Star Wars
George Lucas began developing his own space opera in 1971 after failing to secure the rights to adapt a Flash Gordon serial. He wrote a two-page synopsis that 20th Century Fox decided to finance, leading to production at Elstree Studios in England. The film received a relatively low budget because the studio expected limited financial success. Star Wars was released on the 25th of May 1977, and quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. By 1987, the first three films had generated billions in merchandising revenue. Lucas made a $500,000 pay cut during filming to retain full ownership of the franchise's merchandising rights. This decision proved financially transformative for both him and the industry.
In the opening scene of Episode IV: A New Hope, a young boy named Luke Skywalker stands atop the dunes of Tatooine under twin suns. His journey leads him to become a Jedi while fighting against Palpatine's Galactic Empire alongside his sister Leia. The prequels tell the backstory of their father Anakin, who is seduced to the dark side by Palpatine and becomes Darth Vader. In the final battle of Return of the Jedi, Anakin turns back from the dark side to save his son. The sequels follow the conflict between Leia's son Ben Solo and Luke's protégé Rey as they eventually ally against Palpatine after the fall of the Empire. Each trilogy focuses on a generation of the Force-sensitive Skywalker family struggling against the Sith lord.
An energy field created by all living things binds the galaxy together according to the original film's description. Those whom the Force is strong with exhibit superpowers such as telekinesis, precognition, telepathy, and manipulation of physical energy through training and meditation. Two major knightly orders at conflict wield this power: the Jedi peacekeepers act on the light side through non-attachment and arbitration. The Dark Lords of the Sith use the dark side by manipulating anger, fear and aggression. While Jedi Knights can be numerous, the Dark Lords are intended to be limited to two: a master and their apprentice. They prefer using lightsabers, retractable blades of plasma that cut through virtually any surface and deflect energy bolts.
In January 2012, George Lucas announced he would make no more Star Wars films. That October, the Walt Disney Company agreed to buy Lucasfilm for billions of dollars. Kathleen Kennedy became president of Lucasfilm and served as executive producer of new feature films. In 2015 it was revealed that Lucas's sequel outline had been discarded during the sale process. The sequel trilogy meant the end of the Star Wars Expanded Universe stories which were discarded from canon to give maximum creative freedom to filmmakers. All existing works ceased being considered canon and subsequent reprints were rebranded under the Star Wars Legends label. A story group division was created to maintain continuity across all future projects.
From 1976 to 2014, the term Expanded Universe covered all officially licensed storytelling material set outside theatrical film events. Timothy Zahn's bestselling Thrawn trilogy from 1991 to 1993 reignited interest in the franchise and introduced Grand Admiral Thrawn. Marvel Comics published a Star Wars comic book series from 1977 to 1986 with strong sales that saved the publisher financially in 1977 and 1978. Dark Horse Comics launched dozens of series after taking over development in the late 1980s including Tales of the Jedi and Knights of the Old Republic. Following Disney's acquisition, Marvel returned to publish comics starting in 2015 while new animated series like Rebels appeared in 2014. The Clone Wars animated film released in 2008 served as a theatrical pilot for its television counterpart.
The first Star Wars film became a cultural unifier enjoyed by a wide spectrum of people when it opened in 1977. Within three weeks of release, 20th Century Fox's stock price doubled to a record high after posting profits of $79 million compared to previous annual maximums of $37 million. The franchise helped launch the science-fiction boom of the late 1970s making such films mainstream. It started the tradition of summer blockbuster films where movies open on many screens simultaneously. Before Star Wars special effects had not appreciably advanced since the 1950s but commercial success created a boom in state-of-the-art technology. Film critic Roger Ebert called it a technical watershed that influenced many subsequent movies alongside Citizen Kane and The Birth of a Nation.
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Common questions
When was the first Star Wars film released?
Star Wars was released on the 25th of May 1977. The film quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon after its release.
Who created the original Star Wars franchise and when did development begin?
George Lucas began developing his own space opera in 1971 after failing to secure the rights to adapt a Flash Gordon serial. He wrote a two-page synopsis that 20th Century Fox decided to finance for production at Elstree Studios in England.
What is the relationship between Jedi and Sith in the Star Wars universe?
Jedi peacekeepers act on the light side through non-attachment and arbitration while Dark Lords of the Sith use the dark side by manipulating anger, fear and aggression. Two major knightly orders at conflict wield this power with Dark Lords intended to be limited to two: a master and their apprentice.
Why did George Lucas make a $500,000 pay cut during filming Star Wars?
Lucas made a $500,000 pay cut during filming to retain full ownership of the franchise's merchandising rights. This decision proved financially transformative for both him and the industry as the first three films generated billions in merchandising revenue by 1987.
When was the Walt Disney Company agreement to buy Lucasfilm announced?
In October 2012 the Walt Disney Company agreed to buy Lucasfilm for billions of dollars following an announcement from George Lucas in January 2012 that he would make no more Star Wars films. Kathleen Kennedy became president of Lucasfilm and served as executive producer of new feature films.