French President Emmanuel Macron presented the Legion of Honor to George Lucas, Jodie Foster, Sigourney Weaver and Chris Meledandri at the Élysée Palace in Paris on July 15.
The recipients received the insignia of Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur. French filmmaker Claude Lelouch was awarded the insignia of Commandeur de l’ordre national du Mérite.
Macron cited Meledandri’s role in creating characters that inhabit the collective imagination and his partnership with Jacques Bled in founding Illumination Studios Paris in 2011.
The president praised Lucas for his creation of the Star Wars saga and his influence as an entrepreneur. He highlighted Foster’s refusal of conventional roles and her ties to France. Macron also recognized Weaver for transforming the place of women in blockbuster films.
