Early History
• Creator and Director George Lucas wrote the first
version of STAR WARS in 1973 after completing
American Graffiti.
• STAR WARS started as "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.
• It then turned into "Adventures of Luke Starkiller,
as taken from the Journal of the Whills, Saga I:
The Star Wars." followed by "The Star Wars”,
until during production he came up with the title
we all love: “Star Wars”
• “A New Hope” was added later to differentiate
from the sequels.
Early Character History
• Early in development, Luke Skywalker's
character changed from a 60-year-old general to
a member of a family of dwarfs.
• The Corellian smuggler, Han Solo, was
envisioned as a large, green-skinned monster
with gills.
• Chewbacca was inspired by Lucas' Alaskan
malamute dog, Indiana, who often acted as the
director's "co-pilot" by sitting in the passenger
seat of his car.
• The Force, a mysterious energy field, was
initially conceived as the Kyber crystal, a
"galactic holy grail."
Episode IV: A New Hope
• Star Wars debuted on May 25, 1977 in 32
theaters, and proceeded to break house
records, effectively becoming one of the first
blockbuster films.
• The film earned $797,900,000 worldwide,
making it the first film to reach the $300 million
mark. Adjusted for inflation it is the second
highest grossing movie of all time in the United
States, behind Gone with the Wind.
Episode V: The Empire Strikes
Back
• The film is set three years after the destruction
of the Death Star .
• The Empire Strikes Back was released on May
21, 1980 and received mixed reviews from
critics, though it has since grown in esteem to
become one of the most (if not the most) wellregarded chapters of the saga.
• Unlike A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back
was directed by Irvin Kershner.
Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi
• The film is set about one year after The Empire
Strikes Back and was released in theaters on
May 25, 1983.
• The film was originally titled Revenge of the
Jedi, but a few weeks before the film's premiere,
Lucas changed the title, saying "revenge" could
not be used, as Jedi do not seek revenge.
• The Huttese language spoken by Jabba the Hut
was inspired by the Incan language Quechua.
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
• The release of the film on May 19, 1999 came
almost sixteen years after the previous film in
the series, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the
Jedi. Lucas began production when he felt
special effects had advanced to the level of what
he had envisioned for the film.
• Sets were built only as high as the tops of the
actors' heads and computer graphics filled in the
rest. But Liam Neeson was so tall that he cost
the set crew an extra $150,000 in construction.
• "Padme", is the Sanskrit word for "lotus". "Yoda"
is also derived from the Sanskrit word for
"warrior".
Episode II: The Attack of the
Clones
• The film is set ten years after the Battle of Naboo, when the
galaxy is on the brink of civil war and was released on May
16, 2002.
• Episode II was the first Star Wars film to be internationally
out-grossed in the year of its original release. Spider-Man,
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Harry Potter and
the Chamber of Secrets all had higher receipts.
• As a disguise during filming, the film's "working title" was Jar
Jar's Big Adventure, intended sarcastically in light of the
negative fan response to the Episode I character.
• Jar Jar Binks, standing in for Senator Amidala, puts forth the
motion that gives Palpatine supreme powers. This means that
Jar Jar, the most hated character in the Star Wars canon, is
indirectly responsible for the fall of the Old Republic and the
near-annihilation of the Jedi order.
Episode III: The Revenge of the
Sith
• The film takes place three years after the onset of the Clone
Wars.
• The film was released in theatres on May 19, 2005 It is the
first and only Star Wars film to be rated PG-13 namely for the
scene in which Darth Vader is set aflame.
• Lucas makes an appearance at the Coruscant Opera House
as a blue faced being named Baron Papanoida who can be
seen outside Palpatine's box. It marks Lucas' only
appearance in any of the Star Wars films. His three children
also appear in cameos.
• EASTER EGG: On the Options menu, press "11 Enter 3 Enter
8 Enter" (1138). Yoda will dance to hip-hop music.
• The squadron of blue-striped clone troopers that Darth Vader
leads into the Jedi Temple is called the 501st Legion, named
after an organization of costume fans, also known as Vader's
Fist.
The Clone Wars
• A CGI TV series that will debut on October 3rd
on Cartoon Network as a follow-up to 2003’s
animated series of the same name.
• The series was kicked off with a feature film
released in theaters on August 15, 2008.
• The series takes place between Episodes II and
III.
• The show features the voices of Samuel L.
Jackson, Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Seth
Green.
Awards
• AFI’s 100 years – 100 movies ranks A New Hope as the
13th greatest American Movie.
• Darth Vader is ranked as the 3rd greatest villain on AFI’s
100 Heroes and Villains list, and Han Solo is the 14th
greatest hero.
• Each of the original trilogy was nominated and won
several Academy Awards. In contrast, Episode I
received several Razzie, nominations. These included
Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst
Supporting Actor, Worst Supporting Actress, Worst
Screen Couple (Jake Lloyd and Natalie Portman), and
won the Worst Supporting Actor category with Jar Jar
Binks actor Ahmed Best.
• Episode II also won Razzie’s for Worst Screenplay and
Worst Supporting Actor (Hayden Christensen).
A Star Wars Timeline
100,000 BBY (years before
Battle of Yavin)
The Jedi and Sith are formed
9,990 BBY
The Lightsaber is invented
3,956
The Knights of the Old Republic (video game)
32 BBY
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
22 BBY
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
21-19 BBY
The Clone Wars
19 BBY
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
0 BBY/ABY (years after
Battle of Yavin)
Episode IV: A New Hope
3 ABY
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
4 ABY
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
8 ABY
Leia and Han Solo get married
11 ABY
Luke establishes new Jedi Academy on Yavin 4
Faces Behind the characters
James Earl Jones:
voice of Darth Vader
David Prowse:
Darth Vader
Frank Oz:
Yoda
Kenny Baker:
R2-D3
Anthony Daniels:
C-3PO
Ahmed Best:
Voice of Jar Jar Binks