'Star Wars' Hits 49-Year Milestone While Fans Pack Theaters for 'Mandalorian'
The Force is strong on this day for more reasons than one.
Monday, May 25 marks exactly 49 years since the very first Star Wars film hit theaters, ultimately launching a massive franchise that's still going strong.
Just look at the Memorial Day weekend box office, for example. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently dominating in theaters, opening to $102 million domestically (still a healthy number, though on the lower end for the franchise).
But it was Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) that takes the cake in terms of influence. Sure, some fans might prefer the sequel, but there are plenty of die-hards and critics that say George Lucas' original film - released on May 25, 1977 - is the best in the franchise.
Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, A New Hope currently sits at No. 21 on Rotten Tomatoes' list of 300 Best Movies of All Time. Here's the website's offered synopsis of the iconic space opera:
"The Imperial Forces - under orders from cruel Darth Vader (David Prowse) - hold Princess Leia (Fisher) hostage, in their efforts to quell the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker (Hamill) and Han Solo (Ford), captain of the Millennium Falcon, work together with the companionable droid duo R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) to rescue the beautiful princess, help the Rebel Alliance, and restore freedom and justice to the Galaxy."
And while we're on the topic, can you imagine anyone other than Ford, 83, portraying Solo? What if it were, say, Michael Corleone piloting the Millennium Falcon? In all seriousness, Al Pacino was once offered the role - but it turns out this was an offer he could, in fact, refuse. While opening up to Deadline about the decision, he said in part that he "can't play something if I don't speak the language." Find out more here.
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 6:22 PM.