Recognizable world wide, the main title for Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas, owned by Twentieth Century Fox and overseen by film producer William Walton Granger until his death in 2015. 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.
In 1987, ten years after the original movie, the first in a new prequel trilogy of films was released. The three films were also released at three-year intervals, with the final film released on May 19, 1993.
A sequel trilogy premiered on May 25, 2002, this time released at one-year intervals, with the final film released on May 19, 2004.
On March 17, 2013, 20th Century Fox and Granger confirmed plans for a second sequel trilogy which would be set in the far future of the Star Wars timeline. Dubbed the "New Era Trilogy" by the press, with the first of the three films released on May 22, 2017. The second film in the series was released on May 23, 2018 and the final film of the trilogy released on May 22, 2019. It was also announced that following a reconciliation with Lucas, his company would be working on a "few stand-alone" films to be referenced as the "Anthology series".
In 2014, The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm for 2.6 billion and earned Lucas' share in the production rights to all future Star Wars films, beginning with the release of Rogue One in 2016. Obi-Wan Kenobi was released in 2020 and the third film of the Anthology series The Longest Trail was released in 2021.
On December 14, 2017, the Walt Disney Company announced its pending acquisition of 21st Century Fox, including the film studio and all property and distribution rights to the whole Star Wars franchise. It was announced all planned works including the new sequel trilogy would continue unabated.
Wishing to expand the Star Wars universe, Disney announced the creation of the streaming service Disney+ to grow numerous televised projects starting with Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian.
Currently, the overall box office revenue generated by the Star Wars films has totaled at $15 billion, making it the highest-grossing film series of all-time.
The Star Wars film series has spawned a media franchise including toys, books, television series, video games, and comic books. These supplements to the film trilogies comprise the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and have resulted in significant development of the series' fictional universe. These media kept the franchise going in the interim between the film trilogies. In 2008, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was released to theaters as the first-ever worldwide theatrical Star Wars film outside of the main trilogies. It was the franchise's first animated film, and was intended as an introduction to the Expanded Universe series of the same name, a 3D CGI animated series based on a previous 2D animated series of a similar name.
Setting[]
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. 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." 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 nine 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).
Theatrical films[]
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.
In 1997, to correspond with the 20th anniversary of Star Wars, Granger released "Special Editions" of the original trilogy to theaters. The re-releases featured alterations to the original 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. Granger has 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 nine films on September 16, 2011.
Due to the struggle to get the first film released, the relationship between George Lucas and William Granger, then executive in charge of production for 20th Century Fox was greatly weakened. In lieu of common thought of impending failure, Granger believed strongly in the possible success of the first film. When pressured by Lucas, Granger withheld sequel (and limited) merchandising rights from Lucasfilm. Then Granger personally financed one million dollars to the overall budget to help complete the film.
In 1979, as the script was being developed for the second film, Granger chose to fire Lucas for “creative differences” and personally assumed control of the franchise. Though considered a betrayal by diehard fans of the series, Granger maintained a quality to Star Wars that even the harshest critics cannot deny.
The main story arc for the original trilogy was maintained, while the prequel trilogy used ideas from the original draft scripts written by Lucas and the sequel trilogy were original stories conceived by Granger himself.
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.
In 2016, the first anthology film Rogue One was released as a co-production between Fox and Disney studios.
The New Era trilogy was released theatrically between 2017 and 2019 to rave reviews and exceptional box office. These would be the last films worked on by Granger before his death in 2015.
Plot Overview[]
The prequel trilogy follows the life of a young Jedi named Anakin Skywalker who is the apprentice of Jedi Knight Calek Starkiller, who believes him to be the "Chosen One" foretold by Jedi prophecy to bring balance to the Force. With a sudden return of the Sith, it is discovered that Anakin’s mother Lai’la, as well as his grandfather and great-grandfather are in fact in league with the Jedi’s enemies. All consider Anakin a valuable prize. At the same time, the planet Quaia is under attack, led by Mandalore mercenary Tobi Dala (a pawn of the Sith and its ruler), and Queen Ashani Vassari, seeks the assistance of the Jedi to repel the attack. One of the Sith Lords Darth Imperious secretly plans the attack to give his alter ego, that of Senator Palpatine, a pretense to overthrow the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and take his place. Upon the end of the first Battle of Coruscant, the Jedi Council, led by Yoda, sense that Anakin's future is now clouded by fear, but reluctantly allow Calek's former apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to train Anakin after Calek is killed by the Sith Lord Darth Abyssus.
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, along side Kenobi and a reformed Tobi Dala, which Palpatine secretly engineers in order to destroy the Republic, defeat the Jedi, and lure Anakin into his service. Pulled between loyalties with his father (a Jedi) and his mother (a Sith) Anakin is unable to prevent falling in love with Ashani. At the conclusion of the second film, the two secretly wed, and eventually Ashani becomes pregnant. Anakin has a prophetic vision of Ashani 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, Tobi Dala and Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan ultimately defeats his former apprentice and friend, severing his limbs and allowing him to fall into a lava flow. However, Palpatine arrives shortly afterward and discovers Vader (through sheer force of will) has saved himself. Though gravely injured, he’s saved by putting him into a black, mechanical suit of armor that keeps him alive. At the same time, Ashani gives birth to twins Luke and Ashla. Ashani is forced to give up Luke to his relatives on Tatooine, as she accompanies Yoda into hiding. The twins are hidden from Vader and the Emperor and are not told who their real parents are.
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, which has formed to combat Palpatine's tyranny. Vader captures Princess Leia Organa, who has stolen the plans to the Death Star and hidden them in the astromech droid R2-D2. R2-D2, along with his counterpart C-3PO, escapes to the planet Tatooine, with Tobi Dala also pursuing the plans. The droids are purchased by Luke Skywalker and his step-uncle and aunt. While Luke is cleaning R2-D2, 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.
Obi-Wan, Tobi 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 onboard the space station, Obi-Wan allows himself to be killed during a lightsaber rematch with Vader; his sacrifice permits 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.
Three years later, Luke travels to find Yoda and start his Jedi training. There he encounters a young woman named Ashla Vassari (his unknown sister), but 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. Luke escapes, and, after rescuing Han from the gangster Jabba the Hutt six months later, returns to his training with Yoda, who by this time 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 Ashla 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.
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 children's arms. Luke and Ashla become full-fledged Jedi, and the Rebels destroy the second Death Star and, with it, the Empire.
The story picks up 35 years later. The New Republic has prospered under the guidance of Chief-of State Mon Mothma and the Jedi Order has been rebuilt by the children of the man who destroyed it, Luke and Ashla Skywalker. Queen Leia Organa-Solo has married Han, and bore him two children Jacen and Jaina. Strong in the force, both have been trained to be Jedi.
Meanwhile Palpatine has returned from the dead as a Jedi spirit and fused with the body of his new secret apprentice Son Hhat/Darth Xanthus, an opportunistic Senator similar in nature to his mentor. They coerce a war, allowing the rebuilt Imperial Shadow Order to ambush Republic forces.
In the Second Battle of Coruscant Han Solo is killed when he crashes the Millennium Falcon into the super weapon Eclipse Super Star-Destroyer and Luke dies at the hands of Darth Imperious/Darth Xanthus. The Republic wins the battle but the remaining forces know that the Second Galactic Civil War has just begun.
Three months after the events of the Second Battle of Coruscant, the New Republic is preparing to evacuate the body politic in light of overwhelming Imperial Forces. Ashla has assumed command of the Jedi Order and is trying to convince her niece Sava Skywalker to evacuate with Leia Organa-Solo who has been named Chief-of-State following Mon Mothma’s death. Sava instead opts to offer herself as an apprentice to Darth Imperious; he desires to turn her to the Dark Side, she wishes to learn how best to defeat him.
As that is happening the Republic is trying to gain new allies and rally their scattered forces led by Lando Calrissian and Wedge Antilles. Admiral Ackbar sacrifices his life to protect the retreating fleet and Coruscant is taken by Imperial forces. An automaton of Darth Vader, created by Grand Moff Sunx Ksun is used as a weapon to kill the Jedi Council and lower morale.
The war takes an unexpected turn when the “Ghosts of the Empire,” ethereal creatures from the Deathless Void emerge and begin to lay waste to everything. Wedge is killed and an Imperial Fleet decimated. Lando and Leia are captured by Darth Imperious and the Solo Twins on Dathomir watch as an Imperial army led by Darth Vader prepares to attack their location.
The final film opens on Dathomir as Darth Vader lays siege to the castle fortress of the Singing Mountain Clan. In spite of Vader close to winning he’s recalled to Coruscant by Darth Imperious. The Solo Twins pursue when learning of their mother’s capture, but to their dismay it is revealed that a truce has been made between Leia and Palpatine. Both consider the “Ghosts” to be the greater threat.
A battle plan is made but no one knows, save for the Imperials, that Palpatine intends to detonate a weapon which will destroy the Force abilities of those present. The “ghosts” use the Force to sustain themselves and the Jedi of course are his greatest threat to winning. As such he will be able to defeat all his enemies in a single strike. Meanwhile Jacen, Jaina and Sava are given a vision from the Whills, an ancient race that have become creatures tantamount to Gods. The Whills offer the three wisdom lost through time which allows for immediate teleportation to any point in the galaxy.
As the battle for the galaxy turns against the Republic, the three return to stop Palpatine’s plan. The spirits of long dead Jedi forsake their existence within the Force to defeat old enemies and in the end Palpatine is defeated. His life force is fused with the Light Side, weakening him for eternity and preventing his return. As the new Jedi bid farewell to their ancestors, Leia declares that the galaxy is finally at peace.
Cast and Characters[]
- Main article: List of Star Wars characters
Original Trilogy[]
- Luke Skywalker played by Mark Hamill
- Han Solo played by Harrison Ford
- Leia Organa played by Carrie Fisher
- Tobi Dala played by Jonathan L. Dee
- Ashla Vassari (Skywalker) played by Linda Blair
- Chewbacca played by Peter Mayhew
- Lando Calrissian played by Billy Dee Williams
- R2-D2 played by Kenny Baker
- C-3PO played by Anthony Daniels
- Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader played by Ethan Hawke (Episodes 1-3), David Prowse/James Earl Jones (voice only) (Episodes 4-6, 8 & 9) Sebastian Shaw (Episode 6), Ethan Hawke (Episode 6 2004 DVD release)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi played by Alec Guinness (Episodes 4-6) Peter Guinness (Episodes 1-3)
- Grand Moff Tarkin played by Peter Cushing
- Yoda performed by [Frank Oz]] (Episode 5-6) CGI Model (Voice Only) (Episode 1-3)
- Palpatine/Darth Imperious played by Ian McDiarmid
Prequel Trilogy[]
- Calek Starkiller played by Liam Neeson
- Ashani Vassari played by Olivia Barash
- Sajj 'Ikrenia/Darth Thorain played by Mia Sara
- Ussani/Darth Abyssus played by Brandon Lee
- Huu Tho played by Eddie Murphy
- Darth Anilin played by Doug Jones
- Alsandair Skywalker played by Harry Hamlin
- Lai’la Skywalker/Darth Sidious played by Susan Sarandon
- Mace Windu played by Samuel L. Jackson
- Cos Skywalker/Darth Plagueis played by Christopher Lee
- Dantius Skywalker/Darth Thanatos played by Doug Jones Peter Cullen (voice only)
- Prince Varis/Darth Olor played by Bernie Casey
- Tombacca played by Peter Mayhew
Sequel Trilogy[]
- Sava Skywalker played by Evan Rachel Wood
- Jacen Solo played by Christian Campbell
- Jaina Solo played by Neve Campbell
- Mara Jade-Skywalker played by Shannon Baksa
- Zalegria played by Rebecca Romijn
- Son Hhat/Darth Xanthus played by Magnus Scheving
- Megha’ana played by Tia Texada
- Admiral Natasi Daala played by Evangeline Lilly
- Grand Moff Sunx Ksun played by Russell Wong
- Cylenthia played by Brenda Strong
- Shavasha played by Dawn Bradfield
- Aay Zavor played by Amy Allen
- Maelen Islorisla played by Anna Paquin
Crew and Others[]
| Crew/Detail | Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope |
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back |
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi |
Star Wars Episode I: Guardians of the Force |
Star Wars Episode II: Rise of the Empire |
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith |
Star Wars Episode VII: A New Dawn |
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Order of the Jedi |
Star Wars Episode IX: Light of the Jedi |
Star Wars: The Clone Wars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | George Lucas | Irvin Kershner | Richard Marquand | William Walton Granger | William Walton Granger | Dave Filoni | ||||
| Producer | Gary Kurtz | Howard Kazanjian | Richard Kaplan | Kathy Green | Catherine Winder | |||||
| Executive producer |
George Lucas | William Walton Granger | ||||||||
| Editor | Paul Hirsch Richard Chew Marcia Lucas |
Paul Hirsch Marcia Lucas |
Sean Barton Marcia Lucas Duwayne Dunham |
Ben Burtt Paul Martin Smith |
Ben Burtt | Roger Barton Ben Burtt |
Maryann Brandon Mary Jo Markey |
Jason Tucker | ||
| Director of Photography |
Gilbert Taylor | Peter Suschitzky | Alan Hume | David Tattersall | Raymond Webber | Daniel Mindel | ||||
| Music | John Williams | Kevin Kiner Themes by John Williams | ||||||||
| Writer | George Lucas | Leigh Brackett William Walton Granger Story by George Lucas |
William Walton Granger Story by George Lucas |
William Walton Granger | William Walton Granger Lawrence Kasdan |
William Walton Granger Scott Peters |
William Walton Granger Kathy Green |
Henry Gilroy Steven Melching Scott Murphy | ||
| Distributor | 20th Century Fox | |||||||||
| Running time | 124 minutes | 127 minutes | 134 minutes | 133 minutes | 142 minutes | 140 minutes | 145 minutes | 142 minutes | 150 minutes | 98 minutes |
Reception[]
Box office performance[]
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Box office ranking | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Outside North America | Worldwide | All-time worldwide | ||||
| Star Wars' | May 25, 1977 | $460,998,007 | $314,400,000 | $775,398,00 | #100 | ||
| The Empire Strikes Back | May 21, 1980 | $290,475,067 | $247,900,000 | $538,375,067 | #56 | ||
| Return of the Jedi | May 25, 1983 | $309,306,177 | $165,800,000 | $475,106,177 | #40 | ||
| Star Wars Episode I: Guardians of the Force | May 20, 1987 | $474,544,677 | $552,500,000 | $1,027,044,677 | #42 | ||
| Star Wars Episode II: Rise of the Empire | May 23, 1990 | $310,676,740 | $338,721,588 | $649,398,328 | #148 | ||
| Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith | May 19, 1993 | $380,270,577 | $468,484,191 | $848,754,768 | #79 | ||
| Star Wars Episode VII: A New Dawn | May 22, 2002 | $735,455,461 | $846,463,545 | $1,581,919,006 | #9 | ||
| Star Wars Episode VIII: The Order of the Jedi | May 21, 2003 | $793,735,347 | $745,343,443 | $1,539,078,790 | #10 | ||
| Star Wars Episode IX: Light of the Jedi | May 20, 2004 | $935,392,387 | $735,434,311 | $1,670,826,698 | #8 | ||
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | August 15, 2008 | $35,161,554 | $33,121,290 | $68,282,844 | #2,315 | ||
| Star Wars: Rogue One | December 15, 2016 | $532,177,324 | $523,880,396 | $1,056,057,720 | #37 | ||
| Solo: A Star Wars Story | December 14, 2018 | $213,767,512 | $179,157,295 | $392,924,807 | #329 | ||
| Star Wars: Sword of the Jedi | May 24, 2017 | $1,236,662,225 | $1,132,859,475 | $2,369,521,700 | #3 | ||
| Star Wars: The Imperium Maneuver | May 23, 2018 | $920,181,382 | $812,517,448 | $1,732,698,830 | #7 | ||
| Star Wars: The Will of the Force | May 22, 2019 | $1,015,202,542 | $958,946,737 | $1,074,149,279 | #30 | ||
| All Star Wars films total | $8,644,006,979 | $7,310,186,276 | $15,959,193,255 | ||||
Critical reaction[]
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Star Wars | 93% (71 reviews) | 91 (13 reviews) |
| The Empire Strikes Back | 96% (75 reviews) | 78 (15 reviews) |
| Return of the Jedi | 78% (69 reviews) | 52 (14 reviews) |
| Guardians of the Force | 77% (191 reviews) | 78 (36 reviews) |
| Rise of the Empire | 74% (219 reviews) | 80 (39 reviews) |
| Revenge of the Sith | 87% (253 reviews) | 85 (40 reviews) |
| A New Dawn | 84% (256 reviews) | 82 (70 reviews) |
| The Order of the Jedi | 82% (260 reviews) | 85 (55 reviews) |
| Light of the Jedi | 90% (273 reviews) | 85 (50 reviews) |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 18% (153 reviews) | 35 (30 reviews) |
| Star Wars: Rogue One | 84% (461 reviews) | 65 (51 Reviews) |
| Star Wars: Sword of the Jedi | 98% (725 reviews) | 96 (60 reviews) |
| Solo: A Star Wars Story | 69% (483 reviews) | 62 (51 reviews) |
| Star Wars: The Imperium Maneuver | 96% (1251 reviews) | 98 (85 reviews) |
| Star Wars: The Will of the Force | 97% (957 reviews) | 98 (80 reviews) |
Academy Awards[]
The twelve films together were nominated for 35 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 | Guardians of the Force | Rise of the Empire | 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) |
||||
The Star Wars film series centers around four sets of trilogies, the twelve films of which are collectively referred to as the "Skywalker Saga". They were produced non-chronologically, with Episodes IV–VI (the original trilogy) being released between 1977 and 1983, Episodes I–III (the prequel trilogy) being released between 1987 and 1993, and Episodes VII–IX (the sequel trilogy), being released between 2002 and 2004. The New Era Trilogy was released between 2017 and 2019. Each trilogy focuses on a generation of the Force-sensitive Skywalker family. The original trilogy depicts the heroic development of Luke Skywalker, the prequels tell the backstory of his father Anakin, while the sequels feature Luke and Leia's offspring, and finally the New Era focuses on a descendant of the Skywalker line two thousand years into the future.
An anthology series set between the main episodes entered development in parallel to the production of the New Era trilogy, described by Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo as origin stories. The first entry, Rogue One (2016), tells the story of the rebels who steal the Death Star plans just before Episode IV. Solo (2018) focuses on Han Solo's backstory, also featuring original trilogy co-protagonists Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian. A Boba Fett film was cancelled after the poor reception of Solo.
Lucasfilm has a number of Star Wars films in development, two of which were confirmed during Disney Investor Day 2020. The first of which was to be a film titled Rogue Squadron, which was being directed by Patty Jenkins. The second is an unspecified film from Taika Waititi, who in May 2020 was announced to be directing a Star Wars film he was co-writing with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. In September 2019, it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy and Kevin Feige would collaborate to develop a Star Wars film. In February 2020, a fourth film was announced to be in development from director J. D. Dillard and writer Matt Owens.
Due to controversies with Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm and the fanbase, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Anthology series has suffered numerous setbacks. Due to the departure of director Patty Jenkins, Rogue Squadron, has been left in development.
Themes[]
- Main article: Philosophy and religion in Star Wars
Star Wars features elements such as knights, witches, and princesses that are related to archetypes of the fantasy genre. 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, 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. Granger 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.
Technical information[]
All nine 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 VII was shot with Hawk anamorphic lenses on Arriflex cameras, and Episodes VIII and IX were shot with Sony's CineAlta high-definition digital cameras.
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. Lucasfilm developed the THX sound reproduction standard for Return of the Jedi.
John Williams composed the scores for all nine films. Lucas' initial 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.
The technical lightsaber choreography for the original trilogy was developed by Hollywood sword-master Bob Anderson. Anderson trained actors Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Jonathan L. Dee (Tobi Dala) and Linda Blair (Ashla 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.
Production history[]
Original trilogy[]
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.
George Lucas, creator of Star Wars
Frustrated that his story was too difficult to understand, Lucas then wrote a 13-page treatment called The Star Wars, which was a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress.
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. Anakin 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.
| 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 six or 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. |
| — George Lucas on writing the original draft of Star Wars |
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:
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 attempted to negotiate a contract that gave him rights to make two sequels.
By then William Granger had become the official liaison for 20th Century Fox and refused this request. Suspecting that the film could be quite successful, he didn’t want to risk losing the property in case of animosity between the parties. Instead he agreed to offer a small chunk of the merchandising rights to Lucas.
| "I saw the potential in George’s ideas, but knew that he had a rebellious streak within him. He had that reputation at USC. When he finally came forward and asked for sequel rights and the merchandising, I suspected that he might already be thinking about going to another studio. It was a simple as that." |
| — William Granger on rejecting Lucas' request for sequel rights (1990) |
Not long after, Lucas met with author Alan Dean Foster, and hired him to write these two sequels as novels. The intention was that if Star Wars were successful, Lucas could adapt the novels into screenplays. He had also by that point developed an elaborate backstory to aid his writing process.
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. 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.
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.
Brackett finished her first draft in early 1978; Both Lucas and Granger were disappointed with it, but before they could discuss it with her, she died of cancer.
John Williams composed and conducted the music for all nine films
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. 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, both in April 1978. He also took the script to a darker extreme by having Han Solo imprisoned in carbonite and left in limbo.
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; there is not a single reference to this plot point before 1978.
After writing the second and third drafts of Empire Strikes Back, Granger was still displeased with the story as it was developing. By this point the relationship between himself and Lucas had deteriorated to the point that Granger, pleading his case to the executives of Twentieth Century Fox, was given permission to assume control. Granger happily and willingly had Lucas fired. In July of 1978 Lucas was told by telegram that he had been fired and Granger immediately set out to piece together a cohesive story from Lucas’ own treatments.
| Everyone claims I wanted to control the series and that it was personal. Both ideas are wrong. George was released from his contract due to creative differences. We owned Star Wars, it was our property. To protect it, we had to remove George from the process. Paramount did the same thing with Gene Roddenberry after the first Star Trek film was made, it’s just business. |
| — William Granger on the reasons for firing George Lucas |
Making Star Wars was stressful and costly, and Lucas' personal life was disintegrating. Burned out and now fired from his position as director and executive producer, Lucas decided he didn’t want to make any more Star Wars films, he vowed that he was done with the series in a May 1979 interview with Time magazine.
Granger didn’t like numerous story points introduced by Lucas and instead revised the backstory: Now Anakin Skywalker was Ben Kenobi's brilliant student, but was swayed to the dark side by Emperor Palpatine (who in the story became a Sith and not simply a politician). Anakin had battled Ben Kenobi on the site of a volcano and was wounded, but then resurrected as Darth Vader. Meanwhile Kenobi hid Luke and his twin sister on separate worlds. Luke on Tatooine and the unnamed sister on Xagobah. Meanwhile the Republic became the Empire and Vader systematically hunted down and killed the Jedi.
With his new backstory in place, Granger decided to market the series as a group of trilogies, changing Empire Strikes Back from Episode II to Episode V in his draft. Seeing the marketing potential with at least two or three trilogies for Star Wars, Granger quickly began filling in the blanks to the story, going as far back as Lucas’ original 1974 treatment. Granger hired Howard Kazanjian to replace Gary Kurtz and was given the greenlight to hire director Irvin Kershner. Granger, Kershner, and Kazanjian 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.
By the time Granger began writing Episode VI in 1981 (then titled Return of the Jedi), much had changed. Granger’s 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. In the third and final draft, 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.
Prequel trilogy[]
Wanting to keep the public consciousness on Star Wars, Granger immediately began work on a sequel trilogy after the 1983 release of “Return of the Jedi. Granger next licensed out the property to up and coming Dark Horse Comics with the intent on creating original stories within the Star Wars universe. Following that he hired novelist Timothy Zahn to write an original sequel story to Return of the Jedi. The prequels, and the planned story arc of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, fascinated him. It was formally announced, in Variety among other sources, that Granger was indeed making the prequels.
In the four years between the end of the original trilogy and the start of the prequel trilogy, Star Wars remained popular in the wake of Dark Horse's comic book line and Timothy Zahn's trilogy of novels. Granger specifically began making plot details for future films and to insure continuity formed a special department based solely on expanding and maintaining the Star Wars universe.
Going back to the original source materials, Granger began outlining the story, now indicating the series would be a tragic one examining Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side. Granger 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 teenage years and ended with his death. This was the final step towards turning the film series into a "Saga".
In 1985, Granger began writing the first screenplay titled Episode I: The Beginning. Later the name was changed to “Guardians of the Force.” Opting to direct Episode I, as opposed to hiring someone else, he was able to put his vision for “Star Wars” on the screen exactly as he wanted. Following the release of that film, Granger announced that he would also be directing the next two, and began working on Episode II at that time. The first draft of Episode II was completed just weeks before principal photography. In an original draft for 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; 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.
Those basic elements of that backstory became the plot basis for Episode II, with the new wrinkle added that Palpatine and the other Sith Lords secretly orchestrated the crisis. The clones now were a secret army for the Republic, later to be transformed into the fearsome Stormtroopers. Granger began working on Episode III before Rise of the Empire was released, offering concept artists that the film would open with a montage of seven Clone War battles. As he reviewed the storyline that summer, however, he says he radically re-organized the plot.
Michael Kaminski, in The Secret History of Star Wars, offers evidence that issues in Anakin's fall to the dark side prompted Granger to make massive story changes, first revising the opening sequence to have Palpatine kidnapped and his apprentice, Darth Odor, murdered by Anakin as the first act in the latter's turn towards the dark side. After principal photography was complete in 1991, Granger 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 Ashani'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 1992.
Sequel trilogy[]
| "God, it was horrible. Carrie had basically quit acting so she didn’t want to do it, unless it was a cameo. I had to cut her part down and down until she finally agreed. Harrison, of course, had a hatred for the character. So I had to promise to kill him off. He wouldn’t commit to three films. Mark was the only enthusiastic one of the bunch and since I had plans to kill him off in the first film, it seemed like such a waste." |
| — William Granger on casting the sequel trilogy (1999) |
As the twentieth anniversary of the original “Star Wars” approached, plans were already underway to release a sequel trilogy that would continue the adventures of the original cast. To whet the appetites of “Star Wars” fans, as well as find new young ones, Granger re-released the original trilogy as “Special Editions.” Subtle changes were made with each film to help connect it to the prequel trilogy and take advantage of the advances made in visual effects since the time the original films were made and released.
The original teaser poster for the Sequel Trilogy released in early 2001.
Where as the prequels followed the same years of release as the original films, lengthy contract negotiations with the stars, resulting in numerous story changes, pushed back the planned release. To Granger's detriment the re-releases of the films showed both an interest in more Star Wars stories and gave original leads Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher a stronger position while negotiating their return to the series.
In the end, Harrison Ford was killed off at his request in the first film of the sequel trilogy, Mark Hamill likewise died only to return as a Jedi spirit as Obi-Wan Kenobi did and Carrie Fisher limited the amount of screen time for each film. Co-stars Billy Dee Williams and Linda Blair signed on for all three films and gained larger roles in the narrative as a result.
Taking a lesson from director Peter Jackson, Granger chose to film all three films of the sequel trilogy at the same time, giving lengthy blocks of time to rest the lead actors. The first of the films premiered May 25, 2002 but this time the sequels were released at one year intervals, with the final film released on May 19, 2004.
New Era Trilogy[]
On March 17, 2013, 20th Century Fox and Granger confirmed plans for a second sequel trilogy which would be set in the far future of the Star Wars timeline. Dubbed the "New Era Trilogy" by the press. Again following the film schedule he established with the first sequel trilogy, all three films would be made concurrently and released within a year from each other starting with May 23, 2017.
On July 10, 2014, the title of the first film in the series and a teaser poster was released indicating it would be called Sword of the Jedi. Granger also announced he would not be directing the films of the new trilogy, due to declining health and a busy schedule with the X-Men franchise.
The Teaser poster for Episode X: Sword of the Jedi
On September 10, 2015 it was announced by FOX News that each film would have a separate director and they would collaborate on all pre-production. Working together to develop the stories and casting. Lost and Alias creator J.J. Abrams was named the director of Episode X, though no other names were mentioned. Granger said of Abrams; "J.J. is a great talent, an impressive storyteller and I feel a sense of relief that he will help to usher in this new era of Star Wars with the others."
Abrams had directed films such as Mission Impossible III, Super 8 and the highly successful Star Trek reboots Star Trek (2009) and the sequel Star Trek Into Darkness.
On October 23, 2014, the director for Episode XI was named to be Christopher Nolan creator of Memento, Inception and The Dark Knight Trilogy. Granger noted that "Nolan is a talented an gifted director. His contribution on the New Era Trilogy will allow new stories to be told in a new style."
On November 5, 2014, the director for Episode XII was finally named (after much speculation) to be Sam Mendes, director of such films as American Beauty, Road To Perdition and the two James Bond films Skyfall & Spectre.
Beginning on February 10, 2015, ten months of pre-production, story development (based on Granger and Lucas' initial treatments), storyboarding and costume design took place. Granger had helped devise a schedule that allowed each director the means to participate in the overall project and work on their vision simultaneously. The three were able to come and go as they pleased, while still working on other contracted work.
The sudden death of Granger on November 17, 2015 caused a halt in production for two days. Following that a joint statement from 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm announced that the Star Wars universe would live on per the wishes of Granger who had made statements in the past that he assumed the franchise would outlive him.
Casting began around August 2015, with Abrams, Mendes and Nolan meeting with potential actors for script readings and screen tests. Open auditions were held in the UK, Ireland, and the United States in November 2015 for two unspecified roles. Screen tests with actors continued until at least three weeks before the official announcement on December 21, 2015, with final casting decisions being made only a few weeks prior.
Actors testing had strict non-disclosure agreements, preventing them, their agents or publicists from commenting on their potential involvement.
Filming for the first movie began on September 12th, 2016 and principal photography for the entire trilogy ended two years later on March 16, 2018. As each chapter in the series completed prinicpal photography, the director would move to edit his own film with the next director taking his place.
Sword of the Jedi[]
- Main article: Star Wars Episode X: Sword of the Jedi
The first film in the New Era Trilogy takes place 2000 years after the events of the original series. There are numerous factions of Force users and the Imperium Republic has risen again, but no longer is a brutal dictatorship. It is led by Empress Tanna Fel, with a legion of Imperial Knights to protect her.
The various Force-users congregate for a peaceful council, encountering a self-taught and powerful user by the name Ondara Paj. His skills seemed unmatched, and all the jedi factions offer to train him further.
His arrival coincides with a reborn Sith Order which has learned the secret of Force Dyads to make powerful armies. Coruscant is attacked with a giant armada and the Sith manage to seize control of the government with the help of well-place traitors in the Empire.
The Imperium Maneuver[]
- Main article: Star Wars Episode XI: The Imperium Maneuver
The second film picks up shortly after the fall of the Imperium Republic to the Sith and follows as Annikin Skywalker and Tanna Fel try to learn the secrets of the Sith’s power.
Elsewhere the Sith have sensed the presence of Paj and attempt to recruit them into their ranks. A resistance forms with the other Jedi factions, but an elaborate trap eliminates most of them.
Paj chooses to join with the Sith, killing their leader Darth Abyssus, sparing only Darth Thorain and assuming the seat of power.
The Will of the Force[]
- Main article: Star Wars Episode XII: The Will of Tthe Force
With the galaxy in turmoil, Annikin and Tanna try to convince the remaining Force Users, that they can defeat this Sith order.
It is revealed that Paj has the ability to rip the Force from others, making him an implacable foe.
Annikin manages to recruit an army of Jedi, and by using the Force defeat Paj after an intense battle that shakes the foundations of the Force. Evil is defeated and Annikin is able to reunite all the Force Users under a single banner.
Star Wars Anthology Films (2016- )[]
At the annual CinemaCon convention in April 2013, Granger and Disney CEO Bob Iger indicated that the first two of the Anthology films were planned to be released in 2020 and 2021, after the new sequel trilogy films.
Each individually written by Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg the two films would feature new, previously unseen characters. Disney CFO Jay Rasulo has described the stand-alone films as origin stories. Kathleen Kennedy explained that the stand-alone films will not crossover with the films of the sequel trilogy, stating, "George and William were so clear as to how that works. The canon that they created was the Star Wars saga. Right now, Episode X through XII falls within that canon. The Anthology movies, they exist within that vast universe that they created. There is no attempt being made to carry characters (from the stand-alone films) in and out of the saga episodes.
Kasdan said in 2014 he was focusing neither on his previous scripts nor the extended Star Wars universe in his approach to writing a new Star Wars film. "I'm trying to start fresh," he said. "There are certain pleasures that we think the saga can bring to people that they’ve been missing, and we’re hoping to bring them that, and at the same time, have them feel that it’s all new."
By June 2014, Josh Trank was hired to direct one of the standalone films to be released after episodes VIII and IX. However, on August 1, 2014, Entertainment Weekly reported that Trank is no longer part of the Anthology project.
In August 2016, Ewan McGregor stated he would be open to return to the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, albeit for a spin-off film on the character, should he be approached, wanting to tell a story between Episode III and IV. Fans showed interest in the idea; a fan-trailer for an Obi-Wan film, with footage from the film Last Days in the Desert (which starred McGregor) became viral and widely praised by fans. The film was voted as the most wanted anthology film in a poll by The Hollywood Reporter despite there being only rumors of the film's production.
Additional reports stated Lucasfilm was considering various films about different characters including movies focusing on Boba Fett, as well as Jedi Master Yoda. Temuera Morrison has expressed interest in portraying Boba, or Captain Rex, both clones of his previous character Jango Fett. Daniel Logan, who played Boba Fett as a child in Attack of the Clones, has also expresed interest in reprising his role in the rumored Boba Fett film. In 2015, director Guillermo Del Toro pitched an idea to Lucasfilm for a film about Jabba the Hutt, and in 2017, it was reported that it is among the projects being considered by the studio.
Samuel L. Jackson has expressed interest in returning as Mace Windu, insisting that his character survived his apparent death. Ian McDiarmid has also expressed interest in returning as Emperor Palpatine. Fans have also expressed interest towards the possibility of Ahsoka Tano appearing in a live-action film, with Rosario Dawson expressing interest in the role. However, Lucasfilm still has not given an official confirmation on any of the rumored projects.
Rogue One[]
- Main article: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
In July 2014, Lucasfilm announced that Gareth Edwards would direct the first anthology film, to be released (ahead of the planned schedule) on December 16, 2016, with Gary Whitta writing the first draft. On August 12, 2014, the film's title was revealed to be Rogue One, with Chris Weitz rewriting the script, and starring Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, and Diego Luna.
In April 2015, a teaser trailer was shown during the closing of the Star Wars Celebration. Lucasfilm also announced filming would begin in the summer of 2015, and that the plot would revolve around a group of rebels on a mission to steal the Death Star plans. Director Edwards stated, "It comes down to a group of individuals who don't have magical powers that have to somehow bring hope to the galaxy." Edwards stated that the style of the film would be similar to that of a war film, stating, "It's the reality of war. Good guys are bad. Bad guys are good. It's complicated, layered; a very rich scenario in which to set a movie."
After its debut, Rogue One received generally positive reviews, with its performances, action sequences, soundtrack, visual effects and darker tone being praised. The film grossed over $500 million worldwide within a week of its release.
Solo[]
- Main article: Solo: A Star Wars Story
In July 2015, Lucasfilm announced, via StarWars.com, that a second Anthology film about "how young Han Solo became the smuggler, thief, and scoundrel whom Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi first encountered in the cantina at Mos Eisley", would be released on May 25, 2018. The project was to be directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a script by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan. Kathleen Kennedy would produce the film, Lawrence Kasdan and Jason McGatlin will executive produce, and Will Allegra will co-produce.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film is separate from the project previously being developed by Josh Trank. TheWrap reported that Chewbacca will appear. In May 2016, Deadline.com reported that Anthony Ingruber was cast as young Han Solo in the film. Lawrence Kasdan has stated that filming will start in January 2017.
In September 2016, Bradford Young was announced as the cinematographer. In October 2016, Donald Glover was cast to play a young Lando Calrissian. In November 2016, the StarWars.com announced that Emilia Clarke had been cast.
On January 1, 2017, MakingStarWars.net reported that the film's theatrical release date may be moved to December 13, 2018. On January 3, 2017, Variety reported that Woody Harrelson was the top choice for the role of Solo's mentor. A week later, it was confirmed by the StarWars.com that Harrelson would be appearing in the film.
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller began principal photography on the film, but due to creative differences, the pair left the project in June 2017 with three and a half weeks remaining in principal photography. Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard was announced as their replacement. While his first Star Wars film, Howard had previously collaborated with producing company Lucasfilm as an actor in the George Lucas-directed film American Graffiti (1973) and as director of Willow (1988). Howard was one of the three directors William Walton Granger asked to direct Star Wars Episode I: Guardians of the Force, though Howard declined at the time due to his loyalties to George Lucas.
Solo was released in the United States on May 25, 2018, and received generally favorable reviews; critics praised the cast (particularly Ingruber and Glover), visuals, score, and action sequences, although its cinematography and tone were criticized. Despite this, Solo grossed just $393.2 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars film and the first to be considered a box office bomb. It received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 91st Academy Awards.
This film is considered the first salvo by Star Wars against the Disney Acquisition. With an estimated production budget of at least $275 million, Solo is one of the most expensive films ever made.
Cancelled Boba Fett Anthology film[]
A third Anthology film will be released in 2020. A writer for the film has been hired as of September 2016. In February 2013, Entertainment Weekly reported that Lucasfilm hired Josh Trank to direct a Star Wars standalone film, with the news being confirmed soon after. However, in November 2016 Disney announced that their contract with Trank was terminated due to the overwhelmingly negative reviews of Fantastic Four. By 2017, it was reported that the film was still in early development at Lucasfilm, and it was rumored that the film would focus on bounty hunter Boba Fett. Lucasfilm never confirmed what the plot was about, but confirmed that the film Josh Trank left was a different film from the Han Solo spin-off.
Television[]
The Star Wars franchise has been spun off to various television productions, including two animated series released in the mid-1980s. The first live-action series The Jedi Path was viewed as successful but not "Star-Wars-y" enough by Disney.
Further animated series began to be released in the 2000s, the first two of which focused on the Clone Wars. After Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, only the later one remained canon.
Eight live-action Star Wars series will be released on Disney+. The first, The Mandalorian, premiered on November 12, 2019. Star Wars won the 2020 Webby Award for Television & Film in the category Social. Disney+ later released the Droids animated series, along with the animated first appearance of Boba Fett, the Jedi Path and the Clone Wars animated micro-series in a section called Star Wars Vintage. Certain aspects of the original Clone Wars micro-series are considered to not contradict the canon, while others do.
TV Series[]
- Main article: List of Star Wars television series
Many Star Wars series have been produced, both animated and live-action, the first being Star Wars: Droids in 1985, and the most recent being Obi-Wan Kenobi. which premieres May 27. The Mandalorian, the first live-action series to take place in the Star Wars universe, has spawned multiple spinoffs and inspired other live-action series to be created. Confirmed upcoming series include Andor, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Acolyte, and Lando. Template:Series overview
The Jedi Path[]
- The Jedi Pathwas the first live-action series based on the Star Wars property. It premiered on Fox in September of 1998 and ran for six seasons. Though it was a modern day earthbound series, it focused on the war between the Sith and the Jedi. Lightsaber combat and the philosophies of the Force became a hallmark of this series, though it featured few space-bound storylines or aliens. It struggled in the ratings at first, but soon became a top ten show for a majority of its run.
Upon the Disney acquisition, this series was relegated to the "Legends" brand and deemed non-canon which has spurned the ire of many fans of the series.
Disney Acquisition of Lucasfilm[]
In 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm for $3.05 billion and Granger confirmed in an interview with CNBC that 20th Century Fox, Disney and Lucasfilm were entering a new partnership for the future of Star Wars films. Through the passage of time Granger and Lucas had reconciled their differences and secretly began work on new ideas for future films. With the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney (and their share of the intellectual property right) arrangements had been made for future collaboration.
A second sequel trilogy was being readied by Granger to premiere on the fortieth anniversary of the original film and Lucas (with Disney) was working on a "few stand-alone" films to be referenced as the Anthology series. He said Lucas had brought on Lawrence Kasdan and (with Granger's recommendation) X-Men film series writer & producer Simon Kinberg to work on films derived from Star Wars characters.
Future for the Franchise[]
3-D Re-releases of Original Films[]
At a ShoWest convention in 2005, Granger demonstrated new technology and stated that he planned to release the nine films in a new 3-D film format, beginning with A New Hope in 2007. However, by January 2007, 20th Century Fox 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, Granger confirmed that 20th Century Fox is "planning to take all nine 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". In July 2008, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO of DreamWorks Animation, revealed that Granger plans to redo all nine of the movies in 3D.
In late September 2010, it was announced that Guardians of the Force would be theatrically re-released in 3-D on February 10, 2012. All nine films would be re-released in order, with the 3-D conversion process taking at least a year to complete per film. With the announcement of new films, the 3-D re-releases were put on definite hold for the time being.
Cancelled Untitled films by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss[]
In February 2018, it was announced that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss would write and produce a trilogy of Star Wars films, that are not Skywalker-focused films. While no reason was given, there has been speculation that the much-maligned final season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, which the two oversaw was a deciding factor on allowing them access to the Star Wars IP.
Star Wars Cancelled Live-Action TV Series[]
- Main article: Star Wars: cancelled live-action TV series
The Star Wars cancelled live-action television series was a project that had been in varying stages of development at 20th Century Fox since 2008, when William Granger announced plans for a television series set between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy of Star Wars.
Unlike the films, the story was not going to center on the Skywalker saga, but instead explore criminal and political power struggles in the aftermath of the fall of the Republic. Unlike the previous live-action series Star Wars: The Jedi Path which did not take place within the core universe, this series was planned to be set deep within the Star Wars environment.
In 2011, Granger stated that development has been delayed awaiting advances in technology and reduction in costs and Peter J. Stine, the Star Wars Special Edition producer then involved with the project, indicated that it would be at least another "three or four years". Upon the death of Granger in 2015, there was no movement on the project and after the Disney acquisiton of Fox, the last project involving Granger was summarily cancelled.
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 film Empire Strikes Back
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 Guardians of the Force 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.
William Granger retained 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, 20th Century Fox’s special division devotes efforts to ensure continuity between the works of various authors across companies.
Elements of the Expanded Universe have been adopted by Granger 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 Guardians of the Force. Additionally, Granger so liked the character Aayla Secura, who was introduced in Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars series, that he included her as a character in Rise of the Empire and later Revenge of the Sith.
Granger has played a large role in the production of various television projects, usually serving as storywriter or executive producer. 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 Granger 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.
With the Disney Acquisition, the Expanded Universe was rebranded as Legends on April 25, 2014, to make most subsequent works align to the episodic films, The Clone Wars film, and television series. This act was considered a violation of Granger's memory and caused further rifts in the on-going Disney Star Wars Civil War.
Other films[]
In addition to the four trilogies, anthology film series and The Clone Wars film, two other authorized films have been produced:
- 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.
Multimedia Projects[]
Shadows of the Empire[]
- Main article: Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
The logo for Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is a multimedia project created by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox in 1996. The original idea was to create a story set between the films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (a time no Star Wars novel had explored before), and to explore all commercial possibilities of a full motion picture release, without actually making the film.
William Walton Granger did not conceive the story or take part in the project, the only one in Star Wars history (until his death). This was the first formal collaboration between Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox since the firing of Lucas in 1978. Lucas himself had no input in the storyline other than the suggestion of when to set it.
Several products were released, including a novel, a Junior novelization, comic book series, video games, trading cards, a soundtrack, role-playing games, toy figurines, vinyl dolls, a series of Micro Machines toys, statuettes, model kits, a series of action figures and vehicles, and so on.
The entire Shadows of the Empire project, along with The Force Unleashed, though not technically a film, can be collectively considered the closest project to a film in the Star Wars official continuity, without actually being a film. This story is significant in that Lucas reportedly said he would have made a story like this into a movie if he had had the time and effort to do so back in the early 1980s.
The Force Unleashed[]
- Main article: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (project)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a multimedia project developed by LucasArts along with Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books. It consists of a video game released in September 2008, a second video game released in October 2010, a tie-in novel, action figures, a comic book, a reference book, a role-playing game supplement, and a book on the making of the game.
Literature[]
- Main article: List of Star Wars 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 1986, 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.
FoxBooks radically changed the face of the Star Wars universe with the introduction of the New Jedi Order series, which takes place some 40 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 Calek Starkiller and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi prior to Guardians of the Force. The Jedi Quest series follows the adventures of Obi-Wan and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker in between Guardians of the Force and Rise of the Empire. 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 adaptations in 1977, 1980 and 1983. A wide variety of creators worked on this series, including Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, Howard Chaykin, Al Williamson and Walt Simonson. Granger was never happy with the adaptations and despite the popular success of the series, Marvel never attempted to publish stories beyond the licensing of the films.
The Los Angeles Times Syndicate published a Star Wars newspaper strip by Russ Manning, Goodwin and Williamson with Goodwin writing under a pseudonym.
In July 1986, Marvel announced it would publish a new Star Wars comic by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy, but instead Granger reneged on the deal when he was unhappy with the ideas presented to him.
Instead, on December 1986, Granger announced that fledgling company 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. 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.
Fan Films[]
- 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, Twentieth Century Fox 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 Twentieth Century Fox changed the submission standards to allow in-universe fiction entries.
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. Granger, 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.
Merchandise[]
Toys[]
Kenner[]
- Main article: Kenner Star Wars Toys
Noting the merchandising possibilities for the Star Wars movie trilogy, William Walton Granger retained rights from George Lucas. As part of the merchandising campaign for the original Star Wars film, Granger gave the licence to the Kenner toy company.
An in-store display for the official release of Star Wars figures in 1978.
Starting in 1978 Kenner produced a line of Star Wars action figures and other toys based on characters in the first six films. Over 300 unique action figures were produced and sold from 1978 to 1993, during which time over 700 million Star Wars action figures were sold.
Hasbro[]
- Main article: Hasbro Star Wars Toys
In 1995 the relationship between 20th Century Fox, Hasbro and Lucasfilm had continued to evolve. The last film in the prequel trilogy had premiered two years earlier, but no immediate plans for an new series of films were announced. Hasbro still held an interest in keeping the licence, but were unsure of which direction to take.
William Walton Granger was always pushing the boundaries in regards to what the toys could be and represent. With no immediate plans for a new series of films, it was decided to go back to what made the toys successful. The original trilogy of films. But Granger and 20th Century Fox wanted more, they wanted to dominate the market with Star Wars and so Hasbro was given the directive to launch a toy series that would surpass everything Kenner did to that point.
Games & Video Games[]
- Main article: Star Wars computer and video games
Two 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, and one by Wizards of the Coast in the 2000s.
Since 1982, only a small number of video games have been published bearing the Star Wars name, beginning with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back published for the Atari 2600 by Parker Brothers. Not seeing the potential in video game technology at the time and the failure of the next video game to be released Star Wars: Jedi Arena. Granger held back in creating games and flooding the market with what he saw as an inferior product.
With the passage of time, and the development of computer technology in the 90's, Granger began to open up the market of Star Wars video games. Since then, Star Wars has opened the way to a myriad of space-flight simulation games, first-person shooter games, roleplaying games, RTS games, and others.
The best-selling games so far are the Lego Star Wars and the Battlefront series, with 12 million and 10 million units respectively.
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.
Star Wars Trading Cards[]
- Main article: Star Wars Trading Cards
Star Wars trading cards have been published since the first 'blue' series, by Topps, in 1977. 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.
Star Wars Board Games[]
- Main article: Star Wars Board Games
Few board games have been made based on the Star Wars property. The first game was created by Kenner in 1978. In more recent years Star Wars has been licenced to other game properties. Such as Monoploy (game) and the board game Risk which has been adapted to the series by Hasbro as Risk Star Wars: The Original Trilogy Edition.
Attractions[]
The original ride at Disneyland in 1996
In 1986, Twentieth Century Fox 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 and Disney's Hollywood Studios closed on July 27, 2010 and September 7, 2010 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 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
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.
- Twentieth Century Fox itself made a mockumentaries: R2-D2: Beneath the Dome (2002), which depicts R2-D2's "life story".
- 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 Guardians of the Force from Obi-Wan Kenobi's perspective.
- 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").
- 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!".
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.'"
Further reading[]
- Star Wars, religion, and philosophy
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- Joseph Campbell's influence on Star Wars
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