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Star Wars

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Films

   Star Wars is a science fantasy saga and fictional galaxy created by
   writer / producer / director George Lucas during the 1970s. The saga
   began with the film Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A
   New Hope), which was released on May 25, 1977, by 20th Century Fox. The
   film became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon - spawning five more
   feature films, three spin-off films, five television series and an
   extensive collection of licensed books, comics, video games, action
   figures, trading cards, card games, and other products - all of which
   are set within a fictional " galaxy far, far away."

   An example of the space opera genre, the Star Wars story employs
   archetypal motifs common to both science fiction and mythology, as well
   as the romantic music motifs now often associated with those genres.

Feature films

            Episode           Release date
   I. The Phantom Menace      May 19, 1999
   II. Attack of the Clones   May 16, 2002
   III. Revenge of the Sith   May 19, 2005
   IV. A New Hope             May 25, 1977
   V. The Empire Strikes Back May 21, 1980
   VI. Return of the Jedi     May 25, 1983

   Although The Ewok Adventure, later renamed Caravan of Courage: An Ewok
   Adventure, played in theaters in Europe and Australia and is
   technically a Star Wars feature film, it is generally associated with
   television, therefore it is covered in the television section below.

Setting

   Unlike the traditional science fiction films preceding it, the Star
   Wars world was initially portrayed as dirty and grimy, rather than
   sleek and futuristic. In interviews, Lucas tells of rubbing the new
   props with dirt to make them look weather-worn, a concept he has
   referred to as "a used or ancient future", a concept further
   popularized in the film Alien of the same era. He may have been
   inspired by Sergio Leone, whose 1960s films performed a similar
   function for the Western genre. It is also possible that he may have
   received the idea from Akira Kurosawa, who believed that it gave his
   actors a more authentic look.

   Each Star Wars film opens with the text, "A long time ago in a galaxy
   far, far away...." Lucas intended this as an allusion to the classic
   fairy tale opening of, "Once upon a time, in a faraway land..." This is
   the only way the Star Wars Galaxy has been defined in relation to the
   real world. To some, Lucas's allusion suggests that the films are to be
   interpreted as allegorical and metaphorical narratives of the future,
   rather than literal events of the past. Lucas intentionally left the
   details open to interpretation. Events occur in the Star Wars galaxy;
   although the film series itself spans the events of only two
   generations, other stories set in the Star Wars universe (those from
   the so-called " Expanded Universe") cover events that span millennia.

   The Star Wars films use an opening text to provide the audience with
   the background to the story. Lucas emulated the Flash Gordon serials by
   having his opening text "crawl" up the screen from bottom to top at a
   high pitched angle, as if the text were disappearing into the distant
   starscape. Also in all Star Wars films, a starship of some kind
   whooshes by after the crawl disappears completely. In a May 15, 2005,
   interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Lucas described the creation of
   the distinctive crawl: "The crawl is such a hard thing because you have
   to be careful that you're not using too many words that people don't
   understand. It's like a poem. I showed the very first crawl to a bunch
   of friends of mine in the '70s. It went on for six paragraphs with four
   sentences each. Brian De Palma was there, and he threw his hands up in
   the air and said, 'George, you're out of your mind! Let me sit down and
   write this for you.' He helped me chop it down into the form that
   exists today."

   The saga shows us a very "ancient" galactic civilization thousands of
   years old. The setting is totally unrelated to Earth or our galaxy,
   which gives it more liberty, in a sense. The Star Wars Galaxy
   prominently features aliens who are essentially identical to humans.
   Their civilization was able to develop space travel, terraform, build
   ecumenopolises and build space colonies 200,000 years "ago."

   Star Wars melds science with supernatural elements that strongly relate
   to epic stories and fairy tales (for example, magic, knights, witches,
   princesses and 'whimsical' alien races such as Ewoks and Gungans). The
   scope of Star Wars history spans over 5,100 years among all the Star
   Wars fiction produced so far (from Tales of the Jedi to Star Wars:
   Legacy), even though the films span only two generations. Later novels
   from a series dubbed New Jedi Order opened up the Star Wars setting
   with alien beings named Yuuzhan Vong that came from a different galaxy.
   Most aliens prior to this series came from the one galaxy in which the
   films are set.

Plot

   Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

   Episodes I, II, and III (the Clone Wars) chronicle the downfall of the
   Old Republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire. It is also the story
   of Anakin Skywalker's rise as a gifted young Jedi (the chosen one) and
   his eventual transformation to Darth Vader, and the Dark Side of the
   Force. In the first film, Darth Sidious manipulates the Trade
   Federation into invading and occupying the planet Naboo. Sidious
   concurrently maintains his public identity as Palpatine, a senator in
   the Galactic Republic, and uses the crisis to convince the Senate to
   elect him as Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. In the second film,
   he further manipulates the Senate into granting him emergency powers
   and orchestrates the Clone Wars, a conflict between the Republic (which
   he controls as Chancellor Palpatine) and a Separatist movement (which
   he controls as Darth Sidious).

   A young boy named Anakin Skywalker, incredibly strong with the Force,
   is discovered by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and his padawan Obi Wan
   Kenobi. Qui-Gon believes Anakin is the Chosen One, prophesied to bring
   balance to the Force. When Qui-Gon is killed by Darth Maul, Obi Wan
   avenges his fallen master and then, over the strong objections of
   Master Yoda, decides to obey his master's final wish to train the boy.
   Anakin grows powerful with the Force, and his skill causes him to
   become arrogant and chafe against Obi-Wan's training, which he feels is
   restrictive. Against the strictest rules of the Jedi Order, Anakin
   falls in love with Padmé Amidala, queen, and later senator, of Naboo.
   The two wed in secret, forbidden for a Jedi as it can create a fear of
   loss that can lead to the Dark Side of the Force. The Clone Wars begin
   to rage through every part of the known galaxy, and the Jedi fight
   tirelessly to bring peace back to the Republic. Anakin and Padmé
   continue to keep their marriage a secret, but soon Padmé becomes
   pregnant. Although thrilled by the news, Anakin begins to have visions
   of Padmé's death. The secretive nature of their relationship forces him
   to seek help outside of the Jedi order, and he desperately asks Senator
   Palpatine (secretly Darth Sidious) for help. Sidious seizes this
   opportunity to tempt Anakin to the Dark Side, promising that Padmé can
   be saved if he joins the Sith. Tragically, Anakin is still unable to
   save Padmé, and becomes indirectly responsible for causing her death.
   By this point it is too late and Anakin has now become the Sith Lord
   Darth Vader who goes on to hunt down and destroy all the remaining Jedi
   in the galaxy (see Order 66 for more on the demise of the Jedi order).
   Padmé dies giving birth to twins, whom she names Luke and Leia. The
   twins are given to two separate willing parties for safety: Luke to
   Anakin's stepbrother Owen Lars and his wife Beru on Tatooine; Leia to
   Senator Bail Organa and his wife on the planet Alderaan. Obi Wan-Kenobi
   and Yoda, the last remaining Jedi, exile themselves, Obi-Wan on
   Tatooine (presumably to watch over Luke), Yoda on the bog-like world of
   Dagobah. Sidious (as Palpatine) declares himself emperor and turns the
   Galactic Republic into the First Galactic Empire.

   Episodes IV, V, and VI (the Galactic Civil War) pick up approximately
   nineteen years after the events of Episode III, during the Galactic
   Civil War, a lengthy conflict which leads to the downfall of the
   Galactic Empire at the hands of the Rebel Alliance. These films follow
   the story of Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin Skywalker, and his rise
   in the rebellion against the Empire. Leia, now a princess and a member
   of the Imperial Senate, sends a message for help to Obi-Wan Kenobi by
   means of R2-D2. She is intercepted by Darth Vader, and is brought to
   the sinister Grand Moff Tarkin. Luke inadvertently intercepts the
   message and meets Kenobi. Leia is forced to witness the destruction of
   her home-world, Alderaan, by the dreaded Death Star. After the murder
   of his aunt and uncle by Imperial Stormtroopers, Luke joins the ragtag
   Rebel Alliance — traveling with Kenobi, his sister Leia Organa (who he
   does not realize is his sister until later, in Episode VI), smuggler
   Han Solo and his friend Lando Calrissian, Solo's Wookiee companion
   Chewbacca, and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2. The Rebel Alliance
   eventually destroys the Death Star and Tarkin.

   He trains with Kenobi and subsequently Yoda to become a Jedi like his
   father, who he believes was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader. When
   Luke learns the truth — that his father is Darth Vader — he is
   profoundly shaken. Despite this, Luke successfully resists the efforts
   of Vader and Palpatine to turn him to the Dark Side, and instead
   succeeds in turning his father back to the Light Side of the Force.
   Vader, having turned from the Dark Side, then kills Emperor Palpatine
   in order to save his son, but is mortally wounded in the process.
   Meanwhile, the Rebel fleet scores a decisive victory against the Empire
   by destroying the second Death Star. The Rebel Alliance's victory
   eventually leads to the end of the Galactic Civil War and the downfall
   of the Empire.

Themes

   George Lucas embraces a style of epic storytelling that uses motifs,
   common themes and concepts which he alters slightly each time they
   occur. The concept is lifted from Romantic (early 19th century) music,
   but Lucas applies it both visually and as an integral part of his
   storytelling.

   On a larger scale, there are many parallels between the original
   trilogy and the prequel trilogy; the stories of Anakin Skywalker and
   Luke Skywalker echo and reflect each other in myriad ways.

   The Force is one of the most recognizable elements of the Star Wars
   series. It is described by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars
   film as, "An energy field created by all living things. It surrounds
   us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together."

   Those who can use the Force, such as the Jedi, can perform feats of
   telepathy, psychokinesis, prescience, clairvoyance, and mental control.
   Two aspects of the Force are emphasized: the light side and the dark
   side. The light side of the Force is the facet aligned with good,
   benevolence, and healing. The dark side of the Force is aligned with
   fear, hatred, aggression, and malevolence. The dark side seems more
   powerful, especially to those who use it, because it is driven by rage
   and hatred — its effects are more direct and easier and faster to
   achieve. In reality, neither the light nor the dark side of the Force
   is stronger than the other, each possessing its own advantages and
   disadvantages. For example, the dark side conveys an inherent
   disadvantage to its users, which is arrogance and overconfidence in
   their own abilities. However, this aggression allows its acolytes to
   become more formidable warriors — illustrated when Luke is able to
   finally overcome his father in battle because of his anger at the
   thought of his sister turning to the dark side. On the other hand, Jedi
   can occasionally become crippled by their compassion and act "soft."
   This is balanced by an ability to remain calm even in extreme
   circumstances.

Influences

   Many different influences have been suggested for the Star Wars films
   by fans and critics. George Lucas himself has cited some quite
   surprising inspirations for his films, for example the novel Watership
   Down. Lucas acknowledges that the plot and characters in the 1958
   Japanese film The Hidden Fortress, directed by Akira Kurosawa, were a
   major inspiration. Lucas has said in an interview, which is included on
   the DVD edition of The Hidden Fortress, that the movie influenced him
   to tell the story of Star Wars from the viewpoint of the humble droids,
   rather than a major player. It also played a role in the conception of
   Darth Vader, whose trademark black helmet intentionally resembles the
   black kabuto of the arch-villain in Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai. The
   Jedi, nearly extinct futuristic knights of the former Republic, also
   have a high influence from the Samurai as spiritual warriors and
   duelists with a strong sense of honour and devotion to their duty.
   Their traditional clothing even resembles kimonos.

   Prior to writing the script for Star Wars, George Lucas originally
   wanted to make a film of Flash Gordon. The rights for Flash Gordon,
   however, were held by Dino De Laurentiis, and Lucas decided to work on
   his own science fiction project instead.

   Another influence in Lucas's creation of Star Wars was the writings of
   Joseph Campbell. Campbell's work explored the supposed common meanings,
   structures, and purposes of the world's mythologies. Lucas has stated
   that his intention was to create in Star Wars a "modern mythology"
   based on Campbell's work. The original Star Wars film, episode IV, for
   example, closely followed the archetypal "hero's journey", as described
   in Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. This influence was
   discussed by Bill Moyers and Campbell in the PBS mini-series, The Power
   of Myth and by Lucas and Moyers in the 1999 program, Mythology of Star
   Wars with George Lucas & Bill Moyers. In addition, the National Air and
   Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution sponsored an exhibit during
   the late 1990s called Star Wars: The Magic of Myth which discussed the
   ways in which Campbell's work shaped the Star Wars films. A companion
   guide of the same name was published in 1997.

   It is thought that the setting for the Star Wars universe came from
   Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, published in the early 1950s. This
   saga also involves a galaxy teeming with inhabited worlds held together
   by a collapsing galactic empire using hyperdrives (for long-distance
   transportation). It also features the planet Trantor, which is entirely
   covered by the galaxy's capital, similar to Coruscant, and the
   protagonist of Foundation and Empire is Lathan Devers, a character
   resembling Han Solo. Even lightsabers have precursors in the The
   Foundation Trilogy as force field penknives. The planet Korrell is
   thought to be the basis of the planet Corellia.

   It is often argued that Star Wars was influenced by Frank Herbert's
   classic science fiction book Dune. Many elements of Star Wars are also
   evident in Dune. There are so many similarities, in fact, some Dune
   devotees consider Star Wars little more than a campy film adaptation of
   Herbert's work. While this is certainly an exaggeration, many of the
   similarities are striking. For example, both Dune and Star Wars are set
   on desert planets. Both stories feature a mystical knighthood of sorts
   — the Jedi in Star Wars and the Fremen of Dune. In both stories the
   hero is a messiah-like character, uses mystical powers, exhibits mind
   control (Jedi mind trick/the Voice), and duels opponents with
   sword-like weapons. Finally, both stories describe a corrupt empire and
   the hero's efforts to overcome it.

   Some comic book fans have drawn parallels between Star Wars and Jack
   Kirby’s epic Fourth World series, published by DC Comics. The
   cosmos-spanning series of titles was never completed because DC
   canceled it, citing low sales. At the heart of the series was the
   battle between Orion of the New Gods and his villainous father,
   Darkseid (pronounced “dark side.”) Orion called upon the mystical force
   known as "the source" to aid him in this struggle. The Death Star is
   somewhat reminiscent of Apokolips, Darkseid’s home planet. Likewise,
   Darkseid's headpiece is similar in structure to Vader's.

   Furthermore, Orion, like Luke Skywalker, was separated from his evil
   father at birth, growing up ignorant of his true parentage. Also like
   Skywalker, Orion was mentored by an old man who carried a staff and was
   far more powerful than his appearance suggested; the Highfather.
   Finally, both Orion and Skywalker are forced to struggle not only
   against their biological father's dreams of universal conquest but also
   against their own inner darkeness.

   Also, Darth Vader shares some visual similarities with Kirby’s armored
   über-villain Dr. Doom, co-created with editor/scripter Stan Lee at
   Marvel Comics.

   The Star Wars saga has also been influenced by historical events; Lucas
   claims to have drawn on ancient Rome, World War II and the Vietnam War
   for inspiration. The reference to the historical past can be seen with
   Lucas's use of 'stormtroopers', commonly associated with the
   stormtroopers of World War I Germany and Nazi Germany, and also
   associated with the SS under Hitler in World War II. These troopers
   acted as the Nazi party’s military force, under Hitler’s direct
   control. Similarly, the stormtroopers of Star Wars acted as the
   Empire’s military force, under Palpatine’s direct control. Lucas also
   based the space battles in A New Hope on World War II-era aerial
   dogfights. The rise of Palpatine mirrors Hitler in that a democracy
   becomes an empire.

   Even Star Trek is said to have had a limited influence on Star Wars.
   Gene Roddenberry's intergallactic vision among humans has long been a
   staple for these concepts. A reference to ST is used in Episode V when
   an Empire commander mentions a cloaking device, a device used by
   Romulans, to describe the disappearance of the Millennium Falcon. It's
   been mentioned that Lucas wanted to label the Falcon's light speed
   capabilities as "warp drive" but was advised against it because at the
   time Roddenberry was looking into doing the Star Trek Phase II TV show
   and didn't want to start a conflict.

   Star Wars was also influenced by The Lord of the Rings by ' J.R.R.
   Tolkien'.

Scripts

   The Star Wars saga began with a 14-page treatment for a space adventure
   movie that Lucas drafted in 1973, inspired by multiple myths and
   classical narratives. According to one source, Lucas initially wrote
   summaries for fifteen stories that would make up the Star Wars saga.
   Out of these fifteen stories, Lucas originally planned to film only one
   of them as a feature film. Then, in 1978, following the success of the
   first released Star Wars film, he publicly announced that he would
   create a total of twelve films to chronicle the adventures of Luke
   Skywalker (in the original scripts, the character’s name was Luke
   Starkiller). In 1979, Lucas retracted his former statement, saying that
   he would instead make nine films. Four years later, having completed
   Return of the Jedi, Lucas announced that he was putting Star Wars on
   indefinite hold until special-effects technology had improved to his
   satisfaction. Finally, in 1995, (after seeing the effects results of
   ILM's work on Jurassic Park) Lucas decided that he would produce the
   trilogy of prequels (Episodes I, II, and III), for a total of six
   films. He also claimed at the time that he had always envisioned "the
   whole thing as a series of six films".

   Other sources, including publicly available draft scripts of Star Wars,
   show that Lucas had an incomplete and quickly-changing conception of
   the Star Wars story up until the release of the first film in 1977.
   Story elements such as the Kaiburr crystal present in early scripts are
   missing entirely in the films, while names were freely exchanged
   between different planets and characters — "Organa Major" being the
   original name for Alderaan, for instance (Organa later became Princess
   Leia's surname). Even as late as the production of The Empire Strikes
   Back and Return of the Jedi, there were significant differences from
   the films which emerged — for example, Lando Calrissian being a clone
   from the Clone Wars and the climactic battle of Return of the Jedi
   taking place against two Death Stars orbiting the Imperial capital
   planet, then known as Had Abbadon. Another version of the Return of the
   Jedi script had Luke turning to the dark side after killing Darth
   Vader. Leia would then become the next Jedi to fight the dark side.
   This did not happen, however, because Lucas felt that the ending would
   be too dark, especially for children, who were a major target audience.
   Also, George Lucas had the script of The Empire Strikes Back saying
   that "Obi-Wan killed your father," all the while having the "I am your
   father" line in mind. Since Darth Vader's voice was overdubbed by James
   Earl Jones, the true line was revealed in post-production. In addition,
   the story released as the novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye was intended
   as a possible direction for a low-budget Star Wars sequel — however,
   the success of A New Hope allowed Lucas to pursue the more ambitious
   The Empire Strikes Back instead.

   Lucas has been criticized for allegedly deviating from his original
   conception of the universe that was introduced in the original 1977
   film. It has been theorized by some that developments in the later
   films, including (but not limited to) the revelation of Darth Vader as
   the father of Luke Skywalker, the revelation of Princess Leia as Luke's
   sister, and the progression of Darth Vader from a powerful lackey
   serving under Grand Moff Tarkin to a much-feared military leader
   answerable only to the Emperor (as well as the overall Star Wars Saga's
   shift in focus from Luke to Vader as the main character) go completely
   against the history/characters/relationships that were established in
   the original 1977 film. The Star Wars prequel trilogy has also been
   accused of similar retroactive changes that were allegedly not part of
   Lucas' original concept for Star Wars.

   For his part, Lucas claimed in a segment filmed for the THX- remastered
   VHS release of the original trilogy that the original Star Wars story
   was intended as a single film but was later split into three because
   the story was too long to be told in a single film. In the DVD
   commentaries for the original trilogy, Lucas claims that many story
   elements were changed within the production of the films — for
   instance, the attack on the Death Star in A New Hope was moved from the
   end of the trilogy in order to strengthen A New Hope on its own merits,
   while the character of Chewbacca established the Wookiees as a
   technologically advanced race, necessitating their replacement with
   Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. Other changes, including the death of
   Obi-Wan in A New Hope, were made during the filming. Lucas also stated
   in the commentaries that the prequel stories existed only as "notes"
   explaining the backstories of characters such as Obi-Wan. In an
   interview with Wired prior to the release of The Phantom Menace, Lucas
   remarked that he had allowed the publication of novels written as
   sequels to the films (see Expanded Universe) because he would never
   make the sequels himself.

   Lucas's history of different statements regarding his future and past
   plans for the Star Wars saga have caused a great deal of popular
   confusion, while drawing criticism from some. For example, some still
   believe that Lucas's original plan was for a "trilogy of trilogies,"
   based on early statements made by Lucasfilm regarding sequels. For more
   information on the supposed sequel trilogy, see Sequel trilogy (Star
   Wars).

   It has been reported that Lucas's original script was almost 500 pages
   long. The title, originally The Adventures of Luke Starkiller, was
   changed several times before becoming Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Production and release

   The Star Wars film series was shot in an original aspect ratio of
   2.35:1. The "original trilogy" was shot with anamorphic lenses
   (Episodes IV and V were shot in Panavision, while Episode VI was shot
   in J.D.C. scope), while Episode I was shot in Arriscope film format,
   and Episodes II and III were shot with Sony's CineAlta high-definition
   digital camera.

   There were countless problems during the production of Episode IV, and
   few critics expected the film to achieve the measure of success it did.
   Many problems with effects, editing, funding, and shooting caused the
   film to be pushed back from its expected release date of December 1976.
   The production company, not to mention many involved in the actual
   production, had little faith in the movie. According to reports, it was
   a daily struggle merely to complete the film on time. Despite these
   difficulties, the first film was released on May 25, 1977, and became a
   surprise hit. Though its novelization had hit the shelves six months
   earlier, the book had not seen nearly the amount of interest that the
   film would draw.

   Many consider the phenomenal popularity of its first release due to the
   need for escapism after the experiences of Vietnam and Watergate.
   Throughout the first half of the 70's, baby-boomers (like Lucas
   himself) were getting more involved in filmaking along with Coppola,
   Scorcese, Freidken and others only to express dark and gritty realism
   in their films. Star Wars offered an escape from these confining
   realities.

Filming locations

   Episodes IV, V, and VI were shot at, among other locations, Elstree
   Studios, in Hertfordshire, England. The outdoor scenes from the ice
   planet Hoth in Episode V were shot at Finse, Norway. Also, one shot of
   the Rebel Base on Yavin IV in Episode IV was of Mayan temples in Tikal,
   Guatemala. The Phantom Menace was filmed at Leavesden Film Studios and
   the subsequent prequels were filmed in Sydney, Australia. Tunisia, and
   the sand dunes of Yuma, Arizona, have served as the location for
   filming scenes set on the desert planet Tatooine in A New Hope, Return
   of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of
   the Sith. Italy's Caserta Palace was used to create the Theed palace on
   Queen Amidala's home planet, Naboo, and some scenes were also shot at
   Italy's Lake Como. Also some scenes in A New Hope were shot in Death
   Valley National Park, California, USA and Cappadocia, Turkey.

   Both the "original trilogy" and the "prequel trilogy" were released
   over a period of six years (1977–1983 and 1999–2005, respectively),
   each movie taking two years to produce.

Musical score

   The scores for all six Star Wars films were composed by John Williams.
   Lucas's intentions for Star Wars involved a grand musical sound, with
   leitmotifs for different characters and important objects; an approach
   used to great effect, for instance, in the operas of Richard Wagner.
   Toward this end, Lucas put together a collection of classical and
   romantic pieces for composer Williams to review, as an idea of what
   effects Lucas desired for the films. The music Williams composed was
   often distinctly reminiscent of the original pieces. Williams' score
   for Star Wars in 1977 set a new standard for science fiction films by
   drawing its inspiration primarily from a palette of Romantic
   symphonies, rather than creating completely new music (in choosing this
   classical approach, Williams was following the lead of 2001: A Space
   Odyssey and a mix-tape of Wagnerian opera and other selections compiled
   by George Lucas.) Although Williams had already established himself as
   a film composer with scores for blockbusters such as The Poseidon
   Adventure and Jaws, the Star Wars score gave him international
   recognition.

   Williams' scores for the original trilogy were primarily motif-based:
   individual characters and settings were each given their own, unique
   musical theme which would identify their presence in the film, whether
   physically or figuratively. By combining and varying these motifs,
   Williams could create a score possessed of a rich, interwoven fabric.

   By the time of the prequel trilogy, however, Williams had grown and
   changed as a composer. His new scores de-emphasized motifs, tending to
   weave them subtly into a broader and more dynamic musical composition.
   He had also expanded his use of thematic motifs, using the technique to
   highlight the emotional or archetypal structure of the film, rather
   than the more literal associations to character and setting used in the
   earlier scores.

Re-releases

   In 1997, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi
   were re-mastered and theatrically re-released as the "Special
   Editions." It was one of the first films series to be re-mastered in
   this way, and the trend of re-mastering and re-releasing films has
   proven to be extremely successful and many other movies and series have
   followed suit. For the re-release, in addition to extensive clean-up
   and restoration work, Lucas also made several changes to the films in
   order to "finish the film the way it was meant to be" (as Lucas said in
   a September 2004 interview with the Associated Press). Many of Lucas'
   changes for the Special Editions were cosmetic, generally adding
   special effects which were not originally possible. Other changes,
   however, are considered to have affected plot or character development.
   These changes, such as the change often referred to by fans as " Han
   shot first," have proven to be controversial, inciting considerable
   criticism of George Lucas by fans, and was one of the first causes of
   what came to be known as "Lucas bashing".

   In 2004, in addition to an extensive and comprehensive hi-definition
   digital cleanup and restoration job by Lowry Digital, the original
   films were changed once again for their release on DVD. In these new
   versions of the films, in addition to new scenes and major image
   adjustments designed to make the films visually resemble the prequels,
   a few changes which had been made for the 1997 Special Editions were
   removed. With this release, Lucasfilm created a new high-definition
   master of the films, which will be used in future releases as well.

   Although the original films have undergone significant alterations over
   the years, the prequel films have received only minor changes from
   their theatrical versions. The DVD releases of The Phantom Menace,
   Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith have had such elements
   altered as small additions of scenes, touch-ups in effects, and small
   sound changes.

   For many years, Lucas has stated that the original, unaltered versions
   of the trilogy would never be released again, having been released for
   the last time on VHS and Laserdisc in 1995. However, on May 3, 2006,
   Lucasfilm announced on the official Star Wars site that due to
   "overwhelming demand", the original versions would be released on DVD
   on September 12, 2006. Each film was released as a two-disc set with
   the 2004 versions of the films on one disc, and the original, unaltered
   film on the second disc, as a bonus feature. The set is only available
   until December 31, 2006, then will be withdrawn from the market.

   There has been controversy surrounding this release, since it was
   revealed that the DVDs featured non-anamorphic versions of the
   original, unaltered films based on laserdisc releases from 1993 (as
   opposed to newly-remastered, film-based transfers). Since
   non-anamorphic transfers fail to make full use of the resolution
   available on widescreen sets, many fans were upset over this choice.

Future releases

   At a ShoWest convention in 2005, George Lucas demonstrated new
   technology and stated that he planned to release all six films in a new
   3-D film format, beginning with A New Hope in 2007.

   Additionally, Lucas has hinted in the past that he will release his
   definitive (often called "archival") editions of all six of his Star
   Wars films on a next-generation home-video format in 2007. This release
   would coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars saga. It has
   been speculated 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.

   It is said that this edition will be released in a "Grand Saga" box
   set. Lucasfilm Vice President of Marketing Jim Ward confirmed that in
   this final release, Lucasfilm is likely to return to John Lowry to do
   even more work on the films (possibly digital contemporization of the
   original trilogy). He says, "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."

   Producer Rick McCallum has also explained that Lucasfilm has been
   holding back a large amount of bonus material for this release,
   including deleted scenes, as well as numerous previous Star Wars
   "making-ofs," spin-offs, television specials, documentaries, and other
   special material.

   There has been much hope for another Star Wars trilogy but George Lucas
   has said that there are no plans for episodes 7, 8, and 9.

Television rights

   Aside from pay-per-view cable showings, the original Star Wars movie
   (Episode IV) first saw TV release in 1983 on all the major pay-cable
   networks ( HBO, Showtime, etc.). CBS had exclusive network rights when
   it aired on commercial television one year later, and continued on CBS
   for several years. The remaining films in the original trilogy also
   made their cable rounds (pay-per-view, premium cable) before airing on
   network television ( NBC acquired the original network rights to The
   Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi). In 1992, the Sci-Fi
   Channel became the first U.S. network to air the three then-existing
   episodes in the saga. Sci-Fi retained TV rights until 1996, in
   preparation for the theatrical release of the "Special Editions" of the
   original trilogy. In 1998, a year after the SE releases, Showtime
   acquired limited one-month premium cable rights to the "Special
   Edition" of Star Wars for airing in January. It continued on broadcast
   stations, including superstations TBS and WGN, for several years
   after).

   In 1999, to promote Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the remaining
   "Special Edition" films (V and VI) aired on U.S. broadcast network Fox
   (they bypassed pay-per-view and premium cable for direct broadcast
   airing). That same year, Fox acquired all television rights to Episode
   I after the premium cable networks declined due to cost. A similar
   situation nearly happened with Attack of the Clones, until HBO struck a
   last-minute deal with Fox and Lucasfilm for the exclusive pay-cable
   rights. Episode II, like its predecessor, never saw prior pay-per-view
   cable release, but it did run on HBO and sister network Cinemax during
   its 18-month term of license. The Fox network acquired the U.S. network
   television rights. In April/May 2005, to promote the then-upcoming
   Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episodes I, IV, V, and VI were placed
   in limited syndicated television distribution, while the Fox network
   was able to air Episode II in mid-May, prior to Episode III's initial
   theatrical release.

   During negotiations for the cable rights to Episode II, HBO/Cinemax
   also struck a first-look deal for Episode III, which they accepted and
   is currently on its initial 18-month term of license (it was also the
   only Star Wars prequel film to see any pay-per-view cable issue). In
   addition, the Time Warner-owned networks were able to win the right to
   become the first U.S. television network system (cable or broadcast) to
   air all six films in the saga, and Cinemax will air them beginning
   November 2006 in High Definition. The six films will also be repeated
   on HBO in High Defenition. The versions of Episodes IV, V, and VI that
   will be aired will be the 2004 DVD Special Editions, as they are the
   current canonical versions. In the UK, Sky purchased the rights to air
   all six movies in August 2006, becoming the first English-language
   television network to air all six films, which will be aired in order
   of release, beginning with the original Episode IV. Afterwards, the
   episodes will continue to be shown during the "100 films a month"
   cycles on Sky Movies. Meanwhile Spike TV, in a separate deal, acquired
   the commercial broadcast rights to Episode III, including the right to
   become the first broadcast network to air all six films (the deal takes
   effect in April 2008).

Expanded Universe

   The term "Expanded Universe" has come into existence as an umbrella
   term for all of the officially licensed Star Wars material outside of
   the six feature films. This includes television productions, books,
   comics, games, and other forms of media. The material expands and
   continues 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 movie), followed quickly by Alan Dean Foster's
   novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye the following month.

   George Lucas retains ultimate creative 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, Lucasfilm Licensing devotes
   considerable effort to ensure continuity between the works of various
   authors across multiple companies.

   Some purists reject the Expanded Universe as " Apocrypha", believing
   that only the events in the film series are part of the "real" Star
   Wars universe. However, elements of the Expanded Universe have been
   adopted by Lucas for use in the films. These included the name of the
   Republic/Empire capital planet, Coruscant, which first appeared in
   Timothy Zahn's novel Heir to the Empire before being used in The
   Phantom Menace, while a character introduced in Dark Horse Comics' Star
   Wars series, a blue Jedi Knight named Aayla Secura, was liked enough by
   Lucas to be included as a character in Attack of the Clones (and is
   seen meeting her demise in Revenge of the Sith in an ambush on the
   jungle planet Felucia).

Television

   To date, three films and three animated series have been produced for
   television, with a live-action series in pre-production. For the most
   part, Lucas has played a large role in the production of the television
   projects — usually serving as storywriter and/or executive producer.

                                 Production

                                             Release date

   The Star Wars Holiday Special

                                           November 17, 1978

   Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure

                                           November 25, 1984

   Star Wars: Droids

                                           September 7, 1985

   Star Wars: Ewoks

                                           September 7, 1985

   Ewoks: The Battle for Endor

                                           November 24, 1985

   Star Wars: Clone Wars (2-D series)

                                           November 7, 2003

   Star Wars: Clone Wars (3-D series)

                                           2007

   Star Wars live-action TV series

                                           2008

Audio dramas

   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 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. The series also used John Williams' original score from
   the films and Ben Burtt's original sound designs.

Books

   Star Wars-based fiction predates the release of the first movie, with
   the 1976 novelization of "A New Hope" (ghost-written by Alan Dean
   Foster and credited to George Lucas). Foster's 1978 novel, Splinter of
   the Mind's Eye, was very nearly the first Expanded Universe work to be
   released. In addition to filling in the time between the movies, 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 1991, however,
   Timothy Zahn's celebrated 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.

   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. However, several significant events which
   occur during the course of this series (such as the death of a major
   film character) have sparked much fan criticism.

Comics

   Marvel Comics published Star Wars comic book series and adaptations
   from 1977 to 1986. 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. In the late 1980s,
   Marvel announced it would publish a new Star Wars comic by Tom Veitch
   and Cam Kennedy. 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. They have since gone on to publish a large number
   of original adventures set in the Star Wars universe.

Games

   Since 1983, over 120 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. 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.

   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. In the Lego
   Star Wars Series the movies are played in a different way. And in
   Empire at war, players can take control of either the empire or the
   rebellion and fight for control of the galaxy.

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 movie 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 card game cards
   are different from the trading cards. A thriving market for both types
   exists on eBay.

Fan works

   The Star Wars saga has inspired many fans, called "Warsies", to create
   their own stories set in the Star Wars galaxy. In recent years, this
   has ranged from writing fan-fiction to creating fan films.

   In 2002, Lucasfilm sponsored the first annual Official Star Wars Fan
   Films Awards, officially recognizing filmmakers and the genre. Because
   of concerns over potential copyright and trademark issues, however, the
   contest remains open only to parodies, mockumentaries, and
   documentaries. Fan-fiction films set in the Star Wars universe are
   ineligible. Initially this limitation caused an outcry for those
   interested in creating serious fan-fiction for a competition.

   While many of the serious fan films have used elements from the
   licensed Expanded Universe to tell their story, they are obviously 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.

   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.

Cultural impact

   The Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on modern global pop
   culture. Science fiction since Star Wars, particularly in film, has
   often been influenced by and compared to Star Wars. References to the
   main characters and themes of Star Wars are casually made in Western
   society with the well-qualified assumption that others will understand
   the reference. George Lucas is also famous for using the best possible
   cameras and technology (see also Industrial Light and Magic) in his
   movies. Many say that the visual and virtual effects that take over
   today's movies would have never been created if not for Lucas's
   revolutionizing of the movie industry with Star Wars.

Parodies

   Both the movie and characters have been parodied or spoofed in popular
   movies and television. Notable movie parodies of Star Wars include:
   Hardware Wars, a 13 minute spoof which George Lucas has called his
   favorite Star Wars parody; Spaceballs, a feature film by Mel Brooks,
   and Troops, a COPS-style documentary. There have been numerous parodic
   references to Star Wars in films such as Back to the Future, Ferris
   Bueller's Day Off, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and most of the films of Kevin
   Smith.

   In episode 8 of the anime School Rumble, the character Kenji Harima is
   seen watching a program on television that bears striking similarities
   to Star Wars.

   When Kevin Spacey hosted Saturday Night Live in 1997, the first film's
   twentieth anniversary, one pair of skits parodied the film's screen
   tests, and included, among others, Spacey playing Christopher Walken
   auditioning for Han Solo. Walken really was considered for that role
   before Harrison Ford was chosen.

Songs

   There have been many songs based around the Star Wars universe, the
   most notable of which are "Weird Al" Yankovic's Yoda, (a parody of The
   Kinks' " Lola"), which describes Luke's training with the "wrinkled and
   green" Jedi master, and The Saga Begins, (a parody of Don McLean's "
   American Pie"), which chronicles the events of Episode I. The latter of
   these is particularly reveled, as it was released one week before the
   film.

   In late 1977, at the height of the original Star Wars craze, comedian
   Bill Murray portrayed Lounge Lizard Nick Winters on Saturday Night Live
   and sang a swanky version of the Star Wars theme, complete with inane
   improvised lyrics.

   Other songs based on the Star Wars saga include The Star Wars Gangsta
   Rap and Star Wars Cantina.
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