A New Hope

''Star Wars'' (later retitled ''Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope'') is a 1977 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and released by Twentieth Century-Fox. It is the first film in the ''Star Wars'' franchise and the fourth chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga". Set in a fictional galaxy under the rule of the tyrannical Galactic Empire, the film follows a group of freedom fighters known as the Rebel Alliance, who aim to destroy the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star. When the rebel leader Princess Leia is captured by the Empire, Luke Skywalker acquires stolen architectural plans of the Death Star and sets out to rescue her while learning the ways of a metaphysical power known as "the Force" from the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The cast includes Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, and James Earl Jones.

Lucas had the idea for a science fiction film in the vein of ''Flash Gordon'' around the time he completed his first film, ''THX 1138'' (1971), and he began working on a treatment after the release of ''American Graffiti'' (1973). After numerous rewrites, filming took place throughout 1975 and 1976 in locations including Tunisia and Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England. Lucas formed the visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic to help create the film's visual effects. ''Star Wars'' suffered production difficulties: the cast and crew believed the film would be a failure, and it went $3 million over budget due to delays.

Few were confident in the film's box office prospects. It was released in a small number of theaters in the United States on May 25, 1977, and quickly became a surprise blockbuster hit, leading to it being expanded to a much wider release. ''Star Wars'' opened to positive reviews, with praise for its special effects. It grossed $410 million worldwide during its initial run, surpassing ''Jaws'' (1975) to become the highest-grossing film until the release of ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982); subsequent releases have brought its total gross to $775 million. When adjusted for inflation, ''Star Wars'' is the second-highest-grossing film in North America (behind ''Gone with the Wind'') and the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time. It received Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Saturn Awards, among others. The film has been reissued many times with Lucas's support, including the 1981 reissue giving the film the subtitle ''Episode IV – A New Hope'', and the 1997 "Special Edition". The reissues have contained many changes, including new scenes, visual effects, and dialogue.

Often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films of all time, ''Star Wars'' quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, launching an industry of tie-in products, including novels, comics, video games, amusement park attractions and merchandise such as toys, games, and clothing. It became one of the first 25 films selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1989, and its soundtrack was added to the U.S. National Recording Registry in 2004. ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983) followed ''Star Wars'', rounding out the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy. A prequel trilogy and a sequel trilogy have since been released, in addition to two standalone films and various television series.

Plot

Amid a galactic civil war, Rebel Alliance spies have stolen plans to the Death Star, a colossal space station built by the Galactic Empire that is capable of destroying entire planets. Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, secretly a rebel leader, has obtained the schematics, but her ship is intercepted and boarded by Imperial forces under the command of Darth Vader. Leia is taken prisoner, but the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO escape with the plans, crashing on the nearby planet of Tatooine. Darth Vader learns of this and orders the Imperials to pursue the droids.

The droids are captured by Jawa traders, who sell them to the moisture farmers Owen and Beru Lars and their nephew, Luke Skywalker. While Luke is cleaning R2-D2, he discovers a recording of Leia requesting help from a former ally named Obi-Wan Kenobi. R2-D2 goes missing, and while searching for him, Luke is attacked by Sand People. He is rescued by the elderly hermit Ben Kenobi, who soon reveals himself as Obi-Wan. He tells Luke about his past as one of the Jedi Knights, former peacekeepers of the Galactic Republic, who drew mystical abilities from the Force but were exterminated by the Empire. Luke learns that his father, also a Jedi, fought alongside Obi-Wan during the Clone Wars until Vader, Obi-Wan's former pupil, turned to the dark side of the Force and murdered him. Obi-Wan gives Luke his father's lightsaber, the signature weapon of the Jedi. R2-D2 plays Leia's full message, in which she begs Obi-Wan to take the Death Star plans to Alderaan and give them to her father, a fellow veteran, for analysis. Luke initially declines Obi-Wan's offer to accompany him to Alderaan and learn the ways of the Force. Still, he is left with no choice after Imperial stormtroopers murder his family and destroy his home while searching for the droids. Seeking a way off the planet, Luke and Obi-Wan travel to the city of Mos Eisley and hire Han Solo and Chewbacca, pilots of the starship ''Millennium Falcon''.

Before the ''Falcon'' reaches Alderaan, the Death Star commander Grand Moff Tarkin has the planet obliterated by the station's superlaser. Upon arrival, the ''Falcon'' is captured by the Death Star's tractor beam, but the passengers avoid detection and infiltrate the station. As Obi-Wan leaves to deactivate the tractor beam, Luke persuades Han and Chewbacca to help him rescue Leia, who is scheduled for execution after refusing to reveal the location of the rebel base. After disabling the tractor beam, Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in a lightsaber duel against Vader, which allows the rest of the group to escape. Using a tracking device placed on the ''Falcon'', the Empire locates the rebel base on the moon Yavin 4.

Analysis of the Death Star schematics reveals a weakness in a small exhaust port leading directly to the station's reactor. Luke joins the Rebellion's X-wing squadron in a desperate attack against the Death Star, while Han and Chewbacca leave to pay off a debt to the crime lord Jabba the Hutt. In the ensuing battle, Vader leads a squadron of TIE fighters and destroys several rebel ships. Han and Chewbacca unexpectedly return in the ''Falcon'', knocking Vader's ship off course before he can shoot Luke down. Guided by the voice of Obi-Wan's spirit, Luke uses the Force to aim his torpedoes into the exhaust port, causing the Death Star to explode moments before it can fire on the rebel base. Leia awards Luke and Han medals for their heroism in a triumphant ceremony.

Cast

* Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker: A young adult raised by his aunt and uncle on Tatooine, who dreams of something more than his current life.
* Harrison Ford as Han Solo: A smuggler and captain of the ''Millennium Falcon''
* Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa: Princess of the planet Alderaan, member of the Imperial Senate, and a leader of the Rebel Alliance
* Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin: The commander of the Death Star
* Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi: An aging Jedi Master who introduces Luke to the Force
* Anthony Daniels as See Threepio (C3PO): A humanoid protocol droid
* Kenny Baker as Artoo Detoo (R2-D2): An astromech droid
* Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca: Han's Wookiee friend and co-pilot of the ''Millennium Falcon''
* David Prowse / James Earl Jones (voice) as Lord Darth Vader: Obi-Wan's former Jedi apprentice who fell to the dark side of the Force

Phil Brown and Shelagh Fraser appear as Luke's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, respectively, and Jack Purvis portrays the Chief Jawa. Rebel leaders include Alex McCrindle as General Dodonna and Eddie Byrne as General Willard. Imperial commanders include Don Henderson as General Taggi, Richard LeParmentier as General Motti, and Leslie Schofield as Commander #1. Rebel pilots are played by Drewe Henley (Red Leader, mistakenly credited as Drewe Hemley), Denis Lawson ( Red Two/Wedge, credited as Dennis Lawson), Garrick Hagon ( Red Three/Biggs), Jack Klaff ( Red Four/John "D"), William Hootkins ( Red Six/Porkins), Angus MacInnes ( Gold Leader, credited as Angus McInnis), Jeremy Sinden (Gold Two), and Graham Ashley (Gold Five). Uncredited actors include Paul Blake as the bounty hunter Greedo, Alfie Curtis as the outlaw who confronts Luke in the cantina, Shane Rimmer as a rebel technician on Yavin IV, and Peter Geddis as the rebel officer who is strangled by Darth Vader. Heavily synthesized audio recordings of John Wayne (from his earlier films) were used for the voice of Garindan, an Imperial spy.

Production

Development

Lucas had the idea for a space opera prior to 1971. According to Mark Hamill, he wanted to make it before his 1973 coming-of-age film ''American Graffiti''. His original plan was to adapt the ''Flash Gordon'' space adventure comics and serials into films, having been fascinated by them since he was young. Lucas attempted to purchase the rights, but they had already been acquired by producer Dino De Laurentiis. Lucas then discovered that ''Flash Gordon'' was inspired by the ''John Carter of Mars'' book series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author of ''Tarzan''. Burroughs, in turn, had been influenced by '' Gulliver on Mars'', a 1905 science fantasy written by Edwin Arnold. Lucas took the science fantasy concept and began developing what he would later call a "space fantasy".

In May 1971, Lucas persuaded the head of United Artists, David Picker, to take a chance on two of his film ideas: ''American Graffiti'' and the space opera. Although Lucas signed a two-picture deal, the studio ultimately declined to produce ''Graffiti''. Universal Pictures picked it up, and Lucas spent the next two years making the coming-of-age film, which was immensely successful. In January 1973, he began working on the space opera full-time. He began the process by inventing odd names for characters and places. By the time the screenplay was finalized he had discarded many of the names, but several made it into the final script and later sequels. He used his early notes to compile a two-page synopsis titled ''Journal of the Whills'', which chronicled the tale of CJ Thorpe, an apprentice "Jedi-Bendu", who was being trained by the legendary Mace Windy. He felt that this story was too difficult to understand, however.

Lucas began writing a 13-page treatment called ''The Star Wars'' on April 17, 1973, which had narrative parallels with Kurosawa's 1958 film ''The Hidden Fortress''. He later explained that ''Star Wars'' is not a story about the future, but rather a "fantasy" that has more in common with the Brothers Grimm than '' 2001: A Space Odyssey''. He said his motivation for making the film was to give young people an "honest, wholesome fantasy life," of the kind his generation had. He hoped it would offer "the romance, the adventure, and the fun that used to be in practically every movie".

While impressed with the innocence of the story and the sophistication of Lucas's fictional world, United Artists declined to fund the project. Lucas and Kurtz then presented the treatment to Universal Pictures, the studio that financed ''American Graffiti''. Universal agreed it could be a successful venture, but had doubts about Lucas's ability to execute his vision. Kurtz has claimed the studio's rejection was primarily due to Universal head Lew Wasserman's low opinion of science fiction, and the generally low popularity of the genre at the time. Francis Ford Coppola subsequently brought the project to a division of Paramount Pictures he ran with fellow directors Peter Bogdanovich and William Friedkin, but Friedkin questioned Lucas's ability to direct the film, and both directors declined to finance it. Walt Disney Productions also turned down the project.

''Star Wars'' was accepted by Twentieth Century-Fox in June 1973. Studio president Alan Ladd Jr. did not grasp the technical side of the project, but believed in Lucas's talent. Lucas later stated that Ladd invested in him, not in the film. The Fox deal gave Lucas $150,000 () to write and direct the film. In August, ''American Graffiti'' opened to massive success, which afforded Lucas the necessary leverage to renegotiate the deal and gain control of merchandising and sequel rights.

Writing

Since commencing the writing process in January 1973, Lucas wrote four different screenplays for ''Star Wars'', searching for "just the right ingredients, characters and storyline." By May 1974, he had expanded the original treatment into a full, 132-page rough draft, which included elements such as the Sith, the Death Star, and a general named Annikin Starkiller. He then changed Starkiller to an adolescent boy, and shifted the general—who came from a family of dwarfs—into a supporting role.''The Characters of Star Wars''. Star Wars Trilogy DVD Box Set: Bonus Materials. DVD. 004/ref> Lucas envisioned the Corellian smuggler, Han Solo, as a large, green-skinned monster with gills. He based Chewbacca on his Alaskan Malamute dog, Indiana, who often acted as his "co-pilot" by sitting in the passenger seat of his car. The dog's name would later be given to the character Indiana Jones.

Lucas completed a second draft in January 1975 entitled ''Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode One: The Star Wars''. He had made substantial simplifications and introduced the young, farm-dwelling hero as Luke Starkiller. In this draft, Luke had several brothers. Annikin became Luke's father, a wise Jedi Knight who played a minor role at the end of the story. Early versions of the characters Han Solo and Chewbacca were present, and closely resemble those seen in the finished film. This draft introduced a mystical energy field called "The Force," the concept of a Jedi turning to the dark side, and a historical Jedi who was the first to turn, and who subsequently trained the Sith. The script also included a Jedi Master with a son who trains to be a Jedi under his father's friend; this would ultimately form the basis for the finished film and, later, the original trilogy. This version was more a fairy tale quest than the action-filled adventure story of the previous draft, and ended with a text crawl that previewed the next story in the series. According to Lucas, the second draft was over 200 pages long, which led him to split up the story into several films spanning several trilogies.

While writing a third draft, Lucas claims to have been influenced by comics, J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Hobbit'', Joseph Campbell's ''The Hero with a Thousand Faces'', James George Frazer's ''The Golden Bough'', and Bruno Bettelheim's ''The Uses of Enchantment.'' Author Michael Kaminski has objected to Lucas's claim regarding the Bettelheim book, arguing that it was not released until after ''Star Wars'' was filmed ( J.W. Rinzler speculates that Lucas may have obtained an advance copy). Kaminski also writes that Campbell's influence on ''Star Wars'' has been exaggerated by Lucas and others, and that Lucas's second draft was "even closer to Campbell's structure" than the third.

Lucas has claimed he wrote a version of the screenplay that was 250–300 pages long, which outlined the plot of the entire original trilogy. Realizing it was too lengthy for a single film, he decided to spread the story over three films. This division caused problems with the first episode; Lucas had to use the ending of ''Return of the Jedi'' for ''Star Wars'', which resulted in a Death Star being included in both films. In 1975, Lucas envisioned a trilogy which would end with the destruction of the Empire, and possibly a prequel about Obi-Wan as a young man. After ''Star Wars'' became tremendously successful, Lucasfilm announced that Lucas had already written twelve more Luke Skywalker stories, which, according to Kurtz, were "separate adventures" rather than traditional sequels.

On February 27, 1975, Fox granted the film a budget of $5 million (equivalent to $ million in ), which was later increased to $8.25 million (equivalent to $ million). Lucas then started writing with a budget in mind, conceiving the cheap, "used" look of much of the film, and—with Fox having just shut down its special effects department—reducing the number of complex special effects shots called for by the script. The finalized third draft, dated August 1, 1975, was titled ''The Star Wars From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller''. This version had most of the elements of the final plot, with only some differences in the characters and settings. It presented Luke as an only child whose father was already dead, and who was cared for by a man named Ben Kenobi. This script would be rewritten for the fourth and final draft, dated January 1, 1976, and titled ''The Adventures of Luke Starkiller as taken from the Journal of the Whills, Saga I: The Star Wars''. Lucas's friends Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck helped him revise the fourth draft into the final pre-production script.

Lucas finished the screenplay in March 1976, when the crew started filming. During production, he changed Luke's surname from Starkiller to Skywalker, and changed the title first to ''The Star Wars'', and then, finally, to ''Star Wars''. For the film's opening crawl, Lucas originally wrote a composition of six paragraphs with four sentences each. He showed the draft to his friend, director Brian De Palma, who called it "gibberish" that "goes on forever." De Palma and screenwriter Jay Cocks

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