Galactic Empire (Star Wars) Galactic Empire (Star Wars) The Galactic Empire is a fictional autocracy featured in the "Star Wars" franchise. It was first introduced in the 1977 film "Star Wars" and also appears in its two sequels: "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983) and is the main antagonist faction of the original trilogy. By the time of the sequel trilogy, which starts three decades following the events of the original trilogy, the government has since collapsed and has been succeeded by the First Order. The Empire's origins are depicted in the prequel "" (2005), where it replaces the
Star Wars directing "American Graffiti" (1973), he wrote a two-page synopsis titled "Journal of the Whills", which 20th Century Fox decided to invest in. By 1974, he had expanded the story into the first draft of a screenplay, and continued writing more polished drafts. Lucas negotiated to retain the sequel rights, and was offered an initial $150,000 to write, produce, and direct the film. "Star Wars" was released on May 25, 1977. Its success led Lucas to make it the basis of an elaborate film serial. With the backstory he created for the sequel, Lucas decided that the series would be a