Many efforts produced in the science fiction genre (particularly in filming) can now be seen to draw heavy influence and inspiration from the originalStar Wars trilogy, as well as the magnitude of prequels, sequels, spin-offs, series, games, and texts that it spawned. Sounds, visuals, and even the iconic score of the films have become integral components in American society. The film helped launch the science fiction boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, makingscience fiction films ablockbuster genre.[5] This impact also made it a prime target for parody works and homages, with popular examples includingSpaceballs,Family Guy'sLaugh It Up, Fuzzball trilogy of specials,Seth Green's "Robot Chicken: Star Wars",Steve Oedekerk's "Thumb Wars", and Lucas's self-proclaimed favorite parody,Hardware Wars byErnie Fosselius.
20th Century Fox optionedStar Wars. When it unexpectedly became the decade's blockbuster, grossing $100 million in three months, Fox's stock soared from $6 to $25 per share and generated revenues of $1.2 million a day for the studio. Fox purchased theAspen skiing andPebble Beach golf corporations with the increased cash flow and still declared excess profits in 1977. Income fromStar Wars re-releases, sequels, and merchandising enriched the studio in the following decades.Star Wars helped Fox to change from an almost bankruptproduction company to a thriving media conglomerate.[5]
Star Wars fundamentally changed the aesthetics and narratives ofHollywood films,[6] switching the focus of Hollywood-made films from deep, meaningful stories based on dramatic conflict, themes andirony to sprawling special-effects-laden blockbusters, as well as changing the Hollywood film industry in fundamental ways. BeforeStar Wars, special effects in films had not appreciably advanced since the 1950s.[6]Star Wars was also important in the movement towards the use ofcomputer-generated imagery in films.[2] The commercial success ofStar Wars created a boom in state-of-the-art special effects in the late 1970s. There was increased investment inspecial effects. Companies likeIndustrial Light & Magic andDigital Productions were created to provide them. The 1977Star Wars pioneered the genre pastiche, where several classic film genres are combined in one film. InStar Wars, the genres were science fiction, the Western, the war film, and the quasi-mystical epic.[5] Along withJaws,Star Wars started the tradition of the summer blockbuster film in the entertainment industry, where films open on many screens at the same time and profitablefranchises are important.[2][4] It created the model for the major film trilogy and showed that merchandising rights on a film could generate more money than the film itself.[3]
Another impact Star Wars made on film making was its use of the "monomyth" or "hero's journey," as detailed inJoseph Campbell's bookThe Hero with a Thousand Faces. After writing the first of what would be four drafts of the film, George Lucas read Campbell's work. He was surprised to find that his first draft followed many of its principles.[7] This epic device at the deepest roots of the films was a major factor in its success. Many future films successfully adopted the monomyth, such asThe Matrix trilogy,The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, andThe Hobbit Trilogy to name a few.[8][better source needed]
The plot of a second-season episode ofThe CW television seriesLegends of Tomorrow (2017), entitled "Raiders of the Lost Art", centered on the impact of George Lucas's films on the titular heroes.
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome (2002): a 20-minute mockumentary, focusing on the "true" story of R2-D2's life. It was made as a side-project by some of the crew ofAttack of the Clones, released on television in three installments, and later on DVD.[10]
"Mayored to the Mob", a 1998 episode of the series, features multiple references toStar Wars, most centrally a plot in whichHomer Simpson andStar Wars actorMark Hamill face the threat of being trampled at a fan convention.[11]
"Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars", also titled "Episode IV: May the Ferb Be with You", is an episode of the TV seriesPhineas and Ferb that aired in mid-2014, soon after Disney's acquisition of the franchise.[20]
Hardware Wars, a 13-minute 1978 spoof which Lucas has called his favoriteStar Wars parody.[22]The Last Jedi directorRian Johnson included a brief reference to the short movie; the scene in question depicts a robotic steam iron, which is briefly framed to resemble a landing spaceship.[23]
Spaceballs, a feature film byMel Brooks, parodies the firstStar Wars film, and features special effects by Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic.[24]
The films and television series ofKevin Smith referenceStar Wars numerous times.
A scene in Smith's debut filmClerks centers upon the politics and ethics of the destruction of the two Death Stars in the first trilogy,[25] which Lucas later addressed in his commentary track forAttack of the Clones.[26]
In Smith's filmZack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) decide to pay off their debts by producing and starring in aStar Wars-themed pornographic film[28] titledStar Whores[29] before changing it to a coffee house-themed film.[30]
Trooper Clerks - In this parody of bothStar Wars and theClerks series by Studio Creations, convenience store clerks Dante Hicks and Randall Graves arestormtroopers depicted in locations such as the first Death Star and the planet Tatooine, discussing topics like whetherMallrats orChasing Amy is the Smith film with the better story.[31]
Star Wars has been the subject of several parodies in the humorous magazineMad, a publication that frequently publishescartoon spoofs of Hollywood films. A parody calledStar Roars was published in January 1978, featuring the magazine's mascot,Alfred E. Neuman, wearing a Darth Vader helmet.[32][33]
"Ricktional Mortpoon's Rickmas Mortcation", theRick and Morty sixth-season finale which includes many jabs and parodies of the franchise such as Morty dropping a lightsaber perfectly vertical and the President lashing out at Disney's new projects.
Ninjago, a children's animated series based on a line ofLEGO products, features many references toStar Wars. This can be attributed to series co-creator Tommy Andreason's admiration of theStar Wars franchise.
In the episode "Day of the Great Devourer", a character replies to another with "Never tell me the odds." This is a direct quote fromHan Solo.
In the episode "Darkness Shall Rise", a character explicitly says "I fear there is a great disturbance in the force."
In the episode "Child's Play", the protagonists use "Illuma Swords" to defeat an attacking creature. These weapons are extremely similar tolightsabers. They are later used in the episodes "The Day Ninjago Stood Still" and "The Corridor of Elders" by the owner of a comic book store.
The special episodeDay of the Departed focuses on a portal known as the "Rift of Return" which opens once every 3,721 years. This is a reference toThe Empire Strikes Back, when C-3PO says that the odds of navigating an asteroid field are 3,720 to 1.
The relationship between the characters Lloyd and Garmadon is a major parallel to that of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, with the Overlord serving as the Emperor. This culminates in the seasonCrystalized, when the Overlord tortures Lloyd with electricity from his hands and says "All that has happened was by my design", a rephrasing of the Emperor's line "Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design".
Anakin's charred body - referencingRevenge of the Sith - is featured in 2006'sThe Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and 2025'sremaster. It can be found when players enter the first Oblivion portal.[34]
Fallout New Vegas features the burnt bodies of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru in Nipton. With the Wild Wasteland trait, players can find two skeletons outside a burned home with their names.[37]
The Sims 4: Journey to Batuu is an expansion pack released in September 2020. The pack lets players meet Kylo Ren, Rey, and others. Players also get the chance to join the Rebels, Empire, or Scoundrels.[38]
Fall Guys teamed up withStar Wars for a May 4th promotion. Costumes were released that allowed players to dress as Boba Fett, Han Solo, and other characters.[39]
Players are able to obtain a two-sided lightsaber in the 2022 gameGoat Simulator 3. By playing the Imperial March on church bells, a mausoleum opens and allows a six-bladed lightsaber to be picked up.[40]
TheSmithsonian National Air and Space Museum had an exhibition calledStar Wars: The Magic of Myth. It was an exhibition of original production models, props, costumes, and characters from the first threeStar Wars films.[41][42] In October 2007, NASA launched aSpace Shuttle carrying an original lightsaber into orbit. The prop handle had been used as Luke Skywalker's lightsaber inReturn of the Jedi. After spending two weeks in orbit, it was brought back to Earth on November 7, 2007, to be returned to its owner, George Lucas.[43]
The first successfully launched space-rocket, to be sent by theprivate spaceflight companySpaceX, was named theFalcon 1.Elon Musk used the word "falcon" within the name of the space-rocket, as a reference to theMillennium Falcon fromStar Wars. The Falcon 1's success led to the fabrication of updated versions of the space rocket, in what became known as the Falcon family of space-rockets. The Falcon 1 has since been retired, in favor of theFalcon 9.[44]
WhenRonald Reagan proposed theStrategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a system of lasers and missiles meant to intercept incomingICBMs, the plan was quickly labeled "Star Wars", implying that it was science fiction and linking it to Reagan's acting career. According toFrances FitzGerald, Reagan was annoyed by this, but Assistant Secretary of DefenseRichard Perle told colleagues that he "thought the name was not so bad."; "'Why not?' he said. 'It's a good movie. Besides, the good guys won.'"[46] This gained further resonance when Reagan described theSoviet Union as an "evil empire".
In television commercials, public interest group critics of theReagan administration'sStrategic Defense Initiative program deridingly referred to the orbital missile defense project as "Star Wars".Lucasfilm originally sued to try to enjoin this usage of its trademark, and lost.[47] Explaining its decision, the court said,
When politicians, newspapers, and the public generally use the phrase star wars for their convenience, in parody or descriptively to further a communication of their views on SDI, plaintiff has no rights as owner of the mark to prevent this use of STAR WARS. ... SinceJonathan Swift's time, creators of fictional worlds have seen their vocabulary for fantasy appropriated to describe reality. Trademark laws regulate unfair competition, not the parallel development of new dictionary meanings in the everyday give and take of human discourse.[47]
InEngland and Wales, 390,127 people (almost 0.8%) stated their religion as Jedi on their 2001 Census forms, surpassingSikhism,Judaism andBuddhism, and making it the fourth largest reported religion in the country.
The holographic video effect associated withStar Wars served as a technological tool forCNN during its 2008 Election Night coverage. CNN reporterJessica Yellin and musicianwill.i.am looked as though they were in the network'sNew York City studios talking face-to-face with hostsAnderson Cooper andWolf Blitzer, when in reality, they were inChicago atBarack Obama's rally. The process involved Yellin and will.i.am standing in front of a blue screen in a special tent, while being shot by 35 HD cameras.[50]
On March 1, 2013, American PresidentBarack Obama spoke on the sequestration debate. He said that some people expect him to do a "Jedimind meld" on the Republicans who refuse to deal.[51]
In the2020 Odesa local election, a person called Darth Vader was again a candidate formayor of Odesa (nominated by Darth Vader Bloc).[63] He scored 0.48% of the total votes cast.[64]
A real-life religion based onStar Wars called Jediism follows a modified version of the Jedi Code, and they believe in the concept ofThe Force as an energy field of all living things, which "surrounds us... penetrates us" and "binds the galaxy together", as is depicted withinStar Wars movies, although without the fictional elements such as telekinesis.[65][66] Many citizens around the world answer list their religion as Jedi during their countries respective Census, among them Australia and New Zealand getting high percentages.[67][68] A petition inTurkey to build a Jedi Temple within a university, also got international media attention.[69]
Between 2002 and 2004, museums in Japan, Singapore, Scotland and England showcased theArt of Star Wars, an exhibit describing the process of making theoriginalStar Wars trilogy.[71]
Professional sports teams in the United States and Canada regularly hold Star Wars-themed promotional nights. In 2015, Star Wars-themedMajor League Baseball (MLB) games had average higher attendance than typical MLB games. Star Wars promotional nights inminor league sports events often feature teams wearing Star Wars-inspired uniform designs. Outside of Star Wars-themed games, North American sports teams often play "The Imperial March" over theirpublic address systems while opposing teams are being introduced.[75]
Several organizations worldwide teach lightsaber combat as a competitive sport, instructing on techniques interpreted from the films, and using life-size replica weapons composed of highly durable plastic that emit lights and sounds.[76][77][78][79] One of these organizations beingludosport.
After Disney acquired Star Wars, they openedGalaxy's Edge, a Star Wars-themed area, in bothDisneyland andDisney World in May 2019 and August 2019, respectively. Notable attractions include theMillennium Falcon and Oga's Cantina.[80]
"Star Wars bar" has entered the English language vernacular meaning a less than desirable bar or pub. This is because the "Mos Eisley Cantina", and the events depicted therein during the original Star Wars film, is a sufficiently well known cultural reference for the term to have become useful in everyday conversation.
In 2023, a Judge in the Akron Municipal Court announced that he would be officiating Star Wars-themed weddings on the 4th of May 2023. The celebrations included Star Wars: A New Hope in the background and Star Wars-inspired vows.[81]
^abcCook, David A. (2000).Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979 (1st paperback print. ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press.ISBN0-520-23265-8.[page needed]
^abBigsby, Christopher (2006).The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Culture ([Online-Ausg.]. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-84132-1.
^Larsen, Stephen and Robin (2002).Joseph Campbell: A Fire in the Mind. p. 541.
^Mackay, Daniel (2001). "Star Wars:The Magic of the Anti-Myth". In Lancaster, Kurt; Mikotowicz, Tom (eds.).Performing the Force: Essays on Immersion into Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Environments. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland. p. 44.ISBN0-7864-0895-2.
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