Dateline Movie Spotlight: George Lucas and the Star Wars Films

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Best known as the creator of monumental and epic films such as the Star Wars and Indiana Jones, George Walton Lucas, Jr. was born in Modesto, California on May 14, 1944 from parents George Walton Lucas, Sr. and mother Dorothy Ellinore Lucas. He is currently married to Mellody Hobson with whom they have one daughter with the name of Everest Hobson Lucas.  They currently reside in Marin County in California. 
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After attending Modesto Junior College, he would later on transfer to the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts were he met and befriended with young Steven Spielberg, who is also a student of the said school and shares the same passion for filming as he is.
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He is best known for creating the space series saga Star Wars, which consist of two trilogies.  The first Star Wars movie was released in May 1977 while its two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back was released three years later and its last sequel The Return of the Jedi was released also three years later in 1983 to complete the first trilogy.  

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After an absence of about sixteen years, the saga continues with The Phantom Menace which was released on May 1999 to be followed three years after by the Attack of the Clones in 2002 and concluded three years later by the Revenge of the Sith released on May 2005 to conclude the second part of the trilogy.
               
              

The Star Wars saga was a world-wide success that has become a pop culture for the young and old generations alike.  Its triumph is not limited in the box-office, it can be seen in a lot of merchandise, video games, cartoon series, books, trading cards, toys and a whole lot more.  It has become the fifth-highest grossing film series of all time.

Below is a summary of the Star Wars movies and its released dates.  It can be noted that all Star Wars movies was released on the month of May.  These released dates are all done to George Lucas' preference that it be released on his birth month which is May. 

Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (May 25, 1977)


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When the original Star Wars movie was released in 1977, it had no corresponding episode title attached to it. It became Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope only upon its re-release in 1981.

Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (May 21, 1980)


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When the next sequel came out in 1980, instead of having the title "Star Wars II," it was named "Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.

Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (May 25, 1983)


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Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (May 19, 1999)


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With the said episode numbers of the original "Star Wars" trilogy,  people are prompted by exuberant speculation about the next three chapters preceding them. George Lucas responded in May 1999 with the release of a new movie, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.

Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (May 16, 2002)


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Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (May 19, 2005)


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Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005. George Lucas claimed that the space series saga in now complete.  Although rumors of a possible Episode VII, VIII and IX continues to linger.

Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens (December 18, 2015)

This year in December 2015 after almost a ten-year hiatus, the space saga will again grace the big screen, although the release date is set on December unlike the rest of the previous Star Wars movies which were released on the month of May.  But still, MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!!!

Below are some good behind-the-scenes Star Wars photos that I have stumbled upon and am gladly sharing them with you.





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8 comments:

  1. hi good afternoon and lovely day 

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  2. The Man is a Genius & will always be a Legend " the force is strong with him"...

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  3. I love THX 1138 & AMERICAN GRAFFITI, did you know that Lucas was supposed to Direct Apocalypse Now before Coppola but dropped out to Direct a certain Space Saga???

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  4. I didn't know that! But look what it turned out to be. Both films are now classics in their own right.

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  5. Greatest filmmaker ever and one of the most inventive and innovative.

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  6. You are certainly right, Brian. He is such an inspiration and all of his movies are certainly worth watching.

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