SAN FRANCISCO — George Lucas’ empire is striking back in its long-running battle to build a palatial film studio in the pastoral hills north of San Francisco.

Lucasfilm Ltd., the force behind the Star Wars movies, shocked Marin County on Tuesday by announcing that it is abandoning the controversial Grady Ranch project, citing bitter opposition from neighbors and delays in the approval process.

The company said it would build its new digital media production studio elsewhere and hopes to sell the historic farmland to a developer interested in building low-income housing.

“We love working and living in Marin, but the residents of Lucas Valley have fought this project for 25 years, and enough is enough,” the company said in a statement. “We have several opportunities to build the production stages in communities that see us as a creative asset, not as an evil empire.”

The Grady Ranch project would have marked a big expansion of Lucasfilm in Lucas Valley, home to its Skywalker Ranch for three decades. The valley is named for a 19th century rancher with no relation to the Star Wars creator.

The company said the production studio would generate hundreds of jobs and tax revenue.