"To Star Wars fans: it's time to put away your Wookie costumes, your Darth Vader masks, and your Queen Amidala royal headgear and orthodontic devices. The final movie in the Star Wars series, "Revenge of the Sith" (the sixth one, so naturally it is numbered episode three) has been released. Therefore, you no longer can use the quasi-legitimate excuse of waiting in line to be the first to see a new Star Wars movie as an actual reason to stand around in public holding your lightsaber." Source: MetroWest Daily News
"Be among the first to enjoy music from Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, LIVE! Sanctioned by Lucasfilm Ltd. as an official Star Wars event, this concert will offer audiences a multi-media performance, including light effects; special stage design; and narration by Daniel Logan, Boba Fett actor from Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones. Live light sabre battles featuring Joseph Sark & Co. and the aerial virtuosity of Alexander Streltsov will add to the excitement of the show." Source: TheForce.net
"As Revenge of Sith rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars, some American religious leaders are leafing through the story, looking for spiritual truths. Others are hopping on the Star Wars bandwagon, hoping to use the blockbuster to attract members of Generation X. At All Saints Episcopal Church in Lexington this week, churchgoers celebrated Star Wars Sunday, complete with interplanetary prayer and song. A few miles away, at CenterPointe Christian Church, the minister is giving a series of seven sermons on "The Force."" Source:
"Lucas now appears to have changed his mind and is reportedly developing a prequel to the 1999 flick, "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace", reports Internet portal Femalefirst. "George believes there are even more stories to tell. His latest idea would feature an almost all-new cast, apart from the Jedi master Yoda, who would be the hero of the new movie," an insider said. According to reports, the film would be set 100 years before the current movies. Lucas will reportedly try to take a backseat throughout the next production." Source: WebIndia123
Some guy got engaged at the real life Naboo Lake Retreat. Here is their photo album. It's too bad there aren't more real world places that fans can visit. Via: TheForce.net
"George Lucas said he was finished with the Star Wars movies, but it seems George Lucas has an idea for another add-on to the Star Wars movie series: a prequel to The Phantom Menace. The story would follow the Jedi regaining control of the universe from the many Dark Lords some 88 years before Anakin Skywalker ever graced the universe. Yoda, who, according to Lucas, was instrumental in the effort, would apparently have a headlining role. However, Lucas, now age 60, says he won't be captaining such a ship if it ever happens." Source: Slashdot
"For crafty Jedi and sew-worthy Sith, Springs Creative Products Group introduces its new line of fabrics just in time to celebrate Revenge of the Sith. Now available in major craft stores everywhere, the Revenge of the Sith fabric collection includes designs representing both the Jedi and Sith on cotton wallhanging panels, pillow panels, and all-over character and icon prints. In addition, there are three fleece and cotton flannel designs which include a decorative throw and two patterned prints." Source: StarWars.com
"While the previous two installments of the series had suffered largely from a lack of driving plot, an abundance of cheesy dialogue and enough overacting to make Jim Carrey blush. In contrast, though, "Revenge of the Sith" provides strong dialogue, good acting and a plot that, while predictable, still keeps viewers on the edge of their seats." Source: Daily Eastern News
"Australian actor Matthew Newton could become the lead character in an upcoming Star Wars television series, according to SciFi Wire. George Lucas has reportedly checked on Newton's availability to see if he's willing to join the cast of Star Wars to return as a TV series. In fact, Newton was even flown to Skywalker Ranch to test for the role." Source FashionMonitor
"The final Star Wars movie Episode III Revenge of the Sith has been slated by outraged fans, because it's riddled with continuity errors. Viewers have inundated website moviemistakes.com complaining director George Lucas' blockbuster contains 14 glaring mistakes. But the mistakes in the current release are nothing compared to the original 1977 film Episode IV - A New Hope which contained 214 mistakes, and its sequel The Empire Strikes Back, which contained 144 errors." Source: Ireland Online
"Hackers are exploiting interest in the new Star Wars film to harvest Yahoo! login credentials. The attack is initiated when a user clicks on a malicious link (yahoopremium.bravehost.com/STAR_GAMES) sent to them from a user on their buddy list. Once at the website, the user is encouraged to enter their Yahoo credentials. Upon activation, a Trojan collects Yahoo! credentials and then sends messages out to a user's buddy list whether the IM client is logged in or not." Source: ChannelRegister
"A funfight with homemade lightsabres has left two Star Wars fans fighting for their lives after their "toys" exploded. Mark Webb, 20, and an unnamed 17-year-old girl filled fluorescent light tubes with petrol to recreate the famous lightsabres and filmed their mock battle in woodland at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on Sunday evening. But tragedy struck when one of the lightsabres exploded and the pair were rushed to hospital." Source: ITV
"Is it a good movie? Absolutely. It is unmistakably the darkest and most disturbing episode. The action is constant and intense. But so is the violence, which becomes more painful as the film builds to its conclusion." Source: SunSentinel
"One thing not lacking in Star Wars Episode III is special effects. Even if you knew nothing and cared less about the Star Wars story, the effects would be jaw-dropping. From battles in outer space to the depiction of the sprawling and overbuilt capital city; from other worlds to an underground lava pit, the effects are superlative." Source: ESR
"The movie critics for Time magazine, Richard Schickel and Richard Corliss, have compiled an unranked list of the 100 greatest films. It was posted Sunday on the magazine's Web site. Included are traditionally acclaimed flicks like “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Casablanca” and “Citizen Kane,” as well as more atypical choices like “Finding Nemo,” “Star Wars” and the 2002 Brazilian gang story, “City of God.”" Source: MSN
"After filming the first "Star Wars" movie with special effects far from special, George Lucas spent millions to develop a complete digital editing system to populate his sequels with armies of X-wing fighters and Gungan warriors. Then he virtually gave it away. Lucas sold many of his technologies for cheap — technologies that would later appear in home stereos, cell phones, medical imaging devices and virtually every Hollywood studio, driving billion-dollar companies and employing thousands of people." Source: Associated Press
"The last of the Star Wars movies has done what no movie in history has ever accomplished - sold $US50 million ($A66 million) worth of tickets in a single day. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith grossed $US50,013,859 ($A66.12 million) from showings at 3,661 theaters and more than 9,000 screens around the United States on Thursday, including special midnight shows, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations." Source: ninemsn
If you're not a diehard fan, the puzzlement is understandable: apart from the many subplots and peripheral characters that clutter some of the films, there is the problem of the unchronological structure of the series. Source: Business Standard
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith raked in an estimated USD 16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings Thursday, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. That's double what the Oscar-winning film ``The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' took in during its midnight showings in 2003. The third film from director Peter Jackson's trilogy rang up about USD 8 million domestically from 2,100 midnight shows. Source: economictimes
A wayward seagull was the culprit in a power outage that threatened to spoil the midnight premiere at a New Bedford, MA theater of "Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," the latest "Star Wars" film. The 16-minute outage occurred when the gull got stuck on a utility pole and sparked a fire. OMGLOL Source: BostonGlobe
At least two copies of the film, which was first shown in theatres in the early hours of Thursday, have been posted to the BitTorrent file-sharing network -- a new and increasingly popular technology that allows users to download large video files much more quickly than in the past. Source: MSN
Even after three decades, however, there are some people who have not seen the movies that comprise this blockbuster franchise. The original films - Star Wars (also known as A New Hope), The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi - were followed by three prequels: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and, finally, Revenge of the Sith. Here, though, is the full story in chronological order - though if you have yet to see the new film you may wish to click away now. Source: BBCNews
Can't wait until May 19 when you can finally wait in line for four hours to see Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith? In the meantime, you can while away those endless hours by watching Star Wars Gangsta Rap over on Atom Films. Source: Cinematical
Googling Star Wars to gauge its cyberspace popularity yields an astounding 38,900,000 hits. That's more than "Jesus Christ" (6,750,000), "Elvis Presley" (3,810,000) or even - and we can hardly believe it - "porn," which gets a mere 27,700,000 hits. What is the world coming to?! Star Wars is more popular than the only reason to use the Internet? Source: Canoe.ca
LATEST: Chinese actress BAI LING agreed to attend the Los Angeles premiere of STAR WARS: EPISODE 3 - REVENGE OF THE SITH, even though she has been cut from the finished film. The RED CORNER star, who played a senator in the final Star Wars movie, was waiting to hear if her scenes were to remain in the movie after reports director GEORGE LUCAS had left her on the cutting room floor, together with his own daughter, who starred alongside Ling. Source: ContactMusic
Star Wars is a wakeup call to Americans about the erosion of democratic freedoms under George W. Bush, George Lucas said yesterday. Lucas, at a Cannes film festival press conference yesterday, said he first wrote the framework of Star Wars in 1971 when reacting to then-U.S. president Richard Nixon and the events of the Vietnam War. But the story still has relevance today, he said, and is part of a pattern he has noticed in history. Source: London Free Press
Scottish actor EWAN McGREGOR burst into tears after a scene with legendary robots C-3PO and R2-D2 in the final installment of the STAR WARS saga, EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH. The 34-year-old heart-throb had a moment of regression with the two characters, and remembered how excited the long-running sci-fi epic made him as a child back in the late 1970s. Source: ContactMusic
The secretive director is running out of surprises to hide from his audiences, and now that the details of the last Star Wars film are out in the wild – in the form of books, comics, and early film reviews – Lucas doesn't mind opening up a bit to the media. One bit of conjecture Lucas finally laid to rest was the question of how close the link between clone troopers and stormtroopers was. He told MTV in an interview that the Empire's stormtroopers in the original series were in fact more of the same clones that form the Republican army in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith – though by the time of A New Hope, stormtrooper ranks had swelled to include regular recruits as well. "The idea is that over time, there were new clone strains introduced, and then they even conscripted guys to be Storm Troopers. So it's not just purely clones: It started out as clones, but then it got diluted over the years as they found out they could shanghai guys [more cheaply] than they could build clones." Source: IGN
Ditching work next week to catch the opening of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith"? If so, you may have more than a simple case of Han Solo mania. You may be exhibiting symptoms of a psychological disorder. To the uninitiated, the sight of grown men standing on public sidewalks shrouded in Emperor Palpatine cloaks, clobbering one another with plastic light sabers, might seem evidence of extreme but innocent geekdom. According to a psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, however, taking "Star Wars" too far could indicate underlying, and potentially harmful, psychiatric conditions. "What we're dealing with here is a group of people with significantly low self-esteem," said Alfredo Nudman, who is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at Cornell University's school of medicine. Obsessed fans don't really have a clear sense of self, he said, so they identify with fantasy characters onto whom they can project an ideal of "what they should be, what they are not, and what they feel they probably never will be." Source: The New York Sun
With the final Star Wars film's release around the corner, the sky's the limit for Luke Skywalker and his creator George Lucas. Big brands are racing to jump on the bandwagon as tie-in partners, capitalizing on the hype surrounding the film. Star Wars is a gigantic marketing franchise, raking in almost $12.6 billion dollars to date in ticket and merchandising sales. Source: NDTV
For some, however, Star Wars is more than a cool couple of hours in a darkened theater. No one knows exactly how many people order their leisure time around Lucas's imaginary universe, but official fan clubs, with 200,000 members, are just the tip of the iceberg. This year's Star Wars convention is expected to draw 30,000 enthusiasts. And an Internet search turns up more than 5,000 fan sites -- forums for online role-players, costume makers and collectors aiming to scoop up every Boba Fett figurine made. Source: ReadersDigest
Using the vehicle of John Williams' music, Lucasfilm has provided an informative timeline for those needing help following the major themes of the saga. Actor Ian McDiarmid, (the evil Emperor Palpatine), provides an introduction for each of the 16 musical chapters. For example, in Chapter Two, "Dark Forces Conspire," he introduces the Galactic Republic, its protectors, the Jedi, and then their enemy, the Sith. Then comes a flurry of film clips set to Williams' music illustrating, in this case, the role of the Jedi and the conflict that will envelop the main characters. Source: TheState
Forget terrible t-shirts, boring badges and plastic key-fobs though, the gadget gods are smiling on this movie and have manufactured some fantastic gear: Disguises, mugs, lightsabers, mobile phones and DARTH TATER! Source: The Scotsman
Samuel L. Jackson says he was delighted to play a Jedi in three "Star Wars" films, noting the role will probably cement his place in Hollywood history. "You want to have a place in cinematic history," Jackson told reporters in New York earlier this week. "And out of all those things that I've done, this is the one particular thing ... that I know will always be studied, analyzed and looked at as a turning point in Hollywood film-making history." Source: UPI
The Force will not be with American businesses next week when the new "Star Wars" flick opens. Employers are expected to see a dramatic spike in absenteeism as workers play hooky to see "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith," when it opens May 19, according to a new report. That loss of productivity could cost employers as much as $627 million in the first two days that the picture — the last installment of the epic sci-fi series — hits theaters. Source: NY Post
It looks like Red Bull Racing are planning a big advertising special for the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. In 13 days time they may be taking to the track with the Force (Star Wars - Episode III - The Revenge of the Sith) on their side, combined with the excellent driving talents of the Scottish racer David Coulthard, how can they go wrong? Source: DCEAlumni
Burger King will launch a six-week promotion tied to the release of the new Star Wars movie with a 15-second television spot on tonight's episode of American Idol, the company said. The ad is the first of 10 that have been produced to promote the hamburger chain's association with Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which opens in theaters May 19. The spots will run on broadcast and cable networks for the next six weeks. Source: ADWEEK
At its core, "Star Wars: Episode III" is a third-person character action game that revolves around two basic game modes. The first is a typical best-of-three dual mode, which allows players to become their favorite Star Wars character to see who has the best light saber techniques and can kill off one another. The second mode is the story mode, which loosely runs parallel to the movie's storyline with occasional deviations exclusive to the video game. Source: InsideBayArea
They're almost too young to see the film, but that doesn't stop children wanting this year's most hyped toys. Source: arts.telegraph.co.uk
While the final installment of the Star Wars saga does not hit theaters till May 19th, fans of all ages can come and enjoy FREE admission and a weekend of activities at the next Sci-Fi Expo on the weekend leading up to the release! Scheduled during the convention we have actors representing all six films including the actors who portrayed the four biggest villains Dave Prowse (Darth Vader), Ray Park (Darth Maul), Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett) and from Episode III, Matthew Wood (General Grievous)! Source: TheForce.net
"I was just watching the news over here in Australia and they said that the TV series will be shot in Australia and a deal will be done this June. The show will be one hundred episodes long and a hour each." Source: Comingsoon.net
PADME AMIDALA Naboo's queen (I) turned senator (II) falls in love with Anakin. Jedi are not allowed spouses, so they wed quietly--R2-D2 and C-3PO are the only witnesses--and in III she becomes pregnant. PALPATINE As Senator Palpatine (I) rises to Chancellor of the Republic (II) and then Emperor (III), he singles out Anakin, befriending him and goading his ambition. In Revenge he is kidnapped by separatists--and his face shrivels. OTHER VILLAINS The evil Sith have only two members at a time--a master (Darth Sidious) and an apprentice. Obi-Wan kills apprentice... Source: Time.com
The advance word has been that this sixth and final episode of Star Wars - which is, of course, chronologically the third - is better than its two most recent predecessors. SPOILERS! Source: The Mail online
According to online mobvie ticketing service, Fandango, the final chapter in the Star Wars saga, "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith", will be the firm's top-selling title in its five-year history. Source: Newsbug
In the hubbub surrounding "Revenge of the Sith," the latest and last Star Wars film, George Lucas has made no secret of saying the theme of this film and the prequel trilogy it completes is "how a democratic society turns into a dictatorship, and how a good person turns into a bad person." Source: San Fransisco Chronicle
California now has Star Wars Coins available to purchase when you purhase a Star Wars lottery ticket. This limited edition set of six coins contains images of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, C-3PO and R2-D2 and are only available at participating retailers. These coins, available when you buy any Star Wars Scratchers ticket at a participating retailer, are being released two at a time through the month of May. The first two (Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia) will be available in early May, the next two (Darth Vader and R2-D2) in mid May and the last two (Yoda and C-3PO) in late May. Source: Sir Steve's Guide to Star Wars
The final chapter of the Star Wars series comes out this month (like duh, where have you been?) so it should be no surprise that there's twenty eight Star Wars conventions in the month of May. But where? When? The Force.net has you covered with a huge index. So get your storm trooper costume ready! (But really? The storm trooper costume has been done to death. Be original.) Source: Cinematical
Some George Lucas fans will be lining up for the May 19 debut of Star Wars: Episode III. Others will find the Force at Florida's Disney World, where Star Wars festivals are scheduled for four consecutive weekends from May 20 through June 12. Source: Globeandmail
So what did they think? They've got two reviews up now which do contain spoilers. Source: ComingSoon!
The Cannes International Film Festival readied a tribute to "Star Wars" creator George Lucas and an honor for his more than 30-year career, the BBC reports. The American, whose "Revenge of the Sith" is the latest in a "Star Wars" franchise that has sold $3.5 billion in tickets worldwide, is slated to receive the Cannes Festival Trophy aboard the Queen Mary II during the 11-day festival. Source: World Peace Herald
The Colorado Lottery on Monday will unveil 12 "Star Wars" themed scratch tickets. Each ticket will show a scene from the six "Star Wars" movies. Each movie is represented by two different scenes. Source: Denver Business Journal
In anticipation of the May 19th release of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, we're running a series of features with our faves from the Star Wars universe. Today, we're breaking down the ten loveliest ladies from a galaxy far, far away. Source: IGN
Director Steven Spielberg wept at a premiere of pal George Lucas' final Star Wars movie Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Jurassic Park film-maker, Spielberg was so moved by the eagerly-awaited conclusion of the sci-fi saga, he burst into tears at its screening last week. Source: FemailFirst
Chinese actress Bai Ling has accused bosses of the latest Star Wars installment of cutting her scenes from the movie after discovering she posed for men's magazine Playboy. Source: contactmusic
The new Star Wars film is a "bloodbath" which deserves its parental guidance PG-13 rating, a critic has said after an early screening of the movie. Revenge of the Sith is the first Star Wars movie to receive a cautionary PG-13 rating in the US. Associated Press writer David Germain described its action as "relentless". "It includes sequences more dark and disturbing than anything previously seen in the tragic Skywalker soap opera," he said. Source: BBC News
As "Star Wars" fans eagerly anticipate the May 19 opening of "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith," the final installment of the most successful and celebrated film franchise in history, the classic "Star Wars" characters from a galaxy far, far away are taking a far more active role in pitching products in TV spots here on Earth than they have for any of the earlier films in the franchise. Source: Reuters
"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" is the first instalment of the space saga to be slapped with an M rating. The Office of Film and Literature Classification made the surprise decision on Wednesday, citing "moderate science fiction violence" as the reason for the harsher rating. Source: TheForce.net
Those who complain that the film is nothing more than a special effects piece obviously miss the point. So were the first films. It's a very basic story; some people just take it to the extreme and begin to add some sort of deep meaning to it all. All that is needed is a basic good and evil battle to set it up for those unforgettable final moments. Source: Blogcritics.org
Celebrities and Good Charlotte are set to take over Skywalker Ranch for a special edition of MTV's "Total Request Live" (TRL) in celebration of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, which hits theaters worldwide on May 19. TRL's Star Wars special -- airing on May 13th at 5:00 p.m. (ET/PT) -- is hosted by MTV VJs Damien Fahey and La La Vasquez, and features a special performance by Good Charlotte, who are also passionate Star Wars fans. Source: StarWars.com
The franchise may be getting a little long in the tooth, but creator George Lucas will still make a mint on it. Let's count the ways. Source: Business Week
Star Wars Fan Event 3 takes place at the Multiplex Arcadia in Melzo (Milan) on May 19th at 9pm. The special guest is Steve Sansweet who will introduce the 'Revenge of the Sith'. The 501st Italian Garrison will make a parade, and there will be an exhibit of Star Wars models, lightsabers, costumes, and other Star Wars objects. Source: TheForce.net
Acclaimed director George Lucas fears that the final instalment in the Star Wars series might be a disaster at the box office. Time magazine reports that Lucas is nervous about the public's response to 'Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith'. Lucas said of his latest movie: "It turned out as well as I could have hoped. I have a feeling this one is going to be sort of like the last one in terms of some people like it, some people hate it." Source: iafrica
Andrew Cowan suffers from the form of autism featured in the best-selling book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The schoolboy from Glasgow has won a place on the BBC1 show and his specialist subject is the Star Wars trilogy. At just four-years-old he amazed his parents by answering a Star Wars quiz in the newspaper and getting 95% of the answers right. Source: Scotsman.com
Film Focus has posted their 100 question long Ultimate Star Wars Quiz to celebrate the release of 'Revenge of the Sith': "The quiz gets progressively harder as you go along and we hope there'll be questions in there you'll only be able to answer if you know the films inside-out." Source: TheForce.net
At first glance the new album from industrial-noise kingpin Trent Reznor and the soundtrack for George Lucas' sixth "Star Wars" movie to be released might not have much in common. Sure, the mechanics of these two albums, new in stores today, are radically different. But these albums tap a similar emotional core: With "Revenge of the Sith" it's Anakin Skywalker's inner-moral conflict that leads him to the dark side of the force and into the all-black wardrobe of Darth Vader. Meanwhile, Reznor is Anakin/Darth in his own angst-ridden universe, lashing out about self-doubt and failed romance with all the venom of a sulky teen. Source: DesMoinesRegister
There's a new music video for "A Hero Falls," the central theme from Star Wars: Episode III that chronicles Anakin's descent to the Dark Side. The video, complete with tons of fresh footage from Revenge of the Sith, has just been posted over at StarWars.com. Source: IGN
Scottish actor EWAN McGREGOR has rubbished reports he is disappointed with the recent STAR WARS films, insisting the process of working on the sci-fi saga is simply hard work. Source: contactmusic
Featuring a foreword by George Lucas and a preface by Rick McCallum, Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars by Trisha Biggar is scheduled for a September 2005 hardcover release from publisher Harry N. Abrams, with design by Palace Press. Source: Fashion Monitor
Some George Lucas fans will be lining up for the May 19 debut of "Star Wars: Episode III." Others will find the Force at Disney World, where "Star Wars" festivals are scheduled for four consecutive weekends from May 20 through June 12. Kids can master light-saber skills at the Jedi Training Academy, while "Star Wars" experts can play a special edition of "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?" featuring trivia from the films. Various celebrities from the movies will also be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs, and costumed characters will play villains and heroes from the films in meet-and-greets, parades and motorcades. Source: Detroit Free Press
Diminutive STAR WARS actor KENNY BAKER stopped complaining about his discomfort inside robot R2DT during filming for the sci-fi saga's final episode - because the film crew plastered its interior with pictures of naked models. Source: contactmusic.com
This week, TV Guide has another one of their "It has nothing to do with TV but let's jump on the geek bandwagon" covers. Five hologram covers, to be precise, all depicting different Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith characters (there's actually a sixth cover, for subscribers). Source: TV Squad
My favorite part of the film was when Solo and Skywalker break into Detention Block AA23 to rescue Leia. The movie is coiled so tightly at this moment that I would nearly burst from my seat. Han, Luke and Chewbacca dispatch the Imperial soldiers with laser fire, and then Solo answers a beeping intercom. Source: TIME
Up until a decade ago, the original Star Wars films were safely preserved in history, to be remembered nostalgically or watched religiously as one saw fit. As a monolithic cultural touchstone, Star Wars was quietly omnipresent, bubbling up in tributes and spoofs, references and sly nods everywhere from Time magazine to The Simpsons. But when, in 1996, George Lucas announced that he was to begin work on three prequels to Star Wars – which had since been rebranded Episode IV: A New Hope – it propelled the franchise back to the breaking surf of the pop culture wave. These films would tell the story of Anakin Skywalker; of how an innocent youngster grew up to be gnarly Darth Vader. As an aperitif, however, Lucas revealed the cinema release of "special editions" of the first three Star Wars films, promising cleaned-up prints, extra scenes and "enhanced" digital effects. And that's where things started to really go wrong... Source: Sunday Herald Online
Patient force waits, raises money ahead of series’ final installment. A black-clad Darth Vader and storm troopers in white armor flanked a Jedi knight with an angelic smile as die-hard “Star War” fans on Saturday launched a marathon “stand-a-thon” countdown to the opening of the final film of George Lucas’ intergalactic science fiction saga. Source: Reuters
From now on, Lucas said, Lucasfilm will be a "widget driven" enterprise, churning out books, video games and television shows, with a more predictable rate of return of 10 to 20 percent a year. Eventually, he said, the hit-driven cult of personality surrounding both him and "Star Wars" will give way to "a sane reality." Source: NYT
