Early History

1
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.

2
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."

3
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.

4
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) well-regarded
  chapters of the saga.
• Unlike A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back was
  directed by Irvin Kershner.

5
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.

6
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".

7
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.

8
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.

9
The Clone Wars

• A CGI TV series that will debut on October 3rd on
  Cartoon Network as a follow-up to 2003s 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.

10
Awards

• AFIs 100 years 100 movies ranks A New Hope as
  the 13th greatest American Movie.
• Darth Vader is ranked as the 3rd greatest villain
  on AFIs 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 Razzies for Worst Screenplay
  and Worst Supporting Actor (Hayden Christensen).

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A Star Wars Timeline
12
Faces Behind the characters
James Earl Jones voice of Darth Vader
Frank Oz Yoda
Anthony Daniels C-3PO
Kenny Baker R2-D3
Ahmed Best Voice of Jar Jar Binks
David Prowse Darth Vader
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