Star Wars Star Wars Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise, created by George Lucas and centered around a film series that began with the eponymous 1977 movie. The saga quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The first film was followed by two successful sequels, "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983); these three films constitute the original "Star Wars" trilogy. A prequel trilogy was released between 1999 and 2005, albeit to mixed reactions from critics and fans. Finally, a sequel trilogy to conclude the nine-episode saga began in 2015 with "". The first eight
Star Wars (film) in a riveting tale of suspense and adventure, ornamented with some of the most ingenious special effects ever contrived for film." Each of the subsequent films of the "Star Wars" saga has appeared on the magazine's cover. "Star Wars" was voted the second most popular film by Americans in a 2008 nationwide poll conducted by the market research firm, Harris Interactive. "Star Wars" has also been featured in several high-profile audience polls: in 1997, it ranked as the 10th Greatest American Film on the "Los Angeles Daily News" Readers' Poll; in 2002, the film and its sequel "The Empire Strikes