Star Wars Day 10th Anniversary Extravaganza!

Star Wars Day is a fan-made phenomenon. The first organized Star Wars Day celebration took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As a product of Canada myself, I am proud to consider this holiday part of my history.

On May 4th, 2011, the Toronto Underground Cinema hosted an event jammed with Star Wars themed entertainment. There was a costume contest, trivia, and some top-tier Star Wars parody content to celebrate the phenomenal franchise. This first big event launched a yearly celebration which Disney was quick to pick up advertising for after purchasing Lucasfilm in 2012. It has since become an international extravaganza for fans and I am here to help you make the most of your 10th-anniversary festivities!

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that George Lucas and Star Wars have had a substantial impact on pop culture and the modern world. Inspired by futuristic technology scientists are making amazing, and occasionally terrifying, breakthroughs in robotics. We may live to see droids become part of regular society. Medical technologies inspired by Luke’s robotic hand are bringing prosthetic design to a whole new level. We may even see flying cars on the horizon! These are just a few of the amazing technological advancements that have been inspired, at least in part, by a galaxy far far away.

Science fiction was irrevocably altered by the Star Wars saga. The used and abused universe became a standard for dystopian or “lived-in” universes. Broken technology and downtrodden communities give the world a tangible real-life quality. Classics such as Alien, Mad Max, and Firefly have followed suit, creating more believable and relatable worlds that entrance viewers.

Star Wars was a special effects masterpiece. George Lucas had a very ambitious goal and would not be deterred by a lack of technology. He knew exactly how his world should look, and more importantly, feel. The team that would later become Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic invented new technologies to create the necessary effects, changing the future of filmmaking.

Innovation is not without its challenges. The movie was nearly scrapped on multiple occasions as the budget overextended and shooting ran long. It took about a year just to create the special effects technology before any shooting could begin for the epic visuals we know today. Through tremendous perseverance, the final results exceeded everyone’s expectations. Industrial Light and Magic has gone on to produce special effects for timeless classics such as Jurassic Park and Titanic, breathing life into a new generation of films.

In 2002 Attack Of The Clones became the first film shot entirely by digital camera. This practice is now the Hollywood standard as blockbuster hits quickly began to follow suit. Perhaps we have Star Wars to thank for 4K tv as well?

The Star Wars sequels resounding success was another key turning point for Hollywood. It had not previously been common to make sequels of popular movies. As you know, things are quite the opposite nowadays. The modern world is saturated with series and sequels that expand our favourite worlds with seemingly limitless potential. The marvel universe may have Star Wars to thank for opening that door, especially now that they’re living under one roof 😉

Between movie releases, Star Wars fans are inundated with a constant flow of print media. The early publishing success of the franchise set a wave of new publications in motion. Today we can find comics, children’s books, and novels from all the top-selling brands, movies, and tv shows. Even LEGO publishes stories for children to promote sales and inspire creative play.

My Top Star Wars Book Recommendations For Kids:

• Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Star Wars

• Darth Vader and Son

When it comes to Star Wars celebration, nobody does it like Mark Hamil. A true Jedi, through and through. He is my favourite person on Twitter and an excellent source for behind-the-scenes Star Wars trivia! His hilarious takes on pop culture are a constant joy and his connection with fans is just plain wholesome.

Did You Know?

• That classic line spouted over the years, “Luke, I am your father” is actually a misquote! The real line is “No, I am your father” but we’ve heard the misquoted version so frequently it became dominant in the collective consciousness.

• May 5th has come to be known as Revenge Of The 5th, a play on Revenge Of The Sith. May 5th is Dark Side Day! Come on by, we have cookies!

• Rancho Obi-Wan was certified in 2014 by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the world's largest Star Wars collection. It is run as a non-profit museum in Petaluma California, preserving the memories for future generations.

• Samuel L Jackson’s lightsaber hilt is inscribed with his classic not-so-family-friendly “catchphrase”. Can you guess which word it is?

• Yoda was nearly cast as a monkey. Thankfully, under advisement that a simian actor would be a galaxy of nuisance during filming, the animatronic Yoda was born instead.

• Not once, in all of Return Of The Jedi, does anyone utter the word Ewok.

• Porgs were not originally in the script for The Last Jedi. While filming on location they discovered a very friendly infestation. The island was littered with puffins who had big dreams of being on the silver screen. Porgs were created to cover up the little rascals who couldn’t be kept out of frame.

• The whimsical, whistling R2-D2 we love today was originally written as a well-spoken droid with a harsh tongue. His early dialogue included outright bullying of his counterpart, C3-PO. I am certain I’m not the only budding Jedi who’s glad they changed direction to create the lovable rascal he is today.

• George Lucas originally envisioned Return Of The Jedi with a much darker conclusion. Luke Skywalker, the galaxy's last hope, would join the dark side and overthrow his father to rule the Galaxy as Vader. This ending was eventually scrapped due to Lucas’s view that his trilogy was “for kids” and ending on Luke’s takeover of the dark side would have been too, well... dark.

• Southern California band Nerd Herder is named after Princess Leia’s classic insult to Han Solo. They are most famously known for recording the Buffy The Vampire Slayer theme song. That’s right, Star Wars even made Buffy better!

• Chewbacca had to be guarded against not only hunters but also seekers of the legendary Bigfoot! While shooting Return Of The Jedi in Northern California’s Redwood forests, brightly clad guards escorted the costumed actor everywhere to prevent any potential mishaps.

• In 1978 Space Invaders hit international arcades, becoming an instant sensation. Tomohiro Nishikado, designer of the beloved game, credits Star Wars for inspiring the design of those pesky but lovable aliens. Space Invaders would go on to be the first video game played in a large-scale competition, paving the way for the thriving billion-dollar competitive gaming industry we enjoy today.

• Star Wars is revolutionizing workouts! Lightsaber training is a great full-body exercise. Go from Padawan to Jedi in no time with tips from masters like Michelle C Smith (featured in the video below).

Toys!

Before the Star Wars franchise exploded onto the scene it had not been common for movies to produce toy lines or excessive merchandising. The phenomenal success of Star Wars toys, books, clothing, and anything they could slap a logo on became the gold standard for franchise success.

Nearly every major toy company turned down George Lucas before the Star Wars toy franchise found its home. Kenner was the little toy company that could. They took the market by storm, pumping out all of our beloved childhood memorabilia. Collectors lay down serious cash today for the most precious of these classic toys. The holy grail of Star Wars memorabilia remains the Rocket Firing Boba Fett. This special edition Boba was advertised and pre-sold, but never made it to market due to safety hazard concerns. Children received a non-rocket firing version instead, to great disappointment. Limited edition prototypes are one of the most highly valued collectibles on the market today, worth upwards of $200,000.

A Few Top Movies That Star Wars Made Possible

In 1977 George Lucas invited Steven Spielberg on a Hawaiian vacation to escape the opening weekend publicity of Star Wars. On a sunny beach in paradise, Lucas pitched a new movie that would later become a cultural icon. The project was called Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark. That’s right people, we can thank Star Wars for opening a portal to the adventures of Henry Jones Junior.

In 1987 a space-bound parody was released upon the world. Though it had modest beginnings, Spaceballs has become a cult classic, cultivating an independent fandom of intergalactic goofballs.

Toy Story was released in 1995 as the first feature-length computer-animated film. The instant classic was a product of the young Pixar animation studio which began as a facet of Lucasfilm’s computer division.

What to watch today!

Disney+ is now offering a “Vintage Star Wars Collection” including:

• Ewoks

• Ewoks: the battle for Endor

• Caravan of Courage

• Clone Wars: 2D Micro Series

• The Story of the Faithful Wookiee

Share your childhood memories with a new generation!

Although you won’t find the original cuts, Disney+ has the fully updated Star Wars universe at your fingertips.

More Star Wars Content To Binge

• The Toys That Made Us - Episode 1, Star Wars (Netflix)

• Empire Of Dreams- The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (Disney+)

• The Clone Wars (Disney+)

• Rebels (Disney+)

• The Mandalorian (Disney+)

• Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy (Blue Harvest, Something Something Dark Side, It’s A Trap)

(not for children, don’t let the LEGO fool you)

Just for fun, here's a shot of one unlucky Stormtrooper booking his head in the original film.

Check out the official Star Wars website for more awesome content!

Thank you for reading, I hope you learned something new and exciting today! If you enjoyed this article please consider leaving a little heart and sharing it on your social media.

May the 4th be with you!