Star Wars Pumpkin Carving Kit Halloween Jack O Lantern Stencil 7 Patterns 4 tool

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Star Wars Pumpkin Carving Kit Halloween Jack O Lantern Stencil 7 Patterns 4 tool:
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Star Wars - The Clone Wars 11-piece pumpkin carving kit
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Kit Includes: 4 tools, 6 stencils and 1 bonus stencil
Patterns as shown in the photo above:

Obi-Wan Kenobi
Yoda
Clone Trooper (2)
Ahsoka Tano
Darth Maul
Bonus Pattern

Make a Halloween Jack O\' Lantern together and make a memory that will last forever!This article is about the film series and media franchise. For the 1977 film, seeStar Wars (film). For other uses, seeStar Wars (disambiguation).Star WarsTheStar Warslogo as seen in all filmsCreatorGeorge LucasOriginal workStar WarsPrint publicationsNovelsList of novelsComicsList of comicsFilms and televisionFilms

Saga Episodes

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Stand-Alone Films

Rogue One

Television series

Caravan of Courage
The Battle for Endor
Droids
Ewoks
Clone Wars
The Clone Wars
Rebels

GamesVideo gamesList of video gamesAudioRadio programsStar WarsOriginal musicMusic ofStar WarsMiscellaneousTheme parks

Jedi Training Academy
Star Tours—The Adventures Continue

Star Warsis an Americanepicspace operafranchise centered on afilm seriescreated byGeorge Lucas. The film series, consisting of two trilogies (and an upcoming third), has spawned an extensivemedia franchisecalled theExpanded Universeincludingbooks, television series,computer and video games, andcomic books. These supplements to the franchise resulted in significant development of the series\'fictional universe, keeping the franchise active in the 16-year interim between the two film trilogies. The franchise depicts a galaxy described as \"far, far away\" in the distant past, and commonly portraysJedias a representation of good, in conflict with theSith, their evil counterpart. Their weapon of choice, thelightsaber, is commonly recognized in popular culture. The franchise\'s storylines contain many themes, with strong influences fromphilosophy and religion.

The first film in the series was released under the titleStar Warson May 25, 1977, by20th Century Fox, and became a worldwidepop culturephenomenon followed by two sequels, released at three-year intervals. Sixteen years after the release of the trilogy\'s final film, the first in a newprequeltrilogy of films was released. The three prequel films were also released at three-year intervals, with the final film of the trilogy released on May 19, 2005. In 2012,The Walt Disney CompanyacquiredLucasfilmfor $4.05 billion and announced that it would producethree new films, with the first film,Star Wars: The Force Awakens, planned for release in 2015.[1]20th Century Fox still retains the distribution rights to the first twoStar Warstrilogies, owning permanent rights for the original filmEpisode IV: A New Hope, while holding the rights toEpisodes I–III,VandVIuntil May 2020.[2]

Reactions to the original trilogy were positive, with the last film being considered the weakest, while the prequel trilogy received a more mixed reaction, with most of the praise being for the final film, according to mostreview aggregatorwebsites. All six of the main films in the series were nominated for or wonAcademy Awards. All of the main films have been box office successes, with the overall box office revenue generated by theStar Warsfilms (including the theatricalStar Wars: The Clone Wars) totalling $4.38billion,[3]making it thefifth-highest-grossing film series.[4]The success has also led to multiple re-releases in theaters for the series.

Contents[hide]

1Setting
2Theatrical films
- 2.1Plot overview
- 2.2Themes
- 2.3Technical information
- 2.4Production history
  - 2.4.1Original trilogy
  - 2.4.2Prequel trilogy
  - 2.4.3Sequel trilogy
  - 2.4.4Stand-alone films
    - 2.4.4.1Rogue One
    - 2.4.4.2Second stand-alone film
  - 2.4.53D releases
3Cast and crew
- 3.1Cast
- 3.2Crew and other
4Reception
- 4.1Box office performance
- 4.2Critical and public response
- 4.3Academy Awards
5Expanded Universe
- 5.1Other films
- 5.2Animated series
- 5.3Literature
- 5.4Games
- 5.5Fan works
6Attractions
7Animal species named afterStar Warscharacters
8Legacy
9See also
10Notes
11References
12Sources
13Further reading
14External links

§Setting\"Star Wars galaxy\" redirects here. For the video game, seeStar Wars Galaxies. For the comic series namedStar Wars Galaxy, seeStar Wars (UK comics).

The events depicted inStar Warsmedia take place in afictional galaxy. Many species ofalien creatures(oftenhumanoid) are depicted. Roboticdroidsare also commonplace and are generally built to serve their owners.Space travelis common, and many planets in the galaxy are members of aGalactic Republic, later reorganized as theGalactic Empire.

One of the prominent elements ofStar Warsis the \"Force\", an omnipresent energy that can be harnessed by those with that ability, known as Force-sensitives. It is described in the first produced film as \"an energy field created by all living things [that] surrounds us, penetrates us, [and] binds the galaxy together.\"[5]The Force allows users to perform varioussupernaturalfeats (such andmind control) and can amplify certain physical traits, such as speed and reflexes; these abilities vary between characters and can be improved through training. While the Force can be used for good, it has adark sidethat, when pursued, imbues users with hatred, aggression, and malevolence. The six films feature theJedi, who use the Force for good, and theSith, who use the dark side for evil in an attempt to take over the galaxy. In theStar WarsExpanded Universe, many dark side users areDark Jedirather than Sith, mainly because of the \"Rule of Two\" (seeSith films

The film series began withStar Wars, released on May 25, 1977. This was followed by two sequels:The Empire Strikes Back, released on May 21, 1980, andReturn of the Jedi, released on May 25, 1983. Theopening crawlof the sequels disclosed that they were numbered as \"Episode V\" and \"Episode VI\" respectively, though the films were generally advertised solely under their subtitles. Though the first film in the series was simply titledStar Wars, with its 1981 re-release it had the subtitleEpisode IV: A New Hopeadded to remain consistent with its sequel, and to establish it as the middle chapter of a continuing saga.[11]

In 1997, to correspond with the 20th anniversary ofA New Hope, Lucas released a \"Special Edition\" of theStar Warstrilogy to theaters. The re-release featured alterations to the three films, primarily motivated by the improvement ofCGIand other special effects technologies, which allowed visuals that were not possible to achieve at the time of the original filmmaking. Lucas continued tomake changesto the films for subsequent releases, such as the first everDVDrelease of the original trilogy on September 21, 2004 and the first everBlu-rayrelease of all six films on September 16, 2011.[12]Reception of theSpecial Editionwas mixed,[13][14][15][16]prompting petitions and fan edits to produce restored copies of the original trilogy.[17][18]

More than two decades after the release of the original film, the series continued with a prequel trilogy; consisting ofEpisode I: The Phantom Menace, released on May 19, 1999;Episode II: Attack of the Clones, released on May 16, 2002; andEpisode III: Revenge of the Sith, released on May 19, 2005.[19]On August 15, 2008,Star Wars: The Clone Warswas released theatrically as a lead-in to the weeklyanimated TV series of the same name.Star Wars: The Force Awakensis scheduled for release on December 18, 2015. In 2013, it was announced the originalStar Warsfilm will be the firstHollywoodfilm to be dubbed intoNavajo.[20]

FilmRelease trilogyStar WarsMay25,1977George LucasGeorge LucasGary KurtzReleasedThe Empire Strikes BackMay21,1980Irvin KershnerLeigh Brackett&Lawrence KasdanReturn of the JediMay25,1983Richard MarquandGeorge Lucas & Lawrence KasdanHoward KazanjianPrequel trilogyStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceMay19,1999George LucasGeorge LucasRick McCallumReleasedStar Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesMay16,2002George Lucas &Jonathan HalesStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithMay19,2005George LucasAnimated specialStar Wars: The Clone WarsAugust15,2008Dave FiloniHenry Gilroy, Steven Melching &Scott MurphyGeorge Lucas &Catherine WinderReleasedSequel trilogyStar Wars: The Force AwakensDecember18,2015J. J. AbramsLawrence Kasdan & J. J. AbramsKathleen Kennedy, J. J. Abrams &Bryan BurkPost-productionStar Wars Episode VIIIMay26,2017[21]Rian JohnsonRian JohnsonKathleen KennedyPre-productionStar Wars Episode IX2019TBATBA§Plot overviewA street performer in costume asDarth VaderinAmsterdam. Vader is considered to be one of the most iconic characters of theStar Warsfranchise.[22]

The original trilogy begins with theGalactic Empirenearing completion of theDeath Starspace station, which will allow the Empire to crush theRebel Alliance, an organized resistance formed to combatEmperor Palpatine\'s tyranny. Palpatine\'s Sith apprenticeDarth VadercapturesPrincess Leia, a member of the rebellion who has stolen the plans to the Death Star and hidden them in the astromech droidR2-D2. R2, along with his protocol droid counterpartC-3PO, escapes to the desert planetTatooine. There, the droids are purchased by farm boyLuke Skywalkerand his step-uncle and aunt. While Luke is cleaning R2, he accidentally triggers a message put into the droid by Leia, who asks for assistance from the legendary Jedi KnightObi-Wan Kenobi. Luke later assists the droids in finding the exiled Jedi, who is now passing as an old hermit under the alias Ben Kenobi. When Luke asks about his father, whom he has never met, Obi-Wan tells him that Anakin Skywalker was a great Jedi who was betrayed and murdered by Vader.[23]Obi-Wan and Luke hire the smugglerHan Soloand hisWookieeco-pilotChewbaccato take them toAlderaan, Leia\'s home world, which they eventually find has been destroyed by the Death Star. Once on board the space station, Luke and Han rescue Leia while Obi-Wan allows himself to be killed during alightsaberduel with Vader; his sacrifice allows the group to escape with the plans that help the Rebels destroy the Death Star. Luke himself (guided by the power ofthe Force) fires the shot that destroys the deadly space station during the Battle ofYavin.[5]

Three years later, Luke travels to find the Jedi MasterYoda, now living in exile on the swamp-infested world ofDagobah, to begin his Jedi training. However, Luke\'s training is interrupted when Vader lures him into a trap by capturing Han and his friends atCloud City. During a fierce lightsaber duel, Vader reveals that he is Luke\'s father and attempts to turn him to the dark side of the Force.[9]Luke escapes and, after rescuing Han from the gangsterJabba the Hutt, returns to Yoda to complete his training, only to find the 900-year-old Jedi Master on his deathbed. Before he dies, Yoda confirms that Vader is Luke\'s father. Moments later, Obi-Wan\'s spirit tells Luke that he must confront his father once again before he can become a Jedi, and that Leia is his twin sister.

As the Rebels attack the second Death Star, Luke engages Vader in another lightsaber duel as the Emperor watches; both Sith Lords intend to turn Luke to the dark side and take him as their apprentice. During the duel, Luke succumbs to his anger and brutally overpowers Vader, but controls himself at the last minute; realizing that he is about to suffer his father\'s fate, he spares Vader\'s life and proudly declares his allegiance to the Jedi. An enraged Palpatine then attempts to kill Luke withForce lightning, a sight that moves Vader to turn and kill the Emperor, suffering mortal wounds in the process. Redeemed, Anakin Skywalker dies in his son\'s arms. Luke becomes a full-fledged Jedi, and the Rebels destroy the second Death Star.[10]

The prequel trilogy begins (32 years before the original film) with the corruptTrade Federationsetting up a blockade of battleships around the planetNaboo. The Sith Lord Darth Sidious had secretly planned the blockade to give his alter ego, Senator Palpatine, a pretense to overthrow and replace the Supreme Chancellor of theGalactic Republic. At the Chancellor\'s request, the Jedi KnightQui-Gon Jinnand his apprentice, a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, are sent to Naboo to negotiate with the Federation. However, the two Jedi are forced to instead help the Queen of Naboo,Padmé Amidala, escape from the blockade and plea her planet\'s crisis before the Republic Senate onCoruscant. When their starship is damaged during the escape, they land on Tatooine for repairs, where Qui-Gon discovers a nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon comes to believe that Anakin is the \"Chosen One\" foretold by Jediprophecyto bring balance to the Force, and he helps liberate the boy from slavery. The Jedi Council, led by Yoda, reluctantly allows Obi-Wan to train Anakin after Qui-Gon is killed by Palpatine\'s first apprentice,Darth Maul, during the Battle of Naboo.[6]

The remainder of the prequel trilogy chronicles Anakin\'s gradual descent to the dark side as he fights in theClone Wars, which Palpatine secretly engineers to destroy the Jedi Order and lure Anakin into his service.[7]Anakin and Padmé fall in love and secretly wed, and eventually Padmé becomes pregnant. Anakin has a prophetic vision of Padmé dying in childbirth, and Palpatine convinces him that the dark side of the Force holds the power to save her life. Desperate, Anakin submits to Palpatine\'s Sith teachings and is renamed Darth Vader.

While Palpatine re-organizes the Republic into the tyrannical Empire, Vader participates in theextermination of the Jedi Order, culminating in a lightsaber duel between himself and Obi-Wan on the volcanic planetMustafar. Obi-Wan defeats his former apprentice and friend, severing his limbs and leaving him to burn to death on the shores of a lava flow. Palpatine arrives shortly afterward and saves Vader by placing him into a mechanical black mask and suit of armor that serves as a permanent life support system. At the same time, Padmé dies while giving birth to twins Luke and Leia. Obi-Wan and Yoda, now the only remaining Jedi alive, agree to separate the twins and keep them hidden from both Vader and the Emperor, until the time comes when Anakin\'s children can be used to help overthrow the Empire.[8]

§ThemesSee also:Philosophy and religion in Star WarsandForce (Star Wars)

Aside from its well knownscience fictional technology,Star Warsfeatures elements such asknighthood,chivalry, andprincessesthat are related to archetypes of the fantasy genre.[24]TheStar Warsworld, unlike fantasy and science-fiction films that featured sleek and futuristic settings, was portrayed as dirty and grimy. Lucas\' vision of a \"used future\" was further popularized in the science fiction-horror filmsAlien,[25]which was set on a dirty space freighter;Mad Max 2, which is set in apost-apocalypticdesert; andBlade Runner, which is set in a crumbling, dirty city of the future. Lucas made a conscious effort to parallel scenes and dialogue between films, and especially to parallel the journeys of Luke Skywalker with that of his father Anakin when making the prequels.[6]

Star Warscontains many themes ofpolitical sciencethat mainly favordemocracyoverdictatorship. Political science has been an important element ofStar Warssince the franchise first launched in 1977. The plot climax ofStar Warsis modeled after the fall of the democraticRoman Republicand the formation of anempire.[26][27][28]Star Warsalso reflects on the events in America following theSeptember 11 attacks. Some[who?]have drawn similarities between the rise in authoritarianism from around the beginning ofClone Warsuntil the end of theOld Republicand theUnited States government\'s actions after 9/11, specifically passage of thePatriot Actin 2001.[29][30]

§Technical information

All six films of theStar Warsseries were shot in anaspect ratioof 2.39:1. The original trilogy was shot withanamorphiclenses. Episodes IV and V were shot inPanavision, while Episode VI was shot in Joe Dunton Camera (JDC) scope. Episode I was shot with Hawk anamorphic lenses onArriflexcameras, and Episodes II and III were shot with Sony\'sCineAltahigh-definition digital cameras.[31]

Lucas hiredBen Burttto oversee the sound effects onA New Hope. Burtt\'s accomplishment was such that theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciencespresented him with a Special Achievement Award because it had no award at the time for the work he had done.[32]Lucasfilm developed theTHXsound reproduction standard forReturn of the Jedi.[33]John Williamscomposed thescores for all six films. Lucas\' design forStar Warsinvolved a grand musical sound, withleitmotifsfor different characters and important concepts. Williams\'Star Warstitle theme has become one of the most famous and well-known musical compositions in modern music history.[34]

Lucas hired \'the Dean of Special Effects\'John Stears, who createdR2-D2, Luke Skywalker\'sLandspeeder, the Jedi Knights\'lightsabers, and theDeath Star.[35][36]The technical lightsaber choreography for the original trilogy was developed by leading filmmaking sword-masterBob Anderson. Anderson trained actorMark Hamill(Luke Skywalker) and performed all the sword stunts as Darth Vader during the lightsaber duels inThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, wearing Vader\'s costume. Anderson\'s role in the originalStar Warstrilogy was highlighted in the filmReclaiming the Blade, where he shares his experiences as the fight choreographer developing the lightsaber techniques for the movies.[37]

§Production history§Original trilogy\"Original trilogy\" redirects here. For the video game, seeLego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.George Lucas, the creator ofStar Wars

In 1971,Universal Studiosagreed to makeAmerican GraffitiandStar Warsin a two-picture contract, althoughStar Warswas later rejected in its early concept stages.American Graffitiwas completed in 1973 and, a few months later, Lucas wrote a short summary called \"The Journal of the Whills\", which told the tale of the training of apprentice CJ Thorpe as a \"Jedi-Bendu\" space commando by the legendary Mace Windy.[38]Frustrated that his story was too difficult to understand, Lucas then began writing a 13-page treatment calledThe Star Warson April 17, 1973, which had thematic parallels withAkira Kurosawa\'sThe Hidden Fortress.[39]By 1974, he had expanded the treatment into a rough draft screenplay, adding elements such as theSith, theDeath Star, and a protagonist named Annikin Starkiller.

For the second draft, Lucas made heavy simplifications, and introduced the young hero on a farm as Luke Starkiller. Annikin became Luke\'s father, a wise Jedi knight. \"The Force\" was also introduced as a mysticalenergyfield. The next draft removed the father character and replaced him with a substitute named Ben Kenobi, and in 1976 a fourth draft had been prepared for principal photography. The film was titledAdventures of Luke Starkiller, as taken from the Journal of the Whills, Saga I: The Star Wars. During production, Lucas changed Luke\'s name to Skywalker and altered the title to simplyThe Star Warsand finallyStar Wars.[40]

John Williams, composer of the musicalscoresfor all six films of the original and prequel trilogies.

At that point, Lucas was not expecting the film to become part of a series. The fourth draft of the script underwent subtle changes that made it more satisfying as a self-contained film, ending with the destruction of theEmpireitself by way of destroying the Death Star. However, Lucashadpreviously conceived of the film as the first in a series of adventures. Later, he realized the film would not in fact be the first in the sequence, but a film in the second trilogy in the saga. This is stated explicitly in George Lucas\' preface to the 1994 reissue ofSplinter of the Mind\'s Eye:

It wasn\'t long after I began writingStar Warsthat I realized the story was more than a single film could hold. As the saga of the Skywalkers and Jedi Knights unfolded, I began to see it as a tale that could take at least nine films to tell—three trilogies—and I realized, in making my way through the back story and after story, that I was really setting out to write the middle story.

The second draft contained a teaser for a never-made sequel about \"The Princess of Ondos,\" and by the time of the third draft some months later Lucas had negotiated a contract that gave him rights to make two sequels. Not long after, Lucas met with authorAlan Dean Foster, and hired him to write these two sequels as novels.[41]The intention was that ifStar Warswere successful, Lucas could adapt the novels into screenplays.[42]He had also by that point developed an elaborate backstory to aid his writing process.[43]

WhenStar Warsproved successful, Lucas decided to use the film as the basis for an elaborateserial, although at one point he considered walking away from the series altogether.[44]However, Lucas wanted to create an independent filmmaking center—what would becomeSkywalker Ranch—and saw an opportunity to use the series as a financing agent.[45]Alan Dean Foster had already begun writing the first sequel novel, but Lucas decided to abandon his plan to adapt Foster\'s work; the book was released asSplinter of the Mind\'s Eyethe following year. At first Lucas envisioned a series of films with no set number of entries, like theJames Bondseries. In an interview withRolling Stonein August 1977, he said that he wanted his friends to each take a turn at directing the films and giving unique interpretations on the series. He also said that the backstory in which Darth Vader turns to the dark side, kills Luke\'s father and fightsBen Kenobion a volcano as theGalactic Republicfalls would make an excellent sequel.

Later that year, Lucas hired science fiction authorLeigh Brackettto writeStar Wars IIwith him. They held story conferences and, by late November 1977, Lucas had produced a handwritten treatment calledThe Empire Strikes Back. The treatment is similar to the final film, except that Darth Vader does not reveal he is Luke\'s father. In the first draft that Brackett would write from this, Luke\'s father appears as a ghost to instruct Luke.[46]

Brackett finished her first draft in early 1978; Lucas has said he was disappointed with it, but before he could discuss it with her, she died of cancer.[47]With no writer available, Lucas had to write his next draft himself. It was this draft in which Lucas first made use of the \"Episode\" numbering for the films;Empire Strikes Backwas listed asEpisode II.[48]As Michael Kaminski argues inThe Secret History of Star Wars, the disappointment with the first draft probably made Lucas consider different directions in which to take the story.[49]He made use of a new plot twist: Darth Vader claims to be Luke\'s father. According to Lucas, he found this draft enjoyable to write, as opposed to the yearlong struggles writing the first film, and quickly wrote two more drafts,[50]both in April 1978. He also took the script to a darker extreme by havingHan Soloimprisoned incarboniteand left inlimbo.[9]

This new story point of Darth Vader being Luke\'s father had drastic effects on the series. Michael Kaminski argues in his book that it is unlikely that the plot point had ever seriously been considered or even conceived of before 1978, and that the first film was clearly operating under an alternate storyline where Vader was separate from Luke\'s father;[51]there is not a single reference to this plot point before 1978. After writing the second and third drafts ofEmpire Strikes Backin which the point was introduced, Lucas reviewed the new backstory he had created: Anakin Skywalker was Ben Kenobi\'s brilliant student and had a child named Luke, but was swayed to the dark side by EmperorPalpatine(who became aSithand not simply a politician). Anakin battled Ben Kenobi on the site of a volcano and was wounded, but then resurrected as Darth Vader. Meanwhile Kenobi hid Luke onTatooinewhile the Republic became the Empire and Vader systematically hunted down and killed the Jedi.[52]

With this new backstory in place, Lucas decided that the series would be a trilogy, changingEmpire Strikes BackfromEpisode IItoEpisode Vin the next draft.[50]Lawrence Kasdan, who had just completed writingRaiders of the Lost Ark, was then hired to write the next drafts, and was given additional input from directorIrvin Kershner. Kasdan, Kershner, and producerGary Kurtzsaw the film as a more serious and adult film, which was helped by the new, darker storyline, and developed the series from the light adventure roots of the first film.[53]

By the time he began writingEpisode VIin 1981 (then titledRevenge of the Jedi), much had changed. MakingEmpire Strikes Backwas stressful and costly, and Lucas\' personal life was disintegrating. Burned out and not wanting to make any moreStar Warsfilms, he vowed that he was done with the series in a May 1983 interview withTimemagazine. Lucas\' 1981 rough drafts had Darth Vader competing with the Emperor for possession of Luke—and in the second script, the \"revised rough draft\", Vader became a sympathetic character. Lawrence Kasdan was hired to take over once again and, in these final drafts, Vader was explicitly redeemed and finally unmasked. This change in character would provide a springboard to the \"Tragedy of Darth Vader\" storyline that underlies the prequels.[54]

§Prequel trilogy

After losing much of his fortune in a divorce settlement in 1987, Lucas had no desire to return toStar Wars, and had unofficially canceled hissequel trilogyby the time ofReturn of the Jedi.[55]Nevertheless, the prequels, which were only still a series of basic ideas partially pulled from his original drafts of \"The Star Wars\" continued to fascinate him with the possibilities of technical advances would make it possible to revisit his 20-year-old material. AfterStar Warsbecame popular once again, in the wake ofDark Horse\'s comic book line andTimothy Zahn\'strilogy of novels, Lucas saw that there was still a large audience. His children were older, and with the explosion ofCGItechnology he was now considering returning to directing.[56]By 1993 it was announced, inVarietyamong other sources, that he would be making the prequels. He began penning more to the story, now indicating the series would be a tragic one examining Anakin Skywalker\'s fall to the dark side. Lucas also began to change how the prequels would exist relative to the originals; at first they were supposed to be a \"filling-in\" of history tangential to the originals, but now he saw that they could form the beginning of one long story that started with Anakin\'s childhood and ended with his death. This was the final step towards turning the film series into a \"Saga\".[57]

In 1994, Lucas finally had his first screenplay titledEpisode I: The Beginning. Following the release of that film, Lucas announced that he would also be directing the next two, and began working onEpisode IIat that time.[58]The first draft ofEpisode IIwas completed just weeks before principal photography, and Lucas hiredJonathan Hales, a writer fromThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, to polish it.[59]Unsure of a title, Lucas had jokingly called the film \"Jar Jar\'s Great Adventure.\"[60]In writingThe Empire Strikes Back, Lucas initially decided thatLando Calrissianwas acloneand came from a planet of clones which caused the \"Clone Wars\" mentioned by Princess Leia inA New Hope;[61][62]he later came up with an alternate concept of an army of clone shocktroopers from a remote planet which attacked the Republic and were repelled by the Jedi.[63]The basic elements of that backstory became the plot basis forEpisode II, with the new wrinkle added that Palpatine secretly orchestrated the crisis.[7]

Lucas began working onEpisode IIIbeforeAttack of the Cloneswas released, offering concept artists that the film would open with a montage of seven Clone War battles.[64]As he reviewed the storyline that summer, however, he says he radically re-organized the plot.[65]Michael Kaminski, inThe Secret History of Star Wars, offers evidence that issues in Anakin\'s fall to the dark side prompted Lucas to make massive story changes, first revising the opening sequence to have Palpatine kidnapped and his apprentice,Count Dooku, murdered by Anakin as the first act in the latter\'s turn towards the dark side.[66]After principal photography was complete in 2003, Lucas made even more massive changes in Anakin\'s character, re-writing his entire turn to the dark side; he would now turn primarily in a quest to save Padmé\'s life, rather than the previous version in which that reason was one of several, including that he genuinely believed that the Jedi were evil and plotting to take over the Republic. This fundamental re-write was accomplished both through editing the principal footage, and new and revised scenes filmed during pick-ups in 2004.[67]

Lucas often exaggerated the amount of material he wrote for the series; much of it stemmed from the post‐1978 period when the series grew into a phenomenon. Michael Kaminski explained that these exaggerations were both a publicity and security measure. Kaminski rationalized that since the series\' story radically changed throughout the years, it was always Lucas\' intention to change the original story retroactively because audiences would only view the material from his perspective.[8][68]When congratulating the producers of the TV seriesLostin 2010, Lucas himself jokingly admitted, \"whenStar Warsfirst came out, I didn\'t know where it was going either. The trick is to pretend you\'ve planned the whole thing out in advance. Throw in some father issues and references to other stories– let\'s call them homages– and you\'ve got a series\".[69]

§Sequel trilogyMain article:Star Wars sequel trilogy

A sequel trilogy was reportedly planned (EpisodesVII,VIIIandIX) byLucasfilmas asequelto the originalStar Warstrilogy (EpisodesIV,VandVI), released between 1977 and 1983.[70]While the similarly discussedStar Warsprequel trilogy (EpisodesI,IIandIII) was ultimately released between 1999 and 2005, Lucasfilm and George Lucas had for many years denied plans for a sequel trilogy, insisting thatStar Warsis meant to be a six-part series.[71][72]In May2008, speaking about the upcomingStar Wars: The Clone Wars, Lucas maintained his status on the sequel trilogy:

\"I get asked all the time, \'What happens afterReturn of the Jedi?,\' and there really is no answer for that. The movies were the story ofAnakin SkywalkerandLuke Skywalker, and when Luke saves the galaxy and redeems his father, that\'s where that story ends.\"[73]

In January 2012, Lucas announced that he would step away from blockbuster films and instead produce smallerart-housefilms. In an interview regarding whether or not the scrutiny he received from the prequel trilogy and the alterations made on the original trilogy were a factor in his retirement, Lucas stated:

\"Why would I make any more,... when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?\"[74]

Despite insisting that a sequel trilogy would never happen, George Lucas began working on story treatments for three new Star Wars films in 2011. In October 2012,The Walt Disney Companyagreed to buy Lucasfilm and announced thatStar Wars Episode VIIwould be released in 2015. Later, it was revealed that the three new upcoming films (Episodes VII-IX) would be based on story treatments that had been written by George Lucas prior to the sale of Lucasfilm.[75]The co-chairman of Lucasfilm,Kathleen Kennedybecame president of the company, reporting toWalt Disney StudioschairmanAlan Horn. In addition, Kennedy will serve as executive producer on newStar Warsfeature films, with franchise creator and Lucasfilm founder Lucas serving as creative consultant.[76]The screenplay forEpisode VIIwas originally set to be written byMichael Arndt,[77]but in October 2013 it was announced that writing duties would be taken over byLawrence KasdanandJ. J. Abrams.[78]On January 25, 2013, The Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm officially announced J. J. Abrams asStar Wars Episode VII \'s director and producer, along withBryan BurkandBad Robot Productions.[79]

On November 20, 2012,The Hollywood Reporterreported thatLawrence Kasdan, writer ofThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, andSimon Kinbergwill write and produceEpisodes VIIIandIX.[80]Kasdan and Kinberg were later confirmed as creative consultants on those films, in addition to writing stand-alone films. In addition,John Williams, who wrote the music for the previous six episodes, has been hired to compose the music for EpisodesVII,VIIIandIX.[81]

On June 21, 2014 it was reported thatLooperdirectorRian Johnsonwould directEpisode VIIIwith Ram Bergman as a producer. Reports initially claimed he would directEpisode IXas well, but it was later revealed he would only write a story treatment forEpisode IX.[82][83]When asked aboutEpisode VIIIin an August 2014 interview, Johnson said \"it\'s boring to talk about, because the only thing I can really say is, I\'m just happy. I don\'t have the terror I kind of expected I would, at least not yet. I\'m sure I will at some point.\"[84]It is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2017.[85]J. J. Abrams will serve as executive producer.[86]

§Stand-alone films

On February 5, 2013, Disney CEOBob Igerconfirmed the development of two stand-alone films, each individually written by Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg.[87]On February 6,Entertainment Weeklyreported that Disney is working on two films featuringHan SoloandBoba Fett.[88]Disney CFOJay Rasulohas described the stand-alone films asorigin stories.[89]Kathleen Kennedy explained that the stand-alone films will not crossover with the films of the sequel trilogy, stating, \"George was so clear as to how that works. The canon that he created was theStar Warssaga. Right now,Episode VIIfalls within that canon. The spin-off movies, or we may come up with some other way to call those films, they exist within that vast universe that he created. There is no attempt being made to carry characters (from the stand-alone films) in and out of the saga episodes. Consequently, from the creative standpoint, it\'s a roadmap that George made pretty clear.\"[90]

§Rogue One

In May 2014, it was announced thatGodzilladirectorGareth Edwardswill direct the first stand-alone feature, to be released on December 16, 2016, withGary Whittawriting the story.[91]The film\'s title was revealed to beRogue Oneon March 12, 2015, referring toThe Empire Strikes Back \'sRogue Squadron, with Edwards directing,Chris Weitzwriting the script, andFelicity Jonesstarring.[92]

§Second stand-alone film

In June 2014,ChronicledirectorJosh Trankwas announced as the director of the second stand-alone feature.[93]

§3D releases

At aShoWestconvention in 2005, Lucas demonstrated new technology and stated that he planned to release the six films in a new3D filmformat, beginning withA New Hopein 2007.[94]However, by January 2007, Lucasfilm stated on StarWars.com that \"there are no definitive plans or dates for releasing the Star Wars saga in 3-D.\" At Celebration Europe in July 2007,Rick McCallumconfirmed that Lucasfilm is \"planning to take all six films and turn them into 3-D,\" but they are \"waiting for the companies out there that are developing this technology to bring it down to a cost level that makes it worthwhile for everybody\".[95]In July 2008, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO ofDreamWorks Animation, revealed that Lucas plans to redo all six of the movies in 3D.[96]In late September 2010, it was announced thatThe Phantom Menacewould be theatrically re-released in 3-D on February 10, 2012.[97][98]The plan was to re-release all six films in order, with the 3-D conversion process taking up to a year to complete for each film.[99]However, the 3D re-releases of episodesIIandIIIhave been postponed to enable Lucasfilm to concentrate onEpisode VII.[100]