Apr 29, 2022
In anticipation of May the 4th, Chris Taylor unearths the
human-scale stories that have gone into the making of the
galactic-sized legend that is Star Wars, and describes how and why
it has been such an astonishing success. In a richly detailed
narrative, Taylor traces the history of the series from its
difficult birth through four drafts, a disastrous first cut, and
many sequels and spin-offs. Today, he shows that Star Wars finds
itself at a crossroads, with a new company holding the reins and
many new spin-offs on the horizon.
How did a few notes scribbled on a legal pad in 1973 by George
Lucas, a man who hated writing, turn into a multi-billion dollar
franchise that has quite literally transformed the way we think
about entertainment, merchandising, politics, and even religion? A
cultural touchstone and cinematic classic, Star Wars has a cosmic
appeal that no other movie franchise has been able to replicate.
From Jedi-themed weddings and international storm-trooper legions,
to impassioned debates over the digitization of the three Star Wars
prequels, to the shockwaves that continue to reverberate from
Disney’s purchase of the beloved franchise in 2012, the series
hasn’t stopped inspiring and inciting viewers for almost forty
years. Yet surprisingly little is known about its history, its
impact—or where it’s headed next.
An energetic, witty account of this stunning cinematic and business
success story, How Star Wars Conquered the Universe is the
saga of how a young filmmaker’s idle idea became such an immense,
transformative cultural force.
Originally published in December of 2014.
Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.