In 1999, the film Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace opened after years of anticipation, aggressive marketing, and media hype. Episode I is the fourth Star Wars film to be released. The first movie by George Lucas (1944–), Star Wars (now often called Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope) appeared in 1977, starting a box office and merchandising franchise worth billions of dollars. Two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Return of the Jedi (1982) followed. By 1999, it was estimated that the trilogy had earned $1.5 billion. All three are in the top ten movies for box-office revenue. The Oscar-winning Star Wars theme music by John Williams (1932–) is among the best known of film-theme tunes.

Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo in the fantasy epic Star Wars. The Kobal Collection. Reproduced by permission.

Phrases from the series like "May...