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In 1977, a major cinematic occurrence took place with the release of the first live-actionStar Warsmovie at the hands of George Lucas. The plot marked how Luke Skywalker joined the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Republic, in a bid to overthrow the evil Empire. Soon enough, the film became synonymous with pop culture and over the years, has expanded into a multi-billion dollar franchise. Yet, none of it was easy.
Kick-starting the franchise was a big enough feat in itself. However, the tougher part came with a slew of criticism and judgment that, at times, felt unwarranted, at least to Lucas. Moreover, his brainchild and a crucial piece of the Skywalker saga, the prequel series, landed in hot soup upon its release, with several of the original fans voicing strongly against it.
In a tale of perseverance and hope, the creator of the franchise moved ahead unfazed and now explains how he got over some of the most negative responses to his moves.
The one George Lucas decision forStar Warsthat fans called “terrible”
In stark contrast to the prequel installments, the originalStar Warsmovie akaStar Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope,was more or less a unanimous success. The flick made the audiences fall in love with the franchise in the first place and hencecommands special acclaim. Surprisingly, even it was not safe from negativity, with the wrath of criticism pouring soon after the release of the original film on LaserDisc.
“They weren’t kids anymore”: George Lucas Breaks Silence on Star Wars Prequel Backlash by Shifting the Blame to the Audience
Years after the movie’s 1977 release and with the advent of technology,George Lucasdecided to revisit the film and touch it up exactly as he had envisioned it. However, the reactions told a different story, with Lucasstating to The Hollywood Reporter,
We did release the original one on laserdisc and everybody got really mad, they said, ‘It looks terrible.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I know it did,’ That is what it looked like.
On his part, the visionary opined that every creator, writer, or director should hold the right to bring their vision to their reality. In this case, regardless of a sea of opinions, Lucasfilm went ahead and released a definitive collection containing the original trilogy enhanced digitally as per the creator’s vision in 1993, which soon became a hallowed collector’s item.
Disney got the franchise wrong, admits creator
In a mega exchange of intellectual properties, Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 for more than $4 billion and with it the right to make newStar Warsproductions. The entertainment juggernaut soon rolled out its trilogy of films, known as the sequel trilogy, starringDaisy RidleywithStar Wars: The Force Awakensin 2015.
“It’s funny how they try to call us sexist”: Star Wars Fans Have Had Enough of Male Bashing as The Acolyte Leaves No Stone Unturned to Ruin George Lucas’ Legacy
However, it went on to become one of themost divisive trio of outingsfrom the franchise, and even George Lucas believes that Disney got it wrong.
In the same round of talks, he opened up that,
I was the one who really knew what Star Wars was … who actually knew this world, because there’s a lot to it. The Force, for example, nobody understood the Force.
He also added that,
When they started other ones after I sold the company, a lot of the ideas that were in [the original] sort of got lost. But that’s the way it is. You give it up, you give it up.
The original creator’s comments touched upon many critical opinions disagreeing with Disney’s use of force and inability to execute lightsaber fights to perfection. Moreover, the franchise has still not found its balance yet, with the latest Disney+ show,Star Wars: The Acolyteopening as a disasterwith a shockinglylow audience score of 14%, highlighting the need for imminent change.
Star Warsis available to stream on Disney+.
Imteshal Karim
Articles Published :120
Bearing a penchant for writing in multiple forms, I love telling a good story and hope to tell impactful ones about the fandom’s side of the Entertainment industry. I found the movie of my life in Christopher Nolan’s 2014' s Interstellar, which fascinated me with the perfect blend of science and cinema, leaving me curious about Hollywood. In my leisure time, you will find me indulging in photography, gardening, and cycling.
