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
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