Inside the world of George Lucas

The Holy City of the Vatican sits on 108 acres in Rome. Skywalker Ranch, where George Lucas presides over what is now apparently Britain's fast-growing religion, Jedi Knight, encompasses 55 times more land than the Holy See, some 6,000 acres just north of San Francisco.

But, while the Holy Father makes balcony appearances before the multitudes at St Peter's Square now and again, Lucas is far more reclusive, seldom venturing beyond the guarded confines of his pastoral Xanadu, only warily allowing outsiders into his physical or emotional environs.

The Pope, of course, does not personally benefit from the immense wealth of the Roman Catholic Church. By contrast, since the release of the first Star Wars movie in 1977, George Lucas has accrued upwards of $3 billion (£2 billion). To that were added millions more following the recent release of the DVD of The Phantom Menace, the Star Wars prequel. And even more hundreds of millions will be added to the bulging Lucas coffers from next month's cinema release of Episode II - Attack of the Clones.

Now British cinema is set to bestow on Lucas the ultimate accolade. Tomorrow, in a lavish ceremony in Los Angeles, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) will present the 56-year-old reclusive director with one of its highest honours, the coveted Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film. While rarely earning the plaudits of film critics, Lucas's projects have received a total of 66 Academy Award nominations, 17 Oscars, 26 Emmy nominations, 12 Emmy Awards, 17 Bafta nominations and six Baftas. This latest is primarily acknowledging his huge contribution to the British film industry since many of the early Star Wars films, as well as the Indiana Jones trilogy, were filmed here using British production talent.

Now, of course, Lucas has the money to do things exactly the way he wants, preferring to work at home in the grounds of Skywalker Ranch, which serves as his expansive home, plus a studio and office for all those devoted to the Star Wars franchise and other special-effects projects for which Lucas and his team have become renowned. It is here that the finishing touches are being put to the fifth Star Wars film, Attack of the Clones.

It is, of course, destined to be a huge hit across the world and the usual band of die-hard, nerdy fans has already started queuing at the appropriate cinemas and scouring the gossipy websites for the first glance at what promises to be a far darker film than the critically derided and hugely disappointing The Phantom Menace. Even Obi Wan-Kenobi himself, Ewan McGregor, in a belated dig at the director, confessed recently to feeling that the film lacked vigour and was "a little flat".

Yet, whatever the likely success, Lucas's reputation as a film-maker and master storyteller still hangs by a thread. After all, he has spent almost his entire career fashioning science fiction and action sequels while watching his contemporaries set the creative world alight. In truth, however, the six-part saga has become his unwanted destiny, and he plays it all out here on his mysterious purpose-built ranch.

A few lucky souls were recently allowed to make the pilgrimage to the holiest of Lucas sites, culminating in a heavily censored audience with Lucas himself. He would only talk about the DVD of The Phantom Menace, we were warned; no other questions would be allowed, nor answers given. Lucas may be desperate to shed the image he has spent the past quarter-century unwittingly cultivating, that of a sullen, cold, distant, wary recluse, but none of his minions appears to have suggested the obvious - charm lessons.

Skywalker Ranch, which is hidden between a series of rolling hills just outside San Rafael, about 20 miles north of San Francisco, has the unnerving feel of a cult headquarters, a world unto itself, with its own laws and moral codes. Home to Lucasfilm Inc and various offshoots, Skywalker has its own security services and its own fire brigade.

It has a vineyard, producing Cielo Carmanante (Italian for Sky Walker, geddit?) wine. It has its own organic vegetable garden, four restaurants, gyms, tennis courts, swimming pools, a gift shop.