Star Wars’ very first movie and its best TV show can and should teach Lucasfilm a valuable lesson. When the firstStar Warsmovie, later retitledA New Hope, premiered, it was groundbreaking in several aspects – the special effects, the score, the direction, the iconography, and more, created an experience unlike any seen on the big screen before. That innovative film launched one of the most successful media franchises of all time, and while that franchise is still thriving today – financially, certainly – there’s no denying that, creatively, Lucasfilm andStar Warshave been struggling to stay afloat.
TheStar Warsfandomhas never been more divided; the division might even be worse nowadays than when George Lucas’Star Warsprequel trilogy was first released. The criticism lobbed at the sequel trilogy,The Book of Boba Fett,Obi-Wan Kenobi,The Acolyte,and more has often gone beyond well-meaning critique and ventured into hateful, dangerous territory instead.WhileStar Warshas been making valiant efforts to be more inclusive and try out new stories –The Acolyteis a prime example – the franchise has arguably been too reliant on fan service as well.This has, unfortunately, setStar Warsup for failure.
Star Wars Movies In Order: How To Watch Release Order, Chronologically & With The TV Shows
What’s the best way to watch Star Wars? Here’s everything you need to know to watch in release or timeline order, and how to include the TV shows.
No One Wanted A New Hope, Or Andor, Before They Were Made
One of the reasonsA New Hopewas so successful is because George Lucas and his team had a vision and wanted to realize it. No one had “asked” for it, but they made it anyway, and the result was one of the most iconic and successful films ever made, something no one had ever seen before.A New Hopeproves success isn’t just about “giving the audience what they want,” but about taking creative risks and telling a story simply because you believe in it. The same can be said ofa show likeAndor.
A New Hopeproves success isn’t just about “giving the audience what they want,” but about taking creative risks and telling a story simply because you believe in it.
DespiteRogue One: A Star Wars Story’s critical and billion-dollar success, no one thought they needed a prequel about Cassian Andor, let alone a two-season show. And yet, although no one “wanted” this show, it turned out to beStar Wars’best TV project yet.It’s a great show that happens to be aStar Warsshow, too.Tony Gilroy and the rest of the cast and crew had a vision for a gritty, realistic, thoughtful series about the horrors of the Empire and the sacrifices made by the Rebellion. The results speak for themselves.
These Projects' Legacies Prove They Were Worth Making
A New HopeandAndor’s successes prove that these projects, despite being risks business-wise, were absolutely worth making.Star Warsas a whole wouldn’t exist today withoutA New Hope, andAndorhas shown audiences that Lucasfilm andStar Warsare capable of creating a TV experience that doesn’t exclusively rely on nostalgia and the Skywalker saga’s legacy. There’s nothing inherently wrong with creating shows that combine those two elements, of course, but ifStar Warswants to keep expanding, it needs to be willing to take more risks.
Star Wars Needs To Keep Pursuing These Daring Projects
Since the release ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi,Solo: A Star Wars Story, andStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,Star Warshas had a difficult time locking down a new theatrical slate. Hopefully, the fourupcomingStar Warsmoviescurrently announced will actually make it into theaters, but it’s hard not to feel like Lucasfilm is running a little scared. The first movie set to be released isThe Mandalorian & Grogu, after all – an exciting prospect, but an undeniably safe one, given the relative success ofThe Mandaloriansub-franchise.Will audiences truly feel like they’ve been given a new experience?
The four upcomingStar Warsmovies areThe Mandalorian & Grogu, Dawn of the Jedi, Rey Skywalker’sNew Jedi Ordermovie, and Dave Filoni’s Mandalorian era culmination movie.
Currently,only one movie onStar Wars’ theatrical slate promises an experience like the one provided byA New Hope: James Mangold’sStar Wars: Dawn of the Jedi. Where the other three upcoming films are all related to stories already in existence,Dawn of the Jediwill instead dive into galactic and Jedi history, exploring the Force like never before. This is uncharted territory – since the movie is set 25,000 years before the Skywalker saga, there’s no prior narrative to adhere to. Anything goes, and that makes this project an incredibly intriguing prospect.
The Acolytewas also a step in the right direction, as it explored an era previously only seen in books and children’s TV, and it introduced some interesting new concepts. However, the pushback the show received – some of it warranted, much of it not – has led it to be the first live-actionStar Warsshow to be officially canceled. Whether that’s because of genuine low viewership or the immense reaction to the series is hard to say, but in any case, audiences should hope that it will not cause Disney and Lucasfilm to view these daring projects differently.
Star Warsonce again needs to try something new and perhaps most importantly, unexpected – it can’t rely on the Skywalker saga andThe Mandalorianforever.
The Mandalorianwas a daring project when it was first released. Set in a new era and focused on entirely new characters, the show felt fresh and exciting and like the start of a new chapter. That chapter has now spun out into a massive over-arching narrative, however. While that narrative is still undeniably fun and compelling, it’s clearStar Warsonce again needs to try something new and perhaps most importantly, unexpected – it can’t rely on the Skywalker saga andThe Mandalorianforever.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Cast
Star Wars is a seminal science fiction film released in 1977 that follows the quest of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia from the oppressive Imperial forces. They are aided by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, as they strive to restore peace to the galaxy.
Andor
Andor is a Star Wars prequel series set before the events of Rogue One, following Cassian Andor as he navigates a world of danger and deception. The series delves into his transformation into a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire.
