Creator
George Lucas
Original work
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
Films and television
Films
I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
IV: A New Hope (1977)
V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
VIII: Tha Last Jedi (2017)
IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Games
Video games
List of Star Wars video games
Franchises:
Star Wars:X-Wing
Star Wars: Jedi Knights
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Battlefront
Lego Star Wars
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise that consists of a film
series created by George Lucas. The film series has spawned a media franchise
outside the film series called the Expanded Universe including books, television
series, computer and video games, and comic books. These supplements to the film
trilogies have resulted in significant development of the series' fictional
universe. These media kept the franchise active in the interim between the film
trilogies. The franchise portrays a universe which is in a galaxy that is
described as far, far away. It commonly portrays Jedi as a representation of
good, in conflict with the Sith, their evil counterpart. Their weapon of choice,
the lightsaber, is commonly recognized in popular culture. The fictional
universe also contains many themes, especially influences of philosophy and
religion.
The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the
title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture
phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year intervals. Sixteen
years after the release of the trilogy's final film, the first in a new prequel
trilogy of films was released. The three prequel films were also released at
three-year intervals, with the final film released on May 19, 2005. Reactions to
the original trilogy were mostly positive, with the last film being considered
the weakest, while the prequel trilogy received a more mixed reaction, with most
of the praise being for the final movie, according to most review aggregator
websites. Some of the films in the series were also nominated for or won Academy
Awards. A sequel trilogy was rumoured at one time but never materialised.
All of the main films have been a box office success, with the overall box
office revenue generated by the Star Wars films (including the theatrical Star
Wars: The Clone Wars) totalling $4.49 billion,[1] making it the
third-highest-grossing film series,[2] behind only the Harry Potter and James
Bond films. The success has also led to re-releases in theaters for the series.
Contents
[hide] 1 Setting
2 Theatrical films 2.1 Plot overview 2.1.1 Cast and characters
2.2 Themes
2.3 Technical information
2.4 Production history 2.4.1 Original trilogy
2.4.2 Prequel trilogy
2.4.3 Sequel trilogy
2.5 Future releases
3 Box office performance
4 Critical reaction 4.1 Academy Awards
5 Expanded Universe 5.1 Other films
5.2 Animated series
5.3 Literature
5.4 Games
5.5 Fan works
6 Attractions
7 Legacy
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 Further reading
12 External links
Setting
"Star Wars galaxy" redirects here. For other uses, see Star Wars Galaxy
(disambiguation).
A fan-made map of the fictional galaxy in Star Wars.
The events depicted in Star Wars media take place in a fictional galaxy. Many
species of alien creatures (often humanoid) are depicted. Robotic droids are
also commonplace and are generally built to serve their owners. Space travel is
common, and many planets in the galaxy are members of a Galactic Republic, later
reorganized as the Galactic Empire.
One of the prominent elements of Star Wars is the "Force", an omnipresent energy
that can be harnessed by those with that ability, known as Force-sensitives. It
is described in the first produced film as "an energy field created by all
living things [that] surrounds us, penetrates us, [and] binds the galaxy
together."[3] The Force allows users to perform various supernatural feats (such
as telekinesis, clairvoyance, precognition, and mind control) and can amplify
certain physical traits, such as speed and reflexes; these abilities vary
between characters and can be improved through training. While the Force can be
used for good, it has a dark side that, when pursued, imbues users with hatred,
aggression, and malevolence. The six films feature the Jedi, who use the Force
for good, and the Sith, who use the dark side for evil in an attempt to take
over the galaxy. In the Star Wars Expanded Universe, many dark side users are
Dark Jedi rather than Sith, mainly because of the "Rule of Two" (see Sith
Origin).[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Theatrical films
The original trilogy (left) and the prequel trilogy (right) DVD box sets of the
film series in Costco.
The film series began with Star Wars, released on May 25, 1977. This was
followed by two sequels: The Empire Strikes Back, released on May 21, 1980, and
Return of the Jedi, released on May 25, 1983. The opening crawl of the sequels
disclosed that they were numbered as "Episode V" and "Episode VI" respectively,
though the films were generally advertised solely under their subtitles. Though
the first film in the series was simply titled Star Wars, with its 1981
re-release it had the subtitle Episode IV: A New Hope added to remain consistent
with its sequel, and to establish it as the middle chapter of a continuing
saga.[9]
In 1997, to correspond with the 20th anniversary of A New Hope, Lucas released a
"Special Edition" of the Star Wars trilogy to theaters. The re-release featured
alterations to the three films, primarily motivated by the improvement of CGI
and other special effects technologies, which allowed visuals that were not
possible to achieve at the time of the original filmmaking. Lucas continued to
make changes to the films for subsequent releases, such as the first ever DVD
release of the original trilogy on September 21, 2004 and the first ever Blu-ray
release of all six films on September 16, 2011.[10]
More than two decades after the release of the original film, the series
continued with the long-awaited prequel trilogy; consisting of Episode I: The
Phantom Menace, released on May 19, 1999; Episode II: Attack of the Clones,
released on May 16, 2002; and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, released on May
19, 2005.[11]
On August 15, 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars was released theatrically as a
lead-in to the weekly animated TV series of the same name.
Plot overview
A figure in Amsterdam of the Star Wars character, Darth Vader. The plot of the
films centers on how a young Anakin Skywalker succumbs to the dark side and
becomes Darth Vader, who will then be the rival of his children. The character
is said to be one of the greatest in the franchise.[12]
The prequel trilogy follows the life of a young slave named Anakin Skywalker,
who is discovered by the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn on the desert planet Tatooine.
Qui-Gon comes to believe that Anakin is the "Chosen One" foretold by Jedi
prophecy to bring balance to the Force, and he helps liberate the boy from
slavery. The Jedi Council, led by Yoda, sense that Anakin's future is clouded by
fear, but reluctantly allow Qui-Gon's apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to train Anakin
after Qui-Gon is killed by the Sith Lord Darth Maul. At the same time, the
planet Naboo is under attack, and its ruler, Queen Padmé Amidala, seeks the
assistance of the Jedi to repel the attack. The Sith Lord Darth Sidious secretly
planned the attack to give his alter ego, Senator Palpatine, a pretense to
overthrow the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and take his place.[4]
The remainder of the prequel trilogy chronicles Anakin's gradual fall to the
dark side of the Force as he fights in the Clone Wars, which Palpatine secretly
engineers in order to destroy the Republic and lure Anakin into his service.[5]
Anakin and Padmé fall in love and secretly wed, and eventually Padmé becomes
pregnant. Anakin has a prophetic vision of Padmé dying in childbirth, and
Palpatine convinces him that the dark side holds the power to save her life;
desperate, Anakin submits to the dark side and takes the Sith name Darth Vader.
While Palpatine re-organizes the Republic into the tyrannical Galactic
Empire—appointing himself Emperor for life—Vader participates in the
extermination of the Jedi Order, culminating in a lightsaber battle between
himself and Obi-Wan on the volcanic planet Mustafar.[6]
Obi-Wan ultimately defeats his former apprentice and friend, severing his limbs
and leaving him for dead beside a lava flow. However, Palpatine arrives shortly
afterward and saves Vader, putting him into a black, mechanical suit of armor
that keeps him alive. At the same time, Padmé dies while giving birth to twins
Luke and Leia. The twins are hidden from Vader and are not told who their real
parents are.[6]
Tatooine has two suns, as it is in a binary star system. This shot from A New
Hope remains one of the most famous scenes of the entire saga.[13]
The original trilogy begins 19 years later as Vader nears completion of the
massive Death Star space station, which will allow the Empire to crush the Rebel
Alliance, an organized resistance formed to combat Palpatine's tyranny. Vader
captures Princess Leia, who has stolen the plans to the Death Star and hidden
them in the astromech droid R2-D2. R2, along with his protocol droid counterpart
C-3PO, escapes to Tatooine. There, the droids are purchased by Luke Skywalker
and his step-uncle and aunt. While Luke is cleaning R2, he accidentally triggers
a message put into the droid by Leia, who asks for assistance from Obi-Wan. Luke
later assists the droids in finding the Jedi Knight, who is now passing as an
old hermit under the alias Ben Kenobi. When Luke asks about his father, Obi-Wan
tells him that Anakin was a great Jedi who was betrayed and murdered by
Vader.[14]
Obi-Wan and Luke hire the smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca
to take them to Alderaan, Leia's home world, which they eventually find has been
destroyed by the Death Star. Once on board the space station, Obi-Wan allows
himself to be killed during a lightsaber rematch with Vader; his sacrifice
allows the group to escape with the plans that help the rebels destroy the Death
Star. Luke himself fires the shot that destroys the deadly space station.[3]
Three years later, Luke travels to find Yoda, now living in exile on the
swamp-infested world Dagobah, in order to start his Jedi training. However, Luke
is interrupted when Vader lures him into a trap by capturing Han and the others.
During a fierce lightsaber duel, Vader reveals that he is Luke's father and
attempts to turn him to the dark side.[7] Luke escapes, and, after rescuing Han
from the gangster Jabba the Hutt a year later, returns to Yoda to complete his
training. However, now over 900 years old, Yoda is on his deathbed. Before he
passes away, Yoda confirms that Vader is Luke's father; moments later, Obi-Wan's
spirit tells Luke that he must face his father before he can become a Jedi, and
that Leia is his twin sister. As the Rebels attack the second Death Star, Luke
confronts Vader as Palpatine watches; both Sith Lords intend to turn Luke to the
dark side and take him as their apprentice.[8]
During the subsequent lightsaber duel, Luke succumbs to his anger and brutally
overpowers Vader, but controls himself at the last minute; realizing that he is
about to suffer his father's fate, he spares Vader's life and proudly declares
his allegiance to the Jedi. An enraged Palpatine then attempts to kill Luke with
Force lightning, a sight that moves Vader to turn on and kill his master,
suffering mortal wounds in the process. Redeemed, Anakin Skywalker dies in his
son's arms. Luke becomes a full-fledged Jedi, and the Rebels destroy the second
Death Star and, with it, the Empire.[8]
Cast and characters
Further information: List of Star Wars films cast members and List of Star Wars
characters
Character
Film
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones
Revenge of the Sith
The Clone Wars
Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker
David Prowse
James Earl Jones (voice only)
Vader: David Prowse
James Earl Jones (voice only)
Anakin: Sebastian Shaw
Hayden Christensen (2004 DVD release)
Jake Lloyd
Hayden Christensen
Anakin: Hayden Christensen
Vader: James Earl Jones (voice only)
Matt Lanter
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Alec Guinness
Ewan McGregor
James Arnold Taylor
R2-D2
Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker (credit only)
C-3PO
Anthony Daniels
Anthony Daniels (voice only)
Anthony Daniels
Yoda
Frank Oz (voice and puppeteering)
Frank Oz (voice and puppeteering / voice only; 2011 3-D re-release)
Frank Oz (voice only)
Tom Kane
Palpatine / Darth Sidious
Mentioned only
Elaine Baker
Clive Revill (voice only)
Ian McDiarmid
(2004 DVD release)
Ian McDiarmid
Ian Abercrombie
Leia Organa
Carrie Fisher
Aidan Barton
Luke Skywalker
Mark Hamill
Aidan Barton
Owen Lars
Phil Brown
Joel Edgerton
Beru
Shelagh Fraser
Bonnie Piesse
Grand Moff Tarkin
Peter Cushing
Wayne Pygram
Chewbacca
Peter Mayhew
Peter Mayhew
Han Solo
Harrison Ford
Greedo
Paul Blake
Maria De Aragon (close-up shots)
Larry Ward (voice only)
Jabba the Hutt
Uncredited actor (voice only; 1997 Special Edition)
Mentioned only
Larry Ward (voice only)
Uncredited actor (voice only)
Kevin Michael Richardson
Boba Fett
Silent cameo; 1997 Special Edition
Jeremy Bulloch
Jason Wingreen (voice only)
Temuera Morrison (voice only; 2004 DVD release)
Daniel Logan
Wedge Antilles
Denis Lawson
Admiral Piett
Kenneth Colley
Lando Calrissian
Billy Dee Williams
Bib Fortuna
Michael Carter
Erik Bauersfeld (voice only)
Matthew Wood
Admiral Ackbar
Timothy M. Rose
Erik Bauersfeld (voice only)
Wicket
Warwick Davis
Qui-Gon Jinn
Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson (voice only)
Mentioned only
Nute Gunray
Silas Carson
Padmé Amidala
Natalie Portman
Catherine Taber
Captain Panaka
Hugh Quarshie
Sio Bibble
Oliver Ford Davies
Jar Jar Binks
Ahmed Best (voice only)
Boss Nass
Brian Blessed (voice only)
Silent cameo
Sabé
Keira Knightley
Darth Maul
Ray Park
Peter Serafinowicz (voice only)
Watto
Andy Secombe (voice only)
Sebulba
Lewis MacLeod (voice only)
Shmi Skywalker
Pernilla August
Chancellor Valorum
Terence Stamp
Mace Windu
Samuel L. Jackson
Ki-Adi-Mundi
Silas Carson
Captain Typho
Jay Laga'aia
Bail Organa
Jimmy Smits
Zam Wesell
Leeanna Walsman
Jango Fett
Temuera Morrison
Dexter Jettster
Ronald Falk (voice only)
Cliegg Lars
Jack Thompson
Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus
Christopher Lee
General Grievous
Matthew Wood (voice only)
Ahsoka Tano
Ashley Eckstein
Asajj Ventress
Nika Futterman
Themes
See also: Philosophy and religion in Star Wars and Force (Star Wars)
Star Wars features elements such as knights, witches, and princesses that are
related to archetypes of the fantasy genre.[15] The Star Wars world, unlike
fantasy and science-fiction films that featured sleek and futuristic settings,
was portrayed as dirty and grimy. Lucas' vision of a "used future" was further
popularized in the science fiction-horror films Alien,[16] which was set on a
dirty space freighter; Mad Max 2, which is set in a post-apocalyptic desert; and
Blade Runner, which is set in a crumbling, dirty city of the future. Lucas made
a conscious effort to parallel scenes and dialogue between films, and especially
to parallel the journeys of Luke Skywalker with that of his father Anakin when
making the prequels.[4]
Technical information
Film crew using a CineAlta HD camera, created by Sony and modified by
Panavision. Models of these cameras were used to film the second and third
episode of Star Wars.
All six films of the Star Wars series were shot in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1.
The original trilogy was shot with anamorphic lenses. Episodes IV and V were
shot in Panavision, while Episode VI was shot in Joe Dunton Camera (JDC) scope.
Episode I was shot with Hawk anamorphic lenses on Arriflex cameras, and Episodes
II and III were shot with Sony's CineAlta high-definition digital cameras.[17]
Lucas hired Ben Burtt to oversee the sound effects on A New Hope. Burtt's
accomplishment was such that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
presented him with a Special Achievement Award because it had no award at the
time for the work he had done.[18] Lucasfilm developed the THX sound
reproduction standard for Return of the Jedi.[19] John Williams composed the
scores for all six films. Lucas' design for Star Wars involved a grand musical
sound, with leitmotifs for different characters and important concepts.
Williams' Star Wars title theme has become one of the most famous and well-known
musical compositions in modern music history.[20]
The technical lightsaber choreography for the original trilogy was developed by
leading filmmaking sword-master Bob Anderson. Anderson trained actor Mark Hamill
(Luke Skywalker) and performed all the sword stunts as Darth Vader during the
lightsaber duels in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, wearing
Vader's costume. Anderson's role in the original Star Wars trilogy was
highlighted in the film Reclaiming the Blade, where he shares his experiences as
the fight choreographer developing the lightsaber techniques for the movies.[21]
Production history
Original trilogy
"Original trilogy" redirects here. For the video game, see Lego Star Wars II:
The Original Trilogy.
George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars
In 1971, Universal Studios agreed to make American Graffiti and Star Wars in a
two-picture contract, although Star Wars was later rejected in its early concept
stages. American Graffiti was completed in 1973 and, a few months later, Lucas
wrote a short summary called "The Journal of the Whills", which told the tale of
the training of apprentice C.J. Thorpe as a "Jedi-Bendu" space commando by the
legendary Mace Windy.[22] Frustrated that his story was too difficult to
understand, Lucas then wrote a 13-page treatment called The Star Wars, which had
thematic parallels with Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress.[23] By 1974, he
had expanded the treatment into a rough draft screenplay, adding elements such
as the Sith, the Death Star, and a protagonist named Annikin Starkiller. For the
second draft, Lucas made heavy simplifications, and introduced the young hero on
a farm as Luke Starkiller. Annikin became Luke's father, a wise Jedi knight.
"The Force" was also introduced as a supernatural power. The next draft removed
the father character and replaced him with a substitute named Ben Kenobi, and in
1976 a fourth draft had been prepared for principal photography. The film was
titled Adventures of Luke Starkiller, as taken from the Journal of the Whills,
Saga I: The Star Wars. During production, Lucas changed Luke's name to Skywalker
and altered the title to simply The Star Wars and finally Star Wars.[24]
John Williams was in charge for the score of the film series.
At that point, Lucas was not expecting the film to become part of a series. The
fourth draft of the script underwent subtle changes that made it more satisfying
as a self-contained film, ending with the destruction of the Empire itself by
way of destroying the Death Star. However, Lucas had previously conceived of the
film as the first in a series of adventures. Later, he realized the film would
not in fact be the first in the sequence, but a film in the second trilogy in
the saga. This is stated explicitly in George Lucas' preface to the 1994 reissue
of Splinter of the Mind's Eye:
It wasn't long after I began writing Star Wars that I realized the story was
more than a single film could hold. As the saga of the Skywalkers and Jedi
Knights unfolded, I began to see it as a tale that could take at least nine
films to tell—three trilogies—and I realized, in making my way through the back
story and after story, that I was really setting out to write the middle story.
The second draft contained a teaser for a never-made sequel about "The Princess
of Ondos," and by the time of the third draft some months later Lucas had
negotiated a contract that gave him rights to make two sequels. Not long after,
Lucas met with author Alan Dean Foster, and hired him to write these two sequels
as novels.[25] The intention was that if Star Wars were successful, Lucas could
adapt the novels into screenplays.[26] He had also by that point developed an
elaborate backstory to aid his writing process.[27]
When Star Wars proved successful, Lucas decided to use the film as the basis for
an elaborate serial, although at one point he considered walking away from the
series altogether.[28] However, Lucas wanted to create an independent filmmaking
center—what would become Skywalker Ranch—and saw an opportunity to use the
series as a financing agent.[29] Alan Dean Foster had already begun writing the
first sequel novel, but Lucas decided to abandon his plan to adapt Foster's
work; the book was released as Splinter of the Mind's Eye the following year. At
first Lucas envisioned a series of films with no set number of entries, like the
James Bond series. In an interview with Rolling Stone in August 1977, he said
that he wanted his friends to each take a turn at directing the films and giving
unique interpretations on the series. He also said that the backstory in which
Darth Vader turns to the dark side, kills Luke's father and fights Ben Kenobi on
a volcano as the Galactic Republic falls would make an excellent sequel.
Later that year, Lucas hired science fiction author Leigh Brackett to write Star
Wars II with him. They held story conferences and, by late November 1977, Lucas
had produced a handwritten treatment called The Empire Strikes Back. The
treatment is very similar to the final film, except that Darth Vader does not
reveal he is Luke's father. In the first draft that Brackett would write from
this, Luke's father appears as a ghost to instruct Luke.[30]
Brackett finished her first draft in early 1978; Lucas has said he was
disappointed with it, but before he could discuss it with her, she died of
cancer.[31] With no writer available, Lucas had to write his next draft himself.
It was this draft in which Lucas first made use of the "Episode" numbering for
the films; Empire Strikes Back was listed as Episode II.[32] As Michael Kaminski
argues in The Secret History of Star Wars, the disappointment with the first
draft probably made Lucas consider different directions in which to take the
story.[33] He made use of a new plot twist: Darth Vader claims to be Luke's
father. According to Lucas, he found this draft enjoyable to write, as opposed
to the yearlong struggles writing the first film, and quickly wrote two more
drafts,[34] both in April 1978. He also took the script to a darker extreme by
having Han Solo imprisoned in carbonite and left in limbo.[7]
This new story point of Darth Vader being Luke's father had drastic effects on
the series. Michael Kaminski argues in his book that it is unlikely that the
plot point had ever seriously been considered or even conceived of before 1978,
and that the first film was clearly operating under an alternate storyline where
Vader was separate from Luke's father;[35] there is not a single reference to
this plot point before 1978. After writing the second and third drafts of Empire
Strikes Back in which the point was introduced, Lucas reviewed the new backstory
he had created: Anakin Skywalker was Ben Kenobi's brilliant student and had a
child named Luke, but was swayed to the dark side by Emperor Palpatine (who
became a Sith and not simply a politician). Anakin battled Ben Kenobi on the
site of a volcano and was wounded, but then resurrected as Darth Vader.
Meanwhile Kenobi hid Luke on Tatooine while the Republic became the Empire and
Vader systematically hunted down and killed the Jedi.[36]
With this new backstory in place, Lucas decided that the series would be a
trilogy, changing Empire Strikes Back from Episode II to Episode V in the next
draft.[34] Lawrence Kasdan, who had just completed writing Raiders of the Lost
Ark, was then hired to write the next drafts, and was given additional input
from director Irvin Kershner. Kasdan, Kershner, and producer Gary Kurtz saw the
film as a more serious and adult film, which was helped by the new, darker
storyline, and developed the series from the light adventure roots of the first
film.[37]
By the time he began writing Episode VI in 1981 (then titled Revenge of the
Jedi), much had changed. Making Empire Strikes Back was stressful and costly,
and Lucas' personal life was disintegrating. Burned out and not wanting to make
any more Star Wars films, he vowed that he was done with the series in a May
1983 interview with Time magazine. Lucas' 1981 rough drafts had Darth Vader
competing with the Emperor for possession of Luke—and in the second script, the
"revised rough draft", Vader became a sympathetic character. Lawrence Kasdan was
hired to take over once again and, in these final drafts, Vader was explicitly
redeemed and finally unmasked. This change in character would provide a
springboard to the "Tragedy of Darth Vader" storyline that underlies the
prequels.[38]
Prequel trilogy
After losing much of his fortune in a divorce settlement in 1987, Lucas had no
desire to return to Star Wars, and had unofficially canceled his sequel trilogy
by the time of Return of the Jedi.[39] Nevertheless, the prequels, which were
quite developed at this point, continued to fascinate him. After Star Wars
became popular once again, in the wake of Dark Horse's comic book line and
Timothy Zahn's trilogy of novels, Lucas saw that there was still a large
audience. His children were older, and with the explosion of CGI technology he
was now considering returning to directing.[40] By 1993 it was announced, in
Variety among other sources, that he would be making the prequels. He began
outlining the story, now indicating the series would be a tragic one examining
Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side. Lucas also began to change how the
prequels would exist relative to the originals; at first they were supposed to
be a "filling-in" of history tangential to the originals, but now he saw that
they could form the beginning of one long story that started with Anakin's
childhood and ended with his death. This was the final step towards turning the
film series into a "Saga".[41]
In 1994, Lucas began writing the first screenplay titled Episode I: The
Beginning. Following the release of that film, Lucas announced that he would
also be directing the next two, and began working on Episode II at that
time.[42] The first draft of Episode II was completed just weeks before
principal photography, and Lucas hired Jonathan Hales, a writer from The Young
Indiana Jones Chronicles, to polish it.[43] Unsure of a title, Lucas had
jokingly called the film "Jar Jar's Great Adventure."[44] In writing The Empire
Strikes Back, Lucas initially decided that Lando Calrissian was a clone and came
from a planet of clones which caused the "Clone Wars" mentioned by Obi-Wan
Kenobi in A New Hope;[45][46] he later came up with an alternate concept of an
army of clone shocktroopers from a remote planet which attacked the Republic and
were repelled by the Jedi.[47] The basic elements of that backstory became the
plot basis for Episode II, with the new wrinkle added that Palpatine secretly
orchestrated the crisis.[5]
Lucas began working on Episode III before Attack of the Clones was released,
offering concept artists that the film would open with a montage of seven Clone
War battles.[48] As he reviewed the storyline that summer, however, he says he
radically re-organized the plot.[49] Michael Kaminski, in The Secret History of
Star Wars, offers evidence that issues in Anakin's fall to the dark side
prompted Lucas to make massive story changes, first revising the opening
sequence to have Palpatine kidnapped and his apprentice, Count Dooku, murdered
by Anakin as the first act in the latter's turn towards the dark side.[50] After
principal photography was complete in 2003, Lucas made even more massive changes
in Anakin's character, re-writing his entire turn to the dark side; he would now
turn primarily in a quest to save Padmé's life, rather than the previous version
in which that reason was one of several, including that he genuinely believed
that the Jedi were evil and plotting to take over the Republic. This fundamental
re-write was accomplished both through editing the principal footage, and new
and revised scenes filmed during pick-ups in 2004.[51]
Lucas often exaggerated the amount of material he wrote for the series; much of
it stemmed from the post–1978 period when the series grew into a phenomenon.
Michael Kaminski explained that these exaggerations were both a publicity and
security measure. Kaminski rationalized that since the series' story radically
changed throughout the years, it was always Lucas' intention to change the
original story retroactively because audiences would only view the material from
his perspective.[6][52] When congratulating the producers of the TV series Lost
in 2010, Lucas himself jokingly admitted, "when Star Wars first came out, I
didn't know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you've planned
the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to
other stories – let's call them homages – and you've got a series".[53]
Sequel trilogy
Main article: Star Wars sequel trilogy
The sequel trilogy was a reportedly planned trilogy of films (Episodes VII, VIII
and IX) by Lucasfilm as a sequel to the original Star Wars trilogy (Episodes IV,
V and VI) released between 1977 and 1983.[54] While the similarly discussed Star
Wars prequel trilogy (Episodes I, II and III) was ultimately released between
1999 and 2005, Lucasfilm and George Lucas have for many years denied plans for a
sequel trilogy, insisting that Star Wars is meant to be a six-part
series.[55][56] In May 2008, speaking about the upcoming Star Wars: The Clone
Wars, Lucas maintained his status on the sequel trilogy:
"I get asked all the time, 'What happens after Return of the Jedi?,' and there
really is no answer for that. The movies were the story of Anakin Skywalker and
Luke Skywalker, and when Luke saves the galaxy and redeems his father, that's
where that story ends."[57]
In January 2012, Lucas announced that he would step away from blockbuster films
and instead produce smaller art-house films. In an interview regarding whether
or not the scrutiny he received from the prequel trilogy and the alterations
made on the original trilogy were a factor on his retirement, Lucas stated:
"Why would I make any more,... when everybody yells at you all the time and says
what a terrible person you are?"[58]
Future releases
At a ShoWest convention in 2005, Lucas demonstrated new technology and stated
that he planned to release the six films in a new 3-D film format, beginning
with A New Hope in 2007.[59] However, by January 2007, Lucasfilm stated on
StarWars.com that "there are no definitive plans or dates for releasing the Star
Wars saga in 3-D." At Celebration Europe in July 2007, Rick McCallum confirmed
that Lucasfilm is "planning to take all six films and turn them into 3-D," but
they are "waiting for the companies out there that are developing this
technology to bring it down to a cost level that makes it worthwhile for
everybody".[60] In July 2008, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO of DreamWorks
Animation, revealed that Lucas plans to redo all six of the movies in 3D.[61] In
late September 2010, it was announced that The Phantom Menace would be
theatrically re-released in 3-D on February 10, 2012.[62][63] All six films
would be re-released in order, with the 3-D conversion process taking at least a
year to complete per film.[64]
Box office performance
Film
Release date
Box office revenue
Box office ranking
United States
Non-US
Worldwide
Adjusted for
inflation (US)
All-time domestic
All-time worldwide
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope[65]
May 25, 1977
$460,998,007
$314,400,000
$775,398,007
$1,768,045,075
#6
#38
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back[66]
May 21, 1980
$290,475,067
$247,900,000
$538,375,067
$819,336,780
#48
#86
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi[67]
May 25, 1983
$309,306,177
$165,800,000
$475,106,177
$721,748,861
#36
#109
Original Star Wars trilogy
$1,060,779,251
$728,100,000
$1,788,879,251
$3,309,130,716
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace[68]
May 19, 1999
$474,544,677
$552,500,000
$1,027,044,677
$601,422,432
#5
#10
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones[69]
May 16, 2002
$310,676,740
$338,721,588
$649,398,328
$401,436,883
#34
#56
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith[70]
May 19, 2005
$380,270,577
$468,484,191
$848,754,768
$452,514,859
#16
#28
Prequel Star Wars trilogy
$1,165,491,994
$1,359,705,779
$2,525,197,773
$1,455,374,174
Star Wars: The Clone Wars[71]
August 15, 2008
$35,161,554
$33,121,290
$68,282,844
$37,954,914
#1,818
—
Complete Star Wars film series
$2,261,432,799
$2,120,927,069
$4,382,359,868
$4,802,459,804
Critical reaction
Film
Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic
Overall
Top Critics
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
94% (67 reviews)[72]
88% (17 reviews)[72]
91 (13 reviews)[73]
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
97% (71 reviews)[74]
89% (18 reviews)[74]
78 (15 reviews)[75]
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
79% (66 reviews)[76]
79% (20 reviews)[76]
52 (14 reviews)[77]
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
57% (186 reviews)[78]
38% (50 reviews)[78]
51 (36 reviews)[79]
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
67% (218 reviews)[80]
41% (41 reviews)[80]
53 (39 reviews)[81]
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
80% (253 reviews)[82]
68% (44 reviews)[82]
68 (40 reviews)[83]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
19% (153 reviews)[84]
15% (28 reviews)[84]
35 (30 reviews)[85]
Average
70%
60%
61
Academy Awards
The six films together were nominated for 25 Academy Awards, of which they won
ten. Three of these were Special Achievement Awards.
Award
Awards Won
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
The Phantom Menace
Attack of the Clones
Revenge of the Sith
Actor in a Supporting Role
Nomination
(Alec Guinness)
Art Direction-Set Decoration
Win
Nomination
Nomination
Costume Design
Win
Director
Nomination
(George Lucas)
Film Editing
Win
Makeup
Nomination
Music (Original Score)
Win
Nomination
Nomination
Picture
Nomination
Screenplay – Original
Nomination
Sound Editing
Nomination
Nomination
Sound (Mixing)
Win
Win
Nomination
Nomination
Visual Effects
Win
Nomination
Nomination
Special Achievement Award
Win
(Alien, Creature and Robot Voices)
Win
(Visual Effects)
Win
(Visual Effects)
Expanded Universe
Main article: Star Wars Expanded Universe
Cosplay of the Star Wars character, Boba Fett. The popular character was first
incorporated in the Expanded Universe in the television film The Star Wars
Holiday Special until appearing in the main film series.[86]
The term Expanded Universe (EU) is an umbrella term for officially licensed Star
Wars material outside of the six feature films. The material expands the stories
told in the films, taking place anywhere from 25,000 years before The Phantom
Menace to 140 years after Return of the Jedi. The first Expanded Universe story
appeared in Marvel Comics' Star Wars #7 in January 1978 (the first six issues of
the series having been an adaptation of the film), followed quickly by Alan Dean
Foster's novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye the following month.[87]
George Lucas retains artistic control over the Star Wars universe. For example,
the death of central characters and similar changes in the status quo must first
pass his screening before authors are given the go-ahead. In addition, Lucasfilm
Licensing devotes efforts to ensure continuity between the works of various
authors across companies.[88] Elements of the Expanded Universe have been
adopted by Lucas for use in the films, such as the name of capital planet
Coruscant, which first appeared in Timothy Zahn's novel Heir to the Empire
before being used in The Phantom Menace. Additionally, Lucas so liked the
character Aayla Secura, who was introduced in Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars
series, that he included her as a character in Attack of the Clones.[89]
Lucas has played a large role in the production of various television projects,
usually serving as storywriter or executive producer.[90] Star Wars has had
numerous radio adaptations. A radio adaptation of A New Hope was first broadcast
on National Public Radio in 1981. The adaptation was written by science fiction
author Brian Daley and directed by John Madden. It was followed by adaptations
of The Empire Strikes Back in 1983 and Return of the Jedi in 1996. The
adaptations included background material created by Lucas but not used in the
films. Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams reprised their roles
as Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian, respectively, except in Return
of the Jedi in which Luke was played by Joshua Fardon and Lando by Arye Gross.
The series also used John Williams' original score from the films and Ben
Burtt's original sound designs.[91]
Other films
In addition to the two trilogies and The Clone Wars film, several other
authorized films have been produced:
The Star Wars Holiday Special, a 1978 two-hour television special, shown only
once and never released on video. Notable for the introduction of Boba Fett.
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, a 1984 American made-for-TV
film—released theatrically overseas.
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, a 1985 American made-for-TV film—released
theatrically overseas.
The Great Heep, a 1986 animated television special from the Star Wars: Droids
TV series.
Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2, a 2009 official comedy spoof primarily
based on The Clone Wars film.
Animated series
Following the success of the Star Wars films and their subsequent merchandising,
several animated television series have been created for the younger fan base:
Star Wars: Droids, also known as Droids, which premiered in September 1985,
focused on the travels of R2-D2 and C-3P0 as they shift through various
owners/masters, and vaguely fills in the gaps between the events of Revenge of
the Sith and A New Hope.
Star Wars: Ewoks and colloquially as The Ewoks, was simultaneously released
in September 1985 and focused on the adventures of Wicket and various other
recognizable Ewok characters from the original trilogy in the years leading up
to Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars: Clone Wars animated micro-series created by Genndy Tartakovsky,
which aired on Cartoon Network from November 2003 to March 2005.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars CGI-animated series continuation of the animated
movie of the same name, which has been airing on Cartoon Network since October
2008.
Star Wars: Detours[92]: an animated comedy series written by Brendan Hay, who
is a writer for the comedy news show The Daily Show, and with creative
consulting from the co-creators of Robot Chicken: Seth Green and Matthew
Senreich. The series will take place during the original trilogy and the
setting will be remote from the front line of war.[93]
Literature
Main articles: List of Star Wars novels and List of Star Wars comic books
Star Wars-based fiction predates the release of the first film, with the 1976
novelization of Star Wars (ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster and credited to
Lucas). Foster's 1978 novel, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, was the first Expanded
Universe work to be released. In addition to filling in the time between A New
Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, this additional content greatly expanded the
Star Wars timeline before and after the film series. Star Wars fiction
flourished during the time of the original trilogy (1977–1983) but slowed to a
trickle afterwards. In 1992, however, Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy debuted,
sparking a new interest in the Star Wars universe. Since then, several hundred
tie-in novels have been published by Bantam and Del Rey. A similar resurgence in
the Expanded Universe occurred in 1996 with the Steve Perry novel Shadows of the
Empire, set in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and
accompanying video game and comic book series.[94]
LucasBooks radically changed the face of the Star Wars universe with the
introduction of the New Jedi Order series, which takes place some 20 years after
Return of the Jedi and stars a host of new characters alongside series
originals. For younger audiences, three series have been introduced. The Jedi
Apprentice series follows the adventures of Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice
Obi-Wan Kenobi prior to The Phantom Menace. The Jedi Quest series follows the
adventures of Obi-Wan and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker in between The Phantom
Menace and Attack of the Clones. The Last of the Jedi series follows the
adventures of Obi-Wan and another surviving Jedi almost immediately following
Revenge of the Sith.
Marvel Comics published Star Wars comic book series and adaptations from 1977 to
1986. A wide variety of creators worked on this series, including Roy Thomas,
Archie Goodwin, Howard Chaykin, Al Williamson, Carmine Infantino, Gene Day, Walt
Simonson, Michael Golden, Chris Claremont, Whilce Portacio, Jo Duffy, and Ron
Frenz. The Los Angeles Times Syndicate published a Star Wars newspaper strip by
Russ Manning, Goodwin and Williamson[95][96] with Goodwin writing under a
pseudonym. In the late 1980s, Marvel announced it would publish a new Star Wars
comic by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy. However, in December 1991, Dark Horse
Comics acquired the Star Wars license and used it to launch a number of
ambitious sequels to the original trilogy instead, including the popular Dark
Empire stories.[97] They have since gone on to publish a large number of
original adventures set in the Star Wars universe. There have also been parody
comics, including Tag and Bink.[98]
Games
Main articles: Star Wars computer and video games, List of Star Wars video
games, Star Wars trading card, and Star Wars role-playing games
Since 1977, dozens of board, card, video, miniature, and tabletop role-playing
games, among other types, have been published bearing the Star Wars name,
beginning in 1977 with the board game Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star[99]
(not to be confused with another board game with the same title, published in
1990).[100]
Star Wars video games commercialization started in 1982 with Star Wars: The
Empire Strikes Back published for the Atari 2600 by Parker Brothers. Since then,
Star Wars has opened the way to a myriad of space-flight simulation games,
first-person shooter games, role-playing video games, RTS games, and others.
Three different official tabletop role-playing games have been developed for the
Star Wars universe: a version by West End Games in the 1980s and 1990s, one by
Wizards of the Coast in the 2000s and one by Fantasy Flight Games in the 2010s.
The best-selling games so far are the Lego Star Wars and the Battlefront series,
with 12 million and 10 million units respectively.[101][102] Star Wars: Knights
of the Old Republic is also an extremely well known game.[103]
The most recently released games are Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Lego
Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Star Wars: The
Force Unleashed II, for the PS3, PSP, PS2, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS and Wii. While
The Complete Saga focuses on all six episodes of the series, The Force
Unleashed, of the same name of the multimedia project which it is a part of,
takes place in the largely unexplored time period between Revenge of the Sith
and A New Hope and casts players as Darth Vader's "secret apprentice" hunting
down the remaining Jedi. The game features a new game engine, and was released
on September 16, 2008 in the United States.[104][105] There are three more
titles based on the Clone Wars which were released for the Nintendo DS (Star
Wars: The Clone Wars – Jedi Alliance) and Wii (Star Wars: The Clone Wars –
Lightsaber Duels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes).
Star Wars trading cards have been published since the first 'blue' series, by
Topps, in 1977.[106] Dozens of series have been produced, with Topps being the
licensed creator in the United States. Some of the card series are of film
stills, while others are 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$1000 or more. While most "base" or
"common card" sets are plentiful, many "insert" or "chase cards" are very
rare.[107]
The board game Risk has been adapted to the series in two editions by Hasbro:
Risk Star Wars: The Original Trilogy Edition[108] (2006) and Risk Star Wars:
Clone Wars Edition[109] (2005).
Fan works
Main article: Star Wars fan films
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.[110]
While many fan films have used elements from the licensed Expanded Universe to
tell their story, they are not considered an official part of the Star Wars
canon. However, the lead character from the Pink Five series was incorporated
into Timothy Zahn's 2007 novel Allegiance, marking the first time a fan-created
Star Wars character has ever crossed into the official canon.[111] Lucasfilm,
for the most part, has allowed but not endorsed the creation of these derivative
fan-fiction works, so long as no such work attempts to make a profit from or
tarnish the Star Wars franchise in any way.[112]
Attractions
The original ride at Disneyland in 1996.
In 1986, George Lucas established a partnership with the Walt Disney Company and
its Walt Disney Imagineering division to create Star Tours, an attraction that
opened at Disneyland in 1987. The attraction also had subsequent incarnations at
other Disney Parks worldwide, with the exception of Hong Kong Disneyland.
The attractions at Disneyland, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Tokyo Disneyland
closed on July 27, 2010, September 7, 2010 and April 2, 2012, respectively, in
order to allow the rides to be converted into Star Tours: The Adventures
Continue. The successor attraction opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on May
20, 2011 and June 3, at Disneyland. The Japan version is expected to open in
2013.
The Jedi Training Academy is a live show where children are selected to learn
the teachings of the Jedi Knights and the Force in order to become Padawan
learners. The show is present at the Rebels stage at Disney's Hollywood Studios
and at the Tomorrowland Terrace at Disneyland.
The Walt Disney World Resort's Disney's Hollywood Studios park hosts an annual
festival, Star Wars Weekends during specific dates from May to June. The event
began in 1997.
Legacy
Main article: Cultural impact of Star Wars
Just like the franchise, it's fictional weapons contained in it such as the
lightsaber and the blaster have been used in popular culture and have been an
iconic part of the franchise.
The Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on modern American pop culture.
Both the films and characters have been parodied in numerous films and
television.
Notable film parodies of Star Wars include Hardware Wars, a 13-minute 1977
spoof which Lucas has called his favorite Star Wars parody, and Spaceballs, a
feature film by Mel Brooks which featured effects done by Lucas' Industrial
Light & Magic.[113][114]
Lucasfilm itself made two mockumentaries: Return of the Ewok (1982), about
Warwick Davis, who portrayed Wicket W. Warrick in Return of the Jedi; and
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome (2002), which depicts R2-D2's "life story".[115][116]
There have also been many songs based on, and in, the Star Wars universe.
"Weird Al" Yankovic recorded two parodies: "Yoda", a parody of "Lola" by The
Kinks; and "The Saga Begins", a parody of Don McLean's song "American Pie"
that retells of The Phantom Menace from Obi-Wan Kenobi's perspective.[117]
In television, the creators of the Robot Chicken series have produced three
television specials satirizing the Star Wars films ("Robot Chicken: Star
Wars", "Episode II", and "III"), and are developing an animated comedy series
based in the Star Wars universe.[118] The creators of the Family Guy series
have also produced three Star Wars specials titled "Blue Harvest", "Something,
Something, Something, Dark Side", and "It's a Trap!".[119]
When Ronald Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a system of
lasers and missiles meant to intercept incoming ICBMs, the plan was quickly
labeled "Star Wars," implying that it was science fiction and linking it to
Ronald Reagan's acting career. According to Frances FitzGerald, Reagan was
annoyed by this, but Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle told
colleagues that he "thought the name was not so bad."; "'Why not?' he said.
'It's a good movie. Besides, the good guys won.'"[120] This gained further
resonance when Reagan described the Soviet Union as an "evil empire".