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| causes of what came to be known as ]. | |||
| In 2004, in addition to an extensive and comprehensive hi-definition digital cleanup and restoration job by Lowry Digital, the original films were changed once again for their release on DVD. In these new versions of the films, in addition to new scenes and major image adjustments designed to make the films visually resemble the prequels, a few changes which had been made for the 1997 Special Editions were removed. With this release, Lucasfilm created a new high-definition master of the films, which will be used in future releases as well. | |||
| Although the original films have undergone significant alterations over the years, the prequel films have received only minor changes from their theatrical versions. The DVD releases of ''The Phantom Menace'', ''Attack of the Clones'', and ''Revenge of the Sith'' have had such elements altered as small additions of scenes, touch-ups in effects, and small sound changes. | |||
| For many years, Lucas has stated that the original, unaltered versions of the trilogy would never be released again, having been released for the last time on VHS and ] in 1995. However, on ], ], Lucasfilm announced on the official ''Star Wars'' site that due to "overwhelming demand", the original versions would be released on DVD on ], ]. Each film was released as a two-disc set with the 2004 versions of the films on one disc, and the original, unaltered film on the second disc, as a bonus feature. The set is only available until ], ], then will be withdrawn from the market. | |||
| There has been controversy surrounding this release, since it was revealed that the DVDs featured non-anamorphic versions of the original, unaltered films based on laserdisc releases from 1993 (as opposed to newly-remastered, film-based transfers). Since non-anamorphic transfers fail to make full use of the resolution available on widescreen sets, many fans were upset over this choice. | |||
| === Future releases === | |||
| At a ShoWest convention in 2005, George Lucas demonstrated new technology and stated that he planned to release all six films in a new ] format, beginning with ''A New Hope'' in 2007.<ref>http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Guardian/0,4029,1440820,00.html</ref> | |||
| Additionally, Lucas has hinted in the past that he will release his definitive (often called "archival") editions of all six of his ''Star Wars'' films on a next-generation home-video format in 2007. This release would coincide with the 30th anniversary of the ''Star Wars'' saga. It has been speculated that he will take this opportunity to make any final adjustments, changes, additions, and/or subtractions to his films for this final release. An altered clip from ''The Phantom Menace'' included in a featurette on the DVD release of ''Revenge of the Sith'' (in which a computer generated Yoda replaces the original puppet) appears to be a sign that the "archival" editions are indeed in the works. | |||
| It is said that this edition will be released in a "Grand Saga" box set. Lucasfilm Vice President of Marketing Jim Ward confirmed that in this final release, Lucasfilm is likely to return to John Lowry to do even more work on the films (possibly digital contemporization of the original trilogy). He says, "As the technology evolves and we get into a high-definition platform that is easily consumable by our customers, the situation is much better, but there will always be work to be done."<ref>http://www.apple.com/pro/film/lowry/starwars/index2.html</ref> | |||
| Producer Rick McCallum has also explained that Lucasfilm has been holding back a large amount of bonus material for this release, including deleted scenes, as well as numerous previous ''Star Wars'' "making-ofs," spin-offs, television specials, documentaries, and other special material. | |||
| There has been much hope for another Star Wars trilogy but George Lucas has said that there are no plans for episodes 7, 8, and 9. | |||
| ===Television rights=== | |||
| Aside from pay-per-view cable showings, the original ''Star Wars'' movie (Episode IV) first saw TV release in 1983 on all the major pay-cable networks (], ], etc.). ] had exclusive network rights when it aired on commercial television one year later, and continued on CBS for several years. The remaining films in the original trilogy also made their cable rounds (pay-per-view, premium cable) before airing on network television (] acquired the original network rights to ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi''). In 1992, the ] became the first U.S. network to air the three then-existing episodes in the saga. Sci-Fi retained TV rights until 1996, in preparation for the theatrical release of the "Special Editions" of the original trilogy. In 1998, a year after the SE releases, ] acquired limited one-month premium cable rights to the "Special Edition" of ''Star Wars'' for airing in January. It continued on broadcast stations, including superstations ] and ], for several years after). | |||
| In 1999, to promote '']'', the remaining "Special Edition" films (V and VI) aired on U.S. broadcast network ] (they bypassed pay-per-view and premium cable for direct broadcast airing). That same year, Fox acquired all television rights to Episode I after the premium cable networks declined due to cost. A similar situation nearly happened with '']'', until ] struck a last-minute deal with Fox and Lucasfilm for the exclusive pay-cable rights. Episode II, like its predecessor, never saw prior pay-per-view cable release, but it did run on HBO and sister network ] during its 18-month term of license. The Fox network acquired the U.S. network television rights. In April/May 2005, to promote the then-upcoming '']'', Episodes I, IV, V, and VI were placed in limited ] distribution, while the Fox network was able to air Episode II in mid-May, prior to Episode III's initial theatrical release. | |||
| During negotiations for the cable rights to Episode II, HBO/Cinemax also struck a first-look deal for Episode III, which they accepted and is currently on its initial 18-month term of license (it was also the only ''Star Wars'' film to see any pay-per-view cable issue). In addition, the ]-owned networks were able to win the right to become the first U.S. television network system (cable or broadcast) to air all six films in the saga, and Cinemax will air them beginning November 2006 in High Definition. The six films will also be repeated on HBO in High Defenition. The versions of Episodes IV, V, and VI that will be aired will be the 2004 DVD Special Editions, as they are the current canonical versions. In the UK, Sky purchased the rights to air all six movies in August 2006, becoming the first English-language television network to air all six films, which will be aired in order of release, beginning with the original Episode IV. Afterwards, the episodes will continue to be shown during the "100 films a month" cycles on Sky Movies. Meanwhile ], in a separate deal, acquired the commercial broadcast rights to Episode III, including the right to become the first broadcast network to air all six films (the deal takes effect in April 2008). | |||
| == Expanded Universe == | |||
| {{Main|Expanded Universe (Star Wars)}} | |||
| The term "Expanded Universe" has come into existence as an umbrella term for all of the officially licensed ''Star Wars'' material outside of the six feature films. This includes television productions, books, comics, games, and other forms of media. The material expands and continues the stories told in the films, taking place anywhere from 25,000 years before ''The Phantom Menace'' to 140 years after ''Return of the Jedi''. The first Expanded Universe story appeared in ]' ''Star Wars'' #7 in January 1978 (the first six issues of the series having been an adaptation of the movie), followed quickly by ]'s novel '']'' the following month. | |||
| George Lucas retains ultimate creative control over the ''Star Wars'' universe. For example, the death of central characters and similar changes in the status quo must first pass his screening before authors are given the go-ahead. In addition, Lucasfilm Licensing devotes considerable effort to ensure continuity between the works of various authors across multiple companies. | |||
| Some purists reject the Expanded Universe as "]", believing that only the events in the film series are part of the "real" ''Star Wars'' universe. However, elements of the Expanded Universe have been adopted by Lucas for use in the films. These included the name of the Republic/Empire capital planet, ], which first appeared in ]'s novel '']'' before being used in ''The Phantom Menace'', while a character introduced in ]' ''Star Wars'' series, a blue Jedi Knight named Aayla Secura, was liked enough by Lucas to be included as a character in ''Attack of the Clones'' (and is seen meeting her demise in ''Revenge of the Sith'' in an ambush on the jungle planet Felucia). | |||
| === Television === | |||
| ] and ] in animated form as seen in the original '']'' television series.]] | |||
| To date, three films and three animated series have been produced for television, with a live-action series in pre-production. For the most part, Lucas has played a large role in the production of the television projects — usually serving as storywriter and/or executive producer. | |||
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Revision as of 05:34, 12 October 2006
Audio dramas
See also: Star Wars (radio)A radio adaptation of A New Hope was first broadcast on National Public Radio in 1981. The adaptation was written by science fiction author Brian Daley and directed by John Madden. It was followed by adaptations of The Empire Strikes Back in 1983 and Return of the Jedi in 1996. The adaptations included background material created by Lucas but not used in the films. Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams reprised their roles as Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian, respectively. The series also used John Williams' original score from the films and Ben Burtt's original sound designs.
Books
See also: List of Star Wars booksStar Wars-based fiction predates the release of the first movie, with the 1976 novelization of "A New Hope" (ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster and credited to George Lucas). Foster's 1978 novel, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, was very nearly the first Expanded Universe work to be released. In addition to filling in the time between the movies, this additional content greatly expanded the Star Wars timeline before and after the film series.
Star Wars fiction flourished during the time of the original series (1977-1983) but slowed to a trickle afterwards. In 1991, however, Timothy Zahn's celebrated Thrawn Trilogy debuted, sparking a new interest in the Star Wars universe. Since then, several hundred tie-in novels have been published by Bantam and Del Rey.
LucasBooks radically changed the face of the Star Wars universe with the introduction of the New Jedi Order series, which takes place some 20 years after Return of the Jedi and stars a host of new characters alongside series originals. However, several significant events which occur during the course of this series (such as the death of a major film character) have sparked much fan criticism.
Comics
See also: List of Star Wars comic booksMarvel Comics published Star Wars comic book series and adaptations from 1977 to 1986. A wide variety of creators worked on this series, including Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, Howard Chaykin, Al Williamson, Carmine Infantino, Gene Day, Walt Simonson, Michael Golden, Chris Claremont, Whilce Portacio, Jo Duffy, and Ron Frenz. In the late 1980s, Marvel announced it would publish a new Star Wars comic by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy. However, in December 1991, Dark Horse Comics acquired the Star Wars license and used it to launch a number of ambitious sequels to the original trilogy instead, including the very popular Dark Empire stories. They have since gone on to publish a large number of original adventures set in the Star Wars universe.
Games
See also: Star Wars computer and video games and List of LucasArts Star Wars gamesSince 1983, over 120 video games have been published bearing the Star Wars name, beginning with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back published for the Atari 2600 by Parker Brothers. Since then, Star Wars has opened the way to a myriad of space-flight simulation games, first-person shooter games, roleplaying games, RTS games, and others.
Two different official tabletop role-playing games have been developed for the Star Wars universe– a version by West End Games in the 1980s and 1990s, and one by Wizards of the Coast in the 2000s. In the Lego Star Wars Series the movies are played in a different way. And in Empire at war, players can take control of either the empire or the rebellion and fight for control of the galaxy.
Fan works
- See also: Star Wars fan films
The Star Wars saga has inspired many fans to create their own stories set in the Star Wars galaxy. In recent years, this has ranged from writing fan-fiction to creating fan films.
In 2002, Lucasfilm sponsored the first annual Official Star Wars Fan Films Awards, officially recognizing filmmakers and the genre. Because of concerns over potential copyright and trademark issues, however, the contest remains open only to parodies, mockumentaries, and documentaries. Fan-fiction films set in the Star Wars universe are ineligible. Initially this limitation caused an outcry for those interested in creating serious fan-fiction for a competition.
While many of the serious fan films have used elements from the licensed Expanded Universe to tell their story, they are obviously not considered an official part of the Star Wars canon. Lucasfilm, for the most part, has allowed but not endorsed the creation of these derivative fan-fiction works, so long as no such work attempts to make a profit from or tarnish the Star Wars franchise in any way.
Lucasfilm's open support and sanction of fan creations is a marked contrast to the attitudes of many other copyright holders. Some owners, such as Paramount Pictures with the Star Trek properties, have been known to actively discourage the creation of such works by fans.
Cultural impact
Main articles: Cultural impact of Star Wars and List of cultural references to Star WarsThe Star Wars saga has had a significant impact on modern global pop culture. Science fiction since Star Wars, particularly in film, has often been influenced by and compared to Star Wars. References to the main characters and themes of Star Wars are casually made in Western society with the well-qualified assumption that others will understand the reference. George Lucas is also famous for using the best possible cameras and technology (see also Industrial Light and Magic) in his movies. Many say that the visual and virtual effects that take over today's movies would have never been created if not for Lucas's revolutionizing of the movie industry with Star Wars.
Parodies
Both the movie and characters have been parodied or spoofed in popular movies and television. Notable movie parodies of Star Wars include: Hardware Wars, a 13 minute spoof which George Lucas has called his favorite Star Wars parody; Spaceballs, a feature film by Mel Brooks, and Troops, a COPS-style documentary. There have been numerous parodic references to Star Wars in films such as Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and most of the films of Kevin Smith.
Songs
There have been many songs based around the Star Wars universe, the most notable of which are "Weird Al" Yankovic's Yoda, which describes Luke's training with the "wrinkled and green" Jedi master, and The Saga Begins, which chronicles the events of Episode I. The latter of these is particularly reveled, as it was released one week before the film.
Other songs based on the Star Wars saga include The Star Wars Gangsta Rap and Star Wars Cantina.
References
- On philosophy and religion influences: The Tao of Star Wars, Or, Cultural Appropriation in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
- On Technology influences: This site explains the many influences in its analysis of the writing of Star Wars.
- Books about religion/philosophy and Star Wars:
- "Peace Knights of the Soul: Wisdom in 'Star Wars'," by Jon Snodgrass, Ph.D., Foreword by Jonathan Young, Ph.D.ISBN 0-9755214-7-0
- The Tao of Star Wars by John M. Porter ISBN 0-89334-385-4
- The Dharma of Star Wars by Matthew Bortolin ISBN 0-86171-497-0
- Star Wars And Philosophy by Kevin S. Decker, Jason T. Eberl, William Irwin ISBN 0-8126-9583-6
- "Conception" section based on: The Star Wars Timeline Gold-Appendice L-Understanding the Lost Episodes (p. 141–142).
- The Tao of Star Wars by John M. Porter ISBN 0-89334-385-4
- On the influence of Joseph Campbell on the Star Wars films:
- "Peace Knights of the Soul: Wisdom in 'Star Wars'," by Jon Snodgrass, Ph.D., Foreword by Jonathan Young, Ph.D.ISBN 0-9755214-7-0
- Henderson, Mary. Star Wars: The Magic of Myth. Companion volume to the exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. New York: Bantam, 1997.
- Larsen, Stephen and Robin Larsen. Joseph Campbell: A Fire in the Mind. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2002.
- Moyers, Bill and Joseph Campbell. The Power of Myth. Anchor; Reissue edition (1991) ISBN 0-385-41886-8
See also
Here are some of the general articles featured in the Star Wars portal. For a detailed outline of the Star Wars Misplaced Pages articles, please see Category:Star Wars.
General information
Star Wars universe
External links
- Referencio - Star Wars Wiki directory
- Wookieepedia: The Star Wars Wiki - A wiki devoted to Star Wars
- The official Star Wars website
- TheForce.net - One of the oldest Star Wars fan sites.
- National Geographic News: So how believable is the Star Wars galaxy?
- Directory to Star Wars sites on the internet.
- Cinemaslave - All six Star Wars films have been extensively discussed and analyzed on the Cinemaslave podcast. (Shows #10, #18, #42, and #60)
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