Star Wars became one of the most popular and profitable motion pictures in history. It was released in 1977 as Star Wars, but the title later was expanded to Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope. This science-fiction fantasy set standards for special effects that revolutionized filmmaking. Directed and written by American filmmaker George Lucas, Star Wars was the first of a series of enormously popular movies. Additionally, it was the first film in a trilogy (set of three) that also included Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi (1983). Lucas supervised the making of all three movies and wrote or helped write the screenplays for them. However, he did not direct the two later films.
Star Wars is an adventure story about the battle between good and evil. The film is filled with colorful and bizarre characters and breathtaking action sequences. The young hero is Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill). He attempts to defeat the evil Galactic Empire with the aid of a mysterious inner power known as the Force.
Many of the characters in the film became world famous. The best known were the robots R2-D2 (played by Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), the daredevil pilot Han Solo (Harrison Ford), the rebel Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), the evil Darth Vader (the voice of James Earl Jones), and the noble Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). Other popular characters included the giant furry warrior Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), the adventurer Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), and the wise ancient Jedi master Yoda (the voice of Frank Oz).
A prequel (predating) trilogy portrays the early years of key characters in the original trilogy. It consists of the films Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace (1999); Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones (2002); and Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith (2005). Lucas directed all three films. A sequel (postdating) trilogy includes the films Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens (2015); Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi (2017); and Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker (2019). It is set 30 years after the events of the original trilogy. Other “Star Wars” movies include Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008); Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016); and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
The popularity of the original “Star Wars” trilogy launched a huge merchandising program that included books, games, and toys. Many people started hobbies devoted to collecting material related to the movies. In addition, music composed for the “Star Wars” films by American composer John Williams won international popularity.
There have also been a number of television programs set in the world of Star Wars. Such programs have included the animated series “Star Wars: Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO” (1985-1986); “Ewoks” (1985-1986); “Star Wars: Clone Wars” (2003-2005); “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (2008-2014 and 2020); “Star Wars: Rebels” (2014-2018); “Star Wars: Resistance” (2018-2020); “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” (2021-2024); “Star Wars: Visions” (2021- ); “Star Wars: Tales” (2022- ); and “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” (2023- ). Live-action TV series have included “The Mandalorian” (2019- ), “The Book of Boba Fett” (2021- ), “Obi-Wan Kenobi” (2022- ), “Andor” (2022- ), “Ahsoka” (2023- ), and “The Acolyte” (2024- ). Additionally, TV movies have included The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978); Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984); and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985).
