In 1977 while filming Star Wars, George Lucas decided to take a $500,000 pay cut to his salary as director in exchange for full ownership of the franchise’s merchandising rights. By 2012, the first six films produced approximately US$20 billion in merchandising revenue.

Star Wars

This article is about the media franchise as a whole. For the original 1977 film, see Star Wars (film). For other uses, see Star Wars (disambiguation).

Star Wars is an American epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various films and other media, including television series, video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, and themed areas, comprising an all-encompassing fictional universe.[b] The franchise holds a Guinness World Records title for the “Most successful film merchandising franchise.” In 2020, the Star Wars franchise’s total value was estimated at US$70 billion, an… Continue Reading (29 minute read)