(Welcome to Tales from the Field Workplace, our column that examines field workplace miracles, disasters, and every little thing in between, in addition to what we will study from them.)
“After I mentioned I used to be going to do the prequels, everyone mentioned, ‘That is nice, we get to see Darth Vader kill everyone.’ And I mentioned, ‘That is not the story.'” These are the phrases of “Star Wars” creator George Lucas talking with Rolling Stone in 2005 forward of the discharge of “Revenge of the Sith,” the finale to his ever-divisive prequel trilogy. “After I introduced that the primary story was going to be a couple of nine-year-old boy, everyone right here mentioned, ‘That is insane, you are going to destroy the entire franchise, it is “Extra American Graffiti” over again.’ And I mentioned, ‘Yeah, however that is the story.'”
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Lucas had earned the best to do as he happy. “Star Wars” was a multi-billion-dollar multimedia enterprise. 1999’s “The Phantom Menace” was one of many greatest motion pictures of all time as much as that time, finally passing the $1 billion mark globally by means of its numerous re-releases. Sadly, the essential response was removed from glowing, making the story of the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker a bit uneven. Be that as it could, Lucas was going to finish this trilogy on a excessive be aware. Greater than that, he was going to make sure “Star Wars” had a future, with this film serving as an ever-important lynchpin.
On this week’s Tales from the Field Workplace, we’re trying again at “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” in honor of its twentieth anniversary. We’ll go over how Lucas crafted the story, the way it grew to become the darkest entry within the franchise as much as that time, what occurred when it hit theaters, what occurred within the aftermath of its launch, and what classes we will study from it 20 years later. Let’s dig in, we could?
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The film: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
The movie picks up years into the raging Clone Wars. Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) learns that Padme (Natalie Portman) is pregnant. Given their secret marriage, Anakin fears for his household’s security. All of the whereas, he is in the course of a tense scenario between the Jedi Order and the Senate. As visions of Padmé’s demise persist, Anakin turns into tempted by the Darkish Aspect, main him down the trail to changing into Darth Vader.
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“I am not an excellent author,” Lucas mentioned to Self-importance Truthful in 2005. “I am making an attempt to inform a narrative utilizing cinema, not making an attempt to jot down an excellent script. I take advantage of the script as a blueprint.” Critics and audiences who helped make 2002’s “Assault of the Clones” a low level commercially for “Star Wars” on the time would have probably agreed. All the identical, Lucas had a narrative to complete.
Lucas had the story outlined for many years, which is why 1977’s “Star Wars” was later subtitled “Episode IV – A New Hope.” That at all times implied the existence of three different episodes. Even so, after Episode I and Episode II have been within the books, Lucas had bother focusing the story that may make its solution to the display in “Revenge of the Sith.” As he as soon as defined:
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“The primary script I wrote had tales for everyone, and I lower it down, and we had a script. However once we lower it collectively, there have been nonetheless issues. Lastly, I mentioned, ‘Okay, let’s be much more hard-nosed right here and take out each scene that does not have something to do with Anakin.’ However that causes you to juxtapose sure scenes that you simply have been by no means considering juxtaposing earlier than.”
Star Wars goes darkish with Revenge of the Sith
That call to hyper-focus on the Anakin story is partially why concepts like a younger Han Solo cameo have been scrapped alongside the way in which. It is the film that fulfills the promise of this trilogy; attending to see Anakin Skywalker change into Darth Vader. Regardless of the combined response to “Assault of the Clones,” that was at all times going to present this film an edge within the market.
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Talking of edge, Lucas additionally wasn’t going to be pulling any punches with Episode III. Jar Jar Binks made Episode I extra of a film for teenagers. On this film, Anakin actually killed younglings on the Jedi Temple. This was going to be arguably essentially the most grownup “Star Wars” film to this point. To that finish, “Phantom Menace” and “Assault of the Clones” each hit theaters with a PG ranking. “Revenge of the Sith” earned a PG-13. In that very same Self-importance Truthful piece, Lucas made it clear that it did not trouble him one bit:
“I do not actually thoughts a PG-13. This one is just a little harder, and I believe kids, younger kids particularly, must be warned that this isn’t your common Star Wars. It is so much darker. There’s much more scary stuff in it. It is brutal in locations, and they need to concentrate on that.”
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Was Lucas intentionally making some form of course correction primarily based on the reception to the earlier two motion pictures? In all probability not. Both manner, he saved the very best of his prequel trilogy for final.
The monetary journey
As anybody may anticipate, Fox and Lucasfilm pulled off one heck of a worldwide advertising marketing campaign for this one, with quite a few product tie-ins, a large press tour, the entire shebang. There was one hiccup, nonetheless, when a full, workpring copy of the movie leaked on-line simply days forward of the premiere. To what diploma that impacted the field workplace we will by no means now, however this was the web in 2005 and never 2025. That affect could be a lot bigger now.
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Fox launched “Revenge of the Sith” in theaters on Could 19, 2005, giving audiences the total Thursday earlier than the weekend to see the movie. That paid off, because it made $50 million domestically earlier than Friday even rolled round. Bolstered by usually favorable opinions and the notion that this could be the final “Star Wars” film ever, audiences rallied across the movie.
With no competitors, to talk of it made $108.4 million on opening weekend, simply topping the charts. Episode III held robust all through the summer time and did not depart the highest 10 on the charts till Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Manufacturing facility” arrived in mid-June.
“Revenge of the Sith” completed its authentic run with $380.2 million domestically to go along with $469.7 million internationally for a grand complete of $849.9 million globally. It was the second-biggest film of 2005 general, trailing solely “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fireplace” ($895.9 million). For context, “Assault of the Clones” made $656.6 million. That is a large improve and, even towards a large $113 million price range, it was a victory lap for Lucas.
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Because the prequel trilogy ended the Star Wars universe expanded
It might appear onerous to think about now however on the time, this appeared prefer it could possibly be the tip for “Star Wars,” at the very least as a theatrical concern. Nevertheless, Lucas had no intention of letting his child wither and die. As a substitute, he hatched a plan to carry a galaxy far, far-off to tv. His bold live-action “Star Wars: Underworld” did not pan out, however “The Clone Wars” positive did.
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Whereas Lucas (considerably surprisingly) had a troublesome time promoting “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” to Cartoon Community forward of its premiere in 2008, it will definitely did make its solution to air. Set between the occasions of “Assault of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith,” it was a deep, multi-season exploration of those characters within the prequel period. It additionally resonated deeply with its viewers. That viewers largely being youthful children. These children have been most likely conscious of the unique trilogy however more and more, the prequel period was changing into “Star Wars” to them.
It is onerous to know what Lucas meant, however this period grew to become a really wealthy space for “Star Wars” storytelling. From the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Sensible to the Siege of Mandalore and every little thing in between, there at the moment are hours and hours price of beloved tales happening throughout this timeline, all culminating within the occasions of “Revenge of the Sith.”
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Revenge of the Sith (and the prequel period) grew to become beloved with time
The significance of the trilogy’s reclamation can’t be overstated. Seven seasons of “The Clone Wars” and the entire different prequel period storytelling through the years have solely made “Revenge of the Sith” all of the extra essential to “Star Wars,” notably for the technology that grew up with the prequels. It is now an unquestioned pillar of the franchise with out caveat.
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That is why “Revenge of the Sith” made greater than $25 million in a single weekend when it was re-released in theaters earlier this 12 months, rating as one of the profitable openings for a theatrical re-release in historical past. That is why Hayden Christensen was met with an unbelievably heat response when he appeared at Star Wars Celebration in 2017 for the primary time in 15 years. That is why there are numerous loving memes populating the web stemming from this film. Say “Whats up there” to anybody of a sure age and there is a respectable probability they will reply with, “Normal Kenobi.”
“I do suppose that for those who watch ‘Revenge of the Sith’ accepting what Lucas got down to do, there is no query that that is his masterpiece,” Rick Stevenson wrote for /Movie earlier this 12 months as a self-proclaimed “prequel child.” He isn’t alone. In no small half as a result of this film caught the touchdown, the prequels gave “Star Wars” a long time price of life, as a substitute of the franchise operating the chance of dropping cultural relevance. It’s with out query a key, worthwhile piece of the collection’ legacy.
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The teachings contained inside
It is simpler than it is ever been to re-evaluate the prequel trilogy. On the time, there was no assure we might ever have extra “Star Wars” motion pictures. That every one modified when Lucas bought Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012 for $4 billion, with “The Drive Awakens” and every little thing else that adopted giving us extra “Star Wars” than we might ever had earlier than. That casts these motion pictures in a distinct mild. They weren’t the final “Star Wars,” they have been simply a part of the ever-expanding galaxy of tales.
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Irrespective of the place one lands on “Revenge of the Sith,” or the opposite prequel motion pictures, one factor is crystal clear now that wasn’t clear then. It is now not cheap or honest to deal with these motion pictures as some form of darkish mark on the legacy of “Star Wars.” For one, they have been commercially profitable on a stage comparatively few motion pictures have ever been. Extra importantly, thousands and thousands of followers around the globe — notably youthful followers — cherish these motion pictures. They love these characters. That is “Star Wars” to them. Those self same followers added an terrible lot of worth to Disney’s funding. No two methods about it.
Past that, within the Disney period of Lucasfilm that has seemingly been paralyzed with relative indecision ever for the reason that divisive response to 2017’s “The Final Jedi,” there’s something refreshing about Lucas flexing his inventive may and making a film on the largest scale on his personal phrases. As he mentioned, “That is the story.” Not for nothing, however that story proved to be much more worthwhile than he or anybody else realized on the time.
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