39 years ago today, audiences were first taken to the galaxy far, far away that would deeply embed itself in popular culture and ignite the imaginations of sci-fi fans for generations to come. Star Wars opened in theaters on May 25, 1977, the Wednesday before Memorial Day that year. (Yep, next year we’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Star Wars.) The film that would launch one of the biggest cultural phenomenons of all time started small, opening in fewer than 40 theaters. But when the movie started to break records in its small release, 20th Century Fox accelerated its release plans. Soon audiences across the world were captivated by the Millennium Falcon and binary sunsets and lightsaber duels. Six years to the day after the release of the first film, Return of the Jedi opened in theaters. The Empire Strikes Back had hit theaters in May 1980, when Star Wars was a summer and not a Christmas event.
- 5/25/2016
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
Similar News
“Grow up. These are my movies, not yours”: George Lucas Won’t be Happy How Star Wars Fan Group is Illegally Saving the Original Trilogy
- 5/5/2024
- by Pratik Handore
- FandomWire
“I’m not Shakespeare”: The One Filmmaking Aspect Even George Lucas Admitted He Sucked at – Almost Every Star Wars Fan Knows it
- 5/5/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
We went to see The Phantom Menace’s re-release; how does it hold up after 25 years?
- 5/5/2024
- by Adam Walton
- JoBlo.com
American Idol May 5, 2024 Eliminated McKenna & Julia. Top 5 Revealed (Recap)
- 5/6/2024
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
'American Idol' Top 5 Revealed, 2 Contestants Eliminated on Adele Night (Spoilers)
- 5/6/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
‘American Idol’ shocker: Julia Gagnon eliminated during Top 7 night
- 5/6/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Cancel Culture- May 2024
- 5/5/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Hannah Brown Admits Being Distraught Over Brother’s Marriage
- 5/5/2024
- by Jamie Colclasure
- TV Shows Ace
Bindi Irwin Breaks Silence About Her Painful Disease & Struggles
- 5/5/2024
- by James Michael
- TV Shows Ace
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.