Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (initially named Star Wars) is a science fiction movie. It is the first film made in the Star Wars saga, but is the fourth film in the story's timeline. The movie was released in 1977 and also incorporates adventure, action and drama.
| Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope | |
|---|---|
 Special Edition Logo | |
| Directed by | George Lucas |
| Produced by | Gary Kurtz Rick McCallum (Special Edition) |
| Written by | George Lucas |
| Starring | Mark Hamill Harrison Ford Carrie Fisher Peter Cushing Alec Guinness |
| Music by | John Williams |
| Cinematography | Gilbert Taylor, BSC |
| Edited by | Richard Chew Paul Hirsch Marcia Lucas |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | May 25, 1977 |
Running time | 121 minutes (original) 125 minutes (Special Edition) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $11,000,000 |
In 1989, Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope was selected by Library of Congress into the United States National Film Registry.
Plot
The film takes place years after Revenge of the Sith, which was made in 2005 as a prequel. The Rebellion has stolen the secret plans for the Galactic Empire's superweapon known as the Death Star. Darth Vader and his stormtroopers capture Princess Leia Organa, a leader of the Rebellion but she secretly gives the Death Star plans to two droids (robots), C-3PO and R2-D2.
The two droids escape to a desert planet called Tatooine, where they are bought by Luke Skywalker and his adoptive parents, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Luke and the droids are attacked by desert natives called "sand people", but are rescued by Luke's friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is a Jedi.
Obi-Wan explains that the Jedi used a power known as the Force to keep peace in the galaxy until the Empire hunted them down. R2-D2 shows Obi-Wan the distress call from Princess Leia. Luke finds out that stormtroopers have destroyed his home, including his aunt and uncle, in search for R2-D2. Luke decides to accompany Obi-Wan and the droids to Alderaan, Leia's homeworld.
They go into a local cantina, where they meet two pilots, Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han Solo is a smuggler/pirate, who is in debt to a crime lord named Jabba the Hutt. Luke, Obi-Wan and the droids leave the planet with Han and Chewbacca in their ship, the Millennium Falcon.
On board the Death Star, Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin interrogate Princess Leia and use the superweapon to destroy her homeworld Alderaan. The Millennium Falcon arrives and they discover Alderaan's destruction. The Death Star uses its technology to capture the Millennium Falcon and bring it aboard the space station. Luke, Han, Obi-Wan and Chewbacca decide to sneak around the station to rescue Leia. They eventually find her in a cell. As they try to escape, Darth Vader kills Obi-Wan in a lightsaber battle, but the rest of the heroes escape on the Millennium Falcon.
They arrive at the Rebel base and R2-D2 gives the secret plans to the Rebels and they discover a weakness in the Death Star. They organise an attack on the Death Star in their small ships called starfighters. With the help of the Force, Luke is able to destroy the Death Star. The Rebellion celebrates their victory.
Main cast
- Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
- Harrison Ford as Han Solo
- Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa
- Alec Guinness as Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi
- David Prowse as Darth Vader, voiced by James Earl Jones
- Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
- Kenny Baker as R2-D2
- Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca
- Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin
- Denis Lawson as Red Two (Wedge)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Media
Star Wars creator George Lucas (pictured in 1986)
Hotel Sidi Driss, the underground building used as Luke's Tatooine home
Scenes of the Rebel base on Yavin 4 were filmed in Tikal, Guatemala
Rendition of Dan Perri's original Star Wars logotype
A crowd outside Leicester Square Theatre in London, the day after the film's UK premiere
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