The Star Wars franchise has spawned multiple live-action and animated films. The franchise started with a film trilogy set in medias res—beginning in the middle of the story—which was later expanded to a trilogy of trilogies, better known as the “Skywalker saga”. The original trilogy was released between 1977 and 1983, the prequel trilogy between 1999 and 2005, and a sequel trilogy between 2015 and 2019. The original eponymous film, later subtitled Episode IV – A New Hope, was followed by the sequels Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983), forming what is collectively referred to as the original trilogy.
Years later, a prequel trilogy was released, consisting of Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). After Lucasfilm was sold to Disney, a sequel trilogy began with Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), continued with Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017), and concluded with Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019). In between the sequel films, two anthology films were released, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), both set between the prequel and original trilogies. The combined box office revenue of the films equates to over US$10 billion, and it is currently the second-highest-grossing film franchise. All the major theatrical live-action films were nominated for Academy Awards. The original film was nominated for most of the major categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Alec Guinness, while all sequels have been nominated for technical categories.
The first spin-off film produced was the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978). In 1984 and 1985, two live-action films featuring the Ewoks were televised in the United States and released theatrically in Europe. Several Star Wars television series have also been released.
Skywalker saga
The main Star Wars film series is a trilogy of trilogies; as it neared completion, it was rebranded the “Skywalker saga”. It was released beginning with the original trilogy (Episodes IV, V and VI, 1977–1983), followed by the prequel trilogy (Episodes I, II and III, 1999–2005) and the sequel trilogy (Episodes VII, VIII and IX, 2015–2019). The first film released, Star Wars (1977), is the fourth film chronologically and was later subtitled Episode IV – A New Hope. The saga begins with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and concludes with Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
The story follows each generation of the Force-sensitive Skywalker family and their struggle against the evil Sith lord Palpatine (Darth Sidious). The prequel trilogy focuses on Anakin Skywalker, his training as a Jedi, and eventual fall to the dark side as Darth Vader. The original trilogy follows his children, Luke and Leia, as they join the Rebel Alliance and battle Vader, Palpatine and his Galactic Empire. The sequel trilogy features Ben Solo a.k.a Kylo Ren—the son of Leia and Han Solo, nephew of Luke, and grandson of Anakin—who seeks to rule the galaxy with Rey, the granddaughter of Palpatine and the last Jedi apprentice of Luke and Leia.
Each episodic film begins with an opening crawl, accompanied by the main Star Wars theme by John Williams, who composes the scores for each film. The first six films—most notably the original trilogy—have had retroactive changes made after their initial theatrical releases.
| Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original trilogy | ||||||
| Episode IV – A New Hope | May 25, 1977 | George Lucas | Gary Kurtz | |||
| Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back | May 21, 1980 | Irvin Kershner | Leigh Brackett & Lawrence Kasdan | George Lucas | ||
| Episode VI – Return of the Jedi | May 25, 1983 | Richard Marquand | Lawrence Kasdan & George Lucas | Howard Kazanjian | ||
| Prequel trilogy | ||||||
| Episode I – The Phantom Menace | May 19, 1999 | George Lucas | Rick McCallum | |||
| Episode II – Attack of the Clones | May 16, 2002 | George Lucas | George Lucas & Jonathan Hales | George Lucas | ||
| Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | May 19, 2005 | George Lucas | ||||
| Sequel trilogy | ||||||
| Episode VII – The Force Awakens | December 18, 2015 | J. J. Abrams | J. J. Abrams & Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt | Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams and Bryan Burk | ||
| Episode VIII – The Last Jedi | December 15, 2017 | Rian Johnson | Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman | |||
| Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker | December 20, 2019 | J. J. Abrams | Chris Terrio & J. J. Abrams | Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow and Chris Terrio & J. J. Abrams | Kathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams and Michelle Rejwan | |
Standalone films
As Lucas was outlining a trilogy of trilogies, he also imagined making additional movies unrelated to the Skywalker saga. The first theatrical films set outside the main episodic series were the Ewok spin-off films Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985), the first of which was screened internationally after being produced for television.
After the conclusion of his then six-episode saga in 2005, Lucas returned to spin-offs in the form of television series. An animated film, The Clone Wars (2008), was released as a pilot to a TV series of the same name. An anthology series set between the main episodes entered development in parallel to the production of the sequel trilogy, described by Disney CFO Jay Rasulo as origin stories. The first entry, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), tells the story of the rebels who steal the Death Star plans directly before Episode IV. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) focuses on Han’s backstory, also featuring Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian.
Animated film
| Film | Release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | August 15, 2008 | Dave Filoni | Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching and Scott Murphy | Catherine Winder |
The Clone Wars (2008)
Preceding the airing of the animated TV series in late 2008, the theatrical feature Star Wars: The Clone Wars was compiled from episodes “almost an afterthought.” It reveals that Anakin trained an apprentice between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith; the series explains Padawan Ahsoka Tano’s absence from the latter film. The character was originally criticized by fans, but by the end of the series the character had become a fan favorite. The film and series exist in the same level of canon as the episodic and anthology films.
Anthology films
| Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rogue One | December 16, 2016 | Gareth Edwards | Chris Weitz & Tony Gilroy | John Knoll & Gary Whitta | Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, and Simon Emanuel | |
| Solo | May 25, 2018 | Ron Howard | Jonathan Kasdan & Lawrence Kasdan | |||
| Rogue Squadron | December 22, 2023 | Patty Jenkins | Kathleen Kennedy | |||
Before selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, and parallel to his development of a sequel trilogy, George Lucas and original trilogy co-screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan started development on a standalone film about a young Han Solo. In February 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger made public the development of a Kasdan film and Entertainment Weekly reported that it would focus on Han Solo. Disney CFO Jay Rasulo has described the standalone films as origin stories. Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that there was “no attempt being made to carry characters (from the standalone films) in and out of the saga episodes.” The standalone films released so far are subtitled “A Star Wars Story”.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Rogue One is set directly before Episode IV: A New Hope and focuses on the eponymous group of rebels who obtain the plans to the Death Star. Its laser was developed by scientist Galen Erso (played by Mads Mikkelsen) after the Empire forcibly abducted him, separating him from his daughter Jyn. Galen secretly sends a defecting Imperial pilot, Bodhi Rook, to deliver a message warning of the weapon’s existence and revealing its weakness to his rebel friend Saw Gerrera. Under the false promise of her father’s liberation, Jyn agrees to help Rebel Alliance intelligence officer Cassian Andor and his droid K-2SO retrieve the message from Saw, now the paranoid leader of an extremist cell of rebels.
The idea for the movie came from John Knoll, the chief creative officer of Industrial Light & Magic. In May 2014, Lucasfilm announced Gareth Edwards as the director of an anthology film, with Gary Whitta writing the first draft for a release on December 16, 2016. The film’s title was revealed to be Rogue One, with Chris Weitz rewriting the script, and Felicity Jones in the starring role. Ben Mendelsohn and Diego Luna also play new characters, with James Earl Jones returning to voice Darth Vader. Edwards stated, “It comes down to a group of individuals who don’t have magical powers that have to somehow bring hope to the galaxy.” The film was the first to feature characters introduced in animated Star Wars TV series, namely The Clone Wars‘ Saw Gerrera, portrayed by Forest Whitaker in the film. The movie received generally positive reviews, with its performances, action sequences, soundtrack, visual effects and darker tone being praised. The film grossed over US$500 million worldwide within a week of its release.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Solo, the second anthology film, focuses on Han Solo about 10 years before A New Hope. After an escape attempt from his Imperial-occupied home planet of Corellia goes wrong, a young Han vows to return to rescue his girlfriend Qi’ra. Han “Solo” joins the Imperial Academy; however, he is expelled for his reckless behavior. Han and his newfound Wookiee friend Chewbacca resort to a criminal life, mentored by veteran smuggler Beckett. After angering gangster Dryden Vos, Han and his company’s lives depend on pulling a heist for him. Without a ship to travel, they hire Lando Calrissian, the captain and owner of the Millennium Falcon.
Before selling Lucasfilm to Disney, George Lucas had hired Star Wars original trilogy veteran Lawrence Kasdan to write a film about a young Han Solo. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca (after serving as a double for the character in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi), Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Emilia Clarke as Qi’ra, and Woody Harrelson as Beckett. Lucasfilm originally hired Phil Lord and Christopher Miller to direct, but they were fired during principal photography, and replaced by Ron Howard. A twist ending acknowledges one of the major story arcs of The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series, while leaving the story open ended for sequels.
Rogue Squadron (2023)
During Disney Investor Day 2020, it was announced that Patty Jenkins would direct and write a film titled Rogue Squadron, set to be released on December 22, 2023. The film will be the first film in the franchise directed by a woman, and according to StarWars.com, “will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy.” According to Jenkins, the film will be “something original with great influence from the games and the books. There’s a lot of things being acknowledged and understood about the greatness of all of those things, but yes, it’s an original story and I’m so psyched to do it.”
Unspecified future films
Rian Johnson, the writer/director of The Last Jedi, is confirmed to write and direct the first film of a new trilogy he was outlining as of early 2019. Though the project is still active as of February 2021, no release date has been set due to Johnson’s involvement with other projects. The trilogy will differ from the Skywalker-focused films in favor of focusing on new characters and possibly a different era than the main film franchise.
In mid-2018, Lucasfilm confirmed that multiple anthology films were in development, with their release following a hiatus after 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. In addition to Rogue Squadron (2023), two untitled films are scheduled for mid-December 2025, and 2027.
On September 25, 2019, it was announced that Marvel Cinematic Universe producer Kevin Feige was developing a Star Wars film with Kathleen Kennedy, with Michael Waldron set to write the screenplay. On February 21, 2020, Variety reported that a Star Wars film from Sleight director J. D. Dillard and Luke Cage writer Matt Owens was in the early stages of development. On May 4, it was officially announced that Taika Waititi (who directed the first-season finale of The Mandalorian) will direct a Star Wars film from a screenplay he is co-writing with Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
Produced for television
The first spin-off film (also the first sequel to be released) was a holiday TV special aired in 1978. Two live-action TV films created in the mid-1980s feature the Ewoks.
Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
| Film | Release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars Holiday Special | November 17, 1978 | Steve Binder | Pat Proft, Leonard Ripps, Bruce Vilanch, Rod Warren and Mitzie Welch | CBS |
Produced for CBS in 1978, the Star Wars Holiday Special was a two-hour television special, in the format of a variety show. Stars of the original film and archive footage from the original Star Wars film appeared alongside celebrity guest stars in plot-related skits, musical numbers, and an animated segment, all loosely tied together by the premise of Chewbacca’s family waiting for his arrival for the “Life Day” celebration on his home planet, Kashyyyk. George Lucas loathed the special and forbade it to be re-aired or released on home video, with the sole exception of the 11-minute animated sequence that featured the first appearance of bounty hunter Boba Fett, which was eventually included as a bonus feature in some of the films’ Blu-ray releases.
Ewok films
The Ewoks from Return of the Jedi were featured in two spin-off television films, The Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. Both aired on ABC on the Thanksgiving weekends of 1984 and 1985, respectively, with at least the first also being given a limited international theatrical release. Warwick Davis reprised his debut role as the main Ewok, Wicket, in both. They are set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Both films were released on VHS, Laser Disc, and on a double-feature DVD. Although based on story ideas from Lucas, they do not bear Star Wars in their titles, and were considered to exist in a lower level of canon than the episodic films. Following Disney’s acquisition of the franchise, they were excluded from the canon. The Battle for Endor would be the last live-action Star Wars television project produced by Lucasfilm until 2019’s The Mandalorian.
| Film | Release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ewok Adventure | November 25, 1984 | John Korty | Bob Carrau | George Lucas | ABC |
| Ewoks: The Battle for Endor | November 24, 1985 | Jim Wheat and Ken Wheat | |||
The Ewok Adventure (1984)
In a story by Lucas and a screenplay by Bob Carrau, the Towani family spaceship shipwrecks on the forest moon of Endor. While trying to repair their ship, the castaway family is split, when a giant creature known as the Gorax kidnaps the parents. Taking pity on the kids, a group of native Ewoks led by Wicket decides to help little Cindel Towani and her older brother Mace, rescue their parents. Among other stylistic choices making the film unique from the Star Wars episodes is the inclusion of a narrator.
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
The sequel focuses on the Ewoks protecting their village from marauders led by the evil Lord Terak, who killed all the members of the Towani family except for Cindel, in search of a power battery.
A Droid Story
In December 2020, A Droid Story, an animated adventure film for Disney+ was announced. According to the official Star Wars Twitter, the “epic journey will introduce us to a new hero guided by R2-D2 and C-3PO.”
Reception
Box office performance
The Star Wars films are the second-highest-grossing film franchise of all time worldwide, behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having grossed over $10 billion at the global box office.
| Film | US release date | Box office gross | All-time ranking | Budget | Refs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US and Canada | Other territories | Worldwide | US and Canada | Worldwide | ||||
| Skywalker saga | ||||||||
| Star Wars | May 25, 1977 | $460,998,507 | $314,613,557 | $775,512,064 | 19 | 98 | $11 million | |
| The Empire Strikes Back | May 21, 1980 | $290,371,960 | $257,607,494 | $547,975,067 | 98 | 182 | $18 million | |
| Return of the Jedi | May 25, 1983 | $309,306,177 | $166,040,934 | $475,306,177 | 82 | 231 | $32.5 million | |
| The Phantom Menace | May 19, 1999 | $474,544,677 | $552,538,030 | $1,027,044,677 | 18 | 42 | $115 million | |
| Attack of the Clones | May 16, 2002 | $310,676,740 | $338,859,618 | $649,436,358 | 80 | 140 | $115 million | |
| Revenge of the Sith | May 19, 2005 | $380,270,577 | $469,765,058 | $850,035,635 | 44 | 78 | $113 million | |
| The Force Awakens | December 18, 2015 | $936,662,225 | $1,132,561,399 | $2,068,223,624 | 1 | 4 | $245 million | |
| The Last Jedi | December 15, 2017 | $620,181,382 | $713,358,507 | $1,333,539,889 | 9 | 12 | $317 million | |
| The Rise of Skywalker | December 20, 2019 | $515,202,542 | $558,941,706 | $1,074,144,248 | 14 | 32 | $275 million | |
| Spin-off films | ||||||||
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | August 15, 2008 | $35,161,554 | $33,121,290 | $68,282,844 | 2,447 | 2,211 | $8.5 million | |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | December 16, 2016 | $532,177,324 | $524,879,949 | $1,056,057,273 | 12 | 36 | $265 million | |
| Solo: A Star Wars Story | May 25, 2018 | $213,767,512 | $179,157,295 | $392,924,807 | 189 | 311 | $300 million | |
| Total | $5,081,223,784 | $5,239,306,792 | $10,318,030,576 | 2 | 2 | $1.633 billion | ||
Critical response
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skywalker saga | |||
| Star Wars | 92% (130 reviews) | 90 (24 reviews) | N/A |
| The Empire Strikes Back | 94% (102 reviews) | 82 (25 reviews) | N/A |
| Return of the Jedi | 82% (94 reviews) | 58 (24 reviews) | N/A |
| Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | 52% (232 reviews) | 51 (36 reviews) | A− |
| Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | 65% (253 reviews) | 54 (39 reviews) | A− |
| Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | 80% (299 reviews) | 68 (40 reviews) | A− |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 92% (437 reviews) | 80 (55 reviews) | A |
| Star Wars: The Last Jedi | 90% (472 reviews) | 84 (56 reviews) | A |
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 51% (495 reviews) | 54 (61 reviews) | B+ |
| Spin-off films | |||
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 18% (171 reviews) | 35 (30 reviews) | B− |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | 84% (446 reviews) | 65 (51 reviews) | A |
| Solo: A Star Wars Story | 69% (475 reviews) | 62 (54 reviews) | A− |
| Television films | |||
| Star Wars Holiday Special | 27% (15 reviews) | N/A | N/A |
| The Ewok Adventure | 21% (14 reviews) | N/A | N/A |
| Ewoks: The Battle for Endor | 33% (3 reviews) | N/A | N/A |
Accolades
Academy Awards
The eleven live-action films together have been nominated for 37 Academy Awards, of which they have won seven. The films were also awarded a total of three Special Achievement Awards. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi received Special Achievement Awards for their visual effects, and Star Wars received a Special Achievement Award for its alien, creature and robot voices.
| Film | Best Picture | Best Director | Best Supporting Actor | Best Original Screenplay | Best Costume Design | Best Film Editing | Best Makeup | Best Original Score | Best Production Design | Best Sound Editing | Best Sound Mixing | Best Visual Effects | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars | Nominated | Nominated | Nominated | Won | category not yet introduced | Won | Won | Won | |||||
| The Empire Strikes Back | Nominated | Special Achievement | |||||||||||
| Return of the Jedi | Nominated | ||||||||||||
| The Phantom Menace | Nominated | ||||||||||||
| Attack of the Clones | |||||||||||||
| Revenge of the Sith | Nominated | ||||||||||||
| The Force Awakens | Nominated | Nominated | Nominated | Nominated | |||||||||
| Rogue One | |||||||||||||
| The Last Jedi | Nominated | Nominated | |||||||||||
| Solo | Nominated | ||||||||||||
| The Rise of Skywalker | Nominated | Nominated | Nominated | ||||||||||
Grammy Awards
The franchise has received a total of fifteen Grammy Award nominations, winning six.
| Film | Album of the Year | Best Pop Instrumental Performance | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Best Instrumental Composition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars | Nominated | Won | Won | Won | |
| The Empire Strikes Back | Nominated | Won | Won | ||
| Return of the Jedi | Nominated | ||||
| The Phantom Menace | Nominated | ||||
| Revenge of the Sith | Nominated | Nominated | |||
| The Force Awakens | Won | ||||
| Solo | Nominated |
- Notes
- ^ Alec Guinness for his performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
- ^ For “Star Wars – Main Title”
- ^ For “Yoda’s Theme”
- ^ For The Empire Strikes Back. Also nominated for “The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme) and “Yoda’s Theme”.
- ^ For “Anakin’s Betrayal”
Library of Congress
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.” The Empire Strikes Back was selected in 2010. 35mm reels of the 1997 Special Editions were the versions initially presented for preservation because of the difficulty of transferring from the original prints, but it was later revealed that the Library possessed a copyright deposit print of the original theatrical releases. By 2015, Star Wars had been transferred to a 2K scan which can be viewed by appointment.
Emmy Awards
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure was one of four films to be juried-awarded Emmys for Outstanding Special Visual Effects at the 37th Primetime Emmy Awards. The film was additionally nominated for Outstanding Children’s Program but lost in this category to an episode of American Playhouse.
At the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor and the CBS documentary Dinosaur! were both juried-awarded Emmys for Outstanding Special Visual Effects. The film additionally received two nominations for Outstanding Children’s Program and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Special.
Unproduced and rumored films
In early 2013, Bob Iger announced the development of a spin-off film written by Simon Kinberg, reported by Entertainment Weekly to focus on bounty hunter Boba Fett during the original trilogy. In mid-2014, Josh Trank was officially announced as the director of an undisclosed spin-off film, but had left the project a year later due to creative differences, causing a teaser for the film to be scrapped from Star Wars Celebration. In May 2018, it was reported that James Mangold had signed on to write and direct a Fett film, with Kinberg attached as producer and co-writer. By October, the Fett film was reportedly no longer in production, with the studio instead focusing on The Mandalorian, which utilizes a similar character design.
In August 2017, it was rumored that films focused on Jabba the Hutt, and Jedi Masters Obi-Wan and Yoda were being considered or were in development. Stephen Daldry was reportedly in early negotiations to co-write and direct the Obi-Wan movie. At D23 Expo in August 2019, it was announced that a streaming series about the character would be produced instead.
Felicity Jones, who played Jyn Erso in Rogue One, has the option of another Star Wars film in her contract; notwithstanding her character’s fate in Rogue One, it has been speculated that she could return in other anthology films. In 2018, critics noted that Solo was intentionally left open for sequels. Alden Ehrenreich and Emilia Clarke confirmed that their contracts to play Han Solo and Q’ira extended for additional films, if required.
An unannounced film centered around the Mos Eisley Spaceport was reportedly put on hold or cancelled in mid-2018, leading to rumors of the cancellation or postponement of the anthology series. Lucasfilm swiftly denied the rumors as “inaccurate”, confirming that multiple unannounced films were in development.
Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were to write and produce a trilogy of Star Wars films scheduled to be released in December 2022, 2024, and 2026, which were first announced to be in development in February 2018. However, citing their commitment to a Netflix deal, the duo stepped away from the project in October 2019. Kennedy stated her openness to their returning when their schedules allow.
Additionally, though unconfirmed by Lucasfilm, BuzzFeed reported in May 2019 that Laeta Kalogridis was writing the script for the first film in a potential Knights of the Old Republic trilogy. In January 2020, a film set in the era of The High Republic was rumored to be in development.