Star Wars

It’s safe to say that filmmaker George Lucas changed the face of cinema in 1977 with the science fiction space opera ‘Star Wars’. Creating the idea of a cinematic franchise almost single-handedly, Lucas’ original movie starred Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Alec Guinness, Peter Mayhew and David Prowse, with the film becoming an instant phenomenon upon its release.

Three years later, Irvin Kershner directed the sequel, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, a film many consider one of the greatest of all time. Lucas wrote an instant classic, allowing the villain Darth Vader to fully come into his own. Give it another three years, and Lucas would bookend the trilogy with ‘Return of the Jedi’, completing the story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and more.

It would take 16 years for the ‘Star Wars’ franchise to make a return, with Lucas casting the likes of Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Jake Lloyd, Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley and Samuel L. Jackson in ‘The Phantom Menace’ in 1999. Though many consider it a major disappointment, the film has gained cult popularity, along with its sequel, ‘Attack of the Clones’, with Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee and Rose Byrne. ‘Revenge of the Sith’ would end the prequel trilogy in 2005.

The series would make a grand return in 2015 with the release of ‘The Force Awakens’ with Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Gwendoline Christie and more. ‘The Last Jedi’ by Rian Johnson soon followed, as well as ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ by J.J. Abrams, though neither could conjure the greatness of the original films.

Though the franchise may have lost some momentum, Star Wars retains a strong fanbase, with followers treasuring ‘Andor’, ‘The Mandalorian’, ‘Tales of the Jedi’ and more.