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 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