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 sequel trilogy released in December 2017, with Rian Johnson as screenwriter and director, and most of the cast returning. The first two films have grossed a combined $3.4 billion worldwide and were both well-received by critics. The third and final installment, "", was to be directed by Colin Trevorrow, but he was replaced in September 2017 by Abrams, who is to co-write it with Chris Terrio. The film is scheduled to be released on December 20, 2019. According to Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, in 1976, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas told him that he planned three "Star Wars" trilogies. Lucas