Would Star Wars still be popular if it were released today?

Imagine if you will, the year is 1977. The top movie of the year is a science fiction movie, but it isn’t based in a galaxy far, far away. Instead, the events occur on Earth. It is not from an emerging filmmaker named George Lucas. The writer and director of this movie is Steven Spielberg, who had already enjoyed cinematic success with movies like Duel and Jaws.

The world did not get to meet Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie. Talking droids like C-3PO or R2-D2 never graced our screens. Spacecraft like Tie fighters, X-wings, and the Millennium Falcon did not exist until today. How would the world of 2023 respond to Star Wars?

Science Fiction in 1977

The science fiction genre isn’t new today and certainly wasn’t back in 1977. The Buck Rogers comic strips were first published in 1929, and Flash Gordon first came out in 1934, with movie adaptions for both also cashing in well from box office sales. With the advent of the space race and the increased presence of television in the 1960s, we got to see shows like Lost in Space and Star Trek, which maintained strong ratings throughout the life of the shows.

What was it about Star Wars that set it apart? Was the story different? It certainly introduced new characters, new villains, and a new concept of “the Force” which captivated audiences. The good rebel versus the evil empire concept was not original, but the introduction of the Jedi and Sith, and their unique weapon of choice, the lightsaber was the perfect marrying of old weapons with modern technology and effects.

Today, the world would have expected a greater level of effects, particularly for those that enjoy watching and re-watching movies, at half-speed or super-slomo to pick up any fault or discrepancy. But to meet that challenge there would hopefully be a lot more technology to assist Lucas in bringing his Star Wars galaxy to life, even though Industrial Light and Magic was responsible for pioneering so many advancements as it was. But when you look at the movies getting released year after year there continues to be a fascination with other worlds, fantasy, heroics, and technology.

The story

If we look at the way the world reacted to the prequel trilogy, there were two consistent complaints. Firstly, there was Jar Jar Binks, but we’ll leave them out of this discussion. The other was that Lucas had placed more emphasis on special effects, as opposed to the storyline. The original Star Wars provided a storyline that was original and refreshing. Farmboy suffers tragedy and must save the universe when he meets a rag-tag band of smugglers, royalty, robots, and masters of ancient arts. There were sword fights, dogfights, epic jumps, and body-rocking explosions. Sounds like the recipe for any successful blockbuster in 2023.

One element that always separated the movie for me was the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi (should I have put "spoiler alert" before that?). Everyone who saw that scene for the first time was shocked that the old wise mentor had been vanquished by the evil Darth Vader. It was only later when Luke was attacking the Death Star that we learned Obi-Wan might have been gone but his force lived on.

Had other similar stories come before and since? They have, but they didn’t seem to pull it all together as this movie did.

The characters

In addition to robots and a variety of weird-looking aliens, Star Wars introduced characters the target audience related with. Teenage boy nerds associated themselves with Luke Skywalker (I was a nerd so I can say that), and often they imagined that the smooth-talking handsome jock was Han Solo.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa gave the movie another essential element for success, a beautiful, strong, rebel leader that was able to look stunning and lead her “rescuers” away from danger. She was sassy, she was smart, and she was respected. Following the release of the movie, the name Leia was ranked the 911th most popular name for girls in 1978. In 2020, the name came in as number 295. I am confident that those that are naming their child in 2023 were not 15 when the movie first came out.

The villain, Vader was something else that caught the audience’s attention. Dressed in all black with a menacing helmet and the ability to strangle people using the force is probably the reason that the American Film Institute still rates Vader as the third-best movie villain of all time. It’s important to note that numbers one and two on that list are Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates. All these years later, Vader continues to be seen as a menacing force of evil.

The actors may have just been the right combination at the time. If the movie were made today would there be an actor that could do justice to the bun hairdo of Leia? We probably won’t have to find out unless they decide to do a prequel of Leia like Solo. Would a movie about multiple worlds have more diversity in its cast? Almost certainly, and that would just present a more accurate reflection of the universe.

The toys

If you grew up in the 1970s, odds are you had at least one Star Wars action figure, or a few, or a few dozen. The toys certainly helped keep the movie popular, it ensured that the young could re-enact their favorite scenes, maybe even develop new ones. You could play out a duel between Vader and Obi-Wan, or Luke could fly his X-wing and destroy the Death Star. For me, the toys were as much of the movie as the film itself.

Few other movies have maintained relevance in the toy department. The first Lego Star Wars set was introduced in 1999, year after year new Star Wars sets are released and snapped up by Lego fans and Star Wars fans. Star Wars merchandise continues to be a hot seller, with the only real change being that you are now paying royalties to Disney instead of Lucas.

A New Hope?

It’s important to examine the time that a movie came out, and the attitudes of society at the time. For instance, if American Pie were released today, the scene where Jim live streams a woman getting undressed without her knowledge would never have made the screen.

This movie came at a time when many were feeling disenfranchised, with the Watergate Scandal still fresh in people’s memories, the Vietnam War had come to an end, and there was a global oil crisis. People needed distraction and they needed something to believe in. For the teenagers that queued up to watch this space opera repeatedly, this movie gave that hope.

Today, there is a political divide like never before. We have endured wars in the Middle East, school shootings, cyber-attacks, and a global pandemic. People still use movies and TV shows as a way to escape their modern worries. Will they watch it multiple times on the big screen? Possibly not, but will they stream and watch it more than once? Without a doubt.

Look, I know I’m biased. I grew up in love with Star Wars. I do a double take when someone says they haven’t seen Star Wars, and I wonder how they have spent their life. Generations have changed their views over the movies, and even the actors, most recently evidenced by the overwhelming applause for Hayden Christiansen reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker. The 1977 movie started a universe that many since have built upon.

I mean, honestly, if you have read this far you are likely already in the camp that you would watch Star Wars today if it was coming to a theatre near you. May the force be with you.

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