Editing Star Wars (section)

== Cultural impact ==
{{Main|Cultural impact of Star Wars}}
{{Multiple image|direction=vertical|image1=Lightsaber blue.svg|align=right|image2=StormTrooper Blaster.jpg|withcaption1= |caption2=The [[lightsaber]] and the [[Blaster (Star Wars)|blaster]] are iconic elements of the franchise.}}
The ''Star Wars'' saga has had a significant impact on popular culture,<ref name="Danesi2012">{{cite book|last=Danesi|first=Marcel|title=Popular Culture: Introductory Perspectives|url=https://archive.org/details/popularculturein0000dane_e3n4|url-access=registration|year=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4422-1783-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/popularculturein0000dane_e3n4/page/165 165]–}}</ref> with references to its fictional universe deeply embedded in everyday life.<ref name=Brooker>{{cite book|last1=Brooker|first1=Will|title=Using the Force: Creativity, Community, and Star Wars Fans|date=2002|publisher=Continuum|location=New York [u.a.]|isbn=978-0-8264-5287-0}}</ref> Phrases like "evil empire" and "[[May the Force be with you]]" have become part of the popular lexicon.<ref name=Chicago>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0505080390may08,0,5905863,full.story |title=The power of the dark side |website=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=May 8, 2005 |access-date=June 13, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522062851/http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0505080390may08,0,5905863,full.story |archive-date=May 22, 2011}}</ref> The first ''Star Wars'' film in 1977 was a cultural unifier,<ref name=msn>{{cite web |last=Emerson |first=Jim |url=http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/starwars_2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603125329/http://entertainment.msn.com/movies/starwars_2 |date=2007 |archive-date=June 3, 2008 |title=How ''Star Wars'' Shook The World |publisher=MSN Movies |access-date=December 1, 2015}}</ref> enjoyed by a wide spectrum of people.<ref name="pbs">{{Cite web |date=May 19, 2005 |title=Online NewsHour: The Impact of the Star Wars Trilogy Films |url=https://www.pbs.org:80/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june05/star_wars_5-19.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117091742/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june05/star_wars_5-19.html |archive-date=November 17, 2007 |access-date=June 13, 2016 |website=PBS.org}}</ref> The film can be said to have helped launch the science-fiction boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s, making [[science-fiction film]]s a mainstream genre.<ref name="BookerThomas2009">{{cite book|last1=Booker|first1=M. Keith|last2=Thomas|first2=Anne-Marie|title=The Science Fiction Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uW9xST9UsOIC&pg=PA9|date=March 30, 2009|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-4443-1035-1|pages=9–11|access-date=October 6, 2016|archive-date=January 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102030301/https://books.google.com/books?id=uW9xST9UsOIC&pg=PA9|url-status=live}}</ref> The widespread impact made it a prime target for parody works and homages, with popular examples including ''[[Hardware Wars]]'', ''[[Spaceballs]]'', ''[[Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy|The Family Guy Trilogy]]'' and ''[[Robot Chicken: Star Wars]]''.

In 1989, the [[Library of Congress]] selected the original ''Star Wars'' film for preservation in the U.S. [[National Film Registry]], as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."<ref name=NFR-Titles>{{cite web|title=U.S. National Film Registry Titles |publisher=U.S. National Film Registry |url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/Unofficial/Movies/NFR-Titles.html |access-date=September 2, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821132951/https://www.cs.cmu.edu/Unofficial/Movies/NFR-Titles.html |archive-date=August 21, 2006}}</ref> ''The Empire Strikes Back'' was selected in 2010,<ref name=congress>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jaseG0DbTvl6sIv1uPc-xelSmvjg?docId=c086d710fa42415cbeff1a6a2f80aa36|title='Empire Strikes Back' among 25 film registry picks|access-date=December 28, 2010|archive-date=December 31, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231205322/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jaseG0DbTvl6sIv1uPc-xelSmvjg?docId=c086d710fa42415cbeff1a6a2f80aa36|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=hollreporter>{{cite news|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/empire-strikes-airplane-25-movies-65915|title='Empire Strikes Back,' 'Airplane!' Among 25 Movies Named to National Film Registry|access-date=December 28, 2010|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|first=Mike|last=Barnes|date=December 28, 2010|archive-date=December 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101230174923/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/empire-strikes-airplane-25-movies-65915|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Return of the Jedi'' was selected in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tartaglione|first=Nancy|date=December 14, 2021|title=National Film Registry Adds ''Return Of The Jedi'', ''Fellowship Of The Ring'', ''Strangers On A Train'', ''Sounder'', ''WALL-E'' & More|url=https://deadline.com/2021/12/national-film-registry-2021-list-star-wars-return-of-the-jedi-fellowship-of-the-ring-sounder-nightmare-on-elm-street-wall-e-1234890666/|access-date=December 14, 2021|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-date=July 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702231423/https://deadline.com/2021/12/national-film-registry-2021-list-star-wars-return-of-the-jedi-fellowship-of-the-ring-sounder-nightmare-on-elm-street-wall-e-1234890666/|url-status=live}}</ref> 35&nbsp;mm reels of the 1997 Special Editions were the versions initially presented for preservation because of the difficulty of transferring from the original prints,<ref name=Andrews-NFR>{{cite web|last1=Andrews|first1=Mallory|title=A 'New' New Hope: Film Preservation and the Problem with 'Star Wars'|url=http://www.soundonsight.org/a-new-new-hope-film-preservation-and-the-problem-with-star-wars/|website=soundonsight.org|publisher=Sound on Sight|access-date=July 27, 2014|date=July 21, 2014|quote=the NFR does not possess workable copies of the original versions…Government-mandated agencies such as the National Film Registry are unable to preserve (or even possess) working copies of the films on their list without the consent of the author and/or copyright holder.|archive-date=July 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728002438/http://www.soundonsight.org/a-new-new-hope-film-preservation-and-the-problem-with-star-wars/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Save-SW-NFR>{{cite web|title=Request Denied: Lucas Refuses to Co-Operate with Government Film Preservation Organizations|url=http://savestarwars.com/lucas-nfr.html|website=savestarwars.com|publisher=Saving Star Wars|access-date=July 27, 2014|date=2011|quote=When the request was made for STAR WARS, Lucasfilm offered us the Special Edition version. The offer was declined as this was obviously not the version that had been selected for the Registry.|archive-date=December 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141203041304/http://savestarwars.com/lucas-nfr.html|url-status=live}}</ref> but it was later revealed that the Library possesses a copyright deposit print of the original theatrical releases.<ref name="mashable.com">{{cite web|last=Ulanoff|first=Lance|title=The search for the 'Star Wars' George Lucas doesn't want you to see|url=http://mashable.com/2015/12/17/star-wars-original-cut/#q9dBHW8NZkq0|website=Mashable|date=December 17, 2015|access-date=October 12, 2016|archive-date=October 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013075503/http://mashable.com/2015/12/17/star-wars-original-cut/#q9dBHW8NZkq0|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Industry ===
The original ''Star Wars'' film was a huge success for [[20th Century Fox]], and was credited for reinvigorating the company. Within three weeks of the film's release, the studio's stock price doubled to a record high. Prior to 1977, 20th Century Fox's greatest annual profits were $37&nbsp;million, while in 1977, the company broke that record by posting a profit of $79&nbsp;million.<ref name="EmpireOfDreams" /> The franchise helped Fox to change from an almost bankrupt [[production company]] to a thriving media conglomerate.<ref name=Cook>{{cite book|last1=Cook|first1=David A.|title=Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979|date=2000|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=978-0-520-23265-5|edition=1st paperback print.}}</ref> With over $10.3 billion in worldwide box office receipts, ''Star Wars'' is the [[List of highest-grossing films#Highest-grossing franchises and film series|second-highest-grossing film franchise]] of all time.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Star Wars – Box Office History |url=https://the-numbers.com/movies/series/StarWars.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822054739/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Star-Wars |archive-date=August 22, 2013 |access-date=January 5, 2020 |website=The Numbers}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Movie Franchises |url=https://the-numbers.com/movies/series/franchisesW.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822015623/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchises/sort/World |archive-date=August 22, 2013 |access-date=January 3, 2013 |website=The Numbers}}</ref>

''Star Wars'' fundamentally changed the aesthetics and narratives of [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] films, switching the focus of Hollywood-made films from deep, meaningful stories based on dramatic conflict, themes and [[irony]] to sprawling special-effects-laden [[blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbusters]], as well as changing the Hollywood film industry in fundamental ways. Before ''Star Wars'', special effects in films had not appreciably advanced since the 1950s.<ref name=Bigsby>{{cite book|last1=Bigsby|first1=Christopher|title=The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Culture|date=2006|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0-521-84132-0|edition=[Online-Ausg.].}}</ref> The commercial success of ''Star Wars'' created a boom in state-of-the-art special effects in the late 1970s.<ref name=Cook /> Along with ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'', ''Star Wars'' started the tradition of the summer [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] film in the entertainment industry, where films open on many screens at the same time and profitable [[Media franchise|franchises]] are important.<ref name="chicago">{{Cite news |last=Caro |first=Mark |date=May 8, 2005 |title=The power of the dark side |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0505080390may08,0,5905863,full.story |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522062851/http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0505080390may08,0,5905863,full.story |archive-date=May 22, 2011 |access-date=June 13, 2016 |work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref><ref name="pbs" /> 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 did.<ref name="msn" />

Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] wrote in his book ''[[The Great Movies]]'', "Like ''[[The Birth of a Nation]]'' and ''[[Citizen Kane]]'', ''Star Wars'' was a technical watershed that influenced many of the movies that came after." It began a new generation of special effects and high-energy motion pictures. The film was one of the first films to link genres together to invent a new, [[high-concept]] genre for filmmakers to build upon.<ref name="Legacy" /> Finally, along with [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'', it shifted the film industry's focus away from personal filmmaking of the 1970s and towards fast-paced, big-budget [[blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbusters]] for younger audiences.<ref name="EmpireOfDreams" /><ref name="GreatEbert">{{cite web |work=Chicago Sun-Times |publisher=Sun-Times Media Group |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=June 28, 1999 |title=Great Movies: Star Wars |url=https://rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope-1977 |access-date=October 1, 2006 |archive-date=April 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413113345/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope-1977 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Shone">[[Tom Shone|Shone, Tom]] (2004). ''[[Blockbuster (2004 book)|Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer]]''. London: Simon & Schuster. p. 64. {{ISBN|0-7432-6838-5}}.</ref>

Some critics have blamed ''Star Wars'' and ''Jaws'' for "ruining" Hollywood by shifting its focus from "sophisticated" films such as ''[[The Godfather]]'', ''[[Taxi Driver]]'', and ''[[Annie Hall]]'' to films about spectacle and juvenile fantasy, and for the industry shift from stand-alone, one and done films, towards blockbuster franchises with multiple sequels and prequels.<ref name="American">{{cite news |work=Decent Films Guide |author=Greydanus, Steven D. |title=An American Mythology: Why Star Wars Still Matters |url=http://www.decentfilms.com/articles/starwars |access-date=October 1, 2006 |archive-date=February 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206024753/http://www.decentfilms.com/articles/starwars |url-status=live }}</ref> One such critic, [[Peter Biskind]], complained, "When all was said and done, Lucas and Spielberg returned the 1970s audience, grown sophisticated on a diet of European and [[New Hollywood]] films, to the simplicities of the pre-1960s [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Golden Age of movies]]... They marched backward through the looking-glass."<ref name="American" /><ref name="Biskind">[[Peter Biskind|Biskind, Peter]] (1998). "Star Bucks". ''Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood''. New York: [[Simon & Schuster]]. pp. 336–337, 343. {{ISBN|0-684-80996-6}}.</ref> In an opposing view, [[Tom Shone]] wrote that through ''Star Wars'' and ''Jaws'', Lucas and Spielberg "didn't betray cinema at all: they plugged it back into the grid, returning the medium to its roots as a carnival sideshow, a magic act, one big special effect", which was "a kind of rebirth".<ref name="Shone" />

The original ''Star Wars'' trilogy is widely considered one of the best film trilogies in history.<ref>For a sampling of the reviews, read the following:
* {{cite web|title=The 33 Greatest Movie Trilogies &#124; 2. The Original ''Star Wars'' Trilogy|url=https://www.empireonline.com/features/trilogy/default.asp?film=2|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|publisher=[[Bauer Media Group]]|access-date=May 20, 2014|archive-date=December 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222052758/http://www.empireonline.com/features/trilogy/default.asp?film=2|url-status=live}}
* {{cite web|last=Gibron|first=Bill|title=The 10 Greatest Motion Picture Trilogies of All Time|url=https://popmatters.com/post/148823-the-10-greatest-motion-picture-trilogies-of-all-time/|work=[[PopMatters]]|access-date=May 20, 2014|date=September 21, 2011|archive-date=December 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223014531/http://www.popmatters.com/post/148823-the-10-greatest-motion-picture-trilogies-of-all-time/|url-status=live}}
* {{cite news|last=Griffin|first=Michael|title=Good Things Come In Threes: Great Movie Trilogies|url=http://www.hollywood.com/news/movies/55027259/best-five-movie-trilogies|work=[[Hollywood.com]]|access-date=May 20, 2014|date=September 11, 2013|archive-date=May 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521031228/http://www.hollywood.com/news/movies/55027259/best-five-movie-trilogies|url-status=live}}
* {{cite news|title=10 of the best movie trilogies of all-time &#124; 1. ''Star Wars'' Episodes IV – VI|url=http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/10-of-the-best-movie-trilogies-of-all-time/11|work=[[HitFix]]|access-date=May 20, 2014|date=April 25, 2013|author1=Ellwood, Gregory|author2=Eggersten, Chris|author3=Fienberg, Dan|author4=McWeeny, Drew|author5=Lewis, Dave|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521031520/http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/10-of-the-best-movie-trilogies-of-all-time/11|archive-date=May 21, 2014}}</ref> Numerous filmmakers have been influenced by ''Star Wars'', including [[Damon Lindelof]], [[Dean Devlin]], [[Roland Emmerich]], [[John Lasseter]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Pond|first=Steve|title=Why Disney Fired John Lasseter&nbsp;– And How He Came Back to Heal the Studio|url=https://thewrap.com/john-lasseter-disney-fired-frozen-healed-studio-oscarwrap-down-wire|work=[[TheWrap]]|publisher=The Wrap News Inc.|access-date=May 10, 2014|date=February 21, 2014|archive-date=May 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508200853/http://www.thewrap.com/john-lasseter-disney-fired-frozen-healed-studio-oscarwrap-down-wire|url-status=live}}</ref> [[David Fincher]], [[Joss Whedon]], [[John Singleton]], [[Kevin Smith]],<ref name="Legacy">{{Cite video|title=The Force Is With Them: The Legacy of Star Wars|publisher=Star Wars Original Trilogy DVD Box Set: Bonus Materials|date=2004}}</ref> and later ''Star Wars'' directors [[J.&nbsp;J. Abrams]] and [[Gareth Edwards (filmmaker)|Gareth Edwards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/feb/27/gareth-edwards-monsters-star-wars|title=The film that changed my life: Gareth Edwards|author=Hopkins, Jessica|date=February 27, 2011|access-date=May 10, 2014|work=[[The Guardian]]|archive-date=May 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505015532/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/feb/27/gareth-edwards-monsters-star-wars|url-status=live}}</ref> Lucas's concept of a "used universe" particularly influenced [[Ridley Scott]]'s ''[[Blade Runner]]'' (1982) and ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' (1979), [[James Cameron]]'s ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' (1986) as well as ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984), [[George Miller (director)|George Miller]]'s ''[[Mad Max 2]]'' (1981), and [[Peter Jackson]]'s [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy]] (2001–2003).<ref name="Legacy" /> [[Christopher Nolan]] cited ''Star Wars'' as an influence when making the 2010 blockbuster film ''[[Inception]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Christopher Nolan's Star Wars Inspiration |url=http://hub.contactmusic.com/news/christopher-nolans-star-wars-inspiration_1153625 |publisher=ContactMusic.com |date=July 16, 2010 |access-date=September 24, 2010 |archive-date=December 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219064444/http://hub.contactmusic.com/news/christopher-nolans-star-wars-inspiration_1153625 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Fan works ====
{{Main|Star Wars fan films}}
The ''Star Wars'' saga has inspired many fans to create their own non-canon material set in the ''Star Wars'' galaxy. In recent years, this has ranged from writing [[fan fiction]] to creating [[fan film]]s. In 2002, Lucasfilm sponsored the first annual [[The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards|Official ''Star Wars'' Fan Film Awards]], officially recognizing filmmakers and the genre. Because of concerns over potential [[copyright]] and trademark issues, however, the contest was initially open only to [[parody|parodies]], [[mockumentary|mockumentaries]], and documentaries. Fan fiction films set in the ''Star Wars'' universe were originally ineligible, but in 2007, Lucasfilm changed the submission standards to allow in-universe fiction entries.<ref>{{Cite news|access-date=March 28, 2008|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25279212_ITM|title=Filmmaker Kevin Smith Hosts 'The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards' on SCI FI Channel; George Lucas to Present Special Honor|publisher=[[Business Wire]]|date=April 23, 2002|archive-date=June 29, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629011859/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/search/?q=Filmmaker%20Kevin%20Smith%20Hosts%20%60The%20Official%20Star%20Wars%20Fan%20Film%20Awards'%20On%20SCI%20FI%20Channel;%20George%20Lucas%20to%20Present%20Special%20Honor.|url-status=live}}</ref> Lucasfilm has allowed but not endorsed the creation of fan fiction, as long as it does not attempt to make a profit.<ref>{{Cite news|first= Sarah|last= Knapton|title= Court to rule in Star Wars costume battle|url= http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2271561,00.html|work= The Guardian|location= UK|date= April 7, 2008|access-date= April 15, 2008|archive-date= April 11, 2008|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080411061922/http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2271561,00.html|url-status= live}}</ref>

=== Academia ===
As the characters and the storyline of the original trilogy are so well known, educators have used the films in the classroom as a learning resource. For example, a project in Western Australia honed elementary school students storytelling skills by role-playing action scenes from the movies and later creating props and audio/visual scenery to enhance their performance.<ref>{{Cite journal |last= Hesterman |first= Sandra |journal= Australasian Journal of Early Childhood |issn= 1836-9391 |volume= 36 |issue= 4 |pages= 86–95 |title= Multiliterate Star Warians : the force of popular culture and ICT in early learning |date= December 1, 2011 |doi= 10.1177/183693911103600412 |s2cid= 56078619 |url= https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/15743/ |access-date= December 11, 2019 |archive-date= June 30, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200630172225/https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/15743/ |url-status= live |doi-access= free }}</ref> Others have used the films to encourage second-level students to integrate technology in the science classroom by making prototype lightsabers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Thompson |first= Stephanie |journal=Science Scope |location=Washington, D.C. |issn=0887-2376 |page=55 |title=The science of Star Wars: Integrating technology and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy |date=November 1, 2006}}</ref> Similarly, psychiatrists in New Zealand and the U.S. have advocated their use in the university classroom to explain different types of [[psychopathology]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Friedman |first1=Susan Hatters |last2=Hall |first2=Ryan C. W. |date=December 1, 2015 |title=Teaching Psychopathology in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: The Light Side of the Force |journal=Academic Psychiatry |language=en |volume=39 |issue=6 |pages=719–725 |doi=10.1007/s40596-015-0340-y |pmid=25933645 |s2cid=27871244 |issn=1042-9670}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hall |first1=Ryan C. W. |last2=Friedman |first2=Susan Hatters |date=December 1, 2015 |title=Psychopathology in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: the Use of Star Wars' Dark Side in Teaching |journal=Academic Psychiatry |language=en |volume=39 |issue=6 |pages=726–732 |doi=10.1007/s40596-015-0337-6 |pmid=25943902 |s2cid=19738769 |issn=1042-9670}}</ref>