“To boldly go where no man has gone before”… “In a galaxy far far away”…
Two quotes from two epic films that changed science fiction forever: Star Tech verses Star Wars. Both pushed film making technology to new levels and new expectations from the viewers.
Star Wars was one of those unbelievable films that became an instant classic as soon as it hit the theaters. After over 40 years it’s still a hit today.
1975 George Lucas writes a basic story about Anakin Skywalkers rise, fall, and redemption. The story is so long that it needs to be divided into 2 trilogies.
1977 Fox released Episode 4 of Star Wars, A New Hope. The film was instantly seen as the biggest adventure ever on film.
1978 production of the sequel to Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, was underway. Lucas was financing it out of his own pocket and it had a budget of $18 million; however due to budget overruns the actual filming cost more than $30 million. In May of 1980, The Empire Strike Back, hit the theaters grossing $222 million, making it the highest grossing film of the year.
1983, Return of the Jedi, hit the theaters grossing $265 million in North America and Lucas decides to retire from Star Wars projects to pursue some of his other interests. He made a vague promise to make the Prequel Trilogy someday if special effects ever become advanced enough.
1994 when Lucas announces he will begin working on the Prequel Trilogy with a tentative release scheduled for 1998. In 1996 Lucas signs the biggest deal ever seen in the industry with PepsiCo for movie tie ins, and later in the year he announces that the pre-production has started, and in May of 1999 Episode 1 titled, The Phantom Menace, was released, followed by Episode 2 titled, The Attack of the Clones.
The Star Trek series started with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in December 1979 and was the first of a total of eleven films all together.
1979 Star Trek: The Motion Picture – $82,258,456 gross
1982 Star Trek Ii: The Wrath of Khan – $78,912,963 gross
1984 Star Trek Iii: The Search for Spock – $76,471,046 gross
1986 Star Trek Iv: The Voyage Home – $109,713,132 gross
1989 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier – $52,210,049 gross
1991 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country – $74,888,996 gross
1994 Star Trek Generations – $75,671,125 gross
1996 Star Trek: First Contact – $92,027,888 gross
1998 Star Trek: Insurrection – $70,187,658 gross
2002 Star Trek Nemesis – $43,254,409 gross
2009 Star Trek – $257,730,019 gross
Whether you’re a fan of both or neither; you have to admit that the world of films, special effects, and computer animation will never be the same. Viewer expectations will never be the same either because of the high degree of technology that was developed in order to produce these films.