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Star Wars (later retitled
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope[7][8]) is a 1977 American
epic space opera[9][10] film written and directed by
George Lucas. The first installment in the original
Star Wars trilogy, it stars
Mark Hamill,
Harrison Ford,
Carrie Fisher,
Peter Cushing, and
Alec Guinness.
David Prowse,
James Earl Jones,
Anthony Daniels,
Kenny Baker and
Peter Mayhew co-star in supporting roles.
The plot focuses on the
Rebel Alliance, led by
Princess Leia (Fisher), and its attempt to destroy the
Galactic Empire's space station, the
Death Star. This conflict disrupts the isolated life of farmhand
Luke Skywalker (Hamill) who inadvertently acquires a pair of
droids that possess stolen
architectural plans for the Death Star. When the Empire begins a destructive search for the missing droids, Skywalker accompanies
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Guinness) on a mission to return the plans to the Rebel Alliance and rescue Leia from her imprisonment by the Empire.
Star Wars was released theatrically in the United States on May 25, 1977. It earned $461 million in the U.S. and $314 million overseas, totaling $775 million. It surpassed
Jaws (1975) to become the
highest-grossing film of all time, until the release of
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). When adjusted for inflation,
Star Warsis the
second-highest-grossing film in North America, and the third-highest-grossing film in the world. The film received ten
Academy Award nominations (including
Best Picture), winning seven. It was selected to become part of the U.S.
National Film Registry by the
Library of Congress in its first year of opening as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"; at the time, it was the newest film to be selected, and it was the only film from the 1970s to be chosen. The film's
soundtrack was added to the U.S.
National Recording Registry 15 years later. Today, it is often regarded as one of the
best films of all time, as well as one of the most important films in the
history of motion pictures. It also launched an industry of media tie-in products, including TV series spinoffs, novels, comic books, and video games, as well as various other merchandise, such as toys, games, clothing, and other paraphernalia.
The film's massive success led to the production of two sequels:
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and
Return of the Jedi (1983), both of which became critically and commercially successful. Since 1977,
Star Wars was subsequently reissued multiple times at Lucas' behest, incorporating
many changes including modified
computer-generated effects, altered dialogue, re-edited shots, remixed soundtracks, and added scenes. A
prequel trilogy was later released between 1999 and 2005, followed by a
sequel trilogy which began in 2015.
The galaxy is in a civil war. Spies for the
Rebel Alliance have stolen plans to the
Galactic Empire's
Death Star, a heavily armed
space station capable of destroying planets. Rebel leader
Princess Leia has the plans, but her ship is captured by Imperial forces under the command of the evil
Sith lord
Darth Vader. Before she is captured, Leia hides the plans in the memory of an
astromech droid,
R2-D2, along with a
holographic recording. The droid flees to the surface of the desert planet
Tatooine with fellow droid
C-3PO.
The droids are captured by
Jawa traders, who sell them to moisture farmers
Owen and
Beru Lars and their nephew,
Luke Skywalker. While cleaning R2-D2, Luke accidentally triggers part of Leia's message, in which she requests help from
Obi-Wan Kenobi. The next morning, Luke finds R2-D2 searching for Obi-Wan, and meets Ben Kenobi, an old hermit who lives in the hills and reveals himself to be Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan tells Luke of his days as a
Jedi Knight, former
Galactic Republic peacekeepers with supernatural powers derived from an energy called
The Force who were wiped out by the Empire. Contrary to his uncle's statements, Luke learns that his father fought alongside Obi-Wan as a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan tells Luke that Vader was his former pupil who turned to the
dark side of the Force and killed Luke's father, Anakin. Obi-Wan offers Luke his father's
lightsaber, a Jedi weapon.
Obi-Wan views Leia's complete message, in which she begs him to take the Death Star plans to her home planet of
Alderaan and give them to her father for analysis. Obi-Wan invites Luke to accompany him to Alderaan and learn the ways of the Force. Luke declines, but changes his mind after discovering that Imperial
stormtroopers searching for C-3PO and R2-D2 have destroyed his home and killed his aunt and uncle. Obi-Wan and Luke hire smuggler
Han Solo and his
Wookiee first mate
Chewbacca to transport them to Alderaan on Han's ship, the
Millennium Falcon.
Upon the
Falcon's arrival at the location of Alderaan, the group discover that the planet has been destroyed by order of the Death Star's commanding officer,
Grand Moff Tarkin, as a show of power. The
Falconis captured by the Death Star's
tractor beam and brought into its hangar bay. While Obi-Wan goes to disable the tractor beam, Luke discovers that Leia is imprisoned aboard and, with the help of Han and Chewbacca, rescues her. After several escapes, the group makes its way back to the
Falcon. Obi-Wan disables the tractor beam and, on the way back to the Falcon, engages in a lightsaber duel with Vader. Once he is sure the others can escape, Obi-Wan allows himself to be killed. The
Falcon escapes the Death Star, unknowingly carrying a tracking beacon, which the Empire follows to the Rebels' hidden base on
Yavin IV.
The Rebels analyze the Death Star's plans and identify a vulnerable exhaust port that connects to the station's main reactor. Luke joins the Rebel assault squadron, while Han collects his payment for the transport and intends to leave, despite Luke's request that he stay and help. In the ensuing battle, the Rebels suffer heavy losses after several unsuccessful attack runs, leaving Luke one of the few surviving pilots. Vader leads a squad of
TIE fighters and prepares to attack Luke's
X-wing fighter, but Han returns and fires on the Imperials, sending Vader spiraling away. Helped by guidance from Obi-Wan's spirit, Luke uses the Force and successfully destroys the Death Star seconds before it can fire on the Rebel base. Leia awards Luke and Han with medals for their heroism.
