What if "Star Wars" never happened ?

[phil]

I agree with Werewolf. There would have been a highly sucessful Science Fiction/Fantasy film. It may not have become a pop culture phenomenon but it would have started a trend. At least similar to "Goldfinger" launching a wave of
spy movies for several years.

[samurainoir]

Star Wars was at the Zenith of a huge Science Fiction trend. Perhaps Westerns or Pirate movies would have made a big comeback in the eighties if Sci Fi hadn't of caught on. Maybe Gladiator movies or swashbuckling epics.

[Werewolf]

If Lucas hadn't done it, someone else would have.

It's an age old story with iconic archetypes. It's a heros journey with a wizard, pirate, princess, evil knight, etc. It's The Odyssey, Jason and Argonauts, The Lord of the Rings or Dungeons and Dragons in space. Lucas also didn't invent the sci-fi fantasy genre. Sci-fi was fun and exciting (Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers) before it became cerebral (2001). Not to say there weren't "cerebral" Science fiction movies before 2001 (Metropolis) but you get the idea.

There still would eventually have been a Star Wars type movie or something really close to it. Maybe Lucas would have even done his original plan for Flash Gordon or maybe he would have updated Buck Rogers. Maybe Spielberg would have done it. Something would have filled the void.

[bgrimm77]

Everyone that ever made a movie would not have been smart enough to have been sure to hold on to the licensing rights

[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.

[fallensaviour]

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

[Zemo]

The world would be better off.

[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!

[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.

[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. . . .

[mitchedwards]

On a personal level I would never have went into computers

[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.

[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,

[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.

[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.