Lucas has said that the plot and characters in the 1958 Japanese film The Hidden Fortress, directed by Akira Kurosawa, was a major inspiration. Additionally, the film influenced Lucas to tell the story of Star Wars from the viewpoint of the humble droids, rather than a major player.

How did George Lucas start writing Star Wars?

Original trilogy

In 1971, George Lucas wanted to film an adaptation of the Flash Gordon serial, but could not obtain the rights, so he began developing his own space opera. After directing American Graffiti (1973), he wrote a two-page synopsis, which 20th Century Fox decided to invest in.

Where did George Lucas get the inspiration for the force?

Lucas used the term the Force to "echo" its use by Canadian cinematographer Roman Kroitor in Arthur Lipsett's 21-87 (1963), a National Film Board production, in which Kroitor says, "Many people feel that in the contemplation of nature and in communication with other living things, they become aware of some kind of ...

What books inspired George Lucas?

Was Star Wars inspired by the Cold War?

Released in 1977, the film was primarily inspired by the Vietnam War and the Cold War. The film's director and creator, George Lucas, was compelled by the idea of "how democracies get turned into dictatorships" as he was working on the movie.

George Lucas is a time traveler and I actually wrote Star Wars | Chris & Jack

What is Star Wars originally based on?

Pulp heroes and comics

Flash Gordon is the pulp hero whose original property which George Lucas had sought to license before making the first Star Wars film, A New Hope; the film includes many elements derived from the 1936 Universal serial Flash Gordon and its sequel, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe.

What was Star Wars influenced by?

Triumph Of The Will (Leni Riefenstahl, 1935)

Disney wouldn't feel particularly happy admitting it, but the original Star Wars, as well as many of its prequels, were inspired greatly by the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl.

Did George Lucas get inspiration from the Bible?

George Lucas was inspired heavily by the hero myths. You can find some of that in the Bible, but not near as much as in other mythologies.

Was Star Wars based off a book?

The film version of Star Wars is not secretly based on a 1976 book by Alan Dean Foster. Even though the book came out before the movie, Foster was hired by George Lucas to write a tie-in novelization of Lucas's screenplay. The book hit shelves early because Star Wars, the film, was late.

How did George Lucas come up with Jedi?

Etymology. The word Jedi is said to have been adapted by George Lucas from Japanese 時代劇 (jidaigeki) (meaning 'period drama' motion pictures about samurai), or perhaps inspired by the words Jed (Leader) and Jeddak (King) in the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a series that Lucas considered adapting to film.

Who was Palpatine based on?

Palpatine was influenced by historical leaders such as (clockwise from top left) Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, and Richard Nixon.

Who was the first Jedi?

The Prime Jedi was an individual who became the first Jedi to ever use the Force. The Prime Jedi was also the founder of the Jedi Order, which they established on the planet Ahch-To around 25,025 BBY.

Where did George Lucas get the idea for the Sith?

Originally, George Lucas conceived the Sith as a group that served the Emperor in the same way that the Schutzstaffel had served Adolf Hitler. In developing the history for The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas condensed this into one character in the form of Darth Vader.

How long did it take George Lucas to write Star Wars?

Now, the original screenplay for Star Wars began, according to some sources, as early as 1971. He really wouldn't finish writing it until filming on the movie itself was complete, around 1976.

Did George Lucas write Star Wars as a book?

No. Alan Dean Foster was the ghostwriter for the A New Hope novelization. George never wrote a Star Wars novel himself.

Did George Lucas write Star Wars books before the movies?

Despite the Star Wars book coming out before the movie, it is still based on George Lucas' original screenplay. The movie was not adapted from the book. Lucas had always intended the story as a movie, with the novelization acting as a tie in.

Is Star Wars based on Christianity?

The Force and the Jedi religion, Lucas stated, were thus based on all religions in the real-world, as he constructed Star Wars mainly from Methodism—or Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—and Buddhism.

Who was Anakin in the Bible?

Anakim (Hebrew: עֲנָקִים ʿĂnāqīm) are mentioned in the Bible as descendants of Anak. According to the Old Testament, the Anakim lived in the southern part of the land of Canaan, near Hebron (Gen. 23:2; Josh. 15:13).

Is Anakin a metaphor for Jesus?

Anakin is a clear Christ figure. He dies to become Vader only to later resurrect, fulfilling a prophecy. He is called 'The Chosen One' and had a virgin mother who conceived him miraculously.

What are two sources that inspired Star Wars?

What religion is inspired by Star Wars?

Jediism (or Jedism) is a philosophy, and, in some cases, a tongue-in-cheek joke religion, mainly based on the depiction of the Jedi characters in Star Wars media. Jediism attracted public attention in 2001 when a number of people recorded their religion as "Jedi" on national censuses.

Why are stormtroopers called stormtroopers?

In addition, stormtroopers would serve with the regular infantry to enforce oppressive rule over the galaxy. Taking their name from the "storm" of galactic history, clone troopers served as the first generation of stormtroopers, and were gradually replaced by Imperial recruits known as TK stormtroopers.

What was Star Wars a copy of?

Being an amalgamation of many things that came before, Star Wars is now making headlines for taking inspiration from Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune.

Who is Darth Vader based on?

The Big Picture. Darth Vader's character design in Star Wars was heavily influenced by Date Masamune, a legendary samurai from Japan known as the "One-Eyed Dragon."

How did George Lucas change the world?

Lucas' pioneering filmmaking advances– from non-linear picture editing with EditDroid, digital sound editing with SoundDroid and his incomparable THX sound system in 1982; to computer graphics with his Pixar computer in 1985; to his revolutionary digital projection on THE PHANTOM MENACE in 1999 and the first live- ...