Marcia Lucas: Oscar-winning Star Wars editor dies aged 80

The film editor and ex-wife of director George Lucas was widely recognised as a pivotal creative force behind the original space trilogy.

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Lucas, who was married to Star Wars creator George Lucas during the making of the first three films, was regarded as a pivotal creative force behind the space saga's early success, imbuing the original series with emotional depth and narrative clarity.

She died from metastatic cancer at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, on Wednesday surrounded by loved ones, according to her family.

"Marcia was a force," her family said in a statement to US media on Friday. "A true trailblazer for women in film and one of the most influential editors in cinematic history; she helped redefine what film editing could be."

Lucas won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for 1977's Star Wars - later renamed A New Hope - alongside editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch.