Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

In particular:. It has been estimated that the gross income from non-box office sales and merchandise has been at least equal to the box office for all three films; if this is so, the total gross income for the trilogy would be in the region of $6 billion, a very respectable return for a $300 million investment (although not by any means the best profit ratio ever seen in Hollywood - that prize belongs to The Blair Witch Project). He put together a collection of classical pieces to give composer John Williams an idea of what he was looking for, and the music Williams composed often was distinctly reminiscent of the original classical pieces. These figures do not include income from DVD sales, TV rights, etc. Lucas wanted a grand musical sound, with leitmotifs for different characters and important objects, an approach used to great effect, for instance, in the operas of Richard Wagner. This compares favorably to the first two films of the trilogy: in their first 35 weeks of theatrical release in North America, the gross income of the first two movies was $313,364,114 and $339,789,881. (Of course, in Triumph Of The Will, Adolf Hitler was the leader in question.). It was the second film in history to earn over $1 billion in box office revenue in its initial release (the first being Titanic in 1997).

Both scenes have large and enthusiastic crowds seated in a shallow amphitheatre bounded by columns, with a low dais where the leader stands. The worldwide revenue is slightly enhanced compared to the earlier movies when converted to US Dollars because of the decline in the dollar's exchange rate in 2003. The scene where Princess Leia gives Han and Luke medals is very reminiscent of a long scene in Leni Riefenstahl's 1934 film Triumph of the Will. The final North American box office stands at $377,027,325, and the worldwide take is $1,118,888,979 (about $741 million overseas). Also, at the beginning of the film, just after R2-D2 and C-3PO have split up, 3PO is seen standing next to the skeleton of a sandworm. According to Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/), between the time of the film's release, its winning the Academy Award for Best Picture on Sunday, February 29, 2004, and Thursday, March 11, 2004, Return of the King had earned approximately $1,052,547,293 in worldwide box office revenue—$368,875,000 in North America, and $683,649,123 in sixty countries worldwide. In Star Wars, Han Solo is a spice smuggler. These forecasts proved accurate.

In addition, the planet Arrakis is the only known source of a hallucinatory drug called the Spice Melange. (The general opinion in movie circles in 2003 was that a movie had to earn more than $150 million to be considered a "blockbuster"). In general, the Star Wars movies have followed the convention, common in space opera, in which planets stand in for regions of the Earth, so that there would be a desert planet, a jungle planet, and so on. If this proved to be true, then this would be the first blockbuster movie trilogy for each successive film to earn more at the box office than its predecessor, when all three films were blockbuster successes. The planet Mongo from the Flash Gordon comics was also a desert world. The substantial increase in initial box office totals caused optimistic studio executives to forecast that The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King would surpass The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in total earnings. The planet Tatooine is similar to Arrakis from Frank Herbert's book Dune, although desert worlds were not original to Herbert. This was nearly twice the first-day total of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (which earned $18.2 million on its first day of release in 2001), and a significant increase over The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as well (which earned $26.1 million on its first day in December of 2002).

The "trench run" in A New Hope wherein Luke flies his X-Wing through a "trench" on the Death Star and destroys the ship was inspired, at least in small part, by the finale of 633 Squadron, which involves several Royal Air Force planes flying at low level up a fjord aganist heavy, ground-based anti-aircraft fire, to attack a factory located at the base of a cliff at the canyon's end. New Line Cinema reported that the film's first day of release (a Wednesday) saw a box office total of $34.5 million—an all-time single-day record for a motion picture released on a Wednesday (until Spider-Man_2 came along and grossed $40.4 million). Lucas has made mention of the film "633 Squadron" directed by Walter Grauman when citing movies that inspired themes or elements in Star Wars. After two years of attention and acclaim since the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, audience anticipation for the final installment of the trilogy had reached a fever pitch when the movie was finally released to theaters on December 17, 2003. The battles were copied from film of WWII dogfights, replacing the British and German aircraft by Star Wars spacecraft. Note: because the box-office receipts below are not adjusted for Inflation, they have little objective meaning—thanks to increasing ticket prices, new films will inevitably break such "records" continually, although low inflation between 2001 and 2003 means that US domestic figures are roughly comparable (world-wide income comparisons, translated into US dollars, are more problematical because of a substantial decline in the dollar's value in 2003). Lastly, the uniforms of the Imperial officers are quite similar to those worn by the Germans in World War II. The film remains faithful to the book in quoting the last lines spoken by Gandalf ("I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil", although Gandalf has some minor dialogue following this in the movie) and by Sam ("Well, I'm back.").

The helmets worn by the TIE pilots are reminiscent to those of the Japanese during the Pacific campaign, though this is not as blatant as the "Samurai style" helmet of Darth Vader. The film's closing scene shows Sam returning from saying farewell at the Grey Havens and coming back to the Shire and his home and family (returning at night in the book, during the day in the film). The cockpit design of the Millennium Falcon is also heavily based on the design used in the famous B-29 Superfortress, such as the Enola Gay. These denouments are only briefly summarized in the films, where we get a hint of Frodo's periodic bouts of illness following his return to the Shire, we see Sam getting married to Rosie, and we follow Gandalf's and the Ring-bearers' departure from the Grey Havens. The costumes of the pilots reflect this, with the characteristic orange flight suits of the rebels, which are very similar to the flight suits worn by American fighter pilots in the Pacific War. Following the destruction of the One Ring, most of the second book of The Return of the King involves tying up loose ends (although Tolkien considered the "Scouring of the Shire" to be one of the most important chapters of the trilogy, it is completely omitted from the film). While the dogfighting between the "Allied" X-Wings and "Axis" TIE Fighters, the ships were based more on the Pacific Theatre, with the larger sturdier rebel fighters based on the United States Navy carrier-borne aircraft, and the smaller but faster and more manuoverable enemy TIEs based on the famous Japanese Zero. Other alterations to the story include:.

The real-life battle provided inspiration also, with World War II providing a heavy influence on the look and feel of the films. Fans hoped that several other key scenes from the book would be included in the extended cut, although inevitably not all of them were:. The parallel between the use of classical-style music, rather than popular orchestral or even more recent rock, blues, swing, or jazz soundtracks, is notable. In the book Gríma simply throws the Palantír at the company, not realising its value. Another inspiration comes from "The Battle of Britain's" long combat scene near the end of the movie which is presented without dialogue or sound effects, but with a classical movie background. In the theatrical version there is no explanation as to how the Palantír fell into the water. Scenes from the Death Star assault are also reminiscent of the film Battle of Britain, particularly in showing the face of the pilot in the cockpit, and the radio dialogue between teams named after colours. (This is an homage to Lee's Dracula movies; Peter Jackson wanted to be the last director to drive a stake through his heart.) The Palantír then falls into the water where it is found by Pippin.

Some of the dialogue in The Dam Busters is repeated in the Star Wars climax and in fact the cinematographer for Star Wars, Gilbert Taylor, also filmed the Special Effects sequences in The Dam Busters. Saruman falls from the tower and is impaled on a wooden stake projecting from a mill-wheel. The climactic scene in which the Death Star is assaulted was modeled after the 1950s movie The Dam Busters, in which RAF Lancaster bombers fly along heavily defended reservoirs and aim "bouncing bombs" at their manmade dams in a bid to cripple the heavy industry of the Ruhr. (This is apparently a reference to Denethor's madness.) Saruman is finally stabbed by Gríma Wormtongue (which in the book occurs at the end of the Scouring of the Shire) and Gríma is shot by Legolas (in the book he is shot by a Hobbit). Indeed, when the droids find themselves alone on Tatooine, even the music and the style of "wipe" cuts are a clear homage to Hidden Fortress. In the extended edition Saruman appears on the roof of Orthanc bearing a Palantír and taunts Gandalf and his company with hints of a darkness in the heart of Middle-earth which will destroy them. The resemblance between the two buffoon farmers in The Hidden Fortress and the two talkative droids in Star Wars is apparent. In the book, the fall of Saruman takes place at the end of the scouring, but in the film's theatrical release Saruman is left trapped in the tower of Orthanc by the Ents.

Lucas has stated that Akira Kurosawa's 1958 film The Hidden Fortress (USA release 1962) was a strong influence. Jackson felt that it would tax the audience's patience to mount another battle scene after the critical conflict, the defeat of Sauron, had already been resolved. It is characteristic of much myth-building. A sequence that did not make it from the book into the film at all despite the hopes of many fans, was the "Scouring of the Shire", in which the Hobbits return home at the end of their quest to find they have some fighting to do, owing to Saruman's takeover of the Shire. This was conscious and has been acknowledged by George Lucas in interviews. There are further rumours of an even more spectacular Lord of the Rings Trilogy box set in the future, and Jackson has half-seriously mentioned the possibility of re-editing the trilogy into a TV miniseries, along the lines of the Godfather movies. The film drew inspiration from a number of sources. Fans also hoped that the extended discs would feature deleted scenes and outtakes, but none are included except for a few in the behind-the-scenes documentaries.

See also: Star Wars sources and analogues. A Collectors' Box Set was also released, which also included a sculpture of Minas Tirith and a bonus 50-minute music documentary DVD, Howard Shore: Creating The Lord of the Rings Symphony: A Composer's Journey Through Middle-earth. However, the film is still known as "Star Wars" to most people, though Star Wars fans often refer to it as "A New Hope." Up until the 2004 DVD release, the picture was even advertised simply as "Star Wars.". The extended DVD is actually a 4-disc set like its predecessors, with the movie and commentaries occupying Discs 1 and 2 and the behind-the-scenes material on discs 3 and 4. The designation of "Episode IV: A New Hope" comes from the heading of the introductory text of the opening title, but it appeared beginning with the 1981 rerelease, in order to be consistent with The Empire Strikes Back (and the eventual sequels and prequels that followed since). (In the Director and Writers' Commentary on the extended DVD edition he jokes about including some scenes in a 25th Anniversary edition, provided he is not too senile to remember by then.). C-3P0 and a fully repaired R2-D2 are in attendance, dancing joyously on the dais. He also stated that not all of the unused footage shot for the movie would necessarily appear in the extended cut.

The next day, in a civil ceremony, Princess Leia and General Dodonna award Luke and Han medals for destroying the Death Star with Chewbacca. He mentioned the inclusion of the "Mouth of Sauron" scene, as well as Frodo and Sam running with the Mordor orcs. The Alliance technicians immediately work to repair the little droid. In January 2004, Peter Jackson indicated that the then recently completed extended edition is actually four hours and ten minutes long. That night on Yavin IV, Luke is congratulated by his Rebel colleagues, but finds that R2-D2 has been damaged by one of Darth Vader's laser blasts. Other rumours suggested that the extended DVD might be a five or six-disc set, with the movie occupying three discs rather than two, and that the extended cut might be as long as six hours. He is able to regain control of the craft and sets course for an Imperial outpost. The early release of the standard edition had led some fans to hope that the extended edition might be released as early as August, but the release was actually put back from mid-November, presumably because of the amount of work involved in preparing the extra footage and bonus material.

Meanwhile, Vader's TIE fighter tumbles into space. The release of the theatrical edition had originally been scheduled for worldwide release in late August but actually appeared on May 25. Grand Moff Tarkin, who was previously offered a chance for an emergency evacuation, is still on the overbridge when the station explodes, just before he could destroy the Rebel base. Christopher Lee apparently reconciled his differences with Peter Jackson because he appears on the behind-the-scenes documentaries and Cast Commentary on the extended DVDs. With the aid of Solo and Chewbacca coming back and attacking Vader's assault squad (causing a collision between Vader's fighter and a escort fighter, leaving Vader spinning out of control towards deep space), Luke successfully launches torpedoes down the shaft, destroying the Death Star and striking a huge blow for the Rebellion against the Empire. The final ten minutes of the extended DVD comprises a listing of the names of the charter members of the official fan club. Thus he lets go of the targeting computers of the other Rebel fighters. These were released on December 10 2004 in the UK and December 14 in the U.S., with an expanded length of 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes) (slightly shorter in PAL versions).

As Luke makes his run down the canyon, he hears the unearthly voice of Kenobi, instructing him to "use the Force" to aim his torpedoes. Peter Jackson confirmed that this scene, although not in the theatrical release, would be included in the extended VHS and DVD editions. Several more Rebel fighters are destroyed; one fighter makes it down the canyon, but is unable to hit the ventilation shaft, despite the use of a targeting computer. According to British newspaper reports appearing on November 13, 2003, Christopher Lee was unhappy to learn that a seven-minute scene featuring a confrontation at Isengard in which Gandalf casts Saruman out of the order of Wizards, would not be appearing in the finished film, and he decided to boycott the premiere as a result. Luke and a few others make it down to the canyon, with Vader pursuing them in a distinctive, specialized TIE Fighter. Gandalf is now certain that Sauron will come after Pippin, thinking he has the ring. After several Rebels are killed by the power of the space station, Darth Vader suspects that several Rebel ships "have broken off from the main group" and intend to attack the Death Star ship-to-ship down the canyon leading to the reactor system. Pippin is left deeply shaken, but lives.

With time of the essence, Luke and an ad-hoc group of Rebel fighters begin their assault on the approaching Death Star. Barely able to resist the Eye's power, Pippin is nearly broken into submission, but Gandalf and Aragorn wrest it from his tortured fingers. Luke is amongst the X-Wing pilots of Red Group; Han, despite Luke's pleadings, decides to leave with his reward. Whilst gazing into the crystal ball, Pippin is spied by Sauron and through a psychic link, the dark lord attempts to interrogate the hobbit. The torpedo will travel to the main reactor via the ventilation shaft and start a chain reaction that will destroy the entire station. That night, after a post-battle party in Edoras, Pippin, fascinated by the seeing stone, takes it from Gandalf, ignoring Merry's urgings to leave it alone. The tactic involves flying along a canyon-size groove in the station's surface, and firing a torpedo down a narrow ventilation shaft. He is stabbed in the back, and plummets from Orthanc's top to be impaled on one of his machines, dropping from his sleeve a palantir, which Gandalf takes.

A discussion ensues wherein the Rebels' plan to attack the Death Star is revealed. Before he can give them more information, he is attacked by his servant Wormtongue. After General Jan Dodonna, chief strategist for the Rebel Forces, retrieves the secret Death Star plans from R2-D2, he leads the briefing of a group of pilots who are to take on the deadly space station. They are informed by Saruman that Sauron the trilogy's main antagonist, is readying his forces for a final strike. Unknown to them, but suspected by Leia, the Empire allowed their escape in order to track their ship back to the Rebel Base. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Theoden, the victors of the Battle of the Hornburg, there confront the traitorous wizard, Saruman. They finally reach the Rebel hideout on the fourth moon of Yavin, where they pass the plans on to the Rebel leadership. The plot then switches back to Isengard.

Leia, Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids make their way back to the Falcon and escape, fighting off Imperial starfighters along the way. As this sequence ends, we find Frodo, Sam and Gollum approaching the mountains of Mordor, Mount Doom's eruptions disturbingly close. Kenobi tells Vader in the clash that "If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." When Kenobi sees that he has distracted the guards around the Falcon, which allows his friends to board it though his own escape is cut off, he allows himself to be cut down by Vader, only to mysteriously disappear at the fatal instant; Vader is seen curiously probing Kenobi's empty robes lying harmlessly on the floor. The film begins with a flashback sequence, wherein we discover how the character Gollum first came across the One Ring. It is clear that they have known one another before, apparently in the roles of "student" and "master". The Lord of the Rings; The Return of the King picks up the story from the end of The Two Towers. After switching off the tractor beams, Kenobi encounters Vader, and a lightsaber duel breaks out. This ensured that all three movies were consistent in terms of story, acting, effects, and direction.

After some persuasion, Luke and his companions go to rescue Leia under various acts of derring-do, including a wrestling match with a tentacle-like creature in a garbage hold. The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy is highly unusual in that it is to date the only movie series whose separate installments were written simultaneously and shot all at once, so that it could be considered three parts of a single very long film. After Ben leaves, Luke, the smugglers and the droids learn that Leia is being held in a nearby cell awaiting execution. Other key events include the Siege of Gondor; the re-forging of the shards of Narsil into Aragorn's new sword Andúril; Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas' journey through the Paths of the Dead; the epic Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and the charge of the mûmakil (everything being carefully choreographed in advance, a process Jackson describes as like planning a real battle); Merry and Éowyn's role in the defeat of the Lord of the Nazgûl; the destruction of the One Ring and the final fall of Sauron; Aragorn's assumption of the throne; and the departure of several of the heroes to the Undying Lands. Kenobi volunteers to disable the tractor beam while refusing Luke's offer to accompany him, with orders to stay with Han and the droids (otherwise more star systems will be in danger of the Death Star). These include the scene in which the monstrous Shelob attacks Frodo and is wounded by Sam. Hiding in secret smuggling compartments of their ship, they manage to evade capture, and Ben decides to attempt to disable the tractor beams holding them there. This film contains key scenes that occurred in the middle portion of the novel The Lord of the Rings but were not included in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

They are further surprised to be hauled by tractor beams aboard what turns out to be a moon-sized space station — the Death Star. Close-ups of the city are represented by sets and long shots by a large and highly-detailed model, often populated by CGI characters. They then come upon a short-range TIE fighter and pursue it blindly up to a "small moon". The filmmakers have taken great care to base the city closely upon Tolkien's description in The Return of the King, Book V, Chapter 1. Arriving at Alderaan, or, at least, where Alderaan should be, the crew of the Falcon is surprised to discover there's nothing there except a hail of debris. The city of Minas Tirith, glimpsed briefly in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, is seen in all its glory. Convinced that Leia has lied to the Imperials and at the end of his patience, Tarkin orders the Princess executed. In his degraded state Gollum is "played" in the movies by a CGI character whose movements are sometimes derived from a motion-capture suit worn by Serkis, and sometimes from footage of Serkis interacting with the other actors and then digitally replaced by Gollum.

One of the Death Star's commanders issues Tarkin a report on the fate of Dantooine: there once had existed a Rebel Base, but it is now deserted. This scene was actually held over from the previous film because it was felt that it would have a greater emotional impact if audiences had already seen what the Ring's influence had done to Sméagol. In the midst of this, Kenobi is suddenly weakened by a great disturbance in the Force, the kind that the simultaneous violent deaths of millions would produce. As confirmed in the feature on Gollum in the Extended DVD Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Andy Serkis appears in person in a flashback scene playing Sméagol before his degradation into Gollum. Solo is skeptical, but a blindfolded Luke is able to sense the location of an attacker whilst practising with a lightsaber. It tied with Ben-Hur and Titanic for the most Oscars ever won by a single film, and broke the previous record for a sweep set by Gigi and The Last Emperor (See Movies with eight or more Oscars). En route to Alderaan, Kenobi begins instructing Luke in the ways of the Force. On February 29, the film won 11 Academy Awards, winning in every category for which it was nominated.

Because Dantooine is too remote for an adequate demonstration, Tarkin destroys Alderaan anyway, as a public display of the Death Star's power. On January 27, 2004, the film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score (Howard Shore), and Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Music (Song), Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects; however, none of the ensemble cast received any acting nominations. The princess tries to set up a ruse and tells Tarkin the Rebel Base is on Dantooine. The first two films were The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, although the film's story includes later events in the section of the book The Two Towers as well as most of The Return of the King. Unable to provide the Empire with any clue to the location of the Rebel Base, Tarkin decides to test the Death Star's power on Alderaan, Leia's home planet unless she talks. Further premieres took place in major cities around the world in the days leading up to the film's worldwide theatrical release on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 with a runtime of 200 minutes (that is, 3 hours and 20 minutes). Princess Leia is now brought to the Death Star's viewing room. The film premiered in Wellington, New Zealand, on December 1, 2003, attended by the director and many of the stars.

After leaving the planet's surface, and dodging turbolaser fire from two orbiting Star Destroyers, the ship and its crew finally escape. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. While fighting off the stormtroopers, the companions board the Millennium Falcon and make a hasty launch. R. As the old Jedi and his companions make their way to the bay, an informant summons stormtroopers. R. However, the gangster warns that he will raise the bounty on the pilot's head, should he not repay Jabba as soon possible. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the third part of a film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, based on J.

Jabba is pacified for now with the fact that in transporting Luke and Ben, Solo has found a rich charter to pay his debt. In the books Celeborn also takes a later ship, as do Legolas and Gimli. As Luke, Ben, and the droids deal with selling Luke's speeder to raise the needed cash, Solo has to bargain with Jabba who is waiting for him at Docking Bay 94 (the point of departure for Alderaan). In the book, Frodo and Sam join with Bilbo and the elves in the woods while traveling to the harbor. Back on the Death Star, the final inspection of the space station is completed, and the commanding officer Grand Moff Tarkin decides on a different approach to persuade Princess Leia to co-operate in revealing the location of the secret Rebel base. Tarkin orders the Death Star to set course for the planet Alderaan. In the film, it is not revealed that Frodo is to sail to the west with Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn until after most of them have boarded the ship. Fortunately, Solo takes advantage of the fact that Greedo is foolish enough to allow his quarry to secretly reach for his gun, and shoots him from under the table. In the film, Frodo jumps on him one last time and causes them both to fall; it is subsequently revealed that he was able to catch himself on the rock below the precipice, from which Sam pulls him back (after a brief hesitation by an apparently suicidal Frodo).

But when he tries to leave the bar, Solo suddenly meets up with one of Jabba's goons, Greedo, who has been looking to collect a large bounty that Jabba has placed on Solo's head (for losing the shipment). In the book, Gollum slips accidentally into the Crack of Doom while dancing in triumph after wresting the Ring from Frodo. Solo agrees, and as Ben and Luke head out the door, Han is jubilant about the offer as he owes money to Jabba the Hutt for losing a loadful of spice on an earlier run when he was boarded by Imperial forces. Unlike the book, Merry is not taken to the Houses of Healing to recuperate from his encounter with the Witch-king (with the aid of Aragorn's knowledge of the healing herb athelas, which he also uses to heal Faramir and Éowyn), but instead rides out to the Last Battle alongside Aragorn and Gandalf. Han agrees to transport them to Alderaan with a 10,000 fee in advance, but Ben offers to pay the smuggler 2,000 now and an additional 15,000 later. In his commentary on the extended DVD Peter Jackson admits that he was aware of the distance issue but included the scene for dramatic effect.). Later, at a seedy bar, after an incident where Ben is forced to cow some toughs with his saber, they encounter a boastful smuggler Han Solo and his cohort Chewbacca the Wookiee. While on fire, Denethor would have had to run across the entire city to fall like that.

As they enter Mos Eisley, several Stormtroopers accost the group, looking for C-3PO and R2-D2; however, Obi-Wan uses a Jedi mind trick to convince the Stormtroopers that the droids accompanying him "are not the droids you're looking for". (In fact the "prow" of Minas Tirith, located on the Seventh Level, is on the opposite side of the city from the burial chambers where the pyre is, located on the fifth level. The group then heads off to Mos Eisley Spaceport to find transportation to Alderaan. In the book, Denethor lights his pyre and lies down upon it to burn, clasping the palantír. Luke reluctantly decides to join Ben and become a Jedi. In the film, the burning Denethor runs along the "prow" of Minas Tirith and falls like a meteor. Ben declares there was nothing Luke could have done had he been at the Lars homestead—Luke would too have been killed and control of the droids would have reverted to the Empire. In the book, Frodo and Sam have no break in their trust, except for a brief instant upon Frodo's rescue from the orc tower where he demands that Sam return the Ring.

Luke returns to the damaged Jawa Sandcrawler. In the film, Gollum tricks Frodo into mistrusting Sam and sending him away, so that Frodo enters Shelob's Lair alone. She has managed to resist the interrogation thus far. In the film, there is no courier, and the Riders are spurred to help Gondor by the beacons (above). Meanwhile, on the Death Star where Leia is imprisoned, Vader attempts to use an interrogation droid to extract the location of the Rebel base from her. In the book, Gondor's formal request for aid is sent to Rohan by a courier carrying the Red Arrow (although Rohan was already mustering to Gondor's defense, in part at Gandalf's urging). Luke then realizes that the Troopers likely learned who the droids were sold to and heads back to the Lars homestead, but after returning there he finds his family murdered and his house destroyed. In the film, Denethor refuses to light the beacon of Minas Tirith, or indeed to organize any defense of the city, so Gandalf persuades Pippin to sneak past the guards and light it, causing the rest of the beacons to be lit in response.

Ben suspects from the crudely arranged evidence that Imperial stormtroopers have ambushed the Jawas in an attempt to find the droids and disguised it as a Tusken Raider attack. In the book, the beacons of Gondor are lit before Gandalf and Pippin arrive, as a part of Denethor's careful mustering of Minas Tirith's defenses. Back on Tatooine, Ben, Luke and the droids discover dead Jawas and disorganized Bantha tracks. The book version makes more sense when considering the maps, as Pelargir is a long way from Edoras or Minas Tirith, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli run for a short time considering the distance. Tarkin orders the Dark Lord to stop, and announces his intention to have the battle station fully operational. No rangers or southern gondorians are in the movie. Incensed at the commander's "lack of faith", Vader uses the Force to choke the commander from across the room. The dead than sail on the ships to Pelennor fields.

One commander dismisses the threat against the supremely powerful Death Star and even dares to insult Lord Vader's caution that its power is trivial compared to the Force. In the movie, Aragorn gets the dead to serve in an underground cave, exits the underground path at Pelagir to see the corsairs. On the Death Star, Imperial commanders (including Grand Moff Tarkin) meet to discuss the full power of the battle station, but suspect the Rebels may find its weakness and attempt to destroy it while Tarkin announces the dissolution of the Imperial Senate and the consolidation of the political power under the Emperor with the Death Star enforcing it. After the Dead defeat the corsairs, they disappear, and the ships carry Aragorn, the rangers, Legolas, Gimli, and some forces from southern Gondor to the battle of Pelennor fields. Ben invites Luke to come with him to Alderaan, but the young Jedi-to-be is reluctant at first citing his responsibilities back home, eventually offering to transport Ben and the droids as far away as Anchorhead to get a transport to Mos Eisley. Aragorn than leads the dead and members of his group to Pelargir to attack the corsairs. Finally, Ben and Luke see the entire holographic message from Princess Leia, who asks for Ben's assistance to take the droid and the plans to the planet Alderaan if the Rebellion is to survive. In the book, the rangers, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn ride through the mountain path to summon the dead, than ride through the Morthond valley to the stone of Erech, where the dead agree to serve.

Ben tells Luke he was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader, a former pupil of Ben's before he turned evil, then talks about the mysterious energy field called the Force. Elrond's appearance partially substitutes. Luke then asks how his father died. The company of Rangers of the North, who along with the two sons of Elrond join Aragorn after Saruman is defeated, do not appear at all in the film, in which Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli take the Paths of the Dead alone. Ben explains about how the Jedi kept peace in the galaxy before the Dark Times. In the book, Narsil was reforged when Aragorn first brought the hobbits to Rivendell (following a prophecy that the reforging could only take place after "Isildur's Bane", the Ring, was found). As a token of good faith, the old Jedi hands Luke his father's lightsaber which Luke is able to activate without any difficulty. In the film, shards of Narsil are re-forged by Elrond at Arwen's urging, and Elrond travels to Rohan where he presents the reforged sword to Aragorn and orders him to take the Paths of the Dead.

While Luke repairs C-3PO, Ben tells of his days as a Jedi Knight and the Old Republic and reveals to Luke that his father was one as well. In the extended cut Gandalf tells Pippin that the dead White Tree remains in the courtyard in the apparently forlorn hope that it will blossom again; in a later scene the tree is seen bearing a single white flower. Luke wakes up and sees Ben, who reveals his true identity and with the pending return of the Tusken raiders in force to consider, Ben takes Luke and the droids back to his hut. Book: After the coronation, Gandalf counsels King Elessar and shows him where to find a seedling of the White Tree.
Movie: Not included. It is revealed that the sound was made by none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi, now going by the name of "Ben." Ben discovers the unconscious Luke and a partially damaged C-3PO. In both versions of the film the destruction of the Ring causes the Eye of Sauron to erupt in flame and then explode as Barad-dûr collapses. As the Tuskens ransack Luke's speeder after subduing the farmboy, the sound of a Krayt dragon is heard, scaring off the Tuskens. Book: The spirit of Sauron rises like a black cloud from the ruin of Barad-dûr before being blown away by the West wind.
Movie: Not included.

While checking out the situation, Luke and C-3PO are attacked by one of the Sandpeople. In the book he is allowed to live until the battle. Early the next day, Luke and C-3PO enter the Jundland Wastes and find R2-D2, but suddenly Sandpeople appear. He then taunts Aragorn over his broken sword and Aragorn decapitates him with the reforged Andúril. C-3PO suggests Luke go after him, but nighttime is dangerous due to the increasing amount of Sandpeople, so they decide to wait until morning. The Mouth torments the Fellowship by claiming that Frodo has been horribly tortured and killed. Returning to his garage before nightfall, Luke discovers that R2-D2 has escaped. Book: The Mouth of Sauron taunts Gandalf at the Black Gate and presents evidence that Frodo had been captured (which was true, although Frodo was rescued by Sam before he could be interrogated).
Movie: Included with alterations.

In addition, Owen refuses to honor his agreement to allow Luke to apply to the Academy that year and Luke is left frustrated with a bleak future on the farm. The scene ends with Frodo and Sam pretending to fight, causing the other orcs to join in, and slipping away while they are distracted - a simplification of the original scene. Uncle Owen denies it and tells Luke to have the droids' memories erased by morning. Book: Incognito in Orc armor, Sam and Frodo are forced to march with a band of Orcs who are heading for the Black Gate.
Movie: Included. Later, at dinner, Luke suspects that the droids might have been stolen, and that R2 really belongs to an "Obi-Wan Kenobi". Takes place following the Last Debate; Sauron retaliates by showing Aragorn a vision of Arwen apparently dying, which is not in the book. That night, while cleaning the droids, Luke triggers part of a holographic message from a mysterious, attractive woman (Princess Leia). Book: Aragorn reveals himself and his reforged sword to Sauron using the palantír recovered at Isengard.
Movie: Included with alteration.

On Tatooine, the droids (after being captured by scavenger creatures called Jawas) come into the possession of Owen Lars and his young nephew, Luke Skywalker, a young, frustrated resident of one of Tatooine's remote settlements. Book: Faramir and Éowyn meet and fall in love in the Houses of Healing.
Movie: Referred to in a brief scene in which they begin to bond. Leia is later brought to Lord Vader for questioning, but when Leia flatly denies being part of the Rebel Alliance, he orders her to be held prisoner, knowing she is now his only hope in finding the secret Rebel Base. Book: Aragorn cures Éowyn, Faramir, and Merry in the House of Healing.
Movie: His healing of Faramir and Merry is not included. The droids, meanwhile, use an escape pod (which R2-D2 programmed) and begin their journey to the planet Tatooine, a planet in the largely-ignored frontier region. Book: Éomer grieves over the deaths of Éowyn and Théoden after the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
Movie: We see Éomer's shock at his sister's apparent death, and his attempts to nurse her back to health with the aid of Aragorn. While conducting a thorough search ordered by Vader, stormtroopers discover Princess Leia and capture her. It is also possible, however, that the Palantir Aragorn used was the stone of Orthanc, and Denethor's seeing-stone was completely cut out of the films.

Grabbing Antilles by the throat, Vader demands an answer, but when he is unable to obtain any, the Dark Lord lifts him off of his feet and chokes the captain to death. Denethor, in the theatrical cut, does cryptically say that "the eyes of the White Tower are not blind", and he implies that he has a Seeing-stone, which someone that read the book might understand but would be lost on a movie-only audience. Princess Leia records a holographic message and stores it into the memory banks of R2-D2, then disappears as C-3PO arrives to discover his counterpart. The stormtroopers capture many Rebels, while Darth Vader questions the Tantive's commander, Captain Antilles (C-3P0's former master), about the secret plans. The implication that this is the cause of Denethor's madness is left to viewers with knowledge of the book. Imperial Stormtroopers blast their way into the Rebel ship; when the ship is brought under Imperial control, Darth Vader arrives to assess the damage. The vision is true as far as it goes, but Denethor does not realise the ships have been taken over by Aragorn's army.
Movie: Not included, but there is a scene after the Battle of Pelennor Fields, where Aragorn finds a Palantir in Denethor's cloak in the throne room and reveals himself to Sauron (see below). The Tantive is disabled and swallowed up into the enormous Star Destroyer via a magnetic field. But Sauron has infiltrated the palantír and used it to show Denethor a vision of the Black Ships.

During the fighting, two droids, the fussy C-3PO and the feisty R2-D2, escape into one of the Tantive's secret corridors. Book: In the Pyre of Denthor scene it is revealed that Denethor has a palantír, usually kept in a secret room at the top of the White Tower of Ecthelion, which he has been using to obtain strategic information for the defence of Gondor. Princess Leia Organa's ship, the Tantive IV, carrying secret plans to the Empire's superweapon, the Death Star, is pursued by an Imperial Star Destroyer. Book: The Rohirrim bypass the main road to Gondor by negotiating with the Wild Men of Drúadan Forest for passage through their woods.
Movie: There is no mention of the Wild Men or of Drúadan Forest; the Rohirrim just ride all night. As the opening scroll mentions at the beginning of the story, the Rebel Alliance, fighting the 19-year-old Galactic Civil War, emerges from a secret Rebel base and finally wins their first victory against the tyrannical Galactic Empire, led by Emperor Palpatine. The arrival of the Rohirrim is announced by their horns, but there is no sound of a cock crowing first (despite the fact that Tolkien described this as one of his favourite images). Please note this summary is based upon the original 1977 theatrical release version, and not on the 1997 and 2004 re-releases.. Shortly afterward, the Witch-king, riding his Fell Beast, intercepts Gandalf and Pippin, on Shadowfax, who are racing from the gate to the Citadel (at the summit of the city) to save Faramir from being burned alive by Denethor.

. In the book this takes place at the gate of Minas Tirith.
Movie: When the gate is breached trolls and orcs enter the city. Brian De Palma was there, and he threw his hands up in the air and said, 'George, you're out of your mind! Let me sit down and write this for you.' He helped me chop it down into the form that exists today.". Book: The Witch-king enters Minas Tirith when its gate is breached and challenges Gandalf to fight, but as a cock crows the horns of the Rohirrim announce their arrival and the Witch-king is forced to return to meet their assault. It went on for six graphs with four sentences each. Book: On the way to the Morgul Vale, Frodo, Sam and Gollum pass through the Crossroads, where there is a giant statue of a seated king with his head laying on the ground nearby, "crowned" anew with flowers that have grown there, an image of hope amidst destruction.
Movie: Included without alteration. I showed the very first crawl to a bunch of friends of mine in the '70s. Very polite." Merry promises to tell him more about pipe-weed; the relationships of Merry and Pippin with Théoden and Denethor are more significant in the books.
Movie: Just adds a scene where Merry pledges his allegiance to Théoden.

It's like a poem. Book: Théoden meets Merry and Pippin and calls them holbytlan, suggesting that the word hobbit is derived from Rohirric; Pippin comments that the King of Rohan is "A fine old fellow. Lucas quote from Chicago Sun-Times May 15, 2005 interview: "The crawl is such a hard thing because you have to be careful that you're not using too many words that people don't understand. Instead of disappearing at the top, the text disappears into the distance as new text appears at the bottom. The text is seen at a highly pitched angle.

The text "crawls" up the screen from the bottom to the top. Lucas emulated the way the Flash Gordon serials presented their opening text. Like Flash Gordon serials of the late 1930s, Star Wars features opening text to give background to the story. It was also novelized by Alan Dean Foster though the book was credited to George Lucas.

A radio adaptation was produced for National Public Radio in 1981. With a few exceptions, most of these are minor or cosmetic in nature. Further changes have been made in 2004 for the film's debut on the DVD format. The Special Edition also had several scenes in which the events depicted were changed from those depicted in the original version; these changes are controversial as well, with many dedicated fans feeling the changes weaken the movie.

Some of the added scenes were intended for the original version of the movie, but were not feasible without newer advances in special effects technology, particularly in the area of computer generated imagery. The controversial (amongst fans) Special Edition contains scenes not in the original release, most notably a conversation between Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt, as well as numerous other small changes and visual additions. In 1997, the movie was digitally remastered as the so-called Special Edition or SE for a 20th anniversary re-release. Others claim that the trend is a natural consequence of economic and technological forces in the film industry.

Some blame it for accelerating a trend towards special-effects-driven movies targeting teenagers. However, the film is not universally admired. The American Film Institute listed it 15th on a list of the top 100 films of the 20th century; in the UK, a poll created by Channel Four named Star Wars (together with its successor, The Empire Strikes Back) the greatest film of all time. The film was shown continually at some theaters for over one year.

However, there was immediate impressive business upon release that wildly surpassed the highest hopes of the producers. Furthermore, that business increased dramatically as 20th Century Fox realized what a spectacular success it had on its hands and moved to make the most of it. Considering the distributor, and to some degree the producers, had little confidence in the film's potential, it was a word-of-mouth hit, having opened only on 37 screens that were persuaded to show it. Adjusted for inflation, its US gross profit is second only to Gone With the Wind. Star Wars remains one of the most financially successful films of all time.

It was originally presented in monaural sound. A 3-D release is planned for 2007. It was released on May 25, 1977, and was re-released, sometimes with significant changes, in 1979, 1981, 1982, 1997, 2000, and 2004. Star Wars, retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981 (see note at "Title"), is the original (and in chronological story order, the fourth) film in the Star Wars series of movies by George Lucas.

Listening to them together, one observes that none is identical to any of the others, but they use many of the same musical intervals to achieve similar, or at least related, emotional effects. the Extra-Terrestrial (also by Williams) have been said to bear a resemblance to it. Later themes, such as from Chariots of Fire and E.T. The opening title (the "theme from Star Wars", or "Luke's Theme") has been said to resemble the theme from Born Free, but is almost certainly taken from the opening strains of the 1942 film, "King's Row," scored by Eric Wolfgang Korngold.