When the firstStar Warsmovie —Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope— was released on August 15, 2025, it was an instant hit. The movie made $1.5 million in theaters and $775 million globally,according to Insider. While seemingly small compared to today’s box office results, these numbers were unheard of at the time. Of course, there were other successfulreleases in the 1970sthat are still relevant to pop culture today, likeJaws, Rocky, andThe Godfather.However, few movies can hold a candle to the monumental success ofStar Wars. George Lucas’ intergalactic universe garnered an audience full of all ages and walks of life and managed to amass such immense popularity that it’s still relevant and enjoyed today.
With a cast of unique characters, several spin-offs, and extensions of the original canon, it’s no wonder thatStar Warshas held such a firm position in popular culture throughout the years. Few movie series have had the same level of continuous success, so it’s a wonder how the franchise has managed to maintain its popularity, despite debuting over 40 years ago. Here’s a look at howStar Warshas remained popular since its launch in 1977.
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Unique Release Format
WhenStar Warsdebuted in 1977, it was a bit of a gamble. According toLooper, George Lucas, the franchise’s creator, didn’t think the movie would be a success and actually had a hard time getting a studio to pick it up. Once it was picked it up, it had a small budget that wasn’t going to be able to encompass everything Lucas had in mind for the story. With the resources he had, Lucas made the movie he could and tried to cover as much ground as possible in the galaxy and the timeline in one movie. There was an opening for a sequel at the end, just in case, but it wasn’t clear if it would ever become reality.
When it was originally released, it was just calledStar Wars,but the movie became such a hit that it was clear there had to be a sequel. So Lucas added “Episode IV - A New Hope” to the title and started working on the following installments. Lucas already had plans in mind for what the rest of the franchise would look like and began churning out the remaining episodes that make up the trilogies of prequels and sequels. This unique release format was an advantage for the franchise. It built suspense among audience members as they anticipated the release of each episode. And even when all the episodes were out, people were able to re-watch them all in chronological order. This led to years and years ofStar Warsviewing time because the last of the original six movies came out in 2005. With the first six movies spanning over 28 years, there’s plenty of time to watch them all over in order and to get new generations ofStar Warsfans interested.
Successful Spin-Offs
The success of theStar Warsmovie franchise isn’t just limited to the big screen. While there have been spin-off movies, likeSolo: A Star Wars Story, which follows the life of a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), there are also countless spin-off series. There was, for instance, the animatedStar Wars: The Clone Wars, which ran from 2008 to 2020 and followed popular characters from theStar Warsuniverse as they fought and navigated the Clone Wars. While it was a PG, animated show that originally aired on Cartoon Network, it attractedStar Warsfans of all ages. More recently,The MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fettseries on Disney+ have become favorites among Star Wars fans new and old.
The attention and success of these spin-offs likeThe Mandalorianare also leading to new series announcements, like theupcomingObi-Wan Kenobiseries, which is set to debut on Disney+ on August 09, 2025,according to GamesRadar+. Spin-offs are a great way to maintain interest and gain new attention at the same time. It also helps that these extensions of theStar Warsuniverse are available to stream, making them more accessible to a larger audience.
Related:Here’s Every Star Wars TV Series, Ranked
New Movie Releases Years Later
Years later, after the original sixStar Warsmovies were released,Episodes VII,VIII, andIXmade their way to the big screen.Star Wars: The Force Awakensdebuted in 2015, 10 years after the last movie premiered. It introduced new characters — and brought back some old ones — and was a mega hit at the box office, grossing over $2 billion globally.
These new releases reignited olderStar Warsfans' passion for the franchise and introduced it for the first time to others. They amassed large crowds at midnight movie theater releases, inspired new branded merchandise, and even attractions atDisney theme parks. These new releases, while different in their own ways, still feel like theStar Warsmany fans grew to love over the years. They follow a lot of the same themes and seamlessly blend action with meaningful plot progression. While the newer episodes still feel like the original installments and maintain all the best parts of the franchise, visually they’re more compelling — thanks to the technological advancements in visual effects since the first movie premiered.
Star Warswas popular before the new episodes that premiered in recent years. The franchise’s popularity from the original six movies really never wavered. However, the new additions to the timeline elevated the series and served as a perfect opportunity for olderStar Warsfans to return to the galaxy and even bring their children to the theater and immerse them in the universe, effectively reigniting the fandom.
Massive Cultural Impact
WhenStar Warspremiered, it revolutionized the sleepy sci-fi genre. Space-centric sci-fi wasn’t common in the film industry at the time, but sinceStar Wars, there have been countless movies and shows set in space. But the success of the franchise spans beyond the screen.Star Wars-themed toys, video games, and fan events are seen around the world, like Star Wars Day — “May the 4th Be With You” — on May 4 every year. TheStar Warsfranchise managed to penetrate pop culture in such a significant way that even people who have never seen the movies are able to identify characters and some of their iconic lines.
But the franchise’s impact is even greater than just toys, video games, and a massive fandom. The themes present in theStar Warsmovies have long-lasting relevance. From the political disputes in the galaxy that resemble the state of the U.S. today to the importance of hope and courage and the age-old battle of good and evil, there are lessons within the all the movies that hold value and significance to audience members today, just as they did at the premiere in 1977. All of these elements combined make for an excellent batch of storytelling that transcends time. The galaxy far, far away has remained a quintessential piece of pop culture since its debut over 40 years ago and will likely continue intriguing audiences for generations to come.
