Star Wars
exploded onto our cinema screens in 1977, and the world has not been the same since. After watching depressing and cynical movies throughout the early 1970s, audiences enthusiastically embraced the positive energy of the
galaxy as they followed moisture farmer
Luke Skywalker
on his journey through a galaxy far, far away, meeting extraordinary characters like mysterious hermit
Obi-Wan Kenobi
, space pirates
Han Solo
and
Chewbacca
, loyal droids
C-3PO
R2-D2
, bold
Princess Leia Organa
and the horrific
Darth Vader
, servant of the dark, malevolent Emperor.
Writer, director, and producer
George Lucas
created the
modern monomyth of our time
, one that resonates with the child in us all. He formed Industrial Light & Magic to develop
cutting-edge special effects technology
, which he combined with innovative editing techniques and a heightened sense of sound to give audiences a
unique sensory cinematic experience
.
In this first volume, made with the
full cooperation of Lucasfilm
,
Lucas narrates his own story
, taking us through the making of the original trilogy—Episode IV
A New Hope
, Episode V
The Empire Strikes Back
, and Episode VI
Return of the Jedi
—and bringing
fresh insights
into the creation of a unique universe. Complete with
script pages
production documents
concept art
storyboards
on-set photography
stills
, and
posters
, this is the authoritative exploration of
the original saga as told by its creator