Originally posted by Antaeus
Special Report
Star Wars
Forbes.com staff, 11.01.05, 12:40 PM ET
http://www.forbes.com/2005/05/16/starwarsland.htmlStar Wars is much more than a movie. It's a global phenomenon, with legions of devoted fans. Since the release of the original film in 1977, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia and the rest of the gang have become a familiar part of our culture, their legendary story as familiar as Robin Hood's.
Star Wars is also a gold mine. Director George Lucas parlayed the movie's success into an empire, founding landmark companies Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic. The six films, books, videogames, action figures and television shows have pulled in well over $20 billion and counting. Lucas himself can boast a net worth of more than $3.5 billion.
In May, Lucas released Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, the last film in the franchise. On Nov. 1, Revenge of the Sith will be released on DVD, so we decided to pull together the best of Forbes' Star Wars coverage to celebrate the occasion. May the force be with you.