How Star Wars Conquered The Universe: The Past, Present, And Future Of A Multibillion Dollar Franchise

Features of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of a Multibillion Dollar Franchise

In 1973 a young filmmaker named George Lucas scribbled some notes for a farfetched spacefantasy epic Some forty years and 37 billion later Star Wars related products outnumber human beings a growing stormtrooper army spans the globe and Jediism has become a religion in its own right Lucass creation has grown into far more than a cinematic classic it is quite simply one of the most lucrative influential and interactive franchises of all time Yet incredibly until now the complete history of Star Wars its influences and impact the controversies it has spawned its financial growth and longterm prospects has never been toldIn How Star Wars Conquered the Universe veteran journalist Chris Taylor traces the series from the difficult birth of the original film through its sequels the franchises death and rebirth the prequels and the preparations for a new trilogy Providing portraits of the friends writers artists producers and marketers who labored behind the scenes to turn Lucass idea into a legend Taylor also jousts with modernday Jedi tinkers with droid builders and gets inside Boba Fetts helmet all to find out how Star Wars has attracted and inspired so many fans for so longSince the first films release in 1977 Taylor shows Star Wars has conquered our culture with a sense of lightness and exuberance while remaining serious enough to influence politics in farflung countries and spread a spirituality that appeals to religious groups and atheists alike Controversial digital upgrades and poorly received prequels have actually made the franchise stronger than ever Now with a savvy new set of bosses holding the reins and Episode VII on the horizon it looks like Star Wars is just getting startedAn energetic fastmoving account of this creative and commercial phenomenon How Star Wars Conquered the Universe explains how a young filmmakers fragile dream beat out a surprising number of rivals to gain a diehard multigenerational fan base and why it will be galvanizing our imaginations and minting money for generations to come