Tales from a galaxy far, far away….
On May 25, 1977, a low-budget science fiction film opened in just 32 movie theatres across the United States. The film. Packed with strange characters such as lightsaber-wielding Jedis and Wookiees, surprisingly caught the public imagination and broke all box office records across the country. That film was none other than the cult classic “Star Wars”.
Forty-three years later, the space saga is still going strong with Disney’s film and television adaptations. But what exactly did filmmaker George Lucas have in mind when he conceived this timeless series and what did he intend for its characters in the future? That’s exactly what a just “Star Wars” companion book “Star Wars Fascinating Facts” written by Pablo Hidalgo reveals.
Disney’s film adaptations of “Star Wars” have received mixed reviews from fans over the years. One of the most debated topics was Luke Skywalkers death in director Rian Johnson’s 2017 film ‘The Last Jedi”. It showed the Jedi fading away after expending all his energy. Much to the surprise of the fans, Hidalgo’s book states that Lucas loo wanted to kill the character in his original plan for “Star Wars 8” (also known as Episode VIII), which was set Around the same time as that of the film.
Who was George Lucas?
George Lucas Walton Jr. was born in a small town of Modesto in California on May 14, 1944. From a young age. Lucas wanted to become a professional race car driver. But a near fatal car racing accident altered his aspirations and forced him to pursue other interests. He began filming car races, which gradually got him interested in filmmaking. He created classics such as Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones”.
In 1971, he founded Lucasfilm, the parent company of the Pixar Animation Studios. Many of Pars creative geniuses used to work at Lucasfilm.
How it began
Contrary to the science fiction films of the time. Lucas wanted to make something light for young adults. So. he began working on the space drama Star Wars”. But its production proved to be tumultuous. From budget constraints and health issues to natural disasters, Lucas had to overcome several odds along the way. On the first day of filming “A New Hope”, a huge Tunisian storm destroyed the set and delayed shooting and some of the electronic equipment malfunctioned. To make matters worse, actor Mark Hamil was injured in an accident towards the end of production. That’s not all, Lucas had an equally tough time finding producers for the film. It was turned down by major studios such as United Artists and Universal But an undeterred Lucas finally managed to convince 20th Century Fox to invest in the film.
OH REALLY?
“Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” became two of the world’s most successful film franchises, paving the way for the others such as “Harry Potter and “Marvel”. Today, Lucas is worth an estimated $6.1 billion. But in 2010, the billionaire signed the Giving Pledge, which is a promise to give away half his wealth. During his lifetime. He was particularly interested in donating it to the cause of education.
Picture Credit : Google
