Star Wars

StarWars.com lists May 25, 1977 as the release date of the franchise’s first film, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope; Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopedia first published in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1768; the name also refers to its publisher, Chicago-based Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. (which presents itself as The Britannica Group). The print edition ended in 2012, and the company’s main businesses since then have been the online encyclopedia Britannica.com, digital education products for schools and libraries, and Merriam-Webster dictionaries.Open the full entry describes George Lucas as the director, producer and screenwriter who created the franchise.⁠[1][2]

The Walt Disney Company announced that it would acquire Lucasfilm, founded by George Lucas in 1971, in a transaction valued at about $4.05 billion, roughly half in cash; the announcement also targeted a 2015 release for Episode 7.⁠[3]

Disney announced that it had completed the acquisition of Lucasfilm, with a total value of about $4.06 billion according to its release.⁠[4]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first saga film after the acquisition, was released on December 18, 2015.⁠[5]

The live-action series The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.⁠[6]

Kathleen Kennedy announced she was stepping down as Lucasfilm president to return to producing; Dave Filoni became president and chief creative officer, and Lynwen Brennan became co-president.⁠[7]

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau, opened wide in North America through Walt Disney on May 22, 2026, earning about $81.67 million in its opening weekend.⁠[8]

Star Wars: Official website: https://www.starwars.com/ (opens in a new window)⁠[1]

X: Official account: https://x.com/starwars (opens in a new window)⁠[9]