The Star Wars franchise depicts the adventures of characters "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away"[2] across multiple fictional eras, in which humans and many species of aliens (often humanoid) co-exist with droids, which may be programmed for personal assistance or battle.[3]Space travel between planets is common due to lightspeedhyperspace technology.[4][5][6] The planets range from wealthy, planet-wide cities to deserts scarcely populated by primitive tribes. Virtually any Earth biome, along with many fictional ones, has its counterpart as a Star Wars planet which, in most cases, teem with sentient and non-sentient alien life.[7] The franchise also makes use of other astronomical objects such as asteroid fields and nebulae.[8][9] Spacecraft range from small starfighters to large capital ships, such as the Star Destroyers, as well as space stations such as the moon-sized Death Stars.[10][11][12] Telecommunication includes two-way audio and audiovisual screens, holographic projections, and hyperspace transmission.[13]
The universe of Star Wars is generally similar to the real universe but its laws of physics are less strict allowing for more imaginative stories.[14] One result of that is a mystical power known as the Force which is described in the original film as "an energy field created by all living things ... [that] binds the galaxy together".[15] The field is depicted as a kind of pantheistic god.[16] Through training and meditation, those whom "the Force is strong with" exhibit various superpowers (such as telekinesis, precognition, telepathy, and manipulation of physical energy);[17] it is believed nothing is impossible for the Force.[18] These superpowers are wielded by two major knightly orders at conflict with each other: the Jedi, peacekeepers of the Galactic Republic who act on the light side of the Force through non-attachment and arbitration, and the Sith, who use the dark side by manipulating fear and aggression.[19][20] While Jedi Knights can be numerous, the Dark Lords of the Sith (or 'Darths') are intended to be limited to two: a master and their apprentice.[21]
The franchise is set against a backdrop of galactic conflict involving republics and empires, such as the evil Galactic Empire.[22] The Jedi and Sith prefer the use of a weapon called the lightsaber, a blade of plasma that can cut through virtually any surface and deflect energy bolts.[23] The rest of the population, as well as renegades and soldiers, use plasma-powered blasterfirearms.[24] In the outer reaches of the galaxy, crime syndicates such as the Hutt cartel are dominant.[25]Bounty hunters are often employed by both gangsters and governments, while illicit activities include smuggling and slavery.[25]
The Star Wars film series centers around three sets of trilogies, the nine films of which are collectively referred to as the "Skywalker Saga".[43] The saga was produced non-chronologically, beginning in media res with the release of the original trilogy between 1977 and 1983. This was followed by the prequel trilogy, released between 1999 and 2005, and the sequel trilogy, released between 2015 and 2019.[44]
Each trilogy focuses on a generation of the Force-sensitive Skywalker family and their struggle against the evil Sith lord Palpatine (Darth Sidious).[45] The original trilogy depicts the heroic development of Luke Skywalker as a Jedi and his fight against Palpatine's Galactic Empire alongside his sister, Leia.[46] The prequels tell the tragic backstory of their father, Anakin, who is corrupted by Palpatine and becomes Darth Vader.[47] The sequels follow the conflict between Leia's son, Ben Solo, and Luke and Leia's protegé, Rey, and their eventual alliance against Palpatine after the fall of the Empire.[48]
In 1971, George Lucas wanted to film an adaptation of the Flash Gordon serial, but could not obtain the rights, so he began developing his own space opera.[49][c] After directing American Graffiti (1973), he wrote a two-page synopsis, which 20th Century Fox decided to invest in.[50][51] By 1974, he had expanded the story into the first draft of a screenplay.[52] Fox expected the film would be of limited financial success, and so it was given a relatively low budget, with production being moved to Elstree Studios in England to help save on cost.[53]
Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977, and first subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope in the 1979 book The Art of Star Wars.[54] The film's success led Lucas to make it the basis of an elaborate film serial.[55] With the backstory he created for the sequel, Lucas decided that the series would be a trilogy of trilogies.[56]Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21, 1980, also achieving wide financial and critical success. The final film in the trilogy, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, was released on May 25, 1983.
According to producer Gary Kurtz, loose plans for a prequel trilogy were developed during the outlining of the original two films.[57] In 1980, Lucas confirmed that he had the nine-film series plotted,[58] but due to the stress of producing the original trilogy, he had decided to cancel further sequels by 1981.[59] In 1983, Lucas explained that "There was never a script completed that had the entire story as it exists now ... As the stories unfolded, I would take certain ideas and save them ... I kept taking out all the good parts, and I just kept telling myself I would make other movies someday."[60]
Technical advances in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including the ability to create computer-generated imagery (CGI), inspired Lucas to consider that it might be possible to revisit his saga. In 1989, Lucas stated that the prequels would be "unbelievably expensive".[61] In 1992, he acknowledged that he had plans to create the prequel trilogy.[62] A theatrical rerelease of the original trilogy in 1997 "updated" the 20-year-old films with the style of CGI envisioned for the new trilogy.[63]
Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released on May 19, 1999, Episode II: Attack of the Clones on May 16, 2002, and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on May 19, 2005.[64] The first two films were met with mixed reviews, with the third being received somewhat more positively. Together with the original trilogy, Lucas has referred to the first six episodic films of the franchise as "the tragedy of Darth Vader".[65]
Prior to releasing the original 1977 film, and made possible by its success, Lucas planned "three trilogies of nine films".[56][66] However, he announced to Time in 1978 that he planned "10 sequels".[67] He confirmed that he had outlined the prequels and sequels in 1981.[68] At various stages of development, the sequel trilogy was to focus on the rebuilding of the Republic,[69] the return of Luke as a Jedi Master (a role similar to that of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original trilogy),[66] Luke's sister (not yet determined to be Leia),[57] Han, Leia,[70]R2-D2 and C-3PO.[56][71] However, after beginning work on the prequel trilogy, Lucas insisted that Star Wars was meant to be a six-part series and that there would be no sequel trilogy.[72][73]
Lucas decided to leave the franchise in the hands of other filmmakers, announcing in January 2012 that he would make no more Star Wars films.[74] That October, the Walt Disney Company agreed to buy Lucasfilm and announced that Episode VII would be released in 2015.[75] The co-chairman of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, became president and served as executive producer of new Star Wars feature films.[76] Lucas provided Kennedy his story treatments for the sequels during the 2012 sale,[77] but in 2015 it was revealed Lucas's sequel outline had been discarded.[78][79] The sequel trilogy also meant the end of the Star Wars Expanded Universe stories, which were discarded from canon to give "maximum creative freedom to the filmmakers and also preserve an element of surprise and discovery for the audience."[1]
Episode VII: The Force Awakens was released on December 16, 2015, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi on December 13, 2017, and Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker on December 18, 2019, in many countries.[e]The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi were both critical and box office successes.[80][81]Episode IX received a mixed reception from critics and audiences.[82]
Several Star Wars films have been produced separately from the Skywalker Saga. In 2008, Lucasfilm released the animated film The Clone Wars, which is set during the prequel trilogy and serves as the theatrical pilot of the television series of the same name.[85] Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, an "anthology" film series set between the main episodes of the Skywalker Saga entered development in parallel with the production of the sequel trilogy,[86] described by Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo as origin stories.[87]
The first film released was 2016's Rogue One, which tells the story of the rebels who steal the plans for the Death Star, the Galactic Empire's superweapon, just before the events of the original Star Wars film.[88][89] A second film, 2018's Solo, tells Han Solo's backstory, set 10 years prior to A New Hope.[90] The series Obi-Wan Kenobi was originally planned as a film, but changed to a miniseries due to Solo underperforming at the box office.[91]
In January 2024, it was announced that Jon Favreau would direct a new Star Wars film, titled The Mandalorian & Grogu.[99] In February of the same year, Bob Iger announced that the film would be the first release of the next slate of Star Wars movies.[100]The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled for release on May 22, 2026.[93]
Other potential projects
Lucasfilm has a number of Star Wars films in various stages of development, including:
Untitled Rian Johnson trilogy: In November 2017, a trilogy of movies written by The Last Jedi writer/director Rian Johnson was announced to be in development.[101][102] In April 2023, Kennedy stated that trilogy of films is still in open development at the studio, with the writer/director working on the story, although it is not currently a priority.[103]
Untitled David Benioff and D. B. Weiss trilogy: In February 2018, it was announced that David Benioff and D. B. Weiss would serve as writers and producers on a trilogy of new Star Wars movies.[104] The plot would take place chronologically before the prequel trilogy, and center around the origin of the Jedi.[105] By May 2019, the duo were also slated to serve as co-directors of the first installment in their three films.[106] In October of the same year however, the filmmaking duo exited development of the projects due to scheduling conflicts with projects they are developing for Netflix. Kennedy stated that the studio is open to working with the duo, and developing their films once their schedule allows it.[107] In January 2024, the filmmaking duo announced that the working title was The First Jedi and would have followed the titular ancient protagonist. The pair cast doubt on returning to their planned trilogy, commenting on its apparent influence on James Mangold's similarly premised Dawn of the Jedi movie.[108]
Untitled Taika Waititi film: In May 2020, Taika Waititi signed onto the project which was stated to be the first priority for the studio, with the filmmaker Waititi serving as director from a script he is co-writing with Krysty Wilson-Cairns.[109] In May 2022, the movie was named as the next Star Wars film to begin production ahead of Rogue Squadron, with Kennedy stating that the studio was tentatively looking towards late 2023 for a debut, but had not yet officially set a release date.[110][111] By April 2023, she stated that the project is still in development, with Waititi continuing to work on the script.[112][103]
Rogue Squadron: An anthology film, following the events of Rogue One, will be directed by Patty Jenkins with a script written by Matthew Robinson.[113] In April 2023, Kennedy stated that the script is still in development, with the studio considering changing the project into a television series.[114] In March 2024, Jenkins announced that she had once again commenced working on the script; confirming that developments for the project are ongoing.[115]
Untitled J.D. Dillard film: In February 2020, a film was announced to be in development from director J. D. Dillard and writer Matt Owens;[116] although, Dillard announced he was no longer to direct that film in November 2022.[117]
Star Wars: A Droid Story: In December 2020, an animated film centered around the adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO was announced as being in development; the story will introduce a new heroic character to the franchise, alongside the two returning droids. The project will be a joint-venture production between Lucasfilm Animation, and Industrial Light & Magic. The film is being developed to debut via streaming, exclusively through Disney+.[118][119][120]
Lando: In December 2020, a spin-off series to Solo: A Star Wars Story was announced as being in development. The miniseries which was being developed exclusively for Disney+ was revealed to be centered around Landonis "Lando" Calrissian III, titled Lando. Donald Glover was confirmed at that time to be reprising the lead role, while Justin Simien was named as the series creator and showrunner. By July 2020 however, Donald and Stephen Glover were hired to replace Simien, write and redevelop the show.[123] In September 2023, the show was repurposed to be released as a theatrical film instead.[124]
Untitled Simon Kinberg trilogy: In November 2024, Simon Kinberg was hired to write and produce the new trilogy of Star Wars movies.[125] The series of movies was reported to be Episode X–XII,[126] though this was also disputed by other sources.[127]
June 10 – August 5, 2020 (2020-06-10 – 2020-08-05)
StarWarsKids.com
Animated series
The first two animated series, Droids and Ewoks, were produced in the 1980s.[128] They were followed by the Clone Wars animated micro-series in 2003 and the 2008 series of the same name. Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, all animated series released prior to 2014, apart from the 2008 series, were discarded from the franchise's canon.[1] Subsequent animated series include Rebels, released in 2014; Resistance, released in 2018; and The Bad Batch, released in 2021.
Several micro-series and shorts have also been released by Lucasfilm since Disney's acquisition, with the earlier animated series falling under Disney's "Vintage" collection of Star Wars content.[129][130]
Live-action series
The Star Wars franchise includes several live-action series. The first series, The Mandalorian, was released in 2019 for the streaming service Disney+ and is set between the original and sequel trilogies of the Skywalker Saga.[131] Due to its success, the series spawned multiple live-action spin-offs set during the same fictional era, including The Book of Boba Fett, released in 2021; Ahsoka, released in 2023; and the upcoming Skeleton Crew.[132][133][134] These series follow the plight of the New Republic and its allies against the remnants of the fallen Galactic Empire.[135]
A story focused on Obi-Wan Kenobi was planned as a film before becoming a live-action series after the box office failure of Solo in 2018.[91] The series was released on Disney+ in 2022 and is set between the prequel and original trilogy films.[136] It was followed by the live-action series Andor in the same year; both series follow their titular characters during the reign of the Empire.[136][137]
The Star Wars canon fictional universe spans multiple eras, of which three are focused around each of the film trilogies.[138] The following eras were defined in January 2021,[139] and further refined and expanded in April 2023:[140]
Dawn of the Jedi: The first Jedi wields the Force, which will be depicted in an upcoming untitled film.[97][141][138]
The Old Republic: The Galactic Republic is founded and the Jedi Order emerges to protect it. A schism within the Jedi leads to the creation of the Sith.[138]
New Jedi Order: Rey builds a new Jedi Order, which will be depicted in an upcoming untitled film.[97][138]
The Expanded Universe of spin-off media depicts different levels of continuity, which were deemed non-canonical and rebranded as Legends on April 25, 2014, to make most subsequent works align to the episodic films, The Clone Wars film, and television series.[1]
From 1976 to 2014, the term Expanded Universe (EU) was an umbrella term for all officially licensed Star Wars storytelling material set outside the events depicted within the theatrical films, including novels, comics, and video games.[145] Lucasfilm maintained internal continuity between the films and television content and the EU material until April 25, 2014, when the company announced all of the EU works would cease production. Existing works would no longer be considered canon to the franchise and subsequent reprints would be rebranded under the Star Wars Legends label,[145] with downloadable content for the massively multiplayer online gameThe Old Republic the only Legends material to still be produced. The Star Wars canon was subsequently restructured to only include the existing six feature films, the animated film The Clone Wars (2008), and its companion animated series. All future projects and creative developments across all types of media would be overseen and coordinated by the story group, announced as a division of Lucasfilm created to maintain continuity and a cohesive vision on the storytelling of the franchise.[1] Multiple comics series from Marvel and novels published by Del Rey were produced after the announcement. Since the new canon has been introduced, there has been a multitude of pieces of Expanded Universe continuity that have become a part of canon.[146]
Del Rey took over Star Wars book publishing in 1999, releasing what would become a 19-installment novel series called The New Jedi Order (1999–2003). Written by multiple authors, the series was set 25 to 30 years after the original films and introduced the Yuuzhan Vong, a powerful alien race attempting to invade and conquer the entire galaxy.[168][169] The bestselling multi-author series Legacy of the Force (2006–2008) chronicles the crossover of Han and Leia's son Jacen Solo to the dark side of the Force; among his evil deeds, he kills Luke's wife Mara Jade as a sacrifice to join the Sith. Although no longer canon, the story is paralleled in The Force Awakens with Han and Leia's son Ben Solo, who becomes the evil Kylo Ren.[170][171][172][173]
Three series set in the prequel era were published by Scholastic for younger audiences: the 18-book Jedi Apprentice (1999–2002) chronicles the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master Qui-Gon Jinn in the years before The Phantom Menace; the 11-book Jedi Quest (2001–2004) follows Obi-Wan and his own apprentice, Anakin Skywalker in between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones; and the 10-book The Last of the Jedi (2005–2008), set almost immediately after Revenge of the Sith, features Obi-Wan and the last few surviving Jedi. In 2019, a new prequel era novel, starring Qui-Gon and the young Obi-Wan, was published by Del Rey under the title Star Wars: Master and Apprentice.[174]
Although Thrawn had been designated a Legends character in 2014, he was reintroduced into the canon in 2016 for the third season of the Rebels animated series, with Zahn returning to write more novels based on the character and set in the new canon.[175][176]
Marvel Comics published a Star Wars comic book series from 1977 to 1986.[177][178][179][180] Original Star Wars comics were serialized in the Marvel magazine Pizzazz between 1977 and 1979. The 1977 installments were the first original Star Wars stories not directly adapted from the films to appear in print form, as they preceded those of the Star Wars comic series.[181] From 1985 to 1987, the animated children's series Ewoks and Droids inspired comic series from Marvel's Star Comics line.[182][183][184] According to Marvel Comics former Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter, the strong sales of Star Wars comics saved Marvel financially in 1977 and 1978.[185] Marvel's Star Wars series was one of the industry's top selling titles in 1979 and 1980.[186] The only downside for Marvel was that the 100,000 copy sales quota was surpassed quickly, allowing Lippincott to renegotiate the royalty arrangements from a position of strength.[187]
After Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, it was announced in January 2014 that in 2015 the Star Wars comics license would return to Marvel Comics,[191] whose parent company, Marvel Entertainment, Disney had purchased in 2009.[192] Launched in 2015, the first three publications were titled Star Wars, Darth Vader, and the miniseries Princess Leia.[193][194][195]
First announced as Project Luminous at Star Wars Celebration in April 2019, the Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative was revealed in a press conference in February 2020. Involving the majority of the then current officially licensed publishers, a new era set 200 years before the Skywalker Saga was explored in various books and comics. Including ongoing titles by Marvel and IDW Publishing, written by Cavan Scott and Daniel José Older respectively.[196]
Marvel Comics will publish a one-shot comic book on September 4, 2024, that bridges the gap between the High Republic publishing initiative and the events of The Acolyte. Titled Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca, the one-shot was written by High Republic writer Cavan Scott with art by Marika Cresta. It focuses on Kelnacca, the Wookiee Jedi introduced in The Acolyte.[197]
John Williams composed the soundtracks for the nine episodic films. He stated he would retire from the franchise with The Rise of Skywalker,[198] but he composed a theme for Obi-Wan Kenobi for the miniseries and Han Solo's theme for Solo: A Star Wars Story.[199] Williams also created the main theme for Galaxy's Edge.[200]
The first Star Wars audio work is The Story of Star Wars, an LP using audio samples from the original film and a new narration to retell the story, released in 1977. Most later printed novels were adapted into audio novels, usually released on cassette tape and re-released on CD. As of 2019, audio-only novels have been released not directly based on printed media.[202]
Radio adaptations of the films were also produced. Lucas, a fan of the NPR-affiliated campus radio station of his alma mater the University of Southern California, licensed the Star Wars radio rights to KUSC-FM for US$1. The production used John Williams's original film score, along with Ben Burtt's sound effects.[203][204]
The overwhelming success, led to a 10-episode adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back debuted in 1983.[206]Billy Dee Williams joined the other two stars, reprising his role as Lando Calrissian.[203]
The Star Wars franchise has spawned over one hundred[208] computer, video, and board games, dating back to some of the earliest home consoles. Some are based directly on the movie material, while others rely heavily on the non-canonical Expanded Universe (rebranded as Star Wars Legends and removed from the canon in 2014). Star Wars games have gone through three significant development eras, marked by a change in leadership among the developers: the early licensed games, those developed after the creation of LucasArts, and those created after the closure of the Lucasfilm division by Disney and the transfer of the license to Electronic Arts.
Lucasfilm founded its own video game company in 1982, becoming best known for adventure games and World War II flight combat games, but as George Lucas took more interest in the increasing success of the video game market, he wanted to have more creative control over the games and founded his own development company, LucasArts. Improved graphics allowed games to tell complex narratives, which allowed for the retelling of the films, and eventually original narratives set in the same continuity, with voice-overs and CGI cutscenes. In 1993, LucasArts released Star Wars: X-Wing, the first self-published Star Wars video game and the first space flight simulator based on the franchise.[215] It was one of the bestselling video games of 1993 and established its own series of games.[215] The Rogue Squadron series was released between 1998 and 2003, also focusing on space battles set during the films.
Following its acquisition of the franchise, Disney reassigned video game rights to Electronic Arts. Games made during this era are considered canonical, and feature more influence from the Star Wars filmmakers. Disney partnered with Lenovo to create the augmented reality video game Jedi Challenges, released in November 2017.[229][230] In August 2018, it was announced that Zynga would publish free-to-playStar Wars mobile games.[231] The Battlefront games received a canonical reboot with Star Wars: Battlefront in November 2015, which was followed by a sequel, Battlefront II, in November 2017. A single-player action-adventure game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, with an original story and cast of characters, was released in November 2019. A space combat game titled Star Wars: Squadrons, which builds upon the space battles from Battlefront, was released in October 2020.
George Lucas made much of his fortune by retaining his rights to the franchise's merchandising.
The success of the Star Wars films led the franchise to become one of the most merchandised franchises in the world. While filming the original 1977 film, George Lucas decided to take a $500,000 pay cut to his salary as director in exchange for full ownership of the franchise's merchandising rights. By 1987, the first three films have made US$2.6billion in merchandising revenue.[237] By 2012, the first six films produced approximately US$20billion in merchandising revenue.[238]
Kenner Products made the first Star Wars action figures to coincide with the release of the original film, and today the original figures are highly valuable. Since the 1990s, Hasbro holds the rights to create action figures based on the saga. Pez dispensers began to be produced in 1997.[239]Star Wars was the first intellectual property to be licensed in Lego history.[240] Lego has produced animated parody short films and mini-series to promote their Star Wars sets.[241] The Lego Star Wars video games are critically acclaimed bestsellers.[242][243]
Star Wars Trading Cards have been published since the first "blue" series, by Topps, in 1977.[248] Dozens of series have been produced, with Topps being the licensed creator in the United States. Each card series are of film stills or original art. Many of the cards have become highly collectible with some very rare "promos", such as the 1993 Galaxy Series II "floating Yoda" P3 card often commanding US$1,000 or more. While most "base" or "common card" sets are plentiful, many "insert" or "chase cards" are very rare.[249] From 1995 until 2001, Decipher, Inc. had the license for, created, and produced the Star Wars Customizable Card Game.
Star Wars features elements such as knighthood, chivalry, and Jungian archetypes such as "the shadow".[250]
There are also many references to Christianity, such as in the appearance of Darth Maul, whose design draws heavily from traditional depictions of the devil.[251] Anakin was conceived of a virgin birth, and is assumed to be the "Chosen One", a messianic individual. However, unlike Jesus, Anakin falls from grace, remaining evil as Darth Vader until Return of the Jedi. According to Adam Driver, sequel trilogy villain Kylo Ren, who idolizes Vader, believes he is "doing what he thinks is right".[252] George Lucas has said that the theme of the saga is redemption.[253]
The saga draws heavily from the hero's journey, an archetypical template developed by comparative mythologistJoseph Campbell.[251] Each character—primarily Anakin, Luke, and Rey—follows the steps of the cycle or undergoes its reversal, becoming the villain.[254] A defining step of the journey is "Atonement with the Father".[255] Obi-Wan's loss of a father figure could have impacted his relationship with Anakin,[256] whom both Obi-Wan and Palpatine are fatherlike mentors to.[257] Luke's discovery that Vader is his father has strong repercussions on the saga and is regarded as one of the most influential plot twists in cinema.[258]Supreme Leader Snoke encourages Kylo Ren to kill his father, Han Solo.[252] Kylo uses the fact that Rey is an orphan to tempt her into joining the dark side.[259] According to Inverse, the final scene in The Last Jedi, which depicts servant children playing with a toy of Luke and one boy using the Force, symbolizes that "the Force can be found in people with humble beginnings."[260]
Historical influences
Political science has been an important element of Star Wars since the franchise launched in 1977, focusing on a struggle between democracy and dictatorship. Battles featuring the Ewoks and Gungans against the Empire and Trade Federation, respectively, represent the clash between a primitive society and a more advanced one, similar to the Vietnam-American War.[261][262] Darth Vader's design was initially inspired by Samurai armor, and also incorporated a German military helmet.[263][264] Originally, Lucas conceived of the Sith as a group that served the Emperor in the same way the Schutzstaffel (SS) served Adolf Hitler, but this was condensed into one character in the form of Vader.[265]Stormtroopers borrow the name of World War I German "shock" troopers. Imperial officers wear uniforms resembling those of German forces during World War II,[266] and political and security officers resemble the black-clad SS down to the stylized silver death's head on their caps. World War II terms were used for names in the films; e.g. the planets Kessel (a term that refers to a group of encircled forces) and Hoth (after a German general who served on the snow-laden Eastern Front).[267] Shots of the commanders looking through AT-AT walker viewscreens in The Empire Strikes Back resemble tank interiors,[268] and space battles in the original film were based on World War I and World War II dogfights.[269]
On the inspiration for the First Order formed "from the ashes of the Empire", The Force Awakens director J. J. Abrams spoke of conversations the writers had about how the Nazis could have escaped to Argentina after WWII and "started working together again."[276]
The aerial warfare of WWII inspired the space fights.
The lightsaber and the blaster are iconic elements of the franchise.
The Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on popular culture,[277] with references to its fictional universe deeply embedded in everyday life.[278] Phrases like "evil empire" and "May the Force be with you" have become part of the popular lexicon.[279] The first Star Wars film in 1977 was a cultural unifier,[280] enjoyed by a wide spectrum of people.[281] The film can be said to have helped launch the science-fiction boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, making science-fiction films a mainstream genre.[282] The widespread impact made it a prime target for parody works and homages, with popular examples including Hardware Wars, Spaceballs, The Family Guy Trilogy and Robot Chicken: Star Wars.
In 1989, the Library of Congress selected the original Star Wars film for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry, as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."[283]The Empire Strikes Back was selected in 2010,[284][285] and Return of the Jedi was selected in 2021.[286] 35 mm reels of the 1997 Special Editions were the versions initially presented for preservation because of the difficulty of transferring from the original prints,[287][288] but it was later revealed that the Library possesses a copyright deposit print of the original theatrical releases.[289]
Industry
The original Star Wars film was a huge success for 20th Century Fox, and was credited for reinvigorating the company. Within three weeks of the film's release, the studio's stock price doubled to a record high. Prior to 1977, 20th Century Fox's greatest annual profits were $37 million, while in 1977, the company broke that record by posting a profit of $79 million.[269] The franchise helped Fox to change from an almost bankrupt production company to a thriving media conglomerate.[290] With over $10.3 billion in worldwide box office receipts, Star Wars is the second-highest-grossing film franchise of all time.[291][292]
Star Wars fundamentally changed the aesthetics and narratives of Hollywood films, switching the focus of Hollywood-made films from deep, meaningful stories based on dramatic conflict, themes and irony to sprawling special-effects-laden blockbusters, as well as changing the Hollywood film industry in fundamental ways. Before Star Wars, special effects in films had not appreciably advanced since the 1950s.[293] The commercial success of Star Wars created a boom in state-of-the-art special effects in the late 1970s.[290] Along with Jaws, Star Wars started the tradition of the summer blockbuster film in the entertainment industry, where films open on many screens at the same time and profitable franchises are important.[294][281] It created the model for the major film trilogy and showed that merchandising rights on a film could generate more money than the film itself did.[280]
Film critic Roger Ebert wrote in his book The Great Movies, "Like The Birth of a Nation and Citizen Kane, Star Wars was a technical watershed that influenced many of the movies that came after." It began a new generation of special effects and high-energy motion pictures. The film was one of the first films to link genres together to invent a new, high-concept genre for filmmakers to build upon.[295] Finally, along with Steven Spielberg's Jaws, it shifted the film industry's focus away from personal filmmaking of the 1970s and towards fast-paced, big-budget blockbusters for younger audiences.[269][296][297]
Some critics have blamed Star Wars and Jaws for "ruining" Hollywood by shifting its focus from "sophisticated" films such as The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Annie Hall to films about spectacle and juvenile fantasy, and for the industry shift from stand-alone, one and done films, towards blockbuster franchises with multiple sequels and prequels.[298] One such critic, Peter Biskind, complained, "When all was said and done, Lucas and Spielberg returned the 1970s audience, grown sophisticated on a diet of European and New Hollywood films, to the simplicities of the pre-1960s Golden Age of movies... They marched backward through the looking-glass."[298][299] In an opposing view, Tom Shone wrote that through Star Wars and Jaws, Lucas and Spielberg "didn't betray cinema at all: they plugged it back into the grid, returning the medium to its roots as a carnival sideshow, a magic act, one big special effect", which was "a kind of rebirth".[297]
The Star Wars saga has inspired many fans to create their own non-canon material set in the Star Wars galaxy. In recent years, this has ranged from writing fan fiction to creating fan films. In 2002, Lucasfilm sponsored the first annual Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards, officially recognizing filmmakers and the genre. Because of concerns over potential copyright and trademark issues, however, the contest was initially open only to parodies, mockumentaries, and documentaries. Fan fiction films set in the Star Wars universe were originally ineligible, but in 2007, Lucasfilm changed the submission standards to allow in-universe fiction entries.[304] Lucasfilm has allowed but not endorsed the creation of fan fiction, as long as it does not attempt to make a profit.[305]
Academia
As the characters and the storyline of the original trilogy are so well known, educators have used the films in the classroom as a learning resource. For example, a project in Western Australia honed elementary school students storytelling skills by role-playing action scenes from the movies and later creating props and audio/visual scenery to enhance their performance.[306] Others have used the films to encourage second-level students to integrate technology in the science classroom by making prototype lightsabers.[307] Similarly, psychiatrists in New Zealand and the U.S. have advocated their use in the university classroom to explain different types of psychopathology.[308][309]
^Each film was released two days later in the U.S.
^The original trilogy depicts the galaxy as dirty and grimy in George Lucas's depiction of a "used universe".[144]
^Not to be confused with the board game with the same name published in 1990[245]
^In his early drafts, Lucas used the plot point of a dictator staying in power with the support of the military. In his comment (made in the prequel trilogy era) Lucas attributed this to Nixon's supposed intention to defy the 22nd Amendment,[272] but the president resigned and never ran for a third term.
^Leadbeater, Alex (January 24, 2017). "A Brief History of Star Wars Titles". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. ... how the Star Wars saga is currently evolving ... Lucasfilm fluctuated between Star Wars Anthology and A Star Wars Story, before settling on the latter. ... Episode VIII becoming The Last Jedi continues this trend, ... the announcement calls it "the next chapter in the Skywalker saga," solidifying "Skywalker Saga" as the official banner for the numbered episodes.
^Vallely, Jean (June 12, 1980). "The Empire Strikes Back and So Does Filmmaker George Lucas With His Sequel to Star Wars". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC.
^Lucas, George (1980). "Interview: George Lucas"(PDF). Bantha Tracks. No. 8. Archived(PDF) from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
^Shooter, Jim (July 5, 2011). "Roy Thomas Saved Marvel". Jimshooter.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. In the most conservative terms, it is inarguable that the success of the Star Wars comics was a significant factor in Marvel's survival through a couple of very difficult years, 1977 and 1978. In my mind, the truth is stated in the title of this piece.
^Miller, John Jackson (March 7, 1997), "Gone but not forgotten: Marvel Star Wars series kept franchise fans guessing between films", Comics Buyer's Guide, no. 1216, Iola, Wisconsin, p. 46, The industry's top seller? We don't have complete information from our Circulation Scavenger Hunt for the years 1979 and 1980, but a very strong case is building for Star Wars as the industry's top-selling comic book in 1979 and its second-place seller (behind Amazing Spider-Man) in 1980.
^Nina Chertoff and Susan Kahn, "Star Wars"Archived August 20, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Celebrating Pez (Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2006), 87.
^"Star Wars: Attack of the Clones". Time. April 21, 2002. Archived from the original on June 5, 2002. Retrieved December 13, 2009. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon or Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea ... That's the issue I've been exploring: how did the Republic turn into the Empire?
^Andrews, Mallory (July 21, 2014). "A 'New' New Hope: Film Preservation and the Problem with 'Star Wars'". soundonsight.org. Sound on Sight. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014. the NFR does not possess workable copies of the original versions…Government-mandated agencies such as the National Film Registry are unable to preserve (or even possess) working copies of the films on their list without the consent of the author and/or copyright holder.
^ abCook, David A. (2000). Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979 (1st paperback print. ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN978-0-520-23265-5.
^Bigsby, Christopher (2006). The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Culture ([Online-Ausg.]. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN978-0-521-84132-0.
^Biskind, Peter (1998). "Star Bucks". Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 336–337, 343. ISBN0-684-80996-6.
^For a sampling of the reviews, read the following:
^Thompson, Stephanie (November 1, 2006). "The science of Star Wars: Integrating technology and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy". Science Scope. Washington, D.C.: 55. ISSN0887-2376.
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
