It's no wonder, then, why a commercial franchise like the galaxy far, far away became so critically acclaimed as well. This is where Palpatine's character comes into play as the ultimate villain, dictating his seemingly unlimited power over the stormtroopers, Darth Vader and more. And there’s nothing subtle about the historical allusion in Star Wars. When Lucas developed the storyline and crafted soon-to-be iconic characters, he tapped into elements of theology, mysticism, and mythology, as well as his knowledge of classic films. Luke and smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) are tasked with saving Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from captivity on a massive space station commanded by the menacing Darth Vader. The plot, as we all know, focuses on Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), a young man who finds himself embroiled in an interplanetary war between an authoritarian empire and rebel forces. The film series created by Lucas became one of the most successful and influential franchises in motion picture history. In fact, studios initially lacked interest in bringing Lucas' vision to the big screen. The road to success wasn't easy for that one. In the meantime, we took a closer look at how exactly Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope came into existence. Additional films are in the works from groundbreaking directors like Taika Waititi and Patty Jenkins. Many of Lucasfilm's projects have been critically acclaimed as well, particularly the recent Disney+ shows and Rogue One (2016). Disney acquired the ownership of Lucasfilm on October 30, 2012, for roughly $4 billion, gaining full ownership of both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.Īll nine films of the Skywalker saga have been nominated for Academy Awards, with wins going to the first two releases. The franchise has been expanded into various films and other media, including TV series, video games, novels, comic books, and even theme park attractions. Created by renowned filmmaker George Lucas, it all began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

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