The Long & Interesting History of the Star Wars Franchise
How did you end up with a Star Wars top?
It has been nearly forty years since the first Star Wars film was released, and the franchise shows no signs of slowing down. With a new trilogy and spin-off films in the works, the Star Wars universe is as popular as ever. But where did it all begin?
The original Star Wars film, now known as A New Hope, was released in 1977. Written and directed by George Lucas, the film quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Lucas was inspired by several sources when creating the Star Wars universe, including Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress, and the Flash Gordon serials of the 1930s.
A New Hope was followed by two more sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). These films were also immensely popular, and solidified the Star Wars franchise as a pop culture icon.
In the 1990s, Lucas returned to the Star Wars universe with a prequel trilogy, consisting of The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005). These films were not as well-received as the original trilogy, but nonetheless added new depth to the Star Wars mythos.
More recently, Lucas sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney, and a new trilogy of films is currently in development. The first film of this new trilogy, The Force Awakens, was released in 2015, and was a huge success both critically and commercially. The second film, The Last Jedi, was released in 2017, and divided fans and critics alike.
Interesting Facts About the Star Wars Franchise
1. The original name for Luke Skywalker was Luke Starkiller.
George Lucas had a lot of trouble finding a good name for his protagonist. He considered Luke “Skywalker” to be too plain, and toyed with the idea of naming him after Luke “Skywalker” from the comic book series Luke Cage. However, he eventually decided to go with “Skywalker” after all.
2. Darth Vader was almost a “human robot”.
In early drafts of the Star Wars script, Darth Vader was a “human robot” who was operated by an “evil brain”. However, Lucas decided to make Vader a real person, and the “evil brain” became the Emperor.
3. George Lucas was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress when creating the original trilogy.
The Hidden Fortress is a Japanese film from 1958, which tells the story of two peasants who help a princess escape from an enemy fortress. Lucas was inspired by this film when creating the original Star Wars trilogy, and borrowed elements from it for the films.
4. The original script for The Empire Strikes Back was leaked online in 1977.
A copy of the original script for The Empire Strikes Back was leaked online in 1977, and it contained several major spoilers for the film. Lucas was so upset about the leak that he considered not making the film at all.
5. The Millennium Falcon was originally going to be a large ship, but was scaled down to fit on the Death Star.
The Millennium Falcon was originally going to be a large ship, but was scaled down to fit on the Death Star. This was because Lucas wanted the ship to be captured by the Empire, and he thought it would be more suspenseful if the ship was smaller.
Final Thoughts
The Star Wars franchise has had a long and storied history, dating back to its inception in the late 1970s. The franchise has seen many ups and downs, but has always managed to persevere and remain one of the most popular and well-known movie franchises in the world.
The most recent trilogy of movies has been particularly successful, grossing billions of dollars and cementing Star Wars' place as a pop culture icon. With new movies and TV shows in the works, it seems that the Star Wars franchise is only getting bigger and better with time. Why not begin your collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts with super soft ReCovered t-shirt??
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