Galactic adventure
Star Wars the space-themed epic film franchise created by George Lucas turned 40 this year. 2017 is a very special year not just because of the milestone mentioned above, but also in view of the eighth film in the series, The Last Jedi, which is racing to
This epic film written and directed by George Lucas, which was released on May 25, 1977, is the first film in the original Star Wars trilogy as well as the very first episode in general. It earned $461 million in the US, received 10 Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture), winning seven. The cast included Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and others. The Empire Strikes Back, a space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner, was released on May 21, 1980. Its cast included Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels and Frank Oz. It was the highest-grossing film of 1980 and, till date, has earned more than $538 million worldwide from its original run and several re-releases. Return of the Jedi, directed by Richard Marquand and released in theatres on May 25, 1983, was the third installment in the original Star Wars trilogy and the first to use THX technology. The film that starred Carrie Fisher and Billy David Prowse, among others, grossed between $475 million and $572 million worldwide. The sequel to Return of the Jedi (1983), The Force Awakens was the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The film was produced, co-written and directed by JJ Abrams and its cast included Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and others. Premiered in Los Angeles on December 14, 2015, it earned over $2 billion with a net profit of over $780 mn. The film received five Academy Award nominations and four British Academy Film Award nominations, wherein it won Best Special Visual Effects. Written and d i re c t e d by George Lucas, The Phantom Menace was Lucas’s first directorial effort after a 22-year hiatus since Star Wars in 1977. It starred Liam Neeson, Ewan Mcgregor and Natalie Portman, was set 32 years before the original film. It followed Jedi Knight Qui-gon Jinn and apprentice Obi-wan Kenobi as they protected Queen Amidala in the hope of peacefully ending an interplanetary trade dispute. The upcoming epic space opera written and directed by Rian Johnson will be the second episode in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following The Force Awakens (2015). It will star Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac and others. The Last Jedi will be released across the United States on December 15, 2017. John Williams, composer for the previous seven films, returns to compose the score.