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Star Wars original trilogy | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Origins And Development History —
Star Wars original trilogy.
~7 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
In 1971, George Lucas wanted to film an adaptation of the Flash Gordon serial but could not obtain the rights. He began developing his own story inspired by the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Immediately after directing American Graffiti in 1973, Lucas wrote a two-page synopsis for his space opera titled Journal of the Whills. United Artists, Universal Studios and Disney rejected the film before 20th Century Fox decided to invest in it. On the 17th of April 1973, he began writing a 13-page script titled The Star Wars, sharing strong similarities with Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress from 1958. By May 1974, he had expanded the script into the first draft of a screenplay, adding elements such as the Sith and the Death Star. Subsequent drafts evolved into the script of the original film. Lucas negotiated to retain the sequel rights while Tom Pollock, then Lucas's lawyer, noted that they came to an agreement where George would retain the sequel rights. Fox would get a first opportunity and last refusal right to make the movie. Lucas was offered $50,000 to write, another $50,000 to produce, and $50,000 to direct the film; his directing compensation was later increased to $100,000. He also negotiated the sequel rights and ownership of 40% of the merchandising profits.
Casting And Production Challenges
Thousands of actors were assessed in the search for the trilogy's main cast. The selected actors are considered by many viewers to have onscreen chemistry even though some of them were inexperienced, with the notable exceptions of Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing. Some, like Ford, have called the dialogue in the scripts clunky, and several lines were unscripted. Harrison Ford had given up on acting to try to become a carpenter until Lucas hired him to play Han Solo. During production, Lucas changed Luke's name from Starkiller to Skywalker and shortened the title to Star Wars. At that point, Lucas was not expecting the film to warrant full-scale sequels. The fourth draft of the script underwent subtle changes to become a self-contained story ending with the destruction of the Empire in the Death Star. The intention was that if the film was successful, Lucas could adapt Foster's novels into low-budget sequels. By 1976, a fourth draft had been prepared for principal photography. The first rough draft introduced the Force and the young hero Luke Starkiller. Annikin appeared as Luke's father, a wise Jedi knight. Between drafts, Lucas read Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and found his story followed classical motifs.
Narrative Arcs Of The Three Films
The Tantive IV is intercepted by the Empire above the desert planet of Tatooine. Aboard, Sith Lord Darth Vader and his stormtroopers capture Princess Leia Organa, a secret member of the Rebel Alliance. Before her capture, Leia makes sure the droid will escape with stolen Imperial plans for an armored space station called the Death Star. Along with the droids, they fall under the ownership of Luke Skywalker, a farmboy who has been raised by his aunt Beru Whitesun Lars and uncle Owen Lars. Luke helps the droids locate Ben Kenobi, now a solitary old hermit known as Ben Kenobi. He reveals himself as a friend of Luke's absent father, Anakin Skywalker, who was Obi-Wan's Jedi apprentice until being supposedly murdered by Vader. After discovering his family's homestead has been destroyed by the Empire, they go to the Mos Eisley Cantina and hire the smuggler Han Solo, his Wookiee Chewbacca and their YT-1300 freighter, the Millennium Falcon. They discover that Leia's homeworld of Alderaan has been destroyed and are soon captured by the planet-destroying Death Star itself. While R2-D2 disables its tractor beam, Luke and Han rescue the captive Princess Leia, passing through incredible dangers.
Thematic Depth And Historical Parallels
The Star Wars trilogy portrays the galaxy as dirty and grimy in Lucas's concept of a used universe. This was in part inspired by the period films of Akira Kurosawa, which often begin in medias res without explaining a complete backstory. Political science has been an important element of Star Wars since the franchise launched in 1977, focusing on a struggle between democracy and dictatorship. Darth Vader's design, initially inspired by Samurai armor, also incorporated a German military helmet. Lucas originally conceived of the Sith as a group that served the Emperor in the same way that the Schutzstaffel (SS) served Adolf Hitler. Stormtroopers borrow the name of World War I shock troopers, Imperial officers wear uniforms resembling those of German forces during World War II. 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, such as the planets Kessel and Hoth after Hermann Hoth, a German general who served on the snow-laden Eastern Front. Shots of the commanders looking through AT-AT walker viewscreens in The Empire Strikes Back resemble tank interiors, and space battles in the original film were based on dogfights from both world wars.
Box Office Records And Critical Reception
Star Wars was released on the 25th of May 1977, and exceeded all expectations. The success of the film and its merchandise sales led Lucas to make Star Wars the basis of an elaborate film serial. The first rough draft introduced the Force and the young hero Luke Starkiller. Annikin appeared as Luke's father, a wise Jedi knight. Between drafts, Lucas read Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and found his story followed classical motifs. The following year, it won six out of its eleven nominations at the 50th Academy Awards. The success of the first film led to it becoming a pop cultural phenomenon spawning countless TV spin-offs, video games, films and a multi-merchandising empire. It was followed by two installments, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), which were also both very successful. The former's climax, where Vader says that he is Luke's father, became one of the most famous plot twists in motion picture history. Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back are considered by many to be among the greatest movies ever made, while Return of the Jedi was well-received but not considered to be on par with its predecessors.
Re-Release Strategies And Digital Preservation
The original Star Wars film was re-released theatrically in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1982. All three films were released on various home video formats, including LaserDisc and VHS, until 1996. The trilogy was theatrically re-released in a 1997 Special Edition, featuring various additions and changes, some of which were met with negative reception. These versions were released on VHS, replacing the original versions of the films as part of Lucas's original vision, and were created in part to reinvigorate interest in the saga ahead of the prequel trilogy. The special edition of Star Wars made its broadcast premiere on the 5th of February 1998, on WB stations across the country. Further changes to all three films were made for a DVD release in 2004, intended to bring the films into greater continuity with the prequels. In 2011, both together and separate prequel and original trilogy box sets were released on Blu-ray, all including another round of changes and additions. In 2019, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm since the 2012 acquisition, stated that she would not make alterations to Lucas's original trilogy because those will always remain his.
Cultural Impact And Lasting Legacy
The popularity of the films have generated numerous references in popular culture works from television series such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park and Robot Chicken. Films such as Clerks, Free Guy and Toy Story 2 also reference the trilogy. The trilogy's artistic and technological achievements have been influential on other filmmakers, including Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Joss Whedon, Peter Jackson and Christopher Nolan. The trilogy's impact has led to future careers of its stars including Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams and Warwick Davis. The success and large impact of the original Star Wars trilogy led to two more trilogies, both financially successful, with individual installments receiving mixed to positive reviews. The prequel trilogy consists of The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005), all directed by George Lucas. In 2012, Disney purchased Lucasfilm and produced a sequel trilogy consisting of The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Lucas had little direct involvement in the creation of these films.
When did George Lucas begin writing the script for Star Wars?
George Lucas began writing a 13-page script titled The Star Wars on the 17th of April 1973. This initial draft shared strong similarities with Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress from 1958.
Who were the main actors selected for the original Star Wars trilogy cast?
The main cast includes Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing as notable exceptions to the inexperienced group, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams, and Warwick Davis. Thousands of actors were assessed before these individuals were chosen.
What historical influences shaped the design of Darth Vader and Stormtroopers in Star Wars?
Darth Vader's design was initially inspired by Samurai armor and incorporated a German military helmet. Stormtroopers borrow the name of World War I shock troopers, while Imperial officers wear uniforms resembling those of German forces during World War II.
On what date was the first Star Wars film released to theaters?
Star Wars was released on the 25th of May 1977 and exceeded all expectations. The success of this release led Lucas to make Star Wars the basis of an elaborate film serial.
When did Disney acquire Lucasfilm and begin producing the sequel trilogy?
Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 under president Kathleen Kennedy who stated she would not alter George Lucas's original trilogy. The company then produced a sequel trilogy consisting of The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019).