 works currently displayed in 30 galleries from a broader collection of approximately 40,000 pieces.
