<Tr> <Th> Toys </Th> <Td> Toys </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Theme park attractions </Th> <Td> List of theme park attractions </Td> </Tr> <P> Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise, centered on a film series created by George Lucas . It depicts the adventures of characters a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . </P> <P> The franchise began in 1977 with the release of the film Star Wars (later subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981), which became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon . It was followed by two successful sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983); these three films constitute the original Star Wars trilogy . A prequel trilogy was released between 1999 and 2005, albeit to mixed reactions from both critics and fans . Another trilogy that continues the story from Return of the Jedi began in 2015 with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens . The first eight films were nominated for Academy Awards (with wins going to the first two films released) and have been commercial successes, with a combined box office revenue of over US $8.5 billion, making Star Wars the second highest - grossing film series . Spin - off cinematic films include Rogue One (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). </P>

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