The Star Wars logo as seen in all films.

Star Wars is an epic science fiction franchise initially conceived by George Lucas during the 1970s and significantly expanded since that time. The Epic is a genre of film which places emphasis on human drama on a grand scale A media franchise is an Intellectual property involving the characters, setting, and Trademarks of an original work of media (usually George Walton Lucas Jr (born May 14, 1944) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, producer, Screenwriter World cinema In cinema all over the world the seventies brought about vigor in adventurous cool and realistic complex narratives with rich cinematography and elaborate scores The first film in the franchise was simply titled Star Wars, but later had the subtitle Episode IV A New Hope added to distinguish it from its sequels and prequels. Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (originally released as Star Wars) is a 1977 Space opera Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977 by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, initially spawning two sequels. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — Twenty-two years after Star Wars was released, Lucas began the release of a second trilogy as a prequel to the original trilogy. A prequel is a work that portrays events and/or aspects of a previously completed narrative but is set prior to the existing narrative

The franchise has spawned other media including novels, television series, video games, and comic books. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative These supplements to the film trilogies comprise the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and have resulted in significant development of the series' fictional universe. The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed fictional background of the Star Wars universe outside of the six feature films A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with unique background elements such as an imaginary history or geography and possibly fantasy or science As of 2008, the overall box office revenue generated by the six Star Wars films has totalled approximately $4. A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for Admission to a venue 3 billion, making it the third-highest grossing film series. The following is a non-definitive list of the all-time highest-grossing films. ^[1]

Setting

The events depicted in Star Wars media take place in a fictional galaxy. for the Star Wars themed MMORPG on PC see " Star Wars Galaxies " The Star Wars galaxy is the fictional setting for the Star Wars Many species of alien creatures (often humanoid) are depicted. This is a list of creatures in the fictional Star Wars universe The term " humanoid " refers to any being whose body structure resembles that of a Human. Robotic droids are also commonplace and are generally built to serve their owners. A robot is a mechanical or Virtual Artificial agent In practice it is usually an electro-mechanical system which by its appearance or movements This is the concept of the "droid" in Science fiction. Space travel is common, and many planets in the galaxy are members of a Galactic Republic, later reorganized as the Galactic Empire. History The Republic itself was formed on or near 25000 BBY when the first "Galactic Constitution" was signed on Coruscant, after the Corellian The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the Star Wars universe.

One of the prominent elements of Star Wars is the "Force", which is an omnipresent form of energy which can be harnessed by those with that ability. The Force is one of the main concepts in the fictional Star Wars universe, created by George Lucas. Omnipresence is the ability to be present in every place at any and/or every time unbounded or universal presence 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. "^[2] The Force allows users to perform a variety of supernatural feats (such as telekinesis, clairvoyance, precognition, and mind control) and also can amplify certain physical traits, such as speed and reflexes; these abilities can vary from user to user and can be improved through training. The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events The term psychokinesis (from the Greek ψυχή, "psyche" meaning mind soul heart or breath; and κίνησις, "kinesis" Clairvoyance (from 17th century French with clair meaning "clear" and voyance meaning "visibility" is the apparent ability to gain Precognition (from the Latin præ- “prior to” + cognitio “a getting to know” denotes a form of Extrasensory perception where in a person is said to perceive Mind control is a broad range of psychological tactics able to subvert an individual's control of his own thinking, behavior emotions or decisions While the Force can be used for good, it has a dark side that, when pursued, imbues users with hatred, aggression, and malevolence. The dark side of the Force is a prominent moral and Psychic concept in the Star Wars universe. The six films feature the Jedi, who use the Force for good, and the Sith, who use the dark side for evil in an attempt to take over the galaxy. The Jedi are members of a fictional monastic order in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy, created by George The Sith are a group of fictional characters in the Star Wars universe. ^{[3][4][5][2][6][7]}

Upcoming projects

On February 12, 2008, the official Star Wars website announced that a new film will be released in theaters on August 15, 2008. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Star Wars The Clone Wars is a 2008 CGI animated science-fiction film that follows the continuing adventures within the Star Wars universe Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The CGI animated film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will be set during the clone wars^[8] as a prelude to a new 3D animated TV series. Star Wars The Clone Wars is a 2008 CGI animated science-fiction film that follows the continuing adventures within the Star Wars universe The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas 's Science fiction saga Star Wars.

Feature films

The Star Wars franchise began as a film series. The original trilogy comprised three films: Star Wars, released on May 25, 1977, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, released on May 21, 1980, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, released on May 25, 1983. Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (originally released as Star Wars) is a 1977 Space opera Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 Space opera Film directed by Irvin Kershner. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi is a 1983 Space opera Film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) 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. Each film in the Star Wars series opens with a crawl (also known as a roll-up) of text which provides an explanation of the backstory Once Star Wars became a success and sequels were realized, Lucas numbered the initial film as the fourth episode in his series and gave it the subtitle A New Hope when the film was re-released in 1981. ^[2][6][7]

In 1997, to correspond with the twentieth anniversary of the release of Star Wars, Lucas released "Special Editions" of the three films 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. Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics The illusions used in the Film, Television, Theater, or Entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called Lucas continued to make changes to the original trilogy for subsequent releases, such as the first ever DVD release of the trilogy on September 21, 2004. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " ^[9]

On May 19, 1999, Lucas released the first of the long-awaited prequel trilogy, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Star Wars Episode I Phantom Menace is a 1999 military sci-fi film written and directed by George Lucas. This was followed by Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones on May 16, 2002, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on May 19, 2005. Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones is a 2002 Film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 Space opera Film written and directed by George Lucas. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[10]

Plot overview

The prequel trilogy follows the upbringing of Anakin Skywalker, who is discovered by Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn. See also Darth Vader Anakin Skywalker (often called Ani by his friends and loved ones is the main Protagonist / Antagonist and Qui-Gon Jinn is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, principally portrayed by Liam Neeson in Star Wars Episode I He is believed to be the "Chosen One" foretold by Jedi prophecy to bring balance to the Force. Prophecy, generally describes the disclosing of Information that is not known to the Prophet by any ordinary means The Jedi Council, led by Yoda and Mace Windu, sense that his future is clouded with fear, but reluctantly allow Jinn's apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to train Skywalker after Jinn is killed. The Jedi High Council (or Jedi Council) is a fictional institution from the Star Wars Yoda is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in all of the franchise 's films except for Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Fictional character in the Star Wars universe. At the same time, the planet Naboo is under attack, and its queen, Padmé Amidala, seeks the assistance of the Jedi to repel the attack. Geographic features Naboo is a city located on a planetry system described as having a porous plasma -rich interior without a molten core Padmé Amidala Naberrie Skywalker (born Padmé Amidala Naberrie) better known as Padmé Amidala, is a Fictional character in George Lucas Sith Lord Darth Sidious secretly planned the attack to give his alias, Naboo Senator Palpatine, a pretense to overthrow the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Senate. History The Republic itself was formed on or near 25000 BBY when the first "Galactic Constitution" was signed on Coruscant, after the Corellian Palpatine is a Fictional character in George Lucas 's Science fiction saga Star Wars. ^[3] The remainder of the prequel trilogy chronicles Skywalker's fall to the dark side, as Sidious attempts to create an army to defeat the Jedi and lure Skywalker to be his apprentice. ^[4] Amidala and Skywalker fall in love and eventually she becomes pregnant. Skywalker soon succumbs to his anger, culminating in a lightsaber battle between him and Kenobi. The lightsaber is a Fictional weapon that plays a key role in the Movies, games and Novels that constitute the Star Wars Kenobi leaves Skywalker for dead, but Sidious arrives shortly after to save him and put him into a suit of black armor that keeps him alive. At the same time, Amidala dies while giving birth to twins. The twins are hidden from Skywalker and not told of their true parents. ^[5]

Tatooine has two suns, as it is in a binary star system. Intelligent lifeforms Humans &mdash Settlers Hutts &mdash Slug-like crime lords Jawas &mdash Short humanoid The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. A binary system is an astronomical term referring to two objects in space (usually Stars but also Planets galaxies or Asteroids which This shot from A New Hope remains one of the most famous scenes of the entire saga.

The original trilogy begins nearly 20 years later as Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, nears completion of the massive Death Star space station which will allow him and Sidious, now emperor, to crush the rebellion which has formed against the evil empire. Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in George Lucas ' Science fiction saga Star Wars. The Death Star is a Fictional Space station and Superweapon appearing in the Star Wars movies and expanded universe. The Alliance to Restore the Republic (commonly known as the Rebel Alliance) is an interstellar force formed in direct military opposition to the Galactic Empire in He captures Princess Leia Organa who has stolen the plans to the Death Star and hidden them in droid R2-D2. Leia and Princess Leia redirect here For the Blackadder character see Princess Leia of Hungary. R2-D2 (called R2, or " Artoo " for short is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, an Astromech droid R2-D2, along with his counterpart C-3PO, escape to the planet Tatooine. C-3PO ( Nicknamed Threepio) is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in both the original Intelligent lifeforms Humans &mdash Settlers Hutts &mdash Slug-like crime lords Jawas &mdash Short humanoid There, the droids are purchased by Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin, and his step-uncle and aunt. Luke Skywalker is the main protagonist of the Star Wars universe portrayed by Mark Hamill in the films Star Wars Episode IV While Luke is cleaning R2-D2, he accidentally triggers a message put into the robot by Princess Leia, who asks for assistance from Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke knows of a Ben Kenobi and finds out that the two are one and the same. Kenobi tells Luke of his father's greatness, but says that he was killed by Vader. ^[11] Kenobi and Skywalker hire pilot Han Solo and his co-pilot Chewbacca to take them to the rebels. Han Solo is a character in the Star Wars universe. He was played by Harrison Ford in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope, Chewbacca (or Chewie) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. Kenobi begins to teach Skywalker about the Force, but allows himself to be killed in a showdown with Vader during the rescue of Princess Leia. His sacrifice allows the group to escape with the plans that allow the rebels to destroy the Death Star. ^[2]

Vader continues to hunt down the rebels, and begins building a second Death Star. Skywalker travels to find Jedi Master Yoda to become trained as a Jedi, but is interrupted when Vader lures him into a trap by capturing Solo and the others. Yoda is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in all of the franchise 's films except for Star Wars Vader reveals that he is Skywalker's father and attempts to turn him to the dark side. ^[6] Skywalker escapes, and returns to his training with Yoda. He learns that he must face his father before he can become a Jedi, and that Leia is his twin sister. As the rebels attack the new Death Star, Skywalker confronts Vader under the watch of Emperor Palpatine. Instead of convincing Skywalker to join the dark side, Skywalker defeats Vader and is able to convince him that there is still some good in him. Vader kills Palpatine before succumbing to his own injuries, and the second Death Star is destroyed. ^[7]

Themes

See also: Philosophy and religion in Star Wars and The Force (Star Wars)

Star Wars features elements such as (Jedi) knights, witches, and princesses that are related to archetypes of the fantasy genre. George Lucas ' creation of the Star Wars saga was influenced by mythology philosophy and religion and the popularity of the film series inevitably led to even more The Force is one of the main concepts in the fictional Star Wars universe, created by George Lucas. The Witches of Dathomir or Dathomirians are humans in the fictional Star Wars expanded universe that live on the outer rim planet Dathomir. Princess is the feminine form of Prince (from Latin Princeps, meaning principal citizen ^[12] The Star Wars world, unlike science-fiction and fantasy films that featured sleek and futuristic settings, was portrayed as dirty and grimy. Lucas' vision of a "used universe" was further popularized in the science fiction-horror films Alien,^[13] 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. Alien is a 1979 science fiction / Horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver. Mad Max 2 The Road Warrior (known as The Road Warrior in the U Blade Runner is a 1982 American Science fiction Film, directed by Ridley Scott. Lucas made a conscious effort to parallel scenes and dialogue between films, and especially to parallel the journeys of Luke Skywalker with that of his father Anakin when making the prequels. ^[3]

Technical information

All six films of the Star Wars series were shot in an aspect ratio of 2. The aspect ratio of an Image is its width divided by its height 35:1. The original trilogy was shot with anamorphic lenses. Anamorphic format is a term that can be used either for the Cinematography technique of capturing a Widescreen picture on standard 35 mm film, or other Episodes IV and V were shot in Panavision, while Episode VI was shot in Joe Dunton Camera (JDC) scope. Panavision is a Motion picture equipment company specializing in Cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills California. Episode I was shot with Hawk anamorphic lenses on Arriflex cameras, and Episodes II and III were shot with Sony's CineAlta high-definition digital cameras. The Arri Group has been the largest world wide supplier of high quality Motion picture film equipment since 1917 Sony 's CineAlta 24P HD ( high definition video) Cameras are a series of professional digital video cameras that offer many of the same features ^[14] Lucas hired Ben Burtt to oversee the sound effects on A New Hope. Benjamin Burtt Jr (born July 12, 1948) is a four time Academy Award-winning Sound designer and sound editor for many famous and noteworthy films

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. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS) is a professional honorary organization ostensibly dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of Motion ^[15] Lucasfilm developed the THX sound reproduction standard for Return of the Jedi. THX is a trade name of a high-fidelity sound reproduction standard for movie theaters screening rooms home theaters computer speakers gaming consoles and car audio systems ^[16] The scores for the six Star Wars films were composed by John Williams. The music of Star Wars consists of the scores written for all six Star Wars Films by composer John John Towner Williams (born February 8 1932) is an American Composer, conductor and Pianist. Lucas' design for Star Wars involved a grand musical sound, with leitmotifs for different characters and important concepts. A leitmotif (ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf (also leitmotiv; lit "leading motif" is a recurring Musical theme, associated with a particular person place Williams' Star Wars title theme has become one of the most famous and well-known musical compositions in modern music history. ^[17]

Production history

Original trilogy

George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars. George Walton Lucas Jr (born May 14, 1944) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, producer, Screenwriter

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. The year 1971 in film involved some significant events Events February 8 - Bob Dylan 's hour long documentary Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American American Graffiti is a period Coming of age film directed by George Lucas, and written by Lucas Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck 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. ^[18] 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. is a 1958 film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune as General Rokurota Makabe and Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki ^[19] By 1974, he had expanded the treatment into a rough draft screenplay, adding elements such as the Sith, the Death Star, and a young boy as the protagonist named Annikin Starkiller. The Sith are a group of fictional characters in the Star Wars universe. The Death Star is a Fictional Space station and Superweapon appearing in the Star Wars movies and expanded universe. See also Darth Vader Anakin Skywalker (often called Ani by his friends and loved ones is the main Protagonist / Antagonist and For the second draft, Lucas made heavy simplifications, and also introduced the young hero on a farm as Luke. Luke Skywalker is the main protagonist of the Star Wars universe portrayed by Mark Hamill in the films Star Wars Episode IV Annikin became Luke's father, a wise Jedi knight. The Jedi are members of a fictional monastic order in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy, created by George The "Force" was also introduced as a supernatural power. The Force is one of the main concepts in the fictional Star Wars universe, created by George Lucas. 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. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Fictional character in the Star Wars universe. 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. ^[20]

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. The Galactic Empire is one of the main factions in the Star Wars universe. However, Lucas had previously conceived of the film as the first in a series of adventures. Later, he realised the film would not in fact be the first in the sequence, but a film in the second trilogy in the saga. This is stated explicitly in George Lucas' preface to the 1994 reissue of Splinter of the Mind's Eye:

It wasn't long after I began writing Star Wars that I realized the story was more than a single film could hold. Splinter of the Mind's Eye is a Science fiction novel it is a sequel to both Star Wars and its Novelization Star Wars As the saga of the Skywalkers and Jedi Knights unfolded, I began to see it as a tale that could take at last nine films to tell—three trilogies—and I realized, in making my way through the back story and after story, that I was really setting out to write the middle story.

The second draft contained a teaser for a never-made sequel about "The Princess of Ondos," and by the time of the third draft some months later Lucas had negotiated a contract that gave him rights to make two sequels. Not long after, Lucas met with author Alan Dean Foster, and hired him to write these two sequels as novels. Alan Dean Foster (born November 18 1946) is a prolific American writer of Science fiction and Fantasy Novels and movie ^[21] The intention was that if Star Wars were successful, Lucas could adapt the novels into screenplays. ^[22] He had also by that point developed a fairly elaborate backstory to aid his writing process. ^[23]

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. Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials or Film serials, were Short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a Feature ^[24] 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. Skywalker Ranch is the name of the workplace of Film director and producer George Lucas in secluded but open country near Nicasio California ^[25] 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 next year. Splinter of the Mind's Eye is a Science fiction novel it is a sequel to both Star Wars and its Novelization Star Wars At first Lucas envisioned a series of films with no set number of entries, like the James Bond series. James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story 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. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published He also said that the backstory where 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. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Fictional character in the Star Wars universe. History The Republic itself was formed on or near 25000 BBY when the first "Galactic Constitution" was signed on Coruscant, after the Corellian

Later that year, Lucas hired science fiction author Leigh Brackett to write Star Wars II with him. Leigh Douglass Brackett ( December 7, 1915, in Los Angeles California &ndash March 18, 1978) was a female writer of Science 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. ^[26]

Darth Vader, one of the most popular icons of the entire franchise. Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in George Lucas ' Science fiction saga Star Wars.

Brackett finished her first draft in early 1978; Lucas has said he was disappointed with it, but before he could discuss it with her, she died from cancer. ^[27] With no writer available, Lucas had to write his next draft himself. It was this draft in which Lucas first made use of the "Episode" numbering for the films; Empire Strikes Back was listed as Episode II. ^[28] 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. ^[29] 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 year-long struggles writing the first film, and quickly wrote two more drafts,^[30] both in April 1978. He also took the script to a darker extreme by having Han Solo become imprisoned in carbonite and left in limbo. Han Solo is a character in the Star Wars universe. He was played by Harrison Ford in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope, Carbonite ( Chemical formula: CO22-) is an explosive made from such Ingredients as Nitroglycerin, Wood meal See also Intermediate state Purgatory|Heaven|Sheol|Hades in Christianity|Hell in Christianity In Roman Catholic theology Limbo (Latin limbus ^[6]

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;^[31] there is not a single reference to this plot point before 1978. After writing the second and third drafts of Empire Strikes Back in which the point was introduced, Lucas reviewed the new backstory he had created: Anakin Skywalker was Ben Kenobi's brilliant student; he had a child called Luke but was swayed to the dark side by Emperor Palpatine (who became a Sith and not simply a politician). Palpatine is a Fictional character in George Lucas 's Science fiction saga Star Wars. Anakin battled Ben Kenobi on the site of a volcano and was wounded, but then resurrected as Darth Vader. Meanwhile Kenobi hid Luke on Tatooine while the Republic became the Empire and Vader hunted down the Jedi knights. Intelligent lifeforms Humans &mdash Settlers Hutts &mdash Slug-like crime lords Jawas &mdash Short humanoid The Jedi are members of a fictional monastic order in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy, created by George ^[32]

With this new backstory in place, Lucas decided that the series would be a trilogy, changing Empire Strikes Back from Episode II to Episode V in the next draft. ^[33] Lawrence Kasdan, who had just completed writing Raiders of the Lost Ark, was then hired to write the next drafts, and was given additional input from director Irvin Kershner. Lawrence Kasdan (born 14 January, 1949) is an American movie producer, director and Screenwriter. Raiders of the Lost Ark (also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) is a 1981 Adventure film directed by Steven Irvin Kershner (born April 29, 1923 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is an American Film director and occasional actor best known Kasdan, Kershner, and producer Gary Kurtz saw the film as a more serious and adult film, which was helped by the new, darker storyline, and developed the series from the light adventure roots of the first film. Gary Kurtz (born July 27 1940 in Los Angeles California) is a two time Academy Award nominated Film producer whose list of credits ^[34]

By the time he began writing Episode VI in 1981 (then titled Revenge of the Jedi), much had changed. Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi is a 1983 Space opera Film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas Making Empire Strikes Back was stressful and costly, and Lucas' personal life was disintegrating. Burnt out, and not wanting to make any more Star Wars films, he vowed that he was done with the series in a May 1983 interview with Time magazine. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Lucas' 1981 rough drafts had Darth Vader competing with the Emperor for possession of Luke—and in the second script, the "revised rough draft," Vader became a sympathetic character. Lawrence Kasdan was hired to take over once again and, in these final drafts, Vader was explicitly redeemed and finally unmasked. This change in character would provide a springboard to the "Tragedy of Darth Vader" storyline that underlies the prequels. ^[35]

Prequel trilogy

Darth Maul, one of the antagonists of the prequel trilogy. Darth Maul is a Fictional character in the Star Wars universe and a villain in Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace.

After losing much of his fortune in a divorce settlement in 1987, Lucas had no desire to return to Star Wars, and had unofficially canceled his Sequel Trilogy by the time of Return of the Jedi. The Star Wars sequel trilogy was a film trilogy originally planned to be part of the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and made by Lucasfilm. ^[36] However the prequels, which were quite developed, continued to fascinate him. After Star Wars became popular once again, in the wake of Dark Horse's comic line and Timothy Zahn's trilogy of novels, Lucas saw that there was still a large audience. Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is a writer of Science fiction short stories and novels The Thrawn trilogy, also known as the Heir to the Empire trilogy, is a series of best-selling Novels written by Timothy Zahn. His children had begun to grow older, and with the explosion of CGI technology he was now considering returning to directing. Computer animation Computer-generated imagery (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of Computer graphics or more specifically 3D computer graphics ^[37] By 1993 it was announced, in Variety among other sources, that he would be making the prequels. Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman He began outlining the story, now indicating that Anakin Skywalker would be the protagonist rather than Ben Kenobi, and that the series would be a tragic one examining Anakin's transformation to evil. Lucas also began to change how the prequels would exist relative to the originals — at first they were supposed to be a "filling-in" of history, backstory, existing parallel or tangential to the originals, but now he saw that they could form the beginning of one long story that started with Anakin's childhood and ended with his death. This was the final step towards turning the franchise into a "Saga". ^[38]

In 1994, Lucas began writing the first screenplay titled Episode I: The Beginning. At first, he planned to write and then film the three prequels at once, but he later abandoned this plan. Lucas also initially planned to have others write and direct, but ultimately decided to do both himself for the first film. Following the release of that film, Lucas announced that he would also also be directing the next two, and began working on Episode II at that time. ^[39] The first draft of Episode II was completed just weeks before principal photography, and Lucas hired Jonathan Hales, a writer from The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, to polish it up. The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, also known as The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, is an Emmy Award -winning American ^[40] Unsure of a title, Lucas had jokingly called the film "Jar Jar's Great Adventure. "^[41] In writing The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas initially decided that Lando Calrissian was a clone and came from a planet of clones which caused the "Clone Wars" mentioned by Kenobi in A New Hope;^[42][43] 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 knights. Lando Calrissian is a character in the Star Wars universe. He is portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars Episode V ^[44] The basic elements of that backstory became the plot basis for Episode II, with the new wrinkle added that the entire event was personal manipulation of Palpatine's. ^[4]

R2-D2, an iconic droid of the Star Wars universe. R2-D2 (called R2, or " Artoo " for short is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, an Astromech droid

Lucas began working on Episode III even before Attack of the Clones was released, offering concept artists that the film would open with a montage of seven Clone War battles. ^[45] As he reviewed the storyline that summer, however, he says he radically re-organized the plot. ^[46] Michael Kaminski, in The Secret History of Star Wars, offers evidence that issues in Anakin's fall to the dark side prompted Lucas to make massive story changes, first revising the opening sequence to have Palpatine kidnapped and Dooku killed by Anakin as the first act in the latter's turn towards the dark side. ^[47] Lucas' first draft was written in 2003, and is largely similar to the film, though much simplified. After principal photography was complete in 2003, Lucas made even more massive changes in Anakin's character, re-writing his entire turn to the dark side — he would now turn primarily in a quest to save Padme from death, rather than the previous version in which that reason was one of several, including that he genuinely believed that the Jedi were evil and plotting to take over the Republic. This fundamental re-write was accomplished both through editing the principal footage, and new and revised scenes filmed during pick-ups in 2004. ^[48]

Lucas often exaggerated the amount of material he wrote for the series; much of it stemmed from the post–1978 period when the series grew into a phenomenon. Michael Kaminski explained that these exaggerations were both a publicity and security measure. Kaminski rationalized that since the series' story radically changed throughout the years, it was always Lucas' intention to change the original story retroactively because audiences would only view the material from his perspective. ^[49][5]

Future releases

At a ShoWest convention in 2005, Lucas demonstrated new technology and stated that he planned to release the six films in a new 3-D film format, beginning with A New Hope in 2007. The National Association of Theatre Owners ( NATO) is a trade organization based in the United States whose members are the owners of Movie theaters Most See also [[stereoscopy]] In film the term 3-D (or 3D) is used to describe any visual presentation system that attempts to maintain or recreate moving images ^[50] However, by January 2007, Lucasfilm stated on StarWars. com that "there are no definitive plans or dates for releasing the Star Wars saga in 3-D. " At Celebration Europe in July 2007, Rick McCallum confirmed that Lucasfilm is "planning to take all six films and turn them into 3-D," but they are "waiting for the companies out there that are developing this technology to bring it down to a cost level that makes it worthwhile for everybody". ^[51]

Lucas has hinted in the past that he will release future, more definitive editions of the six Star Wars films on a next-generation home-video format. ^[52][53] There have been discussions that he will take this opportunity to make any final adjustments, changes, additions, and/or subtractions to his films for this final release. An altered clip from The Phantom Menace included in a featurette on the DVD release of Revenge of the Sith (in which a computer generated Yoda replaces the original puppet) appears to be a sign that the "archival" editions are indeed in the works. ^[54] Lucasfilm Vice President of Marketing Jim Ward confirmed that Lucasfilm is likely to do even more work on the films (possibly digital contemporization of the original trilogy), stating "As the technology evolves and we get into a high-definition platform that is easily consumable by our customers, the situation is much better, but there will always be work to be done. "^[55]

Box office performance

Expanded Universe

Main article: Star Wars Expanded Universe

The term Expanded Universe (EU) is an umbrella term for officially licensed Star Wars material outside of the six feature films. Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (originally released as Star Wars) is a 1977 Space opera Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 Space opera Film directed by Irvin Kershner. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi is a 1983 Space opera Film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Star Wars Episode I Phantom Menace is a 1999 military sci-fi film written and directed by George Lucas. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones is a 2002 Film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 Space opera Film written and directed by George Lucas. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed fictional background of the Star Wars universe outside of the six feature films The material expands the stories told in the films, taking place anywhere from 25,000 years before The Phantom Menace to 140 years after Return of the Jedi. The first Expanded Universe story appeared in Marvel Comics' Star Wars #7 in January 1978 (the first six issues of the series having been an adaptation of the film), followed quickly by Alan Dean Foster's novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye the following month. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc Alan Dean Foster (born November 18 1946) is a prolific American writer of Science fiction and Fantasy Novels and movie Splinter of the Mind's Eye is a Science fiction novel it is a sequel to both Star Wars and its Novelization Star Wars ^[62]

George Lucas retains artistic control over the Star Wars universe. Artistic control or Creative Control is a term commonly used in media production such as Movies, Television, and Music production. For example, the death of central characters and similar changes in the status quo must first pass his screening before authors are given the go-ahead. In addition, Lucasfilm Licensing devotes efforts to ensure continuity between the works of various authors across companies. ^[63] Elements of the Expanded Universe have been adopted by Lucas for use in the films, such as the name of capital planet Coruscant, which first appeared in Timothy Zahn's novel Heir to the Empire before being used in The Phantom Menace. Etymology and naming The word itself originates in the late 15th century from the Latin coruscant- 'vibrating glittering' from the verb coruscare. Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is a writer of Science fiction short stories and novels Heir to the Empire is the first book in a trilogy of novels known as The Thrawn Trilogy, all written by Timothy Zahn. A character introduced in Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars series, a blue Twi'lek Jedi Knight named Aayla Secura, was liked enough by Lucas to be included as a character in Attack of the Clones. Dark Horse Comics is one of the largest independent American Comic book publishers behind dominant publishers Marvel Comics and DC Comics Aayla Secura is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ^[64]

To date, six films and three animated series have been produced for television, with a live-action series and a 3D CGI animated series in pre-production. 3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer Lucas has played a large role in the production of the television projects, usually serving as storywriter or executive producer. ^[65] Star Wars has had numerous radio adaptations. An expanded radio dramatization of the original Star Wars trilogy was produced in 1981, 1983, and 1996. 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. Brian Daley (born Brian Charles Daley, 22 December 1947 - 11 February 1996) was an American Science fiction John Philip Madden (born April 8 1949) is an English director of theatre, Film, Television, and Radio. It was followed by adaptations of The Empire Strikes Back in 1983 and Return of the Jedi in 1996. The adaptations included background material created by Lucas but not used in the films. Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams reprised their roles as Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian, respectively. Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American Actor, Comedian and Voice actor. Anthony Kingsley Daniels (born February 21, 1946) is an English Actor, known for his role as the droid C-3PO in the Billy Dee Williams (born April 6, 1937) is an American Actor, Artist, and Writer, best known for his role as Lando Calrissian C-3PO ( Nicknamed Threepio) is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in both the original Lando Calrissian is a character in the Star Wars universe. He is portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars Episode V The series also used John Williams' original score from the films and Ben Burtt's original sound designs. Benjamin Burtt Jr (born July 12, 1948) is a four time Academy Award-winning Sound designer and sound editor for many famous and noteworthy films ^[66]

Other films

In addition to the two trilogies, several authorized films have been produced:

• The Star Wars Holiday Special, a two-hour television movie, shown only once and never released on video. The Star Wars Holiday Special was a two-hour Television special (including commercials set in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy. Notable for the introduction of Boba Fett. Boba Fett is a Fictional character and Anti-hero from the Star Wars universe.
• Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, a direct to video release
• Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, a direct to video release
• The Great Heep, an R2-D2 and C3PO animated adventure
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars, upcoming theatrical release (August 2008)

Literature

Main articles: List of Star Wars books and List of Star Wars comic books

Star Wars-based fiction predates the release of the first film, with the 1976 novelization of Star Wars (ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster and credited to Lucas). The Ewok Adventure ( 1984) was an American made-for-TV film set in the Star Wars galaxy. Ewoks The Battle for Endor ( 1985) is a made-for-TV movie set in the Star Wars galaxy. The Great Heep was a 48 minute animated Television special that aired on June 7, 1986. Star Wars The Clone Wars is a 2008 CGI animated science-fiction film that follows the continuing adventures within the Star Wars universe This is a list of Star Wars novels novellas and short stories This is a list of Comic books set in the fictional Star Wars universe Alan Dean Foster (born November 18 1946) is a prolific American writer of Science fiction and Fantasy Novels and movie Foster's 1978 novel, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, was the first Expanded Universe work to be released. Splinter of the Mind's Eye is a Science fiction novel it is a sequel to both Star Wars and its Novelization Star Wars In addition to filling in the time between the films, 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 series (1977–1983) but slowed to a trickle afterwards. In 1992, however, Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy debuted, sparking a new interest in the Star Wars universe. Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is a writer of Science fiction short stories and novels The Thrawn trilogy, also known as the Heir to the Empire trilogy, is a series of best-selling Novels written by Timothy Zahn. Since then, several hundred tie-in novels have been published by Bantam and Del Rey. Bantam Books is a major US publishing house owned by Random House and is part of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher A similar resurgence in the Expanded Universe occurred in 1996 with the Steve Perry novel Shadows of the Empire, set between Episodes V and VI, and accompanying video game and comic book series. Steve Perry (born August 31, 1947) is an American television writer and Science fiction Author. Star Wars Shadows of the Empire is a multimedia project created by Lucasfilm Ltd ^[67]

LucasBooks radically changed the face of the Star Wars universe with the introduction of the New Jedi Order series, which takes place some 20 years after Return of the Jedi and stars a host of new characters alongside series originals. The New Jedi Order (or New Jedi Order or NJO) is a series of 19 Science fiction novels published from 1999 to 2003 set However, several significant events which occur during the course of this series (such as the death of Chewbacca) have sparked fan criticism. Chewbacca (or Chewie) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. For younger audiences, three series have been introduced. The Jedi Apprentice series follows the adventures of Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi before Episode I. The Jedi Quest series follows the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker after Episode I and before Episode II. The third and currently on-going series is The Last Of the Jedi series which follows the adventure of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the adventures of a surviving Jedi almost immediately after Episode III.

Marvel Comics published Star Wars comic book series and adaptations from 1977 to 1986. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc A wide variety of creators worked on this series, including Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, Howard Chaykin, Al Williamson, Carmine Infantino, Gene Day, Walt Simonson, Michael Golden, Chris Claremont, Whilce Portacio, Jo Duffy, and Ron Frenz. Roy Thomas (born November 22 1940, Missouri, United States) is a Comic book Writer and editor, and Archie Goodwin ( September 8, 1937 &ndash March 1, 1998) was an American Comic book writer editor and artist Howard Victor Chaykin (born October 7, 1950 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his Al Williamson (born March 21 1931) is an American cartoonist comic book artist and illustrator of partly Colombian descent best known for his science-fiction Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925) is an American Comic book Artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age Howard Eugene Day ( 1951 - 23 September 1982) was a Canadian Comic book Artist best known for Marvel Comics ' Walter "Walt" Simonson (born September 2 1946) is an American Comic book writer and artist Michael Golden is an American Comic-book Artist and commercial artist best known for Chris Claremont (born November 30, 1950) is a writer of American Comic books known for his 16-year (1975-1991 stint on Uncanny X-Men Whilce Portacio (born July 8, 1963) is a Filipino-American Comic book artist. Mary Jo Duffy (b February 9, 1954) often referred to simply as Jo Duffy, was a notable editor and Writer of Comic books Ronald Wade Frenz is an American Comic book artist born in Pittsburgh in 1960 They also published a Star Wars newspaper strip by Russ Manning, Steve Gerber, and Archie Goodwin, the latter under a pseudonym. Russell Manning (born 1929 California, United States; died 1981 was an American Comic book Artist who created the series Magnus Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber ( September 20, 1947 - February 10, 2008) was an American Comic book Writer best Archie Goodwin ( September 8, 1937 &ndash March 1, 1998) was an American Comic book writer editor and artist In the late 1980s, Marvel announced it would publish a new Star Wars comic by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy. Tom Veitch is an American writer best known for his contributions to the Dark Horse line of Star Wars comicbook titles notably Dark Empire Campbell ("Cam" Kennedy is a Scottish Comics artist He is best known for his work on 2000 AD, especially the flagship titles However, in December 1991, Dark Horse Comics acquired the Star Wars license and used it to launch a number of ambitious sequels to the original trilogy instead, including the very popular Dark Empire stories. Dark Horse Comics is one of the largest independent American Comic book publishers behind dominant publishers Marvel Comics and DC Comics For the metal band see Dark Empire. Dark Empire is a trilogy of Star Wars Comic book ^[68] 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. Tag and Bink are the main characters in a comedic series of Star Wars spoof comic books ^[69]

Games

Main articles: Star Wars computer and video games, List of Star Wars video games, and Star Wars Trading Cards

Since 1982, dozens 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. For the list of the games see List of Star Wars video games. Star Wars has spawned over one hundred computer and This is a list of Star Wars video games. Though there have been many Hobbyist -made and Freeware games based on the Star Wars Star Wars Trading Cards are nonsport collectible trading cards, stickers wrappers and caps ( Pogs) based on the A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Star Wars Empire Strikes Back is a Scrolling shooter Video game published by Parker Brothers in 1982 for the Atari 2600 The Atari 2600 is a Video game console released in October 1977 Parker Brothers is a Toy and Game Manufacturer and Brand. Over nearly 115 years the company published more than 1800 games among their 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. A first-person shooter ( FPS) is an action Video game from the Shooter game The initial development of Maze War A computer role-playing game ( CRPG) is a broad Video game genre originally developed for personal computers and other home computers A real-time strategy ( RTS) Video game is a strategic game that is distinctly not turn-based. 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. A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. The Star Wars Roleplaying Game is a Role-playing game (RPG set in the Star Wars universe written and published by West End Games The Star Wars Roleplaying Game is a D20 System -based Roleplaying game set in the Star Wars universe The best-selling games so far are the Lego Star Wars and the Battlefront series, with 12 million and 10 million units respectively. Lego Star Wars The Video Game is a Video game based on the ''Star Wars'' themed toy line by the Lego Group, that takes place during the The Star Wars Battlefront series is a trilogy of first-person / Third-person shooters based on the Star Wars films by George Lucas ^[70][71]

The latest released game was Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga is a Video game based on the Star Wars -themed toy line by the Lego Group LucasArts is also currently developing a next-gen Star Wars game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, for the PS3, PSP, PS2, Xbox 360 and Wii. The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. The game,of the same name of the multimedia project which it is a part of, takes place in the largely unexplored time period between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and casts players as Darth Vader's "secret apprentice" hunting down the remaining Jedi. Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 Space opera Film written and directed by George Lucas. Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (originally released as Star Wars) is a 1977 Space opera Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader is a fictional character in George Lucas ' Science fiction saga Star Wars. The game features a new game engine, and will be released in September 2008. ^[72][73]

Star Wars trading cards have been published since the first 'blue' series, by Topps, in 1977. Star Wars Trading Cards are nonsport collectible trading cards, stickers wrappers and caps ( Pogs) based on the For the meat company see Topps Meat Company. The Topps Company Inc ^[74] Dozens of series have been produced, with Topps being the licensed creator in the United States. For the meat company see Topps Meat Company. The Topps Company Inc The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 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. A chase figure is a toy that is released in limited amounts relative to the rest of an assortment often something like "one chase figure for every two cases of regular product" ^[75]

Fan works

Main article: Star Wars fan films

The Star Wars saga has inspired many fans to create their own apocrypha set in the Star Wars galaxy. In recent years, this has ranged from writing fan-fiction to creating fan films. A fan film is a Film or Video inspired by a Film, Television program, Comic book or a similar source created by fans In 2002, Lucasfilm sponsored the first annual Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards, officially recognizing filmmakers and the genre. The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards is an annual contest put forth by Lucasfilm and AtomFilms to showcase and acknowledge the growing genre of Fan films Because of concerns over potential copyright and trademark issues, however, the contest was initially open only to parodies, mockumentaries, and documentaries. Fan-fiction films set in the Star Wars universe were originally ineligible, but in 2007 Lucasfilm changed the submission standards to allow in-universe fiction entries. ^[76]

While many of the serious 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. Lucasfilm, for the most part, has allowed but not endorsed the creation of these derivative fan-fiction works, so long as no such work attempts to make a profit from or tarnish the Star Wars franchise in any way. ^[77] Lucasfilm's open support and sanction of fan creations is a marked contrast to the attitudes of many other copyright holders. Some owners, such as Paramount Pictures with the Star Trek properties, have been known to actively discourage the creation of such works by fans. Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. ^[78]

Legacy

Main article: Cultural impact of Star Wars

The Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on modern global pop culture. George Lucas' six-film Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on modern global Popular culture. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — 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. Hardware Wars (1977 is a Short film spoof of the classic Science fiction film Star Wars. Spaceballs is a 1987 Science fiction Parody film of Star Wars co-written directed by and starring Mel Brooks. Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American director, Writer, Composer, Lyricist ^[79][80] Lucasfilm itself made two mockumentaries, Return of the Ewok (1982), about Wicket W. Warrick's actor Warwick Davis, and R2-D2: Beneath the Dome (2002), which depicts R2-D2 "life story". Mockumentary (also known as a pseudo-documentary) a Portmanteau of Mock and documentary, is a film and TV Genre, or a single work Wicket Wystri Warrick is a Fictional character from the Star Wars universe, first introduced in Return of the Jedi Warwick Ashley Davis (born February 3 1970) is an English Actor. ^[81][82] There have also been many songs based on, and in, the Star Wars universe. "Weird Al" Yankovic recorded two parodies: "Yoda" and "The Saga Begins". Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (ˈjæŋkəvɪk born October 23 1959 is a Grammy Award winning American singer Musician, actor satirist "Yoda" is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the song " Lola " by The Kinks. " The Saga Begins " is a Parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic of " American Pie " by Don McLean, released from the ^[83]

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. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI was a proposal by US President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect According to Frances Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan was annoyed by this, but Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Perle told colleagues that he "thought the name was not so bad. See also Frances Fitzgerald (Irish politician Frances FitzGerald (born October 21, 1940) is an American Journalist This is about the conservative official and lobbyist for the liberal author see Rick Perlstein. "; "'Why not?' he said. 'It's a good movie. Besides, the good guys won. '"^[84] This gained further resonance when Reagan described the Soviet Union as an Evil Empire, which was taken from the opening crawl to A New Hope, while the term he used for the Contras, "freedom fighters", was taken verbatim from the opening crawl to The Empire Strikes Back. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The phrase evil empire was applied to the Soviet Union by US President Ronald Reagan and American conservatives, who took an aggressive The Contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua 's FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional Sandinista Junta of National ^[85]

See also

• Star Wars Portal
• Star Wars on Wikimedia Commons
• Star Wars on Wikiquote

Notes

References

• Arnold, Alan (1980), Once Upon a Galaxy: A Journal of the Making of The Empire Strikes Back, Ballantine Books, ISBN 0345290755, <http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Galaxy-Journal-Strikes/dp/0345290755> 
• Bouzereau, Laurent (1997), The Annotated Screenplays, Del Rey, ISBN 0345409817, <http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Screenplays-Laurent-Bouzereau/dp/0345409817> 
• Kaminski, Michael (2007), The Secret History of Star Wars, <http://secrethistoryofstarwars.com/book.html> 
• Kaminski, Michael (2008), The Secret History of Star Wars (3. 0 ed. ), <http://secrethistoryofstarwars.com/book.html>. Retrieved on 21 May 2008 
• Rinzler, J. W. (2007), The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (Star Wars), Del Rey, ISBN 0345494768, <http://www.amazon.com/Making-Star-Wars-Definitive-Original/dp/0345494768> 
• Rinzler, Jonathan (2005). The Making of Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Del Rey. ISBN 0345431391.  

Further reading

• Star Wars, religion, and philosophy
  • Bortolin, Matthew (2005-04-25). A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language The Dharma of Star Wars. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0861714970.  
  • Decker, Kevin S. (2005-03-10). Star Wars and Philosophy. Open Court. ISBN 0812695836.  
  • Porter, John M. (2003-01-31). The Tao of Star Wars. Humanics Trade Group. ISBN 0893343854.  
  • Snodgrass, Jon (2004-09-13). Peace Knights of the Soul. InnerCircle Publishing. ISBN 0975521470.  
  • Staub, Dick (2005-03-25). Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters. Jossey-Bass. ISBN 0787978949.  
• Joseph Campbell's influence on Star Wars
  • Campbell, Joseph (1991-06-01). Joseph John Campbell ( March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American Mythology Professor, Writer The Power of Myth. Anchor. An anchor is an object often made out of metal that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point ISBN 0385418868.  
  • Henderson, Mary (1997-11-03). Star Wars: The Magic of Myth. Bantam. ISBN 0553102060.  
  • Larsen, Stephen (2002-04-01). Joseph Campbell: A Fire in the Mind. Inner Traditions. ISBN 0892818735.  

External links

• Star Wars at the Open Directory Project
• The official Star Wars website
• Wookieepedia: The Star Wars Wiki — A wiki devoted to Star Wars
• The World of Star Wars at Yahoo!