After the prequels, Star Wars seemed destined to live on in television animation and a steady stream of merchandise, but no one was really clamoring for Lucas to make good on his long-shared claim of the original trilogy being Episodes IV through VI in a nine-episode saga. So if he felt the need to keep making changes here and there, as he did, he was going to do it and no one could tell him otherwise. In Lucas' mind, Star Wars belonged to him, not the people who made him a multi-billionaire. Things got worse before they got better, but even the more favorably received Episode III - Revenge of the Sith was not enough to lift this new trilogy to the level of the beloved original one in most fans' eyes.įurthermore, that original trilogy was increasingly rubbing the faithful following the wrong way as the result of Lucas' unwillingness to release it in its original, unaltered form. It performed extremely well at the box office, but the heightened expectations seemed to breed some disappointment from critics and critical moviegoers. Though tough to quantify, it seems as though Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace may have been the most anticipated film ever. The enduring passion extended another two years when Lucas began releasing a new trio of prequels that preceded his iconic trilogy. Only seven new films released that year pulled in more at the North American box office than the original Star Wars.

When creator George Lucas reissued the three movies in theaters with tweaks and additions as Special Editions in early 1997, each opened in first place and added significantly to their already substantial returns. Though ostensibly dormant for the next decade and a half, the Star Wars trilogy remained insanely popular through rampant, repeat home video viewings. Its two sequels, released over the next six years, were not as profitable, but still earned more than twice as much as any other film from their years. The original 1977 film redefined the word 'blockbuster' with a gross above and beyond anything previously heard of. By many measures, Star Wars is the biggest franchise in the history of cinema.

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