What if "Star Wars" never happened ?

[TrueDave]

What would things had been like if Star Wars had never happened? It was more than a movie. It was a cultural juggenaut. Changed everything. How things are done.

Movies, Comics, Toys, Television, Business . .

I dont mean Darth Vader and Yoda impact i mean the business pattern for a blockbuster, the success greenlighting other Sci Fantasy projects, the Hollywood focus on Family Fantasy for the next decade, Sure Lone Ranger, the Beatles and Howdy Doody were big but . . .

What do you think?

[HardyGirl]

BITE YOUR TONGUE!!

[MIB41]

Without Star Wars you never would have seen Battlestar Galactica or any of the other space-oriented spin offs. I doubt 3 3/4 inch figures would have caught fire and I doubt that the Star Trek movie franchise ever would have got going. Star Wars broke the industry perspective that science fiction was just about poorly written stories only desired by nerdy kids who couldn't get out of mom and dad's basement. It also changed the marketing strategy for how movies are merchandised. Almost every film now is premarketed, prepackaged, and pre-sold to toy companies before the first frame of film is shot.

[kennermike]

Without Star Wars you never would have seen Battlestar Galactica or any of the other space-oriented spin offs. I doubt 3 3/4 inch figures would have caught fire and I doubt that the Star Trek movie franchise ever would have got going. Star Wars broke the industry perspective that science fiction was just about poorly written stories only desired by nerdy kids who couldn't get out of mom and dad's basement. It also changed the marketing strategy for how movies are merchandised. Almost every film now is premarketed, prepackaged, and pre-sold to toy companies before the first frame of film is shot.

well said!

[TrueDave]

well said!

Right out of the gate too!

But think about how with globalness its affected creativity.

I always date my comics pre and post Star wars. The look about even the drawing changes. ( probally under pressure from the boss.) I think Henson finally sold Dark Crystal by saying " Its like Star Wars with puppets"

I diskike the ramifications on science fiction, I prefered the more cerebral direction Sci Fi was going in Fiction before that. "Prechies" not escapism.

[johnmiic]

The industry would have followed Spielberg's lead rather than Lucas's. The top 10 highest grossing films would mostly have been Spielberg's until probably the release of Batman in 1989. There might not have been any Indy films. Movie SPFX would still be primative. Without ILM at the forefront pushing the envelope and forcing other effects houses to compete you might not have had Jurassic Park. Pixar might not have been formed and Disney might be much worse off too.

[AAAAA]

star trek II would aired on tv
kenner would have Released more 6MDM accessories set and outfits.
Mego would have released more figures in the 8 inch scale, including Eagle force
G.I.joe real American would of been revamped in to a 8 1/2 inch figures (hopefully a better jointed body.)
Lucas would be running a big Boy restortant,

[Sandman9580]

That's a great question. I think while it wasn't the merchandising bonanza that Star Wars was, it was JAWS that really ushered in the blockbuster era. Lucas conceived of Star Wars as being like a Disney film, in that it was going to have limited box office appeal (mostly kids) but make good money with merchandising. The studio didn't even have that much faith in it, but never-the-less they were planning on holding the sequel and merchandising rights. It was the unexpected and monster success of American Graffiti that allowed Lucas to re-negotiate for better terms. Also, the technical effects of motion-control photography that Star Wars pushed to its then-current limits? That arrived with 2001:ASO -- which came out in 1968. Science fiction, matte paintings, blue screen, stop-motion, toys, pajamas, sleeping bags -- everything was there long before Lucas came to town.

My point is that Star Wars, while it was brilliant and landed on the cultural landscape like a bomb, didn't invent anything new. The obsession with things like licensing and box-office, the mad-dash of innovation in special effects and CGI -- all of that would still be here right now, it just would have taken longer. (And would have arrived through different channels.) The cultural landscape would be familiar, but it's color and timbre would be different. I think that's the legacy of Lucas's innovation: he accelerated everything.

[mitchedwards]

On a personal level I would never have went into computers

[TrueDave]

That's a great question. I think while it wasn't the merchandising bonanza that Star Wars was, it was JAWS that really ushered in the blockbuster era. Lucas conceived of Star Wars as being like a Disney film, in that it was going to have limited box office appeal (mostly kids) but make good money with merchandising. The studio didn't even have that much faith in it, but never-the-less they were planning on holding the sequel and merchandising rights. It was the unexpected and monster success of American Graffiti that allowed Lucas to re-negotiate for better terms. Also, the technical effects of motion-control photography that Star Wars pushed to its then-current limits? That arrived with 2001:ASO -- which came out in 1968. Science fiction, matte paintings, blue screen, stop-motion, toys, pajamas, sleeping bags -- everything was there long before Lucas came to town.

My point is that Star Wars, while it was brilliant and landed on the cultural landscape like a bomb, didn't invent anything new. The obsession with things like licensing and box-office, the mad-dash of innovation in special effects and CGI -- all of that would still be here right now, it just would have taken longer. (And would have arrived through different channels.) The cultural landscape would be familiar, but it's color and timbre would be different. I think that's the legacy of Lucas's innovation: he accelerated everything.

True, POTA got the merchandising ball rolling. And SFX existed but were rare rather than standard. ( well the fancy ones) The SFX generation that was into it thanks to POTA was old enough to sell thier craft in the 70s and 80s when it was called for.

1980s Hollywood pushing kid freindly Fantasy to be Must Sees for everyone had a big impact. Every decade has a vibe.

Nothing new except the sheer VOLUME of what a media franchise can do. how far. . . .

[Meule]

Without Star Wars Mego might still have existed. Them turning down the Star Wars license was part of their demise (I know there was more to it, but let's say for arguements sake there wasn't). I curse Star Wars and I curse George Lucas.

[TEXASFETT]

Man I couldn't even imagine no Star Wars that also means really no conventions with that name.......no lightsabers or slave leia.It makes you really wonder!

[Zemo]

The world would be better off.

[fallensaviour]

On the plus side though there never would have been any Jar-jar!!!

[jwyblejr]

I don't know why but I have this feeling that the gap left by Star Wars would have been filled by Superman. Maybe instead of a sci-fi craze,there would have been a superhero craze.