Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Star Wars (film)
open-in-new
<p><i>Star Wars</i> (retroactively titled <i>Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope</i>) is a 1977 American <a href="/facts/Epic_film/wWInDjcD">epic</a> <a href="/facts/Space-opera/dA55c3Vs">space-opera</a> film written and directed by <a href="/facts/George_Lucas/1bLspXbj">George Lucas</a>, produced by <a href="/facts/Lucasfilm/7WjKBSjM">Lucasfilm</a> and distributed by <a href="/facts/20th_Century_Fox/vd5eeD3S">20th Century Fox</a>. It stars <a href="/facts/Mark_Hamill/adQ6UJPb">Mark Hamill</a>, <a href="/facts/Harrison_Ford/Dw7TrhAK">Harrison Ford</a>, <a href="/facts/Carrie_Fisher/7TVwCASy">Carrie Fisher</a>, <a href="/facts/Peter_Cushing/y8XoCxem">Peter Cushing</a>, <a href="/facts/Alec_Guinness/R7vb7EjU">Alec Guinness</a>, <a href="/facts/David_Prowse/0ewTU0LQ">David Prowse</a>, <a href="/facts/James_Earl_Jones/qjsG9Y59">James Earl Jones</a>, <a href="/facts/Anthony_Daniels/MRxj0Wu8">Anthony Daniels</a>, <a href="/facts/Kenny_Baker_(English_actor)/fXhswk4r">Kenny Baker</a> and <a href="/facts/Peter_Mayhew/29clFAh7">Peter Mayhew</a>. It is the first installment of the <a href="/facts/Star_Wars_Trilogy/PT7MaVNE">original <i>Star Wars</i> trilogy</a>, the first of <a href="/facts/Star_Wars/9Y5j3IPP">the franchise</a> to be produced, and the fourth episode of the "<a href="/facts/List_of_Star_Wars_films/hTYjDxUp">Skywalker saga</a>". </p><p>Lucas had the idea for a science-fiction film in the vein of <i><a href="/facts/Flash_Gordon/TNgxNvhj">Flash Gordon</a></i> around the time he completed his first film, <i><a href="/facts/THX_1138/xjUqQlnt">THX 1138</a></i> (1971) and began working on a treatment after the release of <i><a href="/facts/American_Graffiti/HTdDBmCv">American Graffiti</a></i> (1973). <i>Star Wars</i> takes place "a long time ago", in a <a href="/facts/Fictional_universe/ESj2DCy2">fictional universe</a> inhabited by both humans and various alien species; most of the known galaxy is ruled by the tyrannical <a href="/facts/Galactic_Empire_(Star_Wars)/oUJF9jNE">Galactic Empire</a>, which is only opposed by the <a href="/facts/Rebel_Alliance/5BdPkS0v">Rebel Alliance</a>, a group of <a href="/facts/Freedom_fighter/peRRrz7y">freedom fighters</a>. The narrative of the film focuses on the <a href="/facts/Hero%27s_journey/jgNdgpPd">hero journey</a> of <a href="/facts/Luke_Skywalker/tSQLrLf2">Luke Skywalker</a> (Hamill), an <a href="/facts/Everyman/6ykNqPpL">everyman</a> who becomes caught in the galactic conflict between the Empire and the Rebellion after coming into possession of two <a href="/facts/Droid_(Star_Wars)/PtVs475F">droids</a>, <a href="/facts/R2-D2/AuIQ7dEN">R2-D2</a> (Baker) and <a href="/facts/C-3PO/IJ9VUQCG">C-3PO</a> (Daniels), who are carrying the schematics of the Empire's ultimate weapon, the <a href="/facts/Death_Star/AFjT2jNd">Death Star</a>. While attempting to deliver the droids to the Rebellion, Luke is joined by wizened <a href="/facts/Jedi_Master/lUXfoKVb">Jedi Master</a> <a href="/facts/Obi-Wan_Kenobi/bI7RTj0B">Obi-Wan Kenobi</a> (Guinness), who teaches him about the <a href="/facts/Metaphysics/fSFt6SHe">metaphysical power</a> known as "<a href="/facts/The_Force/Sgm5LjcW">the Force</a>", cynical smuggler <a href="/facts/Han_Solo/uFzbPRFk">Han Solo</a> (Ford), his <a href="/facts/Wookiee/nGj4auDN">Wookiee</a> companion <a href="/facts/Chewbacca/k53zxlMk">Chewbacca</a> (Mayhew), and Rebellion leader <a href="/facts/Princess_Leia/vEMTxbsd">Princess Leia</a> (Fisher). Meanwhile, Imperial officers <a href="/facts/Darth_Vader/gy1XBNa9">Darth Vader</a> (Prowse, voiced by Jones), a <a href="/facts/Sith/ueNvaVco">Sith Lord</a>, and <a href="/facts/Grand_Moff_Tarkin/Nu5jTvrG">Grand Moff Tarkin</a> (Cushing), the commander of the Death Star, seek to retrieve the stolen schematics and locate the Rebellion's secret base. </p><p>After a turbulent production, <i>Star Wars</i> was released in a limited number of theaters in the United States on May 25, 1977, and quickly became a <a href="/facts/Blockbuster_(entertainment)/9hsjgCfK">blockbuster</a> hit, leading to it being expanded to a much wider release. The film opened to critical acclaim, most notably for its groundbreaking visual effects. It grossed a total of $775 million (over $550 million during its initial run), surpassing <i><a href="/facts/Jaws_(film)/Pss43naz">Jaws</a></i> (1975) to become the <a href="/facts/Timeline_of_highest-grossing_films/64Qtvz8F">highest-grossing film at the time</a> until the release of <i><a href="/facts/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial/1lWvmFAh">E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial</a></i> (1982). When adjusted for inflation, <i>Star Wars</i> is the <a href="/facts/List_of_highest-grossing_films_in_the_United_States_and_Canada/6DTc7SrC">second-highest-grossing film in North America</a> (behind <i><a href="/facts/Gone_with_the_Wind_(film)/aWENzfln">Gone with the Wind</a></i>) and the <a href="/facts/Highest-grossing_films_adjusted_for_inflation/64Qtvz8F">fourth-highest-grossing film in the world</a>. It received ten <a href="/facts/Academy_Awards/CwTxYuNQ">Oscar</a> nominations (including <a href="/facts/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture/C6komTsX">Best Picture</a>), winning seven. In 1989, it became one of the first 25 films that was selected by the U.S. <a href="/facts/Library_of_Congress/TfB6dEN5">Library of Congress</a> for preservation in the <a href="/facts/National_Film_Registry/HGoP1Mre">National Film Registry</a> for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". At the time, it was the most recent film in the registry and the only one chosen from the 1970s. In 2004, <a href="/facts/Star_Wars_(soundtrack)/JGGjAaMg">its soundtrack</a> was added to the U.S. <a href="/facts/National_Recording_Registry/RtA6oMEb">National Recording Registry</a>, and was additionally listed by the <a href="/facts/American_Film_Institute/DhNpmV60">American Film Institute</a> as <a href="/facts/AFI%27s_100_Years_of_Film_Scores/d3rUcB3X">the best movie score of all time</a> a year later. Today, it is widely regarded by many in the motion picture industry as <a href="/facts/List_of_films_considered_the_best/pGV2gfUG">one of the greatest and most important films</a> in <a href="/facts/History_of_film/Jb0yDMVC">film history</a>. </p><p>The film has been reissued multiple times with Lucas's support—most significantly with its 20th-anniversary theatrical "Special Edition"—incorporating <a href="/facts/Changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases/oInvIYug">many changes</a> including modified <a href="/facts/Computer-generated_imagery/ThJ2gh1X">computer-generated</a> effects, altered dialogue, re-edited shots, remixed soundtracks and added scenes. The film became a <a href="/facts/Cultural_impact_of_Star_Wars/YdgaR2dt">pop-cultural phenomenon</a> and launched an industry of tie-in products, including <a href="/facts/List_of_Star_Wars_books/kQJLebtJ">novels</a>, <a href="/facts/List_of_Star_Wars_comics/qV25GxR4">comics</a>, <a href="/facts/List_of_Star_Wars_video_games/acExP7S3">video games</a>, <a href="/facts/List_of_Star_Wars_theme_parks_attractions/VMq1GyW4">amusement park attractions</a>, and merchandise including toys, games, clothing and many other spin-off works. The film's success led to two critically and commercially successful sequels, <i><a href="/facts/The_Empire_Strikes_Back/adwNrWTT">The Empire Strikes Back</a></i> (1980) and <i><a href="/facts/Return_of_the_Jedi/DgH4n192">Return of the Jedi</a></i> (1983), and later to <a href="/facts/Star_Wars_prequel_trilogy/Fyswt67z">a prequel trilogy</a>, <a href="/facts/Star_Wars_sequel_trilogy/H8jQPXux">a sequel trilogy</a>, two <a href="/facts/List_of_Star_Wars_films/hTYjDxUp">anthology films</a> and various <a href="/facts/List_of_Star_Wars_television_series/rf2mf1kf">spin-off TV series</a>. </p>